Portal Denial System: ElectroPlasmaLaser May 21, 2007
READ MORE Home Entertainment , Science
The way Hollywood tells the story, if you step through a laser beam then you should expect and alarm to go off and everybody laughs or something. But the way the defense company Ionatron tells the story, if you step through a laser beam things are a lot worse than some bells ringing in your ears.
That's because this laser is really a laser-induced plasma channel (LIPC) that can conduct electricity. You break the stream and—ZAP—you wake up behind bars to the smell of burnt hair and another man's aftershave. And that's what we are calling a best case scenario.
For those interested in purchasing units for home use, remember that all the really cool technology is controlled by the US government...and to stay clear of their buildings after 5pm.
Hit the jump for some video of the PDS.
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Video: Solid-State Aircraft Flaps Its Wings Like a Bird May 21, 2007
READ MORE Science
If you can get past the annoying voiceover (sorry, Ecogeek) then this video showing off Ohio Aerospace Institute NASA's solid-state aircraft concept is pretty cool. They're engineless, solar-powered and somewhat creepily resemble the mass production Evangelion units in flight, so it'd be sweet if these puppies (birds?) ever saw the light of day to make our jet-setting ways a little less harmful to the environment. I just hope they have a space-age barf bag to go with it. – Matt Buchanan
Swimming On The Spot Is Good For You May 21, 2007
I’m no fish but I do know that swimming regularly tops the fitness polls as one of the best exercises for the body, even more so than walking fast or running from the police.
The only problem is that swimming in comfort requires your own pool since public baths are usually overrun by little horrors doing bombs and learners drowning in the dedicated swim lanes. The only solution is a pool at home and even then, you’ll be lucky to be able to afford a really small one. One in which doing laps means five or six strokes in one direction before turning around.
For £2,000, you can swim on the spot and get fitter and thinner than ever. Meet the portable ExerSwim, which you place at the edge of the pool to generate a constant current that you swim towards but never reach. £2,000 is not cheap but it could finally make your bathtub swimming pool useful.-Martin Lynch
[Ohgizmo]
LG’s Chocolate Laptop May 21, 2007
READ MORE Gadgets , Gizmodo UK , Laptops
The Chocolate binge continues this week as LG applies the confectionary theme from its mobile phone to its latest laptop, the Z1.
It has a shiny piano-black lacquer finish [doesn’t everything these days?] but sports a useful 2.5in Sideshow display on the lid, allowing you to check your emails, calendar and perform other tasks without powering up the whole notebook. Those red touch-sensitive buttons on the outside will be recognisable to those familiar with the LG Chocolate phone. Asus launched the chunkier W5Fe in January, also sporting a Sideshow display.
The Z1 weighs in at 1.86Kg, has a 12.1in display, 1GB of memory, 120GB hard disk drive and is powered by a 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5600 processor. Graphics come courtesy of a decent ATI Mobility Radeon X1350 graphics card with 512MB memory. No prices yet.-Martin Lynch
StarCraft II Confirmed: Only About 7 Years Late May 21, 2007
READ MORE Games , Gizmodo UK , PC
‘Hell, it’s about time’ is the slogan [or is that apology?] that game developer Blizzard is using to highlight the news that Starcraft II is finally a reality.
The original Starcraft game – a classic RTS that swapped the axes of Warcraft for lasers in space – was a stunning game and one, oddly enough, I have found myself dipping back into over the past couple of months. The news that Starcraft II exists and will be with us by October – yes, this year - is going to make a few million old-skool gamers happy.
The slimy Zerg, the alien Protoss and hard-bitten Terran Marines are all returning for another inter-galactic smackdown, but this time with improved graphics [see above], new units and a “ground-breaking single player ‘story mode’ campaign”.
It’s been nine years since the original launched and the style will be visually static compared to many modern RTS games so, will this one be worth the wait? Who cares really, since it will probably sell by the truckload. Find out more here.-Martin Lynch
[Update] That October launch date is hearsay [boo-hoo] - probaby final Beta testing then - expect the real launch in 2008 for some 10th-anniversary type of thing. Makes more sense.
- Blogroll
Editor | Martin Lynch
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