I have not ever had the opportunity to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, but I would love to parachute at least once before the end of my life (I am sure my wife would feel differently about that, and may try to convince me otherwise).
At any rate, some people seem to think that just parachuting is not good enough. Some people have to push it to the next level. Some people have to strap miniature jet engines to their feet.
This could be useful in many applications, though, I am not sure what they are at the moment. It seems that whenever we figure out a new way to approach something, we also discover uses for it that had not originally been intended.
Linkage below...
This via digg:
A skydiver with jet engines strapped to his feets jumped from a balloon. He was the first human to fly a jet without a jet. Here is a video of the event.
read more|digg story
[Edit:]
More rocket madness here.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Monday, January 02, 2006
Question for you:
I have seen a number of statistics on the web of late saying that most computer users do not know about this, or that.
My question is this: Have you heard of the HD-DVD format, or the BlueRay Disc format? If so, which one are you for, and why?
My question is this: Have you heard of the HD-DVD format, or the BlueRay Disc format? If so, which one are you for, and why?
[posted with ecto]
Blowing The Cap: Americans First to Launch Object Into Space
There is a cool entry called The Nuclear Potato Canon at the Notes From the Technology Underground blog.
It is possible that I find this to be one of the most interesting stories on the 'net just because I am a guy. It is also possible that this is just one of the coolest things ever.
If you don't know what a potato cannon is, its basically a pipe which is stuffed with a potato, then the area behind the potato is filled with a combustible gas of some sort. When this gas is given appropriate stimulation (spark) the energy release causes the potato to move in the general direction which the tube is pointed (usually at very high velocity).
One of the first underground nuclear tests was conducted in a steel well (think: very large pipe, very large amount of combustible). They decided to put a cap on the well (think: 1/2 ton potato).
Given the laws of physics, it is not difficult to imagine this “1/2 ton potato” launching through the various spheres of the earth, and making its way into space.
NFTTU is one of my favorites, click the link above for more info on this.
It is possible that I find this to be one of the most interesting stories on the 'net just because I am a guy. It is also possible that this is just one of the coolest things ever.
If you don't know what a potato cannon is, its basically a pipe which is stuffed with a potato, then the area behind the potato is filled with a combustible gas of some sort. When this gas is given appropriate stimulation (spark) the energy release causes the potato to move in the general direction which the tube is pointed (usually at very high velocity).
One of the first underground nuclear tests was conducted in a steel well (think: very large pipe, very large amount of combustible). They decided to put a cap on the well (think: 1/2 ton potato).
Given the laws of physics, it is not difficult to imagine this “1/2 ton potato” launching through the various spheres of the earth, and making its way into space.
NFTTU is one of my favorites, click the link above for more info on this.
[posted with ecto]
Sunday, January 01, 2006
More Music To Leave on the Shelf at the Record Store
I can not say I am a fan of Coldplay, but what is on their latest release is important to me. Pandagon, via BoingBoing is reporting that the CD has anti-piracy measures on it.
It seems to me that one of the reasons people want music in MP3 format (or any of the other plethora of digital audio formats out there) is for portability--so that I can have the same music at home as at work, and in the car. From the looks of things, this CD will only play in certain players.
I wonder how frustrated this makes the band? As a user, I don't want to put a new CD in my car stereo on the way home from the store and find that it will not play. Further, I don't want to put it into any kind of player and find that it will not play.
I don't advocate stealing someone else's intellectual property. However, this situation seems like it is going to drive more users to piracy instead of away from it--one person figures out a workaround, copies the CD for a couple of buddies, and it spreads.
To echo what others have said already; the record companies seem so desperate to lock down their rights to the material that they have forgotten about the customer. The have forgotten about the musicians a long time ago.
Maybe the record companies are trying to save their bottom line, but I think in the process they are killing it, and you know what “they” say: The customer is always right.
It seems to me that one of the reasons people want music in MP3 format (or any of the other plethora of digital audio formats out there) is for portability--so that I can have the same music at home as at work, and in the car. From the looks of things, this CD will only play in certain players.
I wonder how frustrated this makes the band? As a user, I don't want to put a new CD in my car stereo on the way home from the store and find that it will not play. Further, I don't want to put it into any kind of player and find that it will not play.
I don't advocate stealing someone else's intellectual property. However, this situation seems like it is going to drive more users to piracy instead of away from it--one person figures out a workaround, copies the CD for a couple of buddies, and it spreads.
To echo what others have said already; the record companies seem so desperate to lock down their rights to the material that they have forgotten about the customer. The have forgotten about the musicians a long time ago.
Maybe the record companies are trying to save their bottom line, but I think in the process they are killing it, and you know what “they” say: The customer is always right.
[posted with ecto]
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