US Patent 6422507 - Smart bullet
Abstract
A smart bullet capable of in-flight maneuvers generated by the selective extension of a spoiler from a de-spun control section of the bullet into the stream of air passing the bullet. A micro gyro located in the control section provides a rotation signal used in the control of a motor rotatably attached between the control section and a spinning section of the bullet. A rearward facing lens and optical detector receive guidance information from a gun-mounted guidance system. The direction of extension of the spoiler is selectively controlled by controlling the operation of the motor in response to the guidance information. The detector and pre-amplifier circuit
are bonded to the lens structure to minimize microphonic noise generation. An optical link is used to communicate information between the spinning and control sections of the bullet.
All I can say is wow. The smallest caliber is a fifty bmg and shucks I just happen to own one. No more windage or drop. No more tempeture charts or checking elevation. Just good clean shooting.
Just when you thought that all of the silly things that could be invented had been invented along comes the camera bidet. From our friends at end gadget comes this lovely camera that really is a bidet. Before you poo poo the idea or call it a load of crap read on
Ah yes, a portable bidet with all the things we’d expect from sanitary Korean electronics: antibacterial silver-nano coating, extendable nozzle, trochoid pump, everything you need to keep fresh. There’s just one thing that we’re kind of unsure of. It’s that bit about having a “simple and new disign with digital camera.” We have a feeling there was maybe a little something lost in translation, but just in case we’re the ones who are missing something, we encourage all users of portable bidets to make sure their devices adhere to all normal privacy standards. Because really, what could be more annoying than your your bidet taking snapshots when you’re not good n’ ready?
[Via Strange New Products]
Tags: Camera bidet
Not so super?
So, it has happened again. Another CE formally associated with HD DVD (although marginally) is trying to distance itself from anything that even mentions that failed disk format. As I write this, LG is offering a $75 rebate check (should I say “hush money”?) to anyone who has purchased their former top-of-the-line dual format SuperBlu player, the BH200.
The reason, you ask? Well, it seems many movie lovers that bought the LG play anything player did so with the hope–encouraged by LG promotional material–that the BH200 would eventually be upgraded to support the latest Blu-ray technology, BD-Live (Profile 2.0, for those in the know). Now LG has apparently decided that they’d rather pay than play. That’s right, instead of updating their machine, they are sending money to those buyers who happen to call in and complain about the missing functionality. (800-243-0000, if you want to do so.)
Personally, I think this is an unwise decision on LG’s part. It is already known that their machine has the internal hardware to support the BD-Live functionality (…what…you thought people wouldn’t open the thing up?…) and indeed the BH200 supports similar functionality with regards to HD DVD disks.
Plus, it hardly seems cost effective to offer checks that may factor into the tens of thousands of dollars, if it would cost LG less to have one bright developer implement the necessary BD-Live firmware changes.
It is called consumer satisfaction, LG, and it goes a long way toward fostering brand loyalty…you know, the kind of thing that has people buying your products for many years to come?
Ah, what’s the use. The whole CE industry is galloping around like preschoolers on a soccer field, trying to get one glancing kick at that elusive consumer dollar–a dollar that will clearly be harder to come by in the months ahead. I doubt they’ll be listening to anything I have to say now.
But, just in case, here’s a bit of soccer advice for you guys (LG, Sony, Panasonic, Samsung): Guard the goal first!
Technology is everywhere. From coffee makers to atomic bombs tech has made our life simpler and easeir. I love tech and was able to use some the other day out on a hunt.
I found this article about an electronic rifle scope that automatically compensates for unsteady aim and recoil is being developed by US defence contractor Raytheon.
Using the sight, snipers and police marksmen would no longer need to manually adjust their sight to account for the slight sideways movement that occurs when they pull the trigger.
The digital sight uses a high-resolution digital camera to zoom in on a test target and superimposes a cross-hair in the centre of the image. When the marksman aims and fires, an accelerometer detects the small shock pulse created as the pin strikes the cartridge cap and starts the camera snapping. It captures a rapid series of digital images, which record the motion caused by the gun’s recoil.
An image processor then compares the aim in the original picture with an image of the where the target was hit and electronically moves the cross-hair to compensate for any discrepancy. From then on, anything seen in the scope should, in theory, be a guaranteed bull’s eye.
Now the one I used was nowhere as nice as this but it did have a range finder in it that adjusted the reticle for the range automaticly. I found it way cool and cannot wait for them to iron out some problems like a better range finder and not so heavy
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It seems Microsoft and Netflix are ready to start pushing their new streaming service over Xbox Live before the New Xbox Experience is even available for mass consumption. Apparently “Quantum of Solace” for Xbox 360 was bundled with a 48 hour Netflix NXE trial. Don’t bother redeeming the code now obviously, you’ll need to wait for the update. The way it works is that it comes with a 48 hour Gold Live card and then a seperate code for Netflix included.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Microsoft and Netflix pushing this new service pretty hard in the months to come, and certainly expect these trials to start showing up in more and more games.
- Image Import tool for Little Big Planet
Above is an image that many Little Big Planet fans would love to see on their own screen. Noticably absent from Little Big Planet was any type of image import ability, and with a statement from a LBP community manager claiming the development team had “no plans to introduce” image importing to the game, but admitting that is is technically possible.
However, it can be clearly seen above that they in fact do have a “work in progress” going on, as they call it. The image showed up in Media Molecules Flickr stream yesterday, and as you can see, it appears the team is developing an image import tool, which would be able to pull images from the PS3 hard drive, which could then be placed into player creations.
So what’s the problem? Well, copyright issues are obviously a big concern for those involved, however, with the ability to take images the Playstation Eye, there is nothing stopping anyone from holding the camera up to a copyrighted image right now and using it in game, this would simply allow for better quality.
Regardless of that fact, I wouldn’t expect to see this for our use anytime soon, until they figure out a way to take care of those copyright fears.
The story of the misunderstood superhero of mishaps comes to blu-ray and DVD on November 25th in classic Sony Style. Delivered to you on a 2 Disc superhero set with digital copy, Hancock is sure to save the day. Details and specs have yet to be finalized
Here’s what you have to work with this week.
* The Band’s Visit
* Bears (IMAX)
* Beer League/The Big White
* Beowulf
* The Big White
* Clear and Present Danger
* Dark City (Director’s Cut)
* Doomsday
* Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay
* Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (Unrated)
* Hotel Babylon - Series 1
* Human Body: Pushing the Limits
* The Hunt for Red October
* The Last Sentinel/Final Days of Planet Earth
* The Lost Boys
* Lost Boys: The Tribe
* Mortuary
* Never Back Down
* Patriot Games
* Perhaps Love
* Salvage
* Salvage/Mortuary
* Shine a Light
* Stargate - Continuum
* Stargaze HD: Universal Beauty
* The Sum of All Fears
* The Tiger Blade
* Top Gun
* Vengeance
* Wolves (IMAX)
Beowulf is a cool movie to see in HD, the HD DVD version was great to look and as will be the Blu-Ray version, provided you enjoy the story. If you’re in the mood for some comedy, “Harold and Kumar” are hitting blu-ray, in both their original adventure, and their new movie “Escape from Guantanamo Bay”. If you’ve been waiting for a Universal blu-ray it’s finally here with “Doomsday”. This and “Never Back Down” are two new ones out you may want to rent first in my opinion. Jack Ryan fans will find his movies on here as well, “Patriot Games”, “Clear and Present Danger”, “The Hunt for Red October”, and the “Sum of All Fears”. There’s a few more on there you might want to check out depending on your own particular taste.
Well, here’s the line-up for July 22, 2008 as far as your blu-ray releases go.
* 21 (Sony)
* The BBC High-Definition Natural History Collection (BBC)
* Daft Punk’s Electroma (Vice Records)
* Earth: The Biography (BBC)
* The Exorcism of Emily Rose (Sony)
* I Know What You Did Last Summer (Sony)
* Kiss of the Spider Woman (City Lights)
* The Mummy Returns (Universal)
* The Mummy (1999) (Universal)
* The Perfect Storm (Warner)
* The Scorpion King (Universal)
* Urban Legend (Sony)
The big new one is 21, which looks like it’s worth a rent at the very least. Mummy fans are in for a treat, as the deluxe editions of those movies are hitting the format along with “The Scorpion King”. Other honorable mentions are “The Perfect Storm”, sure to look cool, as well as “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”, just because it’s kind of a good flick, if you like your movies a bit on the creepy side.
Paramount has announced that they will release “Iron Man” on Blu-ray this September 30th. No other details have been announced yet regarding the disc. If you haven’t seen this movie, it is almost a guaranteed buy for any blu-ray collection. The movie was a huge hit for Marvel Studios and Iron Man 2 has already been announced in hopes of releasing the film in 2010.
