Vin Crosbie's Personal Blog

For his business blog, visit http://www.digitaldeliverance.com

Ray Gun Warfare Is Here

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American, Russian, French, British, Swedish, and Chinese anti-ship missiles that fly at supersonic speeds and are now programmed to maneuver evasively as they attack. For several decades, the defense modern navies have used against those threats are computer-automated, radar-guide modern Gatling guns that fire hundreds of spent-uranium bullets at attacking aircraft or missiles. However, even those guns can overwhelmed if too many aircraft or missiles attack a ship.

The U.S. Navy is experimenting with laser guns defenses. Here’s a video, shown at the Farnborough (UK) Airshow this summer, which shows a 32-kilowatt infrared laser illuminating and setting fire to the wingtip of a remotely-controlled drone aircraft. The laser was built by Raytheon Missile Systems of Tuscon, Arizona. “Three similar drones were also successfully engaged at militarily significant distances by the solid-state laser” in May and June, said Mike Booen, the firm’s vice president. “It’s a world first over open sea.”

Ray gun warefare is a reality.

My Lecture in Singapore

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I was honored on Wednesday, July 14, 2010, to give the Singapore Press Holdings Foundation’s  third annual Media Lecture, before an audience of 400 people in  the Drama Centre of the National Library of Singapore. Here is Razor TV’s news coverage of the speech.

Spain A ‘Sure Thing’ in the 2010 World Cup?

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Bookmakers’ odd are out for the 2010 World Cup. Most favor Spain. In fact, bookmakers StanJames.com will refund new client’s betting registration fee if Spain wins. The firm currently gives these odds on the favorite teams:

  • Spain 4/1
  • Brazil 4/1
  • Argentina 6/1
  • England 15/2
  • Netherlands 9/1
  • Germany 14/1
  • Italy 16/1
  • France 20/1

‘IsoTruss’ Bikes Beyond Carbon Fiber

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The Delta-7 road bike with iso-truss frame.

I’ve been amazed by the past 20 years of progress in racing bicycle technology due to advance materials.  The first reasonably affordable titanium-frame racing bicycles starting appearing in 1990 and shortly after 2000 the first reasonably affordable carbon-fiber-framed appeared. We now have the first new advancement: carbon fiber bicycle frames that aren’t entirely solid.

Above is a photo of the $10,000 (US) Delta 7 road bike. The junctions in its frame are made of regular carbon fiber but the main tubes of the frame consist of an open latticework of carbon fiber/Kevlar strings woven into a network of isosceles triangles. That latticework is up to 12 times stronger than steel but weighs ten times less.

Absolutely the Wrong Lover

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I couldn’t resist posting this, simply because it’s so sad: An innocent person picks the wrong lover. Absolutely, the wrong lover—a charismatic client of the photography studio where she works as a secretary. But even though she doesn’t know or understand his true character until almost the very end, she stick with him until the end.

Another Reasons Why I Love The Europeans

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The city of Stockholm revamped Odenplan subway station’s stairs to provide a wonderful alternative to the escalator. If an American city had done this, some citizens (mostly conservative Republicans) would call it a frivolous waste of public,  funds.

However, Volkswagen subsidize the construction of these piano stairs. It’s all part of a project that believes the easiest way to change people’s public behavior for the better is by making it fun to do. See http://www.thefuntheory.com for more examples (I particularly like the World’s Deepest Trash Bin).