New fighter pilot helmet delivers night vision without goggles

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/16/bae-striker-ii-helmet/

Fighter pilots have access to helmets with amazing abilities. However, they still have to strap on heavy night vision goggles to fly in the dark -- an all too literal pain in the neck. Much to aircrews' relief, BAE Systems wants to make that clunky headgear a distant memory. Its brand new Striker II helmet includes a night vision camera that projects its footage on to the visor's high-resolution display, giving the pilot a good look at the outside world without the need for extra equipment. The tech should be far more comfortable during lengthy missions, especially in sharp turns where G-forces make any added weight feel that much worse.

That's not the only party trick, either. An array of lights on the back of the Striker II help guide a head-tracking system that keeps projected information in close sync with head movements; a pilot caught in a dogfight won't have to wait crucial moments for flight info to drift into view. The gotcha for any aspiring aces? BAE hasn't said just when it expects the Striker II to go into service, or who might be a customer. The original Striker is currently in use by air forces flying Eurofighter Typhoons and Saab Gripens, though, so it makes sense that they'd be some of the first to line up.

Filed under: Transportation, Wearables

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Via: The Telegraph, BBC

Source: BAE Systems

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Scuba divers get their own underwater comms network

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/17/aqwary-smart-console-dive-communications/

Most teenagers would probably tell you that they'd die if you took away nonverbal communication, but one subset of our population actually could: scuba divers. They can't exactly send texts via smartphone to one another because saltwater, and water in general, makes it hard to transmit information between dive buddies using traditional methods like electromagnetic waves and even sound waves. And as The Verge points out, hand signals only work if the other person is paying attention to you. One company, however, thinks it has the solution for scuba-lives less frightening, and no, it isn't a subaquatic version of Snapchat. Aqwary's Smart Console system uses ultrasonic hydrophones to create a local network between divers (and those in the boat on the surface), where vital data like location info, air supply status and even temperature of up to 70 divers within some 328 feet is shared automatically and viewable via a colorful OLED screen. Should the oxygen tanks run low for any of said divers, the Smart Console will send an alert to everyone in the area.

Further on the safety side, if a Scuba Steve gets trapped underwater he can send an alarm out manually so a rescue can happen in short order. However, if coral reefs or shipwrecks become passé and you'd rather catch up with Piper Chapman or beam out a tweet while under the sea, that'll have to wait for now. The company says there isn't enough bandwidth for the former, but the latter could show up next year -- FOMO, much?

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Via: The Verge

Source: Aqwary

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LG's G3 Beat has laser autofocus and a smaller screen, but it's still pretty big

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/17/lg-g3-beat/

Now that LG's marched out its latest flagship smartphone, its time to repeat the process for smaller hands. That's where the G3 Beat comes in, folding in laser-guided camera autofocus, that self-learning keyboard, LTE and a removable 2,540mAh battery. What it doesn't get, however, is that ridiculously sharp quad-HD display found on the G3. Given that LG's positioned as a mid-range phone, it's not going to apologize for that -- it was most likely the priciest part of LG's bigger flagship smartphone. We would like the company, however, to explain exactly why it's called the G3 Beat, because we have no idea. That's what the phone will be called at launch tomorrow in Korea, but when it launches globally later this year, it'll be called the G3 s. Tame? Sure, but that second name makes a lot more sense.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG

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Source: LG

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This is the weirdest engine I have ever seen

Source: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/this-is-the-weirdest-engine-i-havee-ever-seen-1605020251/+jesusdiaz

According to Duke Engineering, their axial engine is the most efficient and lightest engine you can put in boats, light aircrafts, and generators—the mechanical engine of the (near) future! Maybe. I don't know if their claims are true and I don't really care. I just love watching it in action in this eternal gif.

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Google prepares modular phone dev kits (but your idea had better be good)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/14/google-takes-project-ara-module-kit-requests/

If you're a developer eager to start tinkering with Google's Project Ara modular phone technology as quickly as possible, it's time to get in line. The company has started taking requests for test boards; if you fill out the form before July 18th and meet Google's expectations, you could have (very) early hardware in your hands before the end of the month. Latecomers can get in on a second wave if they sign up no later than August 18th. Just don't assume that you can pick up a kit purely out of curiosity. Google is prioritizing the board requests based on your know-how and the "strength" of your proposed module concept -- it wants signs that there's a real device in the works. You'll have to sit tight if you're simply a fan of the build-your-own-phone concept, then, but it's apparent that Project Ara is quickly becoming a tangible reality.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google

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Via: Pocketnow

Source: Eduardo Ruiz (Google+), Project Ara

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