Innovation

Blink-182 Vs Saddam Hussein

Apparently, Mark Hoppus of Blink 182 came up with a plan to triangulate Saddam Hussein's hiding position in Iraq in the early 2000s, by broadcasting an inaudible timecode from trucks driving around Iraq in the hope the codes would make it into one of Saddam's video messages. Somehow, Mark managed to brief a U.S. Navy admiral on the plan, while aboard an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf!

Spectral Invisibility Cloak

Researchers have demonstrated a new cloaking technique that is effective within broadband light illumination. The technique selectively transfers energy from certain colours of the light wave to other colours. In the example image above, green light energy reflected when light passes through the object is redirected to other parts of the spectrum, effectively cancelling out the colours reflected from an object, making it invisible to the observer.  

Facebook Cancels Aquilla

In 2014, Facebook launched a high altitiude platform station (HAPS) project called Aquilla, aimed at developing a high altitute glider drone that can transmit internet to remote areas.In a recent blog post, Facebook confirms that they are no longer developing Aquilla but will contine to work with partners like Airbus on HAPS connectivity in general.

Book Review: Elon Musk - Ashlee Vance

I just finished reading Elon Musk: How the Billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla is Shaping our Future by Ashlee Vance. It's an easy to read biography/commentary of Elon Musk's business successes and how his life and experiences account or attribute to them. It's very interesting to read the blow by blow accounts of the many many ups and downs of all of Musk's companies and Vance does a good job of trying to get multiple views on any incident by interviewing as many people involved as possible.

Red Shark Bikes

Spanish Industrial designer Josep Rubau has launched Red Shark Bikes. The bikes are pedal powered trimaran which allow riders to pedal and travel on water. Three different versions are available, one for fun (€4,995), one for adventures with extra storage (€6,995) and for high-performance sport (€9,995) made of carbon fibre. I'm not sure if these bikes are one of the greatest convergence ideas ever, like wheels on suitcases, or not at all.

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