TechEBlog

Thermite T3 is World’s First Fire-Fighting Robot, Can Deliver 1200-Gallons of Water or Foam Per Minute

By Jackson Chung October 19, 2015

Thermite 3.0 is touted as the “world’s first practical fire-fighting robot,” and rightfully so. It’s compact enough to fit inside a normal elevator, and / or drive through a 36″ wide door. When turned on, this bot can deliver up to 1,200-gallons of water or foam per minute at 150psi. The chassis itself is based on Howe and Howe Tech RS1-D2 US ARMY I.E.D. defeat robot, and has been proven through years of military explosive ordinance testing at Aberdeen Proving Grounds to be one of the most durable robots ever built. A “flip-top” platform ensures maintenance and modification is a breeze. Other features include: multiple integrated HD analog video cameras and optional infrared FLIR. Click here to view the first image in today’s viral picture gallery. Continue reading for the five most popular viral videos today, including IndyCar racing on the Golden Gate Bridge.

PowerUp FPV May Look Like a Paper Airplane, But It’s Actually a Functional Drone with Virtual Reality Support

By Jackson Chung October 19, 2015

The PowerUp FPV may look like a paper airplane, but it’s actually a functional drone, complete with an electric dual-motor, Bluetooth connectivity, and a small battery on the drone. The device is controlled with a connected smartphone, and soon, it’ll support Google Cardboard for virtual reality control. Other features include: a 3-axis gyroscope, compass, accelerometer, barometer, Wi-Fi, and has a microSD expansion slot. Continue reading for another video and more information.

Real-Life Little Tikes Cozy Coupe is Street Legal, Can Hit 70MPH

By Jackson Chung October 19, 2015

Brothers John and Geof Bitmead built a real-life version of the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, which is fueled up just like any car, and can reach speeds of up to 70mph. The vehicle is based on a Daewoo Matiz – including airbag, headlights and mirrors – and cost £30,000 to create. “We were hoping it would be out on a regular basis, create some revenue and recoup the money used to build it. But in real life it ended up going out four or five times in two years. So we thought we might as well sell it and if anyone’s interested in buying it that will bring back some money for us,” said Geof.

Alien Megastructure Discovered Orbiting Star in Deep Space, Baffles Scientists

By Jackson Chung October 19, 2015

Photo credit: Mail Online

The Kepler Space Telescope has discovered a bizarre star, called “KIC 8462852”, 1,480 light-years away, that could be orbited by a massive alien megastructure known as a Dyson sphere. “We are looking at it with the Allen Telescope Array. We’d never seen anything like this star. Over the duration of the Kepler mission, KIC 8462852 was observed to undergo irregularly shaped, aperiodic dips in flux down to below the 20% level,” said Tabetha Boyajian, a postdoc at Yale. Continue reading for another video and more information.

This is What a Ferrari FF Crossover SUV Would Probably Look Like

By Jackson Chung October 19, 2015

Photo credit: Rain Prisk Designs

Ever wonder what a Ferrari SUV would look like? If so, then look no further than Rain Prisk Designs’ latest project. “Sure, this is only a rendering, but with some extra protection on the side of the body, such a Prancing Horse wouldn’t even get damaged during a rugged terrain galloping episode. History has blessed us with more than one case of a privately-converted Ferrari rally car, but we’d love to see this story going official,” said Autoevolution. Continue reading for a video, pictures and information on the all-new Ferrari F12tdf.

55 New Star Wars: The Force Awakens Images Released in Card Trader

By Jackson Chung October 19, 2015

Star Wars: Card Trader by The Topps Company, Inc. is a free-to-play mobile game that often releases new digital trading cards, and so far, they’ve released a plethora of new Force Awakens scenes in their new sets. Above, the cards you see are a part of their “The First Order Widescreen” set and were inserted 1:50 packs, while the base black variant was limited to 2500. “Some of these sets are ongoing, others are complete, and some are just the same images repurposed into new designs. Either way, they’re all pretty awesome,” says Germain Lussier of iO9. Click here to view the first image in this week’s funny work pictures gallery. Continue reading for a viral video of Mario Kart in real-life.

Millennium Falcon Drone and 21 More Cool Products Star Wars Fans Would Love

By Jackson Chung October 18, 2015

Air Hogs’ Millennium Falcon Quadcopter Drone lets you take flight with the power of four quad rotors concealed in the ducts of the ship for agile, space-like flight. Its on-board Gyro-stabilization ensures a stable and smooth flying experience up to 200-feet away, thanks to 2.4GHz wireless communication. That’s not all, users can activates its hyper-drive stunt mode with the push of a button. Authentic lights and sounds from the Star Wars universe bring the Millennium Falcon to life as you fly. Listen to its authentic engine sounds as you re-create your favorite mission, while the LED thrusters light up as you fly into deep space just like in the movies. Get one here now. Continue reading for more cool products fans would love.

Here are 5 Cool Facts About the McDonnell XF-85 Goblin, a Real Toy-Like Plane

By Jackson Chung October 18, 2015

This isn’t a toy plane, just the McDonnell XF-85 Goblin, an American prototype fighter aircraft conceived during World War II by McDonnell Aircraft. It was intended to be deployed from the bomb bay of the giant Convair B-36 bomber as a parasite fighter. The XF-85’s intended role was to defend bombers from hostile interceptors, a need demonstrated during World War II. Two prototypes were constructed before the program was terminated. Continue reading for more cool facts.

DARPA’s Self-Guided “EXACTO” Smart Bullets Lets Anyone Hit Moving Targets with Pinpoint Accuracy

By Jackson Chung October 18, 2015

The US Army is currently testing of a revolutionary self-guided smart bullet for their Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (EXACTO) program, and in these tests, all participants were able to hit a moving target with pinpoint accuracy. How? Well, the bullets have a real-time guidance system to track targets, and can change course instantly if needed. “This live-fire demonstration from a standard rifle showed that Exacto is able to hit moving and evading targets with extreme accuracy at sniper ranges unachievable with traditional rounds. Fitting Exacto’s guidance capabilities into a small .50-caliber size is a major breakthrough and opens the door to what could be possible in future guided projectiles across all calibers,” said DARPA program manager Jerome Dunn. Click here to view the first image in today’s viral picture gallery. Continue reading for the five most popular viral videos today, including one where the iPhone 6S gets put in a paint shaker.

Ferrari Zoubin Has F1-Style Cockpit, Mid-Mounted Turbocharged V6 Engine

By Jackson Chung October 18, 2015

If Ferrari were to ever make an F1-inspired supercar, it’d probably look something like the Zoubin. This futuristic vehicle is powered by a turbocharged 800-horsepower V6 engine that’s mounted just behind the cockpit. While it might look small for a modern Ferrari, or at least compared to the company’s latest model, the 488 GTB, the car’s low weight and diminutive size should more than make up for the modest power output. Continue reading for more pictures.