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Russian investigators say they’ve found a main cause of the plane crash that killed 71 people this weekend. According to the AP, the pilots didn’t activate heating equipment that keeps airspeed indicators from freezing up:The Interstate Aviation Committee said Tuesday, after studying the plane’s flight data recorder, that Sunday’s crash occurred after the pilots saw varying data on the plane’s two air speed indicators. The flawed indication came because the pilots failed to turn on the heating unit for the plane’s pressure measurement equipment prior to takeoff....

One unintended consequence of creating a cozy, comfortable home is that it becomes an inviting habitat for creepy, crawly pests, including all manner of insects and rodents. Here, I’ll discuss how to detect which pests have moved into your home, and then offer ways to evict them.Pest IdentificationSince most pests prefer to avoid human interaction, you might not realize you’ve got a pest problem until it’s too late. For example, you’ll likely see mouse droppings on countertops long before you ever see a mouse....

The folks at PowerUp Toys have been transforming the traditional paper airplane into something more for years now. And as if remote-control paper airplanes weren’t cool enough, now we’re getting remote-control paper airplanes that you can virtual ride along on top of. Built off previous versions of PowerUp—a clever little phone-controlled propeller apparatus that fits into the crease of a paper airplane to turn it into a drone—the upcoming PowerUp FPV ups the ante with an on-board camera that can stream what it sees back to your phone, thanks to help from a partnership with Parrot....

The Pentagon’s Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program (JNLWP) is set to take possession of a new weapon system that can stop cars and trucks in their tracks. The Radio Frequency Vehicle Stopper bombards a target with high-powered microwave radiation, interfering with a modern car’s electronics and bringing it to a stop. The system is particularly useful in light of recent attacks against civilians using vans and trucks as weapons.As DefenseOne explains, “The jammer works by targeting the car’s engine control unit causing it to reboot over and over, stalling the engine....

Media Platforms Design TeamIt’s easier to flick off one switch than 15 different ones. That’s why PC-controlled home automation systems are not only efficient, but convenient. For under $100, a DIYer can install a rudimentary system that controls certain lighting fixtures, a/c units and an alarm system, and add devices to it over time. (Just be sure to buy components that work together – in typical electronics fashion, there are several competing standards, including Insteon, ZigBee and Z-Wave Alliance....

With a flurry of international efforts toward satellite launch capability (from one’s home country), getting back to the moon and putting citizens in space, some experts say we are looking at a new space race-one focused on total space dominance. Should we be worried? After all, the first space race had at its core a battle for who could build the biggest intercontinental ballistic missiles.No doubt about it, says Henry Hertzfeld, research professor at George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute, “there are a lot of new starts....

Russian state media is reporting that the country’s Defense Ministry is developing a nuclear-armed bomber than could launch attacks from space. A prototype aircraft is under development and will be ready for trials by 2020. According to RIA Novosti, the engine has already been tested and is expected to make its public debut in September at the International Military Technology Forum. The report quotes a Lieutenant Colonel Solodovnikov, who states the plane will take off and patrol the skies like a regular bomber....

If you’re a fan of Jay Leno’s Garage, you probably remember his tank car, a King Kong sized, 9500-lb. hot rod built around a 1792 cid V-12 Continental-designed, Chrysler-built, tank engine. With 810 hp and 1560 lb.-ft of torque, you’d think that might be enough oomph for Leno right? Wrong.Hot rodding turbo legend Gale Banks has been a friend of Leno’s for years.“There’s two things Jay wants in a car, a loud horn and huge power,” says Banks....

View full post on YoutubeIf you want to show off your woodworking skills—or you just need a good last-minute gift—build this simple but charming countertop wine rack. They’ll love that you built it yourself, and it is something they can actually use. Plus you’ll save money on gifts for everyone.Follow these plans from April Wilkerson to get started. You only need a 1 inch x 8 inch x 6 foot pine board, a few brad nails, and wood glue....

Media Platforms Design TeamThe legendary knights of yesteryear, mounted on mighty steeds and clad in full suits of heavy armor, have descended to a new low. No longer needed for castle sieges, and with a skill set that was out of date centuries ago, they have been reduced to running on treadmills for science experiments. Ok, so we’re not talking about actual knights here, just historical fight interpreters in full medieval costume....

Folks who like video games but, for whatever reason, don’t have an easy time holding or using a traditional console controller now have a new option, at least on the Xbox One. Microsoft has just announced its new “Adaptive Controller,” designed to increase accessibility by functioning as a hub for a wide variety of alternative control devices. The “Quadstick” mouth-operated joystick. MicrosoftThe controller itself includes a D-Pad, pause and menu buttons, and two enormous A and B buttons, but also comes with a whole host of 3....

Last year, Nintendo made a nonchalant announcement that it would be selling a small version of its original NES console for the holidays. The internet gaming community proceeded to lose its mind, and the console was easily one the hottest items during the holiday season. Last week, news broke that Nintendo would be discontinuing its miniature wonder, but new reports say another teeny machine might be taking its place.According to Eurogamer, sources close to the company say that Nintendo is making a mini SNES for holiday 2017 and development is already underway....

The next big thing in oil is happening offshore, but it has nothing to do with drilling. The United States wants to build offshore shipping terminals big enough to handle the size and volume of a new generation of megatankers.Call it a sign of the times. The United States is becoming a major oil exporter, and it needs new infrastructure to keep the crude flowing. While much of the focus has been on controversial pipeline projects, getting the oil to our ports is only half the problem....

Media Platforms Design TeamAn international team of astrophysicists has stumbled upon an entirely new type of planet: Jupiter-sized celestial drifters that wander the galaxy rather than orbiting a star. Though orphan planets have inspired speculation from astronomers and are a staple of sci-fi, these dark travelers are devilishly hard to find. For a new study in , however, the international group observed 10 of these objects that appear to have lost their home stars....

Media Platforms Design TeamWe finally got rid of our ant infestation this winter, but now they’re back. Any suggestions that don’t involve toxic insecticides? Ants invade houses to forage for food, especially during cold, rainy winters and again during hot, dry summers. Without insecticides you’ll have to make life difficult for them so they’ll eventually move on. First, figure out how they’re getting in, and then try to block their access....

Want another sign of the Cold War’s return? Russia has announced it will deploy two squadrons of MiG interceptors to fly patrols over the North Pole. The patrols, which were routine during the Cold War, are largely symbolic. They’re meant to be a show of force, and to demonstrate that Russia takes its nuclear defense mission seriously. As relations with the United States continue to deteriorate, they’re back on.According to the Barents Observer, two squadrons of MiG-31BM interceptors will fly regular patrols over the North Pole region....

Researchers have held individual atoms and released them to interact for the first time. Their secret weapon is a set of three optical tweezer setups to hold atoms in suspension.They made predictions about the few-body problem, but were surprised by their results. Scientists have trapped and observed individual atoms for what they say is the first time ever. The mechanism is a kind of supercooled atom rodeo, where individual atoms at nearly absolute zero are held in separate compartments before being released to interact in specific ways....

Nature’s wrath will strike without warning. Sometimes, it will literally slap you in the face. In a video captured by kayakers near Kaikoura, New Zealand, a hungry seal tussles with an octopus, trying to wrangle the tentacled creature into its clutches. But before the seal finally pulls its prey into the darkened depths, it decides to use the octopus as a cudgel. In the video above, you’ll see the seal slap a kayaker in the face with the octopus....

After his buddy traded a trained dog team for the services of an Alaskan bush pilot, photographer Ken Tape found himself following his friend’s progress in the 1000-mile Yukon Quest dog race—from the air. The mushers started out from Whitehorse, Canada, on Feb. 10, and are making their way towards Fairbanks, Alaska. Tape will be filing reports here from checkpoints along the trail.CIRCLE, Alaska, Feb. 20 — It has been a sobering couple of days on the Yukon....

If you’re an insect, probably the worst thing that could happen to you is that you get eaten. It’s a generally unpleasant experience, plus from an evolutionary perspective it means the end of your genetic line, which as we all know, is the real tragedy.But for some species of insect, getting eaten doesn’t have to mean the end for your potential progeny. New research suggests that some insects might have evolved egg shells hard enough to survive passage through the digestive systems of birds, meaning the experience of becoming avian dinner might be more of an advantage than a disaster....