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Over the deserts of New Mexico, the U.S. Air Force is kicking the tires on four light aircraft, one of which will almost certainly end up being the service’s next light attack aircraft. The Textron Scorpion, Hawker Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine, Sierra Nevada A-29, and Air Tractor AT-802U are all being tested at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico in simulated missions from convoy escort to supporting friendly ground troops in contact....

In general, you want to spot a sniper before the sniper spots you. One Russian company claims it’s invented a machine that does just that.Moscow state media is reporting that the Russian company Specialized Tactical Systems has invented what it calls an anti-sniper device. The mechanism, which appears similar to a pair of binoculars mounted on a tripod, reportedly can detect snipers at up to 2.5 kilometers away. The RIA news report doesn’t spell out how the system works, but it appears it can detect a telescopic sight, either by reflection on the glass or heat on the objective lens....

The Syrian Air Defense Force accidentally shot down a Russian intelligence gathering aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea yesterday. The incident occurred as the Syrians were fending off a raid by Israeli fighter jets. The Russian government blamed Israel for launching the raid, while the Israelis blamed the Syrians for firing indiscriminately. According to Russian state media, the Il-20M aircraft “went off the radar” at the same time an Israeli air strike was taking place in Syria....

This past weekend the USS John F. Kennedy was christened at Newport News, Virginia.The ship is the second Ford-class aircraft carrier.Although the ship was christened today, Kennedy won’t join the fleet until the 2020s. On Saturday, the daughter of former President John F. Kennedy presided over the christening ceremony for America’s newest aircraft carrier. Former first daughter Caroline Kennedy, swinging a magnum bottle of champagne, dedicated the second aircraft carrier named after her father, a former naval officer who served during World War II....

Update: Falcon Heavy successfully completed its first night launch, one of the most challenging conditions for the heavy rocket to date. Here is a quick play-by-play.SpaceX finally launched the Falcon Heavy at 2:30am ET.Although hard to see, the two side boosters successfully land on the SpaceX launch pad.However, the center stage was not so lucky, missing its target on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You.Another first last night was the attempt to capture remnants of a payload fairing before plunging into the Atlantic....

The twin-fuselage Stratolaunch airplane, with the longest wingspan in the world, is designed to carry as many as three rockets up to altitude and then drop them so they can launch satellites to space from there. But Paul Allen, founder of Stratolaunch Systems (as well as co-founder of Microsoft) recently told the Washington Post that he wants the enormous plane to eventually carry a space shuttle as well, making the launch system fully reusable....

Media Platforms Design TeamWhere did the idea for Take Shelter come from?There was this general sense of anxiety I was feeling out in the world, and I kind of wanted to bottle that. And then for some reason I was standing in my backyard and I had a vision of a guy standing over an open storm shelter. I dont know where it came from, but I found it interesting, and I wondered what that guy was doing....

The Dassault Rafale is one of the least appreciated fighter jets in the world, and from this video it’s hard to understand why. The video, taken last week at the Zigermeet Air Show in Switzerland, shows a French Air Force Rafale performing detailed aerial acrobatics as well as any other fighter. View full post on YoutubeThe Rafale jet visited the Swiss air show and performed a lengthy aerial display, the highlights of which are in the video....

Media Platforms Design TeamAbout three times a week, Susan James, a 37-year-old blond ­prosecutor from the Midwest, signs on to Facebook as Nakesha*, an attractive 26-year-old with a dark ponytail and sunglasses that conceal her eyes.James created Nakesha’s profile from a photo she found through Google. Her favorite TV shows? Keeping Up With the Kardashians and For the Love of Ray J. Her favorite quote? “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger....

A just-released video recorded in October shows the FBI confirming that it has used fake cell phone towers to scoop very real data from cell phone users. The so-called “Stingray” spoofing method works by impersonating a cell tower, gathering data, then passing the user on to the real cell phone tower so they never know anything was amiss.FBI director James Comey defended the practice in the video, saying that the FBI tracked movements but didn’t tap into calls, and that the bureau used this technique to break up crime rings and track serial killers and pedophiles....

The following is an excerpt from Tom Fowlks’ This Is Panama. You can buy the book right here.Titan, better known by its former nickname Herman the German, is a large floating crane currently serving in the Panama Canal Zone, performing heavy lifts for Lock Maintenance. The Crane, built in 1941 by Demag Cranes AG as Schwimmkran No. 1 for the Kreigsmarine, where it served in the Baltic Sea tending to German U-Boats....

The best time to start building an astounding, perfect paper model of the Millennium Falcon was four years ago. The second-best time is now.Bernard Szukiel has spend the last four years on this recreation of Han Solo’s pride and joy. The 38-inch model is about 99 percent paper, accounting for the 1 percent dedicated to LEDs and electronics. Not part is rushed. No detail is skipped. The instrument panels even light up....

TUI Airways Captain Brenda Riepsaame Wassink provided a reminder of just how tricky air travel can be when she was forced to land in Bristol, UK during a storm with gale force winds.Using a technique called crabbing, Wassink was able to land at a severe angle through Storm Callum so that the Boeing 757-200 nose was in the midst of the wind until just before touching down on the tarmac. View full post on YoutubeTo crab on an airplane means to keep the tarmac straight amidst a powerful crosswind....

Scientists at Rutgers have made a breakthrough in blue energy, which harnesses river and sea water and their natural interaction.Using nanotubes, scientists collect negative and positive ions separately and use the difference to create energy.The process has come a long way, but is still just 2 percent effective, with much room for refinement.After years of hard work and experimentation, scientists have developed a way to turn river delta churn into electrical energy, an idea known as “blue energy....

Some scientists think zebras’ stripes significantly reduce the amount of insect bites they receive.To put that theory to the test, Japanese researchers painted cows with different patterns. Some cows got zebra stripes, some received black stripes only, and others were left in their natural coat with no paint at all.The zebra trick worked. And it could potentially save the cattle industry billions.We still don’t understand why zebras have stripes. Although earlier this year, the New York Times reported the stripes are likely meant to deter flies that carry deadly diseases....

No one needs this motorcycle. And, more to the point, the person who would buy the 2015 Ducati 1299 Panigale S is a rider who needs it least. I’m thinking of Justin Bieber, famed for his lack of good judgement while operating vehicles, who was seen riding a Ducati 848 Evo a few years ago wearing no protective gear and with his feet placed incorrectly on the pegs while riding illegally in the breakdown lane....

Media Platforms Design Team1. Consider setting up a high-voltage, low-amperage electric fence or tripwire along the border of the lawn. The jolts and loud sounds keep most predators away. For kits, visit margosupplies.com.2. To discourage deer from lingering in your yard, landscape with plants they won’t eat, such as boxwood, hellebore, butterfly bushes and barberry. 3. Keep gators out of your pool by enclosing it with a fence topped by foot-tall 45-degree arms that angle out–toward an approaching alligator....

One of the oldest problems in computer science was just solved by a single cell.A group of researchers from Tokyo’s Keio University set out to use an amoeba to solve the Traveling Salesman Problem, a famous problem in computer science. The problem works like this: imagine you’re a traveling salesman flying from city to city selling your wares. You’re concerned about maximizing your efficiency to make as much money as possible, so you want to find the shortest path that will let you hit every city on your route....

Make/Model: Ösa Lite/Ösa+ | Continuous power: 4 kW/7 kW | Peak Power: 10kW/10kW | Top Speed: 30 mph/63 mph | Range: 63 miles/63 miles | Battery Capacity: 1.5 kWh or 2.5 kWh | Classification: Motor-driven cycle/Motorcycle | Price: $6,500-$8,500CAKE Osa+CAKE Osa+Order NowThere are so, so many wheeled electric personal transportation things out there. Boosted now makes scooters. There’s the Onewheel, and an ever-improving legion of e-bikes. But of all the motor + wheel ideas, the Swedish Cake Kalk remains one one of the most wonderfully strange two-wheeled transports out there, and now there’s a new member of the family: the Ösa....

There is some terrible flooding in Tasmania right now. Thousands have been told to evacuate, at least two people are missing, and the damages are expected to reach upwards of $100 million. Red Baron Drone Images managed to catch some footage of the floods from the sky and from a distance and with a sparse soundtrack, the raging churn is strangely beautiful despite the destruction it is causing. View full post on YoutubeUnfortunately, considering the horrible damage these floods do, we’re likely to see plenty more of them....