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Humvee maker sues Activision for using its trucks in 'Call of Duty'
The maker of Humvee is suing the publisher of the Call of Duty series for using its military vehicles in the games without permission, reports Reuters. In its lawsuit, AM General LLC accused Activision Blizzard Inc of reaping "billions of dollars" by using both the Humvee and HMMWV trademarks in the games, and related toys and books.
US Navy wants to blast enemy drones with Humvee-mounted laser cannons
Mounting laser weapons on a Humvee to shoot down drones might seem like a military pipe dream, but the US Navy has now awarded contracts for just that. It figures that unfriendly armies will soon be equipped with inexpensive camera- or bomb-equipped UAVs, and wants a highly portable way to counter them. Though its 50kW ADAM HEL laser is powerful enough to down most drones by firing 50 laser bursts in a millisecond, the mounting platform for that weapon is a battleship. The Navy's confident that more efficient 30kW lasers could still do the job, however, and given recent progress, shrunk down enough to fit on a Hummer. It will trial a 10kW system against targets later this year as a step toward the 30kW system, which it hopes will be test-ready by 2016. Meanwhile, watch the ADAM laser destroy hapless drones, missiles and boats in the videos below.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: hybrid hydrogen hovercraft, amphibious ice cream, and the transparent solar touchscreen laptop of our dreams
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Solar energy supercharged our power grid and gadgets this week as Inhabitat showcased a hot solar laptop set within a transparent case that allows sunlight to shine straight through it. We also saw a team of Japanese engineers' shoot for the moon with plans for a lunar photovoltaic plant, while back on earth Seoul officially launched the world's first solar-powered floating island. Scientists also used sunlight to create the perfect cup of joe with the Helios 4 solar coffee roaster, and now that the weather is finally heating up we couldn't help but share this sexy solar bikini -- which just hit the market! In other news, green transportation set sail this week as Volkswagen unveiled a hybrid hydrogen-electric hovercraft and the world's first amphibious ice cream truck cast anchor in the Thames. Meanwhile, a new mini electric Humvee was spotted just a few streets away in London, students at the University of Adelaide unveiled a crazy electric di-wheel car, and a group of scientists unveiled plans to harvest Helium-3 from Uranus to help propel interstellar travel. Enerkam also took a big step towards transforming municipal waste into fuel by securing a $60 million investment, and we took you for a ride on 14 of the world's most amazing subways. Last but not least, this week we officially unveiled 40 stunning finalists in our Bright Ideas Lighting Design Competition - from a gorgeous geometric chandelier made from cut and folded Tetra Paks to a living LED light that doubles as a terrarium and a brilliant lamp made from a broken blender. We were also shocked to hear the World Health Organization declare that cell phones may cause cancer, so we rounded up 5 ways to protect yourself from cellphone radiation. Finally, we showcased a steampunk R2-D2 made from recycled materials, and if you're stepping up your exercise routine to hit the beach this summer you won't want to miss the S770 Pinnacle Trainer -- an energy-generating exercise machine that produces watts while you work out!
Flying Humvee a step closer to reality, still seems like a really bad idea
It looks like AAI Corp has, indeed, landed the contract for feasibility studies of the Transformer flying Humvee project, which as far as we can tell takes a lightly armored (if armored at all) four man vehicle and puts it in the air, practically begging to be hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. And if that doesn't sound sketchy enough, keep in mind that among the design considerations are gas tanks in the craft's wings which, as Spencer Ackerman at Wired points out, would make really obvious targets. The testing should last about a year, and cost DARPA a cool $3 million. If all goes well, AAI could have a partial prototype in 2013.
DARPA's Transformer TX 'flying Humvee' project gets off the ground
Sometimes it feels like the Military-Industrial Complex only exists to keep us entertained with tales of laser weapons and robots that eat enemy combatants -- not that we'd complain if it did! And for today's fantastical wargadget, we have nothing less than a flying Humvee. The Transformer TX project calls for four-man vehicle that drives like a jeep and then takes off to avoid roadside bombs (or impress the ladies). While DARPA has yet to say who will be awarded with the contract for the conceptual design stage of the project, Popular Mechanics has done some digging and it looks like Lockheed Martin and AAI Corp are both on the short list. While the former has declined to talk about its offering, AAI's incorporates something called "slowed-rotor / compound," where a rotor provides lift on takeoff, and when it achieves a certain speed wings take over. We'll be waiting for our review unit, but in the meantime you can get a closer look after the break.
U.S. Army and EnerDel team up for electric-hybrid Humvee
EnerDel, who we last saw soaking up some of that Joe Biden stimulus money, is teaming up with the U.S. Army to develop a battery solution for a hybrid Humvee. Of course, your High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle is by its nature very large and very heavy -- great for dropping out of airplanes, perhaps, but not so great a candidate for electric power. Two of the company's battery chemistries will tested in the program, including lithium-manganese spinel (for extending electric vehicle range and electronic systems runtime) and lithium-titanate system (for the hard acceleration and braking required). In addition to "extreme performance simulations" that re-create battlefield conditions, a hybrid vehicle can also sport a "stealth" mode, which kills the diesel generator altogether, allowing the vehicle to run silently with a low thermal signature. And if that weren't enough, the vehicle is also being designed to perform as a highly portable, temporary power plant for field hospitals or command posts. The program is expected to last eighteen months. PR after the break.
First shot fired in war of robots vs humans with lasers, we're winning so far
Boeing just announced a (public) first: they shot a UAV out of the sky using the Laser Avenger (an aptly-titled Humvee-mounted laser), the first time a combat vehicle has used such a weapon to knock a flying robot out of the sky. Naturally, the report is short on details, but they did say that they managed to burn a hole in the enemy, quite the feat for a moving target. Of course, once the robots get lasers, we're all done for.
Pictures of Boeing's Humvee-mounted Laser Avenger
We heard about Boeing's tests of the Hummer-based Laser Avenger last month, but Popular Mechanics managed to score some pictures today, and...well, stay away from that truck. Interestingly, all that gear produces just a centimeters-wide beam, so it looks like our dreams of hand-held laser weapons might still be a ways off. Check the read link for more pics -- including one of the laser taking out a drone aircraft on the ground.
