royal navy
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The UK's high-energy lasers could zap drones and missiles out of the sky
The UK wants to take down enemy drones and missiles with high-energy light beams. The Ministry of Defense (MOD) announced that it's developing laser and radio frequency weapons. Referred to collectively as Direct Energy Weapons (DEW), they're powered by electricity, operate without ammunition and are fueled by a vehicle's engine or a generator.
Royal Navy sailors given PSPs to 'encourage studying'
So, umm, this is kind of awkward. We're sorry to tell you, British Royal Navy, but it would appear that you've been duped. We know that the electric engineer everyone trusts so much – Reginald, that con artist! – has spent hours convincing everyone at HMS Collingwood in Hampshire how important it is for him to have a Sony PSP for "studying," but we have to tell you: It's a gaming system! He's just using it to play games! And so even though Reginald said it would be a "smashing idea" for you to buy 230 consoles and spend £50k in the process, we're not so sure this is the best way to educate British sailors. The pre-loaded engineering software may help, but who's to stop users from spending hours with Patapon 2 instead? And no matter how much they claim to be learning about naval combat from SOCOM: Tactical Strike, we're pretty sure that's a lie as well. We hope you've learned from this, and will think twice next time that dastardly Reginald proposes a gaming system as education. [Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Sony PSPs enlisted as study aids by the Royal Navy
Whoever it was at Sony HQ that decided to pursue "military contracts" as a revenue source, kudos! Mere days after the US Air Force expressed interest in expanding its PS3 supercomputer, we're hearing glorious Britannia's Royal Navy has conscripted 230 PSPs into duty as revision aids for its trainee sailors. Loaded with maths and physics materials, the PSPs can be used in a bunk, have familiar controls for the young and mostly male recruits, and are considered pretty tough to break. The underlying reason for this move though is cost cutting: by making the training course more intensive, the Navy is saving on teaching time. Given that the UMD drive won't come disabled -- which is hoped to encourage the sailors to take better care of the device -- the future this paints is of marines who've spent more time with a freebie handheld console than with a pro instructor. At least they'll have a great stable of captured monsters to show for it. [Thanks, pankomputerek]
Most powerful warship ever...with iPod
I stand corrected. About a week ago, I said that the solar-powered, iPod charging golf bag from Soldius was the most over-the-top iPod "accessory" yet. Boy, was I wrong.Check out the HMS Daring, the most powerful warship ever constructed. The first of the Royal Navy's Type 45 Destroyers features a missile system that can detect and destroy a baseball-sized (approximately) object traveling at three times the speed of sound, 14 decks, the latest in high tech weaponry...and iPod charging stations in each crew cabin. All that for only £605 million.I can almost hear the cries now, "Damn the torpedoes, men, it's new music Tuesday!"[Via Macbytes]
