fire extinguisher
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DARPA fights fire with sound and electricity, hopes 'ionic wind' could save lives in the field
Fire, frenemy of humanity since time immemorial. Typical extinguishing methods have involved water, chemicals and even blankets, but DARPA wanted to see if there was another, more pragmatic way. Starting with the understanding of fire actually being a cold plasma, DARPA then explored fire's electromagnetic and acoustic qualities, and discovered two potential ways to quell the flame, one using electrons, the other, sound. The electron technique creates an oscillating field that separates the fire and fuel dubbed "ionic wind," the other method creates an acoustic field that increases the air velocity (thinning the flame boundary) and causes the flames to widen and drop in temperature, dispersing the fire's energy. The concepts have been proven, but scaling these up to real world solutions is a whole different matter. Light up the videos after the break to see them in action.
Hyperspace Beacon: Testing the SWTOR waters
If you didn't know already, just over a week ago three writers from Massively, including me, traveled to Seattle, Washington for PAX Prime. During that time, besides catching the flu, we were able to catch a glimpse of some of the games that have yet to be released. We were able to play games like TERA, The Force Unleashed II, Guild Wars 2, RIFT, End of Nations, and many, many others. Some were pretty good; others, not-so-much -- but most seemed very polished and perfect for presentation. Of course, you all know I was there to see Star Wars: The Old Republic. I caught a lot of it. There were six of the eight classes available for demo at the gorgeous LucasArts booth. (BioWare did have a booth there, too, but the team was displaying some small game it was trying to get off the ground called Dragon Age 2.) Visitors had a chance to try out the smuggler, trooper, agent, bounty hunter, and both Sith classes. Because of the enormous lines that constantly encircled the booth, I was only able to play three of the classes: smuggler, trooper, and Sith inquisitor. For this edition of the Hyperspace Beacon, I will give you my impressions of the gameplay for those classes. However, I want to take a slightly different look at them. At E3, Massively's editor Seraphina Brennan was able to give her impressions of the smuggler class -- she covered the mechanics and so on. Although I will touch on the combat mechanics, I have decided to focus on some of the features BioWare is famous for: cinematics, character development, and overall storytelling. Follow after the break, and I will give you an honest breakdown of how SWTOR measures up to its predecessors.
Phantom camera captures flamethrower vs. fire extinguisher in ultra slo-mo (video)
Korn's "Freak on a Leash," Smashing Pumpkin's "Tonight, Tonight" and Michael / Janet Jackson's "Scream" come to mind when thinking of stunning music videos of the past score, but we're guessing that a 3:19 clip from the good people in Dancing Pigeons will be joining that fray. The music video for "Ritalin" was shot entirely on a Vision Research Phantom and Canon EOS 7D, with the former handling the slow motion work. Which, of course, is the star of the show. You may not think 199 seconds of flamethrower vs. fire extinguisher would be entertaining, but you'd be wrong. Hop on past the break and mash play, but be sure to position a drip rag beneath your chin beforehand.
Phat Loot Phriday: The Fire Extinguisher
The fire elemental was lurking around Frank's camp. And by "lurking," I meant smashing things to bits and screaming "wakka wakka" at the top of its lungs. I think it was doing some kind of a Fozzie the Bear impression. Or maybe an impression of Pac-Man. I don't know. The fire elemental was about three foot tall. That doesn't sound like it's very big until you remember the functional part of a fire elemental. That functional part, you see, is that it's frickin' made of fire. Have you ever tried to punch fire? Yeah, your hand passes right through and the best you can hope for is some singed hair and maybe some burns. So we were at a loss about what to do. I seem to remember cursing and swearing like this would end in some kind of Cataclysm. Frank didn't care. but Frank was pretty drunk. He's a goblin, you see, and is thus given to the occasional spirit now and again. "I got something right here," Frank said. "Just you wait and see." So, I waited to see. I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a little afraid of Frank. Sure, the Horde's made up of big tough guys like orcs and tauren. They're all "smash, raur, look at our bulging biceps and inability to stand up straight!" But goblins? Goblins don't look like they're trying to look tough. They look like a shiv in the shower, like something that's wondering how your heart tastes. They're not looking tough; they'll just kill you and move on with business. Which is why I was little surprised when Frank busted out The Fire Extinguisher. "Seriously?" I asked. "You kept that?" "Nothing better for killing fires," Frank said. "It has a handle so you can keep your distance." "It's a vanity quest reward," I responded. "It's worth 15 gold to a vendor, doesn't even count as a melee weapon, and is just the product of some kind of Blizzard in-joke." "Yeah, well," Frank said, clearly upset. "So's your face!" "There's even better options for levelling," I said. "Really, it's 15 gold in stick form. Just sell it." Name: The Fire Extinguisher Type: Two Hand. Nope, not a Two Hand Mace, or Sword, or even Two Hand Dog. Just, Two Hand. It's a Two Hand. Damage: 187 - 352 damage, 86.9 DPS Speed: 3.10 Flavor Text: "Guaranteed to extinguish the fire, and everything else." How to get it: Complete This Just In: Fire Still Hot. And, after renewing the world's knowledge that fire burns, you get a useless stick called The Fire Extinguisher. How to get rid of it: Love of god, sell the thing and get 15 gold, 27 silver, and 86 copper. %Gallery-33600%
Rovio finds new purpose in life with fire extinguisher mod
The Rovio may not have inspired quite the same level of modding as something like the Robosapien, but it's far from completely lacking in the department, and RoboCommunity member Colt45 looks to have delivered one of the more impressive hacks to date with this new and improved fire extinguisher bot. As impressive as that top-mounted CF2ClBr fire extinguisher and remote-controlled nozzle is, however, the real standout piece may actually be the software, which apparently uses a machine vision app that can recognize fire and automatically extinguish it when necessary (assuming it remains around candle size). Unfortunately, there's no how-to for building your own just yet, nor is there any word of a planned face off with a Flame-o-Sapien, though you can be sure we'll let you know as soon as that happens. [Via SlashGear]
Russian fire extinguishers converted into speakers
Converting wine jugs and thinking men into speakers is one thing, but transforming nearly archaic Russian fire extinguishers into front towers is another thing entirely. Due to the entire how-to guide being penned in Russian, we'll confess that we aren't entirely sure what went on during the construction process. The good news, however, is that the guide includes a plethora of photographs that can be understood regardless of your native tongue. Now, how to go about finding a few of those canisters...[Via Hack N Mod]
Laser fire extinguisher simulator threatens arsonist's livelihoods
Look, we know how hard it can be to put out a fire with your typical, under -the-sink extinguisher. Sure, the flames are brightly colored and searingly hot, but it can be difficult to know where to aim that thing sometimes. Enter the BullsEye Fire Extinguisher Training System, which combines a laser-equipped, mock extinguisher, and a digital, on-screen "fire" display. Thanks to the BullsEye technology, you and your family and / or friends can learn to put out fires from the safety and comfort of your home or office, without actually have to burn down your safe, comfortable home or office.
Fire Fighter Flower douses oil fires, doubles as a fridge magnet
Look, we don't come up with this stuff, so don't look our way when that magnetic, fridge-mounted Fire Fighter Flower you bought ends up catching on fire and then destroying all of your 2nd grade pictures on the fridge -- it's your own dang fault. [Via Uber-Review]
An alternate solution to the Hello Kitty toy recall
Hello Kitty doll got your beloved tyke a little hot under the collar (due to leaking chemicals)? Recall, shmecall -- just stick one of these Kitty-branded fire extinguishers under his / her bed and call it a day. Stop, drop, and roll has never been this much fun.[Via Hello Kitty Hell]
