There are mainly two types, one is  Flight Data Recorder (FDR) used for record specific aircraft performance parameters  & the other is  Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) used for records conversation in the cockpit, radio communications between the cockpit crew and others (including conversation with air traffic control personnel), as well as ambient sounds. In some cases, both types have been combined into a single unit.

First Generation Foil Recorders

Earlier Black Box - supiri.com

Efforts to require crash-protected fl Foil Recorderight recorders date back to the 1940s. The introduction of Flight Data Recorders (FDR), however, experienced many delays.  That’s because technology could not match the design requirements of a unit that could survive the forces of an aircraft crash and the resulting fire exposure until 1958, when the world authorities approved a minimum operating requirements for an FDR.

Second Generation Tape Recorders

Black Box - supiri.com

Flight data alone could not provide all accident information needed by the investigators. An advanced technology covering the recording of Tape Recordersounds in the cockpit, crews’ conversation, air traffic control communications and aircraft noises was needed. This started a second generation of recorders that used magnetic tape as the recording medium.

Third Generation Solid State Recorders

Modern Black Box - supiri.com

The Solid State Flight Data Recorder (SSFDR) became commercially practical in 1990. “Solid State” referSolid State Flight Data Recorders to storage of data in semiconductor memories or integrated circuits, rather than using the older technology of electromechanical methods of data retention. Since the solid state memory does not require scheduled maintenance or overhaul, there are potential cost savings to the operator.

Next Generation Flight Recorders

Next Generation Black Box - supiri.com

The FDR and CVR are two of the greatest safety inventions of the commercial airline industry.  What improvements are on the horizon?  Within the next few years, some form of cockpit video recorder that can store video images in solid-state memory and in conjunction with voice recording will be developed.

Black Box Image Gallery

Some Black Box Facts

Flight Data Recorder
Time recorded: 25 hour continuous
Number of parameters: 18 – 1000+
Impact tolerance: 3400Gs / 6.5 ms
Fire resistance: 1100 degC / 30 min
Water pressure resistance: submerged 20,000 ft
Underwater locator beacon: 37.5 KHz; battery has shelf life of 6 years or more, with 30-day operation capability upon activation

Cockpit Voice Recorder
Time recorded: 30 min continuous, 2 hours for solid state digital units
Number of channels: 4
Impact tolerance: 3400Gs / 6.5 ms
Fire resistance: 1100 degC / 30 min
Water pressure resistance: submerged 20,000 ft
Underwater locator beacon: 37.5 KHz; battery has shelf life of 6 years or more, with 30-day operation capability upon activation

Information Sources: NTSB.gov, Wikipedia.com, L-3com.com
Image Sources: NTSB.gov, Wikipedia.com

The test period will start in the autumn of 2009 and will last for two years. The Hywind, a 2.3 megawatt (MW) wind turbine built by Siemens, the pilot combines technology from both the Wind and Oil&Gas industry and draws upon expertise from StatoilHydro’s longstanding offshore experience.

In a similar way to how large parts of icebergs are hidden below the sea surface, the turbine has a 100 metre draft that is anchored to the seabed with cables, that can be up to 700 metres long.

The floatation element stretches 100 metres below the sea surface. It is anchored to the seabed in three places. It can be moored in waters up to 700 metres deep.

Offshore wind farms cost considerably more than wind farms on land, and initially floating ones will be more expensive than static offshore installations. Floating wind farms could later be established off both coasts of North America and off the Iberian peninsula and the coasts of Norway and the United Kingdom, she said.

Demo Video of Assembling & Installation

Floating wind farms could provide an additional source of energy for countries that have run out of space for their onshore wind farms, or where there is not enough wind on land.

Information Sources:  Statoilhydro.com, Bbc.co.uk
Image Sources:  Statoilhydro.com

Here are the Piece Unique’s spcifications:

- Solid 18 ct. yellow, rosé or white gold casing – Ultraslim design – 110 x 46 x 17 mm (l x h x d) – 198 grams (depending on version) – high quality VVS-1 (D-E colour) diamonds – 8 colours galuchat leather – modular exchangeable – Advanced dynamic high res. 176×220 (262k) TFT display – Up to 400 hours standby time – Sapphire glass display

Connectivity:

- Worldwide GSM coverage 850 – 900 – 1800 – 1900 MHz (Quad band) – GPRS/EDGE Class 10 – USB – Bluetooth Features:

- Photo/video camera with optimised (8x zoom, 2 megapixel) CMOS lens – Comprehensive MP3 player – FM radio – Stereo sound – PC interchangeable 2 Gb SD-memory for songs, pictures, movies – Personal organizer – Audio recorder – Email/SMS/EMS/MMS – Conference call – Hands-free calling

The Domespace house plans were designed to optimize warmth by natural means, so the house actually turns to follow the sun and gain as much energy as it needs to keep temperature at an ideal level. If you don’t want warmth and sun-rays you can just set it to turn its windows away from the sun. You can command the engine to turn the house at a certain time or program it to do a full day rotation.

These days Domespace houses only come with an engine, but a few years ago if you wanted to buy or rent a house, you had to move them manually. I can imagine such a house for lease: “It’s a great house, spacy, full of light…only thing is you have to turn it yourself”

Terrafugia, a 2006 start-up, has developed a craft that can be flown by properly licensed pilots and driven on any road. They have named their creation the “Transition”.Versatile
Transition would give its owners extraordinary travel flexibility. If, while in flight, the craft encounters bad weather, the pilot can land and continue on his way by ground. At destination airports the pilot can fold the wings and drive off the airfield without having to move bags or arrange for additional transportation.

In the Air
On March 5, 2009 the Terrafugia team successfully flew the Transition over Plattsburgh, New York.

All-Around
The Transition can take off or land at any general aviation airport with at least 2,500 feet of runway, which means it can be used at the majority of the approximately 5,000 public airports in the United States.

Handy
Once on the ground, the vehicle’s wings require only 30 seconds to fold. At the same time, the vehicle shifts engine power to the front wheels.

Road Worthy
Though many early attempts to create a flying car have failed, the engineers at Terrafugia feel they have overcome the limitations of earlier models by using modern engines, composite materials, and computer-based avionics.

Gas Up
The Transition runs on premium unleaded automobile gas. Terrafugia estimates that it gets 30 miles per gallon, at standard highway speeds.

Storage
With its wings folded, the Transition fits in a single car garage.

The Team
Terrafugia comprises a group of award-winning MIT-trained aeronautical engineers and MBA’s — who also happen to be passionate private pilots.

Get Ready
First customer delivery of a Transition Roadable Aircraft is expected to occur in 2011.

Although I’m sure it doesn’t have all the features of the latest mobile phones, but I know I’d love to have one,especially because it comes in a luxurious box, with a gold lighter and complementary cigarettes.Here are Marlbara’s specs:

- 900/1800 GSM/GPRS
- 1.5 inch 260k color 178×220 display
- 1.3 mega pixel camera
- microSD support
- stereo speakers
- measures 92×50.5×13 mm
- weighs 98 grams

Sharp fall in valuations :
The investments of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation fell 19 per cent to $9.07 billion, while those of Cascade Investment LLC, Gates’ investment firm, fell 18 per cent to $4.02 billion, according to regulatory filings on Tuesday.The foundation increased its stake in McDonald’s Corp, the world’s largest hamburger chain, to 6.4 million shares as of Dec. 31 from 4.9 million shares as of Sept. 30, according to the filings.

Stake hike :
The foundation increased its stake in Coca Cola Co to 5.7 million shares from 2.7 million shares, and in auto dealership group Autonation Inc to 10.2 million shares from 7.7 million shares.It shed stakes in troubled financial companies American International Group and Washington Mutual.

Investment strategy :
The foundation took a one-million-share stake in Coca Cola Enterprises Inc, the largest Coca-Cola bottler, and cut its stake in Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Cascade took a 7.95 million-share stake in Eastman Kodak Co and a 3 million-share stake in shoe maker Crocs.

There are a lot of wacky USB drives out there these days, but this USB finger is definitely one of the oddest.

Jerry Jalava lost one of his fingers in a biking accident. Nothing out of the ordinary so far, I personally have a friend that lost a finger while tampering with his bike, but the way hedealed with his problem is definitely out of the ordinary. Instead of getting a simple fake finger, Jerry decided to get a much more useful USB finger. He embedded a 2gb USB drive in his new silicon finger.

I would have gone with a larger storage device but I guess 2gb is better than the no gb.