thebaldgeek

Now days, it seems like it is cheaper, faster and more likely that a car commercial will be shot using a fake car…. The same car. For all car commercials. No really.

The Blackbird

They ‘simply’ have made a generic, do it all car, and they use it with a bunch of CGI (Computer Generated Imagery).

Who knew.

The tech is impressive. No question. Both the car, but also the way they map the car in the virtual environment and then skin the car with whatever body panels they need.
I also found the remark that they often video the commercial before the actual car is ready to be released.

When you sit and watch a movie, you sort of expect that something in the movie will be fake. To the point where you hit play and then remind yourself that you are about to see something that is totally faked.
Seems that attitude and approach should also apply to TV commercials…. Bleh. Where is the truth?

Love me some data visualizations.
Now that my Dad has a solid Internet connection I might start sharing some with you all from time to time.

This one caught my eye as an interesting way to see hot spots around the globe where news is happening.

http://www.heatmapnews.com/

It is very simple, just pan around and click on the hot spots to see whats news in that part of the world.

Sure, it’s not news in depth, but it is a clean quick way to see where things are happening.

I honestly thought this was all wrapped up years ago, but it turns out no.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/superjet-technology-nears-reality-australia-test-064839816.html?ref=gs

A joint US-Australian military research team is running a series of 10 trials at the world’s largest land testing range, Woomera in South Australia, and at Norway’s Andoya Rocket Range.

The experimental rocket in the trial on Wednesday reached an altitude of 278 kilometres and a target speed of Mach 7.5, Australia’s defence department said.

Each test builds on previous ones, with the latest used to measure heat on the outside of a vehicle in hypersonic flight, Smart said.

The next test, scheduled for 2017, would involve the scramjet engine separating from the rocket booster and flying on its own, he added.

The first test was conducted in 2009 with the project expected to be completed in 2018.

The last I read of it was this;
http://www.aero-news.net/aNNTicker.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=1139aba7-0ffe-416d-bc23-6e295d5a479a

2002 This was HyShot’s second attempt at scramjet flight. Their first attempt was lost as the launch rocket lost directional control, and went poof before the tiny scramjet could launch.

That is a long while back, so hence I thought the trials were over.
Nice to know somehow they got the funding to keep it going…. Not sure we will be flying in Scramjet any time soon, but hey, my grandkids might….

Thanks Woomera.

This one is for Dan and MW. (And my Dad).

Turns out you can remove the cell structure of wood, that’s the yellow stuff.
What you are left with is a fragile, but transparent bit of wood.
Here’s the clever bit, you fill the space you left with some transparent glue…. Now the wood is as strong as it was, but see through.

Why?

Cause you can! I mean really, if you have to ask, this is the wrong blog for you to be reading!

https://www.nanocenter.umd.edu/news/news_story.php?id=9672

….his team at the University of Maryland, College Park, have removed the molecule in wood—lignin—that makes it rigid and dark in color. They left behind the colorless cellulose cell structures, filled them with epoxy, and came up with a version of the wood that is mostly see-thru. They published their results today in the journal Advanced Materials.