Beats a suit and tie! Telecoms worker storms office wearing Iron Man costume

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Ready for anything: Telecoms worker Wang Kang wears his Iron Man armour to his workplace in Shanghai, China. The foam costume took three months and $450 to make and weighs 50kg


Well it's certainly one way to get your boss to notice you.

A telecoms worker has become an internet sensation in China after ditching his shirt and tie and wearing this home-made Iron Man costume to work instead.

Wang Kang left his colleagues stunned when he strolled through the Shanghai office entrance unannounced and began strutting along the corridors in the formidable ensemble.


Making a statement: Wang's costume attracts a quizzical stare from a co-worker. Others were frightened when he turned up wearing it announced, and some even screamed


'No colleagues knew my mission, and some of them froze there in seeing me approach,' he said.

'Some were even screaming for being scared.'

The 25-year-old came up with the idea after seeing the 2008 hit movie starring Robert Downey Junior.

He began building the costume at the end of February and it took him around three months to complete, at a cost of around $450.


Hot property: Wang's costume has attracted praise from his boss and compliments from women


But Wang said the effort had been well worth it - with his costume drawing praise from his bosses and compliments from women.

He claimed some had even 'fallen in love' with him because of it.

'They said I am a happy and creative man, and they wanted to know me,' he said.

The main material he used was EVA foam, which was glued onto an aluminium frame.
Soldering irons were used to create the effect of rough iron plates and the whole armour was then painted the colour of aged iron.


Inspiration: Robert Downey Jr in costume for the 2008 film Iron man


After the frame and plates were completed, installed wires, pipes and circuits.
He said: 'I sometimes thought of quitting it, as the project was very time and energy-consuming and I had to do it during my free time.

'I just wanted to share the happiness with friends.

'Life needs passion, and I hoped my armour could trigger their passion for life.'

Wang is determined the first costume - the Mk1 - will be the start of many, and hopes to improve the design so it is lighter and more user-friendly.

The current model weighs 50kg and takes ten minutes to put on.

'I want to accumulate more experience via making the MK1 so I can make the MK2 armour really well,' he said.

IRON MAN - MARK 1 - COMPLETE - Foam Armor Costume - Artist - Wang Kang - ( Shanghai, CHINA)



source :dailymail

How will they keep the bugs off the windscreen? Airbus unveil the transparent plane we'll be flying around in come 2050

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER


Window on the world: Gone are the small aircraft windows in the 'vitalising zone' which provides a panoramic view for passengers


With its see-through aircraft cabin, passengers of the future will get a get a window on the world as they fly through the sky.

For this plane with it's 'intelligent' cabin wall membrane and interactive games, may be everyday air transport in 2050.

The futuristic concept for travel in 40 years time has been unveiled in London by planemakers Airbus - and it'll terrify those who already have a fear of flying.


Flight of fancy? An artist's impression of an X-ray of an 'intelligent' concept cabin of an aircraft of the future


First, business and economy cabins are replaced by zones for relaxation in the front, work in the back, and a fully-stocked bar for socialising.

Passengers will be able to see everything to the sides and in front of them. So blindfolds might be handy come take-off and landing time.

The aircraft's walls change according to light conditions. There are holographic pop-up gaming displays and in-flight entertainment powered by the heat of passengers' bodies.

The technology could mean travellers might even be able to read bedtime stories to their children back home.

Most of the basic technology such as moulding seats and 'head-up displays' already exist, but how Airbus plan to make the plant-based, transparent 'skin' of the plane remains a mystery.


Starry skies: The cabin wall membrane controls air temperature and can become transparent to give passengers views throughout the day and night


Voyage of discovery: Artist's impression of how the aircraft of 2050 will look on the outside at night


The concept cabin would be a bionic structure that 'mimics' the efficiency of bird bone, claim Airbus.

It would provide strength where needed, and also allows for an 'intelligent' cabin wall membrane which controls air temperature and can become transparent to give passengers open, panoramic views.

Airbus believes that mid-century passengers might be able to enjoy a game of virtual golf or take part in interactive conferences, while the cabin 'identifies and responds' to travellers’ needs.

The cabin of the future follows last year’s unveiling of the Airbus concept plane, packed with technologies to reduce fuel burn, emissions, waste and noise.

In the cabin concept, the 'vitalising zone' helps passengers relax, with vitamin and antioxidant-enriched air, mood lighting, aromatherapy and acupressure treatments.


Anyone seen my ball? Passengers will be able to play virtual golf in the interaction zone on the plane


Airbus engineering executive vice-president Charles Champion said: 'Our research shows that passengers of 2050 will expect a seamless travel experience while also caring for the environment.

'The concept cabin is designed with that in mind, and shows that the journey can be as much a voyage of discovery as the destination.'


Sky's the limit: Charles Champion, Airbus's Executive Vice President of Engineering, unveils the Airbus Concept Cabin at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London

source: dailymail

Is it a unicycle? Is it a motorbike? Unveiled: The transforming 'dicycle' that can fit in a lift

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Transformers: The electric-powered Uno III Streetbike - or U3 - can convert itself with the push of a button from a conventional motorbike to unicycle-style machine


Dispatch riders and couriers know the fastest way to weave through heavy traffic is on a motorbike.

But for those jams even two wheels can't navigate, a new solution has been developed.

Just like a Transformer, the Uno III Streetbike - or U3 - can convert itself with the push of a button from a conventional motorbike to unicycle-style machine.


Robots in disguise: The Tron style motorcycle leathers are optional


The electric-powered machine balances on two parallel rear wheels, the front retracting between them to allow it to manoeuvre through spaces so tight it can be driven into a building - and even fit in the lift.

Then, when it's time to zoom off into the sunset, the front wheel slides forward as the rear pair move back, giving the vehicle the stability to pick up speeds of up to 30mph.

It can travel between 30 to 35 miles on a single three to four hour charge.


Through the evil eye: This diagram shows the mechanism which allows the U3's transformation


Now the remarkable vehicle is being produced by his own motor design company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, called BPG Motors.

Small enough to fit in indoors, but powerful enough to tackle the road, the makers hope the cutting edge $7,500 (£4,600) ride will revolutionise the morning commute.


BPG Motors: Transforming UNO Video


source: dailymail

The Apes trailer which takes humanised monkey effects to a whole new level

By GRAHAM SMITH

You'll believe an ape can talk: A five-second preview from the forthcoming Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes took the Internet by storm yesterday. Today a full trailer was unveiled to awestruck science-fiction fans


The original 1960s film was a milestone in prosthetic make-up effects.

Now the latest instalment in the Planet Of The Apes franchise is taking another giant step forward in depicting 'realism' in fantasy cinema.

A five-second preview clip of Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes posted online yesterday, left awestruck science-fiction fans clamouring for more. Today, the full trailer was unveiled.


Spellbinding: Filmmakers have made liberal use of CGI technology to create what looks to be the most realistic depiction yet of a humanised ape


Pop culture icon: Roddy McDowall as Cornelius in Escape From The Planet Of The Apes, the third film in the franchise


Yesterday's tantalisingly brief segment shows an actor - who could be Andy Serkis as Caesar, the part made famous by Roddy McDowall in the original films - in his ape 'make-up'.

This close-up comes at the end of the full trailer for the new prequel, which shows how apes in the present day came to be supremely intelligent beings who take over Earth.


The new prequel, which shows how apes in the present day came to be supremely intelligent beings who take over Earth, stars James Franco (right) as a scientist conducting experiments on the animals


Filmmakers have made liberal use of CGI technology to create what looks to be the most realistic depiction yet of a humanised ape.

By using motion-capture technology - which records and analyses information from markers stuck onto the actor's body, and infrared lights which illuminate him - the special effects team is able to track motion and force.

This 'MoCap' technique has been used in many recent blockbusters, including the Lord Of The Rings trilogy for translating Serkis' movements into Gollum.


Calm before the storm: WETA Digital, an Oscar-winning visual effects company who worked on Avatar, is responsible for the new film's effects


Even the CGI effects in Tim Burton's 2001 remake Planet Of The Apes look dated when placed alongside the new effect.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes stars James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow and Brian Cox and is scheduled for an August release in the U.S.


Rising star: The film also features Freida Pinto (pictured) and veteran acrtors John Lithgow and Brian Cox


Apes escape: What looks to be the start of a simian rampage begins


Too close for comfort? An ape watches over Pinto and Franco asleep in bed


Summer blockbuster? The new film is scheduled for an August release in the U.S.


Big budget: Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes promises to be an action-packed, special effects-driven extravaganza


Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) - Trailer (HD)



source: dailymail

Luxurious long vehicle can carry 23 passengers and travel at 155mph

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Luxury: The 15ft-long Superbus can carry 23 passengers and reach speeds of up to 155mph


Dutch design team includes Dutch astronaut who worked on Challenger

The seven-year project has so far cost £11.5million


Buses have never been the most glamorous form of transportation.

But that is set to change with the Superbus, a 15ft-long, six-wheeled behemoth that on first glance looks like a cross between the Batmobile and a (very) stretched limousine.

Aerodynamic and luxurious, it can carry 23 passengers and reach speeds of up to 155mph (255kph), although finding a parking space might prove difficult.


Futuristic: The Superbus has six wheels, including two pairs of rear wheels that can turn independently, thereby reducing its turning radius


A design team from TU Delft University, including former Dutch astronaut Wubbo Ockels, once a mission specialist on the Challenger, has unveiled the Superbus at the World Exhibition of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) in Dubai.

Constructed with super-light carbon fibre materials, it is powered by an electric motor backed up by lithium polymer batteries.

As long as a standard city bus, the Superbus has two pairs of rear wheels that can turn independently, thereby reducing its turning radius.

The low vehicle has 12 gull-wing doors that allow passenger access to cushioned wide seats.


Batmobile? The sleek long vehicle is constructed with super-light carbon fibre materials, it is powered by an electric motor backed up by lithium polymer batteries


Pride and joy: Former Dutch astronaut Wubbo Ockels was a member of the Superbus design team




Slick: The low vehicle has 12 gull-wing doors that allow passenger access to cushioned wide seats.


The Superbus prototype is loaded onto a cargo plane at Schiphol Airport for transportation to the World Exhibition of the International Association of Public Transport in Dubai


Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta Superbus


source: source: dailymail

Egyptian mummies who lived 3,500 years ago 'had clogged arteries despite healthier lifestyle'

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

CT scan: Scientists yesterday announced they had detected the first known case of clogged arteries in the mummy of an Egyptian princess who lived 3,500 years ago


Study suggests doctors know less about atherosclerosis than previously thought
The pressures of modern living are regularly held responsible for causing heart attacks and strokes.

But it seems these afflictions are not solely by-products of our hectic times.

Scientists yesterday announced they had detected the first known case of clogged arteries - or atherosclerosis - in the mummy of an Egyptian princess who lived 3,500 years ago.


Healthier lifestyle? Of the 44 Egyptian mummies scanned that had detectable arteries or hearts, 45 per cent of them had calcium build-ups in their vessel walls


It has long been known that ancient Egyptians suffered from plaque built-up in the arteries, but a University of California, Irvine-led study has concluded that the condition was far more prevalent than previously thought.

Lead researcher Dr Gregory Thomas said: 'Atherosclerosis is widespread among modern day humans and, despite differences in ancient and modern lifestyles, we found that it was rather common in ancient Egyptians of high socio-economic status living more than three millennia ago.'


Resting place: A wooden coffin lies open at an excavation site south of Cairo in 2005


Researchers performed computerised tomography (CT) scans, with particular attention to the cardiovascular system, on 52 Egyptian mummies to determine whether they had atherosclerosis.

Of the 44 that had detectable arteries or hearts, 45 per cent of them had calcium build-ups in their vessel walls.

The oldest among them was Lady Rai, an Egyptian princess who lived between 1580 and 1550 BC. The researchers believe she probably died when she was in her early 40s.

The nursemaid to Queen Ahmose-Nefertari, she lived about 300 years prior to the time of Moses and 200 years before King Tutankhamun.

source: dailymail

Space giant on the move: Russia prepares to launch mighty Soyuz into space ahead of 50th anniversary of Gagarin's first manned flight

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Memento: Onlookers take a snap as the Russian Soyuz TMA-21 rocket is mounted


Russia is making its final preparations for the launch of its Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station ahead of the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's first manned journey into space.

The TMA-21 rocket is being moved into position at the Baikonur launch pad in Kazakhstan before the scheduled blast off date on Tuesday.

The craft will have an international crew of US astronaut Ron Garan, and Russian cosmonauts Aleksander Samokutyaev and Andrei Borisenko.


Prepare for take off: Service towers move towards the spacecraft, named after the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, as it is set on its launch pad at Baikonur cosmodrome


Guard: A Russian policeman stands guard near the rocket


The launch was originally delayed from March 30 so experts could resolve a communication problem with the Soyuz, raising fears over its reliability and whether the mission would begin in time to honour the April 12 anniversary of cosmonaut Gagarin's first manned flight into space.

The Soyuz TMA-21 is named after Gagarin, who went on to become Deputy Training Director of the Cosmonaut Training Centre outside Moscow.

However he died tragically in 1968 when his training jet crashed, with the actual circumstances of his death remaining a mystery.


Transporter: The Soyuz TMA-21 rocket is moved to the launch pad by railcar


Security: The rocket is surrounded by security before launch as it is moved into position


Since his death the Cosmonaut Training Centre has been renamed in his honour, while the Russian village of Gzhatsk, which was adjacent to his home town, was also renamed Gagarin.

NASA, which is retiring its shuttle fleet after two more flights this year, has relied exclusively on Russian Soyuz craft for space station crew transport since late 2009.

The European Space Agency announced yesterday that its base in French Guiana was now ready for its first launch.

According to Nasa, more than 1,500 launches have been made with Soyuz launchers to orbit satellites for telecommunications, Earth observation, weather and scientific missions, as well as for human flights.

The Agency says that the rocket is moved to the launch pad on a horizontal railcar.

Transfer is generally two days before launch, during which time a launch rehearsal is performed that includes activation of all electrical and mechanical equipment.

On launch day, the vehicle is loaded with propellant - liquid oxygen and kerosene - and the final countdown starts three hours before lift off time.


A specialist holds ropes attached to spacecraft, which was tracked by guards as it was transferred to the site of Tuesday's launch



Honoured: The rocket is named after Yuri Gagarin, here with British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan, who was internationally feted after he became the first man to journey into space

source: dailymail

Video of babies 'talking' takes the Internet by storm and is viewed TEN MILLION times on YouTube

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Online hit: Twins Sam and Ren McEntee, aged just 17 months, enjoy a lively exchange in which they laugh, raise their hands emphatically and nod their heads


A home video of two babies engaged in an animated conversation in a kitchen has become an Internet phenomenon.

The two-minute clip shows twin brothers Sam and Ren McEntee, aged just 17 months and barely able to stand, enjoying a lively exchange in which they laugh, raise their hands emphatically and nod their heads.

So far the footage has attracted a staggering 9.4million views on YouTube.

This is probably because the boys' conversation is so adult in its mannerisms and they appear to genuinely understand what each other is saying.

Transfixed viewers even made suggestions as to what the brothers might be talking about - before comments on the video were disabled.

Suggestions had included one brother telling the other 'That diaper is so 2010', before receiving a response of 'If you're so smart, where is your other sock, Einstein?'

The babies' mother Abby has a blog, twinmamarama.com, on which she writes about her experiences as a twin sister raising twin boys.


Good times: The home video has been watched almost ten million times


Mrs McEntee wrote on Wednesday: 'We've had a fascinating time seeing language blooming around here. Now the experts weigh in on this kind of twin language.

'I remember my own folks talking about my sister and I sending out verbal signals (essentially squeaks and shouts) in an attempt to pinpoint the location of our twin sister around the house!'

Child development specialists have even chimed in to say how natural and healthy it is for babies to develop language skills as they mature.


An early 15 minutes? The brothers arrive to make in Times Square, New York, to make an appearance on Good Morning America this week


Professor Karen Thorpe, of the Queensland University of Technology’s School of Psychology and Counselling, told ABC News: 'Babies are wired for communication from the start and we see here a fine example of how sophisticated and beautiful communication in even young children can be.'

The broadcaster also reported that 40 per cent of twins develop what appears to be their own language.

However, they are mimicking sounds and mannerisms that they have heard or seen, rather than actually understanding what each other is saying.


twin baby boys have a conversation - OFFICIAL VIDEO



source: dailymail

Baring its teeth for the first time, personal submarine which boasts 'the agility of a dolphin' (but looks more like a killer whale)

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Breaking the waves: The shark-like Seabreacher X can reach surface speeds of 50mph and has the turning style of a dolphin


A mighty beast rises out of the water, ready to pounce on some unsuspecting prey.

The waters of Whiskeytown Lake, in northern California, apparently have a new
master - but on closer inspection this is no killer whale, it's a hi-tech submarine.

Capable of speeding across the water at 50mph, the Seabreacher X is an underwater vessel which boasts 'the agility of a dolphin'.

The most advanced submersible watercraft built by Innespace Marine, the X is a more extreme take on the company’s Seabreacher J model.


Lift-off: The personal submarine is fitted with an onboard camera so passengers can glimpse the world below the waves


According to Innespace Marine, the Seabreacher X comes in an array of largely threatening colours and ‘can sustain high speed dives and then breach the surface, launching the entire vessel clear out of the water.

‘The new fully vectored thrust system mimic the tail articulation of real aquatic animals like sharks and dolphins,’ the website adds.

‘The custom tuned exhaust system also gives the vessel a more throaty growl as it tears across the surface.’


Red roar: The Seabreacher X boasts a custom exhaust for a 'throaty growl'


And if its 260 horsepower supercharged engine and top speeds of 50mph (surface) and 25mph (underwater) weren’t exciting enough, the Seabreacher X has all the modcons of a high-performance car.

It’s got an onboard stereo with an iPod dock, GPS navigation, colour schemes customised to your design and even a snorkel-mounted video camera that transmits live footage to LCD screens for passengers.

Predictably, such power and luxury doesn’t come cheap.

Seabreachers are built to order for a standard price of $65,000 and watersports enthusiasts who want to speed across the surface in a top-of-the-range model can expect to pay around $85,000.

But for such expense, you could own a vehicle that’s, as AOL’s Bradley Hasemeyer put it, ‘about 27 per cent dolphin, 37 per cent shark, 47 per jet boat – and 100 per cent awesome’.


Shark attack: Watersports fans can pay extra to have their Seabreacher X customised




source: dailymail

Go on, print me a bike! The technology that enables a computer to run off a full-working cycle

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Let's ride: The fully-working cycle, which is made of nylon, is the result of an extraordinary project and is as strong as steel and aluminium but weighs 65 per cent less


This bicycle is the first in the world to be created simply by printing it out on a computer, using groundbreaking new technology.

The fully-working cycle, which is made of nylon, is the result of an extraordinary project and is as strong as steel and aluminium but weighs 65 per cent less.

Scientists in Bristol designed the bike on a computer and sent it to a printer, which placed layers of melted nylon powder on top of each other to build-up the machine.


On the move: Scientists designed the bike on a computer and sent it to a printer, which placed layers of melted nylon powder on top of each other to build-up the machine


Individual components such as gears, pedals and wheels are usually made in different factories and assembled into a finished bike but the Airbike is a single, complete part.

The wheels, bearings and axle are incorporated into the 'growing' process, known as Additive Layer Manufacturing.

The Airbike can be built to the rider's own specification so requires no adjustment. It also requires no conventional maintenance or assembly.

It is made by the European Aeronautic Defence and Space group in Filton, near Bristol, The 3D printing method allows products to be made from a fine powder of nylon, carbon-reinforced plastics or metals such as titanium, stainless steel or aluminium.

They are drawn using computer-aided design and then sent to a printer, which is filled with the powdered material.

A computer splits the 3D design into many 2D layers and a laser beam is used to melt the powder material into the first of the layers.

This is then covered by a new layer of powder and the process is repeated with the next 'slice'.

The manufacturing process uses about one-tenth of the material required in traditional methods, reducing waste.

The technology is likely to be used in industrial applications such as aerospace, the motor industry and engineering.

Lead engineer Andy Hawkins said: 'The possibilities with ALM are huge - it's a game-changing technology.

'The beauty is that complex designs do not cost any extra to produce. The laser can draw any shape you like.

'Many unique design features have been incorporated into the Airbike, such as saddle cushioning or the integrated bearings encased within the hubs.'

Robin Southwell, chief executive of EADS UK, said: 'The Airbike is a fantastic example of British innovation at its very best.

'The team at EADS in Bristol includes world-class engineers who continue to push boundaries by working at the forefront of technology.'


source: dailymail

The real Up! Scientists recreate floating house from Pixar movie... and prove it really CAN fly

By RACHEL QUIGLEY

Magic: The Up! house which will be part of a new National Geographic TV series called How Hard Can It Be? was 10 stories high, including the balloons. It reached 10,000 feet and flew for about one hour


It was another one of those Disney moments of magic.

When 78-year-old retiree Carl Frederickson's house takes off into the air aided by the help of hundreds of helium balloons in Up!, viewers saw it is a heart-warming moment of pure fiction.

But for some people, it became more than that.


Record: Dozens of volunteers worked around the clock in the Californain desert to get the custom-built house airborne with the aid of 300 eight-foot-high helium balloons


Film: Carl Fredricksen attached the balloons to his house to fulfil his life-long dream of discovering the wild in South America


The team from National Geographic have built a house inspired by the Pixar movie Up! that can really fly.

Using 300 helium-filled weather balloons, a team of scientists, engineers, two balloon pilots and dozens of volunteers, they managed to get the small house 10,000 feet into the air.

Of course it was not a real house, but a custom-built light weight one.
Executive producer Ben Bowie said: 'We found that it is actually close to impossible to fly a real house.'

Producer Ian White added: 'But what we can do is kind of fly a light-weight house and fly it safely with people on board.'


Up!: National Geograhic's house, left, and the Pixar one from the Disney film Up! about an old man's journey to see the great wilds of South America which he travels to in his own house which flies with helium balloons


Up! The house was life-sized and together with the balloons was ten storeys high


Away!: The house and two pilots soared 10,000 feet into the air for more than an hour over the desert


Each of the balloons were eight-feet high and filled with a whole tank of helium.
As well as getting the house to fly, they set a world record for largest cluster balloon flight ever attempted.

The experiment was done as part of a new National Geographic TV series How Hard Can it Be?

The 4.8m x 4.8m x 5.5m house flew across California's High Desert for about an hour with two people inside, just like the Disney Pixar film.

The new series will premier in the autumn.



source: dailymail