STUFF: News, Technology, the cool and the plain weird

[MIKA27]

Watching A Truck Towing A Boat Drive Over A Flimsy Wooden Bridge Is So Stressful

I don’t know if these wooden planks can be considered a bridge or if they just constitute a poorly made death trap but I know that I wouldn’t even want to walk on the thing. And yet, this guy drives a truck that’s towing a boat over it! Nervousness alone would make me crash it right into the water below, destroying everything that remains of this so called “bridge” in Brazil.

[MIKA27]

Putting This Rubik's Cube R2-D2 Back Together Is Harder Than Fixing A Real Droid

Does the shape of a Rubik’s Cube affect how hard it is to solve? At first glance you’d assume the irregularly-shaped pieces of this R2-D2 rotating puzzle would make it easy to put back together, but before you know it, you could have a real mess of droid parts on your hands.

For around $34 (though you might have to import it at a premium of $79 excluding shipping from sites like Japan Trend Shop) you can spend hours frustratingly trying to put the little droid back together after a friend messes it all up. And with this Rubik’s Cube swapping around a few stickers to cheat your way to a solution just isn’t an option

[MIKA27]

LA's Gas Leak Is A Global Disaster

One of the worst environmental disasters of the decade is currently underway in a quiet community 40km northwest of Los Angeles. Putrid, methane-rich natural gas has been spewing into the air at an estimated rate of nearly 1300 metric tonnes per day for over two months. Experts are calling it the climate version of the BP oil spill, and the leak isn’t going to be contained anytime soon.

Natural gas is often touted as a cleaner energy source than oil or coal, because of the lower greenhouse gas emissions associated with burning it. But as this disaster highlights, there are insidious risks to natural gas production. Coupled with weak regulation, they can make this energy source as dirty as the fossil fuels it’s meant to replace.

“The science is crystal clear: if you allow the methane to leak, you can wipe out its climate benefits,” Tim O’Connor, director of the Environmental Defence Fund’s Oil and Gas Program in California told Gizmodo.

In fact, everything about the leak is eerily reminiscent of the oil spills that have blackened oceans and beaches for over a century. These parallels underscore a hard truth: we need to transition off carbon-based fuels entirely to fix our planet.

Like 7 Million Cars

On October 23, a natural gas leak erupted at a storage well beneath the community of Porter Ranch. The well stores gas carried by pipelines from extraction operations hundreds of kilometres away in Texas, the Midwest, and the Rocky Mountains.

The leak has taken a serious toll on Porter Ranch residents, who for weeks have reported headaches, nausea, dizziness, and other symptoms. Methane is odourless and non-toxic, but natural gas producers inject it with trace quantities of sulfurous chemicals called mercaptans so that leaks can be detected by scent. According to Cyrus Rangan, director of the Toxics Epidemiology Program at LA County’s Department of Public Health, the stench from the leak is so foul that residents are having a physiologic response to it.

“People are having very real responses, based on their own sensitivity,” Rangan told Gizmodo. “In terms of acute chemical exposures, this is a really, really big deal.” Rangan estimates that somewhere between four and five thousand families have filed for help, with 2200 families temporarily relocated so far.

As of this week, the leak has sent over 73,000 metric tonnes of methane gas skyward, according to estimates published by the Environmental Defence Fund, which is providing real-time updates on the situation. And that’s a big problem for our climate.

Although short-lived in the atmosphere, methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with up to 80 times the global warming potential of CO2 in the first twenty years of its lifespan. 73,000 metric tonnes of methane is the global warming equivalent of over six million metric tonnes of CO2. Put another way, the daily emissions from Porter Ranch are essentially equivalent to sticking seven million additional cars on the road.

Plugging the Hole and Fixing the Problem

The first order of business for California is getting this well plugged. After several failed attempts to stop the flow of gas using conventional methods, SoCalGas began drilling a secondary “relief well” on December 4. This well will intersect the leaky one and plug it. “After we intercept the well at more than 8,500 feet (2591m) of measured depth, we will pump heavy fluids and drilling mud into the bottom of the leaking well to stop the flow of gas up from its source, the reservoir,” a statement provided to Gizmodo by SoCalGas, which manages the well, reads. “Once the flow of gas has been stopped, we will pump cement into the well to permanently seal the leak.”

Here’s what the entire operation will look like:

At last check-in, the drilling operation had reached a depth of 1173m, and — in an important milestone — workers have now identified the 17cm-wide leaky gas pipe using magnetic ranging technology.

Still, SoCalGas warns that plugging the leak and stopping the flow of methane could take until the end of March.

Estimates from California’s Air and Resources Board show that total statewide methane emissions rose 25 per cent, dramatically diminishing any climate benefit natural gas industry offers. “SoCalGas recognises the impact this incident is having on the environment,” SoCalGas spokesperson Anne Silva told Gizmodo in an email. “While working to stop the gas leak and alleviate its impact on the community, we also have been evaluating options to mitigate the environmental impact.”

But whatever mitigation measures SoCalGas takes, the leak highlights the shortcomings of natural gas — and how it’s regulated.

Nobody’s sure exactly how the Porter Ranch leak started, but a report by the EDF paints a disturbing picture of the state of natural gas pipes around Los Angeles. Nearly 40 per cent of the pipes in SoCalGas’ jurisdiction are over 50 years old, and they’re leaking everywhere. The EDF reports an average of one methane leak every six to eight kilometres across Pasadena, Inglewood, and Chino, three geographically disparate neighbourhoods. These leaks vary from less than 1000 to over 60,000 litres of natural gas per day. That means tens of thousands more cars worth of carbon emissions thanks to crappy infrastructure.

But this isn’t just an LA problem. Another report by the EDF estimated over 13 million metric tonnes of natural gas leakage on US federal and tribal lands in 2013 alone. “Globally, we know that more methane is leaked into the air from oil and gas infrastructure than the entire gas production of Norway — which is one of the world’s leading gas producers,” O’Connor said. “Methane is a significant problem, and in the US, it can erode the climate benefit of the gas industry.”

Nationwide, O’Connor estimates there are approximately 400 underground methane storage areas subject to no federal regulation — other Porter Ranch disasters waiting to happen. “These facilities are exempt from federal requirements for underground injections, and they fly under the radar until catastrophes strike,” he said.

And that’s not to mention leaks during drilling, transportation through pipelines, and distribution. If we’re going to see a net climate benefit from natural gas production over fossil fuels, experts say no more than 3 per cent of gas can leak during the entire production process. In some parts of the country, we’re well beyond that figure. In other areas, the amount of leakage simply isn’t known.

For the first time this year, the EPA has introduced national standards in the US that would directly regulate methane emissions from oil and gas facilities built in the future. But as the EDF points out, these rules say nothing about facilities already in operation. If the natural gas industry wants to sell an environmentally-friendly alternative to oil, all of its infrastructure needs to be air-tight.

“We need to think of natural gas as a bridge fuel, ” O’Connor said. “It’s an energy source that can have a benefit, but that benefit is only realised if you keep it in the pipes.”

[MIKA27]

It's OK To Put Star Wars Toys On Your Desk When They're Fancy $2800 Pens

Unless you work at a startup that’s trying desperately to be hip, adorning your desk with mountains ofStar Wars toys probably isn’t encouraged. But when you pay £1400 ($2872) for a fancy pen from S.T. Dupont Paris that just happens to look like a spaceship, you can display it wherever you want.

To celebrate/cash in on the return of Star Wars to theatres, S.T. Dupont Paris has created a series of themed writing instruments that now includes a pair of fountain pens resembling an X-wing and a TIE-Fighter when paired with each of their distinctive docks.

To help justify the £1400 ($2872) price tag each pen is made using exotic materials like 14k gold and silver ceramium, and both are limited to just 1977 pieces to help keep demand and value high. But you don’t have to scramble for your credit card to ****** one up before they’re all gone, because the average Star Wars fan would probably rather spend two grand on hundreds of action figures than a single pen.

[MIKA27]

The US Is Building A New Drone That Turns Small Ships Into An Aircraft Carriers

Nowadays, drones are found nearly everywhere: Farms, fields, even underwater. They could soon be found on the decks of a new kind of aircraft carrier combing the vast oceans for valuable intel.

The US Navy has long wanted to line smaller ships like frigates and destroyers with drones that could buzz around the open seas, sending surveillance and recon data back to onboard intel gatherers. And yesterday, the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced a new program that could just do that — and “deliver embedded capabilities that have been on the US Navy’s wish list since World War II,” the press release says.

DARPA is unveiling a program called Tern — a collaboration between the agency and the US Navy’s Office of Naval Research. DARPA just awarded Phase III funding to a team led by Northrop Grumman, the security company that’s of the heaviest hitters in the badass aircraft department. That means that DARPA will oversee the construction of a full-scale prototype like nothing we’ve ever seen before.

The new design for Phase III should look a little something like this: two propellers on a flying-wing UAV’s nose would lift it from the ship’s deck like a chopper but then propel it horizontally like a plane. The drones would be fit inside the ship when they’re not being used for sea-skimming missions.

Traditionally, it’s been hard for those little UAVs to safely take off and land on rocky waters onto boats that are smaller than nice, big aircraft carriers. But the engineers want to make a drone that could take off and land in cramped, bumpy quarters and can fly for a long period of time.

The Navy’s long-standing dream of using small, unmanned aircraft seems to be coming true. The new frontier also marks yet another entry to the unrelentingly growing list of uses for drones, drones that can go anywhere in the world with frightening ease.

[MIKA27]

Six Months After The Earthquake, Nepal Is Open For Adventure

Nepal is home to the best climbing, trekking and mountaineering on earth. But, earlier this year, it also had a massive earthquake, an avalanche on Everest and is right now subject to a “blockade” by its neighbour India. Can you still visit? Surprisingly, now may be the best time ever.

An avalanche on Everest killed 16 Sherpa last May. A blizzard killed dozens of trekkers around Annapurnalast October. A disastrous earthquake killed thousands in April. And currently, India is blockading Nepal in protest of its new constitution, creating a fuel crisis.

With all the doom and gloom found in the news, you’d think that Nepal would be the last place on earth anyone should visit. However, I’m here now and that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Why go to Nepal?

Ama Dablam towers over the path to Dingboche.

Most people who venture into this tiny country are in search of adventure — and Nepal certainly delivers. Eight of the world’s ten highest peaks rest within its borders; hundreds of smaller but equally respectable mountains provide stunning backdrops for trekkers and worthy objectives for climbers.

All of those big mountains have big glaciers with lots of runoff to supply kayakers and rafters with world-class whitewater. Those who venture further away from the Himalayas are met with the steepest foothills and most expansive valleys imaginable — providing mountain bikers with endless opportunities for downhill runs or singletrack touring.

Pokhara is the only place in the world to go Parahawking.

Two hundred kilometers east of Nepal’s capital city of Kathmandu lies Pokhara — a tranquil lakeside city that rests in the shadow of Annapurna. Thanks to its stable thermals, convenient takeoff and landing zones, and stunning scenery, it’s one of the top destinations for paragliding in the world.

Prayer flags beckon safe passage for travellers in Langtang.

Adventure isn’t the only thing to be found here though. Nepal is sandwiched between India and China; its own rich, vibrant culture is a reflection of such. Dal Bhat (a traditional Nepali dish consisting of lentils and rice; often served with vegetable curry, pickles, and papad) reflects its neighbour to the west — while momo (meat- or vegetable-filled dumplings) are borrowed from Tibet to the east.

Prayer flags and pagodas dot almost every mountainside; while monks live in remote monasteries paying homage to Buddha, who was born here in Lumbini. Dozens of festivals occur throughout the year in celebration of multiple religions and holidays; with such a huge influx of visitors from around the globe, Nepal is truly a melting pot.

Workers rebuilding a house near Phakding in the Khumbu region.

What is Nepal like post-earthquake?

The Nepalese are a resilient bunch; knowing that much of their economy is stimulated by tourism, they have wasted no time repairing, rebuilding, and readying roads, trails, and tea houses in an effort to welcome back adventurers.

There are three main trekking regions: Annapurna, Khumbu, and Langtang. Each of them were affected differently by the earthquake.

The trek to ABC is even more beautiful in the dead of winter.

Annapurna

The Annapurna region is popularised by three treks: The Annapurna Circuit, Annapurna Base Camp, and Poon Hill. This region attracts the most trekkers; pre-earthquake numbers pushed 100,000 per year.

The good news is that the Annapurna region didn’t suffer much damage from the quake; as such it was opened up for trekking just a couple of months later.

Ama Dablam peeks out behind Phortse, in the Khumbu region.

Khumbu

Nepal’s second most popular trekking region is highlighted by the dominant presence of Mt. Everest. Most venture here to see Everest Base Camp (EBC) firsthand, but the trek to Gokyo is even more beautiful. Have three weeks to spare? See it all with the Three Passes Trek.

I just spent two weeks in Khumbu to do an alpine climb of Lobuche East, a 6,000m peak. Thanks to a nice weather window, I had some extra time after the climb and made my way over Cho La Pass (5380m) to Gokyo before heading back down to Namche Bazaar, and flying out of Lukla (the most dangerous airport in the world).

The trails were all in great condition and the tea houses were all open. There were a few sections of trail that were being repaired, but all were safely passable.

This photo was taken in January 2015; unfortunately much of Kyanjin Gompa was destroyed in April’s earthquakes.

Langtang

Langtang is Nepal’s third most popular trekking area. It’s located directly north of Kathmandu, right on the Tibetan border. Due to its location, the region is largely influenced by Tibetan culture. The trek itself is beautiful — leading hikers alongside a turquoise river that passes through swaths of green forest and alpine meadows before reaching the villages of Langtang and Kyanjin Gompa. I trekked there in January; it was the highlight of my time in Nepal.

Unfortunately, this region was devastated by April’s earthquake. Langtang Village was completely obliterated by a landslide; most of its inhabitants were killed. Kyanjin Gompa survived, but not without severe damage.

According to Anil Bhattarai, proprietor of the Nepali owned-and-operated guide service Himalayan Ecstasy (the service with whom I have climbed two 6,000m peaks in Nepal) the road to Langtang is clear, making the national park accessible. The main trekking trail is in the process of being repaired and is navigable by small adventurous parties — though some pedestrian bridges are out, making stream crossings difficult for larger groups. I’ll be venturing there next month to scout it out for myself and will update accordingly.

Kathmandu’s trekker district of Thamel is just as vibrant at night as it is during the day.

Kathmandu

Though Kathmandu was hit pretty hard by the earthquake, it seems to be operating normally. Most trekkers will spend their time in Thamel, which was largely unaffected. Several world heritage sites like Bhaktapur were damaged, but have reopened thanks to diligent repairs.

Normally, there would be approximately 648% more traffic than this while driving through Kathmandu.

What about the fuel crisis?

While the fuel crisis is certainly affecting day-to-day life for residents, its effect on tourists is mostly negligible. Taxis are still running; there’s no difficulty getting a cab between the airport and Kathmandu’s trekker district of Thamel — though expect to pay about 1000 Rs ($US10) instead of 500 Rs, which is a more typical bargained rate.

International flights are refuelling in nearby Doha, Qatar or Dhaka, Bangladesh, so getting in and out of the country is not a problem. Local flights are still running between Kathmandu and Lukla to access the Everest region; flights are running to Pokhara too.

Tourist buses and jeeps are still operating as well, ensuring that overland travel between destinations is just as crazy as before.

Potatoes with veggies and egg — a staple of any trekker’s diet.

Most restaurants in the city are using pared down menus to compensate for the lack of availability of certain ingredients, but food is still widely available; there weren’t any food, ingredient, or fuel shortages while trekking in the Khumbu.

The biggest difference you’ll notice is in Kathmandu. Car and motorcycle traffic is almost non-existent, making for much less-crowded; less-polluted streets.

China has agreed to step in and provide fuel from the East, so things should begin operating in a way that’s more “normal” for Nepal soon.

Is it safe?

Clear skies, minimal rain, and mild temperatures make October and November prime time for trekking in Nepal; though the season is in full-swing, you’d never know from walking around Thamel or while on a trek. Numbers are about 50-70% lower than the past year; they will be even lower this winter (another great time to trek).

The lack of trekkers during peak season allowed me to have my own double room every night, ensuring plenty of space for both myself and my Cotopaxi Nepal 65L.

Those numbers are great for the people adventuring here now (there’s lots of vacancy in hotels and tea houses; less crowding on trails) but not for Nepal, whose economy depends on tourism.

The general consensus amongst visitors is that now is a perfectly acceptable time to be here. I sat next toKilian Jornet at the airport on my way to Lukla. Ueli Steck was here making an attempt on Nuptse last week. While on the trail I met the typical fare; I even saw a family trekking with their two middle-schoolers above Namche.

So what’s the point of all this?

Despite all of the negative things you’ve been reading in the news or have been hearing from uninformed family and friends — Nepal is again ready to show you the adventure of a lifetime.

If you’ve been wanting to travel here but have been deterred by recent events, let this ease your mind. The trails are in good condition. Food and water are abundant. The tea houses are staffed. The only thing missing is you.

[MIKA27]

Solu Computer

Solu Computer, brought to us by the nation that powered cellphone revolution, Finland, aims to do just as much with this computer. Solu brings together several functionalities that will integrate and blend in an intuitive and easy-to-learn fashion, very bio-like architecture, no need for apps to be installed, with a great cloud system that enables you to instantly share your documents or projects. One of its key features is the way you build your contacts or relationships on its interface, no files or agenda, a bubble like icon will represent whom you need to reach and allow you to choose the interaction you want to build with him/her. You can use it directly on its small screen, or simply connect it to a monitor like a classic PC. Its organic feel is enhanced by the wood that´s used in its encasing. We´re pretty sure we´ll hear some more of Solu Computer, with its unique OS and northern minimal organic design, it will surely become a must-have.

[MIKA27]

BONX

Bonx is dubbed as the first wearable walkie-talkie, using Bluetooth technology, and pairing with your mobile phone via an app. It features two buttons that you can tap to set it on or use simple hands-free voice commands. It´s in fact a single ear-piece that allows you to stay in touch with your friends while enjoying your outdoors activities. It´s light, funky and a great idea if you want to keep in touch with your ski buddies on the slopes, on your kayak trips or your bike journeys. You only need some cell data on your smart device, but nowadays that should be no concern. Bonx is water and shock proof so no worries about rough handling, Bonx can take it. Get it in pink, black, white or green

[MIKA27]

This Trailer For An Upcoming Russian Superhero Flick Looks Awesome

Russia is getting into the superhero film craze with Zaschitniki. A trailer for the film came out in the fall of 2015, and it looks like amazing fun. The film is due out later this year, and we can’t wait to see it.

The film is set in an alternate Soviet Union, following a group culled from the various satellite countries within the USSR and turned into superheroes. Their goal? Protect the USSR from supernatural threats.

There’s some concept art floating around the internet, which gives a good look at some of the heroes:

There’s also an official Instagram which has been posting up some behind the scenes video and official images:

Bottom line? This film looks awesome and we can’t wait until it comes out sometime later this year.

[jwr0201]

THE BULL BALLS BEER:

It's the beer that prompts the question − has craft brewing gone too far?

Yes, a brewery in Colorado will have a beer made with bull testicles on tap this month.

Wynkoop Brewing Company's Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout began as an April Fool's joke, but attracted so much interest from ale afficianado's that a real product was created.

The beer contains 11.5 kilograms of bull testicles that have been sliced and roasted before being added to the brewery's traditional recipe.

Wynkoop hopes people will "go nuts for it".

MIKA: What cigar would you pair this one with....?

This is just WRONG on so many levels!!!

[MIKA27]

THE BULL BALLS BEER:

It's the beer that prompts the question − has craft brewing gone too far?

Yes, a brewery in Colorado will have a beer made with bull testicles on tap this month.

Wynkoop Brewing Company's Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout began as an April Fool's joke, but attracted so much interest from ale afficianado's that a real product was created.

The beer contains 11.5 kilograms of bull testicles that have been sliced and roasted before being added to the brewery's traditional recipe.

Wynkoop hopes people will "go nuts for it".

MIKA: What cigar would you pair this one with....?

This is just WRONG on so many levels!!!

Ahhh yes, that old chestnut, I think my very first post on this thread.

[JackFNQ]

What I got to the end of thread?

Great thread!

[MIKA27]

The Best Ever View Of Our Closest Neighbouring Galaxy Has Something Very Strange In It

This is the Andromeda galaxy, our very own Milky Way’s next-door neighbour. It’s the best look we’ve ever managed to get at it — and there’s something very strange hidden in this picture.

This new snap was taken with NASA’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, an X-Ray telescope designed especially for getting unusually deep-space views — and a far deep-space view is exactly what they got when they pointed it Andromeda’s way.

Because it was an X-ray view, though, NuSTAR also picked up something else: over 40 different instances of a mysterious space object called an X-ray binary. X-ray binaries are the result of either a dead or exploded star that sucks in huge amounts of nearby (living) stars and space debris, while throwing off a steady stream of X-ray radiation.

Finding so many different instances of X-ray binaries was a surprise in itself, but an even bigger was how close they were, putting them at the perfect spot to keep a closer eye on them. And keeping an eye on them may turn out to be well worth it, because scientists have long suspected that X-ray binaries may have a key, but shadowy, role in letting galaxies form at all. Now that scientists know where to look, we may figure out much more about just how they do it.

[MIKA27]

Goodbye Chest Straps, Garmin's Fenix 3 Multisport GPS Watch Gains A Heart Rate Monitor

If swimming, surfing, biking, running and hiking sound like the average weekend for you, Garmin’s fēnix 3 is the multisport GPS watch that just might sell you on the merits of wearing a smartwatch — especially now that there’s a version with a heart rate monitor built-in.

Instead of jumping to version 4, Garmin is revealing some worthwhile updates to its fēnix 3 multisport watch at CES this year, including a newmodel called the fēnix 3 HR that includes the company’s optical heart rate technology so that athletes monitoring their vitals no longer need to wear a cumbersome chest strap while they train.

The new fēnix 3 Sapphire watches will be available in Australia in late February. The recommended retail prices for the fēnix 3s will be $949 for the fēnix 3HR, $999 for the fēnix 3HR bundle, $1,249 for the titanium fēnix 3 Sapphire, and $939 for the fēnix 3 Sapphire with leather and nylon bands.

Garmin has also announced a new software update for the fēnix 3, compatible with the original versions of the multisport watch introduced last year, that adds additional metrics tracking including:

Stride Length: Measures the length of a runner’s stride in real time.

Ground Contact Time Balance: Measures a runner’s ground contact symmetry, which some runners have found to correlate with injuries or strength imbalances.

Vertical Ratio: The cost-benefit ratio of vertical oscillation to stride length, serving as one indicator of a runner’s efficiency.

Lactate Threshold: Estimates the level of effort at which fatigue rapidly increases in terms of a runner’s heart rate and pace.

Stress Score: Measures heart rate variability to make an assessment of a user’s overall level of stress.

Performance Condition: Provides a real-time fitness-level measurement relative to a runner’s average baseline, which indicates performance readiness for the day’s workout or race.

The update also includes new activity profiles for stand up paddleboarding, rowing and golf, and through the Garmin Connect mobile app running on a smartphone, users can access and download more than 40,000 different courses around the world turning their smartwatch into a wristworn score card.

[MIKA27]

Harman's Voyager Drive Speakers Let You Take Your Car's Sound System With You

Unless you’re an endurance racer who spends 24 hours in their vehicle, there’s not much point to sinking a small fortune into a killer sound system you rarely get to hear. But with Harman’s new Voyager Drive, your car’s stereo easily becomes a portable Bluetooth speaker you can take anywhere.

Designed for compact, entry-level vehicles that don’t have a lot of room for installing a multi-speaker sound system, the Voyager Drive consists of a six-speaker dashboard unit with a removable self-powered speaker that wirelessly connects to smartphones over a Bluetooth connection.

About the size of a small pizza, the Voyager Drive’s pop-out dashboard speaker can’t compare to the sound produced by a luxury ride’s OEM sound system, but it’s vastly superior to your smartphone’s speakers if you find yourself on the beach in need of some tunes. But if you still demand more, the optional Voyager Drive+ is a removable bass box with a dock for the wireless dashboard speaker that gives you a full-range portable speaker system when out of your ride.

Pricing details for the Voyager Drive haven’t been revealed, but it sounds like Harman will be exclusively selling the system as an OEM solution that car makers can offer as an optional sound system upgrade, so it will be up to them to set the pricing.

[MIKA27]

Garmin's Varia Vision Turns Your Oakleys Into A Cycling-Focused Google Glass

Google wasn’t able to make Glass the runaway success it thought it could be, but maybe Sergey and Larry were just targeting the wrong demographic. Garmin is hoping its new Varia Vision, which can attach to any pair of sunglasses, will appeal to gadget-loving cyclists.

Weighing in at just shy of 30g with an eight-hour rechargeable battery inside, the Varia Vision can clip onto either side of a pair of sunglasses, putting a compact heads-up display at the edge of a cyclist’s field of view so they don’t need to glance down at their handlebars and away from the road ahead.

Varia Vision in-sight display will be available in Australia in late February and will available for a recommended retail price of $649.

For cyclists who compete, train, or just rely on their bikes for commuting in a crowded city, the heads-up display can provide everything from turn-by-turn directions, to performance metrics like speed, distance, and cadence, to messages and notifications while it’s paired to a smartphone.

It does almost everything Google Glass did, complete with a touch-sensitive strip on the side for navigating the device’s UI that even works with wet fingers or while wearing gloves. And because it’s part of the company’s Varia line of cycling devices that was introduced in July of last year, the Vision can also connect to the Garmin Rearview Bike Radar and notify the wearer of a car coming up behind them so they can ensure they’re not riding in its path.

Is this a better fit for the technology that Google Glass was trying to convince everyone they needed? It seems like it. Sharing the roads with cars and drivers who are rarely cyclist-friendly is a dangerous endeavour, and anything that can help keep a rider alerted to hazards without taking their eyes off the road can only help improve their chances of a safe ride.

[MIKA27]

Fitbit Gets Fancy With The New Blaze Fitness Tracker

Fitbit’s are arguably the best fitness trackers around. The best looking? Not so much. Now, there’s the Blaze, Fitbit’s fitness tracker for the more fashion-focused.

Simply put, a fitness tracker’s entire job is to, well, track your fitness. 24/7. All the time. That’s sleep, steps, workouts, you name it. If you keep having to take the thing off because it’s too ugly outside the gym — that’s a problem. Fitbit’s instead designed a wearable that’s basically a removable module that can pop in and out of an assortment of bands of different colours and materials, like elastomer, leather, or stainless steel.

Fitbit Blaze is available for presale today at Fitbit.com for $329.95 AUD with retail availability starting in March 2016. It will be available with black, blue, and plum bands at introduction, along with a stylish collection of premium accessory bands and frames. A full line of easily interchangeable accessories will be available in a variety of colours and styles with additional accessories coming soon. Accessories available at introduction include:

· Classic high-performance elastomer bands available in black, blue and plum ($49.95 AUD)

· Luxe genuine leather bands paired with stainless steel display frames available in black, mist grey and camel ($169.95 AUD)

· Luxe stainless steel link band paired with a stainless steel display frame available in silver ($219.95 AUD)

In the looks department, it’s size is most comparable to last year’s Fitbit Surge, with a big square watch face (that can also be customised). But the big missing feature on the Blaze compared to the Surge is onboard GPS, meaning you’re going to remain tethered to your phone but you also get a colour display.

The Blaze does come with a few nifty software features, the best one being its ability to automatically recognising your workout, so you don’t even have to designate with you’re running, hiking, biking, or whatever. Neat!

Also, you’re getting about 5 days of battery life (even with a colour display!). Like all Fitbit devices, the Blaze will work with either iOS or Android.

The Blaze will be $US200 ($279) in three different elastomer colours — black, plum, or blue. You can buy other options separately though price will depend on the material you choose. Fitbit Blaze is available for pre-order starting today.

[MIKA27]

Watch A F-16 Take Off And Immediately Shoot Up 15,000 Feet In Seconds

Wow, this is beyond incredible. Here’s footage of an F-16 launching itself 15,000ft (4572m) into the air in less than 45 seconds. It’s basically a vertical straight shot and you get to see how high — the fighter jet looks like its suspended in air for a moment there — the aeroplane goes and how small the rest of the world looks in what is essentially the aircraft’s rear view. It gets so high that you half expect it to like, fall back to Earth.

Murat ÖZPALA writes:

An absolute short film which takes only 45 seconds from brake release to 5m!…

Pure performance show of an F-16 BM Block 15 which belongs to 11 th Squadron “Arrows” – Pakistan Air Force, by TAI Test Pilot Murat KELEŞ (Pilot in Command) and Murat ÖZPALA ( Rear Seat Pilot)…

[MIKA27]

It's A Wild, Weird Time To Live On Planet Earth

Australia is in the midst of the worst heat wave on record, but that’s just the start. Around the world, 2015 saw exceptional droughts, deadly heat waves and massive wildfires. Add in earthquakes, landslides, and a brewing El Niño and we’re convinced our planet is trying to kill us.

Hottest, Hottest, Hottest

The East Coast sweltered while the West Coast froze this summer.

May was the hottest May on record. June was the hottest June on record. July was the hottest July on record. August was the hottest August on record.September was the hottest September on record. October was the hottest October on record. November was the hottest November on record.

As for December? It’s going out in a blaze of chaotic glory. Those living on the East Coast enjoyed July-like weather this Christmas, while the North Pole experienced July-like weather yesterday.

Even if December did turn out to be abnormally cold — hah! — there’s still very, very good chance it will be the hottest year on record by a wide margin.

Five Hundred Year Drought

Peaks in the Sierra Nevada normally covered by snow are almost bare in this April, 2015

As California entered its fourth year of exceptional drought, the science started to catch up and put our thirsty predicament in context. According to a new Nature Climate Change study, California’s drought is officially the worst in 500 years, maybe a millennia. While it would have been a bad drought whether or not humans were messing with the atmosphere, anthropogenic climate change has made the situation worse, according to another scientific paper published this summer. And while El Niño will bring some much-needed water to parched regions, the extra rain is unlikely to end the drought.

Over half the United States was in drought by September 10, 2015

By September, California had plenty of company — over half the country was in drought. The west, the southern plains, and the east coast were all short on precipitation. Really, only the central and northern interior avoided being left high and dry.

Heat Waves Galore

Air conditioners and power generator in Baghdad, Iraq.

Global average temperatures may sound a bit abstract, but this year’s record-smashing heat waves were as visceral as they come. A late May heat wave in India claimed over 2,500 lives, with temperatures in New Delhi hovering around 45 ºC for days on end. In July, the Middle East roasted as a “heat dome” descended across a vast region from Dubai to Beirut. Factoring in humidity, the air in Bandar Mahshahr felt like 165 ºF. According to a scientific paper published this year, deadly heat waves like this could render parts of the Persian Gulf unfit for human habitation by the end of the century.

The northern hemisphere has finally cooled off — sort of — but now, southern Australia is in the midst of the worst heat wave on record.

Exceptional Storms

While heat records were being shattered, exceptionally warm oceans fed into killer storm systems. This year we saw rare floods, unprecedented storm clusters, and record-breaking winds.

Flooding in Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina on October 3, 2015.

South Carolina dodged a hurricane only to get drenched by an atmospheric river dumping on the state. Some locations reported over 1m (0.6 meters) of rain in days. Widespread flooding hit the state with evacuations and water rescues.

Typhoon Kilo, Hurricane Jimena, Tropical Storm Ignacio, and tropical depression 14E invade the warm Pacific Ocean

Storm season kicked off with a bang with a record-breaking number of severe storms marching across the Pacific. Scientists were left slightly stunned that they’d previously been impressed any time they found two storms in the basin at a time.

Satellite image of Hurricane Patricia and its 322km/h winds.

We also got the single most furious tropical storm in history. Hurricane Patricia built up to the strongest tropical storm ever recorded in just a few days. Thankfully it managed to make landfall on a patch of Mexican coast with a low population density. The storm killed several people and destroyed hundreds of buildings, but it could’ve been much worse if the winds had blown in a slightly different direction.

Cyclone Chapala advancing on Yemen in October.

And then things got really weird. Yemen was smacked by a hurricane. Then it got hit by another. If it wasn’t strange enough to have hurricanes in a desert, Yemen had more hurricanes in a week than Florida did in the past decade. This can’t be good.

The hot, weird storm sitting above the North Atlantic.

And then there’s the mega-weird storm that tracked across the United States this past week week, bringing blizzards, deadly tornadoes and flooding to New Mexico, Texas, and the Midwest. As Storm Frank churned northward, it brought heavy rain to the the UK and abnormally hot air to the Arctic — so hot, in fact, that temperatures rose above the freezing point at the north pole yesterday.

Meanwhile, other El Niño-fuelled storms have brought the worst flooding in fifty years to parts of Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil this month. Overall, the winter of the Godzilla Chris Farley climate-aggravated Niño has met and exceeded our expectations for weirdness, and it’s still just getting started.

Trashed Food

Algae bloom across the west coast this summer

Adding insult to injury, El Niño is indirectly trashing our crops. Along with droughts, fires, and storms, the warm oceans fostered a massive algae bloom, stretching all the way from Alaska to Mexico. One of the blooming algae species excretes domoic acid, a naturally-occurring toxin. It worked its way up the food chain into crabs and fish, resulting in seafood bans. Grr!

Landslides

The awful combined power of extended drought, slope-stripping fires, and severe rains wrecked havoc on California with flows of thick, sludgy mud. The worse part? We’re probably going to get even more landslides as storms keep pounding soil too dry to absorb it.

On the far side of the ocean, severe rain triggered one of the largest landslides in history. Hundreds millions of tons of rock and dirt slid down the hills of China, but thankfully in a region so isolated that no one was killed. Even more impressively, due to thick seasonal cloud cover we didn’t even spot it until November!

Megafires

Smoke trails from Paradise Fire, which consumed over 1,200 acres of Olympic National forest this summer.

The world went up in flames this summer, thanks to a combination of tinder- dry conditions and high temperatures. By the beginning of July, there were hundreds of fires actively burning across the state of Alaska, and plumes of smoke were wafting thousands of miles south into the Midwest. In Washington state, one of the wettest rainforests on Earth burned. Half a world away, Indonesia was also in the midst of a devastating fire season. By mid October, the island nation had seen nearly 100,000 forest fires, which were collectively emitting more carbon than the entire US economy.

We also learned that epic fire seasons like those of 2015 are going to become more normal in our hotter, drier future.

Intense Earthquakes

The one aspect of 2015 that was fairly normal was its earthquakes. The planet was shocked with the usual assortment of mild, moderate, and massive earthquakes, so the only real question was who’d be unlucky enough to get hit.

The Chilean megaquake was followed by days of aftershocks, and shifted the coast by several feet.

Chile lost the role of the dice with this year’s megaquake. A magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck the country in September, accompanied by a local tsunami. Luckily, the country has doubled-down on improving infrastructure, enforcing building codes, and encouraging personal preparedness in recent years. Despite moving the ground by up to several feet, the catastrophe resulted in only a handful of deaths and minimal damage.

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake causes severe damage in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal on April 25, 2015.

While smaller, Nepal’s earthquake emphasised the dangers of poor building construction. The magnitude 7.8 earthquake in April produced substantial shaking, and even shrunk Everest. But the true catastrophe came from widespread building collapse as entire villages were flattened by the earthquake. We still don’t have a final confirmed fatality count for the catastrophe, and probably never will.

It Might be Weirder in 2016

A rare winter flood in Pacific, Missouri on December 30, 2015.

El Niño hasn’t hit disaster status yet, but it’s the looming catastrophe that will shape 2016. After months of will-it-or-won’t-it, the weather phenomena amplified to match the worst El Niño on record. For the year ahead, we can look forward to a conveyer belt of storms drenching the west coast and even weirder weather everywhere else.

[MIKA27]

Geologists Found A Rock That's 'Older Than Earth' In The Australian Outback

Geologists working in Australia have recovered a primordial meteorite that fell to Earth this past November. Using an extensive camera system and some pretty sophisticated maths, the researchers recovered the 4.5-billion-year-old rock just moments before heavy rains would have washed it away.

The meteorite, which fell to Earth on 27 November 2015, was witnessed by a number of locals in the William Creek and Marree areas.

A glimpse of the meteorite as is fell towards Lake Eyre

Importantly, the rock’s descent was also tracked by Desert Fireball Network cameras, an array of 32 remote camera observatories stationed across the Australian outback. Using this footage, DFN team members conducted image analysis, triangulation and other calculations to get a sense as to where the meteorite had fallen. Estimates placed the location in the outback near Lake Eyre.

The recovery operation was equally complex. It involved an aerial spotter, a remotely operated drone, two searchers on the lake’s surface, and guidance around the area by local inhabitants.

Remarkably, after a three-day search that started on 29 December 2015, the researchers found the 1.7kg rock embedded in thick salt lake mud, and covered by soft wet mud that accumulated on the meteorite after its impact. It was found partially buried in a 42cm hole in a region more than 6km away from the lake’s edge.

Ah, there it is. Aerial reconnaissance was cited as a major contributor to the discovery

Had the researchers arrived a few days later, any trace of it would have been wiped away owing to heavy rains.

“It was an amazing team effort — we got there by the skin of our teeth,” noted Curtin University’s Phil Bland in a statement.

The researchers say the object is a chondrite or stony meteorite that likely emerged during the early formation of the Solar System more than 4.5 billion years ago. Speaking to ABC News, Bland said the rock “came to us from beyond the orbit of Mars, so in between Mars and Jupiter,” adding that “It is older than the Earth itself.”

“This meteorite is of special significance as the camera observations used to calculate the fall positions have also enabled the solar system orbit of the meteorite to be calculated, giving important contextual information for future study,” says Bland. “It demonstrates beyond doubt that this giant machine that we’ve built really works.”

[MIKA27]

This Drone Carries A Human: The Autonomous Flying Taxi Of Our Dreams?

Is the world of autonomous single-passenger drones just over the horizon? Will you be commuting like George Jetson next year? Chinese company, EHang, made a splashy announcement at CES

The company says its 200kg pilotless vehicle, called the 184, will hit the market at some unspecified date in the near future. The estimated cost? Anywhere from $US300,000 ($425,080) to $US400,000 ($566,773).

“After we launch it at CES, the goal is to do the commercialization within three to four months,” EHang CFO Shang Hsaio told Wired. The definition of “commercialization” is never made clear, so I wouldn’t hold my breath.

All EHang needs now is FAA approval, a vast network of air-traffic control monitors, and a way to figure out how to make the thing land safely after just 23 minutes in the air. Oh, we didn’t mention that? Yeah, its battery lasts a rather humble 23 minutes, or about 16km. For a bit of perspective, that wouldn’t even get you halfway from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica. Also, the drone doesn’t have any manual controls, so if the thing fails mid-flight it seems you’re out of luck. (To extend our LA example, you’d be crashing somewhere around Culver City.)

EHang is better known for making hobby drones like the Ghost Drone, but that doesn’t make us any more optimistic that this thing will ever make it to market in the United States.

The latest trend in flying car vaporware seems to be producing tiny drones as “prototype” vehicles and claiming that your full-sized product is just waiting for FAA approval. Flying car companies like Moller International and Terrafugia have done just that. But just because you can make a small drone doesn’t mean you can make something that A) flies safely enough to produce for the commercial market and will be granted FAA certification.

We have a century of similar promises about flying cars under our belt. So while we’re rooting for EHang, even if it’s ultimately just a toy for the rich, we’re still not convinced that this thing will hit the US market anytime soon. In fact, I’d like to re-up my wager that if this thing hits the market in the next year or two, I’ll literally eat the sun.

[MIKA27]

California Finally Declares State Of Emergency For Disastrous Gas Leak

California has declared a State of Emergency for the Southern California Gas Company gas leak in Porter Ranch — the largest natural gas leak ever recorded, which has been going on since last year. What took so long?

The gas leak, which has spewed 49,895kg of natural gas per hour since October 2015, caused thousands of residents to relocate after complaining about sore throats and headaches for months.

While engineers still haven’t pinpointed the exact cause of the leak, ageing infrastructure could be to blame. The Aliso Canyon Underground Storage Facility (where the leak took place) has lacked a crucial safety valve since 1979.

Now that California Governor Jerry Brown has (finally!) made this declaration, it means that “all state agencies will utilise state personnel, equipment, and facilities to ensure a continuous and thorough state response to this incident,” according to a statement.

By declaring an emergency, Brown is freeing up government resources to prioritise fixing the leak. It’s a positive step, but woefully overdue.

Here’s the full text of the proclamation:

PROCLAMATION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY

WHEREAS on October 23, 2015, a natural gas leak was discovered at a well within the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility in Los Angeles County, and Southern California Gas Company’s attempts to stop the leak have not yet been successful; and

WHEREAS many residents in the nearby community have reported adverse physical symptoms as a result of the natural gas leak, and the continuing emissions from this leak have resulted in the relocation of thousands of people, including many schoolchildren; and

WHEREAS major amounts of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, have been emitted into the atmosphere; and

WHEREAS the Department of Conservation, Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources issued an emergency order on December 10, 2015 prohibiting injection of natural gas into the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility until further authorised; and

WHEREAS seven state agencies are mobilized to protect public health, oversee Southern California Gas Company’s actions to stop the leak, track methane emissions, ensure worker safety, safeguard energy reliability, and address any other problems stemming from the leak; and

WHEREAS the California Public Utilities Commission and the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources — working closely with federal, state and local authorities including the California Attorney General and the Los Angeles City Attorney — have instituted investigations of this natural gas leak and have ordered an independent, third-party analysis of the cause of the leak; and

NOW, THEREFORE, given the prolonged and continuing duration of this natural gas leak and the request by residents and local officials for a declaration of emergency, I, EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the State Constitution and statutes, including the California Emergency Services Act, HEREBY PROCLAIM A STATE OF EMERGENCY to exist in Los Angeles County due to this natural gas leak.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:

1. All agencies of state government shall utilise all necessary state personnel, equipment, and facilities to ensure a continuous and thorough response to this incident, as directed by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the State Emergency Plan.

2. The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, in exercising its responsibility to coordinate relevant state agencies, shall provide frequent and timely updates to residents affected by the natural gas leak and the appropriate local officials, including convening community meetings.

STOPPING THE LEAK

3. The California Public Utilities Commission and the California Energy Commission shall take all actions necessary to ensure that Southern California Gas Company maximizes daily withdrawals of natural gas from the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility for use or storage elsewhere.

4. The Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources shall direct Southern California Gas Company to take any and all viable and safe actions to capture leaking gas and odorants while relief wells are being completed.

5. The Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources shall require Southern California Gas Company to identify how it will stop the gas leak if pumping materials through relief wells fails to close the leaking well, or if the existing leak worsens.

6. The Division shall take necessary steps to ensure that the proposals identified by Southern California Gas Company pursuant to Directives 4 and 5 are evaluated by the panel of subject matter experts the Division has convened from the Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore, and Sandia National Laboratories to evaluate Southern California Gas Company’s actions.

PROTECTING PUBLIC SAFETY

7. The Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources shall continue its prohibition against Southern California Gas Company injecting any gas into the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility until a comprehensive review, utilising independent experts, of the safety of the storage wells and the air quality of the surrounding community is completed.

8. The California Air Resources Board, in coordination with other agencies, shall expand its real-time monitoring of emissions in the community and continue providing frequent, publicly accessible updates on local air quality.

9. The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment shall convene an independent panel of scientific and medical experts to review public health concerns stemming from the gas leak and evaluate whether additional measures are needed to protect public health beyond those already put in place.

10. The California Public Utilities Commission and the California Energy Commission, in coordination with the California Independent System Operator, shall take all actions necessary to ensure the continued reliability of natural gas and electricity supplies in the coming months during the moratorium on gas injections into the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility.

ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY

11. The California Public Utilities Commission shall ensure that Southern California Gas Company cover costs related to the natural gas leak and its response, while protecting ratepayers.

12. The California Air Resources Board, in consultation with appropriate state agencies, shall develop a program to fully mitigate the leak’s emissions of methane by March 31, 2016. This mitigation program shall be funded by the Southern California Gas Company, be limited to projects in California, and prioritise projects that reduce short-lived climate pollutants.

STRENGTHENING OVERSIGHT OF GAS STORAGE FACILITIES

13. The Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources shall promulgate emergency regulations requiring gas storage facility operators throughout the state to comply with the following new safety and reliability measures:

a. Require at least a daily inspection of gas storage well heads, using gas leak detection technology such as infrared imaging.

b. Require ongoing verification of the mechanical integrity of all gas storage wells.

c. Require ongoing measurement of annular gas pressure or annular gas flow within wells.

d. Require regular testing of all safety valves used in wells.

e. Establish minimum and maximum pressure limits for each gas storage facility in the state.

f. Require each storage facility to establish a comprehensive risk management plan that evaluates and prepares for risks at each facility, including corrosion potential of pipes and equipment.

14. The Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources, the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission shall submit to the Governor’s Office a report that assesses the long-term viability of natural gas storage facilities in California. The report should address operational safety and potential health risks, methane emissions, supply reliability for gas and electricity demand in California, and the role of storage facilities and natural gas infrastructure in the State’s long-term greenhouse gas reduction strategies. This report shall be submitted within six months after the completion of the investigation of the cause of the natural gas well leak in the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility.

I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this proclamation be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given of this proclamation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 6th day of January 2016.

__________________________

EDMUND G. BROWN JR.

Governor of California

ATTEST:

__________________________

ALEX PADILLA

Secretary of State

[MIKA27]

Final Fantasy XIV Voice Actress Found Murdered

London police today confirmed that voice actress Sian Blake, who played the character Yugiri in Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, was found dead with her two children in their home this week.

Blake, 43, had been reported missing last month, as the BBC reports. Police say they found signs that someone had attempted to hide the bodies, and they’re searching for her partner Arthur Simpson-Kent in connection to the three deaths.

The children were eight and four. Blake also starred in the British series EastEnders among other TV shows.

[MIKA27]

Opening the “James Bond File”

Have you ever wondered how government agencies react to seeing their employees portrayed in big-bucks movies? It’s an intriguing question. And so is the answer. In 2015, under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act, the FBI declassified its file on the creator of the world’s most famous secret-agent: James Bond, 007. We’re talking about none other than author Ian Fleming. The 25-page file makes for eye-opening, interesting, and entertaining reading.

An FBI document dated January 23, 1964 – and prepared by J. Edgar Hoover himself, for the Los Angeles and Miami offices of the FBI – states that one Harry Saltzman “…today contacted a representative of the Department of Defense in Washington requesting the use of military aircraft in connection with a movie based on the Pocket Book entitled quote Goldfinger unquote by Ian Fleming. Stated FBI would be depicted in movie in favorable manner.” And who, you may ask, was Harry Saltzman? None other than one of the leading figures in the production of such James Bond movies as Dr. No, From Russia With Love, You Only Live Twice, Live And Let Die, and The Man With The Golden Gun.

Ian Fleming and Harry Saltzman

The dossier on Fleming and his work continues: “Bufiles contain no derogatory information concerning Saltzman. Fleming is writer of paperback novels concerning spy stories in which his fictional character, James Bond, is the star, and they are generally filled with sex and bizarre situations. Los Angeles is instructed to advise the Bureau regarding any information in their possession regarding this proposed movie.”

Hoover added: “Miami is instructed to contact Saltzman who is residing at the Fontainebleau Hotel and vigorously protest any mention of FBI or portrayal of its agents in his proposed movie. You should bring forcefully to his attention the provisions of Public Law Six Seventy which prohibits the use of the words quote Federal Bureau of Investigation unquote or its initials in any manner without my written permission.” Clearly, Hoover was far from happy with the plans for Goldfinger.

The files show that a fair bit of background research into Saltzman and Fleming was undertaken: “Bufiles reflect one Harry Saltzman, a photographer for the ‘Saturday Evening Post,’ came to the Bureau in July 1951, and took several pictures in the Laboratory for use in illustrating a highjacking article in which we were cooperating. It was not possible to determine from our files if this photographer is identical with captioned individual.”

And then there’s this about Fleming’s books: “His stories are generally filled with beautiful women presenting themselves to [bond] in scanty attire…It was reported in ‘Life’ magazine in August, 1962, that President Kennedy was one of [Fleming’s] most avid readers.”

The FBI also noted: “Our files reflect that one Ian Fleming was at one time associated with the British Intelligence Service, and in 1953 was allegedly engaged in planning for the successful theft of a Russian MIG plane which was flown from Poland to Denmark. Limited descriptive data in the reference failed to establish whether he was identical to captioned writer.” For the record, they were indeed one and the same.

There was also the following: “The type of book written by Fleming is certainly not the type where we would want any mention of the FBI or a portrayal of FBI agents, no matter how favorable they might look in the movie.”

Summaries of the script for Goldfinger also appear in the file, as does the revelation that on January 23 1964, Harry Saltzman was visited at his place of residence in Miami Beach, Florida, by FBI agents. Files state that Saltzman was told the FBI “vigorously protests” any kind of Bureau-themed portrayal in the movie.

Saltzman, when faced with Public Law 670, reported the FBI, “…said his representative is [deleted], United Artists, 729 7th Ave., New York City, telephone Circle 5-6000 and that he was going to immediately contact [deleted] concerning this contact and to furnish him a copy of Public Law 670 for his knowledge. Saltzman said [deleted] would undoubtedly put into motion the proper procedure at the correct high level of contact to resolve this matter in the immediate future because of huge investment made in connection with the movie.”

A few semi-related documents aside, it seems that the FBI had no further involvement in the matter. This suggests J. Edgar Hoover’s finest were satisfied with the outcome – of both the situation and of the completed movie version of Goldfinger itself. As for us, we get to peek into a world in which movie-moguls and agents of government occasionally cross paths.

[MIKA27]

Thanks To El Niño, Rare Tropical Storms Signal A Wacky Start To 2016

For the first time since records began, two tropical storms — one in the Atlantic and one in the Pacific — have appeared at the same time in January. Named Alex and Pali, these storms are being fuelled by unusually warm surface waters. On their own, these early storms are rare occurrences. This is first hurricane to form over the Atlantic since in January since 1938, according to NASA. But the fact that they’re appearing at the same time in January is altogether unprecedented. Normally, a converging event like this wouldn’t happen until July.

Earlier this month, the remnants of a tropical depression left a large area of moisture across the equatorial Pacific. This, combined with powerful westerly winds and high sea surface temperatures fuelled by El Niño, contributed to the rise of tropical storm Pali. On January 11, the system strengthened into a hurricane, becoming the earliest hurricane ever recorded over the Central Pacific Basin during a calendar year. Pali was designated a full-blown hurricane 19 days earlier than the previous record holder, Hurricane Ekeka.

Pali’s path and location are shown in red. The blue lines represent storms that have been tracked by the NOAA from 1842 to 1842.

Experts are watching the hurricane to see if it will cross southwards over the equator, which would be yet another first. As noted by NASA, “Cyclones don’t usually form close to the equator because the Coriolis effect is usually too weak here to induce much spin.”

Meanwhile in the Atlantic Ocean, meteorologists recently noticed an extratropical low forming about 684km (685 km) west of Bermuda. On January 13, the system erupted into a full-blown tropical storm, which necessitated a formal naming. Called Alex, it’s now the earliest forming Atlantic storm to receive a name. What’s more, it’s the first tropical or subtropical storm to form in January since 1978, and it’s only the fourth known tropical or subtropical cyclone to form during the month on record.

Tropical storm Alex is currently making its way northwards

Climate change is a likely culprit in both cases. In the Atlantic, there’s enough heat in the surface waters around the Bahamas and eastwards to keep storm circulation going. And of course, El Niño is another factor, so we may not witness anything quite like this until the next one comes around.

Or this could be a sign of the new normal. Last year’s hurricane season was equally strange, one that included the ferocious Hurricane Patricia and three Category 4 storms in the Pacific at the same time.