US army issues troops with lethal mini drones – an annotated graphic

Continuing our US military infographic theme today, here’s one about the lethal mini drones that US soldiers in Afghanistan have been issued with.

The Switchblade can be carried in a back pack and used in place of an air strike. Is it us or is the art of war all getting a bit games console? Mankind is devising ever more efficient and remote ways to eradicate itself. It must be considerably easier not to give the destruction your actions will cause a second thought if you can’t actually see what happens. I could probably launch a few missiles meself from this desk against my old enemies if I had the necessary equipment.

Followers of this sort of high-tech warfare might like to read E&T‘s recent feature on smart warfare (no, that’s not an oxymoron).

Click on the graphic for an expanded view.

U.S troops get lethal mini-drones

US army secret spy bases – an annotated graphic

It’s been a while since we posted anything new, so we’re going to rectify that with a double whammy of US military infographic action.

First up, here’s one about the US army expanding secret spy bases in Africa. Exactly how secret they can be if we’re here posting on WordPress about them, having been passed this fully illustrated infographic about them, we’re not sure, but ours is not to reason why. All we can tell you is that they plan to use the new air bases to launch Pilatus PC-12 planes to spy on militant hideouts.  We hope African militants don’t read WordPress.

Click on the graphic for an expanded view.

U.S. expanding spy bases

Electric vehicles – research material and resources available from the IET Library #EVs

Did you know that the IET Library can be an invaluable resource for your research projects?

Invaluable research material is available on myriad engineering topics. For example, let’s take a look at what’s available on the subject of electric vehicles. Here’s what the library has available electronically to all its members through its IET Virtual Library.

The Virtual Library’s e-book collection, Knovel, alone has titles such as:

Propulsion Systems for Hybrid Vehicles by John M. Miller (Institution of Engineering and Technology); Battery Operated Devices and Systems – From Portable Electronics to Industrial Products by G.Pistoia (Elsevier); Electric Vehicle Technology Explained by James Larminie and John Lowry (John Wiley & Sons).

There are also thousands of full text articles on electric vehicles on the Virtual Library’s EBSCO databases. Here are a few examples:

Internal combustion engine control for series hybrid electric vehicles by parallel and distributed genetic programming/multiobjective genetic algorithms

(International Journal of Systems Science 2011)

Electric Vehicle Noise: Are They Too Quiet?

(Professional Safety 2011)

Application of ECQFD for enabling environmentally conscious design and sustainable development in an electric vehicle.

(Clean Technologies & Environmental Policy 2011)

Applying the Environmental Propensity Framework: A Segmented Approach to Hybrid Electric Vehicle Marketing Strategies.

(Journal of Marketing Theory & Practice 2010)

The Value of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles as Grid Resources.

(Energy Journal 2010)

For more information and help with specific research projects, contact the information professionals searchservice@theiet.org

T:  +44 (0)20 7344 8429

Team GB cycling team – new cycling helmets for London Olympics 2012

Here’s a sneak peek at the new cycling helmets for team GB this summer, designed by Bristol-based design and engineering company Crux Product Design.

More great photos like this are on the E&T home page every day, in our dedicated image carousel, The Big Picture.

Team GB’s new cycling helmet for the London 2012 Olympics

Facebook share price IPO – an annotated graphic

Aside from a salutary lesson in investing in something intangible, in something that doesn’t actually exist – i.e. investing in digital “air” – the continuing slide of Facebook’s share price is also an illuminating glimpse in to the nefarious world of high finance, wherein the efficacy or otherwise of your product or service is almost an irrelevance, its future prosperity and stability inexorably tied to the whims and proclivities of a worldwide network of financially cavalier gamblers.

Ah well, Zuckerberg has had a pretty good ride thus far and still isn’t short of a few quid today, regardless of having had billions wiped of his personal notional dollar value, so them’s the brokes.

Click on the graphic for an expanded  view.

Facebook share price slump