Hasta La Gadget!

If you thought that Google Glass was the only wearable backed by one of tech’s mega corporations, think again. Intel’s investment arm has now ponied up a “significant” investment into Recon Instruments, makers of the Jet heads-up display for extreme sports. While neither party has disclosed how much cash Intel has thrown Recon’s way, the release does reveal that the Intel Capital will be sharing its expertise in “manufacturing, operations and technology” in addition to its checkbook. While it’s far, far too early to presume that we’ll see Santa Clara dive head-first into the wearables market, we’re going to be watching this partnership with extreme interest.

Filed under: Wearables, Intel

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Colin Furze has a need for speed, and he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty in order to speed up stuff that normally doesn’t go more than a few miles an hour. That’s because they’re not supposed to exceed those speeds, but hey, tell than to Colin.

If his name sounds familiar or if you feel like you’ve seen him before, then maybe you already have since he’s the guy behind the baby stroller that can go as fast as 50mph.

This time around, Colin set his sights on a plain old bicycle.

When he was done with it, the bike had been completely transformed into a jet pulse bike. And because the previous owner of the bike was his friend’s mom named Norah, that’s what the bike has been named also.

The bike is elongated for two reasons: to fit the jet and to make sure that the cyclist doesn’t get burned while he’s on it. Colin explains: “Had I binned the pedals idea, yeah, it could have been shorter, but the heat this thing chucks of is intense, and at times I’ve struggled to turn a valve of 40 centimeters away from it, so sitting on top of it would need some sort of heat shield, and I think it would start to look less bicycle like.”

Because of this, Norah was cut and stretched by almost one meter. Check out the video above to see this insanely dangerous ride in action.

[via C|NET]

Google Glass is a lot of things, but it’s hardly a superstar when it comes to the world of sports. Though we’ve seen proof it is at least water resistant, it doesn’t feel particularly durable and isn’t entirely well-suited to wearing while, say, sweating profusely during a lengthy climb on a road bike. Recon Instruments has what it thinks is a solution: the Jet. It’s a pair of sporting sunglasses with an integrated, Android-powered display that could make things like running and cycling far more exciting — or at least far more information-packed. Join us after the break for our impressions.

Filed under: Wearables

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No, you’re not looking at an early preview of Star Wars Episode VII — it just might represent the future of air transport, though. Boeing has spent years developing a truly quiet supersonic airliner concept, the Icon II, and what you see is an aerodynamics test of a mockup in a vaguely Death Star-like wind tunnel at NASA’s Glenn Research Center. The starfighter design is for more than just show, as you’d suspect. Its V-tail design moves sonic booms further back, reducing the chance that shockwaves will reach the ground (and our ears) intact, while the top-mounted engines isolate engine noise. Boeing and NASA are ultimately hoping for production passenger aircraft discreet enough to fly over land at supersonic speeds, although we can’t help but think that the sci-fi look is a convenient bonus.

Filed under: Transportation, Alt

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Source: New Scientist

I’ve seen some cool playground slides in my day, but this one has got to be the neatest. It is attached to a jetliner. How much fun would that be to use? In fact this would be a cool way to exit a plane at any time. I dont know about you, but I would spend all day playing on this thing.

This twisty slide is mounted to a Tupolev Tu-124 located in the Ukraine, where all of the kids grow up awesome and not fearing heights at all. Cool as this thing is though, I don’t know if I would trust those supports to hold the airplane up. They don’t look all that sturdy. Then again, it makes it more of a fun danger game. Slide, then run.

Every time you make it out safely you win… Until you don’t.

[via Neatorama]