The Technology Flow

Article n°1: Bell Is Making a Tiltrotor Combat Drone By Kyle Mizokami, Oct 13, 2016 The Bell V-247 Vigilant will operate from ships to fight, conduct recon missions ashore. Bell Helicopter is working on a new drone for the Marine Corps designed to provide reconnaissance of possible landing zones and support Marine grunts after they hit the beach. Bell hopes the Marines will accept the new design, tentatively called the V-247 Vigilant, into service sometime in the early 2020s, and that the drone's versatility means other services will adopt it. The Marine Corps has been looking for a drone of its own that can operate off ships. The Marines have no shortage of helicopters, but the great thing about a drone is that it can do things and go places that would be too dangerous for a human crew. Bell's answer s the V-247 Vigilant. With its large wing and twin oversized propellers, the Vigilant looks like a smaller version of the V-22 Osprey, minus the cockpit. The t

Article 1 :   BMW's Futuristic Motorcycle Balances on Its Own By  Kacey Deamer The motorcycle of the future is so smart that it could eliminate the need for protective gear, according to automaker BMW. To mark its 100th birthday,  BMW  has unveiled a number of concept vehicles that imagine the future of transportation. Possibly its most daring revelation, the so-called Motorrad Vision Next 100 concept motorcycle is so advanced that BMW claims riders wouldn't need a helmet. The Motorrad Vision Next 100 would have a  self-balancing system  that keeps the bike upright both in motion and when still. BMW touted the motorbike's futuristic features, saying it would allow for riders of all skill levels to "enjoy the sensation of absolute freedom." According to the automaker, the Motorrad wouldn't require protective gear such as helmets and padded suits.  Another traditional feature was also missing from the concept: a control panel. Instead, helmetless

Article 1 : It seems like everyone is trying to make a "hoverboard" By  Cadie Thompson ,   Tech Insider There's another "hoverboard" hitting the market. Hoverboard Technologies launched their  Kickstarter  on Thursday to begin production of their single-wheeled electric skateboard dubbed “Hoverboard.” While the device may not enable you to actually levitate above the ground, it does have a fancy design that will at least make you look like you are riding something from the future. The gyro-stabalized board features a single wheel in the center of the board that is powered by an electric motor. It also has LED lighting around the board and built in speakers so users can listen to music while zipping around. An app connects with the board wirelessly so riders can control the music, lighting, set speed limits, and check charge levels. The so-called hoverboard has a range of 15 miles, and can reach speeds of up to 16 miles per hour. I

Foldable Bike Helmet Offers Recyclable Protection By Mindy Weisberger, September 30, 2016 The EcoHelmet is a reusable, biodegradable and collapsible alternative to bulky helmets. Urban bike-sharing programs are booming in many cities, but most casual riders don't usually tote around a helmet. This means when they rent a bike, they often ride helmet-free, which can be a risky move in places were roads aren't designed to safely accommodate both cars and cyclists. However, a novel design could make an affordable, collapsible, biodegradable helmet available from a curbside vending machine. The EcoHelmet, designed by Isis Shiffer, is made entirely of cardboard, folds up accordion-style to about the size of a banana and is compact enough to fit in a laptop bag. It unfolds to fit just like a traditional helmet, cushioning the wearer's head with honeycomb-patterned paper that absorbs and distributes impacts, protecting cyclists from injury. On Sept. 2

Article n°1: Virgin Galactic Successfully Completes First Test Flight in Two Years by   David Z. Morris,  SEPTEMBER 10, 2016, 4:25 PM EDT It’s a comeback from fatal 2014 crash. On Thursday, Virgin Galactic  success fully completed   its first test flight since a 2014 accident that killed a test pilot. A SpaceShipTwo space plane, the VSS Unity, flew in conjunction with its mothership, WhiteKnightTwo. SpaceShipTwo will eventually launch from the mothership to reach space, but for this test the two craft remained attached. Get Data Sheet ,  Fortune ’s  technology newsletter. The Unity,  according to the company , is the first craft built entirely by The Spaceship Company, Virgin Galactic’s manufacturing arm. The test flight was intended to act as “a flying wind tunnel,” testing the aerodynamics and stability of the craft under stress. The test comes after a long dark period for the company. In 2014, a  manual error  by a pilot led to the crash

Article 1 :  Great Scott! How to Get the 'Back to the Future' Self-Lacing Shoes By  Mindy Weisberger, Senior Writer " Power laces — all right!" In "Back to the Future Part II," teenage time traveler Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) was understandably impressed by a pair of sneakers that conformed to his feet and laced themselves automatically. It only took 27 years, but Nike has produced those science-fiction kicks and is putting them up for grabs. But there's a catch: Only 89 pairs are available.  The limited-edition release of the 2016 Nike Mag offers the self-lacing sneakers through an online lottery in collaboration with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Lottery entries can be purchased with a $10 donation to the foundation; 100 percent of all the proceeds will go toward research for a Parkinson's cure, according to a statement released by Nike. The shoes' big scene in the film lasted less than 30 secon