submarine

Google Earth shows Chinese nuclear sub

A researcher for the Federation of American Scientists on Tuesday said he's spotted what appears to be China's new nuclear submarine using Google Earth's publicly available satellite imagery.

The Quickbird satellite photographed the docked submarine at the Xiaopingdao Submarine Base in late 2006, said FAS's Hans Kristensen.

The new Jin-class or Type 094 submarines are expected to replace the Xia-class, Type 092 submarines built in the 1980s, Kristensen said. The new model appears to be 35 feet longer because of a longer missile compartment and possibly a larger nuclear reactor compartment, he said.

The image doesn'… Read more

Office interior is an homage to Verne's Captain Nemo

If you've caught the nautical bug but aren't sure you want to live in a pineapple under the sea, consider this. Pirate-friendly game development company Three Rings Design has pimped out its office so that it resembles the interior of the high-seas-steampunk Nautilus submarine from Jules Verne's classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The interior is a mishmash of old maps, eye-catching colors, (fake) wheels and cogs, and Victorian-era styling that's sure to enamor just about anyone who ever thought that Star Trek-inspired interiors just weren't elegant enough. This masterpiece of a makeover was … Read more

Mini-subs run silent, run deep

Just when we thought we'd found the best pool toy ever with the remote-controlled water cannon, another one comes along to run (or swim) circles around it. The "Remote-Controlled Omnidirectional Submarine" supposedly can "dive and surface like an actual naval submarine," including 360 progressive rolls.

The mini-sub can accomplish these mighty feats with three high-powered motors and can even see where it's going at night with its LED headlamps. Oh well, our cannon can still blow that puny yellow submarine out of the water. Tough luck, Caroline.

Crave your own Lego creation

This episode is very dear to my heart--mostly because I get to talk about World of Warcraft, if only for a few quick moments. It's nice to see young kids using WoW to further their educations. Also, did you know that the guy from ZZ Top was the one who made that crazy VW ball that we talked about? Who knew? Here are the fabulous links of the day:

LEGO Millennium Falcon: Revenge of the brick A remote just for the kids Radix malorum est World of Warcraft This summer take a sub, hit a pub Only in Japan: The cute snowplow … Read more

This summer take a sub, hit a pub

It may be hard to imagine if you're anywhere near Chicago right now, but summer will arrive before you know it. And what would the season be, pray tell, without one's own personal submarine?

The Dutch company U-BoatWorx is here to help with its "C-Quester," which MobileWhack says can dive up to 50 meters and cruise at 4 knots. You can even get a custom paint job. (How do you pimp a submarine?)

The underwater vehicles come in two sizes, at 9 and 11 feet, with the latter seating two--perfect for Valentine's Day, starting at … Read more

Spy sub means nowhere is safe

It might not be a spy bot per se, but it's still too close for comfort--in fact, it might even be worse because it could sneak up on us under water. Neatorama says this "spy sub," a father-son project featured on Popular Science, was done for $300--but, considering how sophisticated it is, that's a relative bargain.

The remote-controlled sub can reportedly send images from an on-board home-surveillance camera from as deep as 250 feet for more than a quarter-mile. We still don't like the idea of all this spying, but we suspect that another Craver … Read more

We all bathe with a yellow submarine, yellow submarine, yellow submarine

I wish I had a little yellow submarine that I could putz around in. Motorized would be optimal, but I could even deal with foot pedals, as long as it's a submarine and it's yellow. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find one within my price range, nor a piece of dock space where I could keep it securely stored, so I guess I will have to settle for this, which was featured on ShinyShiny. It's a fully-functional FM radio with a waterproof speaker, is powered by four AAA batteries, and it's designed to float … Read more