(Credit:
Northrop Grumman)
Remember how Tom Cruise's flyboy character in Top Gun seemed as at home riding the roadways on a motorcycle as he was jockeying an F-14 in the air?
Maverick is probably the kind of guy Northrop Grumman had in mind when it came up with the "visual centerpiece" of its 20th anniversary celebration of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. Actually, the more immediate entertainment industry tie-in is with the TLC series American Chopper--Northrop tapped Orange County Choppers, the Newburgh, N.Y., motorcycle shop behind the TV show, to design and build a bike to do homage to the B-2.
The first flight of the B-2 bomber took place in July 1989, just a few years after Top Gun became a box office and home video powerhouse. Northrop plans to fete the aircraft throughout the year, so the B-2 Stealth Bike will be making the circuit of trade shows, air shows, and other events. Also, the 2009 premiere of American Chopper will feature an episode on the design, development, and production of the B-2 bike.
The defense contractor didn't offer up any details about the bike's engine or its road-handling ability. Its focus was on the design elements. For instance:
Its gas tank and extended front cowling are shaped to resemble the B-2's unique cockpit and fuselage; major components are painted to match its color.
And the less obvious:
Each side of each wheel contains five machined aluminum B-2 models positioned in the shape of the Air Force star, each model engraved with the tail number of one of the 20 B-2s in the current fleet.
All in all, a bit cheesy, really. But hey, I drive a Camry, watch HBO, and served in the Army, not the Air Force.
Over at Wired's Danger Room blog, Noah Schachtman rightly cracked wise about the bike: "Forget the Blackwater cufflinks and the attack helicopter Hawaiian shirt. The contest for most awesomely bad defense trinket is official over."
See also: "Photos: A brief history of stealth aircraft"
(Credit:
Cineversum)
(Credit:
DOD)
The Stealth bomber gadget trend is gaining momentum. The latest to join the fleet is the "BlackBird" line of projectors from France's Cineversum, a triad of high-end models all in 1080p resolution. We're not given to spreading conspiracy theories, so we'll just note that they bear a resemblance both in name and appearance to the U.S. Air Force's "Blackbird." To find out if there's a deeper connection, you'll have to pay dearly--as in a base price just shy of $16,000 for the cheapest model, according to Engadget. If there's a black helicopter involved, you'll know why.
(Credit:
Akihabara News)
(Credit:
DOD)
With all due respect to the individuality of plasmas and LCDs, they pretty much all look the same from afar. There's just only so much one can do with a flat screen.
But Japanese TV maker Eizo has come up with a design that breaks the mold, especially if it's turned slightly to the side to reveal its unusual profile. The "FORIS HD" line of LCDs is the television equivalent of a stealth bomber.
Akihabara News says it comes in white too, making it far less menacing. And if its 24- and 27-inch screens end up being too small to catch all the nuances in Heroes, it can also be used as a PC monitor because of its full HD resolution. But coming in around $1,500 on the Japanese market, that would be a pretty pricey desktop screen.
(Credit:
B2)
Move over, Nabaztag--make room for "Wassup." B2 calls its latest creation "a fusion of technology and personality" that will hit the market in July for $25, but we say it's basically a bunny bot that dances to your tunes. Transfer songs from your iPod or MP3 player to this irritatingly named speaker-toy, and it promises to look like a futuristic version of the Energizer Bunny after a dozen triple espressos. Our take: Keep it away from the kids.
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