Icons of Star Trek and Star Wars recently took to the internet arguing that their franchise reigned supreme. When things got personal, George Takei–the only actor who has worked in both–stepped in to broker the peace by identifying a mutual threat.
George Takei is an awesome man.
[Via]
A British police force is planning to trial a laser gun that would temporarily blind large groups of people.
The £25,000 (US$40,000) device, the SMU 100, emits a three-meter square “wall” of light. It’s not designed to cause damage to eyesight, but is painful to look at. Manufacturers Photonic Security Systems liken it to the effects of looking at the sun and having no choice to but turn away.
The unnamed force plans to test out the device as a potential solution for controlling large crowds following this summer’s rioting in several English cities. Whereas CS gas and tasers work only over short ranges, the laser is said to work up to a range of 500 meters — though of course, that increases the risk of innocent bystanders being caught up in the process.
The device, which is still in development, is designed to be shoulder mounted and relatively portable, thus making it suitable for situations where a water cannon vehicle — another idea floated for riot control — would be impractical, such as confined spaces like small side streets.
The manufacturers already uses the technology in a commercially available system that is mounted on boats and designed to deter piracy, for example off the coast of Somalia. The BBC reports that similar systems from other manufacturers have been used by military convoys in Afghanistan.
Once the trial is complete, the government’s Centre for Applied Science and technology will study the results, along with those from other ideas such as chemical irritant projectiles. It will need to be convinced there are no long-term health risks from the system before advising a government minister to approve the device for use by the police.
Men in Black III (stylized MIB3 and formerly known as Men in Black III-D) is an upcoming 3D science fiction comedy film starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. It will be released as the sequel to Men in Black II on May 25, 2012, ten years after its predecessor, and will also star Josh Brolin and Jemaine Clement, with Barry Sonnenfeld returning as director, and Steven Spielberg returning as executive producer. [Source]
So, what do you guys think? Yay or nay?
[Source: Zac Gorman]
These ladies obviously need a little help with their lightsaber technique… but still… the video still isn’t all that bad I guess.
[Via Geek Tyrant]
Pat Vaillacourt is accepting donations of $35 from anyone who wants to get a specific URL tattooed on his body. Half of that money will go to Haiti and Somalia. A part of me thinks this is kind of gross, another part thinks “well, at least he’s helping”, and another part is like “WHY DON’T YOU EVER HAVE GOOD IDEAS LIKE THIS?”
[Via Geekologie]
This blew my mind. See more of it here.
[Via Boing Boing]
$850 will get you the coolest fashion accessory since the skinny tie. That is a vest. With an 8-inch subwoofer built in. Oh my gracious. Glorious. And to top it all off, it looks like the Ghostbusters proton packs. This is the best thing to happen to parties since keg stands.
You just found a one of a kind mobile party. All you need to do is charge the batteries and plug in your mp3 player. The main sound comes from a set of two amplified motorcycle speakers just off your shoulders. The bass comes from a low-profile amplified 8″ subwoofer. The power comes from a custom 10 cell rechargeable battery belt, size 36. You will easily be the loudest person in the room. The vest comes with a battery charger for the belt and a wire to connect your tunes to the vest. You have independent volume and subwoofer controls on your hip.
[Buy the vest at Etsy]