New icons

for nghtwlkr
Thermogram
Feeding the Dinosaurs

for ms_danson
Lady and the Cup
Peak-a-boo
Command the Dinos

Assorted others
Lucky clover
Fossil
Duck-billed dinosaur
Dino attack

The originals can be found at http://dracodraconis.fotki.com/icons/

Full sized versions are variously pulled from:
http://dracodraconis.fotki.com/photomanipulation/
http://dracodraconis.fotki.com/2006/mackenzie-king-shoot/public-photos/
http://dracodraconis.fotki.com/2006/museum-of-nature/
http://dracodraconis.fotki.com/2006/butterfly-exhibit/

And one more to complete the set
Fall Reflection
from http://dracodraconis.fotki.com/2006/test-shots-at-links/

Vehicle tech

My brain is frying on quality metrics for laser range scanners so here are some distractions from the world of odd vehicles.

Source: http://www.gizmag.com/go/2350/ Also: http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/2003/11/04/cx_dl_1104vow.html Also: http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,61216,00.html Also: http://www.diseno-art.com/encyclopedia/strange_vehicles/bombadier_embrio.html Reminiscent of the Segway, but with only a single wheel, Bombardier has developed this concept bike/unicycle/whatever called EMBRIO. It's powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and has a set of "training wheel" that retract when you get it over 20 km/h.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/home-pro-racing-simulator-decks-out-your-living-room-for-4-000/ Ok, it's not really a vehicle but a $4,000(US) video game console. Combine it with a big screen TV and you can pretend to race or fly with the best of them.

Source: http://www.gizmag.com/go/3634/ Also: http://www.gearlive.com/index.php/news/article/wheelsurf_08040900/ Also: http://www.wheelsurf.nl/ Also: http://www.impactlab.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=7480 Also: http://www.diseno-art.com/encyclopedia/strange_vehicles/wheel_surf.html Here's another monocycle, but this time you're INSIDE the wheel. This $5,000(US) can reach speeds of more than 50 km/h. Of course, if you really want to see one tricked out, check out this version which has an estimated maximum speed of 100 MILES per hour (you do the math). It's only reached half this speed, but that is still far faster than I would want to try.

Source: http://www.diseno-art.com/encyclopedia/strange_vehicles/bionic_dolphin.html Also: http://www.gizmag.com/go/4095/ This is, essentially, a jetski wrapped in a dolphin-like shell. Capable of speeds of up to 20 mph (I'm too lazy to convert this to metric) to a depth of 10 feet (still lazy). Each one is custom made so be prepared to shell out a significant quantity of cash for yours.

Source: http://www.gizmag.com/go/3335/ Also: http://www.hovercraft.com/content/index.php I posted this in ratcatchers on Tuesday. There is a video that shows the craft in action. My favourites are the 18SPW Hoverwing and the 19XR Rescue. Top speed is 75 mph with a maximum height of 10 feet.

Source: http://www.sub-find.com/trilobis65.htm Also: http://www.gizmag.com/go/1607/ The Trilobis is not so much a vehicle as a home-away-from-home... if away from home is 3.5 metres under water in some tropical lagoon. The vehicle can hold up to 6 people in comfort, and can cruise at 7 knots. It's designed to be self-sufficient and non-polluting, being power by a combination of solar, hydrogen (using Ballard fuel cells) and diesel.

Golf shot goes off without a hitch

http://www.physorg.com/news83474591.html

A Canadian golf company contracted a Russian cosmonaut to videotape hitting a golf bll off the Space Station as part of a publicity stunt.

"Golf was the first major spacewalk activity. Lopez-Alegria put the tee on the ladder outside Pirs. Tyurin set up a camera and then stepped up and addressed the ball for his one-handed shot. Using a gold-plated six-iron and an American astronaut in the role of caddy-and-safety-holder, Tyurin hit the drive from a spring-like tee outside the international space station, 220 miles over the northwest Pacific Ocean. The ball left the station toward the right side instead of to the rear, a substantial slice. Tyurin's shot was not the first in space. Astronaut Alan Shepard took a swing on the moon during the Apollo 14 mission in 1971."