Lady Lake, FL – I’m a lifelong Florida resident, and we have a bear problem here. Some folks find that hard to believe, thinking that Florida is nothing but palm trees, roller coasters, and water slides. But we have a lot of wildlife – far too much of some species, as in the case of[…..]
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House-Breaking Bear Shot by Florida Gun Owner
The First Flying Wing Jet Could Have Won WWII for the Nazis
The B-2 Spirit blew more than a few minds when it made its public debut in 1988. But America’s flying wing was not the first of such aircraft. In fact, one such plane nearly darkened the skies over Washington at the end of WWII with a nuclear present from the Fuhrer.
The head of the German Luftwaffe, Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, was a notorious stickler, often demanding exceedingly stringent performance standards from the aircraft under his command. In 1943, he unveiled his most ambitious requirement set to date, quickly dubbed the "1000/1000/1000 rule". It dictated than any future aircraft purchased by the German air force must be capable of hauling a 1000 kg load over a distance of 1000 km at a speed of 1000 km/h. And given the state of jet engine technology at the time, that requirement eliminated just about every aircraft currently in development.
There was one however. A prototype built by brothers Reimar and Walter Horten and based on their dozen years of unpowered glider design and research. And it quickly caught the Reichsmarschall’s eye and purse strings. He paid the brothers a whopping 500,000 reichsmarks ($2.76 million in 2014 USD, adjusted for inflation) for it. It would become the Horten Ho 229, the world’s first flying wing jet. Had it entered the fray, this long range bomber could have done to Washington DC what the Enola Gay did to Hiroshima.
The Ho 229, which is also commonly referred to as the Gotha Go 229 because Gothaer Waggonfabrik actually constructed them, were single seater long range bombers capable of carrying two 1,100 pound (500 kg), nuclear tipped bombs clear across the Atlantic, drop them on DC, then fly back to Germany.
The flying wing design—wherein all vertical control structures (i.e. the tail) are removed to decrease drag—was nothing short of revolutionary and promised the same degree of performance advancement that jet engines provided over turbo-props. The prototype 229 measured 26 feet long with a 55 foot wingspan. Its central cockpit was constructed from welded steel tubing but the wings were made from a pair of plywood panels glued together with a mix of adhesive, sawdust, and charcoal. It’s conical inlet caps were crafted from multiple layers of carbon-impregnated laminate.
These materials were impregnated with charcoal dust as one of the earliest forms stealth. The coal’s carbon content absorbs radar, thereby drastically reducing the plane’s radar cross-section and making it appear much smaller than it really was, about the size of conventional twin engine prop aircraft of the day.
The jet was powered by a pair of 1,900 lbf Junkers Jumo 004B turbojet engines that propelled the aircraft up to and estimated 977 km/h (not quite what Göring wanted but could likely have been achieved in later iterations) with a 60,000 foot service ceiling.
But, as the first of its kind, the Ho 229 was plagued by development issues and the first prototype crashing multiple times. But the Luftwaffe was undeterred, fast tracking the plane’s development and even going so far as to assign it to an active bomber wing. Luckily, the 229’s development came too late to help the German War effort. By the time it entered production in early 1945, the Allies were already marching on Berlin. The Gothaer Waggonfabrik factory, where the planes were being built, fell in April of that year.
Though all but one of the 229 prototypes were destroyed before being completed, Operation Paperclip (which sought to spirit German scientists away to America at the end of the war) ensured that the technology was not lost. Today, the only Nazi jet prototype left on Earth is represented by a static model at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Paul E. Garber Restoration Facility in Maryland while the genuine item undergoes a piecemeal restoration. [Smithsonian – Wiki – Military Factory – Fiddler’s Green – Horten Conservation]
Top image: The Ho 229’s canopy on static display at the Smithsonian, by Eric Long
via Gizmodo
The First Flying Wing Jet Could Have Won WWII for the Nazis
Star Trek TNG Costume Patterns: Retro Halloween
It’s only a week before Halloween, and if you or your kids still don’t have their costumes picked out, here’s an idea. Dress up as members of the crew from Star Trek: …
via MightyMega
Star Trek TNG Costume Patterns: Retro Halloween
This New Ikea Desk Goes From Sit To Stand With The Push Of A Button
Sitting is comfy, but hours (and hours and hours) on your rear-end isn’t great for your bod (even though it probably won’t kill you). Standing is good, but tiresome after a while. Hybrid desks can be pricey but Ikea is betting on Bekant, a workspace that raises and lowers on two telescopic legs with a button push.
The concept itself is not new, and other (more pricey) mechanized models—like Stir’s Kinetic Desk—add in all kinds of features for tracking things like calories burned and following movement habits from day-to-day. Bekant goes up and Bekant goes down. So it’s clever, and convenient, but not necessarily "smart" in the way we like to refer to our ultra-modern, tech-enabled products.
But it doesn’t need to be! I’ve piled books on my own traditional desk to achieve the on-my-feet effect, but it looked janky as hell and wasn’t a totally feasible option in the long run. (I prefer the sofa now, and yes, my posture is horrific). And I think we can all look forward to the ingenious modifications made to the frame and system by ambitious IkeaHackers. Who knows what this thing is truly capable of, amirite?
There are a few different configurations, starting at $499. $499 is not inexpensive. But if you were leaning towards a more active nine-to-five experience, this could be the precisely the segue you’re looking for. [Ikea via SlashGear ]
via Gizmodo
This New Ikea Desk Goes From Sit To Stand With The Push Of A Button
Smartphone Privacy Settings You Need To Activate Today
Default settings are a blessing and a curse. If you haven’t started customizing your devices, it’s great to have the creator-recommended settings to begin with, but these aren’t always in your best interest. Sometimes, they may value features above battery life, or could be sharing your information without explicitly asking you. No matter what mobile platform you’re using, there are some options you should tweak for increased security and privacy. If you’re not used to diving into your phone’s settings, don’t worry! We’ll walk you through how to reach each setting. For All Devices Before we get to the settings…
Read the full article: Smartphone Privacy Settings You Need To Activate Today
via MakeUseOf
Smartphone Privacy Settings You Need To Activate Today
The Best Techniques for Negotiating with Car Dealerships
Car salespeople have a reputation for trying to squeeze every cent from their customers, and they’re often very good at their jobs. They are experienced negotiators and you need to know how to find leverage to make a deal in your favor.
I was a dealership salesperson and manager for over nine years; here are a few tips and tactics I learned along the way that car salespeople might not want you to know.
Don’t negotiate. Tell the salesperson and sales manager that you’ll sign the paperwork the minute they hit your target figure. Politely decline any counter-offers, give them your phone number, and leave. If the price you’ve proposed is within the realm of possibility, they’ll call you at some point.
Know what a car is worth. If you’re buying a new car, Edmunds.com and TrueCar.com provide "true market" estimates that are reasonably accurate. If you’re buying a used car, KBB.com is a great resource, as it will tell you both the retail value and wholesale (aka trade-in) value.
Follow up on Saturday or Sunday nights an hour before closing time. Call and ask to speak with the salesperson or manager you’ve spoken to before. Remind them you’ll be a buyer when they meet your figure, but that they shouldn’t waste your time if they won’t or can’t.
If your offer is possible, the opportunity to do one more deal before the end of the day might compel them to work with you, especially if the dealership is having a bad weekend.
Follow up on the last day of the month. Again, salespeople and managers are often under pressure to find one more deal before the month ends. A deal that didn’t make sense on the 25th might make sense on the 31st if the month hasn’t met expectations.
Follow up on days that have had terrible weather. A major snowstorm, a day of wind and rain, or other bad weather can dramatically affect car sales because less people will be visiting the dealerships. Call and remind the salesperson or manager that you’re happy to come down when they meet your offer. Again, the fact that they’re not selling cars might get them to bend in your favor.
Rinse, wash and repeat. Do the same process concurrently with a couple of other dealers in your area. Make sure they have the car you want, and then give them their mission.
My suggestion is to try and buy a new car for $500-$1000 less than true market value. This is aggressive, but assuming that you’ve got time and you’re willing to work the phone, you can often find a dealership willing to dip into their holdback (financial reserve) to make one more deal.
If you’re buying a used car, I’d try for a 10-15% discount off of wholesale (trade-in) value. It’s damned difficult, but every now and then a dealer will take a car in on trade at below market value. If you make this kind of aggressive offer, you might get it every now and again.
Of course, you can always just offer true market value (new) or wholesale value (used). That will make getting a deal much easier… but what’s the fun in that?
Secure your own financing if you can. A great way to avoid the drama in the finance office is to get a loan from your local credit union. However, if you’re buying a new car and you want to take advantage of a special interest rate (like 0%), you’re going to have to work with the dealership’s finance person.
Quite frankly, I don’t see what the big deal is about going through finance. It’s true that you’re going to be brought into a small room with a very good salesperson, and that he or she is going to pitch you all sorts of stuff. You’re an adult, you can handle it. Be polite, but say no to everything. It’s not personal, it’s just business.
If you’ve got bad credit, the dealership finance office is going to help you out (at least a little bit). However, this doesn’t mean you need to do them a favor and buy a warranty or something…
just say no.
Always be polite. In some of the other answers to this question, I’ve read suggestions about telling the dealer to "take it or leave it," threatening to walk out, etc. This is all bad advice.
There are a lot of things that suck about working at a car dealership, not the least of which is being treated like crap by most of the people you deal with. While dealership employees learn how to "warm customers up"—it usually only takes a minute or two to get a stranger to laugh and relax a little—it’s emotionally draining.
Therefore, when someone starts dictating terms and making threats, most salespeople and sales managers will respond aggressively. It’s human nature. Instead of finding a way to make a deal, you’ll be told to wait an hour because someone is "on the phone with Japan" (see Leonard Kim’s advice about this).
Therefore, be nice and respectful to everyone you deal with. If you’re a genuinely nice person, I’m far more likely to do something unusual for you (like selling a car for less than invoice) than I am if you’re a grade AAA jerk.
What’s more, dealerships are now frequently paid on their overall customer satisfaction scores. Polite and courteous customers are far more likely to give a dealership a positive review, and dealers know it. A dealer’s worst-case scenario is to cheap sell a car to someone who gives them a lousy review on the manufacturer’s satisfaction survey. Not only did you fail to make money, but you get yelled at by the manager or owner for doing a bad job.
In closing, the downside to my process is that you might have to buy a car late on a weekend or maybe during a blizzard, but you’ll get the price you want (or at least get closer than you ever thought possible).
Good luck!
What are the best bargaining techniques when buying a car from a dealer? originally appeared on Quora. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
This answer has been edited for grammar and clarity.
Image by Bplanet (Shutterstock).
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The Best Techniques for Negotiating with Car Dealerships
Jury trial concludes: Apple slaps down patent troll’s $94M demand
GPNE sent demand letters to "truckers and farmers, roofers and dairies."
via Ars Technica
Jury trial concludes: Apple slaps down patent troll’s $94M demand
This is what happens when you give McDonald’s to organic food “experts”
"What happens when you serve McDonald’s food to some experts and pretend it’s a new organic meal?" ask Sacha and Cedrique. To answer this question they went to a organic food fair in Houten, Netherlands, armed with disguised McNuggets and Big Macs. You can imagine what happens—or just watch their video:
Make sure to turn close captioning. It’s in English. Go to the 2:20 mark to see the experts verdict about how much better this organic food is than McDonald’s.
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This is what happens when you give McDonald’s to organic food “experts”
This is the trailer for Avengers 2: Age of Ultron and it looks amazing
Comicbook Resources got the trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron, apparently leaked early by Movieweb, and now it appears it has leaked everywhere. It’s narrated by Ultron (James Spader), and features all the team members—plus the much anticipated Iron Man’s Hulkbuster armor.
The trailer has an April 2015 release date, so it’s probably the international version.
via Gizmodo
This is the trailer for Avengers 2: Age of Ultron and it looks amazing
BitTorrent Performance Test: Sync Is Faster Than Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox
An anonymous reader writes Now that its file synchronization tool has received a few updates, BitTorrent is going on the offensive against cloud-based storage services by showing off just how fast BitTorrent Sync can be. More specifically, the company conducted a test that shows Sync destroys Google Drive, Microsoft’s OneDrive, and Dropbox. The company transferred a 1.36 GB MP4 video clip between two Apple MacBook Pros using two Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapters, the Time.gov site as a real-time clock, and the Internet connection at its headquarters (1 Gbps up/down). The timer started when the file transfer was initiated and then stopped once the file was fully synced and downloaded onto the receiving machine. Sync performed 8x faster than Google Drive, 11x faster than OneDrive, and 16x faster than Dropbox.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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BitTorrent Performance Test: Sync Is Faster Than Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox