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Five Reasons Why Humanoid Robots Will Someday Fight Our Wars
Predator C Avenger Revealed, Now Kills Kills Faster Faster
Acer Predator Desktop Gaming Units Recalled For Minor House Burning Issue
Argon Laser Putter Delivers Birdies With Predator-Like Efficiency
What it Looks Like When a Predator Drone Vaporizes People
Steampunk Predator Stands Guard Over Junk Shop
First All-UAV Air Force Combat Wing Takes to the Skies Sans Pilots Over Iraq
Handheld Fluke Thermal Imager Puts Predator Vision in Your Pocket
Acer Goes for High-End Gamers With Predator PC
Predator Pilots Are Most Fatigued Military Flight Crews

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Kaiser-Machead
05/20/09

In reply to Five Reasons Why Humanoid Robots Will Someday Fight Our Wars
The biggest hurdle of all is batteries. No matter how elaborate you make a machine, it will always be limited by its power source.
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RoboBagins
05/20/09

In reply to Five Reasons Why Humanoid Robots Will Someday Fight Our Wars
what about spider tanks? I want autonomous robot insect tanks! And tank killing autonomous robot wasps! And Giant CRAB BATTLE!
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Pessimippopotamus
05/20/09

@Robotic Bilbo Bagins has no use for fleshy ones: Why stop there?

Giant Crab that transforms into a tank transforms into a robot!

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OmniZero
05/20/09

In reply to Five Reasons Why Humanoid Robots Will Someday Fight Our Wars
Yeah Johnny 5 from Short Circuit!

Robots have no chance of revolting as long as there is no A.I. As soon as you implement that, you're done for. They'll slowly realize they are superior and kill us all merely because it can.

Or we can install a morality core. That'll prevent them from flooding the enrichment center with a deadly neurotoxin.
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Kaiser-Machead
05/20/09

@OmniZero: Unless of course, you simply don't install the system that actually stores and distributes the deadly neurotoxin.
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OmniZero
05/20/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Well with A.I., they might install it themselves...
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Kaiser-Machead
05/20/09

@OmniZero: I can just imagine the clerk at the Aperture Science Center looking through invoices, and coming across a huge sum spent on a massive supply of neurotoxin, and a contracting invoice to have a large gas piping system installed in the GLaDOS control room.
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Kaiser-Machead
05/20/09

In reply to Five Reasons Why Humanoid Robots Will Someday Fight Our Wars
So basically, we're talking about animatronic avatars of the modern soldier? Sounds nifty, but sounds goofifyingly expensive. Why bother with robo-avatars when you can send a dozen stealthy aerial kill drones and barrel through the streets with remote control tanks? Why use complicated designs, like elaborate mimicry of the human form, when you can use simpler machines, like wheels and wings and engines, that can travel several times faster?
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Pessimippopotamus
05/20/09

@Kaiser-Machead: If we wanted to plain flatten cities and ignore collateral damages, then yes. In fact, that kind of warfare would make the army and the marines completely pointless.
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Kaiser-Machead
05/20/09

@Pessimipposaurus: Just the same, the inherent complications of a humanoid robot design goes largely ignored in science fiction for the sake of fiction. A good example is the ASIMO. We've still got a long way before a humanoid robot can even run up and down the stairs, let alone have enough portable power to even do so. As cool as this technology sounds, once you strip away the fantasy element, humanoid robot soldiers will probably never replace real soldiers, because speed and efficiency just isn't possible in a robot of identical physiological makeup (yet).
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Pessimippopotamus
05/20/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Yes. But what can you do? If you want to get something done, you'd better start somewhere, even if it takes forever.
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Kaiser-Machead
05/20/09

@Pessimipposaurus: Perhaps. Maybe I'm just bitter because we'll get humanoid killbots before I get a humanoid robot slave. Is it so wrong to want a [robotic] slave? Aren't I entitled to a [robotic] slave?
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Je_suis_un_revolutionnaire
05/20/09

@Kaiser-Machead:

True- but what about cloning humans with a computer in their head instead of a brain? No ethical problem no brain= not human and perhaps they could be cheapily mass produced. Its total SF of course.
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Pessimippopotamus
05/20/09

@Je_suis_un_revolutionnaire: Isn't it much easier to have simian servants as they already do in Japan?
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kagekiri
05/20/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Yeah, all told, humans are not the most deadly or agile creatures in the physical makeup department. We can hardly fend off poisonous insects unarmed, let alone fight off wolves, tigers, bears, etc. Our way of movement is decent for super-long distance (or so marathon runners have said), but we're super slow in sprint speed and low on jump height.

We'd be better off with cat robots: fast, agile, climbs many surfaces, survives large drops...and very unfriendly to people it doesn't like. Mount a gun on it's back, and you've got a killing machine.
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Kaiser-Machead
05/20/09

@kagekiri: And despite all of our most apparent frailties, human beings have managed to spread across the earth and flourish in all sorts of hazardous conditions.
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Pessimippopotamus
05/20/09

In reply to Five Reasons Why Humanoid Robots Will Someday Fight Our Wars
As long as there will be a Summer Glau bot on the way, it's all good.
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Nick
04/23/09

In reply to Predator C Avenger Revealed, Now Kills Kills Faster Faster
stealthy? pffft. i can see it right there.
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speaknspell23
04/23/09

In reply to Predator C Avenger Revealed, Now Kills Kills Faster Faster
Finally, I thought we would never have a better and faster way of violating another nations sovereignty. Turns out I was wrong.

Predator Drones 2 - Tribal Pakistan Areas 0
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GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag
04/23/09

@speaknspell23: We could get some pirates. I mean, how much have they violated/continue to violate?
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Krrong
04/23/09

In reply to Predator C Avenger Revealed, Now Kills Kills Faster Faster
Any bets on what the controllers for this puppy are? XBox 360, PS3 or Wii Mote?
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closhedbb
04/23/09

@Krrong: They are using old school NES controllers. You have to able to actually land on the carrier in Top Gun to pass training.
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leavethegun-takethecannoli
04/23/09

@Krrong: They use xbox controllers for the new aerial sniper, which is a nasty piece of hardware.
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ripfire
04/23/09

@Krrong: Neither. It would have three buttons:

A) Find Target

B) Shoot Target

C) Go Home
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ripfire
04/23/09

@closhedbb: Wow, I can't believe you carry that burden until now.

Actually, I do remember being able to land it *once* after several hours of frustration.
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BergenCountyJC can't beat MW2
04/23/09

In reply to Predator C Avenger Revealed, Now Kills Kills Faster Faster
I stand corrected. "the Avenger uses a Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545B powerplant capable of delivering 400 knots (740km/h) at 60,000 feet. "
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Jesus Diaz
04/23/09

@BergenCountyJC: Yeah, stand corrected while the Avenger delivers you a Maverick to your buttocks.
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Gazdagreat
04/23/09

@Jesus Diaz: Man John McCain in your buttocks would probably hurt a little.
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Hello Mister Walrus
04/23/09

@Gazdagreat: Sarah Palin, on the other hand...
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GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag
04/23/09

@Gazdagreat: I think he's hoping more for the Tom Cruise Maverick:

Or the Mel Gibson Maverick:

Or to a lesser extent, the James Garner Maverick:

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BergenCountyJC can't beat MW2
04/23/09

In reply to Predator C Avenger Revealed, Now Kills Kills Faster Faster
Can't be too 'stealthy' with a jet engine unless it flies at 40,000 ft and has telescoping lenses.
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GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag
04/23/09

@BergenCountyJC: Made by General Atomics (Taking Over The World Really Soon Now™), the Avenger uses a Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545B powerplant capable of delivering 400 knots (740km/h) at 60,000 feet.

Flies OVER 40,000 feet. As for the lenses, the blimps the NWO is flying over major cities at ~90,000 feet with surveilance blisters on them can identify your face and gait to couple it with the bio-metric data the TSA steals from you in the whole body scanners in airports. So if they are on NWO craft, our government has stuff about as powerful, so it can see the person it makes go bye-bye.
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Oh yeah, I still have a clock and a pencil!
04/23/09

@When'sUranusDay?_GitEmSteveDave: I have always respected your commenting prowess but are you being serious?? If not I missed the sarcasm, if so I would like your reference material for a good read.
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GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag
04/23/09

@Bull By The Horns: @slinky317: For fun, I started listening to Alex Jones. And YES, that was one of the things he talked about. I am dead serious.

While I have no doubt that we would fly surveillance blimps high above the flight lanes to monitor the coast lines, as using predators or other UAVs would be very prohibitive, I doubt they are used to steal bio-metric data or any of that crap. If I can find the show, I will try to find a link so you can listen to his rantings. Of course, I probably just got myself listed on a MIAC report, which is what they are handing out to law enforcement, which tells them to pull people over just for having Ron Paul Bumper Stickers and harass them(Yes, he has said this multiple times. To use on of his favorite sayings, "Google It!")
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Oh yeah, I still have a clock and a pencil!
04/24/09

@Illiterate?EmailMeForHelp_GitEmSteveDave: Yeah, I DID Google it and have been reading quite a bit. Kinda scary because the weather was, shall we say, prohibitive in the nearby desert area during the Salt Lake City time frame of a blimp sighting. Given the specifics of just what this blimp is intended to do, I have little doubt that that is what I am viewing in this video.

www.metacafe.com/watch/2142760/a_giant_blimp_ufo_over_salt_la.../

Streamlined shape for low air resistance at high altitude, silvery exterior for either camouflage (of which I doubt it needs at that height) or for use as a structurally built radar, and I can just make out some darker spots on the lower bits that may or may not be AV sensors. I cannot quite make them out, but my dad could with his KH-11 experience. Get back to you if this interests you. E-mailing to dad.
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GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag
04/24/09

@Bull By The Horns: OK, just found it. It was on the 4/20 Alex Jones show at the end of the first hour around ~47:00. Go on iTunes and search the store for "Alex Jones". You will find one podcast w/GCN in the title that has the show broken down into smaller one hour sections. But he goes into the body scanners and retinal scans, etc... It's hilarious.

And according to Alex, the blimps have solar panel wings, so that blimp you see porlly isn't one of "them".
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FredicvsMaximvs
03/19/09

In reply to Acer Predator Desktop Gaming Units Recalled For Minor House Burning Issue
Why is that computer so hairy?

Maybe if it used less hairspray it wouldn't catch on fire so much.
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Cordfucious of Tech Clan
03/19/09

In reply to Acer Predator Desktop Gaming Units Recalled For Minor House Burning Issue
I must be in a small minority that loves his Acer (typing on it now). I have had my aspire laptop since 05 and have had no issues whatsoever. My little Celeron M (gasp) keeps chugging along at a nice clip, WITH VISTA.
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GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag
03/19/09

In reply to Acer Predator Desktop Gaming Units Recalled For Minor House Burning Issue
Wait, it's a Predator Gaming Unit. Well, we all know what happened there then. Someone cornered the unit and it had no chance to escape, so it activated it's self destruct, just like in the movies.
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BeautifulAgony
03/19/09

In reply to Acer Predator Desktop Gaming Units Recalled For Minor House Burning Issue
That case, in the picture, is one of the worst cases, ever. Not only is the front door assembly horribly designed out of flimsy plastic (breaks off easily), but the whole case has horrible airflow. On top of that, the chassis was horribly designed with poor riveting and cheap plastic connectors for everything to install with.

Most of those so-called "gamer" cases fit in the same category: Pretty, shiny stuff for morons who don't know much about computers. It attracts the same type of idiots who drive front wheel drive imports and throw 4 foot spoilers on the back and put resonators on their exhaust to sound beefy, even though it's a shitty little four cylinder POS.

I'm not surpised that they'd catch on fire. Wiring is not a hobby.
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MrHaroHaro
03/19/09

@BeautifulAgony: I was with you until you described gamer cases as "pretty". Most of them are quite horrendous looking.
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BeautifulAgony
03/19/09

@MrHaroHaro: That was "pretty" as defined by said morons. My case is plain black-anodized aluminum. I don't need my hardware to be pretty, just functional and dependable. That's why I built my own PC after doing a little research. Buying prebuilt just gets you ripped off, more often than not. Either they charge too much for what you get, or they charge a reasonable price and they cut corners and do a shoddy job. There is no middle ground for that sort of thing.
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OMG! Ponies!
03/19/09

In reply to Acer Predator Desktop Gaming Units Recalled For Minor House Burning Issue
Acer: The Official Computer of Burning Man 2009.
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