firefighters

Golden-i headset could change the way people save lives

LAS VEGAS--Verizon's booth at CES 2013 isn't just a hotbed for the latest smartphones and tablets. The company is also showing off a compelling headset dubbed Golden-i.

Why is it so compelling? It is designed to give police officers, firefighters, and paramedics access to a cloud-based software interface loaded with tools tied to their professions.

The lightweight headset, developed by Kopin and Ikanos Consulting, offers a plethora of tech (such as a 1.2GHz dual-core processor) for the wearer that essentially acts as a powerful hands-free computer. The device contains a 14-megapixel camera, GPS, gesture control, speech recognition, and a micro display at the end of the headset stalk that simulates a 15-inch screen. A microSD port allows the user to record images or video during use.… Read more

High-tech camouflage could protect soldiers from ballistic heat

Powerful explosives from fires or roadside bombs produce two near-simultaneous blasts: first, a high-pressure blast that can cause internal injuries, and then a thermal blast that produces temps above 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit and can literally cook skin, according to Robert Lochhead, a professor of polymer science at the University of Southern Mississippi.

He worked with chemists to engineer a high-tech camouflage paint that is waterproof; easy to apply and remove; non-irritating to the eyes, nose, and mouth; and actually reflects -- instead of absorbs, like most face paints -- intense heat.… Read more

Firefighting humanoid robot gets drafted into the Navy

Queue up The Village People doing "In the Navy." Then follow it up with "Mr. Roboto" by Styx. Next, throw in Hendrix doing "Fire." Put it all together, and you'll have the perfect soundtrack for the Navy's new humanoid firefighting robot, named Saffir.

Saffir stands for "shipboard autonomous firefighting robot." I could just stop here and let that description be enough awesomeness for one day, but there's more.

This humanoid robot comes from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. It is designed to fit through the cramped passageways of Navy ships, interact with the sailors onboard, and fight fires with cool features like the ability to throw PEAT grenades. No, not that kind of peat. We're talking "propelled extinguishing agent technology."… Read more

Aircraft fire training at NASA Ames (audio slideshow)

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif.--Airport firefighter training has gone mobile, and this week it traveled to the San Francisco Bay Area--raging fire, billowing smoke, and all.

At the NASA Ames Research Center, near Mountain View, Calif., this week, Silicon Valley fire departments are cooperating on emergency training missions in order to get or renew their Federal Aviation Administration certification for airport first responders. Every airport fire department is required to receive this FAA-approved aviation firefighting certification annually. And while fire crews can travel to fixed training facilities, that can be costly. So this mobile unit, one of three like it in … Read more

Firefighters face off in national contest

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.--It's one thing for a track runner to bolt when the gun fires. Imagine how hard it is to jump up from a crouch and race up six flights of stairs while dressed in full firefighting gear and lugging a 42-pound pack of hose.

That's just the very first task in what is known as the Firefighter Combat Challenge (see video below), a nationwide competition involving a series of intense tasks that simulate what fighters deal with on a daily basis.

The tour, which appears in cities throughout the country, pulled through Colorado Springs on … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 991: The Pre iPhone show

We wrap up coverage of the Palm Pre but are too early for the WWDC. Don't worry. We'll cover those announcements in a separate episode of Buzz Out Loud later in your feed. we also disrespect the Bing and congratulate the Pirate Party on their win.

Listen now: Download today's podcast Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | iTunes (video) | RSS (audio) | RSS (video) EPISODE 991

EPISODE 991

Palm Pre’s big day http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10258825-94.html

After dismantling, Palm Pre is estimated to cost $170 http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10258774-1.html

Palm sells 50,000 Pres http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=19374… Read more

No more rope burns with this device

If only we had one of these in high school gym. This nifty invention by some enterprising MIT students can climb a rope all by itself at the astonishing rate of 10 feet per second--carrying 250 pounds all the while.

The success of the "Rope Ascender" apparently hinges on the concept of strength derived from winding the rope around a cylinder multiple times. The students' efforts, which led to the formulation of a company called Atlas Devices, have reportedly been rewarded already with a U.S. Army contract.

As an example of its very practical uses, Coolest-Gadgets notes … Read more