US Navy launches drone from submerged submarine — www.gizmag.com — Readability

US Navy launches drone from submerged submarine — www.gizmag.com — Readability: "Today, the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) announced that it had successfully launched a drone from a submerged submarine. The all-electric eXperimental Fuel Cell Unmanned Aerial System (XFC) was launched in the Bahamas from the Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Providence (SSN 719) using a system that allowed the drone to be deployed without modifications to the boat, or requiring it to surface."

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National Geographic puts more than 500 historic maps on Google | The Verge

National Geographic puts more than 500 historic maps on Google | The Verge: "National Geographic and Google are trying to recreate the thrill of cracking open one of the magazine's signature paper maps, but in the digital world. A new project puts more than 500 of National Geographic's 800 historic maps online using Google's Maps Engine platform."

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Research Your Family Tree Online

Research Your Family Tree Online: "Your computer plays games, and with it you can check email or browse the web. You might develop presentations, run your finances through a spreadsheet and even contribute to a crowdsourced research project. But did you know that your computer can also tell you who you are, and where you came from?"

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▶ iPad Art - Morgan Freeman Finger Painting - YouTube

▶ iPad Art - Morgan Freeman Finger Painting - YouTube: "
The guy painted this with his finger on an ipad.  What a talent.

"

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Water-repellant surface so efficient that drops bounce back off — arstechnica.com — Readability

Water-repellant surface so efficient that drops bounce back off — arstechnica.com — Readability: "In recent years, water-repelling materials have gotten better and better at their job of fearing water. But even the best hydrophobic surfaces still take their time when repelling water. This becomes an issue when the surfaces you want to keep water-free operate in freezing conditions. If water is not repelled quickly, it can freeze and end up stuck there."

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Amazon reveals Prime Air drone capable of 30 minute deliveries — www.gizmag.com — Readability

Amazon reveals Prime Air drone capable of 30 minute deliveries — www.gizmag.com — Readability: "As early as 2015, your Amazon purchases could be dropped at your door within 30 minutes courtesy of unmanned aerial drones. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos revealed plans for the delivery service Prime Air (an extension of Amazon Prime which guarantees two-day shipping) in a 60 Minutes interview on Sunday night."

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World's largest ship floated for the first time — www.gizmag.com — Readability

World's largest ship floated for the first time — www.gizmag.com — Readability: "A hull longer than the Empire State Building is tall has been floated out of dry dock in Geoje, South Korea. Measuring 488 m (1,601 ft) long and 74 m (243 ft) wide, the hull belongs to Shell's Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility, which upon completion will be the largest floating facility ever built."

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Visionary or vaporous? Zoox Level 4 autonomous, bi-directional electric vehicle

Visionary or vaporous? Zoox Level 4 autonomous, bi-directional electric vehicle: "he Boz is not a car, and you won't be able to buy it. According to new start-up Zoox, the Boz is the transportation paradigm that comes after the car. It's but a fanciful idea from an unknown start-up for now, but the company believes it can finish its thought by 2021"

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Amazing Custom Bed Folds Into a Chest For Easy Storage

Amazing Custom Bed Folds Into a Chest For Easy Storage: "You may think this is just a simple, but beautiful, chest… but it is so much more. This custom, hand-crafted box contains a surprise inside that is even more beautiful. Watch as it unfolds and transforms into something both functional and gorgeous. You’ll want one for your house immediately."

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World's 10 Fastest Supercomputers [Infographic]

World's 10 Fastest Supercomputers [Infographic]: "The speed at which our technology grows and expands is incredible, but sometimes as an average consumer it is hard to always keep current. New computers come out seemingly every day with slightly more processing power and versatility than the models right before them, and before long they’ll be outpaced too. Imagine that problem on a massive scale, though: working at a research institute, and trying to keep up with constantly growing power of the behemoths known as supercomputers"

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Techsplanations: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles

Techsplanations: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles: "Consumers, however, often shy up when presented with the option of a hydrogen-powered vehicle. They think of "H-bombs," or the explosion of the Hindenburg. But that's pretty silly when you consider we handle 15 to 25 gallons of highly volatile gasoline in our vehicles now.

As the U.S. struggles politically and culturally to map out a logical energy future, hydrogen doesn't get a lot of attention. Most of the talk is about battery-powered electric vehicles and gas-electric hybrids that can run on either gasoline, electricity, or a combination of both simultaneously. But to mark Earth Day 2012, we want to shed some light on perhaps the most abundant energy solution of all for our vehicles – hydrogen."

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Test Drive: Tesla Model S

Test Drive: Tesla Model S: "Having been available for just over a year now, Tesla’s Model S has received its fair share of acclaim, and its fair share of criticism. So what’s it like to drive this 416 hp all-electric, and how does it compare to other premium sedans? Gizmag went to Palo Alto to find out first hand."

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