The shape of things to come: the A110

The Acer Iconia Tab A110

Has the Amazon Kindle Fire kindled a fire... Ever since the Amazon Kindle Fire launched last year for $199, that figure ($199) has been viewed as the sweet spot for Android tablets. Rightly so too, as Amazon was estimated to have shipped six million Fire’s over that first holiday period, seeing it become the most used Android tablet in the US by the end of February 2012.



Google certainly took notice, as well as ASUS as Google has rumors of plans for them to release a $200 Nexus tablet running the next version of Android, it will be the first to rock the Android 4.1 - A.K.A.: Jelly Bean.

The prospect of a competitively priced, powerful Android tablet is exciting, but it remains speculative as none have been announced to date. Last month, Nvidia talked about its Kai platform, which would bring quad-core power to these tablets.

The shape of things to come: The Acer Iconia Tab A110 has quad-core power and Android 4.0, all for a reported $200, it’s a 7-inch tablet with a screen resolution of 1024 x 600 or with 1280 x 800 resolution depending on whether this is a Kai tablet which has not been confirmed. and it’s powered by a Nvidia processor, 1GB of RAM, 7-inch , a microSD card slot, a front-facing camera, HDMI connectivity and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

So Acer is trying to make the "affordable tablet with all the bells and whistles". As Amazon well knows that the $199 price tag is the real "deal breaker", as the other manufacturers for all other Android tablets hope to cash in on. Looking at a September launch date, I look forward to holding one.

Hatsan 125 Sniper .25 Cal Airgun Review

I have been following Rick for a while I enjoy his reviews.

Amazing power and accuracy!

Hatsan 125TH Air Rifle Combo, Black by Hatsan Airguns

Click to go to Pyramydair

I shot Rick A message: Rick I am confused... pyramydair link shows a .177 cal, not a .25 :0(. Does it come in a NON combo setup, with just a sling. Thank Andy.

"Phantom Eye's First Flight"

 "Phantom Eye's" First Flight (Click for full story)

By Randy Jackson

Towed onto the dry lakebed of Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., before day break, the morning sun rose to welcome Boeing’s Phantom Eye. At 6:22 a.m. Pacific time the unmanned aircraft lifted off its launch cart and climbed to an altitude of 4,080 feet into the desert sky.

The autonomous aircraft, with its 150-foot wingspan and powered by energy efficient liquid hydrogen, completed its first take off and landing June 1. After touching down, the vehicle sustained some damage when the landing gear dug into the lake bed and broke. 


“This day ushers in a new era of persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) where an unmanned aircraft will remain on station for days at a time providing critical information and services,” said Darryl Davis, president, Boeing Phantom Works. “This flight puts Boeing on a path to accomplish another aerospace first -- the capability of four days of un-refueled, autonomous flight.”

Phantom Eye brings a new level of high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) to the aviation world. It’s efficient and environmentally responsible liquid-hydrogen propulsion system is a first of its kind, creating only water as a byproduct of its engines. The aircraft can also carry a 450 pound payload.

“This flight demonstrated Phantom Eye’s initial handling and maneuverability capabilities,” said Drew Mallow, Phantom Eye program manager for Boeing. “The team is now analyzing the data from the mission and preparing for our next flight. When we fly the demonstrator again, we will proceed to enter higher and more demanding envelopes of high-altitude flight,”

Phantom Eye is the latest in a series of Boeing-funded rapid prototyping programs, which include Phantom Ray, Echo Ranger, ScanEagle Compressed Carriage, and an associated Common Open Mission Management Command and Control (COMC2) system capable of managing all of the company’s unmanned assets.

To view a photo gallery of the "Phantom Eye" first flight, click here.

Why Is the EPA Using Drones to Spy on Cattle Ranchers in Nebraska and Iowa?

Why Is the EPA Using Drones to Spy on Cattle Ranchers in Nebraska and Iowa?

Click here for the full article.

This is becoming more and more an issue that will erode our privacy and our freedoms. We need a strong message to be sent to congress. We must stand strong on the Constitution. The Supreme Court must ask "Would I want a drone following me, to see if I am behaving..." All this brings new meaning to "If I could be a fly on the wall" ! - Andy Elliott

The EPA is using drones to spy on cattle ranchers in Nebraska and Iowa in order to make sure that farmers dispose of waste properly. On Fox Business Network’s Varney & Co., Judge Andrew Napolitano said that as shocking as this news is, an opinion by the Supreme Court says that as long as the EPA is using the drones for an administrative purpose, it doesn’t need a warrant in order to do this. “If this is a legitimate area of concern for the EPA, the Supreme Court has said they can use the drones,” said Napolitano.
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Judge Napolitano wrote this exclusive commentary on the topic for the Fox News Insider.

The government may lawfully use technology, just like the rest of us, to make its work more efficient. But it cannot use technology to by-pass the Constitution.

Thus, if its lawful obligation is to monitor real estate to assure itself that the occupier of the lands is not adversely affecting the natural habitat, it may use drones to view the lands. But, generally speaking, that is not the job of the EPA. It sets rules for the use of private property that assures its highest and best use, consistent with nature. It can only monitor that use when it has evidence of a specific violation of that use. Thus, it can only fly drones to look at real estate when it has reason to believe that a specific regulation, directed to the owner or occupier of that land, is being violated. It cannot engage in fishing expeditions from the sky.

The constitutional problem arises when the drone spies some event outside the jurisdiction of the EPA. And much of what the drones will see will be outside that jurisdiction and either innocent or ambiguous. Is that Sudafed for your cold or your meth habit? Is that fertilizer for your rose bushes or to build a bomb? Are you smoking in the presence of your children? How utterly un-American is it for the government–EPA or FBI–to watch us on our private property? These are questions that will come up when the feds put eyes in the skies under the guise of monitoring EPA regulations.

That’s why we have a Fourth Amendment. It guarantees privacy and assures us the right to be left alone. It also requires a warrant from a judge to invade privacy. True fidelity to the Constitution requires a warrant from a judge before any government drone can be used for any purpose. But that is not yet the current practice.