First laser ship to be sent to Iran

The Laser Weapon System (LaWS) temporarily installed aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG 105) in San Diego, Calif. U.S. Navy video by Office of Naval Research

THE United States navy is sending rogue states a message with plans to shoot down drones with a ship-board laser system - off the coast of Iran.

The new $32 million laser attack weapon - designed to destroy drones, disable small boats and "dazzle" high-tech sensors - is about to be deployed for the first time in an operational area.

The prototype Navy Laser Weapons System (LaWS) is being fitted to the USS Ponce, an amphibious transport and docking ship that is due to become operational this year and take up station off Iran during 2014.

While there, the laser will undergo extensive testing right under the noses of the Iranians - including shooting at target drones.

To coincide with the announcement, the US Navy released video of a successful test firing of the laser when it was used to shoot down a drone earlier this year.

The move comes at a time of increased tensions with North Korea and Iran because of their nuclear missile programs.

A prototype LaWS (Laser Weapon System) mounted on a naval vessel. Picture: US Navy

The laser is ultimately intended to be capable of shooting down missiles - though the prototype version does not yet have that capability.

The US Navy, however, says the reason it is being deployed to the Persian Gulf is because it is "the hardest environment" available for testing.

But the underlying message of its presence will be clear to Iran: The rogue state is reportedly investing heavily in a fleet of low-tech, cheap but versatile drones and speed boats to threaten shipping within the Straits of Hormuz.

Such a laser could instantly render them ineffective.

Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert said the LaWS was able to take out targets at a tiny fraction of the cost of other weapons.

A prototype LaWS (Laser Weapon System) mounted on a naval vessel. Picture: US Navy

He said the laser used about $1 worth of electricity to destroy a drone.

Radar-guided gatling guns can chew through thousands of dollars worth of ammunition, while an interceptor missile cost about $1.5 million.

However, he stressed the laser would not be able to take down larger targets - such as aircraft - until after at least another decade of development.

The laser does, however, have its drawbacks.

Testing has revealed it is disrupted by bad weather: Rain and clouds can scatter the beam, as can smoke, sand and dust.

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First laser ship to be sent to Iran

The Laser Weapon System (LaWS) temporarily installed aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG 105) in San Diego, Calif. U.S. Navy video by Office of Naval Research

THE United States navy is sending rogue states a message with plans to shoot down drones with a ship-board laser system - off the coast of Iran.

The new $32 million laser attack weapon - designed to destroy drones, disable small boats and "dazzle" high-tech sensors - is about to be deployed for the first time in an operational area.

The prototype Navy Laser Weapons System (LaWS) is being fitted to the USS Ponce, an amphibious transport and docking ship that is due to become operational this year and take up station off Iran during 2014.

While there, the laser will undergo extensive testing right under the noses of the Iranians - including shooting at target drones.

To coincide with the announcement, the US Navy released video of a successful test firing of the laser when it was used to shoot down a drone earlier this year.

The move comes at a time of increased tensions with North Korea and Iran because of their nuclear missile programs.

A prototype LaWS (Laser Weapon System) mounted on a naval vessel. Picture: US Navy

The laser is ultimately intended to be capable of shooting down missiles - though the prototype version does not yet have that capability.

The US Navy, however, says the reason it is being deployed to the Persian Gulf is because it is "the hardest environment" available for testing.

But the underlying message of its presence will be clear to Iran: The rogue state is reportedly investing heavily in a fleet of low-tech, cheap but versatile drones and speed boats to threaten shipping within the Straits of Hormuz.

Such a laser could instantly render them ineffective.

Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert said the LaWS was able to take out targets at a tiny fraction of the cost of other weapons.

A prototype LaWS (Laser Weapon System) mounted on a naval vessel. Picture: US Navy

He said the laser used about $1 worth of electricity to destroy a drone.

Radar-guided gatling guns can chew through thousands of dollars worth of ammunition, while an interceptor missile cost about $1.5 million.

However, he stressed the laser would not be able to take down larger targets - such as aircraft - until after at least another decade of development.

The laser does, however, have its drawbacks.

Testing has revealed it is disrupted by bad weather: Rain and clouds can scatter the beam, as can smoke, sand and dust.

View the original article here

Steve Jobs' first day at work in pictures

Source: news.com.au

STEVE Jobs didn't always wear his signature black skivvy. In fact, newly found photos showed he wore purple on his first day at work. Well? kind of.

A former Apple employee recently discovered a set of photos of Steve Jobs taken on the first day of his return to the company.

Jobs had been fired from Apple in 1985 after allegedly organising a "Coup d'état" of the Apple board. He was invited back to the company more than a decade later in 1996.

Former Mac OS Evangelist Tim Holmes had been working late that night, and was invited by his boss to attend a "Town Hall" meeting which was usually for things like company announcements.

However, "it was clearly not a company meeting," Holmes wrote on his Flickr account.

Source: news.com.au

Holmes said he called his wife and told her to meet him there. "We had no idea what was about to happen."

You can guess what happened next. Apple was about to introduce Jobs as the de-facto chief. (Then CEO, Gil Amelio would be ousted within a year).

The photos were taken with one of Apple's first cameras, the Apple QuickTake. It was a camera Jobs himself would kill within the year, and probably for good reason. The colours were all wrong.

Holmes emphasized that Jobs was wearing a black jacket "in real life", as opposed to the bright purple it appears to be in the photo.

"The colours are way off due to the poor quality of digital cameras in 1996," Holmes explained.

Source: news.com.au

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WATCH: First Wolverine footage

Check out this six second latest teaser from the movie Wolverine.

The most action-packed six seconds of Wolverine you'll ever see. Picture: Supplied   Source: Supplied

The brand new Wolverine movie poster, released by 20th Century Fox.    Source: Supplied

TALK about a teaser - the first footage of the latest Wolverine is here, but it's just six seconds long.

The blink-and-you'll-miss-it clip was released today as a 'tweaser' by director James Mangold on Twitter via website the Vine.

It's the most action-packed six seconds you'll ever see - sword fights, samurais, guns, romance, those infamous claws, and of course, plenty of Hugh Jackman love.

This latest Marvel comics superhero film takes Wolverine to modern day Japan to confront his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle.

With such a massive fan base already, six seconds is all it will take to leave Wolverine fans wanting more.

The Wolverine hits Australian cinemas 25 July 2013.
 

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WATCH: First Hangover III trailer

The wolf pack is back together in Vegas for the latest telling of the Hangover

Zach Galifianakis as Alan in a scene from The Hangover: Part III. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

The Hangover 3 movie poster released by Warner Bros. yesterday. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

FINALLY! The wolfpack is back.

The first official trailer for The Hangover: Part III has dropped, and the sneak peak into the comedy trilogy's final chapter looks even looser than ever.

Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis are back as Phil, Stu and Alan and return to Las Vegas for another helping of drunken exploits that Phil declares "all ends" here.

"Someone needs to burn this place to the ground", Stu adds.

While there doesn't seem to be a wedding, nor a bachelor party, the clips promises a funeral, crims in pig masks, an ill-fated giraffe, and the hilarious Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids).

The trailer for the Todd Phillips-directed flick comes one day after Warner Bros released the first official movie poster on the film's Facebook page.

Watch: The epic trailer above.

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NKorea's first video game is just awful

Finally. A video game about going to the petrol station. Source: Supplied

• Pyongyang Racer! Let's go fill up your car
• And fill it up again. There's not much else to it
• N Korea's first official PC video game. Like?
• PlayStation 4 Day: Tune in to news.com.au's livefeed and coverage

YOU know how much fun you have driving around and finding places to fill up your car with fuel?

Now you don't even have to leave your house. North Korea's come up with a fascinatingly awful simulation of this mind-numbingly menial chore.

PlayStation 4 Day: Tune in to news.com.au's livefeed and coverage

Koryo Tours, in conjunction with IT firm Nosotek and the Government have developed North Korea's first ever PC "game" - Pyongyang Racer.

"Collect petrol barrels to keep your car full of fuel. If you don't, you will run out of petrol and the game ends."

The last thing you need between bouts of Modern Warfare and episodes of Breaking Bad, is having to tend to a virtual video-game car that's sitting on empty. You don't want that.

At least marketing knows it's not likely to challenge Halo and Call of Duty in the high-end gaming market.

"This game was developed in 2012 and is not intended to be a high-end technological wonder hit game of the 21st century, but more a fun race game (arcade style) where you drive around in Pyongyang and learn more about the sites and get a glimpse of Pyongyang."

It certainly sounds like fun.

Pyongyang Racer. Watch yourself. Source: news.com.au

Hey! Keep your eyes on the road, pal.

View the original article here