Try Mike Swain’s “Goggle Cam”

A news article is here and the site for the actual gear is located here.

Samsung develops an 8G NAND memory chip…

The 8GB NAND which can store 2000 MP3 files or 225 minutes of DVD-quality video is expected to be available in the third quarter of 2006.

Will that help you out any?

But WAIT! If you order now….oops…sorry…Samsung has also made non-volatile flash RAM chips, named phase-change random access memory, or PRAM, which are faster for writing data and made using a smaller die size (40nm).

Part III left us hanging with lots and lots of engagements with simulated TASMs of simulated and constructive targets, and now we got around throught the Striats of Florida and parked south of Eglin AFB for the firing to two test rounds.

Not only was there tight OPSEC (operational security) around this because of the implication of the Soviets getting wind of the exercise and gathering data, but a family member of one of the staff at EGLIN was a member of Greenpeace and that organization had a plan, also. Something about finding out the time the Tomahawks would jet across the Flordia panhandle, overflying I-10, so they might park an 18 wheeler, equipped with barrage balloons to be sent aloft in a tethered configuration to try to stop the missiles.

I’m not sure if they figured they’d work in a deterrent mode and we’d just not launch, or if they thought they’d be able to “wing” a 450kt, one ton flying machine and bring it down. If the latter, rather than the former, I think they hadn’t thought out the negative pblicity that might come the way of Greenpeace if bits of high speed debris smacked into homes, vehicles or playgrounds along the ballistic path towards “the scene of the crash.”

Be that as it was, no balloons were sighted on the day of the test firing. We were embarked aboard USS CONOLLY (DD-979), and the Joint Cruise Missile Project Office (JCMPO) officers accompanied us as well. As officers, we all demonstrated our concern by standing behind the well trained fire controlmen of CONOLLY. Many, many things were double, triple and quadruple checked, but the firing went as planned inthe late morning. The afternoon was scheduled for the IOWA’s shot. Long story short (shortened because I don’t recall all the details), problems arose and the decision was made to wait until the following morning to try again. We had heloed over to IOWA after CONOLLY fired and got the grand tour by Capt Larry Seachrist. She certainly was a magnificent ship and the crew very proud of their charge. Gun Plot was quite a highlight of the tour, with the WWII era computational equipment still in pristine order and able to put 2000 lb rounds on targets 23 miles away.

Back to CONOLLY for the night, then up for the shot. By mid-day, things had cleared up and the bird left the armored box launcher as planned. The rest of the flight was not a success. Part way along the flight path, the missile suddenly deployed the recovery chute, which, as one might expect, caught the chase pilots by surprise. The good part was the TLAM was over land and an unpopulated area. The standby explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) detachment scrambled from Eglin in an Navy SH-3 and secured the missile.

We packed up our cruise boxes on CONOLLY and heloed off to Eglin, where BOQ accomodations awaited. We anxiously awaited a chance to sleep, as we had pretty much had none over the last 6 days. We checked in and I got in my room, set my bag down and the phone rang: “Get down to the Commodore’s room so we can capture the lessons learned while they are fresh in our minds.” So much for sleep, but we did get some useful stuff on paper. The next day we flew back to Norfolk in a Navy 707 from Pax River, one equipped for data collection and had been used for the Tomahawk shots. We got a little sleep then.

We were “blooded” now with Tomahawk experience and one of the reports we had committed to in our own Op Order was a lessons learned report to the chain of command in a few months. Part V will provide the interesting details of the “fallout” of the development of tactics for a notional battleship battle group (BBBG), in addtion to the value of digging up enough detail to know what you’re talking about when you have to take some performance data forward.

Up for reading: Part V – The Final Chapter!

A big day occured back in April, and I blogged it…

Another milestone in “fusing” popular, widespread OS’ has come upon us:

Crossover from CodeWeavers will be the new buzzword, and Mac users will soon be able to seamlessly run Mac, UNIX based, and Windows applications, without having to by extra machines.

Pre-order cost is $39.95. That sure isn’t much to be able to load up and use your PC software you’ve already invested in.

The developers certainly have a great idea:

CodeWeavers CrossOver Compatibility Center (C4)
Mission Statement

CodeWeavers’ goal is to make Unix (including Linux and Mac OS X) a fully Windows-compatible operating system. All Windows applications should be able to be run on Unix: cleanly, harmoniously, within the native environment, and without using an emulator. To that end, we maintain this Compatibility Center. Here, you can learn the exact status of any given Windows application vis-a-vis Wine. We also hope that you will join us in helping to support your application in Wine.

Feeling geeky? The Mac beta is here for free….

Yep…the future came along in 1984. You couldda bought in, but noooooooo..you had to go cheap! 🙂

Oh, yeah, Crossover for LINUX is also on the products list….

Part II left the notional Battleship Battle Group (BBBG) departing home ports on the East Coast, heading for the Gulf of Mexico.

As with many other moments at sea with DESRON 32, there was not enough time in any given moment, exaserbated by our need for data, that was electronically gathered and transmitted to us, but we had to sort it by hand. National tasking poured ream after ream of contact reports, which had to be quickly evaluated, checked against other tracks building and then analysed for its tactical significance, followed with orders for the use of our surveillance assests to maneuver to intercept. Under the crushing task of doing this, we didn’t realize we were leading the way for more automation of the Over the Horizon targeting (OTH-T) shooters and tactical staffs.

We used JOTS, the HP9020 computers that could take a LINK-14 data feed, and manual inputs. It wasn’t unusual to have 4 -6 tactical radio circuits you had to keep an ear out for key words. We were in port and starboard from the staff watchbill, two officers in each section, with OSCS(SW) Jim Koch staying on station about every waking moment for 6 straight days. We drove the flagship’s crew nuts, but, we were going to develop the tactics (or die trying).

we had brainstormed the use of Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missiles (TASM) and figured out we could plan attacks from multiple platforms, but we couldn’t, due to the technical limitations of the missiles using their search patterns, plan a simultaneous attack. No problem: We designed the “Near Simultaneous Time on Top” (NSTOT). By directing specific employment options, we had some reasonable degree of success in sending several TASMs at the target within a short time.

In addition to the tactical staff watchstanding requirements, we had to monitor the progress of the Cooperative Mobile targets (CMTs – see earlier posts on this topic). That added to the anxiety and intensity, as we had to control all that happened, if you follow my drift.

Oh, yes: We had masterminded an extensive, all encompassing data collection plan, which, we also, as watchstanders, had to make sure was being done, not only within our staff, but aboard the Flagship, and via radio, the other units in company.

When one of our shooters decided to launch a TASM, they would go out on the HF tactical radio net and transmit “GREENFLASH, GREENFLASH, GREENFLASH!” That message set in motion a detailed set of data collection for that moment, aboard all the players, so we might have the innformation to reconstruct were ships and aircraft thought they were and where they actually were.

For four days, that was the routine, carried on at max output plus another 50% or more. Not much sleep was gotten, and many meals were missed in the pseudo intensity of the exercises.

More later…the story continues!

Some time back, I found suitable, affordable substitute vehicles to keep the feeling alive for retired sailors.

In this post, there was jet boots (to go with a wing suit) for Capt Neptunus Lex. All he would need was a hot air ballon to get the altitude, and then he’s off to the sound of twin jet engines pushing about the sky.

Chapomatic has a few years to go yet, before he’s on the public dole, but since used nuclear subs require too many friends to take out for a sea cruise (not to mention where will you get the fuel), but he can get one of these for a lot less. Subsunk is already off the books and operating independantly, so, even tho it may be late to get it wrapped for his retirment, I’m sure he’d not turn it down.

Now, an appropriate gift for (I’m assuming he’s a gator sailor) Commander Salamander: The “Quad Ski:”

Being a two person vehicle, it may constrain your social interaction, and if that’s the case, then I invite your further attention to the “Humdinga:”

Now, this would be more suitable for someone like Froggy, so he and his well musculed friends could take a run for an afternoon jaunt (or….a moonless night run). Any Marine would most likely feel comfortable in this, if they had ever survived a ride to the beach in an LVT. I’m sure the M2 is an option, and the Class III license you’d have to obtain on your own.

If Uncle Jimbo or Black Five get the urge to revisit their old special ops days, they might want to pitch in with one of the professional mariners or soldiers of the sea, just to keep the union bosses off their backs…

Before the ’04 Tsunami, an Earthquake So Violent It Even Shook Gravity says the New York Times article today.

It seems the gravitational effect of the quake it affected the orbits of two of our research satellites….

Before you begin busting on Apple, they have been responsible for bringing more innovation to our desktop since the Steve² team of Jobs and Wozniak did their thing in a garage and made the Apple I.

Yep, they have a recall on exploding batteries, but that’s not the first battery in history to do that. Ask some of the other laptop manufacturers.

So, MacBook users, get out your kevlar lap blanket, or don your FFE, but most importantly…heed the recall.

You die hard PC users who can tell me how bad Macs are, when you have never touched one in your life, keep it for your PC friends and send a thank you note to Apple for the Windows OS you are using to view this post.

Random surfing, while backtracking sitemeter hits:

All Wood Wings Military Ship Index page was found….

But…they make planes and helos, too.

If you have some spare change, then you could buy Capt Neptunus Lex one of these (done in one of his squadron colors, of course)…

For less than two bills, he’d have this to adorn his desk after he retires really soon….

You could get Chapomatic a hand crafted wooden sub.

He may not like it, it probably floats and doesn’t sink.

I’ll take one of these…

Anyhow…looks like wonderful keepsakes for that special person…

Update 08/23/2006: See link at the end of the original post!

A few months ago, I added a few thoughts I had about the efforts by the green people to balance the system of the Earth, and thereby the Universe….I just now realized that’s the same thinking before Copernicus had his ideas accepted, so this set of Earth centric thinking is actually medival at it’s very core….

Anyhow….yesterday’s paper had an interesting article:

“Trying to help the ozone, with unintended effects”

WASHINGTON – Cool your home, warm the planet.

When more than two dozen countries undertook in 1989 to fix the ozone hole over Antarctica, they began replacing chloroflourocarbons in refrigerators, air conditioners and hair spray.

But, using other gases that contain chlorine or fluorine also contributes greatly to global warming.

CFCs destroy ozone, the atmospheric layer that helps protect against the sun’s most harmful rays, and trap the earth’s heat, contributing to a rise in average surface temperatures.

In theory, the ban should have helped both problems. But the countries that signed the Montreal Protocol didn’t realize that CFC users would seek out the cheapest alternative.

The chemicals that replaced CFCs are better for the ozone layer, but do little to help global warming. These chemicals, too, act as a reflective layer in the atmosphere that traps heat like a greenhouse.

Wow…first it was the skies are getting too dirty, so we have to clean up the plannet, so we don’t have an ice age, only to find out a clearer atmosphere allows more of the sun’s energy to reach us, and thereby heats up the atmosphere, so we now are in a warming cycle.

I’m not for blatant waste and environmental destruction, but I think it’s quite arrogant of us to think we can possibly comprehend the mechanisms involved with the plant’s climatology, and try to pass laws to make “the system” conform to the desires of a few people who need more grant money to justify their jobs….

So, I open up Netscape this moring, and one of the featured articles is about how the ozone hole has stabilized:

“Ozone hole stable, say scientists”

Leading scientists in the United States say the hole in the ozone layer of the Earth’s atmosphere above the Antarctic appears to have stopped widening.

The ozone layer blocks the Sun’s ultra-violet rays, exposure to which is harmful to humans, animals and plants.

International agreements were reached to end the use of ozone-depleting chemicals called CFCs after the hole was discovered in 1986.

It is hoped the hole may “heal” fully over the next 60 years.

So…here we are. Some scientists say it’s stable (note in the main article on the stability of the hole, the Dr Susan Solomon is the scientist quoted is the one who originally “found” the hole”). Who are we to believe now?