On the wings of technology: drones of Hummingbird

SAN DIEGO — the Pentagon is pouring millions of dollars in the development of tiny drones inspired by biology — such as hummingbirds — each equipped with audio and video equipment that can record sounds and.

Could be used for spying, but also to locate people inside buildings earthquake-crumpled and detect leaks of hazardous chemicals.

The smaller the better.

In addition the hummingbirds, engineers in the field of pilotless drones are working on increasing that resemble insects and seed helicopter-like maple leaf.

Researchers are also exploring ways to plant surveillance and other equipment in an insect as it undergoes metamorphosis. Want to be able to control the creature.

The devices could end up being used by police officers and firefighters.

Their potential use outside of battle, however, is raising questions about privacy and the dangers of winged creatures buzzing around in the sky as the plane themselves.

For now, most of these devices are just awe inspiring.

With a 6.5-inch wing span, the controlled bird weighs less than a AA battery and can fly at speeds up to 11 km/h, driven solely by flapping its wings. A small camera sits in her belly.

The bird can climb and descend vertically, fly sideways, back and forth. It can rotate clockwise and counterclockwise.

More than anything can hover or perch on a window ledge while it collects intelligence, unbeknownst to the enemy.

"We were laughing almost to be afraid because we signed up to do this," said Matt Keennon, senior project engineer at AeroVironment in California, who built the hummingbirds.

The Pentagon has asked them to develop an air pocket for surveillance and reconnaissance that mimicked biology. Could be anything, they said, from a Dragonfly for a hummingbird.

Five years and $ 4 million later, the company has developed what it calls the first spy plane Hummingbird world.

"It was very daunting in front and remained that way for quite some time in the project," he said, after the drone blew with his head and landed on his hand during a demonstration of media.

The most difficult challenges were building a small vehicle which can fly for a prolonged period and be controlled or controls itself.

AeroVironment has a history of developing such aircraft.

Over the decades, has developed the company headquartered in Monrovia, California from a mechanical flying reptile with a hydrogen plane capable of flying in the stratosphere and measurement of an area larger than Afghanistan at a glance.

It has become a leader in drone launched by hand.

Troops hurl a plane four pounds, the Raven, in the air. Have come to rely on real-time video that defers to locate using roadside bombs or get a glimpse of what is happening over the next Hill or behind a corner.

The success of hummingbirds drone, however, "paves the way for a new generation of aircraft with the agility and the appearance of small birds," said Todd Hylton research arm of the Pentagon, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

These drones are not just birds.

Lockheed Martin has developed a suit of fake maple leaf, or so-called in whirly bird, loaded with sensors and imaging equipment. The spy plane weighs 0.07 ounces.

Research on the ends of the spectrum, DARPA also is studying the possibility of implanting live insects during metamorphosis with cameras or sensors, and control by applying electrical stimulation to their wings.

The idea is for the military to be able to send a swarm of bug glassfibre spy gear.

The military is looking at other uses.

Other science news story of MSNBC Tech & Science Black full circle is science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: search for a man to find his African roots through genetic testing is turning into a history that stretches from America in Cameroon and Ghana. Air Force fully leverages the power of wave prehistoric dog lived, died between human beings on the wings of technology: drones of Hummingbird

The drones could be sent in to search for buildings in areas of urban combat. Police are interested in using them, among other things, to detect a loss of dangerous chemical. Firefighters could hurl them above a disaster to get better data, quickly.

It is difficult to say what, if anything, will make it out of the lab, but their birth presents challenges not only with physics.

What are the legal implications, especially with interest among police using lowercase for surveillance drones and their potential to invade the privacy of people, she asks Peter w. Singer, author of the book "Wired for war," war robotics.

Singer said that these questions will be increasingly discussed as Robotics become more a part of everyday life.

"It is the equivalent to the advent of the printing press, computers, gunpowder," he said. "Is that the scale of change".

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Odyssey black history comes full circle

Courtesy of William Holland

Genealogical researcher William Holland, Atlanta on the left, next to the Queen Mother for the Ghanaian village of Adidokpoe-Battor (Center) and William Akpaglo. The two Williams share genetic markers, suggesting that they are distantly related.

By Alan Boyle

William Holland based on his genetic profile, considers himself a descendant of the noble families dating back more than a Millennium. Between then and now, however, his ancestors have been scattered around the African continent — and some of them were brought to America as slaves. That is the branch of the family to which they belong Holland and his family.

Now, the Netherlands is bringing the age-old saga of his family full circle by inviting his relatives disappeared to come from Africa to America. If the plan works out of Holland, African royalty will meet face-to-face with the descendants of slaves and slave owners in Virginia.

"It is something that has never been done before," Holland told me today, the last day of black history month. "It is something that should not be missed."

The genesis of the Netherlands dates back to trips that took last year to fill gaps in its genetic patrimony. Testing of the y chromosome has suggested that his ancestors were related to a Royal family in the West African nation of Cameroon, but also to a noble family in Ghana, hundreds of miles away.

"I am overwhelmed now," said Holland, who is the grandson of a slave who found himself at the service of the Confederate Army during the civil war. But the Netherlands isn't too overwhelmed to make some kind of sense out of his genetic tangled tale.

This month, during a visit to his genetic relatives in Ghana, Holland put together a story of a great migration. A comparison of his y chromosome markers with those families in Ghana and Cameroon suggested that their most recent common ancestor lived maybe 50 generations ago, or approximately 1000 and 1500 years ago. Ghana's guests, members of the family Akpaglo, said that their ancestors migrated southwards from Sudan and settled in the Oyo Empire. Holland assumes that his ancestors were part of the Cameroonian migration as well.

"From there, it disbanded," he said. An ancestral line eventually took root in Ghana, another in Cameroon. Holland was now of both Nations to trace his pedigree. Armed with the results of genetic studies has been started in two families of Africa.

In Cameroon, the Netherlands has been given a real name ("Ndefru"). In Ghana, family Akpaglo gave three names more Africans during a ceremony for seven hours. New Holland names include Togbe ("old wise man," Although the Netherlands is in her 40s) Korsi ("BORN on Sunday," that he was) and Degboe ("brave person who has gone away and return").

"I'm satisfied now — now that I have four names" Holland joked.

But he is not yet finished. Holland still wants to share the experience he had with his fellow Americans and at the same time give visitors a taste of African America. Holland says that some of her friends and family at home in Atlanta are bothered by the idea that somehow were sold as slaves from their African ancestors. His African friends and relatives say that is not the way it was. So the Netherlands is trying to organize a daylong seminar and reunion on May 22, in Virginia, where his ancestors has worked as slaves, Africans and Americans the opportunity to talk through their history together.

Holland has invited Fon hierarchy III, who heads the Mankon tribal group in Cameroon, as well as representatives of family from Ghana. He hoped that his relatives African-Americans, as well as the descendants of the family of Virginia, who held his ancestors as slaves will be available as well.

"Hope brighten your family on Africa and what happened in the slave trade," explained Holland.

Holland has already heard that "Fon" accepted his invitation, and he is pretty sure that someone from Ghana also will be coming. It is not a done deal yet, but if everything works the way the hopes of the Netherlands, seeking a man to find his roots family turns into a gathering of clans from across the oceans of time and space.

Holland says that his newfound kin africana can hardly wait. "You're past excited now," he said. All in all, not a bad way to end Black History Month.

Feel free to tell your own family research in the comment section below. For more coverage of Black History Month and beyond, check-in with corporate cousins of msnbc.com at TheGrio.com.

Subsribe to Cosmic Log by clicking the "like" on our Facebook page or by following msnbc.com science editor Alan Boyle as b0yle on Twitter. For more information about the book by Alan Boyle on Pluto and planets, check the website for "The Case for Pluto."

Intel completes acquisition of McAfee

Intel has completed the acquisition of 7.68 billion from McAfee.

The completion of the transaction, announced yesterday, follows approvals from the various committees of Directors and shareholders, as well as reviews from Federal Trade Commission, the European Commission and other regulatory groups.

As a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel, McAfee will become part of the Software and Services Group, managed by Renee James, senior vice president of the company. McAfee Ceo Dave DeWalt will report directly to James.

McAfee will continue to offer its own branded line of products for safety and keep customers. The two companies, said that during the preparation of the "fruits" of their partnership to hit the market this year.

The need for greater security through greater variety of devices was the driving force behind Intel's offer to collect McAfee.

Pointing to the growing number of connected devices, from PCs to mobile phones to televisions to medical devices, the two companies said that today's approach to security is not enough. And with the growing threat of cyberattacks, you need a new security framework that combines hardware, software and services.

Security itself has become a "third pillar of computing," according to the company, on par with performance and efficiency and connectivity as key elements. Among other ways, Intel is trying to bring security to the Silicon hardware level by integrating it, before the operating system also comes into play. This core approach to security is embedded and mobile products, the company said.

"Security challenges put the potential future of computing at risk," James said in a statement. "The acquisition of McAfee adds not only a leading worldwide security products and technologies in Intel's portfolio of computing, but also brings the incredibly talented people focused on providing products and services that help make the Internet safer and more mobile.

Blogging about the acquisition completed yesterday, DeWalt said that Intel and McAfee will present a webinar in May to discuss how the two will partner with focus on security. McAfee will also have more to say to his security Focus 2011 Conference in October.