Cubegeek

Transparent Aluminum

Is real.

The Air Force Research Laboratory's materials and manufacturing directorate is testing aluminum oxynitride -- ALONtm -- as a replacement for the traditional multi-layered glass transparencies now used in existing ground and air armored vehicles.

The test are being done in conjunction with the Army Research Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Md., and University of Dayton Research Institute, Ohio.

ALONtm is a ceramic compound with a high compressive strength and durability. When polished, it is the premier transparent armor for use in armored vehicles, said. 1st Lt. Joseph La Monica, transparent armor sub-direction lead.

Google + Sun = ?

I was expecting something a little more dramatic that little goodies that go on the Google toolbar. Google should just buy Sun and be done with it.

What I really wanted to see, of course, was some notion that a technology partnership was in the offing. This just sounds like onesy-twosy. I mean, I understand the way Schmidt thinks about spending time and energy on those things that bring revenue, but we could have used a little drama. For example, what about the Google Grid? Are they ever going to use anything but off the shelf components, and even if so, won't they ever consider licensing some bit of that tech?

I mean, Sun had the cool slogan - 'the network is the computer', but Google made it happen. Sun was all about the big server. Did they ever really do grids? I don't know.

Anyway, we don't need another office suite. Nor do we really need right justified text in our emails. Stick with the innovative. Please. And let consumers get some of that grid technology. We've got old-PCs we don't want to recycle.