Da Vinci coupe

David Pescovitz 10:23 am Sat Jul 3, 2004

home Today's New York Times has a feature about how Italian scientists built a working model of "L'automobile di Leonard da Vinci," a self-propelled vehicle powered by a motor made of coiled springs. Pushing the machine backwards or turning the wheels counterclockwise would wind up the motors like a toy car that you pull back and then release. The car has no seats and was designed as a special effects prop for a theatrical production. It's currently on display at the Institute and Museum for the History of Science in Florence.

"While a scale model of the Da Vinci-mobile has been observed… to move, change direction, start and stop – thus proving that the design works – the full-size model weighing hundreds of pounds is seen, even by its own builders, as too hazardous to set loose on an unsuspecting public."

Link (free NYT reg. required)

Amazon used a China firm on U.S. blacklist for thermal cameras to monitor workers for COVID-19 fever

• Amazon's new Chinese thermal spycam vendor was blacklisted by U.S. over allegations it helped China detain and monitor Uighurs and other Muslim minorities READ THE REST
Financial Times journalist Mark Di Stefano accused of accessing private Zoom meetings, then publishing the information

Mark Di Stefano of the Financial Times is accused by The Independent of accessing private Zoom meetings held by The Independent and The Evening Standard as journalists were learning how… READ THE REST
Hackers tried to break into WHO, which faces more than two-fold increase in cyberattacks

Hackers tried to break into the World Health Organization earlier in March, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread, Reuters reports. Security experts blame an advanced cyber-espionage hacker group known as DarkHotel.… READ THE REST
Short Post, just one paragraph

Dessert cheesecake wafer bear claw fruitcake. Fruitcake chupa chups donut candy canes marzipan. Apple pie sweet roll tart chocolate cake macaroon marshmallow carrot cake gummi bears sweet. Pastry sugar plum… READ THE REST
Save 50% on a 1-year subscription to Dashlane's premium password manager

We all know vital information about ourselves and our private digital accounts can be compromised by cybercriminals. However, many would be frightened to know just how compromised they and their… READ THE REST
The Bite Helper removes the itch of a mosquito bite in seconds

While mosquitoes have certainly earned their title as the deadliest animal on earth, their impact on most of our lives is usually a lot less consequential. But even though they… READ THE REST