Etcetera
Jetpacks are back in the news with Time magazine ranking Kiwi inventor Glenn Martin's jetpack as among the best inventions of 2010.
How things work
Jetpacks
James Bond fans will remember Sean Connery dodging the baddies by simply flying away with his jetpack in the movie Thunderball (1965). Designed by the Bell Aircraft Corporation, this was the first ever jetpack and was called the Bell Rocket Belt. This jetpack was propelled by superheated water vapour. The downside: the extraordinary heat (740 C) meant that the flyer had to wear protective suiting in real life, and definitely not a suit. Two, the jetpack could fly for just under 30 seconds, and at a speed less than 11-16 km/hr.
Jetpacks are back in the news with Time magazine ranking Kiwi inventor Glenn Martin's jetpack as among the best inventions of 2010. So how is this jetpack different? The manufacturers of the Martin Jetpack claim that it is the "first practical jetpack in the world", i.e., it can keep a person airborne for up to 30 minutes, and can clock speeds of up to 100 km/hr.
The 250-pound body of the device is made of carbon fibre composite and has two large, downward thrusting propellers powered by a 200 horsepower petrol-driven engine. These propellers provide the thrust required for flight. A parachute can be deployed in case of an emergency.
Just wondering
Panel report gathers dust
Remember the Investment Commission - set up by the UPA government in December 2004 to understand how big business can be attracted to set up shop in India? The Commission was chaired by Ratan Tata, and Deepak Parekh and Ashok Ganguly were its other members. Housed in the Ministry of Finance, the Commission had submitted its recommendations to the then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.
The report won accolades from Chidambaram, but the UPA government never made the document public. According to sources, the Commission had proffered an innovative way of circumventing red tape. It suggested that every big-ticket foreign direct investment project be assigned to a bureaucrat. This bureaucrat is to handhold investors through the maze of approvals required at the state and Central government levels. Given the delay and the confusion surrounding the mandatory clearances to the $12-billion Posco megaproject, it is high time the UPA government takes a look at the report and acts on it.
Quirky
The Mile High Drag Club
Think flamboyant British entrepreneur. Think adventurer. Chances are you thought of Richard Branson. The man, who tempted fate and nearly died crossing the Atlantic in a hot-air balloon, is tempting providence again. In a few days, the Virgin boss will don a skirt, apply some lipstick and, in all probability, shave his legs before he serves sandwiches on a Kuala Lumpur AirAsia flight. No, Branson is not broke, or exploring new career options. Branson and AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes had wagered that the person whose team lost in the recently-concluded F1 racing season would act as an air hostess on a flight of the other's airline. One just wonders if India's Branson, Vijay Mallya, who also happens to own a F1 racing team, is preparing to wager a competitor for Season 2 of dress-in-drag. Or would you prefer Naresh Goyal to serve you chai?
Snoot Corner
When in China
So you have been invited to a formal dinner by your 60-year-old Chinese colleague. And you do not know the etiquette. Here is a quick rundown. One, never be late. Two, do not plonk yourself into the first chair you see. The Chinese are particular about their seating arrangement at formal dinners. The guest of honour (usually the oldest member, on family occasions) has the best seat. Also, do not dig into the dumplings and the wine as soon as they are served. The guest of honour starts the proceedings by raising a toast. And remember, you don't pour for yourself - it is the prerogative of the host and other guests.
Jetpacks
James Bond fans will remember Sean Connery dodging the baddies by simply flying away with his jetpack in the movie Thunderball (1965). Designed by the Bell Aircraft Corporation, this was the first ever jetpack and was called the Bell Rocket Belt. This jetpack was propelled by superheated water vapour. The downside: the extraordinary heat (740 C) meant that the flyer had to wear protective suiting in real life, and definitely not a suit. Two, the jetpack could fly for just under 30 seconds, and at a speed less than 11-16 km/hr.
Jetpacks are back in the news with Time magazine ranking Kiwi inventor Glenn Martin's jetpack as among the best inventions of 2010. So how is this jetpack different? The manufacturers of the Martin Jetpack claim that it is the "first practical jetpack in the world", i.e., it can keep a person airborne for up to 30 minutes, and can clock speeds of up to 100 km/hr.
The 250-pound body of the device is made of carbon fibre composite and has two large, downward thrusting propellers powered by a 200 horsepower petrol-driven engine. These propellers provide the thrust required for flight. A parachute can be deployed in case of an emergency.
Just wondering
Panel report gathers dust
Remember the Investment Commission - set up by the UPA government in December 2004 to understand how big business can be attracted to set up shop in India? The Commission was chaired by Ratan Tata, and Deepak Parekh and Ashok Ganguly were its other members. Housed in the Ministry of Finance, the Commission had submitted its recommendations to the then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.
The report won accolades from Chidambaram, but the UPA government never made the document public. According to sources, the Commission had proffered an innovative way of circumventing red tape. It suggested that every big-ticket foreign direct investment project be assigned to a bureaucrat. This bureaucrat is to handhold investors through the maze of approvals required at the state and Central government levels. Given the delay and the confusion surrounding the mandatory clearances to the $12-billion Posco megaproject, it is high time the UPA government takes a look at the report and acts on it.
Quirky
Think flamboyant British entrepreneur. Think adventurer. Chances are you thought of Richard Branson. The man, who tempted fate and nearly died crossing the Atlantic in a hot-air balloon, is tempting providence again. In a few days, the Virgin boss will don a skirt, apply some lipstick and, in all probability, shave his legs before he serves sandwiches on a Kuala Lumpur AirAsia flight. No, Branson is not broke, or exploring new career options. Branson and AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes had wagered that the person whose team lost in the recently-concluded F1 racing season would act as an air hostess on a flight of the other's airline. One just wonders if India's Branson, Vijay Mallya, who also happens to own a F1 racing team, is preparing to wager a competitor for Season 2 of dress-in-drag. Or would you prefer Naresh Goyal to serve you chai?
Snoot Corner
When in China
