One of the Scariest videos I've ever seen - Flying Robots with Artificial Intelligence

by Bruno Flexer, Author of: Dragon Over Washigton for Kindle,  Dragon Over Washington Paperback The Fire At The Gates Automatic Rebellion UK Amazon: Bruno Flexer's Works

For once, a non dragon related post. Not quite sure why, but this is one of the scariest videos I've seen in a long time:

Actually, I do know why this scares me.

Consider the Terminator robots. You still cannot really build walking robots carrying weapons, can you? With these flyers, you don't have to. They can fly, carry any (small for now ...) weapon and go anywhere the walking robots can.

How much imagination does it take to imagine these robots, linked to a command and control system and used to spy on us innocent civilians? You'd never hear or see one of these hovering silently near your house window and listening in on your conversations.

Of course, the formation flying is the real eye opener here. Imagine these robots flying together, hundreds spreading through a city, scouring in a matter of hours every house, car, autobus, subway station and public building to find one specific person.

Now, we can take it a little further. Imagine these artificial dragonflies equipped with tiny explosives, just a few grams of C4, enough to kill a man. A formation of these can destroy a car and a really big formation could together bring down a house.

Finally, just for flavor, add an artificial intelligence able to command thousands of these little killers at the same time and set them loose ...

There are many possibilities here. Mobility with artifiical intelligence coupled with precise flight and swarm tactics. I think will have more to say about this in the kindle soon  ...

Constant Ever Present Computing Assistance for the Struggling Kindle Author

by Bruno Flexer, Author of: Dragon Over Washigton for Kindle,  Dragon Over Washington Paperback The Fire At The Gates Automatic Rebellion UK Amazon: Bruno Flexer's Works

In my ever continuing struggle to find the right solution for easy and productive writing (I write for the kindle as a 21st Century struggling author), I tried to summarize my needs and then envision something that can really fulfill them
.
Actually, I already wrote in previous posts about several of the things I need. I need the computerized version of the notepad. You never know when inspiration strikes but you better be ready and write everything down. This means something small, mobile and durable. A smartphone naturally comes to mind.
Then, I need something with a relatively big screen for the rare occasion where I manage to send the little monsters away, preferably with their mother so I get a few hours off. A laptop is ideal. Relatively comfortable keyboard, large screen and a big enough battery to last a few hours at least.
Naturally, data should be freely exchanged between the smartphone and the laptop. Same files, info and everything else I need when writing.
Now, do I need something in the middle? Hmm … Is the tablet really what a struggling author needs, especially when considering games like droid combat ?
So, the solution can be something like the Assus Transformer, the Padfone and two other options. Still scratching my head here … .

Assus Padfone

Assus Transformer
 

Galaxy Tab Keyboard Dock

Motorola Laptop Dock

Actually, the Motorola Laptop Doc is slowly tipping the scales (no dragon related pun intended) in its favor. It saves you from having to carry two devices at the same time and all your data is naturally in synic.

Will look into it and post results.

Common Attributes of Roman and Greek Dragons - Part 2

by Bruno Flexer, Author of: Dragon Over Washigton for Kindle,  Dragon Over Washington Paperback The Fire At The Gates Automatic Rebellion UK Amazon: Bruno Flexer's Works

Common Attributes of Roman and Greek Dragons - Part 2

1.     The revenge factor. Slaying a dragon will not be easy but the really nasty bits usually come when it's dead. Then the hero lets down his guard and that's when the dragon kills him, from poison in its blood, an avenging god who just lost his pet or something similar.

2.     The dragon's influence extends for miles and miles. A dragon will not be a small, tame thing that eats a few people now and then. A dragon ravages entire countries and its appearance is a national calamity.

3.     For every dragon there exists a hero. A dragon cannot be slain by normal men at arms loosing arrows from a distance. Whole armies will fail to vanquish it. The only one that can deal with a dragon is a hero. Some will be courageous farm boys. Others will be famous demigods or even full fledged gods. But all of them will be heros.

4.     Pick the right tool. Slaying a dragon requires the correct tool. A sword made from meteorite iron. A magic ring. The bow and arrows and a god. The winged boots of Mercury. Only very rarely a dragon will be slain by mundane means.

5.     Intelligence. Dragons are not mindless beasts. Usually, they are thinking beings, able to understand and sometimes even use human speech. Some are extraordinary intelligent like Python the Oracle Dragon and Fafnir who could speak the human tongue.

6.     Unique. Somehow, the dragons are unique. You won't usually find a family of dragons, a father, mother and three dragon younglings together. Each one is usually one of a kind, at least as far as the story goes.

7. The human connection. Dragons tamed by humans, ridden by them and used as pets or mounts, or even friends are modern inventions. The dragons were always independent creatures that refused to submit to any human. There were a few dragons employed by gods and only one human, the Dragon Witch Medea, managed to tame a few dragons and put them under her spells.