Recently in Technology Category

The actual bullet test is probably not particularly useful, but it is true that the forthcoming generation of commercial and, rather sooner, military engines is likely to feature ceramic matrix composite components (stuff like silicon carbide for example). The efficiency gains are remarkable at a time when it's getting very difficult to squeeze more out of the basic jet engine concept without exotic design changes.

The issue has been their durability. Now General Electric (and, by extension, CFM) think they've cracked it. And they have a movie to illustrate the point. More info here.

Like any journalist worth his salt I'm always leery of using the word 'first' - as in the first time for anything to have allegedly happened. But it does rather look as if Emirates has become the first airline in the world to offer in-flight, mobile phone, voice calls.

They're using the service from AeroMobile - which in turn is owned by Arinc and Telenor.

Yes I realise it's my tax pounds paying for it, and yes I do trust the USA, but despite all that I still think Europe should build the Galileo satellite navigation system. Plenty of people who know more about the subject than me disagree (and plenty who know less than me disagree as well.) Their arguments are quite rightly based largely on cost/benefits. But that's not my battleground. I think Europe should build Galileo because although I trust the USA - creator of the superb GPS - I don't completely trust it, and nothing in history persuades me that handing over control of something as fundamental as satellite navigation to any one power on earth is a good idea.