Obama's new limo to have heavy armor, blood bank, night vision

Autos

Michael Strong The Detroit Bureau

19 hours ago

SAUL LOEB / AFP/Getty Images

Check out those thick doors: The Secret Service has commissioned a new limousine for President Barack Obama, one that will be even sturdier than the current one -- a reported 7.5 tons with doors that could thwart an IED.

President Barack Obama is looking for a new ride.

Not that his current limousine ? dubbed ?The Beast? or ?Cadillac One? ? isn?t faring well, but it?s a 2009 model, which he takes wherever he travels, and the Department of Homeland Security says it?s time for an upgrade.

Designed to look like a 2008 Cadillac DTS, The Beast is a hybrid that reportedly blends Caddy components with the guts of a Chevrolet Kodiak commercial truck ? but with heavy armor. Such heavy armor that the car reportedly weighs 7.5 tons.

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The armor includes 8-inch plates capable of stopping an improvised explosive device, or IED, and 5-inch multi-layer windows that make the doors as heavy as those on a 757 jet. The car is sealed against biochemical attacks.

Although details of the presidential limo are classified for security reasons, various reports say that it features James Bond-style options, including a night vision system. It also carries communications gear and, in the trunk, a blood bank matching the president?s type.

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Special loops replace door handles, which allow Secret Service agents to hold on when running alongside the car. Goodyear run-flat tires fit into extra-large wheel wells.

Secret Service agents who have specialized training in evasive driving techniques, including a J-turn, pilot the vehicle. The J-turn, taught at the Secret Service training facility outside Washington, D.C., can turn the limo 180 degrees in matter of seconds to escape trouble. (The J-turn is also known as the ?moonshiner?s turn,? based on a signature bootlegger driving maneuver.)

As for which car maker will land the contract, that?s a secret. Ford, Chrysler and GM have alternated as limo providers since 1939.

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?We at Cadillac consider it a great honor and responsibility to carry on the tradition of presidential cars,? Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell told Motor Trend. ?There?s absolutely nothing we would say directly about the future. The Presidential Limousine is built to an exacting set of specifications ? and one of the specifications is that we not discuss inner workings of the project.?

The new limo promises to be even sturdier than The Beast. According to FedBizOpps.gov, work on the New Design Armored Limousine ?will include concept development, armor design, initial automotive component selection and chassis development, material testing, armor system modeling and simulation, and armor system fabrication and testing (live fire).?

1899-president: Presidential vehicles evolve

Obama?s current Cadillac is a significant upgrade ? at least from the standpoint of safety and communications capabilities ? from cars used by earlier presidents.

William McKinley was the first president to ride in an automobile in November 1899, though Teddy Roosevelt was the first to commission a government-owned car, a white convertible Stanley Steamer. (William Howard Taft, Roosevelt?s successor, also opted for a Steamer when he converted the White House stables into a garage.)

Franklin Delano Roosevelt rode in the specially built "Sunshine Special.? It was based on a Lincoln K-Series chassis with a V-12 engine. It was aptly named as FDR preferred to ride around with the top down.

Those early limos were convertibles, a favorite for politicians at all levels who knew the value of being seen by their constituents. But that was to change forever on Nov. 22, 1963.

As far back as 1954, a nervous Secret Service had developed a protective bubble-top for President Dwight D. Eisenhower?s limousine. There was one available for the Lincoln that his successor, John F. Kennedy, was riding in that fateful afternoon in Dallas, Texas. But Kennedy liked being seen by the public ? which made it easier for assassin Lee Harvey Oswald to fire a series of deadly shots from the Texas Book Depository near Dealey Plaza.

That midnight blue 1961 stretch Lincoln Continental was pulled from service, rebuilt and returned to the White House fleet ? though it is today on display at the Henry Ford, a suburban Detroit museum. Among the updates available to President Lyndon Johnson was a bulletproof hardtop and additional body armor. The vehicle remained in service through the Nixon Administration.

The cruel realities of the world revealed by the Kennedy assassination changed the design of presidential limos ? and for vehicles used by political leaders worldwide.

Problems do occur, however, as when the diesel-powered Beast broke down at Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport after someone mistakenly filled it with the wrong type of fuel. But such incidents are rare ? and there was a backup limousine available.

Paul A. Eisenstein contributed to this report.

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Copyright ? 2009-2013, The Detroit Bureau

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Feeling Nostalgic? Shoebox Lets You Scan Old Photos With Your ...

Shoebox, the mobile photo archiving app Ancestry.com acquired from San Francisco-based 1000memories last fall, has now gone live at its new home. The updated version of the app, Shoebox 3.0, still allows users to scan in their old non-digital prints ? you know, those things the old folks still refer to as ?photographs? ? while also cropping and auto-flattening the images for the correct perspective. But now, those photos are no longer in their own, more isolated social networking site, as they were when hosted by 1000memories. Instead, the photos can be mapped, tagged and added to your family tree at Ancestry.com.

Founded back in 1983 as a publishing company, Ancestry.com went online in 1996, making it one of the older web properties among the big-name family research sites ? a group which also includes competitors such as?MyHeritage.com and Geni, for example.

An app for scanning in old photos, like Shoebox, makes sense as a part of a larger service like Ancestry.com, but unfortunately, some of the features that made Shoebox ?more interesting on mobile have disappeared in the new app version. 1000memories allowed users to fill virtual collections (?shoeboxes?) of their old photo scans, then tag them and share with others, as well as post them to other social sites like Facebook.

Those earlier scanned in photos didn?t seem to transfer over to the new mobile application, though they?re still live on the 1000memories.com domain. In other words, the updated version of Shoebox serves mainly as a utility to scan in items to Ancestry.com, instead of as a mobile, social network of its own.

That being said, Ancestry does have a few other things in the works that take advantage of all those earlier photo uploads from the startup?s users. The company plans to integrate the old 1000memories photo memories into Ancestry.com as a new photos experience, and it will also soon be introducing a new way to tell visual stories that?s far more modern and compelling than those you can make today with the somewhat outdated tools the site and others like it currently offer. (Here?s one example.)

Brett Huneycutt, 1000memories co-founder, now Director of Product at Ancestry, tells us that Shoebox is only the first step in integrating the two companies? products. Later this month, the above-described ?Story View? feature will go live, and in August, the site will debut the new photos experience as well.

Though the pace of our culture today is so fast that we have to download time traveling apps like Everpix and Timehop that pull out photos from our exponentially growing photo archives in order to force us to stop and reflect, Ancestry?s whole network is about reflecting on our past. But even though that?s something I?m personally interested in as the inheritor of my grandmother?s photo collection (which now fills actual ?shoeboxes? in my closet), using these older ancestry research websites hasn?t held much appeal for me.

Having spent my years uploading and tagging photos on more ?youthful? sites like Facebook or Flickr, I?d like to see?a research site that could reach me with a simple, modern, and more automated experience on the platforms I use the most ? smartphone and tablet. That was my hope for 1000memories and Shoebox, but though the mobile app itself is now faster and more streamlined since the update, it has also lost that sense of being something that could stand on its own and engage.

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2013/07/04/feeling-nostalgic-shoebox-lets-you-scan-old-photos-with-your-phone-update-your-ancestry-com-family-tree/

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From solemn to spectacular, July 4th celebrated

NEW YORK (AP) ? From solemn to spectacular, the nation marked its independence with the reopening of the Statue of Liberty for the first time since Superstorm Sandy, extravagant fireworks that included a 19-burst salute to Arizona's fallen firefighters and a musical tribute in Washington to those affected by the Boston Marathon bombing.

"I always love July Fourth and I'm very happy to be in this country, I know I'm blessed," said 15-year-old Yoana Lorenzo, who was among the millions who watched the New York City's over-the-top Fourth of July Fireworks show Thursday night. "To see all these people come together and celebrate, it's pretty great."

Four barges carrying 40,000 shells on the Hudson River unleashed a barrage of brilliant reds, whites and blues ? some in shapes and smiley faces ? as spectators marveled at the famed New York fireworks display, snapping videos and pictures on their cellphones.

Earlier Thursday, hundreds lined up to be among the first to board boats destined for Lady Liberty, which opened for the first time since it was shuttered by Sandy. Among them was New Yorker Heather Leykam, whose mother's home was destroyed during the storm.

"This, to us, Liberty Island, is really about a rebirth," said Leykam, who was with her family. "It is a sense of renewal for the city and the country. We wouldn't have missed it for the world."

In Prescott, Ariz., celebrations were more subdued.

A fire chief read the names of the 19 firefighters killed last weekend battling a wildfire, while 19 single fireworks burst overhead.

"Less than 100 hours ago, the city of Prescott, the state of Arizona and the nation lost 19 of the best, the bravest firefighters ever dispatched into the forest," fire department division chief Don Devendorf said.

The commemorative starbursts were followed by a raucous 20-minute display choreographed to patriotic pop songs, which drew cheering, grins and shouts of "America!"

Also, 19 candles burned beneath red, white and blue bunting, at Bistro St. Michael on Whiskey Row in the old West town ? one for each firefighter.

In California, more than two dozen people were injured when a wood platform holding live fireworks tipped over, sending the pyrotechnics into a crowd in Simi Valley, northwest of Los Angeles. Officials said 20 people were taken to hospitals with minor to moderate injuries, and eight more were treated at the park. A bomb squad was at the park to deactivate the remainder of the fireworks.

In Washington, thousands gathered on the National Mall to ring in the Fourth of July with fireworks and music. Neil Diamond sang "Sweet Caroline" in tribute to victims and survivors of the April 15 Boston Marathon bombing. The song is a Fenway Park tradition, and Diamond performed it there in the aftermath of the attack.

Boston hosted its first large gathering since the marathon bombing that killed three and injured hundreds. While attendance for the city's celebration appeared to be down early, it increased as the start of the festivities approached. Crowds on the Charles River Esplanade seemed smaller than in recent years, while a robust law enforcement presence greeted revelers gathering for a performance by the Boston Pops and a fireworks display.

Among those at Boston's festivities was Carlos Arredondo, the cowboy hat-wearing marathon attendee who became part of one of the indelible images of the bombings' aftermath in a photo showing him helping rush a badly wounded man from the scene in a wheelchair, his legs torn to pieces.

Arredondo said the July 4 celebration ? an event authorities believe the bombing suspects initially planned to target ? was an important milestone in the healing process, not just for him but also those who were stopping to tell him their own stories from that day.

"I think there's no better place to be," said Arredondo, wearing his cowboy hat and a "Boston Strong" shirt in the marathon's colors of blue and yellow.

Speaking at the reopening of Lady Liberty, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell choked up as she told the crowd she was wearing a purple ribbon in memory of the fallen firefighters.

"Nineteen firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty, and we as a nation stand together," she said through tears.

Liberty Island was decorated with star-spangled bunting, but portions remain blocked off with large construction equipment, and the main ferry dock was boarded up. Repairs to brick walkways and docks were ongoing. But much of the work has been completed since Sandy swamped the 12-acre island in New York Harbor.

The statue itself was unharmed during the storm, but the land took a beating. Railings broke, docks and paving stones were torn up and buildings were flooded. The storm destroyed electrical systems, sewage pumps and boilers. Hundreds of National Park Service workers from as far away as California and Alaska spent weeks cleaning mud and debris.

"It is one of the most enduring icons of America, and we pulled it off ? it's open today," National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis said. "Welcome."

The statue was open for a single day last year ? Oct. 28, the day before Sandy struck. It had been closed the previous year for security upgrades. Neighboring Ellis Island remains closed and there has been no reopening date set.

Nationwide, Philadelphia, Washington and New Orleans hosted large holiday concerts. A Civil War re-enactment commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg drew as many as 40,000 people to Pennsylvania.

Also in New York, throngs of revelers packed Brooklyn's Coney Island to see competitive eating champ Joey Chestnut scarf down 69 hot dogs to break a world record and win the title for a seventh year at the 98th annual Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Sonya Thomas defended her title with nearly 37 dogs.

In his weekly radio address from Washington, President Barack Obama urged Americans to work to secure liberty and opportunity for their own children and future generations. The first family hosted U.S. servicemen and women at the White House for a barbeque.

Atlanta and Alaska held holiday runs ? thousands raced up a 3,022-foot peak in Seward. In New Orleans, the Essence Festival celebrated black culture and music along the riverfront.

The celebratory mood turned somber in Oklahoma and Maine with fatal accidents during parades. In Edmond, Okla., a boy died after being run over by a float near the end of the town's LibertyFest parade. In Bangor, Maine, the driver of a tractor in the parade was killed after the vehicle was struck by an old fire truck.

Anti-surveillance protests cropped up in a number of cities on Independence Day, with activists speaking out against recent disclosures that the National Security Agency has been secretly logging people's phone calls and Internet activity. In Philadelphia, more than 100 people marched downtown to voice their displeasure, chanting, "NSA, go away!"

But in Union Beach, N.J., which was destroyed by Sandy, residents had something to celebrate. The working-class town won a party and fireworks contest from the television station Destination America and USA Weekend magazine.

"It's wonderful. Everyone's been so depressed," said Mary Chepulis as she watched a band perform on a stage that stood where the home next to hers had been.

___

Associated Press writers Bridget Murphy in Boston, Katie Zezima in Union Beach, N.J., Christopher Weber in Hermosa Beach, Calif., Stacey Plaisance in New Orleans and Colleen Long in New York City contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/solemn-spectacular-july-4th-celebrated-072416320.html

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Demi Lovato Previews 'Mortal Instruments' Track 'Heart By Heart': Listen Now!

Before the soundtrack officially drops on August 20, Demi is giving fans an early taste of her sultry new ballad.
By Jocelyn Vena

Demi Lovato
Photo: Michael Tran/ Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1709984/demi-lovato-heart-by-heart-mortal-instruments.jhtml

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Dog Backpedals Upstairs, is Frightened and Adorable

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Gregory Lee becomes President of Samsung's US mobile division, Dale Sohn to advise JK Shin

Samsung is shaking up its US mobile efforts: it just appointed Global Marketing Operations head Gregory Lee as the President of Samsung Telecommunications America, effective immediately. The company hasn't explained why it's making such an abrupt swap, but it's bringing outgoing President Dale Sohn back to South Korea as an Executive Advisor to mobile division CEO JK Shin. This may amount to a promotion -- when much of Samsung's recent success in smartphones is based on its American presence, Sohn's advice could carry a lot of weight.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

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Left 4 Dead 2 mutates past Linux beta, adds more mod tools

Left 4 Dead 2 is the latest game in Valve's catalog to clamber out of the Steam for Linux beta. Unlike last week's Half-Life 2 news however, the extra something coming along for the ride isn't VR headset support -- it's a powerful suite of customization tools. The Extended Mutation System (EMS) gives the already robust modding community additional options for crafting one-off episodes and game type variants. For a glimpse of what EMS enables, play a round of "Holdout." This new multi-map mode introduces buildable items and the concept of resources to the co-op zombie-slaying calamity. What's more, Valve said it will add the most popular EMS creations to the official servers. Maybe with this, the world can finally witness our vision of the zombie apocalypse. Yeah, it involves marmosets.

Filed under: Gaming

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Via: Left 4 Dead Blog

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/03/left4dead2-linux-mods/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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