tech article 5/19

"Welcome to McDonald's. My name is HAL 9000. May I take your order?"

McDonalds recently went on a hiring binge in the U.S., adding 62,000 employees to its roster. The hiring picture doesn't look quite so rosy for Europe, where the fast food chain is drafting 7,000 touch-screen kiosks to handle cashiering duties.

The move is designed to boost efficiency and make ordering more convenient for customers. In an interview with the Financial Times, McDonald's Europe President Steve Easterbrook notes that the new system will also open up a goldmine of data. McDonald's could potentially track every Big Mac, McNugget, and large shake you order. A calorie account tally at the end of the year could be a real shocker

tech article 5/5/2011

     Boeing's little delta wing is all grown up and flying on its own for the first time. The Phantom Ray drone took to the skies for 17 minutes over Edwards Air Force Base last week, proving its airworthiness and showing off Boeing’s ability to quickly design and build a prototype advanced unmanned air system.

     The 36-foot-long plane reached 7,500 feet at speeds of 178 knots (about 205 mph), according to company officials. The flight followed high-speed taxi tests in March that validated the aircraft’s control systems. The Phantom Ray is designed to cruise at 40,000 feet and reach speeds of 614 mph, making it one of the fastest drones on record.