The flame of the Winter Olympic Games has been extinguished. The final costs for the games in Sochi Russia might not be known, but it was a reported $51 billion or more than the previous 21 Winter Olympics combined. GearJunkie compiled some interesting facts, and among those the games cost roughly $18 million per athlete!
Check out the other interesting facts!
[Via GearJunkie: Sochi Cost $18 Million Per Athlete and 34 Other Fascinating Olympic Facts]
Much is being made about the technology that is helping the U.S. Bobsled & Skeleton Federation at this year’s Winter Olympic Games in Sochi Russia. The BMW designed sleds have also gotten a boost from the paint!
The national teams are using AERAO Advanced Paint Technology, a film-based paint currently in use on high-performance professional racecars and commercial jetliners, and it is being employed on all team competition vehicles – including the two-man bobsleds.
AERO is a disruptive, green technology paint applique system, created and applied without solvents or sprayers, eliminating the fumes and environmental impact of harsh chemicals.
“In our sport, every hundredth of a second counts,” said USBSF CEO Darrin Steele. “We went with AERO paint because it is lighter and more durable than other materials we’ve used. This allows us to shave fractions of a second over the mile-long course and provide a competitive advantage to our teams.”
AERAO Official Website
U.S. Bobsled & Skeleton Federation Official Website
From TechNewsWorld: Team USA in Sochi: High-Tech Gear Spurs High Hopes
While it takes years of training, determination and really good genes even to get a chance to compete in the Olympic Games, the difference between making the podium or not can come down to milliseconds in some events. At this year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, new advances in fabrics, materials and designs are giving the athletes an edge as they go for the gold. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (02.15.2014): Olympic Tech, Clowning Around, Pay Day, Keeping Time
This wouldn’t have happened during the Cold War. American athletes are about to head to Sochi, Russia for the 2014 Winter Olympics and they’ll be heading in style in uniforms made by Columbia Sportswear. What is unique about this is that earlier this month Columbia unveiled the Ski Team uniforms for the U.S. as well as Canadian and Russian teams!
Columbia showed these off to the press in Utah, and the uniform collection included those for moguls, aerials, half-pipe, skicross and slopestyle events. Many of these uniforms will feature the compnay’s Omni-Heat Thermal Reflective technology as a base layer to help keep the athletes warm. Many across America who have been digging out in recent weeks likely wish they had such technology.
Other features reportedly include a new waterproof zipper that is bonded to the laser-cut fabric, removable pockets and even special patterns that have been dubbed “snow camouflage.” We’ll be watching for these uniforms in next month’s games.
[Via GearJunkie: U.S., Russian, Canadian Ski Team Uniforms Manufactured By Columbia Sportswear Unveiled]
It’s hard to believe there’s been no women’s ski jump in the Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) just approved the sport for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. The approval follows the two-time recommendation by the International Ski Federation. Before the 2014 Winter Olympics, three World Championships will have taken place. Continue reading Women’s Ski Jumping Approved for 2014 Sochi Olympic Games
In the 1982 film Firefox (which had nothing to do with the Internet browser) Clint Eastwood played a top-notch pilot who took part in a secret mission to steal a Soviet prototype jet fighter. We wonder if such an exploit might be needed today to bring the YP-U6 from Russia? While not a state-of-the-art combat aircraft that can be controlled by a neuralink, the Samsung portable music player is almost worthy of a spy capper.
Much like the newly announced Philips device this one has a special fitness program, which can calculate the calories spent while the listener was using the device for various activities. It is also equipped with a built-in full-size USB connector, making it easy to transfer music to the device, as it as a built-in voice recorder, to transfer those recordings to a PC. The YP-U6 also features a four-line color CSTN display, and is equipped with SoundAlive technology to simulate a 5.1-channel format. It supports MP3, WMA, OGG and FLAC, and even has a built-in FM tuner. Two versions will be available when the YP-U6 arrives in stores in Russia later this month including 2GB and 4GB models.
Alas, no death ray, spy camera or other SMERSH type goodies included.
[Via IT Chuiko: Samsung offers a player with a fitness trainer]