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Power Ascender: Ballsy Tool Yanks People, Equipment up Walls more similar news »
What it is: Atlas Power Ascender
What it's used for: Rapidly pulling people and their gear up the side of a building or canyon
The prototype of the Power Ascender was not easy to use. The battery-powered, waist-mounted climbing assistant yanked people up a dangling rope at a blistering 10 feet per second — almost 7 mph — fast enough to snap their limbs back. So Atlas, a company run by four mechanical engineers outside Boston, set the maximum speed to a more reasonable 5 feet per second and added a variable- speed trigger like on a power drill. Now customers — such as US military personnel — simply clip the 25-pound device onto a climbing harness, push any nonbraided rope through the top, and let it fly. Inside the gizmo, a network of grippers scurries up the line and ensures that it threads cleanly out the side. The Ascender's 10-kilowatt output can lift up to 350 pounds, which is no easy task. "Having that much power that close to your crotch is a huge engineering challenge," says Atlas' Bryan Schmid, "and frankly a bit risky." Sounds pretty ballsy.
Wired.com
Sat Oct 11, 2008 more from this source»»
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Nobel Peace Prize winner wants jobs for the young - International Herald Tribune more similar news »
CBC.caNobel Peace Prize winner wants jobs for the young
International Herald Tribune - 9 hours ago
AP HELSINKI, Finland: Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari said Saturday that finding jobs for more than 1 billion young people in the Middle East and Asia will be a major challenge to peacebuilding in the next decade.
Video: Ex-Finland President Wins Nobel Peace Prize AssociatedPress
Nobel Finn Wall Street Journal
Voice of America - Times Online - Burlington Hawk Eyeall 1,453 news articles
Sat Oct 11, 2008 more from this source»»
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Bush: US will work with partners on credit crisis - The Associated Press more similar news »
CBS NewsBush: US will work with partners on credit crisis
The Associated Press - 9 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush emerged from a meeting with foreign financial officials on Saturday and pledged a global response to the credit crisis that will lead toward a "path of stability and long-term growth.
Bush vows coordination with world powers on financial crisis WZZM
World leaders pledge united response to credit crisis Times Online
International Herald Tribune - Santa Rosa Press Democrat - Buffalo News - Philadelphia Inquirerall 885 news articles
Sat Oct 11, 2008 more from this source»»
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