Speedo Fastskin LZR Racer - Not Your Fathers Speedo

As of Wednesday Speedo Fastskin LZR Racer had captured 42 or 48 swimming medals at the Beijing Olympics and since the LZR was unveiled in February, over 60 world records have been broken. According to the Globe and Mail "...Speedo enlisted the help of NASA scientists to sculpt the company's Pulse material into a shark-like second skin that reduces the drag on a human body in the water by as much as 10 per cent. Speedo created 3-D scans of more than 400 of the world's top swimmers in an effort to determine the shape of their bodies and how best to improve their aquatic movements." Loren Chiu, an associate professor of biomechanics at the University of Alberta says “They looked at fish and sharks and tried to recreate a surface that is similar to what they would have on their skin,” he said. “It's similar to the non-stick frying pans you use to cook your eggs. If you have a smooth surface, then instead of water sticking to the suit, which would cause friction, it slides along it. With less friction, the athlete then is able to move faster.” The LZR is expected to be made available to the general public this fall at a cost of about $550.00 (US).

Olympic Fireworks Display Impressive But Faked, Sort Of.

The opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics featured an impressive fireworks display that represented a series of giant footprints outlined in fireworks, marching above the city from Tiananmen Square to the Bird's Nest National Stadium. The fireworks display apparently did actually take place , however the version displayed on television and on the giant displays in the stadium where in fact computer generated graphics, created over a period of months and inserted into the coverage electronically at precisely the right moment. "It would have been prohibitive to have tried to film it live," said an advisor to the Beijing Olympic Committee. "We could not put the helicopter pilot at risk by making him try to follow the firework route." According to the Telegraph.co.uk "Meticulous efforts were made to ensure the sequence was as unnoticeable as possible: they sought advice from the Beijing meteorological office as to how to recreate the hazy effects of Beijing's smog at night, and inserted a slight camera shake effect to simulate the idea that it was filmed from a helicopter."

Keeping Up With The Olympics On Google

Check out Google's coverage of the Olympic Summer Games including a Google Maps rendition that tracks medals by country and displays where the events are taking place (stadium view) . You can also add the google gadget to your ig page and get a quick tally of medal standings.

Olympic Highlights Coming To Youtube In Underdeveloped Nations

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has struck a deal with Youtube to make highlights of the Beijing Games available in 77 territories in Africa, Asia and the Middle East where no broadcasting deals exist or the deals in place are not exclusive. "The Olympic Games will be played out on Facebook, YouTube and Flickr whether we like it or not. We need to engage, not disengage, with them," said London 2012 head of new media, Alex Balfour. "The main objective is to give as much access to as many people as we can," Youtube representative Anthony Zameczkowski told the CBC. With the games a half a world away, most of us will be getting highlights and rebroadcasts anyway, and with the surge in social networking it will be interesting to see how much amatuer video, photography, and commentary makes it to the likes of Youtube, Flickr, and Blogger.

International Olympic Committee Warns China About Internet Access During Games

Inspectors dispatched by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have said that China is obligated to provide journalists with web access under its Games contract. The final inspection before the games begin in August is currently underway and IOC's Kevan Gosper has said "There was some criticism that the Internet closed down during events relating to Tibet in previous weeks - but this is not Games time," Gosper added that "Our concern is that the press is able to operate as it has at previous Games during Games time." 30,000 journalists are expected to be in Beijing covering the Olympics. I suspect that if there are incidents during the games and Internet access goes down, there will be a very good technical reason for the coincidence... whether it reflects poorly upon the host nation or not. BBC News Story here.

China's City of the Future, Today!

Wired describes Beijing's Skywalk-Linked Megacomplex as a City Within a City. The objective is to limit it's inhabitants foray into the real world of polution and uncontrollable climate swings by offering everything they need within a ring of eight 21-story towers, all interconnected and providing for nearly all of its residents' needs. "Galleries, cafés, bars, and shops will line these public passages. With its 82-floor hotel, the project boasts a total interior space of 2.4 million square feet, and the 15-acre grounds feature everything from a skateboard park to tai chi platforms." The project is the design of architects Steven Holl and Li Hu and is expected to be complete this summer.