DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF by Maryanne Kane, Journalist

  Dear Viewers: We are launching a new, innovation news service on this blog called "Daily Innovation Brief".  At least one of the daily news stories will be transportation related, including new car, eVTOL and plane concepts.  The second edition of "Daily Innovation Brief" is below.  Thanks for viewing. Maryanne Kane

PORSCHE's NEW 911 DAKAR: EPIC RIDE ON & OFF ROAD

                                                            Source:  Porsche

• 911 Dakar is a street legal, off-roading sports car that pays tribute to Porsche's 1984 win at the world-famous Dakar Rally
• Contains Porsche 911's 3.0-liter, twin turbocharged engine with 473 hp and 420 ft-lbs. of torque
• Top speed is 149 mph, can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and is an off-road dune-buster
• All wheel drive and 8-speed, dual-clutch PDK
• Has a new, innovative suspension system that can increase and decrease ground clearance with the flip of a switch
• Automotive experts who have driven it say the vehicle has unprecedented grip and performance that enables it to "dune surf"
• 2 or 4 seat super sports car that works for daily commuting
• Only 2500 Porsche 911 Dakar will be built with the starting price at $222,000.

COVID BLOCKING NATURAL PROTEIN DISCOVERED

                                    Source: University of Sydney

• University of Sydney Australia researchers have discovered a naturally occurring protein in the human lungs that blocks and prevents COVID infections
• The protein sticks to the COVID virus like velcro and shields lung cells and the body from being invaded by the COVID virus
• The protein is a naturally recuring, receptor protein called LRRC15
• The protein could explain why some people develop mild infections while others die from COVID
• Why this is a big deal: The natural protein blocks the spread of COVID in the lungs and progressively destroying the body. 
• This discovery can lead to the development of new therapies and drugs to prevent COVID and fibrosis in the lungs.
• This could be a gamechanger in the fight against COVID
• Research just published in the Journal PLOS Biology 

WHAT TECH IS SUDDENLY SPOTTING MYSTERIOUS OBJECTS OVER N.A?

                                    Source: Chinese Balloon

• NORAD and the US Northern Command (NORTHCOM) have significantly tweaked and innovated their radar systems in the past week and are tracking the skies differently, suddenly detecting new, formerly undetectable flying objects over North America
• They've detected 4, suspicious objects, including the Chinese balloon that was shot down over the Atlantic off South Carolina and 3 other smaller flying objects over Lake Huron, the Arctic and Canada, which also have been shot down & are being recovered and evaluated
• The new tech tracks smaller objects, flying at very low speeds, as slow as the speed of wind, and at very low altitudes by making a series of adjustments to filtration based on altitude
• This new system can now detect objects that are very small, produce nearly no radar signals and fly with barely any speed
• The system historically has tracked aerial objects that fly at warp, jet, & supersonic speeds
• The 4 latest aerial objects shot down haven't been identified and could be benign aerial research projects from university scientists, environmental non-profit organizations, corporations or other governments with unknown objectives and payloads.