The communication technologies can be integrated with existing safety features such as forward collision warning and blind zone alert.

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That figure includes transactions that closed during the period, such as the auto body-shop chain King Collision Repair Centers, and those announced but still pending, such as the acquisitions of asset manager TCW Group and photo library Getty Images.

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Another great pilot fear is a midair collision, such as the one Cirrus cofounder Alan Klapmeier experienced while a student pilot in 1985.

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However, major crashes - such as the high-speed collision in Eschede, Germany, which killed more than 100 - can distort the statistics for individual years.

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Holladay, meanwhile, turns collision detection on its head to funnel an object into place, such as balancing a delicate object with a free arm before setting that object down.

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It said that, although Nasa was taking steps to protect the shuttle from orbital debris such as spent rocket bodies, satellite fragments and paint chips - there was a real risk that a collision could cripple the shuttle or threaten the safety of the crew.

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Unless such steps are taken, it would appear that, as a practical matter, we will inevitably find ourselves on a collision course with Communist China, particularly if world-wide demand for oil approaches anything like the projected 60% growth over the next two decades.

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