Archive for the 'War' Category
ISIS: Israeli Secret Intelligence Service
September 24th, 2014Via: Memory Hole: In an excerpt from a 1990 C-SPAN interview with Brian Lamb, Dan Raviv and Yossi Melman, authors of the book Every Spy a Prince: The Complete History of Israel’s Intelligence Community (Houghton Mifflin 1990), describe (passage at about 2:40) how the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office officially refers to its subordinate organization “the […]
Hundreds of Floating Robots Could Soon Surveil the Oceans
September 24th, 2014Via: cNet: Boeing and Liquid Robotics today announced a partnership to make water-borne robots that can handle a variety of surveillance jobs, ranging from hunts for submarines to the detection of drug traffickers. Silicon Valley’s Liquid Robotics is the manufacturer of the Wave Glider SV3, a $300,000 self-powered, seafaring data center that offers customers — […]
U.S. Now Bombing Syria
September 23rd, 2014Via: Vox: Shortly before dawn local time on Tuesday, the US began launching air strikes in Syria against the jihadist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), as part of President Obama’s effort to “degrade and defeat” the group that has seized vast parts of both countries and beheaded two American journalists.
Pennsylvania: Large Manhunt Underway for Suspect Who Ambushed Police
September 21st, 2014Via: AP: Nine days after a gunman went on a deadly ambush at a state police barracks, authorities said Sunday they have recovered one of the weapons he was carrying and believe they are hot on his trail as he travels on foot through rugged forests in northeastern Pennsylvania. Investigators said they believe the suspect […]
Air Force Funds Pocket-Sized Drone for Surveilling Tight Spaces
September 18th, 2014Via: Ars Technica: The US Air Force has awarded a contract to CyPhy Works, a Danvers, Massachusetts-based startup led by CEO (and iRobot co-founder) Helen Greiner. CyPhy will design and deliver a pocket-sized drone for use in search and rescue operations in collapsed buildings, tunnels, and other confined spaces and steep grades that may be […]
Russia: Don’t Panic
September 17th, 2014Via: BBC: Russian authorities urged people not to panic on Tuesday as the rouble fell to a new all-time low against the US dollar amid concerns about the effect of sanctions on the country’s economy. The rouble fell about 1% to 38.71 per dollar, the weakest it has been since the currency was restructured in […]
Los Angeles Unified School District’s Armored Vehicle and Grenade Launchers
September 16th, 2014Via: CBS: Los Angeles Unified School District police officials are considering whether they need the armored vehicle and grenade launchers they received from the U.S. military. The military hardware at the disposal of LAUSD police officers includes a 20-foot-long, 14-ton armored transport vehicles, much like the ones used to move Marines in Iraq combat zones. […]
Pentagon’s $800 Billion Real Estate Problem
September 16th, 2014Via: Real Clear Defense: The U.S. Department of Defense owns more than half a million properties worth in excess of $800 billion dollars. The military’s real estate holdings span the globe and, all together, sprawl across 30 million acres. Pentagon auditors can’t explain what half the properties are for—and doesn’t have a plan for finding […]
MIT/DARPA: “Cheetah” Robot Runs and Jumps, Untethered, Across Grass
September 16th, 2014Via: MIT: Speed and agility are hallmarks of the cheetah: The big predator is the fastest land animal on Earth, able to accelerate to 60 mph in just a few seconds. As it ramps up to top speed, a cheetah pumps its legs in tandem, bounding until it reaches a full gallop. Now MIT researchers […]
University of Virginia/MITRE: 3D Printed UAV
September 16th, 2014Via: Wired: We have 3-D printed keys, guns and shoes—now a research team at the University of Virginia has created a 3D printed UAV drone for the Department of Defense. In the works for three years, the aircraft, no bigger than a remote-controlled plane, can carry a 1.5-pound payload. If it crashes or needs a […]
