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The US Army wants to build an autonomous drone charging system
The military funded a four-year research project into the technology.
US Army email mistake puts hundreds of immigrant recruits at risk
Accidental exposure of sensitive data is a major problem by just about anyone's standards, but it could be genuinely dangerous when the military is involved. The Washington Post has learned that the US Army inadvertently emailed sensitive recruitment data on more than 4,200 immigrants to recruits, including names, enlistment dates, languages and Social Security numbers. Over 900 of those in the mix are Mandarin speakers while dozens speak Russian, raising the potential for China and Russia to persecute the recruits or their families as punishment for becoming American soldiers.
Microsoft workers demand end to HoloLens contract with US Army
You can add Microsoft to the growing list of companies whose staff are objecting to the use of their technology for some military purposes. A group of Microsoft workers has published an open letter to CEO Satya Nadella and legal chief Brad Smith asking them to end a $479 million HoloLens contract with the US Army. They contended that Microsoft is effectively developing weapons by helping the Army create a platform that helps its soldiers train and fight using augmented reality. It not only helps kill people, but turns war "into a simulated 'video game'" that disconnects infantry from the "grim stakes" of combat, the workers argued.
US Army to use Microsoft’s Hololens for combat missions
Microsoft's Hololens has already been used by a number of armies for training, but it's about to go to another level. The US Army has awarded Microsoft a $480 million contract to supply the headset for live combat missions as well as training, according to Bloomberg. The aim, according to a government description, is to "increase lethality by enhancing the ability to detect, decide and engage before the enemy."
Uber partners with UT Austin and US Army Research Labs on flying cabs
Uber has added the University of Texas at Austin to its list of partners as it tries to turn its flying taxis into a reality. The company is also working with the US Army Research Laboratory on a project to develop rotor technology for the vehicles. Uber wants to start testing UberAIR cabs by 2020 and have commercial service in its launch cities of Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles and Dubai by 2023.
What legacy will WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange leave behind?
"Can you say to the American people, unequivocally, that you did not get this information about the DNC, John Podesta's emails, can you tell the American people 1,000 percent you did not get it from Russia or anybody associated with Russia?" Fox News host Sean Hannity asked Wikileaks founder, editor-in-chief and self-styled leader Julian Assange during a televised interview.
The US Army's 'Street Fighter V' tournament starts Saturday
The US Army is getting in on the esports craze too, but the game isn't one you might expect. Instead of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds or Rainbow Six Siege, the military is hosting a tournament for Street Fighter V. The competition will be broadcast on Twitch starting tomorrow from Fort Bliss. The winner from each garrison (tournaments run through the 25th) will go on to the sold-out Grand Finals at PAX West in Seattle on September 1st. What will the winning soldier get for their efforts? A two-night stay at the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas along with a $500 gift card, an Army esports jersey, commemorative coin and Twitch gear.
US Army tests AI that predicts vehicle repairs
Keeping vehicles in good working order is about more than just getting to work on time for the US Army. A breakdown in the middle of a combat zone could prove deadly. So, to help keep on top of repairs, the army is testing artificial intelligence to predict when a vehicle might need a new part.
Raytheon's laser and microwave buggy test brought down 45 drones
This week, Raytheon announced it successfully tested its anti-drone technology. The advanced high-power microwave and laser dune buggy brought down 45 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drones at a U.S. Army exercise that was held in Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
DHS to release an active shooter training simulator for teachers
Last June, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a virtual training program for first responders aimed at preparing them for an active shooter incident. Now, there's a program specifically for teachers. "With teachers, they did not self-select into a role where they expect to have bullets flying near them. Unfortunately, it's becoming a reality," Tamara Griffith, one of the chief engineers of the program, told Gizmodo. "And so we want to give them that chance to understand what options are available to them and what might work well for them."
This year we took small, important steps toward the Singularity
We won't have to wait until 2019 for our Blade Runner future, mostly because artificially intelligent robots already walk, roll and occasionally backflip among us. They're on our streets and in our stores. Some have wagged their way into our hearts while others have taken a more literal route. Both in civilian life and the military battlespace, AI is adopting physical form to multiply the capabilities of the humans it serves. As robots gain ubiquity, friction between these bolt buckets and we meat sacks is sure to cause issues. So how do we ensure that the increasingly intelligent machines we design share our ethical values while minimizing human-robot conflict? Sit down, Mr. Asimov.
US Military tests system for on-demand 3D-printed drones
The US military has used drones in combat zones for over a decade to scout and support infantry. Now they're testing a way to give ground troops another edge: The capability to build UAVs themselves. What's more, the US Army is partnering with the Marine Corps on a test project that lets troops 3D-print particular drone parts from a tablet-based catalog, which could eventually lead to manufacturing UAVs customized to the mission.
Homeland Security claims DJI drones are spying for China
A memo from the Los Angeles office of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau (ICE) has been making the rounds and it states some pretty bold claims about drone-maker DJI. The memo, which was apparently issued in August, says that the officials assess "with moderate confidence that Chinese-based company DJI Science and Technology is providing US critical infrastructure and law enforcement data to the Chinese government." The LA ICE office also says that the information is based on, "open source reporting and a reliable source within the unmanned aerial systems industry with first and secondhand access."
Classified US Army and NSA data was stored on an unprotected server
Earlier this month, researchers at UpGuard reported that US military intelligence gathering data had been stored on a misconfigured Amazon Web Services S3 server that wasn't password protected and was publicly viewable. While the data in that leak appeared to consist entirely of collected public internet posts and news commentary, not private information, the team at UpGuard today reports another US government data leak, this time containing clearly classified information.
DJI's drone 'privacy mode' is now available
In August, DJI announced that it would be introducing Local Data Mode to its line of drones, a setting that would cut drones off from internet activity and stop information like flight location from being uploaded to the company's servers. Well that privacy mode is now available through a DJI Pilot app update for DJI CrystalSky monitors and some Android tablets. "We are creating Local Data Mode to address the needs of our enterprise customers, including public and private organizations that are using DJI technology to perform sensitive operations around the world," Brendan Schulman, DJI's VP of policy and legal affairs, said in a statement.
DJI drones are getting an offline mode for secret flights
Chinese manufacturer DJI is adding a local data mode to its drones. Once enabled, the new feature will stop the company's apps from collecting user data (such as photos, videos, and flight logs). Although, DJI claims the update is in response to public demand, it's hard to ignore the security concerns recently raised by the US army. Less than two weeks ago, the military ordered staff to halt use of all DJI hardware and applications, citing "operational risks."
US Army reportedly ceasing use of all DJI drone products
According to a memo obtained by sUAS News, the US Army will stop using DJI drones, effective immediately. "Due to increased awareness of cyber vulnerabilities associated with DJI products, it is directed that the US Army halt use of all DJI products," said the memo, which listed flight computers, cameras, radios, batteries, speed controllers, GPS units, handheld control stations and any device with DJI software applications installed on it as products that must cease being used. According to the document, the Army Aviation Engineering Directorate has issued over 300 Airworthiness Releases for DJI products. "Cease all use, uninstall all DJI applications, remove all batteries/storage media from devices, and secure equipment for follow on direction," the memo continued.
US Army wants helicopters to refuel at robotic pumps
Militaries regularly set up fueling stations at forward bases so that helicopters can get back to the fight as quickly as possible. However, requiring fuel crews creates huge risks and logistical headaches: you're sending people to a dangerous, isolated section of the battlefield for a fairly mundane role. Thankfully, the US Army might not need to take that risk for much longer. It's testing an unmanned station, the Autonomous & Robotic Remote Refueling Point (AR3P for short), that can top up a helicopter with no human involvement. Much like Tesla's robotic charger, it would use self-aligning, articulated arms to hook a fuel line to a helicopter all by itself. That, in turn, would let helicopters fly at all hours without putting footsoldiers in harm's way, and would likely refuel them faster.
US Army expects to take down planes with anti-air lasers
Forget shooting down drones with vehicle-mounted lasers -- the US Army is ready to take on the bigger machines. Space and Missile Defense Command chief Lt. Gen James Dickenson has revealed that the Army is preparing lasers that are ten times more powerful than the ones in testing now, at between 50kW to 100kW. That kind of wattage is strong enough to take down aircraft, and might even throw missiles off their targets by confusing their sensors. They won't necessarily require gigantic trucks like they do today, either.
The Army is flight testing helicopter-mounted laser weapons
The US military's experiments shooting lasers from vehicles continue with another important milestone: Laser-equipped attack helicopter fired at targets for the first time. The US Army keeps getting better at nailing UAV targets with ground-based truck lasers, but it's harder to fire accurately from helicopters. Not only does their position fluctuate with airborne conditions, but their whole frame vibrates as their rotors spin fast enough to keep the whole vehicle aloft. Hitting a target almost a mile away from the air, as the Army just accomplished in a New Mexico tests series, is a big deal.