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Spray-on conductive concrete will shield us from EMP attacks
While the threat of an EMP attack knocking out electronics and sending the world into an apocalyptic spiral seems far off, it's good to know that someone is working to protect us from it anyway. University of Nebraska engineers Christopher Tuan and Lim Nguyen have successfully created a cost-effective concrete mix that acts as a shield against "intense pulses of electromagnetic energy" and protects any electronic devices inside.
Dear Veronica: The magic of electromagnetism!
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-362996{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-362996, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-362996{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-362996").style.display="none";}catch(e){} I'm at CES this week (are you watching our coverage?) but before we set up shop in Sin City, I picked out a few great questions from your guys about electromagnetism! Specifically, if an EMP can take down a drone, and if we humans are susceptible to electromagnetism in smaller doses. Devindra Hardawar has the intel on if we should be wearing our tin-foil coats 24-7 or not! Subscribe in iTunes, RSS or YouTube!
Visualized: Sandia National Laboratories' Z machine erupts in a web of lightning
Sandia National Laboratories' Z machine sounds like it belongs in a James Bond movie more than it does an Alberquerque research facility. Based on what it can do, that's not as far-fetched as it seems. What you see isn't the handiwork of some electric spider -- it's what you witness in the immediate fraction of a second after the Z's electromagnetic pulse kicks in and forks of lightning burst across the 108-foot distance inside. The pulse in question is key to Sandia's studies of fusion and the effect of very intense magnetic pressures on materials that normally refuse to change states. Even in 2006, the Z was putting out pressure more than 10 million times that of the atmosphere, and it successfully melted diamond at roughly half that strength. It goes without saying that we don't want to be anywhere near this kind of energy when scientists flick the switch, but we're glad to see that something so pretty and deadly can help us understand physics. [Image credit: Randy Montoya, Sandia National Laboratories]
The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 5PM ET!
It's August, and you know what that means: running through the sprinklers, putting a shrimp on the barbie, and hunting down the nearest ice cream truck should all be on the agenda this weekend. Coincidentally, they're all things you can do while listening to Myriam and Brad on the Engadget Mobile podcast, which will maximize the fun you'll have this hot summer night. Tune in at 5PM ET (2PM PT, 9PM GMT) to get your weekly mobile fix.
US government contractor developing 'microwave gun,' Hot Pockets tremble
Ah, the beloved "electronic bomb," able to disable all technology in its vicinity: variations on the concept go way back, but useful prototypes remain tantalizingly out of reach. Into the breach steps defense contractor BAE Systems, taking a fresh crack with a High-Powered Microwave (HPM) gun intended to disable small boat engines – if successful, the technology may also target ships, UAVs, and missile payloads. The secret-shrouded weapon sounds similar to Boeing's planned airborne EMP weapon, but lacking the missile delivery systems. BAE seems to be betting big on electromagnetic warfare as a future battlefield tactic, with a manager pitching the sci-fi scene to Aviation Week: "Unlike lasers, HPM beams don't need a lot of accuracy. With a fan [of HPM energy] you can target 10-30 small boats. If you can knock out 50-75% of the engines in a swarm, you can then concentrate on the remainder with lasers or kinetic [cannons]." To develop better defenses against such attacks, the contractor received $150,000 from the Air Force to test-fire microwaves at military computers. No word on whether said defenses involve generous use of tin foil.
Eureka's EMP cannon destined for the Marines? (video)
Marines serving overseas have a low-tech, time-tested way of stopping cars that ignore checkpoints -- namely, a .50-caliber slug to the engine block. Still, that hasn't prevented companies like Boeing and Eureka Aerospace from pouring tons of money into EMP research. The cannon (whether mounted on aircraft or a squad car) is nowhere near ready for prime time -- but when has that stopped the Pentagon from sinking tons of money into something? And the USAF isn't the only organization getting involved: according to Flightglobal, the Marine Corps is getting its own demo of the 55lb device (which can disable cars up to 200 meters away) next month at Dahlgren naval warfare center. Vintage autos (really anything manufactured before the mid-1970s) won't be harmed by the weapon, meaning that there still may be a place for lead slugs in modern peacekeeping missions after all. Video after the break.
Insider Trader: Gadgets for the modern Engineer
Insider Trader is your inside line on making, selling, buying and using player-made products.Engineering has quite a few useful tools in addition to their famous repertoire of toys, but not every player knows how to make the most of them. There are many reasons for this, including: Not being informed on the latest improvements. Consumables may be less cost-prohibitive, for example, than the last time you checked. Believing the "Engineering is useless" hype that lingers from darker days, and feeling creatively blocked after an expensive and tedious leveling process. Being an irrational yet strangely normal cooldown and consumable saving individual. Awkward Zombie illustrates the latter nicely, and we've talked about stingy cooldown use in the past. This week, Insider Trader is going to discuss a handful of the Engineering tools that you really should be using to the fullest, and why.
Boeing to develop microwave-based airborne EMP weapon
Boeing's been busy with the high-tech death lately -- just a week after the company announced the Phantom Ray fighter UAV, it's back in the news with a high-powered airborne microwave weapon designed to knock out enemy electronics. The goal is to more or less destroy the enemy's tech with out having to set off one of those pesky nuclear explosions necessary for an EMP, and Boeing plans to test the tech out both in the air and on the ground several times over the next three years as part of the Air Force's Counter-electronics High power microwave Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP) project. We'll be ready with the popcorn. [Via The Register]
ASUS said to be launching Android handset in first half of '09
We'd already heard that ASUS had been invited to join the Open Handset Alliance, and DigiTimes is now reporting that the company is, in fact, planning to launch an Android-based handset -- go figure. That phone, some unnamed company sources say, will roll out sometime in the first half of 2009 (we're guessing late first half), and could possibly be released in Taiwan first under ASUS' own brand before making its way overseas in the form of different "customized models" for various clients. Of course, any other details are non-existent at this point, but those same sources did also note that ASUS will be phasing out its use of the Ericsson Mobile Platform (or EMP) in its phones in favor of handset platforms from Qualcomm and Marvell, which is interesting insofar as that both Qualcomm and Marvell are members of the OHA, while Ericsson is not.
EMP cart locker stops shoppers in their tracks
Those looking to raise a little high-tech ruckus at the shopping mall may want to head over to Instructables, which now has step-by-step instructions for remotely manipulating the locking mechanism increasingly being used on shopping carts. Dubbed the EMP shopping cart locker, the elaborate device is unsurprisingly no easy feat, requiring some fairly elite DIY skills and a good chunk of cash (upwards of $150). Of course, there's also the small matter of the rather suspicious-looking nature of the device, which consists copious amounts of wire with a trigger on the end. Needless to say, the mall security guards likely be even less amused than the shoppers that suddenly find themselves stopped in their tracks, so proceed at your own risk.[Via Gadget Lab]
