We know, there are (supposedly) folks out there with the ingrained ability to sense wireless networks without any mechanical assistance whatsoever, but considering that we can't all live next door to Kate Figes, the rest of us mere mortals need a bit of manmade aid. Enter the WiFi Heartbeat, a custom built sensor / vibration device that autonomously sniffs out WiFi signals, determines the signal strength, and sends a pulsing signal to you based on just how close the hotspot is. The creator states that all you'll need is a "microcontroller, some custom interface electronics, a small vibe motor, and an off-the-shelf WiFi detector," and if you've given mildly difficult DIY endeavors a go before, we can't imagine this one causing too much strife. For those of you still on the fence, be sure to hit the read link for all the details you'd need to craft your own, and click on through for the video demonstration.

[Via MAKE]

While homemade nuke detectors patrolling our waterways seems sufficiently plausible, remote-controlled rats searching for explosives is certainly pushing the bounds of acceptability, but to expect a swarm of "highly trained" bees to sniff out destructive material (without getting medieval on somebody) sounds like an awful lot of buzz. Nevertheless, an 18-month research study -- dubbed the Stealthy Insect Sensor Project -- at the US Energy Department's Los Alamos facility has just concluded, and team members have announced resounding success in teaching your average bee to "stick their proboscis (that tube they use to feed on nectar) out in the presence of explosives." The DHS sees potential in using the little buggers to "find dynamite and C-4 plastic explosives" as well as relatively dodgy "Howitzer propellant grains." Scientists have used a reward system to train the animals, by offering up a "sugar treat" each time they correctly signify explosive material, and suggest that teams of detectors (read: incensed bees) could be carried about in "portable containers about the size of a shoebox." While theoretically, this plan may seem sound, what happens when our enemies start covering their tracks in nectar -- or worse, when the insects unleash a painful revolt against our own brethren?