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M-Disc holds your data 'forever,' we go hands-on for a few minutes (video)
It was two years ago when we last wrote about Millenniata and its Millenial Disc for ultra long-term data storage of somewhere between "1,000 years" and "forever." If you'll recall, it works using a "synthetic, rock-like" layer that your data is "etched" into, rather than burned onto like other writeable discs so files don't corrupt over time. Since then, the disc's been given DoD certification for data retention in extreme conditions and redubbed M-Disc, while Hitachi-LG has signed on to produce drives. We recently got the chance to check out a few of these discs and see whether this tech will fly like a Frisbee or sink like a stone. %Gallery-130389%
US federal government to close 800 data centers, walk into the cloud
Sure, it's been just a few months since the National Security Agency asked for a $900 million supercomputing complex – you know, to help out with all that internet wiretapping. But concern about deficit spending will mean shuttering 800 other federal data centers in the US, or 40 percent of total government capacity. The closures are part of a larger push toward greater efficiency and consolidation, with an estimated savings of $3 billion a year; moving services to the cloud will mean more savings in licensing fees and infrastructure. Single-digit savings might sound like chump change when you realize the federal information technology budget runs around $80 billion a year, but hey, it's a start, right? [Photo thanks to Adrian Levesque and Adam Koniak.]
RSA SecureID hackers may have accessed Lockheed Martin trade secrets, cafeteria menus (update: no data compromised)
RSA SecureID dongles add a layer of protection to everything from office pilates class schedules to corporate email accounts, with banks, tech companies, and even U.S. defense contractors using hardware security tokens to protect their networks. Following a breach at RSA in March, however, the company urged clients to boost other security methods, such as passwords and PIN codes, theoretically protecting networks from hackers that may have gained the ability to duplicate those critical SecureIDs. Now, Lockheed Martin is claiming that its network has come under attack, prompting RSA to issue 90,000 replacement tokens to Lockheed employees. The DoD contractor isn't detailing what data hackers may have accessed, but a SecureID bypass should clearly be taken very seriously, especially when that little keychain dongle is helping to protect our national security. If last month's Sony breach didn't already convince you to beef up your own computer security, now might be a good time to swap in 'Pa55werD1' for the rather pathetic 'password' you've been using to protect your own company's trade secrets for the last decade. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Update: According to Reuters, Lockheed Martin sent out a statement to clarify that it promptly took action to thwart the attack one week ago, and consequently "no customer, program or employee personal data has been compromised." Phew! [Thanks, JD]
NSA wants $896.5 million to build new supercomputing complex
The federal government may be cutting corners left and right, but that hasn't stopped the NSA from requesting nearly $900 million to help beef up its supercomputing capabilities. According to budget documents released by the Department of Defense yesterday, the NSA is looking to construct a massive new High Performance Computing Center in Maryland, designed to harness plenty of supercomputing muscle within an energy efficient framework. As with many other data centers, the NSA's $896.5 million complex would feature raised floors, chilled water systems and advanced alarm mechanisms, but it would also need about 60 megawatts of power -- the same amount that powers Microsoft's gargantuan, 700,000 square-foot data center in Chicago. According to the DoD, however, the NSA would use that juice judiciously, in the hopes of conserving enough water, energy and building materials to obtain LEED Silver certification. Another chunk of the funding, not surprisingly, would go toward fortifying the facility. The NSA is hoping to pour more than $35 million into building security and perimeter control, which would include a cargo inspection facility, advanced surveillance, and systems designed to detect any radiological, nuclear, or chemical threats. If all goes to plan, construction would wrap up by December 2015.
US Cyber Command achieves 'full operational capability,' international cyberbullies be warned
A sword, a lightning bolt, a key, a globe, and a bird. These are the symbols of your United States Cyber Command, which you'll be proud to know has "achieved full operational capability." FOC is when a military organization basically has what it needs and knows how to use it, but we're guessing our new cyber-commandos will be a little nervous at first, like a prom date just presented with a room key, or a Modern Warfare player with a new weapon attachment. Surely the USCC will get into its stride real soon, enabling it to "operate and defend our networks effectively." You know what that means: feel free to be a little extra offensive when trolling on foreign soil today. Uncle Sam has your back.
Elbit wins $68 million defense contract to supply OLED-equipped HUDs
We still haven't heard about any takers for the company's "hunter-killer' robot, but Elbit Systems has just scored a big contract for some of its other military gear. It's just announced that it's received a five-year $68 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense, which will see it provide the Army, Navy, Marines Corps and Coast Guard with its AN/AVS-7 heads-up display system components. While complete details are obviously a bit light, the HUDs apparently incorporate an eMagin OLED microdisplay, and are said to "increase situational awareness and safety by allowing pilots to fly 'head out of the cockpit' during day and night operations." Head on past the break for the full press release.
SMU and DARPA develop fiber optics for the human nervous system
The Department of Defense and Southern Methodist University have teamed up to develop prosthetics that use two-way fiber optic communication between artificial limbs and peripheral nerves to essentially give these devices the ability to feel pressure or temperature. The technology is called neurophotonics, and it will someday allow hi-speed communication between the brain and artificial limbs. But that's just the beginning -- the work being done at SMU's Neurophotonics Research Center might someday lead to brain implants that control tremors, neuro-modulators for chronic pain management, implants for treating spinal cord injuries, and more. And since we can't have a post about DARPA-funded research without the following trope, Dean Orsak of the SMU Lyle School of Engineering points out that "[s]cience fiction writers have long imagined the day when the understanding and intuition of the human brain could be enhanced by the lightning speed of computing technologies. With this remarkable research initiative, we are truly beginning a journey into the future that will provide immeasurable benefits to humanity." Truly.
DARPA enlists NVIDIA to build exascale supercomputer that's '1000x faster' than today's quickest
At this point, it's pretty obvious that GPUs will soon be playing a huge role in modern day supercomputers -- a role that may just rival that of the tried-and-true CPU. Virginia Tech is gleefully accepting $2 million in order to build a GPU and CPU-enabled HokieSpeed supercomputer, and today DARPA is handing out $25 million to NVIDIA in order to develop "high-performance GPU computing systems." Specifically the Defense Department's research and development arm is aiming to address a so-called "crisis in computing," and if all goes well, the four-year project will eventually yield a "new class of exascale supercomputers which will be 1,000-times more powerful than today's fastest supercomputers." That's a pretty lofty goal, but NVIDIA will be aided by Cray, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and a half-dozen US universities along the way. And yeah, if ever anyone's ego was prepared to topple Moore's Law, it'd be this guy.
Day of Defeat now available for the Mac
One more classic Steam title has been added to the Mac lineup -- Day of Defeat is now available on the OS X version of Steam. It's a Source-engine WWII multiplayer shooter that's not quite as popular as Counter-Strike or Team Fortress 2 (both of which are also available on the Mac at this point), but still provides some Axis and Ally-style fun. Personally, I think I prefer Enemy Territory, but Day of Defeat makes use of the Steam Play feature, so if you already own the game on Windows, you can download and play it on your Mac without paying any extra. If you've never played it before, you can pick it up for just $10 or (even better) buy it along with a few other classic Source titles for $30. That just leaves the Left 4 Dead line as the last big Valve title yet to be released on the Mac. They've been pretty faithful with their weekly releases, so by this time next week, you could finally be killing zombies on the Apple OS. Stay tuned! [via Joystiq]
DoD eases ban on thumb drive use for US military, our enemies rejoice
Betcha didn't know that USB flash drives weren't allowed in the US military. Or maybe you did -- you know, considering that one with Japan-US troop deployment maps went missing in mid-2008. Oops. At any rate, the Department of Defense has reportedly lifted said ban, but as with anything related to The Man, gobs of red tape will be involved. For starters, they won't be reintroduced "wholesale," instead being reserved for "mission essential applications." We're also told that the drives themselves must contain specific security features, and administrators will be able to track the use of 'em from the outset. For those unaware, the ban was originally put into place just over a year ago after virus-laden USB keys disrupted military networks, presumably flashing Blingee'd faces of Kim Jong-il onto CIA surveillance screens. Or not, but that'd be pretty hilarious.
Cyber ShockWave training exercise tests US readiness for cyber-attacks
If we've learned anything from Hollywood it's that cybersecurity is a growing national concern. And there are a couple approaches the country could take to tackle the problem. The first, which we wholeheartedly endorse, involves relying on tough guys with bad attitudes, short fuses, and a propensity for tattered clothing (at least once the bombs start dropping). The other -- endorsed by Washington think tanks with names like the Bipartisan Policy Center -- would be actual preparation and policy-making. To this end, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in DC hosted Cyber ShockWave, which only sounds like an awesome energy drink -- in fact, it was a simulated, 12-hour cyber attack held yesterday. In the words of the Wall Street Journal, organizers intended "to show how the U.S. government would respond to [attacks] against its networks and infrastructure." According to a 367-page November report by the US-China Economic Security Review Commission, the DoD has had to deal with some 54,640 total cyber attacks in 2008 -- with the number of attacks increasing to 43,785 in the first half of 2009 alone. That's a lot of attacks! On second thought, maybe the whole "preparation" and "training" thing does sound like a good idea. So long as we keep John McClane around -- just in case.
Defense Department developing portable hacking device for soldiers
It's not exactly news that the Department of Defense is looking at ways to make hacking a more practical weapon, but it looks to really be stepping up its game with its latest project, which promises to make complicated attacks as simple as a few button presses. That would apparently be possible thanks to a slightly mysterious device that'd be small enough to carry around in a backpack, but powerful enough to do everything from breaking into a wireless network to hacking into SCADA (or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems (used at power plants, nuclear facilities, and the like). While complete details are obviously a bit light, the system would apparently be able to, for instance, map out the nodes in a wireless network, cause them to disconnect, and watch them come back online to identify weak spots. It would then present the "hacker" with various attack attributes that could simply be adjusted using sliders on a touchscreen. No word if the soldiers will also be rewarded with Achievements.[Via Softpedia]
Boeing's Airborne Laser begins flight tests, future uncertain
Boeing was pretty bullish about its aircraft-mounted laser system only a few short months ago, but it looks the program's future is now considerably more uncertain, even as the sole aircraft to be equipped with the rig begins its first flight tests. Apparently, everything with the tests themselves has been going according to plan, with both the high-energy laser itself and the "beam control / fire control apparatus" along for the ride, and Boeing is even reportedly still on track for a missile-intercept demonstration later this year. The recent funding shakeup at the Pentagon, however, has thrown Boeing and its partners in the project for a bit of a loop, with the department now apparently intending to keep only one of the planes in service (instead of the proposed seven) as it transitions the rest of the program towards a purely R&D effort.
Apple's iPod touch tackling "networked warfare" for US military
While the British military has had a love-hate relationship with Apple's darling, the US armed forces are reportedly warming up quite well to the iPod touch. A fresh Newsweek report asserts that the touch is increasingly replacing far more expensive dedicated devices in the field, noting that it is being used to spearhead the future of "networked warfare." Equipped with a rugged shell and software developed by language translation firms (among others), the device is being used to aid communications and acquire information from databases. In fact, the US Department of Defense is "developing military software for iPods that enables soldiers to display aerial video from drones and have teleconferences with intelligence agents halfway across the globe," and snipers are already utilizing a ballistics calculator to add precision to shots. And hey, it's not like easy access to Tap Tap Revenge is really bad for morale, either.[Via CNET]
Carbon fiber Stiletto boat runs down baddies at 60 knots
If you had any urge whatsoever to try to your hand at drug trafficking over water while these "weird" economic times sort themselves out, uh, you may want to reevaluate your options. The ever-so-stealthy Stiletto has come to life after tracking down a remarkably quick drug-running boat near Florida; the bad guys were cruising at 42 knots, but that comic book-esque thing you're undoubtedly peering at above can reach speeds of up to 60 knots. The double-M-shaped hull enables it to navigate in extraordinarily shallow waters without trouble, and a plethora of sensors and radars give it all the power it needs to track down goons. Oddly enough, it's having a somewhat difficult time finding a government agency to truly call home, but if it continues to keep the coke out of our seas, we'd say it'll win over some hearts soon enough.[Thanks, Laz]
DoD establishes institute tasked with regrowing body parts
Apparently not satisfied with simply building robotic body parts, the Department of Defense has now announced a brand new effort that it hopes will one day allow it to regrow actual body parts. Dubbed the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine (or AFIRM), the new group will explore the use of stem cell research, among other things, to "reconstruct new skin, muscles and tendons, and even ears, noses and fingers." Or, as the Army surgeon general that'll be overseeing the program puts it: if an animal like a salamander can regrow a lost tail or limb, "Why can't a mammal do the same thing?" Not surprisingly, the institute apparently also won't be hard up for resources, with it boasting a budget of about $250 million for its first five-year period, and it enlisting the help of three universities, including Rutgers, Wake Forest, and the University of Pittsburgh. [Via Slashdot]
DirecTV on Demand becoming active for HR21 users
Heads-up, DirecTV subscribers -- if you're the proud owner of an HR21 HD DVR, you too can join your HR20-owning brethren in the DirecTV on Demand fun. Reportedly, nothing is "new" here, per se, and it is still technically in beta, but it seems that just about everyone in the DTV community now has access to DOD. So, HR21 users, how is it? Feel free to sound off in comments below, and if you're still unsure what all the fuss is about, try looking for an OnDemand option in your menu (and celebrate once you spot it).[Thanks to Earl and everyone who sent this in]
General Dynamics' Sectera Edge approved by NSA
We know, you probably forgot that a certain smartphone from General Dynamics was even in the running for NSA approval earlier this year, but lo and behold, the Q4 estimate was actually met and the coveted thumbs-up was given to the (totally unfashionable) Sectera Edge. The National Security Agency has reportedly "awarded a contract to General Dynamics C4 Systems enabling military and government users to order" the mobile, and just in case you weren't aware of how lucrative an indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity agreement could be, this particular one has a "potential value of $300 million over five years." Folks that end up with one of these things will have handheld access to the US government's Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet) and Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNet), but oddly enough, we're not told whether top secret agencies will be kosher with third-party applications.[Via CNET]
Raritan intros smart card-reading KVM switch system
The days of casually interfacing with uber-secure servers without unduly amounts of red tape holding you back could be coming to an end, especially if you work at a government or financial institution that has a contract with Raritan. The latest paranoia-curing gizmo to escape its labs is the Paragon II KVM Smart Card Reader solution for a KVM switch, which supports the US Federal HSPD-12 standard and aims to "enhance an organization's security approach" by requiring smart cards to be inserted before access is granted to machines via KVM. More specifically, the all-in-one solution "does not store or cache card data, requires re-authentication when changing targets, and allows access of servers by only one user at a time." So much for snoopin' on your lunch break, eh?
Defense Department seeking a better wearable power supply
The US Defense Department is looking to lighten the load soldiers have to lug around in order to keep all their gear powered, and its hoping the general public can help them do it. To that end, the DoD's gone and busted out a DARPA-style competition, with a million dollars in prize money in store for the winner. They'll have their work cut out for them though, as the competition demands that the power supply be half the weight of current systems while still providing the same amount of power (or more). That translates to a system that weighs no more than 4 kilograms (8.8 pounds) and provides enough power for 96 hours of operation, with a peak power requirement of 200W for short periods. Even if you don't come out on top, you'll still have a shot at the $500,000 and $250,000 prizes for second and third place, although you'll have to get your act together pretty quickly: the cut-off date for registration is in November of this year, with the whole thing set to wrap up a year after that.[Via The Inquirer]
