Army
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Put out your butts: Army awards grant for anti-smoking game
The Texas Medical Center reports that the U.S. Army recently awarded a $3.7 million grant to Alexander Prokhorov, M.D., Ph.D.,to develop an anti-smoking video game for Army personnel. But, in its infinite wisdom, the U.S. Army failed to realize there's already a game that can help you quit smoking: Pokémon.Regardless, the Army has a really big problem with smoking, as Prokhorov says "tobacco use rates in the Army are alarming – 38 percent of service members smoke cigarettes and 15 percent use smokeless tobacco." Those are alarming rates indeed, but hey, if we had some Gunnery Sergeant screaming in our face, we'd probably turn to smoking too. [Via Game Politics] [image credit]
Philly columnist defends FPS-infused Army Recruitment Center
At the beginning of this month, a swarm of protesters descended upon the Army Recruitment Center housed within Philidelphia's Franklin Mills Mall. Their qualm with the Center focused on its use of first-person shooters to attract young, Call of Duty-experienced potential recruits. Now, a few weeks after the protest march, Philadelphia Daily News columnist Christine Flowers offers a different look at the technologically endowed Recruitment Center, and the controversy that's been surrounding it as of late.Flowers, a conservative, Philly-based lawyer, doesn't see the Center's use of games as an enticing trap for impressionable adolescents. Instead, she agrees with the sentiment of the Center's manager, Maj. Larry Dillard, who sees the technology as a way to boost "transparency." Flowers writes, "There's no subterfuge in giving someone an accurate picture of the army experience." Any veterans in the audience today that want to compare "the army experience" to a few rounds of America's Army?[Via GamePolitics]
US Army equipping all Windows PCs with Vista by end of 2009
While a good number of its machines are already running the OS -- about 13 percent at this point -- the United States Army has mandated that before the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, 2009 that all of its Windows-powered computers must switch from XP to Vista, presumably and hopefully with Service Pack 2. Additionally, all Office 2003 users will have to upgrade to the 2007 variant, but thankfully, someone with a little Vista experience made sure to omit standalone weapons systems from the mandate -- you know, because there's not really time to click through eight confirmation boxes when launching a time-sensitive homing missile. All jesting aside, we're flummoxed that the Army didn't just wait for Windows 7 to roll out in a few months before making this decision, but hey, what's a few more billion in upgrade costs next year, right?[Via HotHardware]
Protesters to march against Army's use of video games for recruitment
Right at this very moment, protesters are organizing in a small church in Philadelphia, preparing to march on the Franklin Mills Mall. However, these activists don't have beef with Old Navy -- their destination is an Army Recruitment Center set up in the heart of the mall, which uses PCs and 360s (equipped with first-person shooters) to try to capture the attention of prospective soldiers who may be waiting in the Cinnabon line.The anti-war protesters are expecting several hundred bullhorn-toting Phillies to come out in opposition of the Army's use of video games to boost recruitment. GamePolitics will be covering the protest via Twitter -- we suggest checking it out, so you can voice your support/proclaim your disapproval of the event with even greater accuracy.
Army's multimode death ray knocks out IEDs, vehicles, whiners
While the US Air Force is dead set on shooting down missiles with airborne lasers, it looks like their colleagues in the Army are busy cooking up a little something called the Multimode Directed Energy Armament System (see our artist's conceptual rendering, above). According to Wired, this device uses an ultra-short pulse laser to create an ionized channel through the air, which it can use to send bursts of energy, conduct electricity, or act as a waveguide for an intense pulse of microwaves. If you're looking to knock out an IED, an oncoming vehicle, or an enemy combatant, this bad boy should do the trick just fine. The Army's Armament Research Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) plans on having a working prototype operating in a the real world sometime in 2011.[Via Wired]
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]
US military laptops, other gear filtering out to black market
Given that the memories of that classified DAP fiasco are still fresh on our brains, this one's a bit less shocking than it might otherwise be. Sure, we've heard of scatterbrained MI6 agents selling confidential digital cameras on eBay, but it's another thing entirely to see multiple US Army laptops making their way out to unsanctioned trading posts in Pakistan. A new report over at Military and GlobalPost explains that some high-tech gadgets are being confiscated on supply routes and from within vehicles, and from there, the wares are making their way to black market shops for anyone to buy. Anything from ruggedized computers to stabilized binoculars to night vision mounts have been spotted, and there's plenty of pictures to prove it. We must say, we're a bit worried about detailed war schematics slipping so easily into the hands of the enemy, but who knows, maybe they're just looking for a little Minesweeper action to take their minds away from it all.[Thanks, Jamie]Read - Gear on black marketRead - Pictures to prove it
Soldier became ace drone pilot by training on video games
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Soldier_became_ace_drone_pilot_by_training_on_video_games'; It's a convention sometimes used in action films -- the unlikely protagonist saves the day by applying combative skills he gleaned during his long sessions with teh Haloz -- but it's a convention apparently rooted in reality. In his latest book, Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century, author and modern warfare buff P.W. Singer relates the story of a young man who became an expert drone pilot within a short period of time -- all thanks to the hours he'd logged on his trusty Xbox.The eighteen-year-old soldier was a high school dropout who failed to qualify for the original position in the armed forces he'd applied for. It was suggested he try his hand at drone piloting, and according to Singer, "because of playing on video games, he was already good at it." So good, in fact, that he was brought back from Iraq to become an instructor at a training academy. Jeez, the only game-related useful skill we've ever picked up is our uncanny ability to name all 493 pokémon, and that impresses far fewer people than you might imagine.
New Zealander gives classified DAP back to US, gets a new one in exchange
Aw, lookie here -- a happy ending! That suddenly popular Chris Ogle -- you know, the New Zealander who accidentally purchased an MP3 player full of classified US Army documents from a thrift store -- is basking in the glory of his 14th minute of fame. According to a new report from Reuters, Mr. Ogle peacefully handed the device back over to US authorities, and for his cooperation, a brand spanking new player was handed over to him. It's unclear what kind of unit he received and if it was your tax money paying for it, but we get the feeling we'll never truly know answers to either question. As for Ogle's next move? We hear he's jockeying for a guest spot on Flight of the Conchords.
New Zealander buys used MP3 player, finds classified US Army files in like-new condition
While used and refurb'd electronics have a long history of delivering more than the purchaser bargained for, like assembly-line photos, MI6 documents, or the phone number to Sarah Palin's hair stylist, New Zealand man Chris Ogle's surprise find is a little more troubling. He picked up the above unidentified MP3 player at a thrift shop in Oklahoma for $18 used. On it were 60 files, many of which appear to be US Army property of a confidential nature, including one that lists soldier names, SSNs, and phone numbers, and another doc that appears to be a mission plan. Sadly the Government is choosing to ignore this little security breach, but we think it should step up and make Mr. Ogle an offer. He's likely to let the thing go cheap thanks to a second unfortunate discovery: it doesn't even play music any more.[Via The Sydney Morning Herald]
iPod touch M110 sniper rifle: another reason to fear the Cult of Apple
We're trying... we're trying real hard to cling to our pacifist ways. But damn if the fusion of this US Army M110 Sniper Rifle and mounted iPod touch running the BulletFlight external ballistics calculator (available via the App Store) doesn't make us want to kill. Tap in the variables such as weather conditions, ammunition type, distance to target, and wind speed before exhaling and gently squeezing back on your second amendment right. God bless America. [Via The Firearm Blog] Read -- M110 sniper rifle with iPod touch mount Read -- BulletFlight App [warning: iTunes link]
Army using arcades to find new recruits
Army Recruiter: "Listen, I see you've been having a lot of fun gunning for bad guys on this here arcade game. But tell you what, how would you like to get shot at for real!"Wide-eyed youth: "Boy, mister, would I!"Conversations similar to the above are likely unfolding at Philadelphia's Franklin Mills Mall, where the Army has setup 'The Army Experience Center,' a $13 million arcade designed to earn the favor of local gamers and persuade them to trade in their quarters for military-issue green. The arcade, a 14,500 square foot vortex of patriotism, is home to three full-scale military vehicle simulators and a host of games -- most of them of the shooty variety.Entertaining, yes, though the center is also designed to educate visitors about job opportunities in the Army, with recruiters on hand to weave nationalist prose to anyone inclined to listen. Of course, like America's Army before it, the ultimate goal is to get youngsters (though nobody under 17) to sign their name on the dotted line and report for duty. It's something that has not been panning out exactly as Uncle Sam might hope, with only 35 visitors enlisting since the facility opened in August, a figure the New York Times reports is "slightly below" the rate of the five traditional recruitment centers the arcade replaced. This might -- might -- have something to do with real bullets stinging a smidge more than fake ones. Just a thought.
South Korea to develop new high-tech battle uniform - Halo fans approve wholeheartedly
In an obvious attempt to seduce impressionable teenage gamers into their armed forces the Republic of Korea will begin development of their own totally badass science fiction battle uniform early next year. In addition to a whopping 95% increase in awesomeness, the uniforms will feature a number of other technical enhancements, including a multifunction helmet with video transmitter, GPS display and voice recognition, a backpack with command / control and friendly-or-foe identification systems, a BDU that offers protection from nuclear, biological and chemical attacks, and the laser-guided, multi-function XK11 assault rifle, which shoots both standard NATO 5.56mm rounds and 20mm grenades. Did the future just get way cooler, or way scarier? Or both? We're not sure. But you can check that gun out yourself in the video after the break.
The Army's Artificial Intelligence invades WoW
Joe Martin at bit-tech.net picked up an article on Gizmodo talking about the coming invasion of Army Artificial Intelligences masquerading as real players in World of Warcraft. According to Dr. John Parmentola, the plan is to test the AI's ability to be a "fake" human by letting it interact with real humans in a virtual world.My first reaction was, "Whoah, cool. All your base are belong to us." But after a moment's thought, this might not actually be such a great idea. Given the communication skills of some players (especially in the battlegrounds), I'm not seeing this as a litmus test of what in-game speech can pass for spoken by real people. While I'm pretty sure the AI won't communicate like a roleplayer, the AI could probably get by with a series of "lol" and "kek" typed out in rapid succession.This isn't the first time we've heard about the military using WoW (or WoW-like systems) for training purposes, which is the nominal purpose of this new AI research. Maybe it won't be too long before we're logging in to have a Gnome Rogue named Joshua quietly whisper us, "Shall we play a game?"
M-25 portable fuel cell takes home $1 million Pentagon prize
Unfortunately for you budding energy stars out there, the Pentagon's latest contest is over, so you've no choice here but to grit your teeth and applaud both DuPont and Germany's Smart Fuel Cell. Out of the 170 teams vying for the $1 million prize, these two managed to impress the most; the winning gizmo was the M-25 portable power system, which is already being sold to the US Army for "limited use in the field." Contestants were tasked with creating a new wearable power solution to juice up energy-hungry military gear (GPS units, night-vision goggles, head-mounted PMPs, etc.) without weighing soldiers down, and the winning device combined "DuPont's direct-methanol fuel cell technology with SFC's fuel cell and battery system." Yeah, we're totally expecting a PSP / DS compatible version of this before the holidays.[Via FuelCellWorks, thanks Adam]
"Thought helmets" could enable voiceless troop communication
This won't mark the first time the US government has looked into other means for helping soldiers communicate on the battlefield, but it's one of the first instances where vocal cords aren't even necessary. The US Army has recently awarded a $4 million contract to a coalition of scientists, all of which will soon start developing a "thought helmet" to enable voiceless, secure communication between comrades. In theory, at least, the helmet will boast a litany of sensors that will hopefully "lead to direct mental control of military systems by thought alone." According to Dr. Elmar Schmoozer, the Army neuroscience overseeing the program, the system will be like "radio without a microphone." Oh, and don't think for a second that they aren't considering civilian applications as well -- passing along jokes on the boss via telekinesis? Yes, please.[Via Slashdot]
British bots battle it out, Army-style
Robot designers are currently duking it out for the British army in hopes of nabbing the hearts (and pocketbooks) of the UK's fighting force. In a makeshift "wartime European village," scientists and researchers are putting their helper-droids to the test as Army officials look on and investigate how the automatons might serve alongside troops. Some of the robots being looked at include a "Moon buggy" which remotely patrols for enemies via thermal imaging and then sends the data back to a command center, a helicopter that can be maneuvered in tight urban spaces, and a RC car with what appears to be a pile of digicams mounted on top of it. The winners of the competition will be announced Monday, but you can hit the read link and see a video -- replete with annoying British television presenter -- of some contestants.[Thanks, Jack]
US Army turns to toy company to develop new weapon
We're not quite sure how the pitch session went with this one, but it looks like the US Army was so impressed by toymaker Lund and Company's Hydrogen Fuel Rocket that it decided to recruit the company to build a decidedly more lethal version of it. The new system, dubbed the Variable Velocity Weapon System, will apparently be able to be switched between lethal and non-lethal modes, and be loaded with rubber bullets, actual bullets, or other projectiles, which are fired by mixing a liquid or gaseous fuel with air in a combustion chamber. What's more, the company says that the technology could be applied to any size weapon from a "handgun to a Howitzer," and it says a demonstration version could be ready in as little as six months, with full production possible within 18 months, pending approval. [Via Danger Room]
Army seeking psychologically inspired object recognition system
Yeah, as in, it actually wants a "psychologically inspired object recognition system." What's that, you ask? It's giving robots and mechanical creatures the ability to see objects the way humans do and make reasonable judgments based on those sights. Essentially, the military would love to see bots have something similar to spatial memory, which would enable 'em to "mentally rotate objects in order to match the object to different representations." When looking at the main objective of this here endeavor, however, we can't help but have mixed feelings. We're kosher with increasing "robotic control," but creating "exponential expansion of robotic capabilities and intelligence" might not be the smartest thing to do in the long run.[Via Wired, image courtesy of ACM]
Bomb disposal robots get new life sniffing out chemicals
It's not the first time a robot has been given fresh life with a new career, but it's always nice to see bots saved from the scrap heap, which is just what the Army's 95th Chemical Company has done with some PackBot-based bots that were once busy disposing of bombs in Iraq. Apparently, the bot was starting to show its shortcomings, so the Company decided to outfit it with some chemical-sniffing gear that lets it detect ammonia, chlorine, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and all other sorts of bad things. Now, after some extensive testing, it seems that the robot (dubbed CUGV, for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Unmanned Ground Vehicle) is nearly ready to see some action, with it set to begin field testing in both Iraq and Afghanistan this fall.[Via Danger Room]
