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Report: Microsoft turned down US Army's order of Xbox 360 systems
The US Army once considered purchasing a large number of Xbox 360 systems from Microsoft. Computers of equal caliber can cost around $1000 each, but an Xbox 360 starts at only $200 -- quite a considerable cost saving. The consoles could be used as virtual training tools, with games like America's Army and Full Spectrum Warrior placed in army "classrooms" stockpiled with Xbox consoles. The more cynically inclined can imagine the system as an effective tool for recruitment: join the Army, get a free Xbox. However, Microsoft turned down the Army's offer, according to the Army's Roger Smith. He told Wired that Microsoft was concerned about the cost associated with the sale. The Army would be unlikely to buy more than one or two games for each system, thereby reducing Microsoft's chances of recouping the costs of subsidized Xbox hardware. In addition, Microsoft was afraid of a PR backlash. Smith recounts a Microsoft rep's worries: "Do we want the Xbox 360 to be seen as having the flavor of a weapon? Do we want Mom and Dad knowing that their kid is buying the same game console as the military trains the SEALs and Rangers on?" With games remaining an easy target for mainstream media, their concerns seem warranted. Since then, the Army has lost interest in pursuing a deal with Microsoft. "Our initial enthusiasm when Xbox and XNA were new products has cooled. At this time we have no active or anticipated projects or R&D that are looking at using either of those products for military simulations," Smith told Wired. Perhaps the Army is pursuing a different option: buying PS3s en masse ... or maybe they're simply waiting for Halo Reach? [Via Eurogamer]
Protonex fuel-cell batteries to power HULC exoskeleton for three solid days
We're selfishly daydreaming of how we could use something like this at the next CES, but chances are that Lockheed Martin is really only fixated on boosting its bottom line by assisting the US military. The company's HULC exoskeleton, which was originally introduced by Berkeley Bionics in 2008, is seeing a significant upgrade this week courtesy of a fuel-cell power pack from Protonex. The goal? To strap a new, more potent battery onto the Human Universal Load Carrier that will support 72+ hour extended missions. Soldiers tend to carry around a lot more gadgetry now, all of which requires more and more power; with this pack, the men and women in the field could carry fewer conventional batteries while seeing an overall boost in available juice. There's no mention of when exactly this stuff will be rolled out en masse, but that's a detail you'll probably never know, anyway.
Cisco successfully tests orbital IP router, Pirate Bay 'very interested'
It's been almost three years since Cisco and the DoD announced the IRIS project. Short for Internet Routing in Space, the idea is to route IP traffic between satellites instead of bouncing it on and off ground stations. The whole thing has moved forward steadily since we first caught wind of it, culminating with the launch of the first Cisco Space Router aboard an Atlas V rocket last November. According to The Register, the company has just finished its first in-orbit test of the thing, and -- lo' and behold -- it's a success! After some more testing by the DoD (which will go down between now and April), Cisco plans on running yet more trials. And after that? With any luck, IRIS will extend "constant and pervasive" Internet access to areas not served by traditional ground or 3G networks. And never again will a single person have to live their life without having seen the Bill O'Reilly "F**k It, We'll Do It Live!" rant.
Iraqi insurgents using $26 software to monitor Predator video feeds
We can't say we've ever heard of a $26 Russian program called SkyGrabber before, but it's about to get famous real fast -- according to the Wall Street Journal, Iraqi insurgents have been regularly using the satellite-snooping software to monitor live Predator video feeds. Apparently the Predator transmits video over an unencrypted link, so there's no major hacking or security breach going on here, but it's obviously a huge issue -- and we'd say the bigger problem is that Pentagon officials have known about this flaw since the 1990s, but they didn't think insurgents would figure out how to exploit it. Way to underestimate, guys. The WSJ says the military is working to encrypt all Predator feeds from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, but it's slow going because the Predator network is more than a decade old and based on proprietary tech -- too bad it's not proprietary enough to keep prying eyes out of it. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
America's Army franchise cost $33 million to deploy over 10 years
According to information obtained by GameSpot from the United States Army, the America's Army series has cost $32.8 million across the 10 years of the franchise's existence. Development costs have risen and fallen over the years – starting with a first year budget of $3.5 million and a 2009 budget of approximately $3.4 million – though we can't imagine that the America's Army program will be spending as much in 2010 considering the developers of America's Army 3 were summarily canned after completing the last game. Over the course of the 10 years that the franchise has existed, the US Army has never released any statistics on recruitment efficacy, profitability of the franchise, or results of the programs efforts, among other things. It has equally drawn support and contempt from critics, with some saying the "recruitment centers" target underage youth and others saying they offer insight into real war. One idea we think most Joystiq readers will agree on, regardless of politics: a gaggle of much better (though admittedly not free!) FPS games are out there right now, just waiting to be played.
3D mapping drone fires lasers from a mile away (video)
The MIT Technology Review has unearthed a new laser-based 3D mapping robot that can produce results similar to those obtained from $100,000 systems at about a fifth of the cost. Funded by the US Army, researchers at the Stevens Institute of Technology have now demonstrated the Remotely Operated and Autonomous Mapping System (ROAMS, for short), which employs a mirror-based LIDAR system that bounces a laser off a rapidly rotating mirror and gleans environmental information from how long it takes for each pulse to bounce back. An array of video cameras and IR proximity sensors add to this recon bot's sentience, though you'll still need to be within a mile's range to operate it. So not quite yet ready for solo missions to Mars, but plenty useful for gathering data on our own planet. You'll find video and imagery of the results this machine kicks out after the break.
U.S. Army ignores our advice, outfits troops with REDFLY terminals
Ah, the REDFLY Mobile Companion. We've had some laughs at its expense, sure, but never doubted that someone out there would find a use for the thing. And what do we have here? It looks like our favorite Foleo doppelgänger is among a number of portable gadgets providing the backbone of the U.S. Army's "Go Mobile" system. Based around a WinMo phone that soldiers can use to connect to the Army Knowledge Online (AKO) service for all their mission critical e-mail, calendar, contacts, tasks, and documents, the kit includes a wireless smart card reader for authenticating onto Army networks, a printer, a charging kit (including various solar options), a pico projector, VR goggles simulating a 50-inch display, and an unspecified "dumb terminal" which -- as the picture above suggest -- could only be our old friend from Celio. Which is fine, sure -- but what ever happened to those bad-ass exoskeletons we were promised all those years ago?
US Army video surveillance powered by Apple
Security System News is reporting today on the US Army's decision to use Mac OS X and Apple servers to run four video surveillance systems. When reliability and security are paramount, says Chris Gettings, Mac OS X is the choice. Chris is the CEO and president of video management software manufacturer VideoNEXT. "You're not going to have some of the memory-leak issues that seem to plague different versions of the Windows systems," he says. "And mission-critical customers appreciate that."Additionally, Mr. Pat Mercer, who has actually installed Mac-based systems for "...[a] large government entity" notes that low bandwidth, security and reliability are what those IT departments demand. "That's where the Mac conversation begins," he notes.This isn't the first time we've seen the US Military using Apple products. In May we saw a story of soldiers using the iPod touch as an in-the-field translator. In December of '07, we published a post about more wide spread military adoption of Apple hardware and software. Of course, we can't forget the life-saving iPod.[Via AppleInsider]
US Army wants 2.3 gigapixel camera for aerial surveillance
DARPA may have already gone to the trouble of building a 1.8 gigapixel camera as part of its ARGUS-IS project (pictured above), but it looks like the US Army is setting its sights a little higher, and it's now soliciting proposals for a 2.3 gigapixel camera that would be used for some super-wide aerial surveillance. While obviously still quite a ways from becoming reality, the Army hopes the system will be both smaller and lighter than previous systems, work in the infrared range to boot, and capture images at a rate of two frames per second. The key bit, however, is of course that 2.3 gigapixel sensor, which should let the camera provide continuous coverage of a range of about sixty-two square miles at a resolution of 0.3 meters, or just enough to make out the outline of your tinfoil hat.
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]
House representative speaks out against 'Virtual Army Experience'
Ohio Democrat and US House rep Dennis Kucinich has got some serious beef with America's Army (the game, not the US Army) and the US government's "Virtual Army Experience." Billing the recruiting center-cum-arcade as a "high-tech traveling exhibit" and saying it advertises to "children as young as 13-years-old," Kucinich requested a variety of improvements be made to the experience -- for instance, not targeting the experience at people under 18 years old.The House Armed Services Committee chairman Ike Skelton acquiesced to Mr. Kucinich's requests in monotonal agreement, matter-of-factly stating, "I support the VAE -- at the same time, I know it can be improved." To see the entire thrilling exchange play out on C-SPAN, check it out after the break.[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]
Autonomous sniper system combines Xbox 360 controller, .338 rifle for deadly drone action
You know how it is -- we're frightened and appalled by the thought of unmanned killing machines, but if they must exist we really, really want to play with one. The US Army's latest nightmarish deathcopter / awesome tech toy is a little something called the Autonomous Rotorcraft Sniper System (ARSS). Essentially a .338-caliber rifle mounted to the bottom of a Vigilante unmanned helicopter (though it could eventually be made to work on a Predator drone, for instance), this bad boy utilizes a modified Xbox 360 game controller for targeting while the vehicle itself stays put courtesy of its autopilot functions. Never again will your favorite sniper need to leave the comfort of his barracks! Airborne testing begins in July, with autonomy to come soon after that and a possible robot apocalypse estimated for Q4 2011.
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]
America's Army 3 preparing for deployment in 2009
The U.S. Army has chosen Inauguration Day to announce the latest major installment in its self-developed FPS series, America's Army. Slated for release on PC within the year, the free game -- which focuses on a realistic portrayal of Army life, in and out of combat -- is pitched as offering players "a greater understanding of the Army and its values." That and shooting. Lots of shooting.After some 25 different updates and iterations of the series, its development team seems confident tagging this one with the big Number Three. In addition to a visual overhaul (the game is being built on Unreal Engine 3), players will be able to cross-train in various specialties (such as field medicine and combat engineering) to give them added perks both before and during combat. While the Army states that the game -- or recruitment tool, depending on your take -- will let players experience how "the Army has influenced their lives" as virtual soldiers, there's no mention of whether it will tackle more controversial aspects, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. We're going out on a limb to predict a big "no" on that one.
The U.S. Army to enter the WoW botting business
The United States government, in an effort to establish credible and human-realistic AI for their newest literal killing machines, is looking to test the "humanity" of this AI in popular MMOs. According to a recent article, two named MMOs that have been cited as examples for this project include World of Warcraft and EVE Online. "We want to use the massively multi-player online game as an experimental laboratory to see if they're good enough to convince humans that they're actually human," says Dr. John Parmentola, Director of Research and Laboratory Management with the Army's science and technology office.Regardless of the dozens and dozens of jokes we could easily throw out there (feel free in the comments though!), doesn't it seem odd that U.S. tax dollars are going towards government-issued spam-bots that would essentially violate the Blizzard/CCP EULA? How would you feel knowing that there's a potential government-created Terminator in your guild or raid group? Reserve your Sarah/John Connor character names now![Via Brokentoys]
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?"
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 generators turn garbage into energy, energy into freedom
Leave it to the Army to start putting garbage to good use. According to reports, a base in Baghdad known as Camp Victory has been getting some of its electricity from generators that turn waste products into sweet, succulent fuel. The device, dubbed the Tactical Garbage to Energy Refinery (or TGER, for short) can take food slop, plastic, paper, styrofoam, annoying kids, moist towelettes, or smaller, non-functioning versions of itself and mash them down to synthetic gas and hydrous ethanol. Of course the concept isn't without its shortcomings, as it pumps a hefty load of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere -- but for a place that's short of fuel and high on trash, it's a dream come true.[Via Wired; Image courtesy US Army]
