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Military hunting smartphone safety to hold off enemy bugs, spooks
Ah, smartphones -- the delightful little slates carry our contacts, our content -- even our cash, and they still fit right in our pockets. No surprise then, that a lost or stolen phone can be a minor disaster -- or a major security risk (just ask the President). Now that soldiers are packing them to send GPS coordinates or situational images in the field -- on top of using them at home -- DARPA has enlisted security company Invincea to fortify the devices. Its first effort, encrypting OS files and filling the memory of a lost phone with worthless data, has already been deployed to 3,000 troops in Afghanistan. Its next target is to cloister apps into virtual rooms within the OS, locking off access to sensitive parts of the phone like its GPS or contact lists. That would keep any nasty bits of malware from potentially gaining root privileges so soldiers can fight, and Facebook, without compromise.
Army spy blimp to launch within weeks: 300 feet long, $500 million, 'multi-intelligent'
It can't go faster than 34MPH and it's already a year late for its planned deployment in Afghanistan, but Northrop Grumman's Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) is now set for its maiden flight. The test run is scheduled for sometime between June 6th and 10th over Lakehurst, New Jersey, whose residents ought to be forewarned that it is not a solar eclipse or a Death Star, but simply a helium-filled pilotless reconnaissance and communications airship that happens to be the size of a football field. After floating around for a while, the giant dirigible is expected to journey south to Florida, where it'll be fitted to a custom-built gondola that will carry the bulk of its equipment, and by which time her enemies hopefully won't have come into possession of an air force.
Nanotubes sniff out rotting fruit, your dorm room might be next
Our favorite ultra-skinny molecules have performed a lot of useful functions over the years, but keeping fruit flies away was never one of them. Now MIT scientists, with US Army funding, have discovered a way to give these nanotubes the canine-like sense of smell needed to stop produce spoilage and waste. Doping sheets of them with copper and polystyrene introduces a speed-trap for electrons, slowing them and allowing the detection of ethylene gas vented during ripening. A sensor produced from such a substance could be combined with an RFID chip, giving grocers a cheaper way to monitor freshness and discount produce before it's too late. If that works, the team may target mold and bacteria detection next, giving you scientific proof that your roommate needs to wash his socks.
New research brings better wireless to remote locations, 80 percent faster GoT downloads
Not getting the bandwidth you need, Heidi? Then maybe the folks at North Carolina State University can help. They've figured out a way to boost multi-hop networks, where data is forwarded across two or more nodes (hops) in order to reach far-flung users. Networks like this can often get bogged down by interference between neighboring nodes. But by using algorithms to automatically modulate the power of each link, the NC State scientists have managed to jump efficiency by up to 80 percent. This has the effect of not only increasing speed, but also saving juice if the systems are battery powered -- like those used by the US Army, which sponsored the research. After all, just because you're away from the throne doesn't mean you have to be out of the game.
US Army grants HP $249 million contract to deploy private cloud services
HP is in the Army now. Today, the Palo Alto company announced that it has received a $249 million contract to provide the Department of Defense and other federal agencies with enterprise level cloud computing services. The new initiative will allow the military to consolidate its existing data centers, and the services will be deployed to a number of commercial and government-owned buildings. HP will also provide the military with Performance-Optimized Data Centers (PODs) for quick deployment into tactical situations. Under the terms of the Army Private Cloud contract, HP will work with ten small businesses and Alabama A&M University to help actualize the private cloud and its requirements. We can only assume that Meg Whitman is glad to start out the month with a bit of walking-around money. You'll find the full PR after the break.
US Army debuts app marketplace prototype: iOS first, Android coming soon
The promise of an Army app store has been bandied about for quite a while now, but it looks like it's slowly becoming a reality. The US Army has today officially announced a prototype of the Army Software Marketplace, a web-based app store that currently includes twelve different training apps that have been approved for Army-wide use. That includes just iOS apps initially, but the Army promises that it will soon include apps for Android devices as well. It's also of course looking to expand considerably beyond those dozen odd apps, noting that the prototype is just "a first step in establishing and exercising new submission and approval processes that will eventually enable Army members, organizations and third-party developers to release applications for Army-wide distribution." And you thought the approval process for some of the current app stores was stringent. [Thanks, Souheil]
CTA Digital unleashes official US Army gaming peripherals, gets your adrenaline pumping
Although this time it isn't the inflatable Wii accessory you fell deeply in love with, CTA Digital's bringing you something a bit more on the rugged and wild side -- à la Rambo. In a partnership with the US Army, the company's unveiling a flood of official gaming accessories to make you feel like you're part of our nation's bravest. The arsenal of peripherals -- which cover PC and console gamers -- will include a US Army Elite Force Assault Rifle, Sniper Action Rifle, Commando Assault Rifle and a Universal Gaming Headset for all your smack talking, just to mention a few. There's no word on how much damage the shooters and co. will do, and retailer availability will be coming "soon." Full game compatibility and other deets can be found in the PR below.
IED attack simulator prepares US soldiers prior to Afghan deployment
A new simulation exercise is now in place for US troops at the Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center near Edinburgh, Indiana. Built primarily from off-the-shelf components, the system is designed to better prepare soldiers for the physical and psychological challenges of IED attacks, which are currently the number one threat to military personnel stationed in Afghanistan. Situated inside a mounted vehicle and positioned in front of a large screen, service members are exposed to jarring explosions, smoke, noise and poor visibility -- all common occurrences of IED assaults. The system records the entire nightmarish scenario, which allows participants to review their performance and learn from their mistakes. For soldiers who've never been to Afghanistan, the simulator will also be used to familiarize troops with the war zone terrain and other situations they may encounter along the way. Just how realistic is the IED simulation? According to Spc. Darren J. Ganier-Slotterbeck, "I deployed in 2005, 2007 and 2008 with the Marines. I've been blown up multiple times, and it definitely brought back memories. I was a little shaky when I got out of that thing. I'm not going to lie." He went on to say, "If we'd had the ability to go through training like this at the time, those deployments would have been a lot different." Sounds scary. We're not going to lie.
US Army's A160 Hummingbird drone-copter to don 1.8 gigapixel camera
Starting in July of 2012, the United States Army will deploy three Boeing A160 Hummingbird drones to Afghanistan as part of a one-year trial program. Unlike the Predator drones already in combat, the A160 is a rotor-based aircraft capable of vertical take-offs and landings. What's more, the craft will be affixed with the DARPA-developed ARGUS-IS imaging system -- which boasts a 1.8 gigapixel camera the Army says can "track people and vehicles from altitudes above 20,000 feet." The A160 Hummingbird platform will provide the Army with the ability and flexibility to: take off and land without a runway; fly for twelve hours or more without refueling; and monitor up to 65 enemies of the State simultaneously. Test flights of the unmanned chopper are scheduled for early 2012 in Arizona, but residents hoping to get a glimpse of the A160 in action best have great eyesight -- the ARGUS-IS system can see targets from almost 25 miles down range. Oh, and don't forget to smile when you look up. You want to look your best for the eye in the sky, right?
DARPA tests advanced hypersonic weapon prototype, makes railgun sweat
The US Army completed testing of its hypersonic weapon yesterday, launching a test projectile across the Pacific Ocean. The glider flies at a lower trajectory than typical missiles, traveling at several times the speed of sound, making it capable of hitting anywhere on this peaceful ball of blue and green within an hour. We saw DARPA's hypersonic aircraft's successful launch earlier this year -- the Falcon HTV-2 (pictured above) managed to hit the dizzying speed of Mach 20 during its tests, before it crashed. Despite recent military funding issues in the US government, hopefully all things hypersonic will get to fly again soon.
U.S. Army urges vets to get outta their dreams and into the virtual world
You've heard of power walking, but "power dreaming?" That practice's usually the stuff of Buddhism, and now, could go a long way towards mending the psychic wounds of our nation's bravest. With about 52% of PTSD-affected veterans reported as having disturbing nightmares, the U.S. Army's working towards a virtual solution that'd marry the design of Second Life with laptop-displayed or 3D head-mounted, physio-emotional healing. The project, a form of biofeedback therapy which would create custom, stress-alleviating imagery for traumatized vets, is currently in the planning stage with Washington State's Naval Hospital serving as its experimental base. Over half a million in funding's already been put towards the effort which is expected to launch in full next year. And when it does, we're hoping the tech resembles a certain Strange Days SQUID recorder -- with happy thoughts, o'course.
Giant tablet lets commanders control war with the swipe of a finger
America's armed forces have added some major tech to their arsenal lately, from smartphones for soldiers to giant surveillance blimps. And now, AAI has unveiled a new tool for battlefield commanders in the form of giant touchscreen tablet. Its screen is three feet by two feet and employs surveillance information to give those in charge an overhead view of a war zone that shows the position of both good guys and bad. Icons represent troops, air support, and spy drones, which are then deployed by tapping and dragging them on the touchscreen. Such input doesn't actually control battlefield assets, but it does send orders to the appropriate personnel so they can be executed, and soldiers confirm receipt of the order via instant message. The company's still trying to sell the system to the Army, but we'd imagine that such drag and drop warfare will appeal to Uncle Sam. Who knows, perhaps all those hours spent honing your Starcraft skills can soon be put to good use defending the country. [Image credit: Spencer Ackerman]
ITT unveils GhostRider encryption device capable of securing US Army smartphones
That may look like a Motorola Atrix Dell Venue, but it's actually something known as the GhostRider -- a new encryption device that could go a long way toward securing the Army's smartphones. Developed by defense company ITT, this revamped handset would allow military personnel to transmit secure text messages and phone calls over the Army's network, even if they're out on the battlefield. All they'd have to do is place their personal phones next to the GhostRider, tap and hold its touchscreen to activate the security features and begin texting away. When another GhostRider user receives an SMS, he or she would have to enter a pass code before reading it. The phone's security mechanisms, meanwhile, have been certified by the cryptographers at the NSA, which would certainly help justify its $1,500 price tag. The handset's display, meanwhile, looks awfully similar to the Army's Nett Warrior platform -- an Android-based OS that features a host of mapping functions designed explicitly for war zones. Officials unveiled the latest incarnation of Nett Warrior at the recent Association of the US Army gala in DC, though the platform's creators are still looking for the appropriate commercial device to host it -- unless, of course, GhostRider's software replaces it altogether. "We think Nett Warrior should be something like this," ITT vice president Richard Takahashi told Wired. "This can be the smart device." March past the break for more information, in ITT's jargon-laced PR. Update: Thanks to readers who spotted it's a Venue rather than an Atrix. Our eyes must have been temporarily scrambled by the enemy. Just to be clear -- it's not the handset that's different, only the peripheral.
Raytheon shows off TransTalk speech translator for Android, hopes to find a home in the Army's app store
We've already heard about some of the smartphone apps that may or may not eventually find their way into the Army's own app store, and Raytheon is now hoping that it'll be tapped it to provide a key one. As Wired's Danger Room reports, the company has developed a new version of its TransTalk app for Android phones, which is able to translate speech from English to Arabic, Dari and Pashto (and vice versa). Since it's designed specifically for the Army, the app is geared towards translating phrases commonly used by soldiers on patrol, and it's also able to display and store the conversation as text. Just don't count on it hitting the Android Market anytime soon -- while the app runs on off-the-shelf Android hardware (a Motorola Atrix, in this case), there's no plans for it to be made available to the general public.
Cam-wielding RC car used to investigate roadside bomb, saves lives in Afghanistan
The US military spends billions of dollars each year beefing up wartime tech, but a low-budget hacked RC car recently served as an unlikely hero, saving six soliders' lives in Afghanistan. The home-built rig, which included a wireless security camera mounted on a Traxxas Stampede remote-controlled truck, cost about $500 when it was built in 2007. Since then, Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Fessenden has used it to locate roadside bombs, until it tripped a detonation sensor during a patrol last month, in turn saving Fessenden and fellow troops from coming head-to-head with 500 pounds of explosives. Unfortunately the RC cam didn't survive the attack, so Ernie, the solider's brother who built the first model, is currently working on a replacement. Sure, a half-grand may seem like a laughable sum compared to the Pentagon's annual budget, but if the proven gadget gets enough attention, perhaps Chinese-made toys will play a role in entertaining our kids, and protecting our troops.
US Army wants thermally adaptive shirts, less of that nasty B-O
War-making apparel is about functionality just as much as fashion. That's why the US Army is offering a cool $1million in research funds to anyone who can help realize its dream of "thermally responsive textiles." The ultimate goal is clothing that automatically tailors itself to rapid changes in ambient and body temperature, thereby removing the need for alternative garments and reducing the weight and 'cube' of a soldier's payload. So-called smart fabrics have already been demonstrated by army scientists, based on comfy-sounding metallic fibers that curl up when it's cold and straighten out when it's warm. That sort of technology just needs to be reworked to make it practical and laundry-safe. We don't want those strong colors bleeding out in the wash, because as the line goes: if you're going to fight, you might as well clash.
US Army runs smartphone trial, could see 'limited deployment' later this year
Sure, the US Army could continue to develop expensive proprietary gadgets for use in the field, or they could make the switch to (relatively) inexpensive off-the-shelf smartphones. It's a change that's been considered for some time, and the Army is now at the tail end of a six-week trial of more than 300 Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone devices for military use. The results have been promising, according to program director Michael McCarthy, stating that younger soldiers who grew up with smartphones and handhelds are very comfortable using them for military purposes. Soldiers in the field can text GPS coordinates, send pictures of their surroundings, or file common reports directly from their phone. Despite positive results, the Army still has some hurdles to jump before taking the plunge -- some of the phones had OS bugs, others (specifically, iPhones running on AT&T) couldn't get signal in the New Mexico and Texas testing areas, and none of the devices were secure enough for use in overseas operations. The Army is considering tying the phones to tactical radios to help encrypt transmissions, and are testing self contained "cell tower in a suitcase" equipment to ensure coverage in sensitive locations. The Military hopes to push out limited deployment this year, and Army program director Ed Mazzanti has stated that they expect to select two mobile operating systems for official use, noting that "iPhone and Android have been very well received." Sure, using multiple platforms may help protect soldiers against cyber attacks, but we can't be the only ones worried the Army is unintentionally breeding a generation of fanboys with guns, can we?
US Army testing haptic belt that nudges soldiers in the right direction
Haptic belts and other wearable devices that can guide you may not exactly be a new idea -- we've even seen some DIY attempts -- but the US Army testing them? Well, that's something worth noting. As New Scientist reports, the Army Research Office in North Carolina is now working on just such a device (likely more advanced than the one pictured here), and hopes that the belts could eventually be used to remotely guide soldiers on the battlefield. That's done with a combination of GPS, an accelerometer and a compass -- and, of course, the haptic part of the equation, which vibrates or pulses to point the soldier in the right direction, or indicate when they're nearing their target. The idea there being to reduce the need for any handheld devices (at least until thought helmets become a reality), which can both take the soldiers' eyes off the battlefield and potentially reveal their position at night. There's still no indication as to when the belts might actually see use in the field, but early tests show that they're at least as accurate as a handheld GPS, and the soldiers say they actually prefer it. [Image credit: Sreekar Krishna]
Army app store advances, tries to break through bureaucracy's defenses
The Army Marketplace may be mired in bureaucratic muck, but the depot for mobile military apps isn't simply stagnating in a stack of paperwork somewhere. Developers and commanders are still pushing forward with the project and hoping for the best. There are already 17 apps for Android and 16 for iPhones, created as part of the Apps for the Army contest last year, and designers have whipped up prototypes for the homepage (above) and personalized user pages (after the break) where soldiers can post ideas for apps, request features from devs, and write reviews. The chief of the Army's Mobile Applications Branch, Lt. Col. Gregory Motes, hopes the Marketplace will make its debut at LandWarNet in August, even if there won't be any approved smartphones to access it for several months after that. At least the military claim one victory, when its app store launches it'll already have more titles than TegraZone.
US Army to launch its own app store
Wired got an early look at an app marketplace designed by the Army for the Army. It will be populated with titles specific to Army operations and will support both desktop computers and mobile devices. The Army Marketplace will launch with 16 iPhone apps and 17 Android apps, most of which were designed as part of the Apps for Army contest. These apps will be available for a nominal fee to Army employees. The marketplace will let soldiers submit ideas for new apps, which can be discussed by fellow soldiers and developed in-house if possible. Apps that require outside help will be put out to bid and developed by a third-party contractor. Unfortunately, the store is limited to Department of Defense employees only and requires a secure login to gain access to the Marketplace website. This need for tight security poses a problem as the Army does not have a solution in place for authenticating applications on a mobile device. Right now, the Army Marketplace is useful for designing cool apps, but they cannot be downloaded to Army handsets. Last week, the Army took steps towards securing a mobile platform by confirming it is testing Android as the OS to power its first smartphone prototype. This military branch may be examining this iOS competitor closely, but it has not chosen Google's mobile OS as its final solution. In fact, no Android handset has started the certification process overseen by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. A phone has to be approved by this board before it can be considered secure enough to contain government data. The iPhone has entered this process, but it is still months away from approval.