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Water flirtation system for homeland security
One of the early by-products of natural or manmade disaster is contaminated water; a Florida company shows a water-flirtation system mounted on a truck, sutiable for homeland security missions
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JMAR receives $3.1 million to develop X-ray maks
San Diego company, known for its water-quality monitoring system, receives funding to develop X-ray maks for fabrication of high-speed C-RAM with 50-35 nanometer features
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AS&E in $3.4 million deal for backscatter X-ray device
Backscatter X-ray technology gained a modicum of notoriety when it was used to scan passengers for concealed weapons at airports: The technology was so sensitive, that mpassengers appeared naked on the screens of security personnel at check points; the cargo-screening version of the technology is not controversial, and the company is selling it at a brisk pace
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NYPD buys Smiths Detection device for city’s subway system
NYPD is beefing up chemical detection capabilities in the city’s subways, purchasing several hand-held detection devices from a leading manufacturer
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Griffin, ICx merge, bolstering ICx’s chemical detection offerings
ICx wanted to bolster its chemical detection division, so it merged with detection specialist Griffin
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Bruker acquires hand-held X-ray fluorescence specialist KeyMaster
The market for hand-held X-ray fluorescence devices is still small — about $90 million — but it is the fastest-growing segment of X-ray detection devices; Bruker draws the right conclusions and acquires an innovative specialist in the field
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Golan Group shows giant cargo X-Ray machine
Who says you cannot teach an old dog new tricks? This 20-year veteran in the security field is not only versatile, but it keeps adding to its capabilities and offerings, with the latest being a giant cargo scanning machine
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DHS selects New York to test new radiation detection technologies
DHS may have cut some $83 million from its anti-terror grants to New York City, but it has selected a city port to test new radiation detection technology
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DHS tests various weapon detection technologies at rail stations
The terror attacks on Mumbai trains reminded us, if a reminder was needed, of the vulnerability of public transportation; DHS conducts tests in Jersey City, Baltimore, and Atlanta for improving rail transportation safety
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Trend: Growing demand for nuclear radiation detectors •U.S. will spend more than $1 billion on new nuclear radiation detectors *•G8 launches new global nuclear tracking system
DHS has recently awarded contracts worth more than $1.1 billion for the development of new and improved devices to detect radioactive radiation; the department’s goal is not only to deploy the new machines in all the U.S. airports, seaports, and land border crossings – but also to deploy the new systems in and around major U.S. cities; in addition, the U.S. and Russia have launched an ambitious new initiative to track and monitor potential nuclear terrorists; that global initiative, too, will require new and improved technologies
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Explosive detection systems installed in truck weighing stations
A new market opportunity opens up for explosive detection systems: truck weighing stations
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CDEX applies for apparatus patent for chemical detector
A Maryland company has applied for a patent for its illegal-drugs sniffing device; the company says that the patent application is part of its plan to build on its detection technology so it could play a larger role in the growing homeland security market
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Report: Nuclear warheads could explode, release radiation while in transit
Nuclear warheads have to be inspected and refurbished regularly; to this, they are taken off the missiles and submarines where they are deployed and trucked to secure labs; the U.S. and British defense ministries insist that these warheads cannot explode as a result of accident to or terrorist attack on the convoys transporting them back and forth; a new U.K. Ministry of Defense study says this is not the case, and that a partial explosion (fizzle yield) and lethal release of radiation are possible during transit
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AS&E sells more mobile X-ray detection systems in the Middle East
AS&E develops a unique X-ray detection system which allows, among other things, for law enforcement personnel to conduct inconspicuous drive-by scanning; an unnamed country in the Middle East has just purchased several of these systems
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Ahura’s FirstDefender receives industrial design award
When companies design a homeland security piece of equipment, they typically put most, if not all, of their emphasis on the device’s effectiveness; still, a chemical detection device wins a prestigious design prize
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The long view
A new way to sense earthquakes could improve early warning systems
Every year earthquakes worldwide claim hundreds or even thousands of lives. Forewarning allows people to head for safety and a matter of seconds could spell the difference between life and death. Researchers demonstrate a new earthquake detection method — their technique exploits subtle telltale gravitational signals traveling ahead of the tremors. Future research could boost early warning systems.