• U.K. to test technology to reduce friendly fire accidents

    New technology will allow pilots to identify U.K. soldiers on the ground; the Combat ID Server (CIDS) system will be continuously updated about the location of U.K. troops on the ground; pilots will see these see blips representing U.K. ground units in his or her heads-up display

  • Fuel-cells will extend UAVs' ability to roam the skies

    At present, battery-powered electric UAVs are limited to one to three hours of flight; Massachusetts-based Protonex developed a power systems which allows this flight time to be extended by up to four times

  • New flood warning system developed

    Researchers from the United Kingdom and China develop a software-based flood warning system which takes into account both climate change and corresponding hydrological effects

  • Aussie Defense Department trials sneaky cameras

    One of the biggest shortcomings of facial recognition devices is the angle of image capture; DSTO is toying with “attractors” — lights and sounds emitting devices that draw the attention of passers-by so they inadvertently look directly into a camera

  • Biometric: Promise and peril

    The trend toward digital identification and biometrics appears inexorable; this trend is a boon to companies in biometrics — but it also raises serious privacy concerns

  • Biometric technologies improve, offering greater reliability

    Biometrics is not perfect — but it is improving; biometrics is developing along two lines — physical, which is often more intrusive for the user, and behavioral, which is usually less intrusive; Fujitsu’s Jerry Byrnes: “What was James Bond 15 years ago is biometric reality today”

  • Dutch researchers develop new virus detector

    A prototype of a new system can detect within minutes if an individual is infected with a virus; the system carry out measurements many times faster than standard techniques, and it is also portable

  • Flood-proofing New York City with storm barriers

    New York City faces two problems with water: rising ocean level and surges created by hurricanes and Nor’easters; engineers propose a system of barriers to prevent New Orleans-like flooding

  • Melting Greenland ice threatens northeast U.S., Canada

    The melting of Greenland’s ice sheets is driving more and more water toward the already threatened coastlines of New York, Boston, Halifax, and other cities in the northeastern United States

  • A fish called WANDA

    Aussie researchers develop a robotic fish that can swim toward objects of interest to investigate; the Wireless Aquatic Navigator for Detection and Analysis (WANDA) is propelled by a flexible joint tail fin that is activated through artificial muscles made from a conducting polymer

  • U.S. unprepared for severe solar storms

    Mankind’s vulnerability to disruptions caused by severe solar storms has increased as a result of the increasing dependence of human societies on technology and electricity; a storm on the scale of the 1859 Carrington Event could damage the U.S. electrical grid to such an extent that vast regions of the country could be without power for weeks, perhaps months.

  • Raytheon to develop smart-map battle network for U.S. Army

    Raytheon signs contract to demonstrate smart-map computers which will allow soldiers to see enemy soldiers and each other on the digital maps even where GPS satellite navigation is unavailable

  • EU to rely on advanced network technology to bolster resilience

    EU security agency recommends greater use of advanced networking technologies such as IPv6, DNSSec, and MPLS to strengthen the resilience of communication networks

  • Sci-fi writers advise DHS -- pro bono

    DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) prides itself of thinking around corners; a group of science fiction writers — they see their mission as “science fiction in the national interest” — helps S&T in this endeavor

  • Opgal technology helps identify flu patients

    Israeli company says its heat sensors can help stem the spread of swine flu and other diseases which cause elevated body tempreture