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Robot pilots prove adept at refuelling tasks
Mid-air refueling is tricky, but DARPA has been testing robots that perform the mission impressively
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Directed-energy gun maker receives more money
Critics charge that Ionatron’s ray-gun idea is a “pipe dream on a fast track to zero,” but the weapon system perseveres, and receives more research money from the military
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Vestal shows hand-grenade watch
California company offers a Grenade Watch: It gives you that chic, snappy suicide-bomber look without having to undergo demanding training in Pakistan, messy explosions, and painful martyrdom
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U.S. military grapples with UAV control questions
As more and more UAVs are deployed in the theater, and as the military envisions a UAV-dependent future, the armed services are locked in a bitter fight over who will control these systems
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Behvioral observation method to help athletes, doctors
Technology used to observe and identify suspicious behavior in crowds will be used to help U.K. athletes prepare for 2012 Olympic Games; DARPA uses similar technique to help develop more human-like artifical limbs for injured soldiers
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Eye-catching new Taser sparks controversy
Taser International, not a stranger to controversy, unveils a new — and controversial — designer taser gun; some of the nation’s top police authorities are concerned that the gadgets could easily wind up in the wrong hands
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Costs of changing U.S. passport system to reach $1 billion
Congress, DHS want Amercians traveling to Western Hemisphere countries to carry passports; the administration initially figured it would cost $289 million between 2006 and 2008 to handle the increase in demand for passports; in fact, it will cost about 1 billion
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Company shows new non-lethal weapon
Intelligent Optical Systems unveils its LED Incapacitator, a non-lethal defense system for law enforcement and antiterrorism
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Elbit Systems reports second quarter 2007 results
Innovative defense contractor acquires Tadira Communication, shows 36 percent revenue growth over second quarter 2006
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Jammers increasingly used to fight IEDs
From July 2003 to July 2007, 1,565 coalition forces were killed by IEDs; by the end of 2007, the Pentagon will have funded more than 30,000 jammers for Marine and Army units; DOD has spent $1.6 billion on jamming technology for this fiscal year; opportunities for technology companies
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DARPA outlines technologies in which it is most interested
From chip-scale atomic clock to real-time accurate language translation to Newton’s laws for biology, DARPA is funding research along a broad front
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3,000 life-saving radios go unused in Chicago
Motorola supplies city with sophisticated emergency radios, but aging radio towers can not take heavy digital equipment, so emergency communication upgrades must wait
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Analyzing intentions and behavior from afar
Security firms working on devices to spot would-be terrorists in crowd; emphasis on analyzing behavior and physiology from afar
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DHS increases size of Nanomix grant
In January DHS awarded a grant to a specialist in nanoelectronic detection; the department liked the company’s progress, and increased the amount of the grant
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Bush administration upholds phone ban in Qualcomm patent dispute
Bush administration upholds import ban on phones which contain Qualcomm chips; DHS review finds no justification to oppose the ban on public safety grounds
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More headlines
The long view
Critical Minerals: The Quiet Achievers Gallium and Germanium
Australia produces 14 of the 31 critical minerals essential for modern technology and renewable energy. Gallium and germanium, critical for high-tech applications, are by-products of processing other minerals. Strategic mineral management and advanced processing can significantly boost Australia’s economic and global market position.
Bringing GPT to the Grid
Much has been discussed about the promise and limitations of large-language models in industries such as education, healthcare and even manufacturing. But what about energy? Could large-language models (LLMs), like those that power ChatGPT, help run and maintain the energy grid?