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Senate, House DHS budget bills differ on programs, technologies
The House and Senate versions of the proposed DHS budget are similar in many ways, but also contain important differences on funding for programs, technologies
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Honeywell Micro Air Vehicle deployed in Iraq
Small ducted-fan UAV — 16 pounds in weight, 13 inches in diameter — deployed in combat missions in Iraq; vehicle suitable for law enforcement and first response missions
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CyberBug receives FAA certification
FAA awards small, hand-launched UAV certificate to operate in national airspace; vehicle equally suitable for law enforcement and commercial applications
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Growing interest in autonomous undersea vehicles
UAVs are already widely used by the military, homeland security, and, increasdigly, law enforcement; could AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicles) be far behind?
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DARPA solicits bids for LANdroids
U.S. military, first responders may scatter droids carrying communication gear to form self-forming, self-healing WiFi network; project aims to improve communication in urban warfare settings
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First round of tests for entrants in DARPA's Urban Challenge
In DARPA’s Grand Challenge, driverless cars competed in traversing a 130-mile course in the Mojave Desert; in Urban Challenge, driverless cars will compete in navigating through urban traffic
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Autonomous see-shoot systems drawing interest
Remotely controlled weapon systems are deployed in the DMZ and around the Gaza strip; we may soon see humans taken out of the see-shoot chain, and such systems deployed around critical infrastructure facilities
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Self-healing plastic demonstrated
University of Illionis researchers show material that can repair itself multiple times without any external intervention
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Identec shows satellite-assisted RFID tag
Security agencies and shippers alike will be able to ascertain “absolute location identification” of tagged assets and personnel
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House deadlocked on DHS budget; Bush threatens veto
Hill Democrats want to add $23 billion, or 6%, to DHS budget over Bush’s February request; White House threatens veto
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Bear-faced robot developed for rescuing wounded troops, first responders
Extracting wounded soldiers from a battlefield — or wounded first responders from a disaster scene — may be dangerous, and a Maryland company is developing a robot to that just that
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EU regulation may limit use of MRI technology
To protect employees in the electricity and mobile-phone industries, the EU formulated regulations limiting exposure to radiation — regulation which may have unintended consequences
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World military spending reaches $1.2 trillion in 2006
SIPRI report says 2006 military spending rose 3.5% over 2005; U.S. spent $529 billion
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New technology to detect common but difficult to detect explosives
MIT researchers synthesized a molecule based on zinc to allow the detection not only of RDX, but of RDX vapors, which are about 1,000 times more difficult to detect than TNT vapors
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U.S. recommends commercial technologies for communication interoperability
While the debate on emergency communication interoperability continues, the U.S. Commerce Department recommends that the federal, state, and local public safety community consider using commercial technologies
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The long view
Nuclear Has Changed. Will the U.S. Change with It?
Fueled by artificial intelligence, cloud service providers, and ambitious new climate regulations, U.S. demand for carbon-free electricity is on the rise. In response, analysts and lawmakers are taking a fresh look at a controversial energy source: nuclear power.
Huge Areas May Face Possibly Fatal Heat Waves if Warming Continues
A new assessment warns that if Earth’s average temperature reaches 2 degrees C over the preindustrial average, widespread areas may become too hot during extreme heat events for many people to survive without artificial cooling.
Exploring the New Nuclear Energy Landscape
In the last few years, the U.S. has seen a resurgence of interest in nuclear energy and its potential for helping meet the nation’s growing demands for clean electricity and energy security. Meanwhile, nuclear energy technologies themselves have advanced, opening up new possibilities for their use.