Infrastructure protection

Compressed-air gun stops terrorist boats in their tracks
Compressed air is used on the shoulder-held device to propel a line from a pursuing boat which drags with it a high-tech, high tensile net to disable the target craft’s propulsion system
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"Active cloak" protects buildings from earthquakes
Researchers say real objects could be cloaked by active cloaking — which means the technology uses devices that actively generate electromagnetic fields rather than being composed of “metamaterials” (exotic metallic substances) that passively shield objects from passing electromagnetic waves
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Mexican cartels smuggle oil to US
Mexican drug cartel have a new revenue stream: they siphon oil from Mexican government pipelines and smuggle it into the U.S., where the oil is sold to refineries
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Smart grid gold rush
The competition among companies offering smart grid technology has grown to be pretty fierce in recent years, even more so lately given the $11 billion allocated in the federal government’s American Reinvestment and Recovery Act
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Cybersecurity is now a must for the grid, II
Cyber security has become a permanent part of running an electric plant because connectivity to the outside world is inevitable; plants are bringing together the expertise of consultants, vendors, and their IT departments to ensure that they are well protected
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Scientists develop self-healing surface material
The human skin, when scratched or cut, heals quickly, in most cases leaving no trace of a scar after just a few days; German scientists develop surface material with similar qualities
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$7.7 million in stimulus funds for airport surveillance announced
The stimulus package committed more than $3 billion for homeland security projects through DHS and GSA; of the $1 billion allocated to TSA for aviation security projects, $700 million is dedicated to screening checked baggage and $300 million is allocated for checkpoint explosives detection technology
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Using cell phones to predict floods
Researchers show that variations in microwave transmissions, specifically those used to connect up cell towers, can be used to measure humidity and thus predict flooding
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Experts: local and regional approach better for addressing radioactive waste
The Obama administration has stopped funding for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, so experts say it is now time for a regional and local approach to solving the nuclear waste problem
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Smith & Wesson moves into perimeter security market
Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation to acquire Universal Safety Response, Inc. (USR); USR is the creator of the GRAB vehicle safety barrier; the move expands S&W’s revenue base into commercial, non-firearms categories
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Pervious concrete may eliminate need for storm drains
A Minnesota town experiments with a new concrete paving method that lets rainwater pass right through the street surface to prevent damaging runoff
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Hiding buildings from earthquakes
The seismic waves of an earthquake fall into two main groups: body waves that propagate through the Earth, and surface waves that travel only across the surface; invisibility cloaks could be used to make buildings invisible to surface waves
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House panel votes for mandating safer technology at chemical plants
In a setback to the chemical industry, the House Homeland Security Committee approved a bill yesterday that could make chemical facilities use safer technologies and open them to civil lawsuits when they violate regulations
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Building sturdier structures in hurricane-prone areas
The hurricane season is upon us; an architecture professor offers tips on how to build — and how not to build — sturdier structures in hurricane-prone regions
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Chemical industry urges Congress not to alter chemical facility security law
The Chemical Facility Security Act of 2006 introduced federal seafety standards to govern chemical plants, but also contained major concessions to the industry; the industry wants Congress to reauthorize the act without alterations
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