Surveillance

Enjoying the benefits of GPS technology without giving up on privacy
The proliferation of location-based services raises the specter of an Orwellian Big Brother society in which a citizen’s every move is monitored and tracked; two computer scientists offer a way to enjoy the benefits of location-based services, while avoiding the more sinister aspects of the technology
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Maker of small UAV raises $25 million
Insitu makes small, light UAVs aiming to tip soldiers off to an impending ambush or track the car of a terrorism suspect; company raises $25 million in fourth round; UAV market will expand from the current $3.4 billion per year worldwide to $7.3 billion within ten years
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Another milestone for SBSS
Boeing successfully tests the visible sensor, payload electronics, and high speed gimbal of the Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) system
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Qinetiq selected for £5 million slice of Watchkeeper contract
U.K. contractor selected for £5 million contract to deliver a critical part of the £800 million Watchkeeper UAV project; Watchkeeper project is designed to provide U.K. armed forces with specialized surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities
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Unmanned aircraft will challenge air traffic control
The rapid growth in the number of UAVs flying the skies for a variety of purposes leads to serious discussion of a UAV air-traffic control system to monitor their flight and prevent accidents
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Unmanned aircraft takes off and lands on water on its own
Wolverine researchers develop a UAV which is the first seaplane that can initiate and perform its own takeoffs and landings on water; funded by DARPA, the vehicle will fit into DOD’s “persistent ocean surveillance” program
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Companies join to create the RFID Consortium
The consortium will license patents that are essential to making products supporting the UHF RFID Standards announced by EPCglobal and ISO/IEC
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FLIR Systems received $2 million contracts to boost airport security
Thermal imaging specialist finds its cameras in demand at U.S. airports; cameras are suitable for securing the long perimeters typically associated with major airports
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Report sees double-digit growth for CCTV market
The world-wide CCTV market is expected to grow by 13 percent year-on-year until 2011; global demand for conventional CCTV systems is trending downward, while demand for IP-based CCTV surveillance grows
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Cernium raises $10 million
Virginia-based video analytic specialist raises $10 million from Chicago investor
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British Army orders additional Desert Hawk III
Lockheed Martin’s Desert Hawk III unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) is capable of operating in high-wind environments, such as those prevailing in deserts, and is less detectable by ground-based foes; the UK wants more of them
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Inexpensive sensors could capture your every move
A system of cheap and small sensors is similar to, but much simpler than, bats’ ultrasonic echolocation, and together with the motion sensors provides a more accurate overall picture of body movement
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NSA may have put secret back door in new encryption protocol
The U.S. government released NIST Special Publication 800-90 — a new official standard for random-number generators — earlier this year; the document contains four different approved techniques (Deterministic Random Bit Generators); one of those generators — the one based on elliptic curves and championed by the NSA — is three orders of magnitude slower than its peers; Why?
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Border Web cameras along Texas-Mexico border go online again
Texas governor Rick Perry found the funds to have virtual watch up and running — again — as early as January; Texans can register to have 200 border cameras feed images to their home PCs; if they see people crossing the border, the can call or e-mail authorities
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Frost & Sullivan to make UAV presentation
UAVs play an ever-growing role in defense and homeland security missions; Frost & Sullivan will brief interested investors on the potential of the European market for UAVs
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