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Predator B to return to the Arizona skies
Six months after a crash cast doubt on UAV reliability and cost, DHS is ready to try again; Predator B a government favorite despite problems, and two others are scheduled for delivery soon
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Northrop Grumman decides to enter Navy UAV competition
Company proposes its Global Hawk for the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance program; cost remains an issue for widespread UAV deployment, but Navy sees much to gain in a technology with a long flight time and a high ceiling
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Security officials worry about Google Earth
Terrorists may use satellite images to identify targets and plan attacks, experts say; concern is global as Dutch, Russians, and others worry; democratizing Internet spreads access to high resolution photographs; rogue nations the big winners here
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CACI joins Alien Technology’s RFID Solution Center
Wal-Mart, the Pentagon, and a growing list of other organizations now demand that suppliers tags their supplies with RFIDs in order to manage supply chain operations better; more and more governments around the world are creating documents for their citizens — from passports to driver licenses — which incorporate RFID technology; little wonder, then one of the largest government contractors join the center for the technology created by one of the leading companies in the field
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RFID-based airline baggage handling tested
RFID technology is spreading to more and more sectors of the economy; the latest to test the RF tracking system are airlines and airports, both aiming to make baggage handling more streamlined and accurate; challenges for the adoption of the technology remain, though, chief among them is cost
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3VR video management system tracks faces with low bandwidth costs
By turning images into metadata, system cuts down on transmission and storage fees while giving security officials a fast way to sort through footage; 3VR approach takes individual snapshots as it records, allowing for easy searches later on
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Researchers discover alghorithmic method of identifying naked bodies
Innovative image analysis approach is designed to combat pornography in the workplace, but creative security personnel may find inspiration for video analytics
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Lockheed Martin to develop stratospheric airship fabric
It’s not your father’s Hindenburg; dirigibles — in their traditional, lighter-than-air configuration or in hybrid form — are gaining popularity as intelligence observation posts high in the sky (Israel, for example, has one parked high above the Gaza Strip, and a couple in the north, keeping an eye on the goings on inside Lebanon); the Pentagon wants airships for intelligence, too, but it is also considering the craft for transporting troops and equipment; oil and gas companies want to use them to ferry supplies and equipment to remote locations, and other commercial entities show interest as well
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Ingersoll Rand announces new Security Management System
Schlage technology will replace the Geoffrey access control system; company intices clients with four different price packages; company also reveals Schlage mobile video manager
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Dreambox announces upgrades to its CCTV management system
Surveillance in a box approach offers digital recording, two-way audio, and site security management
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ObjectVideo deploys video analytic software to Port of Texas City
Deal follows on successes with Madrid, Spain and HSARPA, among others; software is able to detect violations of predetermined behavioral rules, allowing fewer employees to cover more ground; video analytics a new but growing field; stronger algorithms will take the industry into the future
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Fuel cells' promise for low power, long run-time devices
Two New Jersey companies demonstrate a fuel cell-powered wireless camera prototype system with infrared sensing and audio capability; the device is ideal for perimeter defense, border monitoring, batlefield observation, and more
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SecureRF announces new breakthrough in RFID cryptography
Algebraic Eraser algorithms rely on a large quantity of small numbers to stop digital pick-pocketing; technique increases processing speed without compromising security
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Vidient announces new improvements to its SmartCatch video analytics software
Changes include new ways to recognize congested traffic, suspicious behaviors; software now includes XML standard templates and an icon-based map manager
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Saab in development talks for new UAV
Company looking to build on pre-existing airframe designs; currently in talks with manufacturers; low observable technologies to be excluded
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The long view
“Surveillance: From Vision to Data” Explores History of Surveillance
The term surveillance may suggest images of high-tech cameras or George Orwell’s ever-watching Big Brother, but surveillance involves more than watching and being watched. To understand surveillance and its consequences, look to data: who collects it, what information is compiled, how it is interpreted, and ultimately, why it matters.
Outsourcing Surveillance: A Cost-Effective Strategy to Maintain Maritime Supremacy
Persistent surveillance is one of the most valuable types of surveillance missions. But, Josh Portzer and Aaron Stein write, “Persistent surveillance is a challenging problem for two reasons: capacity and cost. In today’s budgetary climate, “simply increasing U.S. military capacity is not tenable. [But] by increasing the number of sensors globally, the Department of Defense would not only gain valuable, near-persistent surveillance data in areas of interest at (relatively) affordable prices, but also would enjoy the option of gray-zone operations given the strategic ambiguity that outsourcing provides.”