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U.K. military employs hovering droids in Afghanistan
Hovering petrol-powered prowler patrols to check Afghan ambush alleys so soldiers do not have to; device may be used by law enforcement in urban areas — and future systems may carry weapons
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U.K. Home Office denies remote snooping plan
There have been discussions among EU ministers about giving police more authority to snoop on crime and terror suspects remotely, but the legal framework to do so is yet be created; what is more, techies says it cannot be done
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Not yet ready for prime time: RFID technology
RFID technology is incorporated into more and more documents (e-passports, enhanced driver’s licenses); trouble is, the technology still suffers from privacy and security vulnerabilities
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NORAD continues tradition of tracking Santa Claus
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is using twenty-first century gear to track Santa Claus: Streaming video, Santa Cams, Google Maps, and Google Earth (and Google Analytics, to watch the watchers)
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SwissCopter in $15 million Middle East deal
Swiss developer of manned and unmanned systems for surveillance and search-and-rescue — and the innovative software these systems use — receives an order from an “unnamed Middle Eastern government”
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Israel-made UAVs gain popularity among world's armies
Israeli-made Heron UAVs will be introduced to the Afghani theater by the Canadian military; Turkey, India, and Georgia have struck deals for various Israeli UAVs; Russia was impressed with the UAV performance (in Georgian hands) during the August 2008 Russia-Georgia war, that the Russian military is buying them
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New surveillance system identifies suspicious, lost people
New surveillance software will attempt to recognize whether a person on the street is acting suspiciously or appears to be lost; intelligent video cameras will be connected to large video screens and geo-referencing software to help law enforcement and security agencies
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Northrop Grumman unveils the X-47B
The large UAV — it has a 62-ft. wingspan and weighs around 45,000 pounds at takeoff — is the U.S. military’s principal vanguard for a potential new age of stealthy, autonomous combat aircraft
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The Blackwater example: Private security booming
The war on terror has been a boon for private security companies; Blackwater is one of the more obvious success stories; the company is expanding its menu of offerings: it is wrapping up work on its own armored vehicle, the Grizzly, as well as its Polar Airship 400, a surveillance blimp
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UAV to patrol U.S. northern border in January
The first UAV is expected to begin patrolling the U.S.-Canada border in January
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U.K. government grants itself even more data sharing power
A U.K. government proposal debated in Parliament this week would increase the ability of different government arms to share data
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High-powered laser for refueling aircraft
Moving military units from theater to theater is a challenge for the military’s lift capabilities; an integral part of such capabilities is the ability to refuel aircraft in mid-flight, which is dangerous; researchers offer a way to use laser to recharge the plane’s batteries; for now the system is limited to surveillance UAVs, but the developers envision it being used for larger planes
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Here they go again: China demands access to Western computer security
Another crisis in U.S.-China trade relations looms, as China, again, is about to introduce rules which would allow Chinese companies to steal Western industrial secrets, and would allow the Chinese government more tightly to monitor what the Chinese people say and read
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Boeing's new UAV idea
Boeing has applied for a patent for a UAV that can stay aloft for 10 days or more at 60,000 feet, and for as long as 30 days at lower altitudes, all while carrying payloads of up to 450 kilograms
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EU considers allowing police to place Trojans on suspects' computers
Remote searches of suspects’ computers could become a mainstay of cybercrime investigations under a new EU strategy announced last week
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The long view
How DHS Laid the Groundwork for More Intelligence Abuse
I&A, the lead intelligence unit of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) —long plagued by politicized targeting, permissive rules, and a toxic culture —has undergone a transformation over the last two years. Spencer Reynolds writes that this effort falls short. “Ultimately, Congress must rein in I&A,” he adds.