Military tech

A lot of computer gear these days seems to be following the Hummer/SUV trend of the auto industry from the early '90s: the bigger and tougher the better. We've seen, for example, military-grade laptops, keyboards, and even nuke-proof USB drives. So why should LCDs be left out?

Specialty equipment maker Stealth Computer plans to fill that void with the "TuffTouch," a 17-inch touch-screen monitor encased in aluminum alloy for "harsh environment applications," according to the company. The 1,280x1,024 monitor can also be ordered with a built-in "Little PC"--and it'… Read more

The next generation in night vision for the U.S. military may be something that is already a commercial success in such applications as noninvasive medical examinations and silicon wafer inspection.

DARPA is betting on an indium gallium arsenide crystal and shortwave infrared (SWIR) sensor technology developed by Sensors Unlimited (SUI) that works in a wavelength somewhere between the visible and thermal bands. SUI, a subsidiary of Goodrich, has signed a three-year contract with DARPA to develop prototypes of lightweight helmet- and vehicle-mounted cameras based on SWIR technology.

Incorporating advanced materials and circuitry, the cameras detect reflected light at wavelengths … Read more

If washing machines and George Foreman Grills can be used to play MP3s, then why can't the Taser? Everyone's favorite stun-gun maker has found a way to do just that, with a new "music player holster."

The accessory comes with 1GB of memory so you can blast away while blaring The Ride of the Valkyries or whatever else you choose for your theme song, according to Audio Junkies. The black leather case would be the perfect complement to the new Taser C2 "self-defense electronic control device," which can zap a perp up to 15 … Read more

The Pentagon hasn't been saying much about what's up with the Osprey in Iraq. That could be because it doesn't want to jinx what seems to be, after the first three months of deployment, a success story for the long-controversial tilt-rotor aircraft.

(By contrast, try getting it to stop crowing about the performance of a different breed of new aerial technology, unmanned aerial vehicles such as the Reaper.)

Since arriving at Al Asad Airbase last fall, the 10 MV-22 Ospreys of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 have accumulated more than 1,600 hours of flight time, carrying … Read more

Foreign language translation on the battlefield is a dangerous and expensive proposition, and a job the military wants to see automated.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded BBN Technologies a $5.67 million contract to produce a Multilingual Automatic Document Classification Analysis and Translation (MADCAT) prototype capable of quickly converting to English everything from a crumpled, handwritten note in Arabic to computer files in Pashto using a PDA or a laptop.

Seems like a bargain, considering translation services in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere are expected to cost the U.S. taxpayer $4.6 billion over the next … Read more

Imagine buying sneakers and cell phones waterproofed with the same stuff.

You may be able to do that soon with the development of something called Ion Mask, a cold plasma surface enhancement technology developed by the U.K.'s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and the University of Durham now being marketed by spin-off Porton Plasma Innovations (P2i.)

When applied, the technology invisibly modifies the surface of products making them super oil and water repellant. How repellant? It's three times more effective than Teflon, according to P2i.

The treatment works by decreasing the surface energy of virtually any object … Read more

Maybe bleeding to death is the last thing you think about in the morning as you pull on your pants, but it could happen.

That's why a Norfolk, VA based manufacturer of military and law enforcement equipment has developed a uniform with built-in tourniquets, which it says will save lives on the battlefield.

The Warrior Wear Integrated Tourniquet System by Blackhawk Products Group has eight tourniquets; four in the pants and four in the shirt (two in the short sleeve version), which may, in case of injury, be constricted immediately with one hand by the wearer, their buddy or … Read more

High-tech can protect soldiers in the field, but it hasn't been much use against that age-old threat on the home front; and that's Jody, the 4-F opportunist of yore, who's busy bird-doggin' Snuffy's wife while he's 7000 miles away dodging RPGs.

Time was, the cuckold only began to suspect something amiss when he arrived home to find an off brand butt in the car ashtray or a different flavor of beer in the fridge. No more. Here are a few suggestions on how to keep an eye on things while the cat's away.

The … Read more

Here's a product that may solve a dilemma that has dogged combatants ever since man first launched a projectile in anger: How to look and shoot around corners without losing your face.

The Corner Shot consists of a segmented, assault rifle-type folding stock, pistol-grip contraption, onto which is attached a pistol of choice and a compact, detachable color video camera. A lateral left and right swinging hinge mechanism and a remote trigger control allow the user to drop the hammer on targets from behind the safety and comfort of any right-angled structure.

The system, especially designed for urban combat … Read more