technology

Special operations getting smart technology for better teamwork and higher precision

Special Operations Forces (SOF), such as the Navy SEALs and Delta Force, may soon get a new type of technology that gives them additional eyes on the ground, make airstrikes more accurate, and help them better discern enemy fighters from civilians.

Using this new technology, troops will be able to livestream video back to command, see through each-other’s eyes, track targets, and call in air strikes—using just their smartphones.

The new technology could roll out soon. The company that develops it, CrowdOptic, received a rapid prototyping request from SOFWERX, which is a partnership between Doolittle Institute and U.S. Special Operations Command. Under the request, which CrowdOptic received on Sept. 8, they are expected to have a working prototype available by Sept. 30.

According to CrowdOptic CEO Jon Fisher, the technology works on just about any device with a sensor, from smart glasses to drones, but they’ll be starting with smartphones since troops with SOF use personal phones as their main communication devices while on the field.

“It’s the phones first because that’s what’s everywhere for the military,” Fisher said.

The technology works by linking data between multiple devices and finding common information between them. It can also detect the direction a device is facing, and Fisher noted “with that type of content you can do some incredible things.” This opens many doors for new technology that Fisher said could benefit anyone from warfighters to firefighters, and in industries from police work to entertainment.

The technology has been framed before as a tool that lets you “see through walls.” This is partially true, since by using smart glasses and syncing them with cameras fixated in various locations, a wearer can look in the directions of different cameras to see what they see. The CrowdOptic technology is being used this way by San Francisco Zoo’s wolf exhibit.

Since the technology can sync multiple devices and find common information, it can also be used to interconnect what various people are looking at through smart glasses. The Denver Broncos are using CrowdOptic technology, for example, to detect where fans are looking on the field, and to use this data to find the best camera angles of the action.

NYPD’s Intelligence Division: answering the terrorism challenge post 9/11

The Deep Undercover Program

The Intelligence Division Undercover [UC] Program is arguably the most unique in the world. It consisted of young officers – typically 22-26 years old – almost all born abroad or first generation Americans, all U.S. citizens, and all with native fluency in languages ranging from Bengali to Urdu. Over time, the cadre consisted of men and women with roots in over a dozen countries, mostly South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Instead of using experienced detectives who couldn’t blend in with investigative subjects, these rookies entered the Department via the Intelligence Division rather than the Police Academy. Hand chosen, they were smart, highly motivated, and fully understanding of the complexity of what they were about to do as professionals.

Navy SEALs are about to get more lethal

The vehicle is able to hold up to eight SEALs and their gear, in addition to a pilot and navigator.

The submersible consists of three compartments: a swimmers’ compartment where the SEALs will ride for the duration of the time, a “line in and line out” compartment where they exit and enter the submersible, and a compartment for the navigator and pilot.

The swimmers’ compartment is only about 10 to 12 feet long, which could be a tight squeeze for eight SEALs.

The U.S. Air Force wants to detonate plasma bombs in the atmosphere

Though using plasma bombs may be unconventional and even controversial, the science behind the Air Force’s plan is sound. By releasing plasma bombs into the atmosphere, the Air Force would increase the quantity of ions in the layer of the atmosphere known as the ionosphere, which starts at an altitude of approximately 60 kilometers.

Apple just received a patent for a ‘war situation’ device

It’s for a “steering device” on large vehicles with pivot joints to help them turn. Think of accordion buses or the way semi-trucks work. But according to the approved patent filing published Tuesday, the invention could be intended for vehicles in a “war situation.” So what gives? While the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted […]