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Seeing through the Earth's crust, clearlyThe last frontier: DARPA wants to make the Earth's crust transparent
Seeing through the Earth's would allow the development of tools to protect civilian populations from the ravages of natural disasters; these same tools could be used for military purposes against enemies -- detecting, targeting, and destroying hard and buried underground facility (UGF) targets
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Seeing through the Earth's crust, clearlyGeospatial Corporation maps the world under the Earth's crust
Pennsylvania-based Geospatial Corporation -- company's motto: "Mapping the underground / Managing the global infrastructure" -- offers a solution which creates detailed 3D maps of underground regions; the Pentagon has already contracted Geospatial to create 3D maps of the deep earth beneath their "critical facilities"
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Wireless communication solutions for emergency situations
At one time, traditional broadcast networks -- radio and TV -- were adequate for alert services and information dissemination during disasters and emergencies; these means do not allow communication among individuals; modern mobile devices might prove increasingly resilient in emergencies and could be the most accessible platform for the majority of people
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Russia brings back armored trains to fight terrorists
The war in Chechnya is officially over, but attacks on the railway system in neighboring Dagestan have become a major problem; the Russian military brings back the armored train to protect the region's railway system
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Theater of the absurdIsraeli military cancel operation after Facebook disclosure
An Israeli combat solider posted the details of a pending combat operation on Facebook; he disclosed the name of the combat unit, the place of the operation, and the time it will take place; Facebook friends then reported him to military authorities; the operation was canceled and the soldier was court-martialed and sentenced to ten days in the brig
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In the trenchesDARPA looking for military iPhone and Android apps
Pentagon's research arm is looking for apps to be written for the iPhone or for handsets running Google's Android OS -- "with potential relevance to the military specifically and the national security community more generally"
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FCC's new public safety proposal receives mixed response
FCC relaunches the 700 MHz public/private safety initiative; original 2008 auction for Block D failed to reach its reserve price; new FCC plan puts up to $16 billion and more spectrum behind the proposals; public safety organizations disappointed, carrier community remains undecided
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U.S. Army looking for robots to extract wounded soldiers from battlefield
Rescuing wounded soldiers under fire is itself a major cause of military death and injury; the U.S. Army asks inventors to come with idea for a Robotic Combat Casualty Extraction device; the robot should not only be strong and dexterous, but should also be capable of planning an approach and escape route without prior knowledge of the local terrain and geography
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U.S. buys iris scanners for prisons to prevent mistaken release of inmates
The U.S. government has allocated funds for prisons to purchase iris recognition scanning machines; the purpose is create fool-proof system which would prevent inmates from impersonating other inmates to gain early release
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Breast implants save California woman's life
A woman who had breast implants was shot at her work place; the doctor who treated her and a firearm expert with the LAPD say that it was the implant that absorbed the bullet fragments, preventing them from reaching her heart and thus saving her life; the firearms expert adds, though that he would not suggest that breast augmentation is the equivalent of a bulletproof vest
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The unprecedented role of SMS in disaster response
In Haiti, volunteers set up an SMS messaging system which allow individuals in earthquake-affected areas to text their location and urgent needs in real time for free; since the majority of incoming text messages were in Creole, thousands of volunteers agreed to serve as instant translators
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Disaster communicationHughes shows digital signage iPhone application for instant emergency response
Hughes's mobile application enables single-touch, instant delivery of emergency notifications for Hughes MediaSignage networks; application allows network administrators instantly to disseminate critical information and emergency notifications from their iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad devices
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Homeland security educationOakton, NIU to offer degree program in emergency provider fields
Oakton Community College and Northern Illinois University offers police officers, firefighters, and emergency management personnel taking courses there the chance to earn a Northern Illinois University bachelor's degree; bachelor's degrees for first responders have become increasingly important in light of comprehensive training requirements enacted since 9/11
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Israel's latest UAV -- world's largest -- is no game changer
On Sunday Israel has unveiled the Eitan, the world's largest UAV (it has the wingspan of Boeing 737); it will undoubtedly allow the country to look deep inside Iran to provide detailed intelligence, but it is not likely to be a wonder weapon to knock out the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities
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Mathematicians suggest ways to deal with criminal hotspots
Mathematicians suggest that there are two kinds of crime hotspots: "supercritical" and "subcritical"; the mathematicians' equations indicated that rigorous policing could completely eliminate the subcritical hotspots, but would simply displace the supercritical variety
The Long View
U.S. intelligence chief: Mexico not on brink of collapse
There is a debate among different U.S. intelligent services about how close to a collapse Mexico is; Dennis Blair, director of national intelligence, says the drug cartels' escalating violence is a product of their weakening state not their strength
Country watch: Moribund MexicoMexican drug cartels employ more foot soldiers than Mexican army
Mexico is spinning out of control; narco-terrorists have infiltrated the Mexican government, creating a shadow regime that complicates efforts to contain and destroy the drug cartels; Mexico ranks behind only Pakistan and Iran as a top U.S. national security concern -- but above Afghanistan and Iraq
India's private security companies flourish
As a result of the Mumbai attacks, the Indian private security industry has been growing by leaps and bounds; already the country's private security force numbers 5 million, 1.3 million more than India's police forces
Close Quarters Combat // Tzviel (BK) BlankchteinEdged weapon defenses in extremely close proximity
Defending against an edged weapon is always difficult -- even more so in small and confined spaces such as elevators or bathrooms; often injury cannot be avoided, only minimized
U.S. faces lethal combination of transnational terrorism and criminal gangs
Sometime in the near future a lethal combination of transnational terrorism and criminal gangs is going to cross the U.S. border in force
Trend: Private security companies grow Growing crime in Central America boon to private security companies
A combination of a dramatic increase in crime -- from drug-related murders to kidnapping for ransom -- and a growing perception that government agencies cannot or would not do much about it, have led to a boom for private security companies in Central and Latin America
As I Was Saying // Ben FrankelCountdown toward Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has begun
Iran has launched its first domestically made satellite into orbit; missile carrying satellite can be used to carry nuclear warheads to Israel -- and to Europe; the world has not found a way to stop or slow down Iran's nuclear weapons program; this means an Israeli attack on Iran is becoming more likely
