DJ Hero Review
Research reveals the most reliable vehicles Research reveals the most reliable vehicles
The Wall of Sound booms out 125W of tube-driven audio The Wall of Sound: the world's most powerful iPod dock unleashed
The boat tail mounted on the rear of the test truck Boat tail reduces truck fuel consumption by 7.5 percent
Green Wavelength's radical departure from conventional wind turbine design Green Wavelength unveils bumblebee inspired wind turbine
The Opera camper trailer has every conceivable luxury: electrically-adjustable beds, hot a... ‘Opera’ luxury camper trailer hits a high note
MORE TOP STORIES »

Military

« Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next »
MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

Bullet Flight 1.0.0 – the US$15 iPhone app for snipers

By Mike Hanlon

00:51 January 21, 2009 PST

Bullet Flight 1.0.0 – the US$15 iPhone app for snipers

The rapid advancement of technology on all fronts has yielded some fascinating mash-ups to make life easier for small groups of people with specific needs and the US$15 KAC Bullet Flight 1.0.0 iPhone app and rifle iPhone mount are a case in point – they are just perfect for the sniper/hunter. One of the many skills of the modern day marksman is mathematics – to measure or estimate the range, cross winds, and calculate the allowances needed for one shot to hit its target after travelling up to 2000 yards. Bullet Flight turns the iPhone into a handy, touch screen, ballistics computer using the iPhone’s accelerometer to calculate angles, providing highly detailed, very quick solutions out to 2000 metres. The KAC mounting attaches an off-the-shelf Otterbox ruggedising case. You can also download different weapon and ammunition profiles (it comes with three) and even subscribe to highly detailed weather and forecast information, not to mention listen to music whilst you await your quarry. BTW – this scares us to death! Read More

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

The Magpul FMG9 Netbook-sized Folding Machine Gun

By Mike Hanlon

18:41 January 5, 2009 PST

 The Magpul FMG9 Netbook-sized Folding Machine Gun

You can’t always judge a book by its cover and the Netbook-sized Magpul FMG9 is about as deceptive as they come. It looks like an industrial torch or a portable radio, and will fit in a girl’s handbag or the back pocket of a pair of jeans. One click later, the spring-assisted deployment mechanism snaps and you have a sub machine gun ready to fire. The innocuous FMG acronym stands for Folding Machine Gun and its small size and lightweight polymer casing belie its firepower - folded it holds 31 9x19 mm NATO rounds in a Glock magazine and although the prototype was only semi-automatic, a fully automatic version will almost certainly be available if production goes ahead. What’s the bet Q hands one of these to 007 in the next movie? Read More

SPY GEAR

LightSpeed binoculars transmit sound and video

By Kyle Sherer

15:38 December 22, 2008 PST

LightSpeed Binoculars

December 22, 2008 Torrey Pines Logic has designed an optical system that allows people to speak to the person they’re looking at. The LightSpeed uses infrared LEDs to transmit the wearer’s voice via a secure optical beam to another LightSpeed model. The data channel used by the binoculars can accommodate Ethernet, video streaming and multi-channel audio data, and the devices transmit data at 1Mpbs, at distances exceeding 5km. Read More

MILITARY

Wearable sniper detection to be deployed in Iraq

By Kyle Sherer

17:45 December 2, 2008 PST

QinetiQ's wearable sniper detector has been ruggedized for use in combat in Afghanistan an...

A wearable sniper detection system is to be used by troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan in the US Army’s first large-scale deployment of its type. The Soldier-Wearable Acoustic Targeting System (SWATS) can pinpoint the location of snipers after a single gunshot, audibly informing soldiers of the point of origin. Read More

ROBOTICS

The multi-skilled Dragon Runner ground robot

By Noel McKeegan

03:45 December 1, 2008 PST

Dragon Runner Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV)

Both in the air and on the ground, unmanned robotic systems have been deployed to battlefields in growing numbers over the past decade and it's safe to predict that these numbers will only grow in coming years. The reason is simple - they keep human beings out of the firing line. The latest example to join QinetiQ North America's TALON family is the versatile Dragon Runner Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV) - a lightweight, portable modular robot which can be quickly configured for both reconnaissance and improvised explosive device (IED) disarmament. Read More

AERO GIZMO

F-35 Lightning II breaks sound barrier

By Kyle Sherer

13:30 November 18, 2008 PST

F-35 JSF
 Photo: Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin has promised that its fifth gen F-35 fighter will allow pilots to “do things that were previously considered impossible, and to think things that were previously unthinkable.” Almost two years after its maiden flight, the F-35 Lightning II has reached another development milestone – supersonic flight. Test pilot Jon Beesley accelerated the F-35 AA-1 to Mach 1.05, with a full internal load of dummy weapons. Read More

ROBOTICS

Robo-Bat: mini spy-plane of the future?

By Noel McKeegan

21:44 November 6, 2008 PST

Six-inch bat spy
 Photo Credit: Eric Maslowsk

Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) undoubtedly have the potential to revolutionize both military and civilian surveillance operations, and the quest to find the most efficient design for these airborne spies of the future is leading to all kinds of radical platforms being investigated. Several are derived from nature, where evolution has produced designs that out-strip the performance and efficiency of humanity's aerial achievements on a proportional scale. Even extinct examples like the pterodactyl are not immune from this scrutiny, but in this case, the inspiration comes from the only mammal naturally capable of flight - the bat. Read More

SPY GEAR

Bullet-proof polo shirt

By Darren Quick

02:51 October 14, 2008 PDT

The stylish Miguel Caballero bullet-proof polo shirt.

For those occasions when a bullet-proof gentleman’s square just won’t do, there is the bullet-proof polo shirt. The US$12,000 anti-ballistic shirt from Columbian designer Miguel Caballerois is made of ultra-lightweight, bullet-proof fabric and features removable ballistic panels designed to offer protection from weaponry ranging from a 9mm pistol to an Uzi. Read More

SPY GEAR

Finally, a bullet-proof handkerchief

By Darren Quick

15:42 October 12, 2008 PDT

The Bullet-Proof Gentleman’s Squares - a must for any wardrobe.

Where would any discerning gentleman be without the humble handkerchief? They provide a fashionable place to deposit one’s nasal excretions, are a convenient place to dry one’s hands when caught without a towel, and are able to deflect bullets when one is caught in the middle of a gunfight. That’s right, the invention we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived with the release of the ‘Bullet-Proof Gentleman’s Pocket Square’. Read More

MILITARY

Northrop Grumman delivers compact high-energy laser to USAF

By Noel McKeegan

18:02 October 8, 2008 PDT

Vesta II compact high-energy laser from Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman has delivered the first production-line high-power, solid-state laser to the US Air Force. Called Vesta II, the transportable 15kW device is an add-on to the Joint High Power Solid State Laser (JHPSSL) program and will be used as a "testing device for lethality, atmospheric propagation, long-range imaging and laser weapon applications". The push-button laser is a further step towards the 100kW power level goal set by the U.S. military for combat purposes which will see weapons capable of shooting down rockets and missiles. Read More

AERO GIZMO

Pterodactyl-based UAV design for urban combat scenarios

By Kyle Sherer

16:29 October 7, 2008 PDT

Texas Tech University paleontologist Sankar Chaterjee
 Image: Texas Tech University (http:...

Scientists have designed a highly-maneuverable UAV modeled on a 228-million-year-old pterodactyl. The 30-inch robotic craft would alter its wing shape to “squeeze through confined spaces, dive between buildings, travel under overpasses, land on apartment balconies, and sail along the coastline.” Read More

AERO GIZMO

Historic WWII Ford airplane to go under the hammer

By Emily Clark

18:08 October 2, 2008 PDT

1929 Ford 4-AT-E Tri-Motor airplane

This rare 1929 Ford 4-AT-E Tri-Motor airplane is set to be auctioned in a No Reserve sale by the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company in January 2009. Recently restored to its original specifications, the plane has a fascinating history, having survived bullet fire during the World War II attack at Pearl Harbor. Read More

MILITARY

PAC-3 anti-ballistic missile successfully tested

By Kyle Sherer

01:08 September 19, 2008 PDT

The PAC-3 missile is the first hit-to-kill interceptor produced by the USA, and has greatl...

Lockheed Martin and the Japanese Self Defense Force have successfully tested the PAC-3 Missile against a tactical ballistic missile target, at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The PAC-3 Missile Segment is an upgrade to the Patriot air defense system, and is designed to detect, track, engage and destroy TBMs. Read More

MILITARY

Northrop Grumman to build first new aircraft carrier class in 40 years

By Kyle Sherer

20:16 September 16, 2008 PDT

The Gerald R Ford class carriers will have a larger flight deck, improved weapons handling...

The Gerald R. Ford CVN 78 is the first ship in the first new aircraft carrier class in over 40 years and Northrop Grumman has received a $5.1 billion, seven-year contract for its construction, which is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in 2015. Read More

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

GETAC's ruggedized PC incorporates anti-glare technology

By Kyle Sherer

00:32 September 12, 2008 PDT

GETAC’s Sunlight Readable Technology provides a super-bright 1200 NITS display with ...

GETAC’s ruggedized notebooks are not deterred by rain, nor sleet, nor gloom of night, (not to mention dust, debris, and shock), making them highly reliable for fieldwork. The newly enhanced V100 Notebook/Tablet PC now includes additional protection against glare from the sun - a super-bright 1200 NITS display said to offer six times the screen viewablility of competing products, without affecting battery life or affordability. Read More

AERO GIZMO

AeroVironment receives funding for perch-and-stare micro-UAV

By Noel McKeegan

10:46 August 20, 2008 PDT

AeroVironment's Wasp III UAS

AeroVironment has been awarded $4.6 million in funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop a new generation small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) with "perch-and-stare" surveillance capabilities. The micro-air vehicle will be based on the company's smallest existing UAS platform - Wasp. Read More

ROBOTICS

iRobot Negotiator civil response robot

By Emily Clark

08:46 August 11, 2008 PDT

iRobot Negotiator

Best known to Gizmag readers for its range of home helper bots, iRobot is now expanding its line-up to include the growing need for public safety robots. The new iRobot Negotiator is a low-cost, tactical robot designed to meet the basic reconnaissance needs of public safety professionals, such as police and fire departments, counter-terrorism forces and domestic security experts. Read More

MILITARY

Reaper UAV deployed in Iraq

By Kyle Sherer

10:12 August 6, 2008 PDT

The combination of payload capacity and loiter endurance makes the Reaper highly valuable ...

The MQ-9 Reaper, a hunter-killer UAV with long loitering capability, has completed its first operational mission in Iraq. The craft has been used in Afghanistan since 2007, clocking 3,800 hours and attacking 16 targets with 500-pound bombs and Hellfire missiles. Read More

MILITARY

The Garmin eTrex that survived a bomb blast

By Tim Hanlon

01:14 July 30, 2008 PDT

The Garmin eTrex that survived a bomb blast

July 30, 2008 Ever wondered just how rugged Garmin's eTrex GPS actually is? Take a look at these photos of fully functioning eTrex that's been through a bomb blast of sufficient magnitude to completely write off a Humvee. Read More

MILITARY

MEDUSA: Microwave crowd-control raygun

By Loz Blain

12:01 July 18, 2008 PDT

MEDUSA: Microwave crowd-control raygun

As part of the U.S. Navy's investigation into futuristic nonlethal weaponry, the Sierra Nevada Corporation is building a microwave energy pulse gun that can produce a painful screaming sound inside a person's head from a long distance away. The inescapable sound, which is inaudible to untargeted bystanders, can be set to irritate, nauseate or even incapacitate people and animals that lie within range. Future applications may include crowd control, military use and even shopping mall security, provided it proves safe from permanent side effects. The science behind it also has the potential to give hearing to certain deaf people, or even projecting voices into peoples' heads. Read More

AERO GIZMO

Celebrating the Spitfire

By Kyle Sherer

20:04 July 13, 2008 PDT

Elliptical wing designs provided a low thickness-to-chord ratio, as well as allowing a ret...

Bonham and Goodman is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Spitfire becoming operational by offering a 1945 Supermarine Spitfire MK XVI at their inaugural sale of Collector’s Motor Cars and Aircraft, in New Zealand on September 14. There are roughly 44 airworthy Spitfires in existence today, and it’s rare indeed for the general public to be given the opportunity to purchase such an important piece of history. Read More

MILITARY

Boeing announces B-52 airborne electronic attack contract

By Noel McKeegan

19:54 June 30, 2008 PDT

B-52 Stratofortress 
 U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Master Sgt. Mahmoud Rasouliyan

July 1, 2008 Boeing has been awarded a $14.9 million contract by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to develop airborne electronic attack technologies that can be used over long distances. Read More

ROBOTICS

iRobot announces entry into underwater vehicle market

By Emily Clark

23:22 June 10, 2008 PDT

iRobot announces entry into underwater vehicle market

Best known for its ventures in land-based military vehicles and home-helper robots, iRobot has now branched out into the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) market. The company will commercialize "Seaglider" technology from the University of Washington, a system which assists civilian, academic and military personnel in taking oceanographic measurements at a lower cost than traditional research vessels or moored instruments. Read More

MILITARY

MAARS ground robot system ships

By Noel McKeegan

22:54 June 5, 2008 PDT

Multi-response MAARS ground robot

QinetiQ has delivered the first of its combat-ready Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System (MAARS) ground robots to the US military. Read More

AERO GIZMO

AeroVironment to continue Nano Air Vehicle development

By Noel McKeegan

21:42 May 28, 2008 PDT

AV's hand-launched WASP - much smaller unmanned aerial systems are on the way

May 29, 2008 Unmanned aerial vehicles represent one emerging technology that has delivered as promised over the last decade, achieving critical relevance in battlefields situations where they can perform both reconnaissance and combat roles without putting humans in the the line of fire. In addition to the rapid growth and development that has occurred in relation to larger, weapons capable craft, smaller systems have also proved their worth, and the latest announcement from AeroVironment (AV) is further evidence that this sector will continue to flourish. The company which has already established unmanned micro air vehicle (MAV) programs - including the Raven and Wasp III - has now received funding to continue development of an even smaller scale platform dubbed the Nano Air Vehicle (NAV). Read More

« Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next »
 
Editors Choice
Recent Comments Featured Galleries