Hasta La Gadget!

The US military has officially solidified its reputation as a flake, by banning the use of all removable media including thumb drives, CDs and DVDs again on its Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRnet) after relaxing the same policy in February. To prove they meant business this time, senior officers in each branch relayed the orders and reaffirmed personnel would risk of court-martial if they failed to comply. This seems silly to us considering Uncle Sam feels comfortable giving some cell phones access to secure data, and we all know how much damage losing one can cause. But then again, if history and Transformers are any indication, sometimes it’s these little things that cause bigger breaches than anything Cyber Command focuses on stopping.

US Military bans removable media again, this time probably for good originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 01:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wikileaks is a flawed endeavor represented publicly by a smug egotist. But it deserves the respect and support of anyone who prioritizes the privacy of individuals over that of governments. More »

University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies has just moved into 72,000-square feet of shiny new facilities in Playa Vista, California — on the same grounds which once served as the headquarters for Howard Hughes’ aircraft company. Funded by the US Army to develop virtual reality technology, the ICT’s work is now found on 65 military sites across the country. Before your brain starts wandering towards thoughts of Call of Duty on military-grade steroids though, keep in mind that much of the institute’s innovations revolve around simulating surrogate interactions with so-called “virtual humans”. For example, thanks to advanced AI language programming, soldier patients projected on life size semi-transparent screens help teach doctors about treating combat trauma, while virtual Army personnel characters such as Sergeant Star can interact naturally with soldiers in leadership training exercises.

Still, that shouldn’t imply ITC doesn’t dabble in good ole’ fashion combat simulation work. In fact, it’s currently running a training exercise on three military bases designed to prepare soldiers for an insurgent ambush within a highly-realistic virtual town reconstructed from satellite imagery. No, it may not sound as wild as robotic exoskeletons, flying Humvees or ultrasound-based mind control, but it does make your life on The Sims seem totally fake. To judge for yourself, check out the video overview on the next page.

Continue reading USC Institute for Creative Technologies gets new building to amp up its military VR work

USC Institute for Creative Technologies gets new building to amp up its military VR work originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 07:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The military believes that it has solved the mystery of the “mystery missile” that was spotted off of the coast of Los Angeles yesterday. Turns out the contrail actually belong to a plane all along.

Earlier today, the Department of Defense rejected rumors that a missile had been launched that close to the coast of California. Of course, what precisely caused the big trail in the sky, the military couldn’t say.

A few hours later, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan amended the original open-ended statement, “There is no evidence to suggest that this is anything else other than a condensation trail from an aircraft.” He also used the opportunity to insist that, as the Pentagon had stated before, whatever caused the contrail presented no threat to the U.S.

Defense and aerospace expert John Pike had some less than favorable things to say about the Defense Department’s original assessment–or lack thereof, “This thing is so obviously an airplane contrail, and yet apparently all the king’s horses and all the king’s men can’t find someone to stand up and say it.”

So, there you have it. Mystery solved. Or is that just what they want us to think?

You know what’s a creepy phrase? “Mystery Missile.” It’s
trending on Google today, due to some video captured by a KCBS helicopter, around
Catalina Island, roughly 35 miles off the coast of Los
Angeles.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command addressed the
footage, confirming its existence, but stating that it posed not threat, “We
are aware of the unexplained contrail reported off the coast of Southern
California yesterday evening,” organization wrote. “We
can confirm that there is no indication of any threat to our nation and we will
provide more information as it becomes available.”

Well, that’s almost reassuring, right? Video after the jump.