Posts Tagged ‘weapons & security’

While Military Spends Millions, Two Guys Make Puke-Ray Gun on the Cheap

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puke_gun_webThe U.S. Military has been after a vomit-inducing weapon for years. The idea is to use flashing lights that can make an enemy so dizzy, he hurls (and thereby becomes disoriented and unable to fight).

But while the government has sunk millions into creating the perfect spew-ray gun, a couple of hardware hackers recently slapped one together for around $250.

From Wired.com:

Using a flashlight from Sears, a set of three-dollar LEDs, a nine-volt battery, and a heat sink ripped off a PC processor, they managed to put together a functioning dazzler-cum-vomit-beam. And then they published step-by-step instructions on how you can build one, too.

Click here for the video, if you think your stomach is strong enough.

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Discoblog: Pentagon’s New Plan to Rain Down Painful Beams From the Sky
Discoblog: U.S. Military Takes on the War Against…Bugs

Image: ladyada.net

September 29th, 2009 Tags: ,
by Brett Israel in Technology Attacks! | 3 Comments » | RSS feed | Trackback >

Unmanned Spy Planes Become Medical Messengers

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uavThe domain of unmanned spy planes is expanding beyond war zones—last month the British government announced plans to use these flying robots to help out police at home. But here’s a more feel-good use for unmanned drones: Researchers at the South African National Health Laboratory Service want to use these robots in the service of medicine, converting them in electronic carrier pigeons to move supplies.

South Africa has many remote areas that are difficult to reach, especially when the weather turns bad. So scientists want to send in the robots. The researchers had South African entrepreneur Jaco Davel create a smaller and cheaper unmanned aerial vehicle that could be launched by hand; these unmanned craft could be preprogrammed for landing, or hospitals could control them manually.

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September 12th, 2008 Tags:
by Andrew Moseman in Diseases, Injuries, & Other Ailments, Technology Attacks! | No Comments » | RSS feed | Trackback >

The Navy’s Old Ships Get a Second Life… As Fish Residences

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OriskanyHave you ever seen those aquarium ornaments that look like shipwrecks? Well, the U.S. Navy is applying that idea in real life.

In 2006, the Navy intentionally sank one of its old boats off the coast of Pensacola, Fla. The U.S.S. Oriskany, which had served in the Korean and Vietnam wars and launched the last bombing mission of Sen. John McCain, became an “artificial reef.” The Navy has 59 decommissioned ships sitting around and nothing to do with them—while most will become scraps, some might become reefs. But is sinking more old ships really a good idea?

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August 19th, 2008 Tags: , ,
by Andrew Moseman in Pollution Solutions (& Disasters), The Wide (& Strange) World of Animals | 2 Comments » | RSS feed | Trackback >

Pilots Attacked By Frickin’ Laser Beams

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Last Friday night between 10:15 and 10:30 pm, six airplanes flying into Sydney Airport were victims of the city’s first coordinated laser attack, in which some miscreants shined lasers at the folks operating the flying tin cans carrying lots of people. The potentially dangerous maneuver provoked the government to consider banning laser pointers or classifying them as illegal weapons. (Shining laser beams at aircraft is already punishable by two years’ jail time and fines of up to $30,000.)

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April 1st, 2008 Tags: ,
by Lizzie Buchen in Diseases, Injuries, & Other Ailments, Technology Attacks! | 2 Comments » | RSS feed | Trackback >