The software, as far as I can tell, is a simple data-leeching utility. With a satellite dish and a few parameters (Packet IDs and transponder codes, which you can evidently scan for) you can tap into downstream data feeds, and essentially recording whatever data is transmitted to (specific) other users on a satellite network. How the insurgents got the proper parameters for predator drone, I have no idea—but apparently it's not that hard. Says a senior defense official:

There did appear to be a vulnerability. There's been no harm done to troops or missions compromised as a result of it, but there's an issue that we can take care of and we're doing so.

If twelve-year-olds can encrypt their torrent downloads, I think it's a reasonably fair expectation for the US military to be able to encrypt mission-critical data transmissions, the insecurity of which could kill people. (Or, alternatively, the security of which ensures that that we can kill people. Someone's got to die, right? Right? Right.)

Also worrying: reports that the new Battleship iPhone app has, due to a small programming error, destroyed most of the Navy's pacific fleet.

At the time of posting, SkyGrabber's website is down. [WSJ]

The X-Flex wallpaper is really a layer of Kevlar-type material, in between sheets of "elastic polymer wrap," which provides both flex and strength so that the projectile doesn't knock the wall down. It seems really effective—check out Pop Sci's video here for evidence—and the US Army is considering using it for bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's also incredibly easy to attach, being basically a rollable sheet, although I'm not sure if it can be unattached and reused. Still, its effectiveness is really impressive. [Pop Sci]

Supposedly, the radar will be able to see through fog and dust—even walls. It's also compact enough to be practical—no more than 2.5 pounds with less than a pound of hardware actually mounted to the helmet. Sounds like an awesome tool to keep our soldiers safe, but there are a few problems that would need to be addressed. Outside of possible health issues, the radar helmet would need to be able to distinguish enemies from friends and woodland creatures. Plus, the power supply feeding the device would need to be compact and powerful. That's easier said than done of course, so I wouldn't expect this technology to see action anytime soon. [Danger Room Image via Flickr]

The HUD replaces technical manuals on a bulky laptop with floating instructions, labels and oh yes, 3D models of tools right in front of the mechanic. The wrist-mounted interface is run off an Android-powered G1 (which looks much cooler as gauntlet). Apparently Android's seeing a lot of use as a tool of war. You can check out a video of it here. [Technology Review via PopSci]

Actually, the similarity is not surprising considering that the walking robot was designed by Boston Dynamics—the same company behind BigDog. Petman has been in development for some time now, but this is the first chance we have had to view his human-like stride. The military plans on using it to test out protective clothing for soliders that need to be completely protective and not strain or open up under any sort of human articulated movement. It's capable of crawling, as well as walking at 3.2 MPH.

And like the Big Dog, it can keep its balance when you shove it.

[Danger Room]

Raytheon's new Android application, appropriately named the Raytheon Android Tactical System, lets soldiers set up buddy lists that can track the location of other soldiers or unmanned vehicles. For example, a soldier can set a UAV as a buddy, find its location on a map, and watch video from the UAV's camera on his handheld.

Update: It sounds a lot like the iPod Touch Apps that soldiers have been using for a while, now available on Android. (Thanks, Dante!)

It all sounds like pretty cool stuff that could be a huge help on the battlefield. Update 2: And for all of you worried about what might happen if this app falls into the wrong hands, reader Derek wrote in to say that Raytheon obviously has a system ready to handle the situation. You can read more details here. The app should be deployed in the next month or two.

We asked Android's mother, Geoorgia, for comment on how she feels about her son joining the armed forces. A bittersweet look of remembrance spread across her face. "It seems like only yesterday that I put him on the G1," she replied. "Everyone said he'd never beat that iFellow, but look at him now."

As she showed us pictures of Android's young, slightly acned green dome, a tear fell onto the photos. For a moment, silence. Then words broke through: "Good thing my little Hero has a teflon coating." [Forbes]

Image via The U.S. Army

Existing plans for a new online defense strategy don't seem particularly bad, except for that first part: defense plans. The professor's idea is to deploy a much more proactive attack strategy:

[Arquilla would] like the US military's coders to team up with network specialists abroad to form a global geek squad. Together, they could launch preemptive online strikes to head off real-world battles.

Armies (even guerrilla armies) are so dependent on digital communications these days that a well-placed network hit could hobble their forces. Do these cyberattacks right-and openly-and the belligerents will think twice before starting trouble. Arquilla calls his plan "a nonlethal way to deter lethal conflict."

The strategy makes the assumption that digital communications are completely vital to enemies big and small, which is generally true, and putting cyberwar directly before more traditional measures like sanctions could have a huge effect: If guerrilla groups can't organize, they won't be too effective; if governments can't use their vital defense networks, they're basically toothless. Wired's posted a few scenarios of how this could actually out, and even if they sound a little naive—they do—they're satisfying cinematic, for whatever that's worth. [Wired]

Funded by the Army, the BEAR locates victims, removes hazardous materials, and can even carry 500-lb. loads over long distances. It's another 'bot in a long line of battlefield helpers that have pretty much transformed the way soldiers deal with disarming certain deadly encounters in the field. Except this one, you know, looks like a bear. [CNET]

The Death and Taxes poster shows every single expense according to the president's 2010 budget request. The circles you see here are proportional in size to their actual weight in the total budget. Each of the figures include the percentage change compared to 2009.

Defense spending is more or less the same, only increasing by 2%. And still, everything else looks minuscule.

Since your budget for buying posters is probably minuscule too, you can get a 50% discount if you buy two or more posters if you are a Gizmodo reader. Just enter "gizmodo" as your discount code when ordering. [WallStats]

Frame: Double butted 7005 Series Aluminum Front and Rear Triangle
Front Suspension: RST CAPA-T8 Suspension, disc mount, adjustable preload with CLIX™ Ramps
Folded Size: 36" x 28" x 12"
Color: Cammy Green
Gearing: SRAM 24-Speed

I always thought that folding bikes made you look like an oversized clown named Zappo, but the Montague Paratrooper Tactical Folding Mountain Bike is different. It may be the combination of its design and the cammy green finish, but it just looks good enough to buy one, even if it costs $800. [Military Bikes—Thanks W]

A humanoid robot is a general-purpose robot that looks a lot like a person, complete with a head, torso, arms and legs. The "total package" humanoid can walk bipedally, like a person, and use its hands to dexterously manipulate objects in the world.

Current prototypes like the Honda ASIMO can deliver tea and politely shake hands with their human masters, but based on some great sci-fi movies, humanoid robots are supposed to be terrors on the battlefield—walking titanium endoskeletons crunching over human skulls and mowing down pesky humans with massive handheld Gatling guns.

Will we ever really see a humanoid robot army? I think so, and here are my top five reasons why.

1. There is a one-to-one mapping between the human and the humanoid body.
Robots aren't yet smart enough to play without supervision. That's why human soldiers control unmanned aerial vehicles from thousands of miles away by twiddling joysticks. It isn't easy, but flying a plane through empty space is child's play compared to maneuvering a ground-based robot through rubble and wreckage. And what if you need to do something more complicated than just stepping over a curb, like defusing a bomb?

It's called telepresence. With telepresence, a person feels as though they are the robot by controlling the robot's body and seeing through its eyes. Human-shaped robots are infinitely easier to manipulate because there is a one-to-one mapping between man and machine. Instead of shoving around a non-intuitive joystick, slide your hands into gloves that map your fingers to robot fingers thousands of miles away. Now put your human expertise to work, without putting your human butt in danger.

2. Humanoid robots take advantage of human environments and equipment.
Nothing beats a tank for crossing the desert, but what about crossing a living room? Every human city is designed for a very specific type of animal: homo sapiens. We humans come in a very specific range of sizes and weights, and our environments tend to have specific temperature, vibration and noise limits—all of which simplify the problem of designing a robot. Humanoids are naturally suited to navigating environments designed for humans; they can walk through doorways, climb steps, and see over counters and furniture.

Along with our cities, most military supplies are designed for use by humans. That means a humanoid robot can wear human body armor, boots and camouflage. In addition, it can fire standard-issue weapons and ammunition, removing a need for specially-designed weaponry. Humanoids could also potentially pilot human vehicles. Rather than creating an autonomous vehicle from scratch, just put a humanoid robot in the driver's seat of a standard vehicle. And when a robot squad is on the go and under fire, it always helps to be able to scavenge enemy weapons and improvise. The infrastructure is there, and humanoid robots exploit it.

3. Humanoid robots are easier to train.
War is largely improvised, and that means learning new tricks on the fly. So, how do you teach a robot comrade how to defuse a new type of coffee-can landmine? Without a degree in engineering, you probably don't. But given a humanoid robot, intuitive training approaches are available to regular soldiers. An easy but tedious method is to physically push the robot's limbs through the proper series of movements. Alternately, take direct control through teleoperation and then perform the activity yourself. The robot then just needs to remember how you did it.

Ideally, however, a robot can be trained just like a person—by watching. Robots who learn by demonstration can be quickly trained by ordinary people who do not speak robot-ese or do any programming. That's because it's how we learn from each other. The trainer simply performs the task (e.g., a flying scissor kick) and the robot watches and intuits how to do it. Humanoids are much better at learning by demonstration, thanks to that one-to-one mapping between its body and yours.

4. Teamwork is easier between humans and humanoids.
It is doubtful that robot armies will operate completely autonomously in the near future. Human-robot teams will likely be the norm, as they are today. Therefore, it's important to make sure that human and robot allies can work together without stepping on each others' toes. And that means they've got to have good communication.

Human combat teams communicate and cooperate using language and gestures, and by paying attention to each other's facial expressions and emotions. Robot warriors that recognize human body language will be able to make fast decisions in loud, hazardous environments. Perhaps even more important, a human soldier should be able to understand what a robot is thinking naturally, by reading its body language instead of looking up an error code in an instruction manual. Using the highly familiar human form-factor creates a natural communication channel that allows humanoids to cooperate with humans in chaotic environments where split-second decisions are the norm.

5. The locals could potentially interact with humanoid robots.
War is becoming less about conventional fighting on a mass scale and more about cultural awareness. Last month, President Obama unveiled plans to send hundreds of "social scientists" along with soldiers to Iraq, to counsel the military on local customs. Relative to the faceless robots currently in use, a humanoid robot provides the opportunity for some kind of natural human interaction with non-combatants. Instead of an impersonal unmanned ground vehicle wrecking through walls or an unmanned aerial vehicle dropping bombs from afar, humanoid robots (armed or unarmed) could patrol areas wearing local garb, speaking the local language, and obeying local customs. How P.C.—or just freaky—is that?

On the other hand, humanoid robots can be horribly terrifying.
Mind games are a part of every battle. During World War II, aviators painted snarling teeth on the noses of their fighter planes. Nowadays (and back then), bombs have funny messages written on them, like "Boom shacka lacka," and "You want fries with that?"

Now imagine the enemy reaction on Robot D-Day, when thousands of super-powered humanoid robots march out of the crashing surf, bullets plinking harmlessly from their razor-sharp gilded breast-plates as death metal blares from their metal mouth speaker grilles.

Terrified yet? Well calm down, sissy; humanoid robots aren't on the battlefield, yet. But they might be soon, thanks to their natural ability to communicate and cooperate with humans, the ease with which they can operate in our environments and use our tools, and the terrible fear that blossoms in the heart of man upon laying eyes on the great and horrifying visage of the humanoid robot war machine.

Machines Behaving Deadly: A week exploring the sometimes difficult relationship between man and technology. Guest writer Daniel H. Wilson earned a PhD in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University. He is the author of How to Survive a Robot Uprising and its sequel How To Build a Robot Army. To learn more about him, visit www.danielhwilson.com.

The NYT published an interesting piece categorizing the new role of cadets from West Point as digital information sabotage—scenarios like mailbombs flooding email servers in hot zones —becomes a worrisome daily hurdle in a war.

During a senior elective class at West Point, the cadets competed with the Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine to thwart attacks from the N.S.A. The students went so far as to hang a sign reading "Information Warfare Live Fire Range" outside their class.

In other words, military dudes can now pwn your ass in analog and digital. [NYT]

The photo above depicts a portable x-ray machine at Walter Reed hospital during World War I. Some of the crude, early prosthetic limbs (WARNING some photos are highly disturbing), combined with the photos' sepia tone, make these very real people remind you of those mangled toys in the original Toy Story. Just compare them to the i-Limb bionic arm.

They've got over 500,000 scans and are working to digitize another 225,000 this year. So this curated set of 800 is just the beginning, but I don't know if I can bring myself to look through any more. [Flickr via Wired via BoingBoing]

We know we have the capability, but we've never had the opportunity to use it before.

Those are the words of Corporal Phillip Cheng, who—together with Staff Sergeant Jerry Rhoades and Specialist James Pegg—controlled the robot to engage the enemy, fire ze missiles, and "neutralized both targets." This probably means that professional pilots are going to be out of the game, with plain soldiers having full control over infantry's aerial support. That's pretty cool.

And with "cool" I mean "we are fucked" the same way that "neutralized" means "killed." [Multinational Force via Wired]

They were even kind enough to trade him a brand shiny new MP3 player for his troubles. And a happy ending was had by all. Chris Ogle, 29 of Whangerei, NZ—your 15 minutes of fame have now concluded. [Reuters]

These little guys (SUGVs, or "sugvees") feature a Sony IX11 camera, GPS, two-way audio and a "wearable Xbox-style controller with a monocular heads-up display," whatever that means. Oh, and a handle, for picking it up out of the mud after it gets itself stuck. Stupid SUGVs. [Danger Room]

The demo iPod looks to have the stock Apple OS, running a custom translation application. It allows the user to select a language, then a situation, and finally a command or question, like "Get down!" in Arabic, which I'm sure comes in handy. The app will also show a video of a CGI soldier saying the selection, in case your platoon is made up of visual learners. It's a pretty cool little program, but I hope the soldiers actually use it instead of playing Tap Tap Revenge like I'm sure they want to. [The Pentagon Channel, thanks Paul!]

Say what you will about the clips being effectively censored, it says something that the Army—which is mostly concerned with essentials, not luxuries—saw fit to invest in a video sharing site just for soldiers. It's not as good as YouTube (can they get Hulu?), but I'm sure they'd agree it's better than nothing. [MSNBC]