Department of Defense
”Department of Defense Unhappy With Apple Chip Company Purchase
P.A. Semi, the chip design company Apple picked up for a song, is best known for its super-efficient PWRficient processor, a PowerPC variant. One of the big customers for the CPU is the Department of Defense, which makes use of it in programs in every major branch of the military, and they're not thrilled by the possibility of Apple ending production of the chips. More »Army's Miniature Spy-Bat Concept Makes Lucius Fox Drool
Army dudes sat down with scientists at University of Michigan and other schools and asked for a simple frickin' bionic bat with frickin' stereo cameras, miniaturized radar, ultra-sensitive self-guidance, "energy scavenging" recharging capability and a radio to send data back to troops in urban combat zones. Was that too much to ask? Here's how it's working out for them:
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Femtosecond Laser Ideal for Killing Cancer, Installing Adamantium Skeletons
/>Did you know that the same ultra-fast, ultra-intense laser (UUL) that can blast individual cancer cells without harming any good cells in the vicinity can also be used to fuse metal to bone? A new laser lab at the University of Missouri has been built to test the awesome power of this system, whose pulses last just one quadrillionth of a second, known in street terminology as a "femtosecond." Here's why the American Dental Association, the American Cancer Society and the Pentagon would be equally interested in this developing technology:
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hey inventors!
Uncle Sam Wants You To Build Him a Battery Suit
The Department of Defense office of Research Engineering is putting up $1,000,000 for the team that can come up with the best battery suit for "dismounted warfighters." These days, in order to complete a four-day mission, soldiers need to pack 20 lbs of batteries to power up all their assorted electronics (which also add weight). What the DoD wants, badly, is a wearable system that weighs 4kg (just under 9lbs) and puts out 20W average electric power for 96 hours, with peaks up to 200W. And in case you Tony Starks out there were thinking it, "No radioisotope or nuclear power sources are permitted." More »
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