That includes every single nuclear weapon, every one of the Russian Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles in ground silos, nuclear submarines, and heavy bombers around the world. Scary stuff indeed.

But fear not, fellow humans, because the Dead Hand system is not completely automatic. The actual red button is apparently activated by a soldier hidden in some underground bunker.

Yes, I feel so much safer now. [gradremstroy—in Russian via DRB]

The point of the system, he explains, was to guarantee an automatic Soviet response to an American nuclear strike. Even if the US crippled the USSR with a surprise attack, the Soviets could still hit back. It wouldn't matter if the US blew up the Kremlin, took out the defense ministry, severed the communications network, and killed everyone with stars on their shoulders. Ground-based sensors would detect that a devastating blow had been struck and a counterattack would be launched.

The technical name was Perimeter, but some called it Mertvaya Ruka, or Dead Hand. It was built 25 years ago and remained a closely guarded secret.

The scary thing is that Perimeter still works today. At least according to Valery Yarynich, a former Soviet colonel now 72 years old. Yarynich should know, though: He worked 30 years at the Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces and Soviet General Staff helping to build it.

US Officials won't even like to mention it, but with the Cold War over and Russia being more or less a friend, why risk having such a system in place? I really don't like the idea of something going wrong in a rusty 25-year-old piece of Soviet-era technology.

Not when it can automatically launch a nuclear attack capable of taking out Humanity out of the map. [Wired]

The wonderful contraption has been built by PopSci staff photographer, John Carnett. Eventually he hopes to add another section that will make the raw ingredients from grain. Perhaps after this he will start growing his own crops - now that would be real home-brewing. [Pop Sci]

Essentially the same app, we can browse our phone's files—both on-board memory and storage card—grab pictures off it, sync music and movies, and be directed to updates for our phone. There's, of course, contacts, calendar, email, tasks, notes, favorites, and files syncing just like before.

Not exactly a compelling reason to switch to Vista, but just one of the perks when you do. Check out more screens after the jump.

– Jason Chen

Windows Mobile Device Center [Microsoft via Pocket PC Thoughts via Crunchgear]

The color light flash will be stronger and stronger when the detector is nearer to the suspicious transmit, then you can touch or hold the cap of a pen to reduce the sensitivity of the detector, until find the source of the signal

It apparently also scans money to see if it's counterfeit, but it's doubtful that you'll get an accurate read from a $17 toy. – Jason Chen

Product Page [China Vision via Red Ferret]