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The future of touch- and gesture-interface technology is moving forward rapidly, but there are still innovations happening in area of traditional hardware interface devices. Hitachi recently unveiled a new kind of television remote control specifically designed to benefit the...
POSTED Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Brazil has a really big problem with car theft. In fact, the criminals and drug dealers that steal most of the cars take them to areas so dangerous, that the police will simply cut deals with the gangs to...
POSTED Sunday, December 28, 2008
Most of us have a few valuables around the house that we want to keep locked away from any would be thieves. Sure, you could lock them away in a traditional style safe that's hidden in a closet, but...
POSTED Saturday, December 27, 2008
Look out, everybody — here come the trigger-happy cops with even more non-lethal weapons. Pictured above is the PHaSR, the bad-ass "Personnel Halting and Stimulation Response" rifle that's just about ready for deployment. It puts the hurt on you...
POSTED Friday, December 26, 2008
Although Japan had its Great Recession in the 90s devices like the blingtastic, shiny new USB U-22 Jewelry drives from Magnetic Laboratories prove that the country refuses to acknowledge the current economic tumult. The good news is that the "bling"...
POSTED Friday, December 19, 2008
One nativity scene in Wellington, Florida was and will be packing some high-tech gadgetry to guard against theft. Last year, Baby Jesus, asleep on the hay, also had a GPS tracking device (or a "G-P-S implant," as Fox calls...
POSTED Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Getting your laptop stolen sucks, obviously. You have it loaded up with your personal information and data, and beyond losing a valuable piece of property, there's security and identity theft to worry about as well. With the new Lenovo ThinkPads...
POSTED Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Cars are getting better at telling you more about your driving, with heads-up displays showing your speed and direction, and GPS units letting you know where there's construction or congestion. So what if your car started telling you more...
POSTED Monday, November 17, 2008
Barack Obama has received more assassination threats than any president-elect in U.S. history. While Obama's Secret Service protection has obviously been flawless thus far, according to some speculative reports, any would-be assailants might be in for some major pain...
POSTED Monday, November 17, 2008
When Barack Obama hops into his presidential limousine after his inauguration on January 20, it might be this brand new rolling fortress that's part car, part truck. General Motors might be about to financially tank, but it's still putting...
POSTED Friday, November 14, 2008
Bike theft in major cities is a big problem, with people afraid to leave their bikes locked up anywhere for fear of some thief coming along with wire cutters and whisking it away. And with biking a great, environmentally-friendly alternative...
POSTED Wednesday, November 5, 2008
In 2002, a measure called the Help America Vote Act mandated that voting across the country needs to be easier and more handicap friendly, leaving the clunky lever voting machines out. However, the venerable LVMs are still used in...
POSTED Tuesday, November 4, 2008
It looks like the e-voting machines used in battleground states such as Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Virginia and Florida have run into some snags. (Oh, Florida.) Both voters and watchdog groups have reported temperamental direct-recording electronic machines (or DREs)...
POSTED Tuesday, November 4, 2008
For most Americans, voting is the only time we have a direct input into the way out government is run, so it's critical that we do everything possible to make sure that our vote is counted. Over the past...
POSTED Monday, November 3, 2008
Computer programmers at UC San Diego have whipped up software that poses a serious threat. Called "Sneakey," it can use an image of a key from almost any angle to create an exact replica. It doesn't have to be...
POSTED Friday, October 31, 2008
Lever Voting Machines (or LVMs), which are still in use only in New York, are about as old as voting technology gets here in the United States. (Learn all about them — and every other voting machine used in...
POSTED Monday, October 27, 2008
In the run-up to the election, DVICE has been investigating the technology behind voting machines, and some of the weaknesses and problems with it. But I'm sure many of you still feel that there are bound to be small...
POSTED Friday, October 24, 2008
Cameras are getting so small, they could be hidden just about anywhere. Case in point: this new spy camera that's nestled snugly inside a trade show badge. The $174 tinycam shoots video at a low-rez 352x288, and snags stills...
POSTED Friday, October 24, 2008
Japan has upped the ante in the CCTV department with the debut of the Help Vending Machine from Coca Cola recently unveiled in Aichi prefecture. The fully beverage stocked vending machine is also equipped with a siren, a video camera...
POSTED Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Now you can pop your collar and survive all the bullets you're likely to take for being so ridiculous fashionable. Straight out of London's famous Harrod's department store is Colombian Miguel Caballero's polo shirt made from bulletproof fabric, and its...
POSTED Thursday, October 9, 2008
The geek nation will never have to worry about Mom throwing out their comic book collections again with the debut of the Remock Lockey. The remote controlled lock is specifically designed to be placed "inside" the door of the room...
POSTED Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Okay, we were just kidding around yesterday with that (actually legitimate) idea for a lie-detecting headband, but now we've found another device that takes a similar concept way, way too far. Here's FAST (Future Attribute Screening Technologies), a system...
POSTED Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The TechX Challenge, Singapore's first government-sponsored robotics competition, will run 'bots through some unique trials, such as stair climbing, being able to navigate building interiors, and, the hardest of all, being able to autonomously operate an elevator. The last...
POSTED Friday, September 19, 2008
That insane Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) we told you about last month isn't going away. Now the Australian government has taken a liking to the idea of this secretly-negotiated fascism, seriously considering searching iPods and MP3 players at security...
POSTED Thursday, July 31, 2008
The Car Camera Voyager Pro comes coupled with a GPS logger, and altogether the unit will keep recordings of your driving and track where you went. Depending on what you want to use it for, it could help in...
POSTED Saturday, July 19, 2008
Now you’ll be able to rest easy in that skyscraper with The Wizard, a design concept for an emergency escape system that lowers you safely to earth if all hell breaks loose. Strap on its all-encompassing belt system, firmly...
POSTED Monday, July 7, 2008
Between the Homeland Security restrictions on liquids, and the airline's new game of charging for each time you blink, going on a trip with an ample supply of grooming products has become almost impossible. Who wants to pay $25...
POSTED Saturday, June 28, 2008
The master's degree students at the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand have been tinkering with Marvin, the school lab's $20,000 security 'bot, for almost seven years now, and it's come quite a ways. Marvin (named after the robot...
POSTED Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Airliners have a black box that leaves a record of what caused an accident, and now there’s Roadscan Drive Recorder, a black box for your car. It continuously records video of whatever happens in front of your vehicle, and...
POSTED Friday, June 20, 2008
The RoboVault's long list of security measures makes us imagine Tom Cruise dangling over criss-crossing security lasers. Not only is the structure in South Florida made solidly out of concrete and reinforced with rebar and impact glass — all...
POSTED Friday, June 20, 2008
If you've got an electronic or electromechanical lock on your door, you probably want to pay attention to this. A magnetic ring dubbed the "ring of the devil" has been found to be able to unlock such doors quickly...
POSTED Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Security cameras? Who needs ’em? That was my opinion until a neighbor’s home was invaded. One morning, a suburban housewife a few feet from our Midwest Test Facility walked into her kitchen only to find a strange man standing...
POSTED Monday, June 2, 2008
There you are, sitting pretty, all confident and relaxed about that stack of documents you shredded last week. Nobody’s ever going to see that stuff! Think again. Now everyone can do what spies and Iranian carpet weavers have been...
POSTED Thursday, May 29, 2008
The fine folks who brought us the TASER shock device just dreamed up a new idea: Let’s embed a video camera into the stun gun, recording an entire electronic attack for all posterity. The TASERians figured it was such...
POSTED Friday, May 16, 2008
Maybe you're a spy or you've got schematics for the next hot gadget locked away on your hard drive, but either way you're going to want to lock your files down. That's where the DataLocker Drive Enclosure comes in....
POSTED Wednesday, May 14, 2008
While this almost-clever handbag resembling a pair of riveted blue jeans might look ordinary, inside it’s stuffed with helpful tech. Much better than some of the silly, pseudo-tech handbags we've seen lately, its interior is lit up by LEDs...
POSTED Friday, May 9, 2008
The Aeryon Scout is an aerial surveillance vehicle that can take sneaky shots thanks to the camera fixed to its underside. It's a simple machine: it's remote controlled and has four rotors housed by foam casings that'll keep it...
POSTED Friday, April 18, 2008
Who needs a fancy security system for their home? Not Hanif Molavizadeh! This enterprising Afghani set up his own DIY burglar alarm in his home that sports an AK-47 to make sure no one breaks in. If it senses somebody...
POSTED Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Our culture is driven by fear. Besides our own shadows, we’re afraid of flying, sharks, car accidents, dentists, terrorists, and lots of other stuff. But real-world stats show that most of these fears are completely unfounded; the objects of...
POSTED Thursday, April 10, 2008
Behold what modern, cheap spy tech hath wrought: Secret Eyes is a service specifically set up to ensnare cheating guys, sending a “female decoy” to “test your boyfriend or husband to demonstrate his faithfulness.” For between $795 and $1995,...
POSTED Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Bad news for those of you paranoid of all the bad boy hackers out there who are just dying to get control of your computer: a researcher has created a website that, when you visit it, can take complete control...
POSTED Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Samsung has decided to boldly go where no other touch-sensitive phone manufacturer has dared to go: doors. During the ISC West show in Las Vegas, Samsung unveiled Luce, a touch-sensitive door security system. The big seller here is that...
POSTED Friday, April 4, 2008
The PWN 2 OWN hacking contest is on right now at CanSecWest, a huge security conference in Vancouver, and yesterday afternoon Charlie Miller won $10,000 there for hacking a new Macbook Air in 2 minutes. Miller is known as...
POSTED Friday, March 28, 2008
I hate to toot my own horn, but remember those Clear Channel digital billboards? They were recently hacked and changed to display the graffiti logo of the hacker, you know, just like I predicted would happen with Internet-controlled digital...
POSTED Wednesday, March 26, 2008
You don’t have to be a cat-stroking diabolical bad guy, hell-bent on destroying the world, to want some countermeasures to commonly-procured spy gear. Inspired by this article pointing out the “Top 10 barely-legal gadgets for the modern spy," we...
POSTED Thursday, March 20, 2008
This mini stun gun, called The Runt, is about the size of an iPod nano, but can smack you down with so much voltage you’ll think you got hit by a truck. The 950,000-volt version ($69.95, pictured above right)...
POSTED Monday, March 17, 2008
Walking around in the dark can be dangerous, but this $129 K2 Porcupine Flashlight from PentagonLight ought to add a bit of confidence to offset those knocking knees. Not only is it fairly bright for a flashlight at 70...
POSTED Monday, March 10, 2008
The Department of Homeland Security is moving forward with plans to erect a virtual border fence between the United States and our docile neighbors to the north. Rather than use solid walls the Canadians could breach with a Zamboni, Secretary...
POSTED Thursday, March 6, 2008
Researchers have discovered that isotopes in the water you drink are incorporated into your hair as it grows. It also turns out that those isotopes have a high correlation with U.S. geographic regions: this means that a single strand...
POSTED Thursday, February 28, 2008
In the old days there were Tupperware parties, with the occasional Avon or Amway party on the side. Today, there are Taser parties. Dana Shafman is the inventor of the Taser party concept, and according to a recent New...
POSTED Tuesday, February 26, 2008
We are all so petrified of germs, we turn to the highest tech to get rid of them, every last one. But that's not going to be easy. In sheer numbers, there are 20 times more creepy crawlies in...
POSTED Wednesday, February 20, 2008
While this armor for cats and mice is contemporary art (Itcy and Scratchy inspired, perhaps?), this suit of dog armor is authentic and 200 years old. Historians estimate that the armor was built in Japan between 1800 and 1850...
POSTED Tuesday, February 12, 2008
We've heard of a white-hot spotlight, but this flashlight is ridiculous. Manufacturer Wicked Lasers calls this monster The Torch, and the 4100-lumen light packs enough punch to literally set the world on fire, starting up a pile of loose...
POSTED Monday, January 28, 2008
In a show of MacGyver-esque brilliance, a 14 year old boy in Poland managed to use scavenged odds and ends to hijack a tram system in his country's city of Łódź. Sadly, a bit like MacGyver's nemesis Murdoc, the...
POSTED Monday, January 28, 2008
Conventional x-ray machines, as invasive as they are, can leave a lot to be desired when it comes to telling what, exactly, is going on in there. For example, a block of chocolate is indistinguishable from some kinds of...
POSTED Friday, January 25, 2008
For a little under $60, the STYSEN enclosure adds RFID security to any hard drive — though the drive's not included. And the security it adds? Well, maybe it's a bit too much. So you've got an RFID-enabled enclosure...
POSTED Friday, January 18, 2008
Our Transportation Security Administration here in the States has purchased 12 specialized scanners from QinetiQ of Britain. QinetiQ's hardware is reportedly able to rapidly scan a moving crowd to spot concealed weapons and explosives. We're not quite sure how...
POSTED Tuesday, January 15, 2008
This portable subway strap won't guard you against trips and spills on the train. Rather, it keeps you safe against accusations. Groping hands on the Tokyo underground has become something of a famous phenomenon of late, but it's a...
POSTED Monday, January 14, 2008
The Flashlight DVR Compact by Swann puts everything right in your hands. It's got a digital video recorder that works as a camcorder and takes still images to boot, a built-in mic for audio and the ability to capture...
POSTED Friday, January 11, 2008
When getting screened at the airport, school, government building and sporting event isn't enough, there's the CI Tech Pro Portable Metal Detector, which provides scrutinizing security practically anywhere! The CI Tech Pro is a completely collapsible and battery-powered metal...
POSTED Friday, January 11, 2008
American Airlines' planes flying the transcontinental route between New York and California are slated to carry anti-missile defense systems attached to the underside of each craft. The defense system is a missile jammer that scans for and, once detected,...
POSTED Friday, January 11, 2008
The “Don’t tase me, bro!!” video clip was one of 2007’s biggest hits on YouTube. In 2008, you might see even more of these scenes playing out, right in your own 'hood. Taser International is marketing its new Taser...
POSTED Monday, January 7, 2008
CES hasn’t even started yet and I already found a must-have toy to buy. It’s the new Rovio by WowWee, and it’s hands down the best of the remote patrolling robots out there.
POSTED Sunday, January 6, 2008
The Zoombak GPS locator is now officially available, giving you an easy way to immediately locate kids, family, car, or dogs with the help of a palm-sized GPS transmitter. Attach it to your dog's collar, hide it in your...
POSTED Thursday, December 20, 2007
If you've ever hosted a party, you can understand why this is such a great idea, although the concept seems a little farfetched on paper. You know the circumstances, you are hosting a party and prior to the guests...
POSTED Monday, December 17, 2007
Next time someone walks over to check out what books you enjoy, the books might be watching back. And listening. The Book Camera looks like your usual hardback, but features a camera with a pinhole lens, a minuscule microphone...
POSTED Wednesday, December 12, 2007
NTT DoCoMo turns its attention to pint-sized cell phone users with the FOMA F801i 3G cell phone and accompanying wristband. The F801i has an alarm which, once activated, will alert anyone in the vicinity by way of 100 decibel...
POSTED Monday, December 10, 2007
The Pentagon's Defence Advanced Research Project Agency, aka the guys who get a ton of cash to dream up stuff like laser weaponry and human catapults, are now looking into virtual weapon ranges to test out different means of...
POSTED Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Here's an interesting way to power a camera: attach it to a fluorescent light. This small wireless security camera by NEC takes advantage of electromagnetic induction to keep itself running, thanks to a ring-shaped adapter made by Sharp that...
POSTED Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Earlier this month, Facebookintroduced a new "feature" called Beacon that tracked its users' activity on 44 websites. It took information like purchases at Overstock.com, recipe favorites at Epicurious, and movie ticket choices at Fandango.com and then broadcasted the information...
POSTED Sunday, December 2, 2007
If you're a former Russian spy and you're worried about being poisoned by your former employers, going out to eat has got to be a harrowing experience. I mean, how will you know whether or not your food has been...
POSTED Friday, November 30, 2007
Yeehaw! Southern police departments in Houston, Texas and Miami-Dade, Florida are fixin' to take in the Honeywell Micro Air Vehicle (or MAV) for a crash course in law enforcement. The remote-controlled drone video tapes everything it sees and acts...
POSTED Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Ever get the feeling you are being watched? Are you constantly peering into the vent looking for a wireless camera or microphone recording and transmitting your every move? Would you feel safer if you had a device that would...
POSTED Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Homes and apartments can be tricky to protect — they're full of entryways in the forms of doors and windows (among other creative methods). Ingrid reckons its home security system of easy-to-install sensors coupled with an all digital infrastructure...
POSTED Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Personal safety is a serious concern, as technologies like the Sanyo Eneloop bell alarm show. Its design is based off of the Sanyo Eneloop battery which is a rechargeable battery ready to use out of the box. Just pop...
POSTED Wednesday, October 31, 2007
If you must maintain an anal retentive bubble of security around your computer rig at least do it in style. That task just got a lot easier with the introduction of the Eikon biometric fingerprint reader from Upek. The...
POSTED Tuesday, October 30, 2007
With identity thieves running rampant across the globe this isn't as much of a farfetched idea as one would think. This password protected credit card concept is the work of Innovative Card Technologies and eMue Technologies. The gist of...
POSTED Thursday, October 25, 2007
A federal jury delivered a landmark verdict in a copyright-infringement case between the RIAA and defendant Jammie Thomas, a 30-year-old mother of two from Minnesota. The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) is the trade group that represents the...
POSTED Thursday, October 18, 2007
Do you ever get anxious while you're on vacation, worrying that home sweet home might not be just as you left it when you get back? Sure, you can ask a friendly neighbor to keep an eye on the place,...
POSTED Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Don't confuse the Cavius for a bomb detonator. It may look like something inside of a nuclear football, but it is actually a personal security device with an added bonus. A push of the red button will set off...
POSTED Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Panasonic has unveiled the next generation in biometric security with the release of the BM-ET200 eye scanner. After scanning a person's iris the device can make an accurate identification within 0.3 seconds. Fitted with dual mirrors (for proper eye...
POSTED Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Imagine, if you will, a world where your mother tells you to stay still when a bee flies up not because she's worried about you getting stung, but because the bee is on a mission. A mission to search...
POSTED Friday, September 14, 2007
Don't confuse this ring for your average cheap knockoff; it includes a pepper spray cartridge capable of doing some significant damage. The pepper spray is 400 times stronger than the average jalapeno. The Stunning ring also includes a safety lock...
POSTED Wednesday, August 29, 2007
With the summer heat upon us, Russian cops want to show that they know how to have fun in the sun. Special Materials out of St. Petersburg has proposed an "electro-hydrodynamical" weapon as a nonlethal alternative to current methods, which...
POSTED Wednesday, August 22, 2007
You never know what crazy items those smugglers who call themselves "friends" might try to sneak into your house. If, whenever you host a party, you spend all night eyeing every purse, backpack, or gift bag wondering what could possibly...
POSTED Monday, August 13, 2007
LightCam combines an LED flashlight with a flash-based camcorder, and it also illuminates the area with infrared so you can practically shoot footage in the dark. Made of anodized aluminum, this appliance might be popular with night watchmen who...
POSTED Thursday, July 26, 2007
This Taser XREP can deliver a wireless electric shock from over 100 feet away, and from the looks of it, you don't want to be on its receiving end. Its Neuro-Muscular Incapacitation (NMI) is the same disabling effect delivered...
POSTED Tuesday, July 10, 2007
If you're a VIP traveling in a dangerous place, such as when VP Cheney goes to Iraq to see how great everything is going, you're going to want a car that doesn't explode. That's the idea behind the SERVANT (SEnse...
POSTED Thursday, June 21, 2007
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags are being embedded in everything from the family pet to surgical sponges and staples to U.S. passports. While "they" claim RFID data can't be stolen by a passing identity thief, experiments have been conducted that...
POSTED Monday, June 4, 2007
You know those scenes in movies like Ocean's Twelve, where burglars are blocked by a bunch of lasers shooting out all over the place, threatening to alert the guards if they're disturbed? They always struck me as totally fake,...
POSTED Saturday, May 19, 2007
Good news! A British research team as developed a tool that allows computers to read lips of people on video and then text the transcripts to people. They hope to use it in security cameras, making the whole privacy-free police...
POSTED Thursday, April 26, 2007
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