• Gadgets

    A Lightweight Display Brings Instant Army Intelligence to Your Wrist

    By Posted on 6.16.2009 24 Comments

    A special-ops soldier carries a slew of gadgets into battle. There's the GPS unit to pinpoint his squad's location, and a laptop for pulling up blueprints of terrorist compounds or infrared readings of buildings scoped out by robotic surveillance drones. With a radio and its five-pound battery, it's too much gear. But in a couple years, troops could lighten their load with a rugged, flexible, wrist-mounted display that's in development by the U.S. Army and HP Labs.

    7.7.2009 at 11:58pm - Comment by teabags

    actually, there has been many innovations and breakthroughs in science and engineering that had nothing to do with military applications first..such as hydraulics..the original water clocks..just watch the history channel and they have shows that illustrate that many times in the dim and distant past things have been invented that only later someone used for war....i agree war does bring out great ways to kill ourselves as well as innovations in other ways.....but i wouldnt state absolutes that we only make innovations or breakthroughs because of military or war endavours...., anyway..regarding this wrist computer..its a poor one compared to many you can find online....others with GPS, dead reckoning tech, bluetooth, sd card slots, USB hosts, speakers..even some with WIFI...just a few of the things ive seen..heck, you can even work on getting voice recognition software..fair enough theyre more bulky...just the ideas it conjurs up should be the driving force here..ok..flexible unbreakable screen is a great thing..but they need to go a lot further if they want ensure soldiers safety...a lifesigns reader is a good one too..something that can monitor your pulse and temperature..

  • Gadgets

    Border Security to Become Copyright Police?

    By Posted on 5.30.2008 19 Comments

    As if the security in airports and controls at border crossings weren't slow and intrusive enough, governments around the world are quietly passing laws to allow them to search the contents of your laptop and other electronic devices, like iPods and cellphones. A United States court last month gave border agents carte blanche to hold a laptop for days and even copy its entire contents. The UK government has given its agents authority to search computers at its borders for pornography. But in what may be the most baffling and cumbersome move of all, the US, Canada, UK, and other EU nations are working behind closed doors on a new trade agreement which could turn border agents into the copyright police.

    6.2.2008 at 09:55am - Comment by teabags

    This is ridiculous, so they can decide to just search your computer go through any documents on there privacy be damned, copy anything they want..destroy what they want and then destroy your property..that isnt anything to do with security..thats all about control, control of a people..of an individual..control of every aspect of that individuals rights, they already have the power to search bank accounts, financial records, work records, now they can destroy your physical property for whatever reason they want and you have no recourse??..wow...it all keeps reminding me of the book 1984. I wonder how long people will stand for this, have we really become such sheep?? are we not going to fight for our rights anymore?? the people for every so-called democratic country should rise up and fight these things

  • Cars

    A Motorcycle You Can Wear

    By Posted on 5.29.2008 15 Comments

    The tripod is a fine and stable construct for photography and navigation, but how well will it work for motorcycles? We're not sure, but one student at California's Art Center Pasadena is challenging singletrack motorcycles and typical three-wheelers with an anthropomorphic, Yamaha-branded three wheeler concept called the Deus Ex Machina. The forward-looking personal conveyance is a mobile exoskeleton propelled by in-wheel electric motors—or, more succinctly, a trike you can wear.

    5.30.2008 at 09:30am - Comment by teabags

    it sounds like a good idea, i like it but do not like the attatched helmet idea, in the event of an accident your head cant leave??

  • Technology

    How It Works: The Best View From Space Yet

    By Posted on 3.13.2008 3 Comments

    When the GeoEye-1 surveillance satellite comes online this spring, its advanced optics will produce more-detailed images than any commercial satellite, capturing objects as small as home plate on a baseball diamond and filling in the fuzzy spots on Google Earth.

    5.13.2008 at 01:01pm - Comment by teabags

    Shome they just dont want you to know what their cameras can really do..or you'd be delighted and scared all at the same time haha

  • Entertainment & Gaming

    Tony Stark's Iron Man Dream Lab

    By Posted on 5.8.2008 12 Comments

    Yes, there are some great robot fight scenes, nefarious villains, a few human interest plotlines, even characters that seem like genuine people, but the new movie Iron Man is really about the lab, and its ridiculously cool toys.

    5.12.2008 at 01:37pm - Comment by teabags

    only have one comment about the article other than great one, about the comment about the beams from his hands?? you were mistaken when you said he didnt move..you stated the "old action/reaction rule" well he actually did move when he tested that in the film, he tests it and it sends him flying backwards out of frame and colliding with something or things. Just wanted to bring that up because they did at least stick to that rule..those things may not be possible right now, or may be..im not a Tony Stark level Genius..but some of those toys are very possible/probable i believe right now



Download Our iPhone App

Stay up to date on the latest news of the future of science and technology from your iPhone with full articles, images and offline viewing



Follow Us On Twitter

Featuring every article from the magazine and website, plus links from around the Web. Also see our PopSci DIY feed



Become a Fan On Facebook

Share links with friends, comment on stories and more


December 2009: Best of What's New

In our December issue, Popular Science names the 100 best innovations of the year: bombproof wallpaper, self-parking cars, the fastest helicopter, and 97 more. Plus inventor profiles and videos.

Check out the best of what's new here.

Popular Science Photo Pool


Share your photos in the Pop Sci pool at www.flickr.com!
tags_sprite.png
POP_embeddedForm_cover_May09.jpg