New Radar Sees Through Walls 397
artemis67 writes "A small Israeli company has developed a radar system that uses ultra-wideband technology to produce three-dimensional pictures of the space behind a wall from a distance of up to 20 meters. The pictures, which reportedly resemble those produced by ultrasound, are relatively high-resolution and are produced in real time. Wow, it sounds like the potential benefits of this device are huge, saving lives of soldiers, firemen, or police; the potential for privacy invasion, however, is similarly large."
That's something to remember... (Score:4, Funny)
Oh good (Score:5, Funny)
No fears... (Score:5, Funny)
I already tried this (Score:2, Funny)
Nobody cares about civil rights or liberty anymore (Score:5, Funny)
Seriously, this sort of thing might be great for our soldiers in the field, and in my little optimistic heart I'd really like to think that something like this could exist in our country without being abused by the "Total Law Enforcement" crowd. I mean, the US *should* be able to operate that way, what with having Constitutional protections and all that.
Given what's been going on recently, however, it seems like only a matter of time before somebody justifies [epic.org] using it on Americans on the grounds of terrorism prevention (after which, of course, everything will become terrorism of one kind or another). I mean, the USA is suddenly in the business of above-the-law prison camps [cbsnews.com], war without end and other awful little things like abusing the prisoner (in a non-masterbatory context), and all it took to get us to this point was the deaths of 3000 Americans.
Does anyone really doubt that looking through the walls of people's homes will be next?
Re:Our gratitude (Score:5, Funny)
In related news... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:No fears... (Score:2, Funny)
Eraser (Score:5, Funny)
Wall-hacks (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Very cool (Score:3, Funny)
fscking counterstrike newbs... (Score:2, Funny)
police busting parties (Score:5, Funny)
right (was WorldNetDaily?!?! ) (Score:3, Funny)
Take this story with a huge grain of salt. WND is not a very reliable news source. It's right up there with NewsMax and Washington Times as lunatic fringe pseudojournalism.
Right; be sure to check with FrontLine, The Nation and Xinhua first ...
Re:Behind walls eh? (Score:3, Funny)
Weakling:
Captain, of the 65 houses we scanned yesterday with the nondescript van, these two had some sort of shielding.
Gruffo:
"Obviously they have somehting to hide. Send your best team and put cameras in every room."
Weakling:
"What about a warrant, Sir?"
Gruffo:
"We'll get it. There's reason to believe these people are terrorists trying to build a dirty bomb..."
Weakling:
"Yes Sir!"
(snaps his heels sharply and salutes)
Re:That's something to remember... (Score:3, Funny)
No, but I'd keep all your microwave popcorn in tinfoil to avoid sudden 'pantry malfunctions'.
Black Horn-rims? (Score:5, Funny)
Blobs (Score:5, Funny)
This device can tell someone how many people are in your house and give them some big hints about what they are doing (on blob on top of another, etc).
This could mean the beginning of a whole new type of porn. I can see the popups: "Blobs doing things you never thought blobs could do!!! Subscribe to the BEST blob porn in the Internet!!!"
Ok, I'll go take a cold shower now.
Re:Behind walls eh? (Score:3, Funny)
Conversations from a future archealogical dig... (Score:2, Funny)
Professor in charge of the dig:"Finally some proof of actual neolithic habitation."
The supervisory tech was is now looking over the PFY techs shoulder:"False alarm, Everybody. It's just another buried mafia hit man. Remember jr, neolithic's didn't get buried with their guns and 1980 chevy malibu..."
So finally . . . (Score:3, Funny)
Now, will they be able to sell it for $3.98 through the back of comic books?
Many applications! (Score:5, Funny)
Then have like a "whisper" mode on the helicopter so you could hover in relative silence while surveilling the structure that you happen to be..um...surveilling.
Have a JAFO onboard to be in charge of the taping (to half inch videotape) and working the cameras.
We could call this Helicopter something catchy...like "Red Lightening" or "Thunder Blue" or something like that...we'll think of something...
Re:Very cool (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Our gratitude (Score:2, Funny)
It's called a 'window'.
Re:Modern, urban warfare (Score:2, Funny)
Not really. The factories churning out military equipment (including the components thereof, like ball-bearings) were the targets, as were transportation hubs (rail yards, docks), they just happened to be in areas surrounded by lots of civilians, and "precision bombing" was an oxymoron. (Unguided gravity bombs dropped from aircraft, with lousy navigation systems, that were being shot at.)
Re:Our gratitude (Score:5, Funny)
That all depends... is he drinking the coffee in quick little sips over and over again, drinking faster and faster until he appears to spill some coffee and reach for some napkins to clean it up?
Then he's just drinking coffee.