If you’re using a smartphone, be sure to check the new Arc’teryx website optimized for your viewing pleasure. They say it’s great for iPad as well. Of course, LEAF had to be different. Theirs is l.arcteryx.com.
Archive for the ‘Digitization’ Category
Arc’teryx Launches Smartphone Optimized Site
Wednesday, October 12th, 2011Still Free After Two Years – The SureFire Shot Timer for iOS
Tuesday, October 11th, 2011Not very often you can say you get something for free. The SureFire ShotTimer does exactly what the name implies. Designed as an iPhone app, it displays elapsed time and split time for every shot fired and even allows you to email results for later analysis. It also offers a start delay mode for training on your own and has a Par Time mode so you can try to beat the clock.
Vuzix Delivers Sunlight Readable See-Through HMD Systems to the Army
Monday, October 10th, 2011When the big, heavy, cable-laden Nett Warrior went away it took the Helmet Mounted Display along with it. But, with technologies like this new Sunlight Readable See-Through HMD from Vuzix they may remain an option in the future. Vuzix just delivered two different sets of the technology to the Army’s Natick Soldier RD&E Center (NSRDEC). Unlike previously used HMDs these are see-through. The monocular design clips on to ballistic glasses or helmets and are compatible with any device featuring a VGA or composite video out capability. They use a Liquid Crystal light shutter as a means to control the level of translucency.
According to a press release from Vuzix:
Each of Vuzix’ waveguide and quantum beamsplitter optical systems delivered to NSRDEC demonstrate various performance characteristics. The first design affords a smaller form factor, and the second, a super high brightness system achieving a display screen outputting 2400 nits for use in direct sunlight.
Soldier-Worn Power Manager
Sunday, October 9th, 2011The unsung hero of last week’s PEO Soldier media roundtable is the SPM-611 Soldier-Worn Power Manager which allows a Soldier to harvest power from a variety of sources. Combined with the new End User Device’s decreased power requirements, the SWPM goes a long way to lighten the load.
Over at KitUp!, Matt Cox put together a piece on this new technology currently undergoing testing.
The End User Device
Friday, October 7th, 2011Already the techno websites are making much hay of the Army’s move to a new End User Device that will, most assuredly, wipe the notion of what was Land Warrior/Nett Warrior from our collective bad memories. By removing 70% of the weight from the Soldier, the End User Device is simultaneously enhancing the capability of the system as a whole.
What has tongues wagging is that, thankfully, the Android-based systems currently being evaluated are not phones. That’s right. As PEO Soldier, BG Camille Nichols stated at yesterday’s media roundtable, they are NOT 3G devices. Instead, the Army will connect these End User Devices to the Rifleman’s Radio variant of the Joint Tactical Radio System or JTRS. It is pronounced “jitters” as in, that radio system that is still in development hell after 15 years gives me the JTRS. At any rate, the Rifleman’s Radio segment of JTRS actually works and much better than its predecessors the PRC 126, 127 or God forbid 68 (if you are old enough). Plus, it handles data pretty well which is critical for a system like this.
Why no 3G you might ask? Simple, it’s all about the infrastructure, or lack thereof. Oddly enough, we rarely fight in places with a nice, new 3G (or better) network in place. And even if it is there, the bad guys are using it so we have to knock it out in order to disrupt their Command & Control. Sure, there are new portable mobile networks being developed, but they are still just phone networks that rely on switches. A radio on the other hand does not. Radios can talk to other radios without a switch and if a redundant mobile network goes down, radios continue to Soldier on. Yes, we know that a cellphone uses a radio. Unfortunately, it requires a complex infrastructure to work. Like it or not, the Rifleman’s Radio is the key here.
This strategy can also be cheaper. If a newer End User Device is approved you aren’t stuck with that pesky contract. Instead, you just go out and buy the new one. Likewise, if we upgrade radios there’s no need to replace everything.
And then, there’s that whole accreditation issue. How do you keep the data and access to the network safe safe from the enemy? That’s the current long pole in the tent, working out the security for the device. But, we are very pleased to hear, that the Army gets it. Unfortunately, those writing about it don’t seem to.
Most of the comments flying around the interwebs about this issue are confounded about why we can’t just go buy the latest ‘Droid, let the troops upload some apps, and go kick ass. That’s because those commenting know two things about warfighting. That’s “Jack”, and you can guess the other one. What’s worse, they don’t seem to have much of a grasp on telecommunications either.
So, big points here:
Army looking at Android based tablet or handheld devices.
Army is not going 3G with the End User Device.
Mobile Devices require a network, networks don’t exist in places we tend to fight.
Consequently, radios are not going away.
Discuss amongst yourselves…
Tactical NAV 2.5 Just Released
Monday, October 3rd, 2011
Rev 2.5 of the popular Tactical NAV app was recently released with increased GPS accuracy as well as the ability to turn the crosshairs off. Once iOS 5 hits, there will be another minor update.
Additionally, the brains behind the app, Army CPT Jonathan Springer informed us that he has begun to work on an Android version of the software which will include all of the functionality of the iOS app. Development will take 60-90 days due to the complexity of the code. This is huge news considering that the Army is investigating the Android platform as their answer to the Nett Warrior program. Unfortunately, the Army won’t help support the development so CPT Springer is having to fund the project out of pocket.
Regardless, both apps will be able to work together seamlessly to share waypoint as well as other data.
To get the iOS app visit iTunes.
NTOA – Garmin
Sunday, September 18th, 2011Garmin’s GTU 110 is a tracking unit. Think of it as a tag. Boasting up to four weeks of battery life and up to seven days of location information, the unit can be immediately queried by phone or computer.
At this point the only limitation of the GTU 10 is that coverage is only available within the US and Canada. This still makes it great for tracking assets or investigative work. In fact, since you can check the data via the Internet, it’s a great way to keep track of a sketchy spouse while deployed.
As always, our favorite place to purchase Garmin is Strohman Enterprise.
Stuff We Didn’t Write About
Saturday, September 17th, 2011Cloaked in Pixels – I told you guys Hexagons are the key! Arrgghhh
Here’s what the lucky bastards got to do at Call of Duty XP event (photo gallery)
First FELIN Soldier Systems Delivered to the French Army – Should be titled “First PRODUCTION FELIN…”
