The crew at Triple Aught Designs have been busy remodeling their San Francisco show room. It turns out that wasn’t the only thing they were making over. Their new web site features a whole new look and is visually stunning. Make sure you stop by and check it out.
It’s been in the works for some time but Crimson Trace just announced the formation of a new business unit dedicated to the military market. Tactical-Life.com broke the story earlier today.
According to the article, “Among the introductory products that will be offered by CTC Defense is a pair of Lasergrips for the SIG Sauer P226. Affectionately known as the “dual can,†they incorporate both a red laser and an infrared (IR) laser for use with night vision.” Additionally, MVF-515 fore grip will be offered with not only a red but also a green laser.
Expect new products to begin to roll out at Modern Day Marine.
Imagine 8 common tools in a package no larger than a common house key. Now imagine that is the same general shape as that house key and will blend in with the rest of your keys right on your key ring. Well imagine no more. The KeyTool Keyring Multi-tool combines 3 sizes of screwdriver, nail file, finger nail cleaner, Bottle cap opener, wire cutter, and tweezers.
While it would probably be a lot more airport friendly if it didn’t have the name for every tool printed out right on the side of the thing, it does look to be pretty handy.
Available from ThinkGeek.
During Outdoor Retailer we were introduced to Drift Innovation, a company which specializes in wearable Point of View cameras. They have already established quite a following in the action sports community but told us that they are beginning to see sales to military customers.
Drift Innovation HD170, Skydiving from Drift Innovation on Vimeo.
Their flagship Drift HD170 offers quality 1080p and 720p HD as well as standard definition (WVGA) video for $329.99. It relies on a rechargeable internal battery. There is also a standard version of the 170 that uses AA batteries and retails for $199.99. Drift has developed a Tactical model, seen below.
The unit relies a fish eye lens so it takes in a wide field of view and is a compact 133 (L) x 50 (D) x 33 (W) mm. As you can see from the button layout it is simple to use which is important for such a device when mounted to a helmet or weapon. There is also a remote switch that can easily be attached to a weapon’s forearm. Additionally, it features an integrated screen for instantaneous feedback in the field. Finally, video is saved in .MOV format with no obscure codecs so it can easily be shared and stored.
At the recent TREXPO, we ran across a new technology that makes mobile video surveillance affordable to most any department of military organization. The one thing that struck as the adaptability of the system. It can be fitted to any vehicle with a standard trailer hitch and is powered through a simple cigarette lighter adapter. This means you don’t have to purchase an entirely new vehicle, but rather can adapt different vehicles for use as a surveillance system. For example, a van could be used during urban ops or a 4-wheel drive vehicle for use in rural areas and these same vehicles can be used for other purposes when the system is not in use. Additionally, it doesn’t require any long-term institutional training but can rather be learned on the job.
Both Luke and Holloman AFB have recently obtained a Mobile Video Surveillance (MVS) systems from Venture Tec LLC. The system is unique in that it incorporates an adjustable, telescopic mast hitch, which allows users to position the mast vertically at any location, including uneven or sloping terrain. The unit weighs approximately 85 pounds and unlike a trailer-mounted system, this surveillance system can be used anywhere the vehicle can go
The MVS system attaches to any vehicle with a standard 2†x 2†Class III receiver, requiring no vehicle modification and it pneumatically telescopes to elevations up to 32 feet. It’s simple to use, takes only a minute to raise or lower, and can operate day or night in all weather conditions. The MVS system can be equipped with a long range visible light camera and a thermal camera for complete darkness. All surveillance is done from inside the safety and comfort of the vehicle or command center, and all video is recorded with a date/time stamp. To operate the system, users simply tilt the mast to find vertical, lock it in place, and raise the mast to the desired height. The PTZ controller and video display provide an unparalleled view from above in all directions. When ready to relocate, users simply open the air release valve to lower the mast.
For more information, please visit www.mobilevideosurveillance.com.
You may have heard the term but what it is it? And what does it mean to me? If you are reading SSD then you are most likely a member or student of the profession of arms. Pay attention here dear reader because pretty soon we are going to introduce you to what we consider a disruptive technology that may very well challenge our primacy in a particular facet of warfighting.
“Disruptive innovation is a term used in business and technology literature to describe innovations that improve a product or service in ways that the market does not expect, typically by lowering price or designing for a different set of consumers.”
-Wikipedia
The concept of Disruptive Technologies was coined by Clayton M. Christensen in his 1995 article Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave where he defines a disruptive innovation as a product or service designed for a new a set of customers.
“Generally, disruptive innovations were technologically straightforward, consisting of off-the-shelf components put together in a product architecture that was often simpler than prior approaches. They offered less of what customers in established markets wanted and so could rarely be initially employed there. They offered a different package of attributes valued only in emerging markets remote from, and unimportant to, the mainstream.”
While the idea was applied to how technology affects markets, it can just as easily be applied to warfighting. Wired’s “Danger Room” blog wrote a piece awhile back talking about how enemy belligerents can outsource or improvise their way into being a niche competitor with the US. Check out this PowerPoint briefing by Booz Allen Hamilton that illustrates this point. Commercial access to satellite imagery could be considered disruptive simply because an entirely new set of players have access to what was once the sole purview of the most advanced nation states.
As Moore’s Law makes high power computing more accessible to the masses, it becomes more difficult to maintain a technological edge. As commercial technologies are adapted for military and intelligence purposes, it becomes even more troublesome for the United States who has long maintained a distinct advantage.
