BlackBerry devices have always been marketed as being very secure. It looks like the Department of Defense agrees. The DoD has officially approved the use of BlackBerry 10 devices, including the full lineup of the Z10, Q10 and the PlayBook, on its network.

This approval has come after earlier reports that the DoD was going to approve Apple iOS devices and some Samsung Galaxy handsets. While iOS 6 devices are expected to join BlackBerry 10 devices in being allowed in the next two weeks, devices running Samsung Knox, the South Korean company’s enterprise mobile solution, have already got the green light.

The Knox was earlier expected to be available with the S4, but later reports have pointed to the feature being available only by July. Samsung is certainly making a good effort, but BlackBerry is still the best when it comes to security.

Scott Totzke, SVP, BlackBerry Security at BlackBerry says: “BlackBerry 10 is ideal for our government customers because it offers a rich, highly responsive mobile computing experience, along with BlackBerry’s proven and validated security model – a combination that’s unmatched in the industry. This approval will enable DoD customers to connect their BlackBerry Z10 or BlackBerry Q10 smartphones to DoD networks and securely access assets from work, while enjoying the wealth of consumer-oriented functionality that BlackBerry 10 brings to market”.

[Source]

[Image Source]

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We’ve all been told that it’s dangerous to shine a laser pointer straight into someone’s eye, but that’s just with the laser pointers you can pick up at your local dollar store. Now, imagine far more powerful laser dazzler weapons–using multiple wavelengths–that boast enough energy to pop a balloon. This can cause pilots not only to get distracted or temporarily blinded, but they could even suffer from more permanent eye damage. In fact, the US FAA says that there are over 2,000 incidents each year where pilots have lasers pointed at their planes.

Protecting pilots against one wavelength at a time just isn’t good enough, so the UK MoD turned to Thin Film Solution, based out of Glasgow. The resulting prototype has a composite structure where the polycarbonate layer has a special light-absorbing dye. When bonded with the glass lens, the wavelengths can then either be filtered out or reflected out, helping those pilots retain their optimal vision. They’re still working on it, but I can see how these laser-filtering goggles can become standard issue for at least all military operations.

[Ministry of Defence via Source]

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NASA is mostly interested in exploring things beyond this planet, but many of its innovations have found their way into our everyday lives. The latest development is a special chip that houses 32 nanosensor bars, reacting to a myriad of stimuli from the environment. It could diagnose cancer and measure blood sugar levels in diabetics with nothing more than a breath.

The implementation being demonstrated by Jing Li of NASA Ames has it as a cell phone case, looking very much like it would latch onto an iPhone. It could just as easily be adapted for other devices, of course. In a nutshell, there are 32 nanosensor bars on a chip about the size of a postage stamp. Each of these bars is composed of different nanostructure material, reacting to different chemicals in different ways and providing real-time monitoring.

Going back to the previous examples, there is a correlation between lung cancer and nitrous oxide. If the nanosensor bars detect elevated levels of nitrous oxide in a person’s breath, they could detect the cancer way ahead of time. Similarly, the level of acetone in a diabetic’s breath is correlated with their blood sugar level. No more need for those nasty finger pricks?

Naturally, NASA is exploring all sorts of other options too, including military applications. It was used on the International Space Station to monitor air quality and check for formaldehyde. The DoD is funding an application where soldiers could be outfitted with real-time detection of chemical threats. From a big brother perspective, the Department of Homeland Security could take a “big picture” look from the cell phones of citizens to assess the chemical threats in an area following some sort of disastrous event. The possibilities are endless.

And it looks close to production ready too. Who said science couldn’t be fun?

The post NASA’s Revolutionary Cancer Nanosensing Cell Phone Case appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Dell and Good Technologies have been working with the US Department of Defense for over a year to create a secure Android platform. The Streak that has been approved and they’ve included additional features to make the device even more secure. The additional security features of the DISA-approved Streak 5 include the ability to have data wiped from it remotely if one is ever lost or stolen and enhanced password protection. Every Streak 5 being issued also comes with additional “mobile security” with which we are not privy to.

This seems to be only the beginning for the DOD and similar mobile devices. As new Android devices come available, they should be able to be easily integrated for military and other Defense Department use now that the Streak 5 and its special OS has paved the way.

If you want to play spy and get your hands on your own Dell Streak 5, you better get over to eBay. Dell removed this pocket tablet from its US product line back in August of this year, and it is “unavailable” on Dell’s Canadian site too.

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Our good friends over at the Department of Defense (DoD) who’s chief aim is to protect the nation has deployed a new app.  Ever wanted to be tapped in to the DoD’s Video and Imagery distribution system (DVIDS)?  Well, there’s an app for that.  This release from the DoD gives you videos, photography, newscasts and a bit of social sharing capabilities via Facebook and Twitter.  You won’t get any mission information, terrorist activities with realtime geo-location updates, maybe that will be rolled out in the second version. And since your tax dollars already paid for it, you can grab it off iTunes for free.

[iTunes]

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The defence and security company which develops and supplies weapons systems to countries such as the United States and Saudi Arabia, have taken one from the Dark Knight. And it doesn’t even seem like they put much effort into disguising the fact.

Hisham Awad of BAE Systems even stated “in all seriousness, we decided that we didn’t have a monopoly on inspiration, and if we saw something in a film that we thought might be a good idea, why not take a look at it and see if there’s something practical we can develop?”

Well, you know what they say. Amateur designers borrow ideas from others. Professional designers steal ideas from others.

The “Raider” is only one of seven new concepts recently released by the company, and though none have hit the prototype stage yet, the focus seems to be on creating unmanned vehicles that will allow for less troops on the front lines.

[SlashGear via BAE Systems]

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The Kanguru Defender Elite passes FIPS 140-2 Certification

Kanguru Solutions is trying to entice organizations such as the Department of Defense (DOD) who have recently banned flash drive use by their employees for carrying sensitive information.  The ban extended for 15 motnhs and has recently been “partially” lifted.

FIPS 140-2 is a rigorous federal security accreditation program, a standard for the encryption used for protecting sensitive government information.  It’s managed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and FIPS is required for encryption related products within the DOD.  The  Kanguru Defender Elite has just achieved FIPS 140-2 certification, meeting Sarbanes Oxley and HIPAA standards, and using 256-bit AES hardware encryption and remote management.

Other security features include a limit on password attempts, master password support, restricted IP range/domain support, tamper resistant designs, anti-virus/malware protection, and no administrative rights required for use.

Prices range from $49.95 for a 1GB model, up to $599.95 for a 128GB unit. The best deal seems to be with the 64GB for $349.95 and they are all available from Kanguru’s website.

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