Billerica-based LED-maker Luminus Devices supplies the LEDs necessary to make a “puke light,” which is exactly what it sounds like. At the time, Luminus CTO and 2008 MHT All-Star Alexei Erchak joked that making weaponized flashlights was actually his original vision for the company.
Now, thanks to the Series of Tubes, you can build your own flashlight which, when you shine it at a person’s face, will make that person vomit. What could go wrong?
Incidentally, a sound cannon also briefly mentioned in that MHT story, made by California-based American Technology Corp. has been used on American citizens for the first time. Pittsburgh police fired “shrill beeps” at protesters trying to march on the G20 summit last week. After the jump, subject yourself to the same shrill beeps via YouTube.
The AP is reporting a Skype virus making the rounds can record phone calls made over the service, save the audio as an MP3, and email it to other computers. The hack taps into the computer’s OS to record the computer’s audio before it’s encrypted by Skype.
Mudge
Former L0pht Heavy Industries hacker Mudge, aka Peiter Zatko, a security researcher at BBN Technologies, just got back from Italy to find BBN had been bought by Raytheon. Via email, he said the Skype virus tactic isn’t new, comparing it to hackers stealing banking information by recording keystrokes.
“The fact that this is relatively well known does not speak well for the progress that our consumer computer security has made over the years,” he said.
The issue stems from the multitasking we demand from our computers — different applications have different security needs, but the OS doesn’t serve them.
“Would you be happy if you could play video games and listen to online music at the ATM when you walk in to your bank? I wouldn’t. I want that system to be specific and dedicated to processing my bank requests,” Mudge said.
The AP report suggests the virus works better as a targeted attack, rather than a widespread virus. To defend against it, Mudge suggests disabling Javascript and similar programs in your browser; disabling HTML and content rendering in e-mail programs; being savvy about e-mail attachments and links and Internet sites; and running each application on a separate virtual machine, then reverting to a clean install state. And he said all that is just a start.
“Once your computer is compromised, it doesn’t matter if you are using encrypted network communications … you’ve lost,” he said.
Breyer is Accel’s representative at BBN, but invested his own money in Marvel. Raytheon isn’t releasing financial details from the BBN acquisition, but PEHub reports Breyer made out well from the Marvel deal:
As the third largest direct shareholder in Marvel Entertainment, Breyer stands to make nearly $5 million once Disney’s acquisition of the superhero company closes.
Disney said this morning that it plans to pay $4 billion in cash and stock for Marvel. Marvel shareholders — Breyer has 165,700, according to regulatory filings — will get $30 a share plus around 3/4 of a Disney share, a 29 percent premium over Marvel’s closing price on Friday.
The Army unveiled a blimp-based missile detection system developed by Raytheon yesterday. The Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Sensor (JLENS) system covers a wider area than sensors not attached to a blimp, and can detect low-flying cruise missiles, Raytheon said.
Everybody look up and wave: Raytheon has announced it has an infrared sensor that can keep its 16 megapixel eye trained on an entire hemisphere.
The press release, which says it could be used for a space-based missile warning system, or for meteorology or astronomy applications, makes it sound kind of creepy:
… “When employed as part of a satellite sensor system, the 4K-by-4K will permit full-Earth hemisphere staring with a single focal plane array.”
Raytheon said sensors using the technology would be simpler, since they wouldn’t need scanning mechanisms needed to cover an entire hemisphere.
Wired.com’s Danger Room reports Raytheon has sold its first Active Denial System, the “pain ray” which uses microwaves to push back approaching enemies. Weirdly enough, the defense giant isn’t selling the ray gun to the military, which begs the question: Can anyone buy one of these things?
“Paradoxically, it seems that the controversial ‘pain beam’ may be more acceptable in the civilian market than in the military — depending on how the weapon is used.Certainly, few people would object to the Active Denial System being used for zapping off pirates. The Long Range Acoustic Device, which produces an intense beam of sound, was used to fend off pirates attacking the cruise ship Seabourn Spirit in 2005. But it might be received differently if it was used in a prison or to repel intruders (or protesters) from company property.
…
In the longer run, Raytheon believe that Active Denial might have all sorts of applications in law enforcement, prisons and protecting installations – not to mention chasing geese away from airports. One day a domestic version might even repel burglars.”
Raytheon is developing a smaller version of the ADS, so we should have a whole new sub-genre of YouTube video to look forward to if these things ever shrink to the size of tasers.
Raytheon is developing a version of its Active Denial System that can be fired from helicopters, according to New Scientist. The magazine reports the Air Force plans to increase the budget for the pain-inducing microwave-based weapon from $2 million to $10 million a year.
“The transmitting antenna on the current system is 2 metres across, produces a single beam of similar width and is steered mechanically, making it cumbersome. At the heart of the new weapon will be a compact airborne antenna, which will be steered electronically and be capable of generating multiple beams, each of which can be aimed while on the move.”
In March, Raytheon project manager John Finkenauer told me the defense contractor was developing a version of the system small enough for a soldier to use in the field.
After the jump, watch 60 Minutes’ report on the ADS from June 2008. (more…)
Boston Scientific’s way up, VC deals are way down, and Epix is down and out in today’s NewsFlash roundup. Also, News editor Rodney Brown drops by Draper Lab’s Apollo 11 anniversary party.
The Natick-based manufacturer of medical devices had revenue of $2.07 billion in the second quarter of this year, up slightly from $2.02 billion in the second quarter of 2008. Net income increased to $158 million from $98 million a year earlier.
The Lexington-based company’s officials said that the company was unable to raise enough money or enter into a partnership in time and that it has entered into an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors. The purpose of the Assignment is to conclude the company’s operations and provide for an orderly liquidation of its assets.
Numbers reported this morning by the NVCA and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP were considerably less optimistic, showing $3.7 million invested over 612 deals. While Dow Jones analysts predicted a “rebound” in the venture investing sector, the NVCA says figures for the full year will most likely reflect a setback to 1996 and 1997 levels of $11 billion to $14 billion. (more…)
In today’s Finance Roundup, a bootstrapping group meets in Cambridge, a New Hampshire incubator gets funding from an incubator incubator, and Philips buys Teletrol.
A new networking group for bootstrapping technology startup founders meets for the second time in Cambridge tonight …
“I think there’s a lot of groups out there that are specifically trying to put entrepreneurs in touch with investors and I’m avoiding that route,” Lawlor said. “Ultra Light is really about trying to build a business rather than trying to get investment.”
The Manchester, N.H., company supplies software platforms to allow retailers and other multi-site building owners to control lighting, temperature and other energy intensive aspects of a building. Founded in 1985, the company employs about 37 people in Manchester.
The Amoskeag Business Incubator (ABI) in Manchester, N.H., is a step closer to receiving a $120,000 federal appropriation to help it establish a “soft landings international incubator” designation with the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) in Athens, Ohio, the incubator announced yesterday. (more…)
The “fence” will use sensors and S-band radars to track small objects in low earth orbit for situational awareness in space. The first radar system is expected to be delivered in 2015.
DirectoryM Inc.’s 12 founding employees have ponied up another $2 million to expand the online database centralization startup globally — after buying it out from its investors in March 2007 for $6 million.
GreenRay develops solar AC modules with fewer parts and simplified installation as a means of lowering cost. The funding will be applied to the manufacturing, distribution and commercial launch of GreenRay’s solar AC module.
Use of, registration on, this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement.
Please read our Privacy Policy (updated) A publishing partner with Portfolio
RSS Feeds
