Feral Jundi

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Building Snowmobiles: The Bounty Hunter Mobile Application

Filed under: Building Snowmobiles,Law Enforcement,PMC 2.0,Technology — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 8:56 AM

Dog Chapman

   This is a basic one, but I think extremely intriguing.  The idea behind this post, is that I am hoping that some programmer or entrepreneur will take this idea and run with it. Meanwhile, my ultimate goal of wanting to see an increase of criminals and terrorists being captured would be the best outcome of all, along with people making money off of the concept.

    You can thank me later, if someone does take the ball and runs with it. Or maybe some whiz kid has already produced something like this? Nothing has come up on my PMC 2.0 radar that would indicate this, but if you do know of a similar concept, I would like to hear about it.

   So lets get this started.  This concept is really pretty simple.  Everyone owns or will own a smart phone with GPS capability.  That is an inevitability in my opinion, and the trends in mobile phone technology and availability points to this. They will actually be free with service plans, and you are already seeing this with some of the older smart phones.

   If everyone owned a smart phone with this GPS capability, then you could very well introduce a type of bounty hunter mobile application, which would connect folks who are looking for something or someone with the folks that are currently signed on with the BH application as hunters.  And what would really make it a ‘bounty’ hunter tool, is if those individuals looking for whatever, offered a reward.

   The way I see this working, is that you download the program onto your phone for free or for a small fee, and have the option to participate in the program or not, based on your personal preference . Just turn on the button that puts you into hunt mode.  You can either participate as a bounty hunter, or you could be the guy or gal offering the reward.   It could be individuals, police departments, organizations, schools, telecom companies, computer companies, countries, it doesn’t matter.  The application is open to the world, and they can sign up and play, all with intent of connecting folks for a common goal and creating an industry out of it.

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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

PMC 2.0: Armchair Deputies Patrol U.S. Border

Filed under: Law Enforcement,PMC 2.0,Technology,Texas — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 10:40 AM

   I posted a deal about this awhile back, and it is cool to finally get some statistics about the program.  I thought it was an awesome idea back then, and I still think it is good idea and deserves further study and use.

   Now some of you are probably wondering why this isn’t under law enforcement or technology?  I put it under PMC 2.0 because I think the lessons learned with this virtual border watch program, could easily be applied to other countries and border security contracts.  Especially countries where border control is a matter of life and death, where terrorists are looking to import their hate.

   Look at the Afghanistan and Pakistan border, or the Iraq borders, or the Saudi Arabia and Yemen border?  Crowd sourcing a border watch program could very well be the trend of future border security operations.  It also involves that Grandma in Michigan, if in fact she wanted to make  a difference in the war effort or with border enforcement here in the US. It is like a modern day version of the coastal lookouts that civilians participated in back during World War Two.

   By the way, these guys should turn this into a mobile application for smart phones, and make this something people can do while waiting in the doctor’s office before an appointment.  That would really increase the numbers if you know what I mean.-Matt

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Armchair deputies patrol US border

December 26, 2009

By Claire Prentice

When John Spears gets home from his sales job in New York, he sits down at his computer with a bottle of beer and starts patrolling the US border.

And to do it, he does not need to stir from his sofa.

He is one of tens of thousands of people around the world who are volunteering to patrol the 1250-mile long (2000 km) stretch between Texas and Mexico via the web.

The controversial $4m (£2.5m) Texas Virtual Border Watch Programme invites civilians to log on to Blueservo.net.

There they can monitor live feeds 24/7 from 21 hidden surveillance cameras placed at intervals along the border.

Supporters see the initiative as a step forward in US efforts to curb illegal immigration, drug smuggling and border violence.

Critics say it is encouraging vigilantism and stoking anti-immigrant feeling.

Value for money?

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Friday, December 25, 2009

PMC 2.0: Raytheon Introduces One Force Tracker For iPhone

Filed under: PMC 2.0,Technology — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 12:10 PM

   This is cool.  Thanks to David for giving me the heads up on this one.  All I have to say is, ‘cry havoc, and let loose the mobile apps of war’. lol It is about damn time and I look forward to other interesting tools to pop up.

   The big one here, is encryption.  If we are to learn anything at all in this war, and of the wars of history, is never underestimate the enemy.  They have iPhones and computers too, and more than likely they will try to crack this stuff, much like they hacked the drones. Hell, they will just download these mobile apps off of iTunes and just use them for their own little private war.

    All in all though, this is good, and I think as soon as the industry gets revved up for this stuff, there will be some competition over the market share, and only the best and most secure applications will win. I know my iPhone and the legions of other contractor’s iPhones and Blackberries will be hungry for anything that comes up. –Matt

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One Force Tracker for iPhone.

The iPhone Goes to War

December 16, 2009

By ROY FURCHGOTT

One Force Tracker, iPhone software from Raytheon.

Is the iPhone going to war?

On Wednesday at the 2009 Intelligence Warfighting Summit in Tucson, Raytheon, the military contractor, announced an iPhone application that tracks friends and foes, shows their positions on live, real time maps and provides secure communications.

Called the One Force Tracker, the Raytheon iPhone software can also be used by first responders like police, firemen and emergency medical technicians.

The app works on a standard iPhone, said J Smart, chief technology officer for Raytheon’s Intelligence and Information Systems. “We are really delighted to be leveraging Apple’s innovation.”

The adaptation of the iPhone to military use is somewhat unusual, as technology more often trickles from the military to the consumer market. But this is a rare case of consumer hardware and software concepts being adapted for military use.

For instance, crowdsourcing, which has volunteers use cellphones to report real-time traffic flow, could be adapted to turn each soldier into a reporting unit, delivering real-time data about position and status.

Communications resemble social sites like Facebook, in which your friends would be represented by a military unit and could be used to track the position of, and communicate with, other units.

Maps with an overlay of points of interest are familiar to every GPS user. The Raytheon app would use the same concept, but points of interest might be known sniper sites or safe fallback positions.

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Saturday, December 12, 2009

PMC 2.0: Social Networks as Foreign Policy, The Onion Router, and Humari Awaz

Filed under: Iran,Pakistan,PMC 2.0,Technology — Tags: , , , , , , , — Matt @ 5:59 AM

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who has written about the efficacy of samizdat in undermining the Soviet Union, sees a similar dynamic at work here. “The freedom of communication and the nature of it,” he has said, “is a huge strategic asset for the United States.” 

*****

    These three stories are all inter-related and based on this first one below.  The more I read this, the more I keep thinking that someone is reading Feral Jundi and taking the hint.  lol.  There are all sorts of things we could be doing with these technologies, and it is great to see some innovation in that department.  I especially like the Humari project, because that is flipping cool.  Facebook is already accessible on a mobile platform, but to actually create a social network for mobile for the Pakistani market?  That is neat.

   Why are these stories in PMC 2.0? Because not only is the freedom of communication and the nature of it an excellent strategic asset for the US, it is an excellent strategic asset for companies.  I recommend the reader to go back through all of the PMC 2.0 and social networking related posts that I have made in the past, and evaluate for yourself on the validity of this concept.  The future is coming and everyone will have mobile smart phones and everyone will be using social networking sites.  Is your company ready for that?-Matt

Edit: 12/14/2009- Check out this paper written at the Heritage Foundation about Public Diplomacy 2.0.

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Social Networks as Foreign Policy

12/12/2009

From the 9th Annual Year in Ideas

In August, after the suppression of Iran’s pro-democracy protests, officials in Tehran accused Western governments of using online social networks like Twitter and Facebook to help execute a “soft coup.” The accusation wasn’t entirely off-base. In Iran and elsewhere, this year showed the growing importance of social networks to U.S. foreign policy.

Long before the protests in Iran started, the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees U.S. civilian international broadcasting, had in place software to counter censorship in countries like Iran, so people could better access the blogosphere. And the State Department financially supports agencies that make it easier for Iranians and others to surf the Web. After the protests began, the State Department asked Twitter to reschedule a maintenance outage so the activists could continue to spread the word about their movement.

The United States has long disseminated information to people living under repressive regimes — think of Radio Free Europe. The difference here is that the content of the information isn’t the important thing; the emphasis is on supporting the technical infrastructure and then letting the people decide for themselves what to say. Communication itself erodes despots’ authority. “The very existence of social networks is a net good,” says Alec Ross, a senior adviser on innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

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Monday, November 30, 2009

Games: Serious Games Showcase and Challenge

Filed under: Games,PMC 2.0 — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 10:10 AM

    Interesting.  I have to tell you, I am seeing contractors and soldiers play the crap out of these first person shooter games.  Eventually you will see a company like Blackwater or similar develop a simulation game that will present PSD, Convoy, or Static Security scenarios in complex arenas.  I could envision a game that could be modified by the players or companies and different rules of engagement, SOFA’s, rules for the use of force, codes of conduct, UCMJ, SOP’s, etc. could be added. Even equipment and vehicles could be changed to match what the company uses.  The goal is to use this type of contractor gaming platform to condition the brains of the players with some of the scenarios they need to think about and negotiate in the real world of war zone contracting.

   If you notice some of the finalists of the contest over the last couple years, you will see some familiar company names that have been involved.  I especially perked up when I saw SAIC as one of the participants.  So is a PMC or PSC going to introduce a serious game in the near future, or will the only security contractor based games we will see are blood fest games like Army of Two?  Who knows, but just so companies know, there is a market for such a thing.  Especially if companies are looking at ways to minimize liability and maximize training of it’s contractors and employees. I could even see maritime security based games pop up, and all of this stuff could be used to train up folks and promote what companies are doing out there. –Matt

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Welcome to the official website of theFourth Annual I/ITSEC Serious Games Showcase & Challenge.

Serious Games for Serious TrainingThe goal of  Serious Games Showcase & Challenge  is to identify innovative game-based technologies and solutions that improve training across all segments for individuals, groups and systems.

Get Serious, Get Recognized!Submit your original serious games entry and have your work reviewed by a panel of military, academia and industry gaming experts.  Finalists will be showcased, and winners announced, at I/ITSEC 2009 in Orlando, Florida.

The Serious Games Showcase & Challenge12 Finalist Announced Click Here.

No limits!Whether you’re an individual, small business or big business – the Serious Games Showcase and Challenge is open to you!  Submissions can be targeted to training in any segment, including education, corporate, or military.

If game development is your past-time (indie game developer), your intended field, or your current business… If you can “mod” a game into a training solution, or program one from scratch…consider how you would use your skills to develop a serious game solution to enhance training.

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