(August 18, 2016) The BBC has reported the ride-sharing firm, Uber, will allow users to hail self-driving cars shortly. Uber said the launch would take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and will be teaming up initially with Volvo in sensor-equipped XC90 SUVs. Volvo intends to have delivered 100 such cars by the end of the year. "At first, the vehicles will be supervised by a … [Read more...]
New Stealth Technology Makes Russian Electronic Equipment Undetectable
(August 5, 2016) Russian scientists have developed a new ferrite-based fabric that promises to have the ability to make Russian military hardware much harder to detect for enemy electronic warfare systems. According to Sputnik News, "The new lightweight and highly flexible fabric, developed by the Rostec subsidiary JSC Ruselectronics, can protect the electronic equipment … [Read more...]
Radio Interference Caused by 1967 Solar Storm Nearly Started Nuclear War
(August 9, 2016) Business Insider reported that a colossal solar burst caused radio interference in 1967 that almost started a nuclear war. The "Great [Solar] Storm" of May 1967 caused widespread radio communications blackouts, and was seen as potential jamming from Soviet Russia. The Air Weather Service (AWS) — a relatively new branch of the Air Force — had warned military … [Read more...]
Heart Implant Devices Tested to Resist MRI Interference
(August 22, 2016) According to the Guernsey Press, “A new model of implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) which is resistant to the MRI's strong magnetic fields has been tested at Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire.” “The Ellipse ICD, developed by US manufacture St Jude Medical, will now be tested in a further 165 patients at 60 MRI centres around … [Read more...]
B-1B Lancer Returns to BAF for RF Testing
(August 11, 2016) The B-1B Lancer was recently brought to the Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF), the largest anechoic chamber in the world, for testing of its ALQ-161 threat protection system. “The ALQ-161 is a receiver/transmitter that detects and identifies threat radio frequencies then applies the appropriate jamming technique to protect the B-1 while on missions,” reported … [Read more...]
GPS Under Interference Attack
(August 8, 2016) As reported by NBC News, "criminals, rogue employees and even otherwise law-abiding citizens are using illegal "jamming" devices to overpower GPS, cellphone and other electronic signals in localized areas." Experts say the threat to the Global Positioning System (GPS) is escalating as potentially more destructive "spoofing" devices become readily available, … [Read more...]
Full-Scale Test Model of the Sputnik-1 Auctioned for $220,000
(July 20, 2016) A working full-scale test model of the Sputnik-1 sold at Bonhams, New York, for $220,000 (£167,012), outstripping a $10,000 to $15,000 estimate. Sputnik-1 was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957 and was the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, which caused quite a shock and resulted in the well-know “space race” between the U.S. and Soviet … [Read more...]
Utah Authorities to Allow Disabling of Drones During Fires
(Jul. 14, 2016) The Associated Press reported Utah authorities will likely be among the first in the nation to be allowed to disable or crash drones for flying too close to wildfires after lawmakers approve legislation. "Lawmakers voted Wednesday during a special session after at least one unmanned aircraft has plagued firefighters recently in the southern part of the state," … [Read more...]
FCC Wants Your Help Understanding Spectral Noise Floor
(June 15, 2016) The US Federal Communications Commission is trying to figure out exactly how much trouble is being caused by product emissions that effectively raise the overall noise floor over the frequency spectrum. Among the amateur radio and shortwave listener communities, the noise floor in the radio spectrum has obviously been rising as the number of devices in use that … [Read more...]
EMC Live 2016
Title: EMC Live 2016 Date: April 26 - 28 2016 Location: Online Description: RECORDINGS ARE NOW AVAILABLE! EMC Live 2016 is a unique 3-day-event, featuring live webinar presentations, with practical solutions to electromagnetic interference (EMI) challenges. Various electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) topics will be covered including shielding, ground filtering, standards, … [Read more...]
