tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39057245418346340652024-03-18T23:11:43.842-04:00I Am Net-CentricHow transformational transformation transforms transformational thinkers.Unmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-2044961373073310432007-06-19T07:04:00.001-04:002007-06-19T07:08:29.917-04:00U.S. Army Recognizes ItselfThe U.S. Army <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">recognized</span> the <a href="http://www.army.mil/-news/2007/06/15/3629-army-recognizes-greatest-inventions-for-2006/">top inventions of 2006</a>. And they are all Army programs. Created by the Army. For the Army.<br /><br /><b style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">Blow Torch Counter Improvised Explosive Device System</b><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. This vehicle-mounted system detonates <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">IEDs</span> at safe stand-off distances, minimizing vehicle damage and Soldier injuries.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;"> "It's fairly easy to operate, and it gives a sense of security to the Soldiers when they're on convoy duty," said Maj. Brian <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Hackenberg</span>, who helped develop the system. </span><br /><br /><b style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">Integrated Robotic Explosive Detection System</b><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Redstone</span> Arsenal, Ala. Capable of crossing rugged terrain, this remotely operated system incorporates an explosive trace detector onto a robotic platform. </span><br /><br /><b style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">Plastic Shaped Charge Assembly for Remote Destruction of Buried <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">IEDs</span></b><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">, U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Picatinny</span> Arsenal, N.J. Remotely <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">emplaced</span>, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">PSCA</span> destroys known or suspected unexploded ordnance with higher accuracy than similar devices currently in use. Its low-fragmentation plastic housing eliminates collateral damage.</span><br /><br /><b style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">Humvee Crew Extraction D-ring</b><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Redstone</span> Arsenal, Ala. Combat locks on the up-armored Humvee provide security for Soldiers but often get so damaged the doors can't be opened. The D-ring provides solid anchor points for the hooks of a tow strap, chain or cable to pull open damaged doors.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;"> "There was an issue of Soldiers getting trapped inside <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Humvees</span> that had been damaged for whatever reason ... enemy fire or being flipped. Soldiers had problems getting the doors off these up-armored <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Humvees</span> so we took their advice and created the D-ring," said Wesley D. Patterson, who is part of a Fast Assistance in Sciences Team that deploys to help Soldiers solve problems that can be resolved within six months.</span><br /><br /><b style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">M1114 Humvee Interim Fragment Kit 5</b><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. This kit was fielded as a ballistic improvement for the M1114 Humvee in April 2006. A prototype door solution with fabrication and mounting instructions was provided within one week with automotive testing and safety certification. </span><br /><br /><b style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">Remote Urban Monitoring System</b><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">, U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, Fort <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Belvoir</span>, Va. RUMS hardware combines emerging technologies in Wireless Local Area Network technology, night-vision cameras and unattended ground sensors to eliminate false alarms. Tripped sensors transmit an alarm signal to the camera module and operator after video and audio from multiple camera modules confirm the unattended ground sensor's alarm signal. </span><br /><br /><b style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">Constant Hawk</b><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. Constant Hawk is a surveillance capability that uses an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">electro</span>-optic payload to collect intelligence and identify areas that require increased surveillance by other assets.</span><br /><br /><b style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">OmniSense</span> Unattended Ground Sensor System</b><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">OmniSense</span> is an unattended ground sensor system used to detect and classify personnel and vehicles in perimeter defense. </span><br /><br /><b style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">EM113A2 Rapid Entry Vehicle</b><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">, U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Picatinny</span>, N.J. The REV provides rapid entry, non-lethal crowd control and rescue-squad insertion capabilities into areas requiring non-lethal intervention. The vehicle increases Soldier survivability through improved situational awareness and the ability to move and fire from within an armored vehicle.</span><br /><br /><b style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">BuckEye</span> System</b><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Miss. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">BuckEye</span> uses a digital camera to produce <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">geospatial</span> information for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. It also produces high-resolution 3D urban mapping.<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />-Bill</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /></span>Unmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-18768115121795098872007-06-17T18:58:00.000-04:002007-06-18T05:27:20.202-04:00A Dot Calm Era?Looks like online retail shopping has slowed according <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/17/technology/17ecom.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin">this piece</a> in the New York Times. Have we entered an age where pointing and clicking has become so stressful we put the mouse down?<br /><br />-BillUnmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-75051412884897199052007-06-17T16:30:00.001-04:002007-06-17T16:37:47.051-04:00Why Estonia Matters<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">CSIS</span> released <a href="http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/070615_cyber_attacks.pdf">this study</a> on the recent <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">cyber</span>-attacks in Estonia. According the authors, Estonia doesn't matter much. Well, maybe just in terms of not being a victim of an electronic attack from an enemy combatant. The effects of virtual attacks such as spam or hacking are at minimum annoying and at most enough cause to raise the threat level color.<br /><br />On a state level, these types of virtual disruptions are certainly worth keeping track.<br /><br />-AceUnmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-86857196865615780702007-06-12T06:52:00.000-04:002007-06-12T06:56:03.749-04:00Add Another Continent to the NetworkTom Barnett has yet another excellent piece in the latest Esquire, this time an article on the new bases planned for the African continent. Read the <a href="http://www.esquire.com/features/africacommand0707">entire article here</a>.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); font-style: italic;">"The Horn of Africa was supposed to be Washington's bureaucratic <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">mea</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">culpa</span> for the Green Zone, a proving ground for the next generation of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">interagency</span> cooperation that fuels America's eventual victory in what <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Abizaid</span> once dubbed the "long war" against radical Islam. But as its first great test in Somalia demonstrated, the three D's are still a long way from being synchronized, and as the Pentagon sets up its new Africa Command in the summer of 2008, the time for sloppy off-Broadway tryouts is running out. Eventually, Al <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Qaeda's</span> penetration of Muslim Africa will happen -- witness the stunning recent appearance of suicide bombers in Casablanca -- and either the three D's will answer this challenge, or this road show will close faster than you can say "Black Hawk down."'<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">-Bill</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /></span>Unmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-40367376995111472252007-06-09T13:14:00.000-04:002007-06-09T13:17:30.280-04:00Goure's Got it RightGood article from Defense News (subscription access):<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#003333;"><strong>Pentagon Hones Its Procurement Strategy</strong> </span></em><br /><br /><em><span style="color:#003333;">"Call it net-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">centricity</span> with a purpose. As the Pentagon and U.S. military services build their networks of networks, they are looking especially for gear that can filter the rivers of sensor data, then share the gleanings easily among the services. </span></em><br /><br /><em><span style="color:#003333;">“We are no longer investing in networking simply for the sake of increasing communication and dumping information. We are now investing into networks for a purpose, networks driven by strategy,” said Daniel <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Gouré</span>, vice president of the Lexington Institute. </span></em><br /><br /><em><span style="color:#003333;">And neither is the military interested in raw information; there’s too much of it already, thanks largely to the enormous amount of electronic intelligence-gathering systems. Instead, troops and their leaders need tactically or strategically relevant information, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Gouré</span> said. </span></em><br /><br /><em><span style="color:#003333;">“The interesting question is an operational one. What is your conception of what net-centric is about? It is not simply about sharing information,” <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Gouré</span> said. "</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#003333;"></span></em><br /><span style="color:#003333;">-Ace</span>Unmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-41582103309851042362007-06-09T13:07:00.000-04:002007-06-09T13:09:36.356-04:00Two from BBCCheck out <a href="http://www.thomaspmbarnett.com/weblog/2007/06/freedom_increasingly_defined_a.html">Tom Barnett's posting</a> on censorship on the Net as well as <a href="http://iamnetcentric.blogspot.com/2007/05/see-no-evil-in-e-form.html">our posting</a> from May 21. BBC is sure keeping track of the censorship issues.<br /><br />-AceUnmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-82659360150026291782007-06-09T13:01:00.000-04:002007-06-09T13:05:36.938-04:00The Net and Your Future EmploymentThe Internet has certainly helped the job hunting process with sites devoted to job openings, resume tips and what clothes to wear to an interview.<br /><br />Harvard Business Review wants to know what happens when a <a href="http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/flatmm/ics/index.html?referral=1411&cm_mmc=npv-_-listserv-_-June_2007-_-communication">job candidate is Googled</a> and the search results find some interesting information.<br /><br />Read the <a href="http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/flatmm/ics/HBRInteractiveCaseStudy.pdf">case study here</a> and feel free to send in your thoughts.<br /><br />-MikeUnmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-57478919953537203802007-06-09T12:48:00.000-04:002007-06-09T13:01:28.324-04:00Glut-ton for PunishmentWhat happens when you analyze global infectious diseases, the World Wide Web and some old <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">bling</span>? You get this report from the National Academies called <strong><a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11733.html">Glut: Mastering Information Through The Ages</a></strong>.<br /><br /><br /><p>For $33 this report is all yours. Although this report summary reminds me a bit of Jared Diamond's series of books that tie together cultural and historical events to support modern trends. Who knew history was so net-centric?</p><p><em><span style="color:#003300;">"What do primordial bacteria, medieval alchemists, and the World Wide Web have to do with each other? This fascinating exploration of how information systems emerge takes readers on a provocative journey through the history of the information age.<br /><br />Today's "information explosion" may seem like an acutely modern phenomenon, but we are not the first generation nor even the first species to wrestle with the problem of information overload. Long before the advent of computers, human beings were collecting, storing, and organizing information: from Ice Age taxonomies to Sumerian archives, Greek libraries to Dark Age monasteries.<br /><br />Today, we stand at a precipice, as our old systems struggle to cope with what designer Richard Saul <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Wurman</span> called a "tsunami of data." With some historical perspective, however, we can begin to understand our predicament not just as the result of technological change, but as the latest chapter in an ancient story that we are only beginning to understand.<br /><br />Spanning disciplines from evolutionary theory and cultural anthropology to the history of books, libraries, and computer science, writer and information architect Alex Wright weaves an intriguing narrative that connects such seemingly far-flung topics as insect colonies, Stone Age jewelry, medieval monasteries, Renaissance encyclopedias, early computer networks, and the World Wide Web. Finally, he pulls these threads together to reach a surprising conclusion, suggesting that the future of the information age may lie deep in our cultural past."</span></em></p><p></p><p>-Bill<br /></p>Unmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-47471712907386706162007-06-09T12:39:00.000-04:002007-06-09T12:52:31.685-04:00If You Network It, They Will ComeThis <a href="http://www3.brookings.edu/metro/pubs/20070520_oic.pdf"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Brookings</span> report</a> speaks to this author's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Rustbelt</span> roots. What are the key differences between America's thriving urban centers and cities that were once major industrial centers? <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Brookings</span> suggests that an economic focus (read: get on the globalization bandwagon) will help revitalize former industry heavy cities.<br /><br />The lesson is that in order for these cities to once again <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">achieve</span> economic prosperity, they have to connect to the wider globalization economic trends.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;"><em>“A dynamic economic moment is also now underway, a result of a fundamental restructuring of the global economy:<br /><br />• Globalization has accelerated the shift of our economy from the production of commodities, to the design, marketing, and delivery of goods, services, and ideas. Services employment grew by 214 percent from 1970 to 2000 as manufacturing declined, and now represents 32 percent of all jobs in the country.<br /><br />• The shift to a knowledge and innovation economy demands greater numbers of highly educated, highly skilled workers—now the single biggest driver of economic growth across metropolitan areas.<br /><br />• The role and function of universities, colleges, medical research institutions, and other institutions of higher learning in economic development and community revitalization is growing and changing.<br /><br />• The growth of the knowledge economy is altering the value and function of density and proximity, which is widely held to help accelerate the transfer of knowledge and ideas between people and firms.<br /><br />While globalization and technological change have undoubtedly contributed to the decline of those cities reliant on “old economy” industries, moving forward, they also have the potential to give them back their competitive edge.”<br /></em></span><br />-BillUnmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-13909954861259255892007-06-09T12:36:00.000-04:002007-06-09T12:39:04.901-04:00Upcoming Event: NGDC Conference<a href="http://ngdcexpo.com/live/11/TB75295">Next Generation Data Center Conference and Expo</a><br /><br />August 6-9, 2007<br /><br />San Fransisco, California<br /><br />A copy of the brochure can be found <a href="http://ngdcexpo.com/dev/images/other/NGDC_Brochure.pdf">here</a>.<br /><br />-MikeUnmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-82122514527311218262007-06-03T21:11:00.000-04:002007-06-03T21:17:38.635-04:00Network Comms - BackgroundExcellent background piece in the <a href="http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&articleID=77129353-E7F2-99DF-37738629167B4856&pageNumber=1&catID=2">latest issue of Scientific American</a> on network communications.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"The military has recognized the robustness of network coding and is now funding research into its use in mobile ad <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">hoc</span> networks, which can form on the fly. Such networks are valuable in highly changeable environments, such as on the battlefield, where reliable communications are essential and establishing and maintaining an infrastructure of fiber-optic cables or cell towers is difficult. In an ad <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">hoc</span> network, every soldier's radio becomes a node in a communications system, and each node seeks out and establishes connections to neighboring nodes; together these connections establish a network's links. Every node can both send and receive messages and serve as an intermediary to pass along messages intended for other receivers. This technique extends communications capabilities far beyond the transmission range of a single node. It also allows enormous flexibility, because the network travels with the users, constantly reconfiguring and reestablishing connections as needed.</span><o:p style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"></o:p><o:p style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /><br /></o:p><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">By changing how networks function, network coding may influence society in ways we cannot yet imagine. In the meantime, though, those of us who are studying it are considering the obstacles to implementation. Transitioning from our router-based system to a network-coded one will actually be one of the more minor hurdles. That conversion can be handled by a gradual change rather than a sudden overhaul; some routers could just be reprogrammed, and others not built to perform coding operations would be replaced little by little.</span><o:p style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"></o:p><o:p style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /><br /></o:p><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">A bigger challenge will be coping with issues beyond replacing routers with coders. For instance, mixing information is a good strategy when the receiving node will gather enough evidence to recover what it desires from the mixture. This condition is always met in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">multicast</span> networks but may not be the case in general. Moreover, in some circumstances, such as when multiple <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">multicasts</span> are transmitted, mixing information can make it difficult or impossible for users to extract the proper output. How, then, can nodes decide which information can and cannot be mixed when multiple connections share the same network? In what ways must network coding in wireless networks differ from its use in wired ones? What are the security advantages and implications of network coding? How will people be charged for communications services when one person's data are necessarily mixed with those of other users? In collaborations that span the globe, we and others are pondering how to unravel such knots even as we strive to enhance the capabilities of the communications networks that have become such an integral part of so many lives."</span><br /><p class="MsoNormal">-Mike<br /></p>Unmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-26619475911248439862007-06-03T21:03:00.000-04:002007-06-03T21:06:32.454-04:00Upcoming Event: Operations ResearchThanks to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Alidade</span> for sending this along. Please find registration and conference information <a href="http://alidade.net/seminars/#opsresearch">here</a>. The event is going to be held in Annapolis on Monday, June 11. <br /><br />-BillUnmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-61791716846990237712007-05-30T17:25:00.000-04:002007-05-30T17:34:07.416-04:00My Unmanned System is Better than Your Unmanned SystemThe Unmanned <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Bloggers</span> are not above cross-posting some good video material. <br /><br />See the <a href="http://www.defensetech.org/archives/003522.html">following post</a> from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">DefenseTech</span>.org on the future of unmanned aerial combat. Just goes to how many companies out there are experimenting with vehicles of all sorts of shapes and sizes. <br /><br />-MikeUnmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-78780430096850935312007-05-29T07:56:00.000-04:002007-05-29T08:14:06.768-04:00In Other WordsI certainly didn't need any more threats to be frightened of. Now the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute has released <a href="http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/PUB782.pdf">this report</a> to add to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">QDR</span> threat matrices. <br /><br />And I thought hybrids were a good thing.<br /><br />-BillUnmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-74540164750774017632007-05-24T06:48:00.000-04:002007-05-24T06:54:27.649-04:00Much Ado About ChinaOr not. Yesterday officials from China and the U.S. met to discuss economic issues. In typical non-committal form, the two sides smiled and agreed that talks were pleasant without any clear conclusions.<br /><br />This sentence pretty much sums up relations:<br /><br />“<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/24/business/worldbusiness/24trade.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin">Suffice it to say we had a healthy exchange of views</a>.”<br /><br />Here's to yet another round of talks that will result in, well, another round of talks.<br /><br />-BillUnmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-90712765066888927772007-05-22T08:59:00.000-04:002007-05-22T09:04:40.536-04:00Can you hear me now?Apparently not. Many issues persist with net-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">centricity</span> from the technology to the analysis to actionable items. See this Federal Computer Week <a href="http://www.fcw.com/article102737-05-16-07-Web">article</a>.<br /><br />Surprised? Didn't think so.<br /><br />See the Defense Science Board studies from April 2007:<br /><a href="http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports/2007-04-IM_Vol_I.pdf"><br />Information Management for Net-Centric Operations Volume I</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports/2007-04-IM_Vol_II.pdf">Information Management for Net-Centric Operations Volume II</a><br /><br />-AceUnmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-88295876548905694252007-05-22T06:46:00.000-04:002007-05-22T06:48:19.001-04:00On and Off ButtonsGood read from <a href="http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/">Global Guerrillas</a> on <a href="http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2007/05/an_internet_ebo.html">Internet Systems Disruption</a>.<br /><br />Gird your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">IPs</span>!<br /><br />-BillUnmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-43756011738682936502007-05-21T10:17:00.000-04:002007-05-21T10:20:46.243-04:00Is it hot in here? Or is it just me?Excellent post today by <a href="http://thedewline.typepad.com/stephen_trimble/">The Dew Line</a> on the green issues associated with commercial aviation. Find it <a href="http://thedewline.typepad.com/stephen_trimble/2007/05/talking_climate.html">here</a>. Look for a more in-depth feature in an upcoming issue of <a href="http://www.flightglobal.com/Home/Default.aspx">Flight Magazine</a>.<br /><br />-BillUnmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-27763064518612840682007-05-21T09:06:00.000-04:002007-05-21T09:12:30.688-04:00See No Evil, in E-FormAccording to the <a href="http://opennet.net/">OpenNet Initiative</a>, state sponsored censorship of the world wide web is increasing.<br /><br />From the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6665945.stm">BBC</a>:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">The study of thousands of websites across 120 Internet Service Providers found 25 of 41 countries surveyed showed evidence of content filtering.</span><o:p style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><br /><br /></o:p><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Websites and services such as Skype and Google Maps were blocked, it said.</span><o:p style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><br /><br /></o:p><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Such "state-mandated net filtering" was only being carried out in "a couple" of states in 2002, one researcher said.</span><o:p style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><br /><br /></o:p><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">"In five years we have gone from a couple of states doing state-mandated net filtering to 25," said John Palfrey, at </span><st1:place style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);" w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Harvard</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Law</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">School</st1:PlaceType></st1:place><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">.</span><o:p style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><br /><br /></o:p><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Mr Palfrey, executive director of the </span><st1:place style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);" w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Berkman</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"> for Internet and Society, added: "There has also been an increase in the scale, scope and sophistication of internet filtering."<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">-Bill</span></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><br /></span>Unmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-78505335491417767562007-05-21T08:52:00.000-04:002007-05-21T09:02:37.815-04:00Counting GreysBusiness managers and executives in the defense/aerospace industry are keenly aware of the age-range issue. Bringing in young talent to replace the wave of retiring professionals has been an area of interest for years and has gained some <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070520/ap_on_bi_ge/graying_aerospace">media interest</a>.<br /><br />While attracting talent is important, there is very little discussion on how to keep these young folks in the business. This is becoming increasingly important as advanced technology is no longer a niche defense capability. The next 5-10 years may see higher rotations, particularly amongst engineers, migrating to competing industries such as IT and software engineering.<br /><br />-<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/21/earlyshow/health/health_news/main2830890.shtml">Mike</a>Unmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-1700008301378210192007-05-15T18:14:00.000-04:002007-05-15T18:15:13.726-04:00A Lot of Lute<p class="MsoNormal">The Bush Administration has picked their ‘war czar’ for the war in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <span style=""> </span>According to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/washington/AP-War-Czar.html?hp">multiple</a> <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/05/15/war.czar.ap/index.html">sources</a>, <a href="http://www.jcs.mil/bios/bio_lute.html">Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute</a>, U.S. Army, has been selected for the position.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">-Bill</p>Unmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-13209139123132897052007-05-06T18:50:00.000-04:002007-05-07T08:07:46.049-04:00Networks in the NewsForbes magazine is running a special feature on networks. It’s good to know Forbes sees the value in networks beyond technology. Please see the following sections:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.forbes.com/2007/04/18/internet-entrepreneurs-pioneers-ent-cz_tp_07networks_0419breakthroughs_land.html">Networks – Breakthroughs<br /><br /></a><a href="http://www.forbes.com/2007/04/18/networking-people-jobs-life-cz_tp_07networks_0419lifestyle_land.html">Networks – Lifestyle<br /><br /></a><a href="http://www.forbes.com/2007/04/18/internet-genetics-security-tech-cz_tp_07networks_0419tech_land.html">Networks – Technology<br /><br /></a><a href="http://www.forbes.com/2007/04/18/immigration-charity-religion-lead-cz_tp_07networks_0419community_land.html">Networks – Community<br /><br /></a>(Excellent post on The Long Tail blog to this Forbes series <a href="http://www.longtail.com/the_long_tail/2007/05/rupert_murdoch_.html">here</a>.)<br /><br />Also see the <a href="http://www.dodccrp.org/files/Alberts_Planning.pdf">new publication</a> from Dr. David <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Alberts</span> and Dr. Richard Hayes on planning complex endeavors.<br /><br />And while you’re in a net-centric place, take a look at the inaugural issue of the <a href="http://www.dodccrp.org/html3/journal_v1n1.html">International C2 Journal</a>.<br /><br />-MikeUnmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-62219050085087680462007-05-04T10:53:00.000-04:002007-05-04T10:56:07.548-04:00Diplomacy? Never heard of it.When diplomatic relations get tense, blame the music.<br /><br />See <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/05/04/iraq.conference.ap/index.html">here</a>, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6621821.stm">here</a>, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/03/AR2007050302530.html?hpid=topnews">here</a> and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/04/world/middleeast/04bombers.html?hp">here</a>.<br /><br />-BillUnmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-64950656348564181592007-05-01T09:01:00.000-04:002007-05-01T09:03:55.221-04:00Snapshot: China<p class="MsoNormal">A few links on thoughts regarding <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>. -Bill<o:p><br /><br /></o:p><a href="http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/cp_83_polaski_final1.pdf"><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s Economic Prospects: 2006-2020</a> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">CEIP</span>)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cfr.org/publication/13233/china_vs_earth.html?breadcrumb=%2Fregion%2F270%2Feast_asia"><st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place> vs. Earth</a> (Council on Foreign Relations)<o:p><br /><br /></o:p><a href="http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/article_page.aspx?ar=1887">Doing Business in <st1:country-region st="on">China</st1:country-region>: A <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">McKinsey</span> Survey of Executives in <st1:place st="on">Asia</st1:place></a> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">McKinsey</span>)<o:p><br /><a href="http://www.cna.org/news/releases/070326.aspx"><br /></a></o:p><a href="http://www.cna.org/news/releases/070326.aspx"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">CNA</span> Corporation Establishes <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">China</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placename st="on">Studies</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place></a> (Center for Naval Analyses)<o:p><br /><br /></o:p>“<a href="http://www.thomaspmbarnett.com/weblog/2007/04/still_optimistic_on_china.html">Still Optimistic on <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region></a>,” Thomas P.M. Barnett Weblog Posting<o:p><br /><a href="http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2005/RAND_MG334.pdf"><br /></a></o:p><a href="http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2005/RAND_MG334.pdf">A New Direction for <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s Defense Industry</a> (RAND) </p>Unmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905724541834634065.post-54937672928945122212007-04-29T10:55:00.000-04:002007-04-29T10:58:02.571-04:00The World is Argumentative<p class="MsoNormal">If there were a national security version of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebrity_Deathmatch">MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch</a>, I’d like to nominate these two:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thomaslfriedman.com/worldisflat.htm">Thomas Friedman</a><o:p><br /><br /></o:p>VS.<o:p><br /><br /></o:p><a href="http://dor.hbs.edu/fi_redirect.jhtml?facInfo=bio&facEmId=pghemawat">Pankaj Ghemawat</a><o:p><br /><br /></o:p>[Note: Ghemawat wrote an article for the Mar/Apr 07 Foreign Policy called “<a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/users/login.php?story_id=3720&URL=http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3720">Why the World Isn’t Flat</a>." And you all should know about Tom Friedman’s book by now.]<br /><br />Friedman begins:<o:p><br /><br /></o:p>“Pankaj Ghemawat says the world is not flat (“Why the World Isn’t Flat,” March/April 2007). No kidding. In arguing that globalization and economic integration are still far from a reality, Ghemawat fails to take into account the bigger picture of what is actually taking place in the business world. His narrow focus on the “10 percent” of internationalization across certain industries obscures my basic argument about the future of globalization. Obviously, the world is not yet flat. But my larger point is that the “flattening” technologies and processes of globalization now under way are the most important developments not just in economics but also in government, politics, war, finance, journalism, innovation, and society in general. Flattening technologies are empowering individuals, in previously unheard of ways, to reach farther, faster, deeper, and cheaper than ever before. Big institutions, from newspapers and television networks to software firms and <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Texas</st1:place></st1:state> power companies, are being fundamentally transformed or challenged by these superempowered individuals. Two tiny environmental groups just held up the biggest leveraged buyout in history—the deal for TXU, the <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Texas</st1:place></st1:state> electrical utility—until it was reshaped to their liking. Tell them the world is not flat.” (Foreign Policy May /June 2007 Letters Section)<o:p><br /><br /></o:p>Ghemawat responds:<o:p><br /><br /></o:p>“Thomas Friedman seems not to have read beyond the title of my article. <span style=""> </span>If he had, he would have realized that the 10 percent presumption isn’t based on a narrow focus on “certain industries.” <span style=""> </span>My measure of the internationalization of investment, for example, aggregate across all industries. <span style=""> </span>But such a relation probably wouldn’t have made much of a difference, since Friedman has very little use for data. <span style=""> </span>The 450-plus pages of his <i style="">World is Flat</i> do not contain a single table, chart, or footnote. <span style=""> </span>Instead, we get a jumble of stories held together with hyperbole.”<span style=""> </span>(Foreign Policy May /June 2007 Letters Section)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Zing!<br />-Bill<br /></p>Unmanned Bloggershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12173455754074051417noreply@blogger.com0