Nordic Geospatial Blog –

To allow for a collaborative, web 2.0, mobile-SMS emergency response and situational awareness capability, Nordic Geospatial has incorporated a cloud-based Ushahidi-Crowdmap page – let us know what you think…

http://nordicgeospatial.crowdmap.com

All stories…

http://www.economist.com/science-technology/technology-quarterly/

…. those with overt applicability to the LE, FOUO, HLS, and DoD domains….

Power from the air? – Re-incarnating Tesla (and no I am not referencing the stellar 80′s band) to change the game for urban C4ISR sensor deployment & obviate the need for plugs, cords, and car chargers for consumers…
http://www.economist.com/node/16295708?story_id=16295708

Old school steam power and autonomous, self fueling biomass robots – military might through mulch?
http://www.economist.com/node/16295752?story_id=16295752

Squishy robots that can meld into tight spots with compeling USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) and public health applications
http://www.economist.com/node/16295646?story_id=16295646

Self healing metal – Beyond the Tin Man from that fateful journey to Oz or simply commuting on the 405, great DoD applicability
http://www.economist.com/node/16295654?story_id=16295654

Loose clicks sink ships (solution, loud music at work is a good thing) – cybersecurity and the use of acoustic typing signatures to remotely hack computers (this could be as disasterously revealing as the un-encripted drone feeds in AfPak, i.e. with line of sight, intruders with a cheap laptop and laser / parabolic microphone could leap firewalls and air-gap systems like Parisienne parcour punks)
http://www.economist.com/node/16295574?story_id=16295574

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/spy-talk/2010/06/white_house_worried_about_qaed.html

Mobile Counter-IED Interactive Trainer (MCIT) Behind the Scenes

http://ict.usc.edu/projects/mobile_counter_ied_interactive_trainer_mcit/

http://www.earthmine.com

With great applicability to a myriad of sectors (critical infrastructure, urban planning, facilities, special events, crisis mapping, immersive gaming, special effects, etc.), this technology is truly the ‘missing link’ between our various satellite/aerial ortho (top down) sensors, obliques (Pictometry), flat and contentious Google Streetview and the highly accurate, but slower HDS & BIM (Building Information Models) realms. Make sure to see their booth and team at the 2010 ESRI UC in San Diego. Bravo and well done, Earthmine…

http://www.youtube.com/user/earthmine

Excellent Post article giving historical perspective on the Iraqi EOD efforts

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/specials/leftofboom/index.html

US House of Representative Committee on Armed Services Report on the Joint IED Defeat Organization, Nov. 2008

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA490963&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

With an unparalleled depth of domain knowledge, Alexiev positions Marjah and the Flynn expose in a realpolitik understanding of the Afghan human and political terrain…

http://article.nationalreview.com/425761/afghanistan-at-the-crossroads/alex-alexiev

More satellites will also help…

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/world/asia/24satellites.html

As would more oversight of contractors vis a vis hearts and minds…
http://armed-services.senate.gov/Webcasts/2010/02%20February/02-24-10%20Webcast.htm

Neighborly advice for Iceland from Finland & the FT -

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cb739458-fe13-11de-9340-00144feab49a.html

An important film about the Norwegian Resistance in WWII – Max Manus (2008) -

http://www.nfi.no/english/norwegianfilms/show.html?id=879

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/summary_of_wh_review_12-25-09.pdf

Maybe we should apply some of the advanced analytics used for the DoD efforts to the homefront…

Analytics for the Afghan front of the GWOT

UPDATE 20100126 -
OXFAM and other NGOs recommend revised aid efforts
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/policy/conflict_disasters/dangers-of-militarized-aid-afghanistan.html

Scathing and timely…

http://www.cnas.org/files/documents/publications/AfghanIntel_Flynn_Jan2010_code507_voices.pdf