Emerging Technology News – April 2019


Prepared by Jim Coates

Drones used for Public Safety operations provide overhead views after Tornado.

MOTOROLA releases its Mototrbo line of CBRS Spectrum to provide communications to be used for critical infrastructure and campus facilities.

EMP Electromagnetic Pulses– WASHINGTON – President Donald J. Trump signed the Executive Order on Coordinating National Resilience to Electromagnetic Pulses, the first-ever comprehensive whole-of-government policy to build resilience and protect against electromagnetic pulses, or EMPs, which are temporary electromagnetic signals that can disrupt, degrade, and damage technology and critical infrastructure systems across large areas.

KeyFab technology is replacing the standard metal key, the KeyFab transmits a low-power signal to the cars receiver which decodes a code to complete a given task, like opening a car door, starting the car engine or activating the panic alarm. But there are risks associated with this technology as a Jammer will prevent the RF signal from reaching the radio receiver, preventing entry to the safety of a vehicle, ability to start the engine or operating the panic alarm in an emergency. This can could put a person at risk when a jammer is used for criminal activity.

Under Federal law Jamming equipment is not legal in the United States, only military may operate Jamming equipment for counter measures or spoofing all sorts of communication systems. Jamming technology has been around for over 7 decades, but with more vehicles using Keyless entry systems these days the risk is increasing, and may become a life safety issue if used in criminal activity. The FCC has issued notices on Jammers they are not legal for use in the United States. But they are for sale on-line from outside the country. Officers should be made aware that the technology exists and the possible use by criminals and that it’s a violation of federal law to use such a device.

On the flip side during a car chase officers could communicate with the car computer by enter the license plate number, gaining access to the KeyFab engine shut down code to protect life and property. Technically Spoofing is not technically the same as jamming or preventing communications and maybe considered a legal communication for law enforcement, because it’s not causing continued or deliberate radio interference but giving an instruction. But this likely would be challenged in court or required legislatively approval. Below is a company selling jammer equipment in England.

Aurora Super Computer will be unlike any computer ever built. Operating at a quintillion calculations per second, it will be five to ten times faster than today’s speediest supercomputers.