12 of the coolest technologies spotted at the Intel Developers Forum 2013

PCWorld - Intel’s annual developer forum ended Thursday, capping three days of keynote speeches, new product announcements, and in-depth technical sessions.

There was a lot to see, ranging from brand-new chips to PCs and tablets in bold new form factors to steaming tanks of liquid nitrogen. These photos depict just a few of the event's highlights.

 

Dell Venue 8 Pro

Dell has resurrected its Venue brand name to launch a new line of Windows 8 tablets.

Neil Hand, VP of Dell’s Tablet & Performance PC Group, showed off the Intel Bay Trail-powered tablet at Wednesday’s keynote speech by Intel’s Vice President and General Manager, Mobile and Communications Group Hermann Eul.

Here’s hoping the company has better luck putting the brand on tablets than they did using it to market smartphones.

 

Intel bets big on two-in-ones

Intel put heavy emphasis on two-in-one devices at this year’s IDF. The hyped hybrids received a great deal of attention during the keynote speeches, they were all over the exhibit floor, and models were shown at a number of after-hours events.

View the Rest!

8 Incredible Technologies Used by the IDF

The very first of the ten fundamental values of the Israel Defense Forces is the defense of the state, its citizens and its residents. In order to achieve this goal, the IDF utilizes a vast array of modern tools, a few of them so new, it’s hard to believe they exist. Today we invite you to take a look at some of the amazing equipment that assists the soldiers of the IDF at fulfilling their missions. Sit back and find out more about eight incredible technologies used by the IDF.

1. The Iron Dome Rocket Defense System:
The Iron Dome System has been deployed in the south of Israel since early 2011 in order to protect Israel’s population from the rockets fired from Gaza.

First of all, the system is the first of its kind. In terms of speed, accuracy and capability, there was no other system like it in the world prior to its introduction. Every individual battery is fully mobile and includes a radar station, a weapons control unit and the actual missile firing unit itself. As soon as an enemy rocket is fired into Israel, the radar station detects and tracks its trajectory and launches a missile of its own to intercept and neutralize the enemy rocket before it can cause any harm.

 

Iron Dome firing a missile to intercept an enemy rocket. 

Photo by: Dan Balilty/AP 

2. The F-16I ‘Sufa’:
“What’s so special about the F-16?” you ask. “Half of the western world uses it,” you say. Well, this is no ordinary F-16. This is the F-16I ‘Sufa‘. The added ‘I’ stands for Israel, because it has been heavily modified to fit the specific needs of the Israeli Air Force. To make the pilot’s incredible job as easy and effective as possible, the F-16I has been outfitted with cutting-edge weapons system hardware, a specially constructed radar system and a unique helmet system that allows the pilot to launch weapons at an enemy aircraft using sight only.  No wonder we nicknamed it ‘Sufa’. That’s Hebrew for ‘Storm’ by the way.

 

F-16I ‘Sufa’ Awaits Departure at the Hanger 

3. The Trophy System:
The Trophy Active Tank Defense System was developed with one goal in mind. To remove the last Achilles’ heel of armored vehicles and tanks – modern anti-tank guided missiles. How does it work? It’s simple: The Trophy’s detection system creates a 360° protective shield around the tank. When an enemy launches a rocket against a tank outfitted with Trophy, the system instantly detects and neutralizes any threat to the tank by firing a missile of its own which blows up the enemy missile.

 

Trophy creates a 360° protective shield around the tank 

More

IDF Develops 'Protective Bed', 'Protective Cabinet'

Protective cabinet Homefront Command

Newest civil defense innovations shown to be effective at stopping shell fragments.

The IDF’s Home Front Command has come up with new products to help protect civilians from terror rocket attacks. These include a “protective bed” and a “protective cabinet.”

The Command’s Fortification Department recently completed the testing of the new products, which are expected to be useful against conventional missiles.

The protective bed looks like a regular bed but can be opened and turned into “a kind of protective canopy” in times of emergency, according to the IDF Website. “This solution offers alternative, inexpensive and accessible protection for people who are unable to build a protected space in their apartments,” the website explained.

The same kind of thinking led to the development of a protective cabinet. The cabinet serves as a regular closet for storage of various items within the apartment, but can be emptied of these objects and used for protection when missiles strike.      More