US military hires IBM to work on radios and phones that self-destruct remotely

posted by Luis D. / Feb 10, 2014, 9:32 AM

US military hires IBM to work on radios and phones that self-destruct remotely

The movie scenes with self-destructible phones are already on their way to becoming a reality. In a somewhat bizarre turn of events, the US military's research department, DARPA, signed a $3.4 million contract with IBM on Jan 31. It is aimed towards development of "materials, components, and manufacturing capabilities" for "vanishing programmable resources" such as sensors, radios, and phones used by troops.

In plain English, “VPR” stands for equipment that can be discarded by any means, including programmed or remotely-triggered self-destruction. As part of the deal, IBM is working on a glass-substrate material, which, coupled with remote triggers placed inside one (or multiple) areas of the

device, will make it disintegrate with a mini-boom. Like Snapchat for phones.

According to Dan Olds, an analyst with Gabriel Consulting, the option of self-destructing is important for the safety of sensitive data held on digital devices. Phones and computers left on the battlefield can end up in enemy hands and be probed for many kinds of risky information, causing all kinds of expected and unexpected harm.

With mobile devices becoming increasingly "paranoid", going as far as to utilize fingerprint and, possibly, iris scanners, who knows if next year's flagships won't ship with a self-destruct command? Better yet, a self-destruct API which app developers (and malware) can take advantage of. Okay, we ought to calm our imaginations down, because IBM's smartphone-obliteration technology probably won't make it to the consumer market. But we wonder whether any of you hold so much sensitive data on your phones, that you'd be willing to destroy them remotely if they ended up forgotten or stolen?

via Computer World

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15 Comments

1. mr.techdude

Posts: 571; Member since: Nov 19, 2012

So who is the real terrorists now, the f***ing Illuminati scumbags

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 9:35 AM 3

13. rihel_95

Posts: 305; Member since: Mar 21, 2012

Guess what if those phones gets hacked! K-A-B-O-O-M!

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 11:54 AM 0

2. AfterShock

Posts: 4146; Member since: Nov 02, 2012

Codes getting out for the boom effect could be a new problem in this age of leaks.

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 9:36 AM 0

3. xperiaDROID

Posts: 5629; Member since: Mar 08, 2013

WAPOW!

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 9:37 AM 1

4. nothingmuch

Posts: 201; Member since: May 03, 2013

Government should be looking into Apple for self destructing phones too

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 9:38 AM 9

5. SleepingOz unregistered

OMG! Hahah..

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 9:40 AM 0

6. RaKithAPeiRiZ

Posts: 1488; Member since: Dec 29, 2011

Apple will sue them for copying the feature

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 9:43 AM 4

7. chunk1x

Posts: 248; Member since: Jun 25, 2011

They should hire Samsung. They mastered this already. :D

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 9:43 AM 1

8. PapaSmurf

Posts: 10457; Member since: May 14, 2012

Boooooo! Comment #4 was better.

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 9:46 AM 7

9. chunk1x

Soar loser.

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 9:53 AM 0

12. g2a5b0e unregistered

*sore True losers can't spell.

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 10:43 AM 5

14. quakan

Posts: 1418; Member since: Mar 02, 2011

Comment #7 was better.

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 2:49 PM 0

10. linaresx

Posts: 101; Member since: Jun 13, 2013

And the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 10:13 AM 0

11. tedkord

Posts: 17311; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

Goddammit. You beat me to it by 12 stinking minutes.

posted on Feb 10, 2014, 10:27 AM 1

15. zennacko unregistered

Best part of this technology: It COULD be set to self-destruct on any attempt to copy/DL sensitive data, so basically the United States is like "Take that in your face and suck us now" to Julian Assange and Edward Snowden. And I do think that this will not be military-exclusive for long... businessmen carry much more useful data than their instagram pics on their gadgets nowadays...