Joshua Krause
As we find ourselves being hurled into this strange future, technology has proven to be a rather fickle beast. Any given technology will serve anyone, good or evil, and without any discrimination. Fortunately, the latest advances in technology have had a very decentralizing effect. Powerful tech is no longer just in the hands of the elite, but is rushing head long into the hands of every day enterprising individuals. Though it may not look like it if you read today’s headlines, the power of the individual is growing a little more over the machinations of central control (governments, corporations, etc) every day, and our inventions are leading the way towards a more liberated future. Below are 5 new technologies that are (or soon will be) making the elites cringe.
Precision Guided Bullet
Since at least 2012, the military has been attempting to develop a computer and laser guided bullet, that can correct itself mid-flight to hit its target. Now, DARPA has successfully created the first precision guided bullet, that will always hit its mark from extraordinarily long distances. The .50 Caliber round can stay on target for more than a mile. The shooter places a laser on the target, and upon firing, an optical device in the tip of the bullet detects the beam. A computer chip commands tiny fins in the bullet to direct it towards its final target (even if it’s moving).
You may be wondering, how is this high tech weapon in the hands of the military industrial complex, empower ordinary citizens in any way? Well, the technology that DARPA develops has a tendency to escape the lab from time to time (such as the internet you’re using to read this right now). The technology involved isn’t that new, it seems to be a scaled down laser guided missile, which by itself has been around for a long time. Now that we know it’s possible, it wouldn’t be that far fetched for a civilian munitions company to start developing this.
Imagine if somebody, anybody, with no training and a couple thousand dollars to buy the rifle and a few bullets, could easily hit any moving target from over a mile away. There are some frightening potentials with this sort of thing, and I’ll let your imagination consider the possibilities.
Dark Wallet
There’s a new anonymous payment system in town, and it may prove to be a strong competitor to Tor and the Silk Road. The Dark Wallet was developed by Amir Taaki and Cody Wilson to create a new encrypted exchange for Bitcoins. The name “Cody Wilson” may sound familiar to you. He’s the enterprising fellow who developed the first 3d printed gun, and he wants to make it easier for you to buy products and services away from the prying eyes of the government.
Part of the problem with Bitcoins, is that every transaction is recorded on the blockchain. While they are anonymous to the layman, it is still possible for authorities to communicate with law abiding Bitcoin servers and track down your information. With Dark Wallet however, your exchange gets entangled with other purchases on the network in a way that no one from the outside can tell whose purchase is whose. Together with Tor, Silk Road, and Cryptocurrencies, the Dark Wallet appears to be another sign post on the road to a future, where markets are nearly impossible to regulate and tax.
RIP Bullet
Developed by G2 and dubbed the RIP, this munition is a leadless copper projectile, precision machined for maximum lethality. It comes to several points at the tip that break away from the bullet upon impact, creating numerous wound channels, while the core of the bullet continues to charge through the target. If you haven’t seen it in action, you absolutely must. The demonstration is both frightening and fascinating at the same time.
Still, is this bullet technology really all that subversive? Not really. But does it seem to irritate the gun grabbers? You Betcha. And for that alone, it deserves a place on this list.
Gold Backed Cryptocurrency
The gold and silver company known as Anthem Vault, has released the very first gold backed cryptocurrency. The company is releasing a promotional version of the currency, as a way to test the idea. For the next year, anyone can sign onto their website, start a profile, and begin mining their very own INNcoins (Independence Coins). Since this is merely a test, the 10 million “coins” are being backed by a paltry 100 grams of gold. It’ll be interesting to see how this experiment turns out. If it were possible to back a cryptocurrency by a physical product, it would address one of the biggest issues that economists bring up against digital currencies. There is a fear that these currencies are merely ponzi schemes or pump and dump scams (many are). If this works, it could add quite a bit of legitimacy to anonymous digital currencies, and make them safer investments.
Gotenna
This device was made for the breakdown in communications that often follows after a natural disaster, but has some pretty interesting implications for the future as well. The Gotenna is essentially a 2 watt radio that you can attach to your smartphone. It allows you to send text messages up to 50 miles, depending on the terrain, to any other Gotenna in range. Since this communication exists outside of the cellular network, it will work even if you have no cell reception or wifi connection. Being separate from the network also means these communications are free, anonymous, and there’s even an added layer of encryption to keep the messages private.
When this product rolls out later this fall, it will be priced at 150$ each (you can pre-order now and get a pair of Gotennas for the same price). While this sounds like a ridiculous cost, if you look up most 2 watt radios, they are often in a similar price range. I suspect the costs will go down in the future as imitator products reach the market.
Gotenna kind of reminds of the Terranet system that was developed in Sweden back in 2007. This was a peer to peer cell phone network that allowed people in rural areas to call their neighbors where there was no cell reception, and do so at no cost since it was outside of the cell network. What nobody seems to be considering at the moment, is using technologies like these to create a very rudimentary, peer 2 peer internet that has no infrastructure and no centralized control. One can only dream I suppose.
Hopefully the technologies of the future will allow us to live and thrive outside of the top down systems of control that run our world. With the pace these inventions are coming out, I feel that we are rapidly approaching a time and place when centralized government and corporate control is simply obsolete. They won’t be able to compete in a future where technology has allowed so much power to slip into the hands of everyday people. If you missed it, and want to see some more technologies you can use to stick it to the man, take a look at these four awesome gadgets from my last article.
