Scientists now able to decipher hidden tattoos via Infrared. Dolphin/Unicorn love fest tattoo to haunt you for the rest of enternity

Tattoos. Gadget blog. What’s the point? Science. Read on. Criminals often use tattoos as branding for their chosen gang. Tattoos and criminals can also be used as a “slate” or fleshy paper to send messages to other individual and gangs via tatooed on messages. Previously, criminals who were being targeted by law enforcement because evidence linked to a tattoo simply got a new tattoo covering up or modifying the old one so that the police had no way of regaining said evidence. Luckily science has come through again.

A new method that ironically uses old technology — infrared — is being adapted to to the world of tattoos by allowing law enforcement and the guy running the machine to see a criminals tattoo and any alterations. Alterations such as cover up with a new tattoo, laser removal, or even surgery are no match for the new uncovering method being developed. Supposedly, it’s so good that no matter how much alterations the criminal has tried to attempt, the technology will reach back in time and show the original tattoo and message as it was. Cool stuff in deed.

The focus so far has been marketed as a law enforcement tool to help catch crafty criminals. But criminal or not, I’m sure many have tried to in some way or another alter a stupid tattoo they got when they were young, stupid, and/or drunk. Now you can feel assured (or not) that it is never truly “gone”. Tattoos such as the Dolphin/Unicorn love fest above will eat away at your soul for the rest of eternity. Awesome.

The tactic sounds pretty similar to technologies used in the art world. Often when trying to determine if a painting is fake or not, various frequencies and waves will get beamed at a painting to determine if it is real, if there’s another crap painting underneath, or for whatever other reasons you’d want to know a paintings true past. It’s nice to see technology recycled and expanded upon isn’t it.

Soon, living the life of a criminal will be a bit harder…*Que “Another One Bites the Dust…*

Gizmodo > Tech Radar

[Image Source

Baltimore Police Department on their way to BlackBerry thumb

RIM’s little BlackBerry device has enjoyed an explosion in popularity the last 1-2 years thanks to aggressive model refreshes and marketing campaigns. Their push is paying off as the ever popular consumer market is literally eating up these plastic wrapped Berries like none other. A new force has joined club Berry and with their story, can and probably will inspire others like them to adapt a Berry thumb. That force in question is the Baltimore Police Department. The fine young and women on the Baltimore Police Department will join other police departments around the nation in becoming more mobile, more technologically advanced, and overall more productive. Are they really getting CrackBerries?

Taser pistorl: Old. XREP (Extended Range Electric Projectile)/Shotgun: Now we’re talkin’!

Tasers as of late have become quite popular as they allow law enforcement officers or mere mortals subdue an attacker or criminal without inducing lethal harm (usually). But, those little handheld/handgun looking models are just so outdated and weak. Do you really want to get the message across to the baddies and improve your chances of hitting your target with less danger to yourself? Taser International would love to show you their new hotness, the XREP projectile. The XREP’s claim to fame is first off the fact that it is an electric shock cartridge. The second more interesting feature is that it fits most standard 12-gauge shotguns and comes with a range of over 100 feet meaning you can now secure the area from further out. Also of interest, Taser, along with Mossberg also have a specially designed shotgun that uses these XREP projectiles. While the gun itself isn’t that mechanically different from a normal shotgun using the XREP projectile, just the look of it brings the thought “Oh Sh**” into the forefront of the mind. Safety issues and field testing haven’t been released by Taser International so it’s unlikely you’ll see any of these on your next episode of cops. Still, they look pretty sweet — that is if you’re not on the receiving end… Another picture right inside.