see-through

Surveillance device uses Wi-Fi to see through walls

Researchers in England have created a prototype surveillance device that can be used to spy on people inside buildings and behind walls by tracking the frequency changes as Wi-Fi signals generated by wireless routers and access points bounce off people as they move around.

The device, which is about the size of a suitcase and has two antennae and a signal processing unit, works as a "passive radar system" that can "see" through walls, according to PopSci.com. It was able to successfully determine the location, speed, and direction of a person behind a one-foot-thick brick wall, but can not detect people standing or sitting still, the article said.

The U.K. Ministry of Defence is looking into whether the device -- designed by Karl Woodbridge and Kevin Chetty of the University of College London -- can be used in "urban warfare" for scanning buildings, PopSci reported.

Walking and texting just got a tiny bit safer

Using real-time camera trickery, Transparent Screen for Android makes your mobile device "see-through" so you can use it to text or check e-mails while you're walking. It's a fun tool that could definitely come in handy for the multitaskers among us.

After downloading the free app from the Android Market, fire it up and adjust the settings. You can manipulate resolution, camera orientation, and transparency level. Once you're done, tap Start and you'll be able to use your device as normal, but you'll see a semitransparent layer of whatever your camera sees in … Read more

Samsung debuts 19-inch see-through screen

Having amazed us with a 14-inch transparent screen earlier this year at CES 2010 in Last Vegas, Korean company Samsung is at it again. It's whipped out what could possibly be the world's first 19-inch see-through AMOLED display with 30 percent partial transparency.

It's also superthin and one step closer to the futuristic panels seen on "Avatar." It can't be too hard to imagine the hardworking chaebol surprising us next with a screen that marries multitouch magic like we saw in James Cameron's sci-fi epic. Samsung is picturing its latest see-through venture for … Read more

Still hope for see-through glasses

If you're old enough to remember comic books before they were cool, you'll undoubtedly recall these three advertising staples: Sea Monkeys, 500 toy soldiers for something like 50 cents, and the always-popular glasses that could see through clothing.

The Sea Monkeys turned out to be brine shrimp, and the toy soldiers have been declared politically incorrect. But hope shines brightly for the see-through glasses at Northrop-Grumman Space Technology. There, according to Ubergizmo, researchers are working on a technology that "enables one to see right through clothing." Lest you get too excited, however, this is strictly for … Read more