this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2026
184 points (98.9% liked)

Technology

86484 readers
3234 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related news or articles.
  3. Be excellent to each other!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
  10. Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots


founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
top 21 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] trackball_fetish@lemmy.wtf 39 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I knew this shit was going to happen. And then eventually damn near invisible. Black mirror ain't got shit on reality.

[–] ID10T@programming.dev 7 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Some people view dystopian sci-fi as entertainment. Some people view it as a warning. What you can’t forget, though, is that some people view it aspirationally.

[–] Malyca@lemmy.zip 2 points 8 hours ago

I couldn't watch it. I've seen two episodes and they disturbed me to my core with how plausible they were. Like Idiocracy, I could only watch that once and I think of it as a horror film rather than a comedy. Because of how plausible it was.

[–] turtlesareneat@piefed.ca 17 points 1 day ago (3 children)

It's time for electronic weaponry to hit mass production. EMP gun tech can be refined and perfected outside of official labs these days.

[–] cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 14 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I wonder how well these spy devices would hold up if someone connected a horn antenna to an industrial magnetron and blasted them with 10-20 kW of RF?

[–] Septimaeus@infosec.pub 5 points 12 hours ago

Chris Voute describes that in his EMP weapons series

magnetron horn antenna microwave cannon

[–] toiletobserver@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

You should try, for science!

[–] KyuubiNoKitsune@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I mean, you can build one yourself, but a real damaging version would require a lot of power.

Unfortunately due to the inverse square law, they don't have a very long range.

I guess a phased array emp would be the best way to do it.

Not easily done with the DIY hacky way of doing it with a coil and teaser generator, but I'm sure with some decent mosfets and transformers, it should be possible.

[–] T156@lemmy.world 3 points 6 hours ago

Unfortunately due to the inverse square law, they don't have a very long range.

Possibly for the better. Last thing you need is people accidentally hitting a plane with one of them.

People already do it with lasers. Something that destroys the electronics would be even worse.

[–] greyscale@lemmy.grey.ooo 5 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

would it not be enabled by putting it on the end of a long stick?

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 1 points 6 hours ago

At that point, just have spray paint on a stick. Or better, just a long paint roller.

[–] KyuubiNoKitsune@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 17 hours ago (1 children)
[–] greyscale@lemmy.grey.ooo 3 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

I can imagine a stick and just walking post to post touching each one while wearing a hi-viz with PG&E printed on it.

[–] partofthevoice@lemmy.zip 1 points 11 hours ago

If you can rig it to the top of a vehicle, you can get them faster maybe.

[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

How? I've been trying my best to find a DIY EMP, and AFAICT, none of the ones that are easy to find blueprints or instructions to build actually create an EMP. They just short out spectacularly.

[–] Septimaeus@infosec.pub 1 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

I posted one above, however given the height of many of these installations, I think the common piezo+coil demo mounted on either a telescopic floodlight bulb changing pole or a payload drone modified to shield the controller board (otherwise plan to replace the boards) would be simpler safer and cheaper.

Edit: actually since it’s a drone you can just suspend the coil by a string and rely on inverse square for shielding. Much lighter. Cheaper drone or stronger pulse.

[–] N4kt0@lemmy.zip 1 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Because you need a fuckton of energy to produce an EMP capable of damaging anything. Unless you have access to military grade warheads or a low yield nuclear device, you can forget about it.

[–] Septimaeus@infosec.pub 2 points 12 hours ago

At distance yes. Close up it’s easy. Aluminum foil in your microwave easy.

Will be more fun to cut down.

[–] lemmyng@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

"Hi Nema Nodes!

Meet NEMA SCREWDRIVER!"

[–] Bebopalouie@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago

Guess they all have to come down just to be sure?