Electronic Weapons: Starlight, Star Bright

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January4, 2007: A Japanese manufacturer (Toshiba) has developed a much better low light color video camera. The IK-1000 is small (2.3 x 2.3 x 5.2 inches), weighs one pound and is 30 times more sensitive than current low-light cameras. The camera can capture low-res color images (at 30 frames per second) in starlight conditions. Power consumption varies between 6-12 watts. Toshiba is selling the camera for military and security applications. Used in UAVs and ground based surveillance systems, cameras like this become a powerful weapon. As these night vision cameras have gotten more sensitive, smaller and lighter over the last decade, they have made it more difficult to operate at night, if the opposition has such devices. More sensitive cameras, like the IK-1000, enable the user to identify enemy activities at longer ranges, and in more detail.