So, who will be the first on your block to die from this just like all the stiffs tasers have produced by overeager (ie, sadistic or just badly trained) cops? We blogged about this just over a year ago. Looks like things are now heating up (haha — got a million of ’em!) for the device. If this is too much, remember the vomit weapon?

U.S. Eyes ‘Pain Beam’ for Home Security, Law Enforcement
Burglars break into an apartment, hoping to pick up some expensive electronics or jewelry. But they’re out again, empty-handed, within seconds, howling with pain and surprise. They’ve been driven back by waves of intolerable heat: Entering the apartment is like stepping into a furnace. It’s the Active Denial System, or ADS, at work, the ultimate in home protection … among other uses.

Also known as the “pain beam,” ADS is a revolutionary non-lethal weapon that uses microwaves to cause burning pain without injury. The 95-GHz waves only penetrate a fraction of an inch, heating the outer surface of the target’s skin. According to the Air Force, nobody can tolerate the beam for more than five seconds, and improvised protection such as wrapping yourself in wet towels or tin foil is useless.

There have been repeated calls for ADS to be deployed in Iraq, but the military is bogged down in reviews of the technology. However, now that ADS exists, the pain beam’s manufacturer is exploring domestic U.S. uses, like industrial- and home-security systems. The Department of Energy is looking at employing the technology to protect America’s nuclear stockpile. Meanwhile, some U.S. law enforcement officials are eager to get their hands on the pain weapon, and the Department of Justice is funding a multimillion-dollar research project to give it to them.

A device that causes intense pain but leaves no physical or chemical traces could easily be abused.

Hmmm… A high-tech rubber hose for where your nightstick and foot fear to tread.