EMP stands for ElectroMagnetic Pulse.<P>When an EMP device goes off, nothing living is harmed, only electronics.

EMP weapons have been the source of sci-fi flair in movies and games for years, but the technology remains very real, and would be devastating in real life.

While the Fraunhofer Institute device can't actually defend against the crippling effects of an EMP weapon, it can detect the strength, frequency, and location of the attack.

That last theory – using a small EMP device to unlock a car’s door – got the attention of someone who builds mini EMP devices and has used them to get credits on slot machines.

Any electronic device will be susceptible to ruin in an EMP so make sure you have your manual equivalents at hand such as a stapler, handsaw, can opener and a selection of screwdrivers.

An event took place October 2012 in the Utah desert that escaped the attention of most. Boeing successful tested an electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) device mounted within a missile.