Magnetic Shield

Older one of two basic shielding technologies available for civilizations of today, with word 'shielding' being a reference to 'energy shields' of science fiction of old. Since while they do work to protect ships from damage by ensuring enemy rounds won't hit it, they do it in a completely different way.
Magnetic Shields uses several extremely powerful electromagnets scattered along the outer hull to deflect incoming laser beams (and, on smaller scale, a MAW rounds) by pushing them off the course that will have them collide with the ship. While relatively effective against artillery rounds, it tends to be completely useless against missiles, unless they are armed with for example laser warhead.
Using it requires two generators placed on the opposite ends of the ship, in most cases on both sides. Most warships have many paired generators, with new pairs switched on after the current was damaged or destroyed. It is also possible to fire up all of them at once, which increases the power of generated magnetic shield immensely, but requires a very careful calibration. If main computer goes bluescreen with it on, the ship will end up torn into pieces by his own shielding.
Advantages? Lasers require very detailed frequency setting to pierce it, which makes them actually usable only after long bombardment used to calculate the defense shielding frequency - otherwise they are completely useless. MAW and other physical rounds will tend to be at least partially deflected, with many of them only bouncing from edges of armor, making them damage outer equipment without breaking through the ship, and some of them not hitting the target at all. It also have no defined 'hitpoints' level like particle shields, meaning they can be used for as long as they aren't destroyed by rounds they didn't managed to deflect. Not to mention that it allows to repel attacks coming from multiple sides, which is especially usable against fighters.
Disadvantages? Next to useless against missiles, some of the rounds will still hit it, and it has a tendency of pushing ships own MAW and other physical rounds off the projected course, lowering the accuracy immensely. Which means it is a good shielding for ships that are currently trying to flee or are armed predominantly with missile weaponry. As such, it tends to be launched after ship depletes its particle shield, to actually have any kinds of protection in place.

Inventor(s)

A group of chinese scientists.

Discovery

Circa 2047.