Archive for the 'Technology' Category
‘Tortured Phrases’ Give Away Fabricated Research Papers
August 8th, 2021Long ago, my wife had a student who wrote, “Auspicious lizard,” when she was actually trying to express, “Lucky dragon.” Anytime we come across tortured phrases we mention the famous, “Auspicious lizard.” Via: Nature: In April 2021, a series of strange phrases in journal articles piqued the interest of a group of computer scientists. The […]
Apple’s Plan to “Think Different” About Encryption Opens a Backdoor to Your Private Life
August 6th, 2021Via: EFF: Apple has announced impending changes to its operating systems that include new “protections for children” features in iCloud and iMessage. If you’ve spent any time following the Crypto Wars, you know what this means: Apple is planning to build a backdoor into its data storage system and its messaging system. Child exploitation is […]
The Pentagon Is Experimenting With Using Artificial Intelligence To “See Days In Advance”
August 2nd, 2021“Remember the one about better broadband Internet options for rural customers? haha” And now… Global Information Dominance Experiments (GIDE) use Starlink. I went looking for how they are using Starlink and couldn’t find much, except this gibberish on an Air Force press release. I bolded the parts that might relate to Starlink: In addition to […]
Military-Funded Research Looks for Secret to GPS-Free Navigation in a Bird’s Eye
July 30th, 2021Via: Army Times: Military-funded scientists have isolated a protein present in the eye of a migratory bird that may explain how our feathered friends travel vast distances without a map — and how future soldiers might use that ability to fight without GPS. … By analyzing the migratory European robin, researchers isolated a protein in […]
‘Metaverse’: The Next Internet Revolution?
July 28th, 2021Via: Tech Xplore: Imagine a world where you could sit on the same couch as a friend who lives thousands of miles away, or conjure up a virtual version of your workplace while at the beach. Welcome to the metaverse: a vision of the future that sounds fantastical, but which tech titans like Facebook founder […]
The FBI Is Locating Cars By Spying On Their WiFi
July 27th, 2021Via: Forbes: The FBI is using a controversial technology traditionally used to locate smartphones as a car tracking surveillance tool that spies on vehicles’ on-board WiFi. Known as a Stingray or a cell-site simulator, the tool masquerades as a cell tower in order to force all devices in a given area to connect into it. […]
U.S. Weighs Deploying Balloons To Provide Internet Access To Cubans During Crackdown
July 26th, 2021Via: The Warzone: In the aftermath of the Cuban government’s response to protests throughout the country, the United States government is weighing what options it has for restoring communication services on the island nation. Internet service is currently suspended throughout Cuba, and some ham radio frequencies are even being jammed in Florida, preventing even rudimentary […]
Britcoin
July 25th, 2021Via: Daily Mail: Cash in people’s pockets would be superseded by a new ‘Britcoin’ digital currency in a plan being pushed by Chancellor Rishi Sunak. In what Treasury insiders say would be the biggest upheaval in the monetary system for centuries, the Bank of England would establish a direct digital equivalent to physical money and […]
SpaceX’s Starlink Review – Four Months In
July 22nd, 2021Via: Jeff Geerling: Here’s the bottom line: Most of the time, I couldn’t tell I was using Starlink. And that’s good. Everything felt the same.
Daimler to Invest $47 Billion Into Electric Vehicle Production
July 22nd, 2021Via: Reuters: Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler plans to invest more than 40 billion euros ($47 billion) by 2030 to be ready to take on Tesla in an all-electric car market, but warned the shift in technology would lead to job cuts. Outlining its strategy for an electric future, the inventor of the modern motor car said […]
