Archive for the 'Technology' Category
Mexican Drug Cartel Attacks City with Consumer-Grade Drones Packed with C-4
August 22nd, 2020Via: Daily Mail: Mexico’s fastest growing cartel has allegedly deployed drones packed with C4 explosives as it battles against armed residents for control over a city. For over a year now, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel has attempted to exert its influence on the western city of Tepalcatepec. However, a group of armed residents say […]
Heron Systems AI Defeats Elite U.S. Air Force Pilot in Simulated Dogfight
August 20th, 2020Final round: Via: Defense Daily: Heron Systems Inc. took first place in the third and final competition in DARPA’s AlphaDogfight trials (ADT) on Aug 20 between artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled F-16 simulators and U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps pilots. Founded in 1993, Heron is a small AI firm located near Patuxent Naval Air Station, […]
The Golden Age of Computer User Groups
August 19th, 2020Via: Ars Technica: The Homebrew Computer Club where the Apple I got its start is deservedly famous—but it’s far from tech history’s only community gathering centered on CPUs. Throughout the 70s and into the 90s, groups around the world helped hapless users figure out their computer systems, learn about technology trends, and discover the latest […]
Researchers Can Duplicate Keys from the Sounds They Make in Locks
August 19th, 2020Via: kottke: Researchers have demonstrated that they can make a working 3D-printed copy of a key just by listening to how the key sounds when inserted into a lock. And you don’t need a fancy mic — a smartphone or smart doorbell will do nicely if you can get it close enough to the lock.
Amazon’s Project Kuiper Is More Than a Response to Starlink
August 18th, 2020Via: IEEE Spectrum: “With Amazon, it’s a whole different ballgame,” says Zac Manchester, an assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics at Stanford University. “The thing that makes Amazon different from SpaceX and OneWeb is they have so much other stuff going for them.” If Kuiper succeeds, Amazon can not only offer global satellite broadband access—it […]
Michigan College Requires Students to Stay Within 5 Miles of Campus or Face Suspension, Tracks Them by App
August 18th, 2020Crazier by the day. Via: Newsweek: Michigan’s Albion College is attempting to create a “COVID bubble” on its campus as students return for the fall semester. Students are being required to download a smartphone app that tracks their location and ongoing health data to help contain the spread of the virus on campus, according to […]
Oil Major Chevron Invests in Nuclear Fusion Startup Zap Energy
August 17th, 2020Via: Reuters: Oil major Chevron Corp said on Wednesday it is investing in Zap Energy Inc, joining Italy’s ENI and Norwegian state oil company Equinor who have also backed nuclear fusion startups to reduce their carbon footprint.
This Smartphone Has Physical Kill Switches for Its Cameras, Microphone, Data, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi
August 17th, 2020Via: Android Police: Once you open up the PinePhone, you get access to six induvidual dip switches that control the modem, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microphone, rear camera, front camera, and even the headphone jack.
Security Leak Reveals Chinese Government Surveillance of More Ethnic Minorities
August 17th, 2020Via: Sky News Australia:
Microsoft Put Off Fixing Zero Day for 2 Years
August 17th, 2020Via: Krebs on Security: A security flaw in the way Microsoft Windows guards users against malicious files was actively exploited in malware attacks for two years before last week, when Microsoft finally issued a software update to correct the problem. One of the 120 security holes Microsoft fixed on Aug. 11’s Patch Tuesday was CVE-2020-1464, […]
