Archive for the 'Technology' Category
‘Crime-Fighting Robots Aid Police’
March 10th, 2017Via: Star Telegram: Maybe someday it will menacingly order citizens to drop their weapons — or else, a la Robocop. But for now, the Knightscope crime-fighting robots, demonstrated for the University of Texas at Arlington Police Department and the media on Thursday, are limited to less aggressive tasks like scanning license plates for unauthorized vehicles […]
Aquion Energy Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
March 9th, 2017Disclosure: I sell solar power systems in New Zealand. — Bummer. That’s the battery I wanted, albeit for less than half the price of what they were asking. *chortle* Maybe the chemistry will survive with whichever entity picks over the carcass… I doubt it’s a coincidence that this happened just as the Tesla Powerwall 2 […]
Hawaii: Another Large Tesla Powerpack Build
March 9th, 2017Disclosure: I sell solar power systems in New Zealand. — One of my off grid solar power customers just had her system installed yesterday. She and her husband built their small home 16 years ago and dreamed of someday having a solar power system. (It would cost about $100,000 to bring grid power to the […]
Meet Flippy, a Burger-Grilling Robot
March 9th, 2017Via: Tech Crunch: Flipping burgers is a hot and greasy job. Slips, trips, burns and cuts are common hazards associated with the work. But global demand for burgers is tremendous. Top burger chains racked up more than $75.5 billion in annual sales in 2016. To help keep human cooks out of harm’s way while fulfilling […]
Vault 7: CIA Hacking Tools Revealed
March 7th, 2017If you have an active U.S. Government security clearance, you probably shouldn’t click on this. Via: Wikileaks: Today, Tuesday 7 March 2017, WikiLeaks begins its new series of leaks on the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Code-named “Vault 7” by WikiLeaks, it is the largest ever publication of confidential documents on the agency. The first full […]
Who Controls Your Computer? (And How to Make Sure It’s You)
March 7th, 2017Good luck with that. My paranoia doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of this thing. Keep going, keep pushing through, and the next thing you know, you’re falling through fractals of fuckedness that endlessly reveal more fuckedness the deeper you descend. Via: François-René Rideau: At least in theory, we therefore know how to build […]
German Institute Successfully Tests Underwater Energy Storage Sphere
March 7th, 2017Viable anytime soon? No. Cool idea anyway? Yep. Via: Ars Technica: A German research institute has spent years trying to tailor pumped storage to ocean environments. Recently, the institute completed a successful four-week pilot test using a hollow concrete sphere that it placed on the bottom of Lake Constance, a body of water at the […]
Open Thread: Trump Wiretap Claims
March 6th, 2017I haven’t posted anything about this because I have no idea what all the fuss is about. Where is the uproar over the spook’s data center in Utah? Man, if you think that place is only used to store information gleaned from taps on foreigners, I’ve got a bridge to sell you. Retroactive surveillance? Remember […]
Automated Mining Will Cost Jobs and Tax Income
March 6th, 2017And the remaining employees, living in “company-run mining camps” are to be monitored by the same sensor technology used to monitor the machines: Thousands of Rio Tinto personnel live in company-run mining camps, spending not just work hours but leisure and home time in space controlled by their employer – which in this emerging era […]
Russia: Small House 3D Printed in Place in 24 Hours
March 6th, 2017Via: Mashable: Located in Russia, this 400-square-foot home (37 square meters) was built in just a day, at a cost of just over $10,000. 3D-printing company Apis Cor built the house using a mobile printer on-site. Company Website: ApisCor
