Archive for the 'Technology' Category
New Police Radars Can ‘See’ Inside Homes
January 19th, 2015Via: USA Today: At least 50 U.S. law enforcement agencies have secretly equipped their officers with radar devices that allow them to effectively peer through the walls of houses to see whether anyone is inside, a practice raising new concerns about the extent of government surveillance. Those agencies, including the FBI and the U.S. Marshals […]
The Birth of D Weapons
January 17th, 2015Via: Spiegel: According to top secret documents from the archive of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden seen exclusively by SPIEGEL, they are planning for wars of the future in which the Internet will play a critical role, with the aim of being able to use the net to paralyze computer networks and, by doing so, potentially […]
Robots Roam Hallways of San Francisco’s Newest Hospital
January 16th, 2015Via: cnet: Meet Eve, a short, refrigerator-wide robot. While it doesn’t have arms, or a head, its portly frame can haul heavy loads, dispense supplies and travel long distances. Eve is one of 25 autonomous robots programmed to help the staff of San Francisco’s newest hospital. When the University of California, San Francisco, Medical Center […]
Elon Musk Plans to Build Hyperloop Test Track
January 16th, 2015Via: cnet: Billionaire and entrepreneur Elon Musk is getting more hands-on with the Hyperloop. Musk, who heads up both space transportation outfit SpaceX and electric-vehicle maker Tesla Motors, casually announced via Twitter on Thursday that he’s decided to help accelerate development of his vision for near-supersonic tube transportation, first outlined in August 2013. Musk said […]
GM Bolt: Pure EV, 200 Mile Range, $30,000, 2017
January 16th, 2015Via: MIT Technology Review: GM today unveiled an all-electric concept car, called the Bolt, which it says will have a 200-mile range. That’s comparable to the range of Tesla’s electric luxury cars, but the Bolt will cost around $30,000 (while a Tesla will sell for between $70,000 and $94,000). The Bolt, a compact hatchback, will […]
A Cyberattack Has Caused Confirmed Physical Damage for the Second Time Ever
January 16th, 2015Via: Wired: Amid all the noise the Sony hack generated over the holidays, a far more troubling cyber attack was largely lost in the chaos. Unless you follow security news closely, you likely missed it. I’m referring to the revelation, in a German report released just before Christmas (.pdf), that hackers had struck an unnamed […]
Leaked Palantir Doc Reveals Uses, Specific Functions and Key Clients
January 12th, 2015Via: TechCrunch: Palantir’s data analysis solution targets three industries: government, the finance sector and legal research. Each of these industries must wrestle with massive sets of data. To do this, Palantir’s toolsets are aimed at massive data caches, allowing litigators and the police to make connections otherwise invisible. For example, a firm hired by the […]
Judge Orders NYPD to Release Records on X-ray Vans
January 11th, 2015Via: ProPublica: The NYPD has a secretive program that uses unmarked vans with X-ray machines designed to detect bombs. ProPublica tried to find out more about it, but the NYPD refused to answer for three years.
China’s Elaborate and Absurd Internet Propaganda Machine
January 8th, 2015Seems like their learned their tricks from watching White House press conferences. Via: Quartz: “NOTICE: We request every internet commenter carry out the following task today,” begins an email from the supervisor. It’s just another day in the propaganda department of Zhanggong, a district in southeast China’s modestly sized city of Ganzhou. Employees and freelancers […]
Aquion Energy Enters 1 MWh Battery Supply Deal in Hawaii
January 8th, 2015Disclosure: I sell solar power systems in New Zealand. Via: PV Magazine: U.S. aqueous hybrid ion battery developer and supplier Aquion Energy has entered into a supply deal with the residential community Bakken Hale, to supply a 1 MWh battery system. The battery installation will be coupled with a PV array to supply the community […]
