Archive for the 'Technology' Category
FBI Plans Rapid DNA Dragnets
September 24th, 2014Via: Nextgov: The FBI is preparing to accelerate the collection of DNA profiles for the government’s massive new biometric identification database. Developers of portable DNA analysis machines have been invited to a Nov. 13 presentation to learn about the bureau’s vision for incorporating their technology into the FBI’s new database. So-called rapid DNA systems can […]
Germany: DHL Begins Drone Deliveries to Island
September 24th, 2014Via: Reuters: Logistics firm DHL is using a drone to fly parcels to the German island of Juist, in what it says is the first time an unmanned aircraft has been authorized to deliver goods in Europe. The company, owned by Germany’s Deutsche Post, joins the likes of Amazon.com and Google in testing the potential […]
The Robots that Feed Humanity
September 24th, 2014Via: Engadget: The Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, divides agricultural robots into three generations. The first gen is comprised of basic ones that can collect data, while the second-gen bots are capable of harvesting, seeding, spraying and cultivating. Finally, the third and most advanced generation is comprised […]
Hundreds of Floating Robots Could Soon Surveil the Oceans
September 24th, 2014Via: cNet: Boeing and Liquid Robotics today announced a partnership to make water-borne robots that can handle a variety of surveillance jobs, ranging from hunts for submarines to the detection of drug traffickers. Silicon Valley’s Liquid Robotics is the manufacturer of the Wave Glider SV3, a $300,000 self-powered, seafaring data center that offers customers — […]
Robots That Learn Through Repetition, Not Programming
September 23rd, 2014Via: MIT Technology Review: Eugene Izhikevich thinks you shouldn’t have to write code in order to teach robots new tricks. “It should be more like training a dog,” he says. “Instead of programming, you show it consistent examples of desired behavior.” Izhikevich’s startup, Brain Corporation, based in San Diego, has developed an operating system for […]
Luxury Sports Car Powered by Flow Battery, Goes 373 Miles on a Tank of… Saltwater?
September 21st, 2014Via: Inhabitat: The Quant e-Sportlimousine was originally unveiled earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show, where it met criticism from skeptics – but now that it’s been approved to drive on public roads, there’s renewed interest in the saltwater-powered vehicle. How does it work? An electrochemical reaction is created by combining two liquids with […]
Tiny Humanoid Robot Learning to Fly Real Airplanes
September 19th, 2014Definitely see: Lack of Experienced Pilots, Boneheaded FAA Policies and Over Reliance on Flight Automation Systems Will Cause More Plane Crashes. Via: IEEE: The little robot in the picture above is a PIBOT, a small, very low-cost humanoid (actually a Bioloid Premium from Robotis). It’s been slightly modified to be able to work the controls […]
Concrete Evidence of Widespread Forced Labor Among Foreign Migrant Workers in Malaysian Electronics Industry
September 18th, 2014Via: Verité: You might think about debt bondage in relation to making bricks in South Asia or building skyscrapers in the Middle East, not putting together the pieces of your newest mobile phone or laser printer in Malaysia. But if you are reading this on a tablet, smartphone or computer monitor, then you may be […]
Air Force Funds Pocket-Sized Drone for Surveilling Tight Spaces
September 18th, 2014Via: Ars Technica: The US Air Force has awarded a contract to CyPhy Works, a Danvers, Massachusetts-based startup led by CEO (and iRobot co-founder) Helen Greiner. CyPhy will design and deliver a pocket-sized drone for use in search and rescue operations in collapsed buildings, tunnels, and other confined spaces and steep grades that may be […]
John Key Concedes Edward Snowden May Well Be Right, While Repeating Absurd Denials
September 16th, 2014Thanks, Captain. Via: New Zealand Herald: Prime Minister John Key acknowledged today that NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden’s claim that New Zealanders’ data is accessible through the controversial XKeyscore system “may well be right”. However, he maintained that information will not have been gathered under any Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) mass surveillance programme as the […]
