Archive for the 'Technology' Category
Ello: Something’s Missing from the About Page
September 27th, 2014I was looking for some sort of social networking site or software that Cryptogon contributors could use in a post-Cryptogon era. I thought Ello might be worth considering—until I researched it a bit more. Check this out. Via: Aral Balkan: What I didn’t know at the time was that they’d taken $435,000 in seed funding […]
Argentina Uses Drones to Spot Wealthy Tax Cheats
September 26th, 2014Via: AP: Argentine tax evaders beware: The government is using a drone to spot you. The Buenos Aires province’s tax agency said Wednesday that it has used drones to identify some 200 mansions and about 100 swimming pools that haven’t been declared by their owners.
Bash Bug May Pose Bigger Threat Than Heartbleed
September 26th, 2014Unbelievable. Via: Reuters: A newly discovered security bug in a widely used piece of Linux software, known as “Bash,” could pose a bigger threat to computer users than the “Heartbleed” bug that surfaced in April, cyber experts warned on Wednesday. Bash is the software used to control the command prompt on many Unix computers. Hackers […]
Entire Australian Web to be Monitored and Whistleblowers to be Jailed
September 25th, 2014In terms of the surveillance side of this, I guess that they want to be able to have a legal framework for what has been going on for decades. Via: Sydney Morning Herald: Australian spies will soon have the power to monitor the entire Australian internet with just one warrant, and journalists and whistleblowers will […]
China’s Tech Factories Turn to Student Labor
September 25th, 2014Via: Dow Jones: CHONGQING, China—On the outskirts of this southwestern Chinese hub lie the student factories. Schools send thousands of teenagers here to put together electronic devices for some of the world’s largest brands. Many students say they are given no choice. … Student interns have become increasingly entrenched in China’s labor force, especially among […]
Australian Government Scrambles to Authorize Mass Surveillance
September 24th, 2014Via: EFF: This week, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott used recent terrorist threats as the backdrop of a dire warning to Australians that “for some time to come, the delicate balance between freedom and security may have to shift. There may be more restrictions on some, so that there can be more protection for others.” […]
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 — […]
