Archive for the 'Technology' Category
F-35 Blind Spot Will Get It ‘Gunned Every Time’
March 8th, 2013Via: Wired: The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the military’s expensive main warplane of the future, has a huge blind spot directly behind it. Pilots say that could get them shot down in close-quarters combat, where the flier with the better visibility has the killing advantage. “Aft visibility could turn out to be a significant problem […]
‘The Coming Surveillance Dystopia’
March 8th, 2013I wasn’t going to post this. You know all of this, or, at least you should, if you’ve been hanging out here for any length of time. But, Holder, “Dressed like Elvis and surrounded by the Real Housewives of Orange County,” won me over. Must share. Via: The Verge: Assuming that some degree of privacy […]
Japan: 26 Generations of Clones from Single Mouse
March 8th, 2013Via: AFP: Japanese scientists have produced 26 generations of clones from a single mouse, the lead researcher said Friday, possibly paving the way for the mass replication of valuable livestock. The team have so far produced 598 mice that are genetic copies of one original creature in an experiment that has so far been going […]
House Orders Pentagon to Disclose Domestic Drone Use
March 8th, 2013Via: Cnet: The U.S. House of Representatives voted yesterday to require the Defense Department to disclose whether military drones are being operated domestically to conduct surveillance on American citizens. A requirement buried in a lengthy appropriations bill calls on newly confirmed Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to disclose to Congress what “policies and procedures” are in […]
Moon Mining Race Under Way
March 8th, 2013Via: BBC: Space exploration has long been about reaching far off destinations but now there is a race to exploit new frontiers by mining their minerals. Google has offered a $20m grand prize to the first privately-funded company to land a robot on the moon and explore the surface by moving at least 500 metres […]
Scientists Enhance Intelligence of Mice with Human Brain Cells
March 8th, 2013😯 Via: io9: It’s not quite Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but it may not be too far off, either. By grafting human glial cells into the brains of mice, neuroscientists were able to “sharply enhance” their cognitive capacities. These improvements included augmentations to memory, learning, and adaptive conditioning. It’s a breakthrough that […]
Tighten It Until It Strips, Then Back It Off a Quarter Turn: Microsoft Restores Transfer Rights for Office 2013
March 7th, 2013Via: ZDnet: As part of its shift to a subscription model, Microsoft introduced a controversial “no transfer” restriction with Office 2013. Now, after an intense outcry from customers, the company has reversed course and agreed to allow users to transfer retail Office licenses between devices. Great Free Alternative: LibreOffice
Holder: Drone Strikes in U.S. Possible in Response to ‘Extraordinary Circumstance’
March 6th, 2013Via: NBC: The Obama administration has “no intention” of carrying out drone strikes against suspected terrorists in the United States, but could use them in response to “an extraordinary circumstance” such as the 9/11 terror attacks, according to a letter from Attorney General Eric Holder obtained by NBC News. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who received […]
Micro 3-D Printer
March 6th, 2013Via: MIT Technology Review: Nanoscribe, a spin-off from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, has developed a tabletop 3-D microprinter that can create complicated microstructures 100 times faster than is possible today. “If something took one hour to make, it now takes less than one minute,” says Michael Thiel, chief scientific officer at Nanoscribe. […]
Robot Warriors: Lethal Machines Coming of Age
March 6th, 2013Via: BBC: The era of drone wars is already upon us. The era of robot wars could be fast approaching. Already there are unmanned aircraft demonstrators like the arrow-head shaped X-47B that can pretty-well fly a mission by itself with no involvement of a ground-based “pilot”. There are missile systems like the Patriot that can […]
