Archive for the 'Technology' Category
Medical Equipment Riddled with Malware
October 18th, 2012Via: MIT Technology Review: Computerized hospital equipment is increasingly vulnerable to malware infections, according to participants in a recent government panel. These infections can clog patient-monitoring equipment and other software systems, at times rendering the devices temporarily inoperable. While no injuries have been reported, the malware problem at hospitals is clearly rising nationwide, says Kevin […]
The Disney ‘Magic Band’
October 13th, 2012Via: ABC News: Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is reportedly considering replacing paper tickets with electronic wrist bands for admission to its theme parks, based on a company filing with the Federal Communications Commission. Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts has filed an application with the FCC for a radio-frequency identification wrist band, as reported […]
UK: Draft Communications Bill — 19,000 Emails Against, 0 In Favor
October 12th, 2012Via: Computerworld: The distinction is that while in the case of that Bill opinion was fairly evenly divided, we have not seen a single email supporting the draft Communications Data Bill, or even agreeing that there may be a case for the security services and law enforcement agencies having greater access to communications data than […]
DHS Request for Information: ‘Robotic Aircraft for Public Safety’
October 11th, 2012Via: Federal Business Opportunities: The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate is the Department’s primary research and development arm. The S&T Directorate provides federal, state and local officials with the technology and capabilities to protect the homeland. The Directorate’s mission is to protect the homeland by providing Federal and local officials with state-of-the-art technology and other […]
Children’s Obsession with Screens ‘Causing Developmental Damage as Well as Long-Term Physical Harm’
October 10th, 2012Via: Guardian: Doctors and government health officials should set limits, as they do for alcohol, on the amount of time children spend watching screens – and under-threes should be kept away from the television altogether, according to a paper in an influential medical journal published on Tuesday. A review of the evidence in the Archives […]
Microsoft CEO Sees Company Becoming More Like Apple
October 10th, 2012Microsoft has been copying Apple since the 1980s, so I doubt that this is much of a surprise to anyone. Via: Reuters: Microsoft Corp Chief Executive Steve Ballmer has signaled a new direction for the world’s largest software company, pointing to hardware and online services as its future, taking a page from long-time rival Apple […]
Big Brother Invades Classrooms
October 10th, 2012Homeschool. Via: Salon: The RFID tag system popularly known as “Tag and Track” is being sold to schools system across the country by a variety of vendors, including AIM Truancy Solutions, ID Card Group and DataCard. In general, these systems consist of a school photo ID card affixed to a lanyard that is worn around […]
High Frequency Traders Trying to Create Arbitrage Opportunities by Flooding Market Systems Bogus Quotes
October 9th, 2012Via: CNBC: Translation: the ultimate goal of many of these programs is to gum up the system so it slows down the quote feed to others and allows the computer traders (with their co-located servers at the exchanges) to gain a money-making arbitrage opportunity.
FTC Releases Redacted Google Privacy Report
October 5th, 2012Via: The Security Ledger: Google could tell you about its privacy practices except, well….they’re private. That’s the conclusion privacy advocates are drawing after the Federal Trade Commission took a black marker to an independent audit of the company’s privacy practices before releasing it to the group EPIC in response to a Freedom of Information Act […]
The CIA and Jeff Bezos Bet on Quantum Computing
October 5th, 2012Via: MIT Technology Review: Inside a blocky building in a Vancouver suburb, across the street from a dowdy McDonald’s, is a place chilled colder than anywhere in the known universe. Inside that is a computer processor that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and the CIA’s investment arm, In-Q-Tel, believe can tap the quirks of quantum mechanics […]
