Archive for the 'Technology' Category
And Now: The Rogue Websites Bill Introduced in U.S. House
October 27th, 2011The “Stop Online Piracy Act” would target foreign websites for take down. I wondered what this actually meant, from a technical perspective, so I gave the proposed legislation a very quick look. It turns out that the government wants to force U.S. Internet service providers to block access to the sites. There would be a […]
Nuclear and Military Data Stolen in Mitsubishi Network Attack
October 26th, 2011Via: Asahi: Sensitive information concerning vital defense equipment, such as fighter jets, as well as nuclear power plant design and safety plans, apparently was stolen from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. computers during a cyber-attack in August, sources said. An internal investigation found signs that the information had been transmitted outside the company’s computer network, with […]
Race Against the Machine
October 26th, 2011A few weeks ago, a reader sent me a gift, an ebook from Amazon. I don’t have a physical Kindle reader, so I downloaded the Kindle application for Windows and, in a few seconds, I was able to read the book. I went to look at the Amazon page for the book, A Zombie Prescription […]
Coming Soon: Web Ads That Use Your Webcam and Display Content Based on Biometric Data
October 24th, 2011Yeah, whatever, buddy. No webcam: Check. Multiple, independent filters prevent crap (by source and by type) from even reaching my computer in the first place: Check. Besides, what idiot would voluntarily allow an ad on a website to turn on his webcam? Give me a break. Wait. Never mind. Don’t answer that. Via: Economist: IMAGINE […]
Researchers Crack W3C Encryption Standard for XML
October 23rd, 2011Via: Ars Technica: There’s new reason to be leery about relying on Web-based services to handle sensitive data. A pair of German researchers revealed at the ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security in Chicago this week that they have discovered a way to decrypt data within XML documents that have been encrypted using an […]
Some Parents Who Work for Elite Silicon Valley Firms Send Their Children to School with No Computers
October 23rd, 2011Via: New York Times: The chief technology officer of eBay sends his children to a nine-classroom school here. So do employees of Silicon Valley giants like Google, Apple, Yahoo and Hewlett-Packard. But the school’s chief teaching tools are anything but high-tech: pens and paper, knitting needles and, occasionally, mud. Not a computer to be found. […]
Hobby Humanoid Robot Rides Bicycle
October 23rd, 2011Via: Robosavvy: PRIMER-V2 is the name of a robot and his custom bike. Dr.Guero hooked a KHR3HV bipedal robot to a small bike. The robot pedals with his feet at variable speed. The steering is done by the robot hands as with a normal bike, and remote controled by a human. Stability is acheived by […]
Duqu: Son of Stuxnet Hits European Computer Networks
October 21st, 2011Update: ‘Duqu’ Virus Likely Handiwork Of Sophisticated Government, Kaspersky Lab Says Via: Deutsche Welle: Wüest is one of the experts at Symantec, who is currently analyzing the source code behind Duqu. Symantec says it was alerted to the new threat on October 14 by a laboratory that has “international connections.” Since then, Symantec’s investigations suggest […]
Army Looks to ‘Counteract Nightmares’ With Digital Dreams
October 21st, 2011Via: Wired: A soldier tries to sleep. But he is not safe in his dreams. Jolted awake by a nightmare, the combat veteran fumbles in the dark for his 3-D glasses. He puts them on. Around him are the faces of people whom he trusts. They fight the darkness with him. The soldier’s re-lived this […]
MIT Develops New Radar Technology: Military Could See Through Walls
October 21st, 2011Via: ABC News: Looking through walls is no longer something we read about in comic books or watch in Superman movies. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory has presented new radar technology that would allow humans to see through a solid wall.
