Archive for the 'Technology' Category
Lockheed Network Hit by Major Disruption
May 29th, 2011Via: Reuters: Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon’s No. 1 supplier, is experiencing a major disruption to its computer systems that could be related to a problem with network security, a defense official and two sources familiar with the issue said on Thursday. Lockheed, the biggest provider of information technology to the U.S. government, is grappling with […]
Facebook Hires Former Bush Aides as Washington Lobbyists
May 28th, 2011Via: Los Angeles Times: Facebook just made two more friends in D.C. It’s hiring two aides of former President George W. Bush as lobbyists. Joel Kaplan, previously deputy chief of staff in the Bush White House, is joining Facebook as vice president of U.S. public policy, a new position in which he will oversee the […]
Presidential Signature for Patriot Act Extension Carried Out by Robot
May 28th, 2011I couldn’t make it up if I tried.
Skylon Spaceplane Finally Gets Approval
May 28th, 2011Via: Discovery News: After 30 years of development, the UK and European space agencies have given the go-ahead for the Skylon Spaceplane. The Skylon, which is being developed at the UK’s Oxfordshire-based Reaction Engines Ltd., is an unpiloted and reusable spacecraft that can launch into low-Earth orbit after taking off from a conventional runway. Looking […]
Terrorist ‘Pre-Crime’ Detector Field Tested in United States
May 28th, 2011This is the most hilariously unworkable Magic 8 Ball boondoggle that I’ve ever heard about. In the annals of grant swindling, this one has to take the cake. Via: Nature: Planning a sojourn in the northeastern United States? You could soon be taking part in a novel security programme that can supposedly ‘sense’ whether you […]
Why Are Spy Researchers Building a ‘Metaphor Program’?
May 26th, 2011Via: The Atlantic: A small research arm of the U.S. government’s intelligence establishment wants to understand how speakers of Farsi, Russian, English, and Spanish see the world by building software that automatically evaluates their use of metaphors. That’s right, metaphors, like Shakespeare’s famous line, “All the world’s a stage,” or more subtly, “The darkness pressed […]
LAPD Chevy Caprice PPV
May 26th, 2011Via: AOL Autos: Taking a ride in a police squad car is typically an unenviable experience, but not today. Bradley teams up with our friends at the LAPD to check the tech on the all new Chevrolet Caprice PPV (Police Patrol Vehicle). From an infrared night vision camera to an automated license plate scanner, this […]
China: Prisoners Forced to Play Video Games to Earn Credits That Prison Bosses Exchange for Real Money
May 26th, 2011Except for the forced physical labor part, this sounds strangely similar to the lives of many IT workers I used to know. They would sell digital game shit on eBay to make extra money, but these men and women (yes, women) really just lived to play video games. Gaming was a sort of digital drug […]
France Attempts to “Civilize” the Internet; Internet Fights Back
May 25th, 2011Via: Ars Technica: For some time, French Pres. Nicolas Sarkozy has talked about his dream of a “civilized” Internet, but this dream has long been a nightmare for those who worry that “civilization” is really a code for “regulations favorable to big business and the national security state.” To make his vision a reality, Sarkozy […]
Facebook Is Coming for Your Children
May 23rd, 2011Via: Today: Wearing the mantle of education reform, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg told attendees at a recent summit on innovation in education that, “My philosophy is that for education you need to start at a really, really young age.” A really, really good way to do that, Zuckerberg said, is to let kids […]
