Archive for the 'Technology' Category
Army Wants Rapid-Fire Rubber Bullets for Crowd Control
February 22nd, 2011Via: New Scientist: THE US army is planning to field “rubber bullets” for machine guns. Military officials claim the ammunition will allow them to more effectively quell violent protests without loss of life, but human rights campaigners are alarmed by the new weapon. The final design for the XM1044 round has not been selected, according […]
Italian Stock Market Halted: Technical Difficulties?
February 22nd, 2011Oh sure. Via: Wall Street Journal: The European country considered most exposed to the unrest in Libya is its former colonial ruler, Italy. And investors wanting to do something about that today have limited options: the Italian Bourse is closed due to technical problems. It is expected to reopen at 9:30 ET. On Monday, the […]
Kids Who Skip School Are Tracked by GPS
February 21st, 2011Via: OC Register: Frustrated by students habitually skipping class, police and school officials in Anaheim are turning to GPS tracking to ensure they come to class. The Anaheim Union High School District is the first in California to test Global Positioning System technology as part of a six-week pilot program that began last week, officials […]
Chief British Scientist: Solar Storms Could Create $2 Trillion ‘Global Katrina’
February 21st, 2011Via: Guardian: The threat of solar storms that could wreak havoc on the world’s electronic systems must be taken more seriously, the UK government’s chief scientist has warned. A severe solar storm could damage satellites and power grids around the world, he said, leading to a “global Katrina” costing the world’s economies as much as […]
U.S. Invokes National Security Over Magic 8 Ball Terrorist Finder
February 21st, 2011I’m seriously considering Boondoggles as a category. I would have to use it very selectively, since it could apply to much of what’s posted on Cryptogon. Via: Washington Post: For eight years, government officials turned to Dennis Montgomery, a California computer programmer, for eye-popping technology that he said could catch terrorists. Now, federal officials want […]
Air Force Wants Troll Persona Management Software
February 18th, 2011Via: Federal Business Opportunities: Online Persona Management Service. 50 User Licenses, 10 Personas per user. Software will allow 10 personas per user, replete with background , history, supporting details, and cyber presences that are technically, culturally and geographacilly consistent. Individual applications will enable an operator to exercise a number of different online persons from the […]
Canada Hit by Cyberattack
February 17th, 2011Via: Reuters: The Canadian government was hit by an unprecedented cyber attack from Chinese-based computers last month that penetrated two key economic ministries, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp reported on Wednesday. The CBC cited sources as saying the hackers broke into computer systems at the Finance Department and Treasury Board. Once the attack was detected, Internet […]
After ‘Jeopardy!’ Victory, Watson Headed to Hospitals
February 17th, 2011Via: AP: Fresh off its shellacking of two human champions of the “Jeopardy!” television show, a computer program developed by IBM Corp. will soon get a workout in two hospitals that have signed up to test the technology. The agreements with the Columbia University Medical Center and the University of Maryland School of Medicine will […]
U.S. Government Shuts Down 84,000 Websites, ‘By Mistake’
February 17th, 2011Reminder: If you ever visit cryptogon.com and see the Seized-By-Homeland-Security message, keep cryptogon.ch handy. Via: Raw Story: Approximately 84,000 websites were shut down and wrongfully accused of having links to child pornography as part of “Operation Protect Our Children,” a new joint operation between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ). […]
Austin Considers $50 a Year, Unlimited Electric Car Charging Service
February 14th, 2011Via: Austin Business Journal: Austin City Council members this week will consider charging Austin electric car drivers $50 a year to boot up their batteries from any Austin Energy plug-in. The proposed rate would apply to Austin Energy’s “Plug-in Everywhere” program — a network of public charging stations for electric vehicles. The city would offer […]
