Archive for the 'Technology' Category
New Hampshire: Bill Would Make Some Airport Screening Sexual Assault
March 2nd, 2011Via: WMUR: Lawmakers and residents engaged in heated debate Tuesday over a bill that would make random airport security pat-downs and body scans criminal in New Hampshire. The bill (HB628-FN) “makes the touching or viewing with a technological device of a person’s breasts or genitals by a government security agent without probable cause a sexual […]
Boston Dynamics Gets Military Contract to Build Running Quadruped and Humanoid/Biped Robots
February 28th, 2011Via: Wired: Boston Dynamics, the military engineering firm best known for its four-legged BigDog robot, has been awarded two contracts by DARPA to develop a pair of new robots: an agile humanoid called ATLAS and a speedy, animal-inspired quadruped called CHEETAH. ATLAS looks like a headless Terminator, with a torso, two legs and two arms, […]
Britain: Network Equipment Theft Cuts Mobile Phone and Internet Services to Several Hundred Thousand Vodafone Customers
February 28th, 2011Via: BBC: Vodafone’s mobile network has been disrupted following a break-in at its exchange centre in Basingstoke. The company said that several hundred thousand customers had lost voice, text and internet access. Burglars hit the facility in the early hours of Monday morning, stealing computer equipment and network hardware. Most of the users affected were […]
Homeland Security Will Soon Begin Analyzing DNA at Airports
February 28th, 2011Of course, initially, “It’s for the children.” Via: NextGov: The Homeland Security Department this summer plans to begin testing a DNA analyzer that’s small enough to be easily portable and fast enough to return results in less than an hour. The analyzer, about the size of a laser printer, initially will be used to determine […]
Army of Fake Social Media Friends to Promote Propaganda
February 25th, 2011Via: PC World: It’s recently been revealed that the U.S. government contracted HBGary Federal for the development of software which could create multiple fake social media profiles to manipulate and sway public opinion on controversial issues by promoting propaganda. It could also be used as surveillance to find public opinions with points of view the […]
New Stealth Bomber Could Control Drones, Fire Lasers, Bust Bunkers
February 24th, 2011Recovery! Via: Wired: The Air Force’s new stealth bomber might do more than just drop bombs, top generals said in recent days. The so-called “Long-Range Strike” plane — likely to be designated B-3 — could also carry bunker-busting, rocket-boosted munitions, high-powered lasers for self-defense and datalinks, and consoles for controlling radar-evading drones. These add-ons, described […]
U.S. Government Pays HBGary for Rootkits
February 22nd, 2011Via: Ars Technica: In 2009, HBGary had partnered with the Advanced Information Systems group of defense contractor General Dynamics to work on a project euphemistically known as “Task B.” The team had a simple mission: slip a piece of stealth software onto a target laptop without the owner’s knowledge. Research Credit: RJ
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 […]
