Archive for the 'Technology' Category
National Security Agency and U.S. Army Fund Yale Research Into Amplifier That Pushes the Boundary of Quantum Physics
May 6th, 2010Yes, the obvious application is with quantum computers. This will also, no doubt, be going into military satellites, and probably countless other surveillance systems at some point. The requirement for cryogenic temperatures might delay many applications, but, this is Uncle $ugar that we’re dealing with here. I like the analogy used in the article: The […]
Why Did CBS Scrub A Story About Army Spy Planes Capturing the Times Square Bomber?
May 6th, 2010UPDATE: So I Asked Someone… I asked someone about this situation. Why not use the cell network? Don’t ask me who this person is, but he responded. He calls his response a SWAG (Scientific Wild Ass Guess), but let’s just say that this person’s wild ass guess would be much more informed on these matters […]
Magic 8 Ball Police Cameras to Flood Manhattan, Looking for “Suspicious Behavior”
May 5th, 2010Via: AFP: New York officials say they could stop attacks like the attempted Times Square car bomb by expanding a controversial surveillance system so sensitive that it will pick up even suspicious behavior. New York is already a heavily policed city, with 35,000 officers and a counterterrorism bureau — the first of its kind in […]
Readily Available Software Roots Sophisticated Mobile Phones in Seconds, Permits Eavesdropping Even When Some Phones Are Turned Off
May 4th, 2010This should be ancient news to everyone reading this, but just in case… Via: CBS: The majority of Americans use all these cell phones to talk, text or tweet. But all this high tech communication hides a dark and troubling danger. “I don’t think the general public is aware how insidious this can be,” said […]
Toddler TV Linked to Low Math Scores
May 4th, 2010Via: CBC: Too much time in front of the tube as a two-year-old can predict some negative consequences at the age of 10, a new study suggests. Researchers studied more than 1,300 children in Quebec and found that higher TV exposure as toddlers corresponded to less achievement in math, an increase in being victimized by […]
Top Ten Reasons to Quit Facebook
May 4th, 2010And another reason, not mentioned in the list below: Facebook Steps Up Lobbying, Deepens Ties with Intelligence Agencies, FTC. Via: Gizmodo: After some reflection, I’ve decided to delete my account on Facebook. I’d like to encourage you to do the same. This is part altruism and part selfish. The altruism part is that I think […]
Using Lasers to Create Clouds and Rain
May 3rd, 2010Via: New Scientist: A laser has been used to generate small clouds on demand in lab, and real-world experiments suggest this could be a way to call down rain when it’s needed. People have experimented with cloud seeding for decades in the hope of boosting rainfall, usually by sprinkling silver iodide crystals into clouds high […]
Most Modern Video Cameras Aren’t Allowed to Be Used for Commercial Purposes Unless Additional Codec Licensing Fees Are Paid
May 3rd, 2010Via: OSNews: We’ve all heard how the h.264 is rolled over on patents and royalties. Even with these facts, I kept supporting the best-performing “delivery” codec in the market, which is h.264. “Let the best win”, I kept thinking. But it wasn’t until very recently when I was made aware that the problem is way […]
Soviet Moon Rover Found After Four Decades
April 29th, 2010Via: Register: A long-lost Soviet solar/nuclear robot buggy – mislaid in the early 1970s – has been found on the moon by a NASA survey satellite. The vehicle in question is the Lunokhod 1 rover, which landed in the Mare Imbrium aboard the Luna 17 lander in 1970. During the fortnight-long lunar days the machine […]
Drone Pilots Could Be Tried for ‘War Crimes,’ According to Law Professor
April 29th, 2010Read the following book and let me know how many Americans have faced international tribunals for those atrocities: Killing Hope: U.S. Military and C.I.A. Interventions Since World War II by William Blum Via: Wired: The pilots waging America’s undeclared drone war in Pakistan could be liable to criminal prosecution for “war crimes,” a prominent law […]
