Archive for the 'Rise of the Machines' Category
Write Gambling Software, Go to Prison
January 3rd, 2013Via: Wired: In a criminal case sure to make programmers nervous, a software maker who licenses a program used by online casinos and bookmakers overseas is being charged with promoting gambling in New York because authorities say his software was used by others for illegal betting in that state. New York authorities say that about […]
Military Must Prep Now for ‘Mutant’ Future
January 3rd, 2013Via: Wired: The U.S. military is already using, or fast developing, a wide range of technologies meant to give troops what California Polytechnic State University researcher Patrick Lin calls “mutant powers.” Greater strength and endurance. Superior cognition. Better teamwork. Fearlessness. But the risk, ethics and policy issues arising out of these so-called “military human enhancements” […]
DHS VIPR Team and Possible DHS Drone at Football Game
December 31st, 2012Via: HongPong: Things are a little strange at the Vikings/Packers Game today. A drone has been photographed hovering around the Metrodome fan plaza on the west side, and a Homeland Security / TSA “VIPR” team has been hanging around as well, indicating the federal government is shifting into “protecting” the major Spectacles at taxpayer expense. […]
Anonymous Drone Photos Lead to Indictment for Texas Polluters
December 29th, 2012Via: Slashdot: In January of this year, we posted news of a major pollution site in Texas that was the subject of some anonymous amateur sleuths with drones, who used their UAVs to document the release of a “river of blood” (pig blood, that is) into the Trinity River as it flows through Dallas. Now, […]
Military Turns to ESPN to Help Analyze Drone Footage
December 22nd, 2012Via: USA Today: Can SportsCenter teach the military something about combating terrorists? After rapidly expanding the number of drones around the world, the Air Force is now reaching out to ESPN and other experts in video analysis to keep up with the flood of footage the unmanned aircraft are transmitting. “They’re looking at anything and […]
Citizen Drone Warfare?
December 20th, 2012How long until direction finding and jamming equipment will have to be carried by police? I know: Ban drones! Via: YouTube:
‘A Dog on Two Legs?’
December 17th, 2012Via: Der Spiegel: A soldier sets out to graduate at the top of his class. He succeeds, and he becomes a drone pilot working with a special unit of the United States Air Force in New Mexico. He kills dozens of people. But then, one day, he realizes that he can’t do it anymore. … […]
Woman Has Extraordinary Skill at Controlling Robotic Arm with Her Thoughts
December 17th, 2012Why Rise of the Machines? The military side will use the data from brain machine interfaces like this to develop algorithms for their killer robots. Remember the one from 2004, about the rat neurons that learned to control a simulated aircraft? ‘Brain’ In A Dish Acts As Autopilot, Living Computer: A University of Florida scientist […]
Kurzweil Joins Google
December 15th, 2012Via: kurzweilai.net Ray Kurzweil confirmed today that he will be joining Google to work on new projects involving machine learning and language processing. “I’m excited to share that I’ll be joining Google as Director of Engineering this Monday, December 17,” said Kurzweil.
The Great Decoupling of the U.S. Economy
December 14th, 2012Via: Andrew McAfee’s Blog: What’s going on? Why have the things that workers care about – jobs and wages – become decoupled from the the other things that economy-watchers care about? So far, explanations for this unhappy phenomenon include tax and policy changes, and the effects of globalization and offshoring. These are clearly powerful forces, […]
