Archive for the 'Economy' Category
Germany: DHL Begins Drone Deliveries to Island
September 24th, 2014Via: Reuters: Logistics firm DHL is using a drone to fly parcels to the German island of Juist, in what it says is the first time an unmanned aircraft has been authorized to deliver goods in Europe. The company, owned by Germany’s Deutsche Post, joins the likes of Amazon.com and Google in testing the potential […]
The Robots that Feed Humanity
September 24th, 2014Via: Engadget: The Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, divides agricultural robots into three generations. The first gen is comprised of basic ones that can collect data, while the second-gen bots are capable of harvesting, seeding, spraying and cultivating. Finally, the third and most advanced generation is comprised […]
Robots That Learn Through Repetition, Not Programming
September 23rd, 2014Via: MIT Technology Review: Eugene Izhikevich thinks you shouldn’t have to write code in order to teach robots new tricks. “It should be more like training a dog,” he says. “Instead of programming, you show it consistent examples of desired behavior.” Izhikevich’s startup, Brain Corporation, based in San Diego, has developed an operating system for […]
German Village Produces 500% of Its Energy from Renewable Sources
September 21st, 2014Via: Inhabitat: Wildpoldsried, a Bavarian village of about 2,600 residents, is leading the way in Germany’s extraordinary renewable energy transformation. Over the past 17 years, the village has invested in a holistic range of renewable energy projects that include 4,983 kWp of photovoltaics, five biogas facilities, 11 wind turbines and a hydropower system. As a […]
Mystery Illness Plagues Girls in Colombia… After They Receive HPV Vaccine
September 21st, 2014Via: AFP: A mystery illness is plaguing girls in this town in northern Colombia, and locals say a vaccine against the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus, or HPV, is to blame. First their hands and feet feel cold. Then they go pale and cannot move. Some convulse and fall to the floor. In El Carmen de […]
Tiny Humanoid Robot Learning to Fly Real Airplanes
September 19th, 2014Definitely see: Lack of Experienced Pilots, Boneheaded FAA Policies and Over Reliance on Flight Automation Systems Will Cause More Plane Crashes. Via: IEEE: The little robot in the picture above is a PIBOT, a small, very low-cost humanoid (actually a Bioloid Premium from Robotis). It’s been slightly modified to be able to work the controls […]
Scottish Referendum: Voters to Reject Independence
September 18th, 2014Via: BBC: Scotland will vote to stay in the United Kingdom after rejecting independence, the BBC has predicted. With 26 out of the country’s 32 council areas having declared after Thursday’s vote, the “No” side has a 54% of the vote, with the “Yes” campaign on 46%. By 05:15 BST (06:15 GMT), the “No” campaign […]
Google to Build Airport and City?
September 18th, 2014Via: The Verge: As if self-driving cars, balloon-carried internet, or the eradication of death weren’t ambitious enough projects, Google CEO Larry Page has apparently been working behind the scenes to set up even bolder tasks for his company. The Information reports that Page started up a Google 2.0 project inside the company a year ago […]
Concrete Evidence of Widespread Forced Labor Among Foreign Migrant Workers in Malaysian Electronics Industry
September 18th, 2014Via: Verité: You might think about debt bondage in relation to making bricks in South Asia or building skyscrapers in the Middle East, not putting together the pieces of your newest mobile phone or laser printer in Malaysia. But if you are reading this on a tablet, smartphone or computer monitor, then you may be […]
Diplomatic Car Belonging to Vatican Stopped at French Border Carrying Four Kilos of Cocaine Worth an Estimated £500,000
September 18th, 2014Via: DailyMail: A diplomatic car belonging to the Vatican has been stopped at a French checkpoint carrying four kilos of cocaine with an estimated street value of £500,000. Two Italian citizens were arrested in a grace and favour Jaguar allocated to Cardinal Jorge Melia. The 91-year-old Argentinian officially the Vatican’s emeritus librarian is recovering from […]
