Archive for March, 2013
Fewer Americans Than Ever Trust U.S. Government
March 12th, 2013In other news, 1.6 Billion Rounds Of Ammo For Homeland Security? It’s Time For A National Conversation: The Denver Post, on February 15th, ran an Associated Press article entitled Homeland Security aims to buy 1.6b rounds of ammo, so far to little notice. It confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security has issued an open […]
James Holmes: ‘Narco Analytic Interview’
March 12th, 2013Via: Sky: The student accused of the Colorado cinema massacre could be given “truth serum” to help determine whether he is insane, a judge has ruled. James Holmes, 25, who is accused of killing twelve people and injuring 70 others during a shooting rampage at a Batman movie premiere, is expected to enter a plea […]
Facebook Reveals Secrets You Haven’t Shared
March 12th, 2013Via: Financial Times: The increasing amount of personal information that can been gleaned by computer programs that track how people use Facebook has been revealed by an extensive academic study. Such programmes can discern undisclosed private information such as Facebook users’ sexuality, drug-use habits and even whether their parents separated when they were young, according […]
‘Algae-Like Structures Inside a Sri Lankan Meteorite Are Clear Evidence of Panspermia’
March 11th, 2013Via: MIT Technology Review: On 29 December 2012, a fireball lit up the early evening skies over the Sri Lankan province of Polonnaruwa. Hot, sparkling fragments of the fireball rained down across the countryside and witnesses reported the strong odour of tar or asphalt. Over the next few days, the local police gathered numerous examples […]
Ohio Judge: Traffic Cameras Are a Scam Against Motorists
March 11th, 2013Via: Columbus Dispatch / AP: A southwestern Ohio judge yesterday ordered a halt to a speeding-ticket blitz in a village that installed traffic cameras, saying it’s “a scam” against motorists. Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Robert Ruehlman blasted the cameras and the thousands of $105 citations that resulted. He ruled that they violate motorists’ constitutional […]
Microsoft Phone App Collects Audio from Bars and Restaurants to ‘Deduce the Current Atmosphere’
March 11th, 2013Via: MIT Technology Review: An app called Bing Now, demonstrated at Microsoft’s headquarters last week, could give Web searchers a way to gauge the current vibe of a bar or restaurant before they book a table. Smartphones can already deliver directions to a restaurant, endless reviews, and other static information. But without making a phone […]
Electronic Sensors Printed Directly on the Skin
March 11th, 2013Via: MIT Technology Review: Taking advantage of recent advances in flexible electronics, researchers have devised a way to “print” devices directly onto the skin so people can wear them for an extended period while performing normal daily activities. Such systems could be used to track health and monitor healing near the skin’s surface, as in […]
Thousands of Dead Pigs Found in Shanghai River
March 11th, 2013Drinking water quality normal, comrade. Via: South China Morning Post: Chinese officials have found a total of 3,323 dead pigs in a Shanghai river as of Monday afternoon and discovered swine virus in one of them, but they have stressed that the disease is not known to be infectious to humans. The virus is known […]
China: Data About Soil Pollution a ‘State Secret’
March 11th, 2013Don’t worry, they’re just a few Five-Year-Plans away from having the clean, green farmscrapers up and running. Via: Reuters: When China’s environment ministry told attorney Dong Zhengwei he couldn’t have access to two-year old data about soil pollution because it was a “state secret”, it added to mounting public outrage over the worsening environment. Microbloggers, […]
Americans Training Syrian Rebels in Jordan
March 11th, 2013Via: Reuters: Americans are training Syrian anti-government fighters in Jordan, the German weekly Der Spiegel said on Sunday, quoting what it said were participants and organizers. Spiegel said it was not clear whether the Americans worked for private firms or were from the army but said some wore uniforms. The training focused on use of […]
