Archive for September, 2014
Russia: Don’t Panic
September 17th, 2014Via: BBC: Russian authorities urged people not to panic on Tuesday as the rouble fell to a new all-time low against the US dollar amid concerns about the effect of sanctions on the country’s economy. The rouble fell about 1% to 38.71 per dollar, the weakest it has been since the currency was restructured in […]
John Key Concedes Edward Snowden May Well Be Right, While Repeating Absurd Denials
September 16th, 2014Thanks, Captain. Via: New Zealand Herald: Prime Minister John Key acknowledged today that NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden’s claim that New Zealanders’ data is accessible through the controversial XKeyscore system “may well be right”. However, he maintained that information will not have been gathered under any Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) mass surveillance programme as the […]
Los Angeles Unified School District’s Armored Vehicle and Grenade Launchers
September 16th, 2014Via: CBS: Los Angeles Unified School District police officials are considering whether they need the armored vehicle and grenade launchers they received from the U.S. military. The military hardware at the disposal of LAUSD police officers includes a 20-foot-long, 14-ton armored transport vehicles, much like the ones used to move Marines in Iraq combat zones. […]
EMP Hardened Data Centers
September 16th, 2014Via: Computerworld: In Boyers, Pa., a recently opened 2,000-sq.-ft. data center has been purpose-built to protect against an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), either generated by a solar storm or a nuclear event. The company that built the facility isn’t disclosing exactly how the data center was constructed or what materials were used. But broadly, it did […]
Pentagon’s $800 Billion Real Estate Problem
September 16th, 2014Via: Real Clear Defense: The U.S. Department of Defense owns more than half a million properties worth in excess of $800 billion dollars. The military’s real estate holdings span the globe and, all together, sprawl across 30 million acres. Pentagon auditors can’t explain what half the properties are for—and doesn’t have a plan for finding […]
MIT/DARPA: “Cheetah” Robot Runs and Jumps, Untethered, Across Grass
September 16th, 2014Via: MIT: Speed and agility are hallmarks of the cheetah: The big predator is the fastest land animal on Earth, able to accelerate to 60 mph in just a few seconds. As it ramps up to top speed, a cheetah pumps its legs in tandem, bounding until it reaches a full gallop. Now MIT researchers […]
University of Virginia/MITRE: 3D Printed UAV
September 16th, 2014Via: Wired: We have 3-D printed keys, guns and shoes—now a research team at the University of Virginia has created a 3D printed UAV drone for the Department of Defense. In the works for three years, the aircraft, no bigger than a remote-controlled plane, can carry a 1.5-pound payload. If it crashes or needs a […]
The Sun Hive: Experimental Natural Beekeeping
September 16th, 2014Via: Milkwood: Sun Hives are a hive design coming out of Germany and now gathering interest in Britain. They’re part of the world-wide movement towards ‘apicentric’ beekeeping – beekeeping that prioritizes honeybees firstly as pollinators, with honey production being a secondary goal. The Sun Hive is modeled in part on the traditional European skep hive, […]
Living Simply in a Dumpster
September 16th, 2014The biggest problem to overcome with anything like this is going to be local ordinances/cops. Even on a university campus, it’s all fun and games when it’s one guy. It’s a cool curiosity. It’s hip. Journalists can visit and write articles about the novelty of it. Get dozens of people living in alternative dwellings and […]
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Isn’t Telling the Truth About Mass Surveillance
September 15th, 2014Via: First Look: Let me be clear: any statement that mass surveillance is not performed in New Zealand, or that the internet communications are not comprehensively intercepted and monitored, or that this is not intentionally and actively abetted by the GCSB, is categorically false. If you live in New Zealand, you are being watched. At […]
