Archive for May, 2017
Unmanned U.S. Air Force Space Plane Lands After Secret, Two-Year Mission
May 7th, 2017Via: Reuters: The U.S. military’s experimental X-37B space plane landed on Sunday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, completing a classified mission that lasted nearly two years, the Air Force said. The unmanned X-37B, which resembles a miniature space shuttle, touched down at 7:47 a.m. EDT (1147 GMT) on a runway formerly used for […]
Macron Elected French President
May 7th, 2017Via: AFP: Pro-European centrist Emmanuel Macron resoundingly won France’s landmark presidential election, first estimates showed Sunday, heading off a fierce challenge from the far-right in a pivotal vote for the future of the divided country and Europe. The victory caps an extraordinary rise for the 39-year-old former investment banker, who will become the country’s youngest-ever […]
The Military is Using Human Brain Waves to Teach Robots How to Shoot
May 6th, 2017Via: Government Executive: Modern sensors can see farther than humans. Electronic circuits can shoot faster than nerves and muscles can pull a trigger. Humans still outperform armed robots in knowing what to shoot at — but new research funded in part by the Army may soon narrow that gap. Researchers from DCS Corp and the […]
Potential for Ultrasonic Beacons to Trigger Smartphone Apps
May 4th, 2017Apparently, you have to open some app for the this to happen: The situation isn’t that worrisome, as users have to open an app with the Shopkick SDK for the beacon to be picked up. Even so, here’s another one for your already herniating Mobile Phones Are Creepy as Hell file folder. Via: Bleeping Computer: […]
Tesla Loses $13,000 Per Car Made Ahead Of Model 3 Launch
May 4th, 2017*meh* Amazon lost money for years. Now look at it. With Tesla, the Model 3 might be a make or break moment, but fear of repeating the Model X debacle was ingrained from the start. They might not blow it again. That said, having to get that new assembly line up and running from nothing […]
Puerto Rico Files for Biggest Ever U.S. Local Government Bankruptcy
May 4th, 2017Via: Reuters: Puerto Rico announced a historic restructuring of its public debt on Wednesday, touching off what may be the biggest bankruptcy ever in the $3.8 trillion U.S. municipal bond market. While it was not immediately clear just how much of Puerto Rico’s $70 billion of debt would be included in the bankruptcy filing, the […]
Even Oil Companies Say Electric Car Boom Is Coming; Oil Demand Peaks in 2020s or 2030s
May 3rd, 2017Via: Bloomberg: Electric cars are coming fast — and that’s not just the opinion of carmakers anymore. Total SA, one of the world’s biggest oil producers, is now saying EVs may constitute almost a third of new-car sales by the end of the next decade. The surge in battery powered vehicles will cause demand for […]
UN Using Ethereum Blockchain and Iris Scanning Technologies to Distribute Funds to Refugees
May 1st, 2017Via: CoinDesk: Starting today, the United Nations (UN) will begin distributing funds to thousands of people in Jordan as part of a trial using the ethereum blockchain. For the next month, cryptographically unique coupons representing an undisclosed number of Jordanian dinars will be sent to dozens of shops in five refugee camps across the nation. […]
Facebook Conducted Research to Target Emotionally Vulnerable and Insecure Youth
May 1st, 2017Via: news.com.au: FACEBOOK has come under fire over revelations it is targeting potentially vulnerable youths who “need a confidence boost” to facilitate predatory advertising practices. The allegation was revealed this morning by The Australian which obtained internal documents from the social media giant which reportedly show how Facebook can exploit the moods and insecurities of […]
