The Rich Get Richer Explained
October 13th, 2012Via: Omid Malekan:
Research Credit: HongPong
The Disney ‘Magic Band’
October 13th, 2012Via: ABC News:
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is reportedly considering replacing paper tickets with electronic wrist bands for admission to its theme parks, based on a company filing with the Federal Communications Commission.
Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts has filed an application with the FCC for a radio-frequency identification wrist band, as reported in the Orlando Business Journal.
The cover letter that the company submitted to the FCC calls the device the “Magic Band.”
The FCC filing description of the device reads: “The radio of the device, Model MB-R1G1, is a wrist worn arm band that transmits a 2.4 GHz signal to an indoor wireless infrastructure. The PCB assembly is potted in plastic and completely overmolded with thermal plastic polyurethane. The band has no on off switch and is powered with a non-replaceable coin cell.”
The Magic Band would likely change the way visitors enter the park: no more tickets to scan, just a wrist band to swipe. It would also reduce the instances of lost paper tickets. Perhaps it would even be used as a means to purchase items and as a hotel room key, the way guests use their Key to the World cards today.
But the folks at Disney aren’t talking. At least not yet.
U.S. Runs 4th Straight $1 Trillion-Plus Budget Gap
October 13th, 2012Via: AP:
The United States has now spent $1 trillion more than it’s taken in for four straight years.
The Treasury Department confirmed Friday what was widely expected: The deficit for the just-ended 2012 budget year — the gap between the government’s tax revenue and its spending — totaled $1.1 trillion. Put simply, that’s how much the government had to borrow.
UK: Draft Communications Bill — 19,000 Emails Against, 0 In Favor
October 12th, 2012Via: Computerworld:
The distinction is that while in the case of that Bill opinion was fairly evenly divided, we have not seen a single email supporting the draft Communications Data Bill, or even agreeing that there may be a case for the security services and law enforcement agencies having greater access to communications data than they do at present.
Got that? Out of 19,000 emails received by the Committee on the subject of the proposed Draft Communications Bill, not a single one was in favour of it, or even agreed with its premise. Has there ever been a bill so universally rejected by the public in a consultation? Clearly, it must be thrown out completely.
Asian Seafood Raised on Pig Feces Approved for U.S. Consumers
October 12th, 2012Via: Bloomberg:
At Chen Qiang’s tilapia farm in Yangjiang city in China’s Guangdong province, which borders Hong Kong, Chen feeds fish partly with feces from hundreds of pigs and geese. That practice is dangerous for American consumers, says Michael Doyle, director of the University of Georgia’s Center for Food Safety.
“The manure the Chinese use to feed fish is frequently contaminated with microbes like salmonella,” says Doyle, who has studied foodborne diseases in China.
On a sweltering, overcast day in August, the smell of excrement is overpowering. After seeing dead fish on the surface, Chen, 45, wades barefoot into his murky pond to open a pipe that adds fresh water from a nearby canal. Exporters buy his fish to sell to U.S. companies.
Yang Shuiquan, chairman of a government-sponsored tilapia aquaculture association in Lianjiang, 200 kilometers from Yangjiang, says he discourages using feces as food because it contaminates water and makes fish more susceptible to diseases. He says a growing number of Guangdong farmers adopt that practice anyway because of fierce competition.
“Many farmers have switched to feces and have stopped using commercial feed,” he says.
Research Credit: latitude38
DHS Request for Information: ‘Robotic Aircraft for Public Safety’
October 11th, 2012Via: Federal Business Opportunities:
The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate is the Department’s primary research and development arm. The S&T Directorate provides federal, state and local officials with the technology and capabilities to protect the homeland. The Directorate’s mission is to protect the homeland by providing Federal and local officials with state-of-the-art technology and other resources. The Borders and Maritime Security Division (BMD) in S&T supports this mission by developing and transitioning technical capabilities that enhance U.S. border security without impeding commerce and travel.
In support of this mission, BMD will conduct flight testing and evaluation of airborne sensors and small unmanned aerial systems (SUAS) for transition to its customers. The Robotic Aircraft for Public Safety (RAPS) project will invite SUAS vendors to a chosen location and evaluate each system using key performance parameters under a wide variety of simulated but realistic and relevant real-world operational scenarios, such as law enforcement operations, search and rescue, and fire and hazardous material spill response. The SUAS vendors will provide technically mature, flight proven vehicles and their fully-integrated sensors for evaluation. Safety concerns will also be assessed such as the aircraft’s capability for safe flight in the event of a loss of communications between the aircraft and the ground controller.
Tennessee: Lawsuit Claims Jail Guards Flushed Baby Down Toilet
October 11th, 2012Via: WSMV:
A mother of three is suing the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office after she said a trip to jail ended in unimaginable horror.
Lisa Allison said guards at the Metro Jail actually flushed her miscarried baby down a toilet and joked about the incident afterward.
S&P Cuts Spain’s Credit Rating Again; Near Junk
October 11th, 2012Via: Reuters:
Standard & Poor’s on Wednesday cut Spain’s sovereign credit rating to BBB-minus, just above junk territory, citing a deepening economic recession that is limiting the government’s policy options to arrest the slide.
The S&P downgrade comes with a negative outlook reflecting the credit ratings agency’s view that there are significant risks to economic growth and budgetary performance, plus a lack of clear direction in euro zone policies.
“In our view, the capacity of Spain’s political institutions (both domestic and multilateral) to deal with the severe challenges posed by the current economic and financial crisis is declining,” S&P said in a statement.
Turkey Intercepts Syrian Passenger Plane
October 11th, 2012Via: USA Today:
Turkish jets on Wednesday forced a Syrian passenger plane to land at Ankara airport on suspicion that it might be carrying weapons or other military equipment, amid heightened tensions between Turkey and Syria that have sparked fears of a wider regional conflict.
The Syrian Air jetliner was traveling from Moscow when it was intercepted by F16 jets as it entered Turkish airspace and was escorted to the capital’s Esenboga Airport, the state-run TRT television reported.
Hours later, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the Airbus A320 with 37 passengers and crew would be allowed to leave, but its cargo had been confiscated.
“There are elements … that are not legitimate in civilian flights,” the state-run Anadolu Agency quoted Davutoglu as saying. He did not provide details but said authorities continued to examine the cargo.
Davutoglu earlier told Turkey’s TGRT television that the plane was intercepted on suspicion it was carrying illicit cargo to Damascus.
An Inside Look at the NYPD’s Stop-and-Frisk Policy
October 10th, 2012Via: The Nation:
Exclusive audio obtained by The Nation of a stop-and-frisk carried out by the New York Police Department freshly reveals the discriminatory and unprofessional way in which this controversial policy is being implemented on the city’s streets.
