Energy Companies E-Sabotaged? Dragonfly Cyberattacks Target Industrial Control Systems

Beginning by targeting defense and aerospace companies in 2011, the online organization called Dragonfly has now changed its target to American and European energy companies. The cyberattackers, thought to be members of a government agency due to their high degree of technological prowess, wreak computerized havoc on industrial control systems (ICS) of petroleum pipelines as well as ICS all over the energy grid (including energy industry industrial equipment providers.)

The operation was multifaceted and well-funded. According to Symantec.com, "The group initially began sending malware in phishing emails to personnel in target firms. Later, the group added watering hole attacks to its offensive, compromising websites likely to be visited by those working in energy in order to redirect them to websites hosting an exploit kit. The exploit kit in turn delivered malware to the victim’s computer. The third phase of the campaign was the Trojanizing of legitimate software bundles belonging to three different ICS equipment manufacturers."

Symantec was quick to offer solutions to protect computer systems from these attacks, which resemble the Stuxnet virus (aimed at the Iranian nuclear program, it was the first major malware ICS sabotage.) The goal of the recent attacks was further-reaching, intending to achieve a level of cyberespionage that could play a major role in sabotaging any of the infected systems.

From Blind To Bionic: New Technology Enables A Chance At Sight

Slowly watching one's senses fail is a sense of horror unlike any other. Now, visually, this can be somewhat curtailed thanks to the new bionic-eye invention, the Argus II.

Recently implanted with resounding success on blind American Roger Pontz, the Argus II is not perfect, but enables tremendous new capabilities in the visualization of light and dark differentiation. This enables Pontz to identify people, different locations, and sudden changes in environment far more accurately than he had before. As a teenager, Pontz had begun manifesting symptoms of retinitis pigmentosa, where the eye's retinas fail to transmit light patterns to the brain, and at age 40 he was fully blind.

Then, a virtual miracle occurred in the form of the Argus II technology. The Argus II system consists of a video camera mounted in a pair of glasses, which beams images to an small artificial retina implanted at the back of the eye. That retina then communicates the signals with the brain via cell-stimulating electrical pulses.

Although Pontz, the second American to undergo the Argus II implantation, had to relearn how to process visual signals using the new device, he lauded the results. Pontz told CNN, "It's been pretty awesome," he says. "I can tell when my grandson runs around the house, I can tell when people step in front of me, I can tell when my wife had on a white top versus dark bottoms, vice versa. I could follow my mom around on Easter; she had a light top on. Every day it's something small but something different."

Eyes on the prize:  the Argus II's optical elements.

Telepresence: The Good Kind Of Mind Control

Paralysis used to mean being condemned to a life of immobility. Now, thanks to amazing technological breakthroughs, we not only have the ability to restore the power of motion to human beings, but will soon be able to utilize the same "telepresent" technology to operate robotic elements on other worlds.

This week, for the first time ever, a paralyzed young man was able to have mobility and even a level of dexterity restored to his arm, thanks to a microchip embedded in his brain. The research team, comprised of doctors from Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center and engineers from the non-profit research center Battelle, had expected their microchip to enable motion in one finger of the paralyzed 23-year old Ian Burkhart. Stunningly, Burkhart was able to not only open and close his entire hand, but was capable of summoning the dexterity to pick up a spoon.

Burkhart had been paralyzed from the chest down for the last four years.

The fascinating new technology that enabled this breakthrough is called the Neurobridge. Starting with a .15-inch-wide chip implanted in the skull, the Neurobridge "reads" thoughts via 96 electrodes and sends them to a sleeve of receptor electrodes on the wearer's limb, travelling via an external skull-socket not unlike the humans' plug-in ports seen in the "Matrix" movies.

Thank to the success, Burkhart's surgeon, Dr. Ali Rezai, told the Telegraph UK, "I do believe there will be a day coming soon when somebody who's got a disability – being a quadriplegic or somebody with a stroke, somebody with any kind of brain injury – can use the power of their mind and by thinking, be able to move their arms or legs.”

                                           

The basics of the Neurobridge, as shown by www.battelle.org.

Outstanding as it is, this may be only the beginning for telepresent technology. Another organization increasingly interested in mind-powered motion is none other than NASA, who feel the technology could be applied to enabling robotic elements for complex tasks in some of the most remote places possible.

At NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, a series of experiments for robot-human interfaces have been taking place, aiming to make telepresence a feature of future spaceflight. Currently projects are underway using video-game technology like Xbox Kinect and Oculus Rift to manipulate robotic avatars in virtual reality, with the goal of someday allowing a human to operate them from afar. The head of JPL's Planning Software Systems Group, NASA's Jeff Norris told www.medium.com:

"We want to go to a lot of different places. Mars is interesting, and we want to go there very much, but there are so many other places in the solar system. The ability to build a robot that is perfectly suited to a potentially very hazardous environment, that’s going to go swimming in the rains of Saturn, or something like that. The ability to build a robot that is optimized for that task, and then to control it in a way that makes you feel like you are there, to me feels like a very powerful competence. Because, here we are, able to use technologies that make us feel present in that environment, but in a way of inhabiting a robotic avatar that is perfectly attuned to that environment. That’s pretty phenomenal."

Beyond the virtual realm, NASA's plans to make telepresence a facet of full-on "telexploration" are already well underway. Robonaut, the humanoid robot installed on the International Space Station, can be controlled telepresently by human operators on earth, expressing 43 degrees of "freedom" via helmet-mounted units, specialized gloves, and posture-positioning trackers. According to NASA, "The goal of telepresence control is to provide an intuitive, unobtrusive, accurate and low-cost method for tracking operator motions and communicating them to the robotic system."

While NASA's plans for spacecraft and robotic control don't yet include a chip in the brain, it continues to improve on the technology that will make the virtual and actual uses of telepresence more immersive, realistic, and dexterous. New algorithms, camera-based tracking, and magnetic sensors will all add to and improve the ability to manipulate elements like Robonaut or other specialized machinery.

The concept of telepresence has been around in science fiction for as long as the genre has existed, but the term itself was coined in 1980 by MIT professor and robotics engineer Marvin Minsky. He theorized that telepresent robots would, in the 21st century, be critical operational elements for dangerous tasks like mining, the maintenance of oil disasters, or even serious trouble like nuclear reactor meltdowns. In his Omni magazine article "Telepresence: A Manifesto", Minsky states that when faced with the challenge of building "unbreakable" reactor parts (that will eventually someday require repair) versus building with realistic material lifespans that could be fixed via robotic telepresence, "I think the better extreme is to build modular systems that permit periodic inspection, maintenance, and repair. Telepresence would prevent crises before they could arise."

Applying this same reasoning to the space program could keep costs in check while maintaining a high standard of operational capability during missions. As for humans, integrated cranial telepresence could restore "mission capability" to damaged limbs. That does not mean the technology isn't still a little creepy in its formative stages, particularly if one wants to be "emotionally" telepresent.

TELL ME YOUR SECRETS:  the Telenoid wants to talk with you.  Image courtesy Ars Electronica.

The Telenoid, a telepresently-operated robot intended for advanced video conferencing, is able to mimic the eye, mouth, and upper body movements of its user, simulating the major tenets of what humans perceive physically as "emotions." Created by Japanese robotics engineer Dr. Hiroshi Ishiguro, this is an interesting attempt at sharing your feelings with faraway friends. While the Telenoid's pale, spectral presence is still a bit eerie to be considered a good substitute for a human interaction, achievements in android avatar technology in the future may allow for more realistic robotic experiences. While the emotional components of telepresence may still fall short, in the meantime, the physical elements of the technology are now proven to produce results, and disabled humans like Ian Burkhart and others can now hopefully use the technology to at least physically improve themselves.

Telepresence is undoubtedly a fine facet of the future now, and as we continue to map the human brain and unlock its secrets, perhaps externally beaming our thoughts out to our limbs (or those of robots under our command) will surpass many of humanity's previously-known physical limits. Though it seems nearly like movie magic at the present, future developments will branch out abundantly thanks to these current experiments. As Robert Heinlein said when first theorizing about telepresence in his story "Waldo & Magic, Inc.", "Never worry about theory as long as the machinery does what it's supposed to do."

Telepresent Demolition Derby on the moon soon?

Space Station Sunday: Fresh Coffee, New Hairdos, and Volcanoes Of The Andes

One small sip for a man, one giant gulp for mankind.
Image courtesy www.creatingclever.com.

With sixteen sunrises every "day" on the International Space Station, it's tempting to want coffee around every pseudo-breakfast time. Soon, a quick espresso will be available to recover from space snoozing. Enter the ISSpresso machine, an authentic Italian espresso machine that will be sent to the space station in November, coinciding with - what else? - Italy's first female astronaut's six-month mission aboard the ISS. Fighter pilot/astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is psyched about this Starbucks in the stars, tweeting, "How cool is that? I'll get to operate the first space espresso machine!"

Created by espresso veterans Lavazza in conjunction with Italian engineering company Argotec, the ISSpresso machine has steel tubing (instead of plastic) for durability, and is designed with switches similar to other ISS elements so that it fits right in with astro-protocol. As reported to www.cbc.ca, American astronaut Don Pettit was pleased to hear about the ISSpresso.  Pettit is a former space station astronaut and micro-gravity caffeine pioneer:  during his space stay, using a clear plastic folder cover, he invented a teardrop-shaped "cup" to drink coffee from (the shape helped retain what would otherwise be free-floating globs of coffee if poured like normal on Earth), rather than sipping from a pouch with a straw. Though he laments that the low gravity will not allow for traditional espresso foam to rise to the top of a cup, he still admits that, "It would be the best coffee that we've ever had in space."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

In other ISS news this week, the U.S./German World Cup rivalry reached a fever pitch with Germany's 1-0 win against the U.S. on Thursday. American astronauts Reid Wiseman and Steve Swanson lost a gameday bet to German astronaut Alexander Gerst, and were thus bound to have their heads shaved as penalty (Gerst has been rocking a stubble-free skull since his arrival on the ISS.) The Americans took their loss well, with www.space.com reporting that NASA's Mission Control in Houston radio'd up some support: "Our condolences on your loss today for Steve and Reid...Flight wanted to point out that bald is more aerodynamic when flying."

German astronaut Gerst takes his victory over US astronaut Wiseman using the ISS's vacuum-enabled space shears.


   

Gerst later tweeted this image, stating, "Mission Accomplished!"

Gerst (a.k.a. Astro_Alex) also supports the Chilean soccer team, and thus shared from space this cool picture of volancoes in the Andes.  Check out his Twitter feed for more amazing astro-snaps.

Chillin' over Chile.

E-Eats: Play Gourmet To Perfect Real-Life Cooking Skills

Do you want to create diverse, healthy meals, but don't think you have the skills? Don't want to risk expensive meal mistakes burning money? New software is poised to usher in a whole new means of cuisine: the CyberCook.

With elegant renderings, a vast array of ingredients, and realistic cooking technique motions involved, the game is as advanced visually as it is conceptually. Yet the technological breakthrough it symbolizes could reach outside the world of food and create greater educational methodology.

The CyberCook was developed by tech company Starship, whose CEO told www.factor-tech.com that,“It will change the way education is done, it will change the way the format is done of teaching people – and that’s the real clever bit, it’s not the 3D simulation, which everyone thinks is amazing, it’s actually the structure of what we allow people to do with it,” he said.

And perhaps with the dawn of 3-D printing (and maybe baking?), the social-media favorite word of "sharing" will take on a whole new meaning if your friends spot cookies in your e-oven.

But how do you throw a virtual pie?

No Pizza Blitzkrieg Yet: Delivery Drones Deemed Illegal

The Federal Aviation Administration wants to remind everyone that delivery-via-drone, whether for commercial for private purposes, is currently still illegal.

Although the rules regarding the airborne robots are set to be reassessed in 2015, the FAA has allowed drone usage in a limited amount by police and scholars who hold proper "Certificate Of Authority" documentation. They also allowed one company, BP, to use a drone in Alaska to monitor oil pipelines in the deep wilderness.

Regardless of what the rules become in 2015, major businesses that could benefit from drone delivery remain undeterred in their quest to utilize the flying delivery droids. Paul Misener, Vice President of Global Public Policy for Amazon, claims the ruling "has no effect on our plans...this is about hobbyists and model aircrafts, not Amazon."

Drone dogfights to follow?

Birdwatching in 2015 is going to get weird.

"'The Truth At Any Cost' Lowers All Other Costs": Former US Spy Robert Steele's Admirable Advocacy For "Open Source Everything"

After organizing a major CIA intelligence conference, the highly-respected Marine intelligence officer and CIA agent Robert Steele tried to explain that open-source information (the idea of using freely-accessible knowledge to implement policy, rather than secretly-obtained information) is the means to true freedom. The CIA promptly banned him from organizing further conferences. Now, he's taking his wisdom to the masses.

"Sharing, not secrecy, is the means by which we realize such a lofty destiny as well as create infinite wealth. The wealth of networks, the wealth of knowledge, revolutionary wealth - all can create a nonzero win-win Earth that works for one hundred percent of humanity. This is the 'utopia' that Buckminster Fuller foresaw, now within our reach," states Steele.

With this attitude firmly in mind, Steele writes, lectures, and advocates for the concept of "Open Source Everything": taking the power of knowledge from an elite few and making sure it is disseminated throughout all the world, with a focus on long-term goals that benefit all of humanity. Steele advocates truth as currency over violence, using international stewardship councils of experts in varieties of topics to check, balance, and spread information, looking far down the road on the effects that humanity's decisions of all sorts will have. An Open Source Agency, he claims, would collaborate to share this wisdom, with information coming and going from many elements, particularly including the expanse of information-sharing options available to the average computer user.

As Steele told www.theguardian.com, "We have over 5 billion human brains that are the one infinite resource available to us going forward. Crowd-sourcing and cognitive surplus are two terms of art for the changing power dynamic between those at the top that are ignorant and corrupt, and those across the bottom that are attentive and ethical. The open source ecology is made up of a wide range of opens – open farm technology, open source software, open hardware, open networks, open money, open small business technology, open patents – to name just a few. The key point is that they must all develop together, otherwise the existing system will isolate them into ineffectiveness. Open data is largely worthless unless you have open hardware and open software. Open government demands open cloud and open spectrum, or money will dominate feeds and speeds."

On the homefront, Steele maintains that the massive national "security" infrastructure we currently have in place is too big, too expensive, too unaccountable, too nonproductive concerning "terrorism" (which he claims has never been thwarted by the NSA), and ultimately bound to fail (though he admits properly-maintained surveillance should certainly remain in place for issues like corruption, pedophilia, and other crimes.) With intelligence out of the pocket of banks and politicians, citizens can better decide what will truly be of help for themselves and others. If a professional spy is willing to show how this is currently all going wrong, surely America and maybe the world can eventually learn to realize and remedy this?

Steele's revolution pre-conditions checklist.  We qualify, now how do we quell it?