Ethically Hunt For Nudie Booty With New Search Engine "BoodieGo"
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Steal Your Face: The FBI Is Storing Your Dimensions, Fearing Criminal Intentions
If you value your privacy, you may want to stock up on extra Halloween masks this season. The FBI has recently announced its state-of-the-art new facial recognition system, and it is creepier than any macabre mask a citizen can don.
According to gizmodo.com, six years of development and a billion dollars of taxpayer money have led to this biometric facial recognition software system. If you're getting a visa, going to prison, or otherwise being photographed by any grabby arm of the government, your identifying facial dimensions are sure going in there. It's called the Next Generation Identification program, and you are getting forced into this future.
But why stop at the shape of your skull and surrounding tissues? They did spend a BILLION of your dollars, after all! Scars, tattoos, fingerprints and other major identifying characteristics will also be included in your (totally safe and secure, we're sure) recognition profile. This shared database, known as the Interstate Photo System, is only going to get more insidious as ubiquitous surveillance camera resolutions improve.
The FBI, of course, loves their new toy. They were proud to report, "Since phase one was deployed in February 2011, the NGI system has introduced enhanced automated fingerprint and latent search capabilities, mobile fingerprint identification, and electronic image storage, all while adding enhanced processing speed and automation for electronic exchange of fingerprints to more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies and other authorized criminal justice partners 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."
It wouldn't be surprising if ninja-style outfits of obscurity became fashionable in the next few years...
According to gizmodo.com, six years of development and a billion dollars of taxpayer money have led to this biometric facial recognition software system. If you're getting a visa, going to prison, or otherwise being photographed by any grabby arm of the government, your identifying facial dimensions are sure going in there. It's called the Next Generation Identification program, and you are getting forced into this future.
But why stop at the shape of your skull and surrounding tissues? They did spend a BILLION of your dollars, after all! Scars, tattoos, fingerprints and other major identifying characteristics will also be included in your (totally safe and secure, we're sure) recognition profile. This shared database, known as the Interstate Photo System, is only going to get more insidious as ubiquitous surveillance camera resolutions improve.
The FBI, of course, loves their new toy. They were proud to report, "Since phase one was deployed in February 2011, the NGI system has introduced enhanced automated fingerprint and latent search capabilities, mobile fingerprint identification, and electronic image storage, all while adding enhanced processing speed and automation for electronic exchange of fingerprints to more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies and other authorized criminal justice partners 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."
It wouldn't be surprising if ninja-style outfits of obscurity became fashionable in the next few years...
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| So by FBI logic, the best masks are now the ones with no facial characteristics whatsoever. |
Sink "Fin Fisher": Wikileaks Combats Spy Platforms By Releasing Software To Public
It's no secret now that governments routinely spy on their citizens, for reasons ranging from interest in actual criminal activities to simply wanting to try to intercept naked selfies. However, now the team at Wikileaks has released the exact software used to spy on you, hoping that once it is more completely understood, it can be more effectively stopped.
As reported by engadget.com, Julian Assange and his colleagues have openly posted the FinSpy PC and Fin Fisher spy platforms in an effort to spur developers to update more thorough privacy measures against them. The Wikileaks team also hopes to make it more difficult for governments to abuse the technology to root out whom they consider undesirable. Australia, Italy, Pakistan and other nations have been proven to use the software against "dissidents" on their turf, regardless of what computer platform the suspicious party is running.
Although keylogging and webcam monitoring are among the elements of the revealed software, it is hoped that these will not be abused by the masses and if they are, that a quick antidote will be available soon. Now we know what weapons the powers-that-be have chosen, we can fight them more intelligently.
As reported by engadget.com, Julian Assange and his colleagues have openly posted the FinSpy PC and Fin Fisher spy platforms in an effort to spur developers to update more thorough privacy measures against them. The Wikileaks team also hopes to make it more difficult for governments to abuse the technology to root out whom they consider undesirable. Australia, Italy, Pakistan and other nations have been proven to use the software against "dissidents" on their turf, regardless of what computer platform the suspicious party is running.
Although keylogging and webcam monitoring are among the elements of the revealed software, it is hoped that these will not be abused by the masses and if they are, that a quick antidote will be available soon. Now we know what weapons the powers-that-be have chosen, we can fight them more intelligently.
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| Sometimes the surveillance state needs a faceful of e-mace. |
Whip Up A New Whip: Launching The World's First 3D Printed Car
Everything about the automotive industry is changing, from manufacturing to fuel to even the required cognizance of the driver (or now, computer) behind the wheel. Recently, a major manufacturing barrier was broken when Arizona's Local Motors company used an oversize 3D printer to craft up a new car, the Strati, from scratch.
One of the highlights of the International Manufacturing Technology Show 2014 in Chicago, the 2-seater Strati was printed and assembled in 44 hours. According to techodrom.com, it was built as a single-piece chassis augmented by 39 other parts (dramatically lower than the 20,000-odd bits that comprise conventional automobiles.) The Strati was created from carbon fiber-reinforced black plastic and runs on a battery with a range of 130-150 miles.
"We are the first company to make a 3D-printed car using carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic," Local Motors CEO John Rogers told the Wall Street Journal. "The seats, body, chassis, dash, center console and hood will all be 3D printed."
That leaves a few parts that had to be obtained by conventional means, including the tires, windshield, battery, electric motors, wiring, suspension, and seat cushions. Still, it's a pretty impressive invention, made possible in part thanks to the relatively behemoth 3D printer (made by Cincinnati Inc.) that was able to print at dimensions up to 3 feet by 5 feet by 10 feet.
Local Motors is proud of their product and states on their website they'll be creating more "production-level 3D printed vehicles that will be available to the general public for purchase in the months following the show." Prices are expected to run around $18,000-$30,000, depending on additional features. Now, is it possible to 3D print some fuzzy dice?
One of the highlights of the International Manufacturing Technology Show 2014 in Chicago, the 2-seater Strati was printed and assembled in 44 hours. According to techodrom.com, it was built as a single-piece chassis augmented by 39 other parts (dramatically lower than the 20,000-odd bits that comprise conventional automobiles.) The Strati was created from carbon fiber-reinforced black plastic and runs on a battery with a range of 130-150 miles.
"We are the first company to make a 3D-printed car using carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic," Local Motors CEO John Rogers told the Wall Street Journal. "The seats, body, chassis, dash, center console and hood will all be 3D printed."
That leaves a few parts that had to be obtained by conventional means, including the tires, windshield, battery, electric motors, wiring, suspension, and seat cushions. Still, it's a pretty impressive invention, made possible in part thanks to the relatively behemoth 3D printer (made by Cincinnati Inc.) that was able to print at dimensions up to 3 feet by 5 feet by 10 feet.
Local Motors is proud of their product and states on their website they'll be creating more "production-level 3D printed vehicles that will be available to the general public for purchase in the months following the show." Prices are expected to run around $18,000-$30,000, depending on additional features. Now, is it possible to 3D print some fuzzy dice?
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| Do computers dream of fun little 3-D printed joyrides? |
Hacked Printer Shows How Lax Security Could "Doom" Your Company
We live in a world of instant gratification and hyper-connectivity. Unfortunately, the connections that bring us easy and immediately pleasant results can turn on us just as quickly as they work for us. Nowhere is this more true than in the field of technology. This was recently illustrated when a Canon office printer, connected to an outside computer server, was hacked to play "Doom."
According to pcgamesn.com, the security flaw was intentionally manifested to prove that the overly-accessible printer proved a threat to office data security. The Canon Pixma printers have a web-accessible interface that required no authentication, enabling Context Information Security analyst Michael Jordon to sneak into the system and run a copy of "Doom" on the Pixma's LED screen. This was a playful but serious reminder than any party with unpleasant intent could create firmware to monitor or manipulate the printer's output, which could be instrumental in corporate espionage or sabotage.
As Jordon explained to The Guardian, “If you can run Doom on a printer, you can do a lot more nasty things...In a corporate environment, it would be a good place to be. Who suspects printers?”
Canon has assured its users that an update, requiring a username and password for the Pixma interface, will solve any rogue infiltration programs in all models that had previously been at risk to be compromised. Who says video games never teach you anything?
According to pcgamesn.com, the security flaw was intentionally manifested to prove that the overly-accessible printer proved a threat to office data security. The Canon Pixma printers have a web-accessible interface that required no authentication, enabling Context Information Security analyst Michael Jordon to sneak into the system and run a copy of "Doom" on the Pixma's LED screen. This was a playful but serious reminder than any party with unpleasant intent could create firmware to monitor or manipulate the printer's output, which could be instrumental in corporate espionage or sabotage.
As Jordon explained to The Guardian, “If you can run Doom on a printer, you can do a lot more nasty things...In a corporate environment, it would be a good place to be. Who suspects printers?”
Canon has assured its users that an update, requiring a username and password for the Pixma interface, will solve any rogue infiltration programs in all models that had previously been at risk to be compromised. Who says video games never teach you anything?
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| There are even worse things than these guys waiting to grab your office intel. (Image courtesy cdn.bloodydisgusting.com.) |
Space Station Sunday: Welcome Home, Expedition 40!
This week, ISS Expedition 40 concluded, with a command transfer occurring on board the ISS before three astronauts were sent back home to Earth. As reported by NASA, NASA astronaut Steve Swanson and Russian cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev returned safely on Thursday in a 3.5 hour trip aboard their Soyuz reentry capsule. The Soyuz landed on a steppe in Kazahkstan not far from the Baikonur launch facility, and was recovered by ground teams who immediately assured the safety of all astronauts involved. All aboard were reported to have landed in good health. Swanson, who was flown back to his station in Houston after the Soyuz crew enjoyed a welcoming party, had completed his third ISS mission - the most of any of his fellow ISS Expedition 40 mates.
ISS Expedition 41 is now in full swing, helmed by Commander Maxim Surayev of Russia. Remaining aboard the ISS are the two flight engineers who had been working during Expedition 40, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman and German astronaut Alexander Gerst. They will have the station to themselves for the next two weeks until the arrival of their new co-workers, NASA astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Russian cosmonauts Elena Serova and Alexander Samokutyaev. Their team is expected to arrive at the Baikonur launch facility later this week in preparation for the upcoming mission. Serova will be the first female cosmonaut that Russia has sent to the ISS.
Continuing work aboard the station, Wiseman and Gerst spent time this week on a nutritional analysis program that continues to improve the metrics of what the astronauts need to consume to be maximally functional in micro-gravity. They also trained in the ISS cupola, practicing with the station's robotics so as to be ready for the arrival of the unmanned commercial SpaceX Dragon supply capsule. The Dragon will be affixed to the Harmony node of the ISS with the aid of the Canadian-crafted exterior robotic arm, called the Canadarm.
That's all from low Earth orbit for this week. See you next Sunday...watch this space!
ISS Expedition 41 is now in full swing, helmed by Commander Maxim Surayev of Russia. Remaining aboard the ISS are the two flight engineers who had been working during Expedition 40, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman and German astronaut Alexander Gerst. They will have the station to themselves for the next two weeks until the arrival of their new co-workers, NASA astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Russian cosmonauts Elena Serova and Alexander Samokutyaev. Their team is expected to arrive at the Baikonur launch facility later this week in preparation for the upcoming mission. Serova will be the first female cosmonaut that Russia has sent to the ISS.
Continuing work aboard the station, Wiseman and Gerst spent time this week on a nutritional analysis program that continues to improve the metrics of what the astronauts need to consume to be maximally functional in micro-gravity. They also trained in the ISS cupola, practicing with the station's robotics so as to be ready for the arrival of the unmanned commercial SpaceX Dragon supply capsule. The Dragon will be affixed to the Harmony node of the ISS with the aid of the Canadian-crafted exterior robotic arm, called the Canadarm.
That's all from low Earth orbit for this week. See you next Sunday...watch this space!
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| Expedition 40, cruising and Soyuz-ing their way back home. Image courtesy Roscosmos. |
This Little Pink Robot Is Tougher Than You
They may not all look like a friendly housekeeper from "The Jetsons", but today, robots are all around us. Now, with different appearances and crafted from new materials, they've gotten tougher.
A recent report from Science Daily explains one interesting example. A new robot created at Harvard has some of the usual desired traits: it can walk around untethered, on command from its masters. However, this 'bot is a bit badass: it can walk through snow, withstand fire, endure submergence, and even get crunched under the wheels of a car while maintaining its mission.
Developed at Harvard's School for Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, the robot carries all of its control systems, micro-compressors, and batteries on its back, and is a leap forward in "soft-robot" technology. Its creator challenged the conventions of what robots usually look like, and came up with some successful results.
Research associate Michael Tolley said, "We think the reason people have settled on using metal and rigid materials for robots is because they're easier to model and control. This work is very inspired by nature, and we wanted to demonstrate that soft materials can also be the basis for robots."
The robot is over a half meter in length and can carry about 7.5 pounds. It was made from a composite silicone rubber (a blend of stiff rubber infused with hollow glass microspheres) as well as a Kevlar fabric bottom. These elements made the robot both tough and lightweight.
Future iterations will include faster speed and an array of sensors, which could be useful if the robot were to operate in disaster situations in lieu of more fragile human rescuers. It could also feasibly be put to work in an industrial environment, where it would not be as imposing as larger manufacturing robots and hence safer and more interactive for human co-workers.
Hey, it's kinda cute. Maybe someday you could even own a soft-robot pet! Just don't call it "soft" once its sensors can identify words. Your butt isn't as tough as the one suited up with Kevlar.
A recent report from Science Daily explains one interesting example. A new robot created at Harvard has some of the usual desired traits: it can walk around untethered, on command from its masters. However, this 'bot is a bit badass: it can walk through snow, withstand fire, endure submergence, and even get crunched under the wheels of a car while maintaining its mission.
Developed at Harvard's School for Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, the robot carries all of its control systems, micro-compressors, and batteries on its back, and is a leap forward in "soft-robot" technology. Its creator challenged the conventions of what robots usually look like, and came up with some successful results.
Research associate Michael Tolley said, "We think the reason people have settled on using metal and rigid materials for robots is because they're easier to model and control. This work is very inspired by nature, and we wanted to demonstrate that soft materials can also be the basis for robots."
The robot is over a half meter in length and can carry about 7.5 pounds. It was made from a composite silicone rubber (a blend of stiff rubber infused with hollow glass microspheres) as well as a Kevlar fabric bottom. These elements made the robot both tough and lightweight.
Future iterations will include faster speed and an array of sensors, which could be useful if the robot were to operate in disaster situations in lieu of more fragile human rescuers. It could also feasibly be put to work in an industrial environment, where it would not be as imposing as larger manufacturing robots and hence safer and more interactive for human co-workers.
Hey, it's kinda cute. Maybe someday you could even own a soft-robot pet! Just don't call it "soft" once its sensors can identify words. Your butt isn't as tough as the one suited up with Kevlar.
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| Yes, but can it shred moguls on the ski slopes? |
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