Archive for November, 2013
‘If our mechanical doubles make us paranoid, we may need to think again.’
November 26th, 2013Via: Telegraph: Researchers have tried to find the cause of the uncanny valley. One of the most interesting insights has come from an international team led by Ayse Pinar Saygin of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Saygin and her team conducted an experiment scanning the brains of 20 subjects aged 20 to 36 […]
How ‘Swarm Robots’ Are Learning from Insects
November 26th, 2013Via: CNN: In the dystopian future imagined within the popular Terminator franchise, robots learn to think, self-replicate and eventually kill their human masters. While this bleak vision assumes a number of seemingly distant technological and political developments, some ideas currently driving robotics research may, for some, bear an uncomfortable resemblance to those of the 80s […]
Snowden’s “Doomsday” Cache
November 26th, 2013Via: Reuters: British and U.S. intelligence officials say they are worried about a “doomsday” cache of highly classified, heavily encrypted material they believe former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden has stored on a data cloud. The cache contains documents generated by the NSA and other agencies and includes names of U.S. and allied intelligence […]
Screen Time Again Linked to Kids’ Extra Weight
November 25th, 2013Shocker. Via: Reuters: Children and teenagers who spend lots of time in front of screens – especially TVs – tend to gain more weight as they age, according to a new study. The findings are consistent with research suggesting all that idle sitting and exposure to advertisements may fuel poor eating habits (see Reuters Health […]
U.S. Banks Warn Fed Interest Cut Could Force Them to Charge Depositors
November 25th, 2013Via: Financial Times: Leading US banks have warned that they could start charging companies and consumers for deposits if the US Federal Reserve cuts the interest it pays on bank reserves. Depositors already have to cope with near-zero interest rates, but paying just to leave money in the bank would be highly unusual and unwelcome […]
Israelis Secretly Inspect Saudi Bases; Possible Staging Ground for Strikes Against Iran
November 24th, 2013As a response, would Iran blow up Saudi Aramco’s deep water oil terminal at Ras Tanura, or close shipping through the Strait of Hormuz? Decisions, decisions. Via: Klein Online: Israeli personnel in recent days were in Saudi Arabia to inspect bases that could be used as a staging ground to launch attacks against Iran, according […]
U.S. Army Awards Grants for 4D Printing Research
November 24th, 2013Via: Live Science: The 3D printing revolution shows no signs of letting up, and now has made its way on to the next dimension. The U.S. Army Research Office has awarded $855,000 to three universities to make advances in 4D printing, which is the ability to 3D-print objects that can change their shape or appearance […]
NSA Infected 50,000 Computer Networks with Malicious Software
November 23rd, 2013Via: NRC: The American intelligence service – NSA – infected more than 50,000 computer networks worldwide with malicious software designed to steal sensitive information. Documents provided by former NSA-employee Edward Snowden and seen by this newspaper, prove this. A management presentation dating from 2012 explains how the NSA collects information worldwide. In addition, the presentation […]
China Creates Air Defence Zone Over Japan-Controlled Islands
November 23rd, 2013Via: AFP: Beijing on Saturday announced it was setting up an “air defence identification zone” over an area that includes islands controlled by Japan but claimed by China, in a move that could inflame the bitter territorial row. Along with the creation of the zone in the East China Sea, the defence ministry released a […]
Store Owner Installs Surveillance Cameras to Spy on Police
November 23rd, 2013Via: Cnet: A Miami convenience store owner is fed up with his employees and customers being allegedly harassed by police. So he installs surveillance video to get evidence against the local cops.
