Blogs
Researchers Develop Anti-Counterfeiting Tech for RFID
December 30, 2009 3:43 am | CommentsEngineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed a unique and robust method to prevent cloning of passive radio frequency identification tags. The technology, based on one or more unique physical attributes of individual tags rather than information stored on them, will prevent the production of counterfeit tags...
Fusion: the power source of the future
December 29, 2009 12:09 pm | by M. Simon | CommentsFusion is the power source of the future, goes the old saw. And for fifty years, it has always been "fifty years in the future." That may be changing with a number of new small fusion projects in the works or doing actual experiments.
Engines of Prosperity
December 29, 2009 12:07 pm | by M. Simon | CommentsIn my last post I discussed Forth as a language. A language that is based on a virtual machine. What if that virtual machine was turned into a real machine? Good things. For one operations can be done in parallel. Returns can be automatically initiated at the end of an instruction cycle.
Neighborhood Development Package Revisited
December 29, 2009 12:03 pm | by M. Simon | CommentsSince I wrote Neighborhood Development Package on November 11, 2006, I have been thinking about the pieces needed to make the system work 24/7. The full article is below but let me give you a short review. My idea was to electrify a neighborhood in order to educate, communicate, and pump water.
Go Forth!
December 29, 2009 12:01 pm | by M. Simon | CommentsLevis (the jeans people) have been suggesting that people Go Forth. http://goforth.levi.com/fortune I'd like to make a similar suggestion. Not about jeans, but about software. Go Forth.
Bug or Windshield?
December 29, 2009 11:58 am | by Alan Amling, Global Logistics and Distribution Marketing, UPS Supply Chain Solutions, www.ups.com | CommentsAs I write this blog in early December the Dow is reaching 14 month highs, indicating a belief that the worst is behind us. While many believe there will be more bumps in the road and the unemployment picture hasn’t improved much, the tide is changing.
“Wingsuits” developed for airborne troops
December 29, 2009 11:51 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsHere’s another example of life imitating art—SPELCO (Special Parachute Equipment and Logistics Consortium) is working on a personal glider that looks straight outta Science Fiction. With its glide ratio of 5:1 and self-propulsion system, the “Gryphon” could become an invaluable tool in the future warfighter’s arsenal.
Motion Control Device Adds Pizzazz to Web Surfing
December 29, 2009 11:42 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsBack at CES ’09, I had the chance to preview Hillcrest Labs’ MEMs Accelerometer-based motion-control technology. They’ve since marketed it as a consumer device, the Loop Pointer. Essentially an air mouse on steroids, the Loop Pointer is one of the coolest gadgets I’ve seen in a while.
40 years later, ''The Final Frontier'' ain't what it used to be
December 29, 2009 11:01 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | Comments40 years ago, Neil Armstrong emerged from the Lunar Module Eagle, and stepped into history. He became the first human being to step foot on the moon, forever changing the scientific and engineering communities. And yet, 40 years later, the space program is a shell of its former self. Public enthusiasm is at an all-time low. How did we get to this point?
The Tin Foil Hat Brigade Strikes Again
December 29, 2009 8:30 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsIn what’s sure to encourage conspiracy nuts worldwide, Britain has released the government's complete file on the "Rendlesham Forest Incident" of December 1980. The 191-page document was released as part of a larger cache of British “UFO files” covering the years 1981-1996.
Global Warming or Global Cooling?
December 29, 2009 8:21 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsGentlemen, start your debating—according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the July average was the highest recorded ocean temperature in 128 years. July’s worldwide average of 62.6 will revive the global warming debates, inasmuch as some will cite this as evidence of climate change.
Light Bulbs and the Madness of Energy Efficiency Regulations
December 29, 2009 8:06 am | CommentsEuropeans (like Americans) choose to buy ordinary light bulbs around 9 times out of 10 (European Commission and light industry data 2007-8). Banning what people want gives the supposed savings that are "good for them"—no point in banning what people don’t want!
Autonomous military eobots: A short survey
December 29, 2009 6:48 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsTrue robot “consciousness” may be eons away, or impossible, but that hasn’t stopped its development. The end stage includes robots acting as “full ethical agents,” i.e. “those that can make explicit moral judgments”. Some feel this is unnecessary. The benefits are clear: robots wouldn’t experience the “fog of war,” or fall prey to emotions.
FCC grills Verizon on increased Early Termination Fees
December 29, 2009 5:23 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsThe Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is investigating why Verizon Wireless doubled their Early Termination Fees for “Advanced Devices.” The $350 ETF for “Advanced Devices” went into effect 11/15, and applies to PDAs and Smartphones (such as RIM Blackberries).
Army develops robotic helicopter sniper
December 29, 2009 5:13 am | by Jason Lomberg, Technical Editor | CommentsCollateral damage has become synonymous with modern urban warfare. In fact, the concept of “total war,” where there is “less (or no) differentiation between combatants and non-combatants (civilians),” has existed since The Peloponnesian War. As far back as 431 BC, civilian casualties were considered an acceptable (and often desirable) outcome of total warfare.
