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"Swarm" UAV reconnaissance demonstrated
Boeing successfully demonstrated autonomous communications and operation of dissimilar unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in flight tests over the rugged terrain of eastern Oregon; swarm technology is similar to how insects communicate and perform tasks as an intelligent group; the UAVs worked together to search the test area through self-generating waypoints and terrain mapping, while simultaneously sending information to teams on the ground
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Still too early to determine Joplin tornado recovery costs
As Missouri recovers from the colossal tornado that leveled Joplin and the severe flooding in other parts of the state, cleanup efforts have been complicated by the lack of financial data on how much rebuilding will cost; state officials still do not have an exact figure for the costs of reconstruction
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Arkansas farmers and ranchers crippled by natural disasters
This year’s series of natural disasters have crippled Arkansas’ farming and ranching sectors; the barrage of natural disasters including floods, droughts, and fires have resulted in more than half a billion dollars in losses for farmers in Arkansas
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Developing countries at highest risk from natural disasters
A new report warns that China and India are at high risk from natural disasters as their economies are less resilient in dealing with the massive costs of reconstruction
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Lockheed Martin shows tiny surveillance UAV
The Samarai UAV is sixteen inches long and weighs less than half a pound; while flying, it can stream live video from a camera that rotated around its center providing a 360 degree view without a gimbal; it can be carried in a backpack and launchedt from the ground or like a boomerang
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Bio-Key acquires S.I.C., hopes to tap mobile phone fingerprint market
On Monday Bio-Key International, Inc. announced that it had signed a letter of intent to acquire S.I.C. Biometrics Inc., a manufacturer of a plug-in biometric fingerprint scanner for mobile phones; the acquisition leaves Bio-Key International in position to tap into the lucrative mobile biometric market, especially for Apple products
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ManTech wades into private cybersecurity market
In an increasing trend, more traditional defense contractors are seeking to expand their businesses by entering the burgeoning field of cybersecurity for commercial companies; after disposing of its private sector cybersecurity business in 2002, ManTech International is seeking to enter the market once more
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Buoy system helps protect U.S. ports
With America’s ports, waterways, and vessels handling more than $700 billion in goods annually, a terrorist attack on the system would have a crippling effect on the U.S. economy; to help mitigate these threats, Intellicheck Mobilisa has developed Aegeus, a series of buoys which have the capability of creating a surveillance perimeter that detects incoming vessels, biological substances, and even nuclear bombs
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U.K. police procurement hub goes live
The U.K. launches a new, Amazon-style online procurement process which enables police forces to buy specified goods and services online; all forty-three U.K. police forces are expected to be using the hub by June 2012
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DNDO formally approves Smiths Detection’s RadSeeker
Smiths Detection’s newly launched RdSeeker radiation detection has been formally approved by DHS Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) for production and deployment
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Former DHS chief joins Pace Global -- EC
On Tuesday, Tom Ridge, the first secretary of Homeland Security, was appointed to Pace Global Energy Services’ board of advisors
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Storing CO2 underground to extract electricity
A team of scientists, led by the Berkeley Lab, hopes to become the first in the world to produce electricity from the Earth’s heat using CO2; They also want permanently to store some of the CO2 underground, where it can not contribute to climate change
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Earthquake insurer seeks to diversify risk
In an effort to diversify its risk and expand earthquake coverage, the California Earthquake Authority (CEA), an insurance provider, has begun issuing bonds; the company says the initial bond issuance is part of its larger goal to expand the number of homes it covers
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Virginia police go 3D
AREVA, an international nuclear services firm, provided the Central Virginia Crash Team with two 3D scanners that use lasers to reconstruct traffic crashes as well as crime scenes to create accurate, scale models as evidence
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1st Detect receives U.S. patent for chemical detector
A portable mass spectrometry detector, capable of detecting residues and vapors from explosives, chemical warfare agents, toxic chemicals, food and beverage contamination, illicit drugs and pollution, is awarded U.S. patent
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More headlines
The long view
Ransomware Attacks: Death Threats, Endangered Patients and Millions of Dollars in Damages
A ransomware attack on Change Healthcare, a company that processes 15 billion health care transactions annually and deals with 1 in 3 patient records in the United States, is continuing to cause massive disruptions nearly three weeks later. The incident, which started on February 21, has been called the “most significant cyberattack on the U.S. health care system” by the American Hospital Association. It is just the latest example of an increasing trend.
Chinese Government Hackers Targeted Critics of China, U.S. Businesses and Politicians
An indictment was unsealed Monday charging seven nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their involvement in a PRC-based hacking group that spent approximately 14 years targeting U.S. and foreign critics, businesses, and political officials in furtherance of the PRC’s economic espionage and foreign intelligence objectives.
European Arms Imports Nearly Double, U.S. and French Exports Rise, and Russian Exports Fall Sharply
States in Europe almost doubled their imports of major arms (+94 per cent) between 2014–18 and 2019–23. The United States increased its arms exports by 17 per cent between 2014–18 and 2019–23, while Russia’s arms exports halved. Russia was for the first time the third largest arms exporter, falling just behind France.
LNG Exports Have Had No Impact on Domestic Energy Costs: Analysis
U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG) exports have not had any sustained and significant direct impact on U.S. natural gas prices and have, in fact, spurred production and productivity gains, which contribute to downward pressure on domestic prices.