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One-time passcode generator for mobile devices unveiled
The safest password in the world is one which is used only once, then discarded; California company launches a one-time pass code genrator
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Airwave emergency communication radios "seriously flawed"
In 2002 London launched a £3 billion emergency communication service; 7/7 highlighted shortcomings in the system, and a new study finds that two years later the system is still flawed
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Many 7/7 attack victims are still dealing with its repercussions
Those who survive a terrorist attack have many problems to cope with, and government bureaucracies set up to help vitims are often not as nimble as we would hope
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The day of smart CCTV nears
Developments in observational techniques, when married with remote surveillance cameras, will allow CCTVs not only to identify perpatrators after the fact, but identify them before they commit the terrorist or criminal act
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Surveillance society: CCTVs in the U.K.
The United Kingdom has 1 percent of the world’s population, it occupies 0.2 percent of the world’s inhabitable land mass, but it accounts for more than 20 percent of the world’s CCTV cameras
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Terrorists' tactics may be shifting
In addition to its signature operations, which emphasize long planning and preparation for spectacular attacks, al-Qaeda appears to have launched a parallel track, involving quick-hit strikes against soft Western targets
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Vibration energy harvesting moves forward
The periodic replacement of batteries is not feasible for embedded applications and is highly unattractive in wireless sensor networks containing hundreds of sensor nodes; harvesting vibration energy is the answer
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It could be worse: Doctors may use knowledge, access in plots
The eight suspected arrested in the U.K. after last week’s terror attacks are either doctors or members of the health profession
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Making fertilizer safer
Timothy McVeigh showed how destructive common ferilizers can be; University of Kentucky researcher is trying to make them safer
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State-owned Dubai fund buys stake in EADS
Dubai fund acquires stake in EADS; fund will not seek seat on board or role in management
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DARPA looks to launch UAVs with ballistic missiles
UAVs are used more and more for both intelligence gathering and attack missions; the problem is to bring them on station, and DARPA wants to use ballistic missiles for that
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The day of smart garments nears
Embedding monitoring devices and transmitters in garments would allow for continuous monitroing of one’s vital signs and location
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U.S., coalition armies examine new ways to reduce friendly fire accidents
U.S. and coalition militaries test new technologies, operational concepts to reduce instances of friendly fire
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Fighting terrorism with high-tech
Study argues that old-fashioned collective punishment measures are not effective in the campaign against terrorism; high-tech is
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The U.K. attacks: First thoughts
Intelligence sources warn that the U.K. attacks signal a hot terrorist summer in Europe; terrorists appear to prefer spectacular mass-casualty attacks to economic disruption
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The long view
Setting the Stage for U.S. Leadership in 6G
Every day there are more headlines about China’s rise in 5G, the next generation of wireless communications technologies, and the economic and national security risks to the United States that go along with these developing technologies. These concerns, particularly the threat of critical infrastructure disruptions, are valid—but the plight of the United States is in part self-inflicted. The U.S. government waited too long to tackle the difficult issues surrounding 5G. As a result, China has unprecedented clout on the global stage regarding the deployment and diffusion of advanced communications technologies. With decisive action today, the U.S. can ensure its status as the undisputed leader in wireless technology within 10 years. In doing so, it will lock in the ability to build secure 6G infrastructure with all the accompanying economic and national security benefits.
The Quantum Revolution Is Coming, and Chinese Scientists Are at the Forefront
Quantum technology — an emerging field that could transform information processing and confer big economic and national-security advantages to countries that dominate it. To the dismay of some scientists and officials in the United States, China’s formidable investment is helping it catch up with Western research in the field and, in a few areas, pull ahead. Beijing is pouring billions into research and development and is offering Chinese scientists big perks to return home from Western labs. Last year, China had nearly twice as many patent filings as the United States for quantum technology overall, a category that includes communications and cryptology devices. China’s drive has sparked calls for more R&D funding in the United States.
How Does USAMRIID Shut Down Impact Nation’s Bioterrorism Laboratory Response Network?
The Laboratory Response Network (LRN) is a collaborative federal effort run by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in cooperation with other federal agency and public health partners. The U.S. Army Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) Special Pathogens Laboratory at Fort Detrick is one of only three National Laboratories at the top of the protective umbrella of the LRN structure, along with those operated by the CDC and the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC), responsible for specialized characterization of organisms, bioforensics, select agent activity, and handling highly infectious biological agents. It begs the question then, what happens when an important component of the nation’s biopreparedness infrastructure fails to meet CDC biosafety requirements and has its Federal Select Agent certification pulled?
Who Will Save the Amazon (and How)?
It’s only a matter of time until major powers try to stop climate change by any means necessary. The Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is accelerating development of the Amazon rainforest (60 percent of which is in Brazilian hands), thereby imperiling a critical global resource. As readers with more respect for science than Bolsonaro know, the rainforest is both an important carbon sink and a critical temperature regulator, as well as a key source of fresh water. Deforestation has already damaged its ability to perform these crucial roles, and scientists in Brazilian estimate that increasingly warm and dry conditions could convert much of the forest to dry savanna, with potentially catastrophic effects. What should (or must) the international community do to prevent a misguided Brazilian president (or political leaders in other countries) from taking actions that could harm all of us? How far would the international community be willing to go in order to prevent, halt, or reverse actions that might cause immense and irreparable harm to the environment on which all humans depend.
Millions of Times Later, 97 Percent Climate Consensus Still Faces Denial
In July, the Exxon- and Koch- funded Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) issued a formal complaint, asking NASA to “correct” a statement on the space agency’s website that said that “Multiple studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals show that 97 percent or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree: Climate-warming trends over the past century are extremely likely due to human activities.” So, what is the real percentage of climate researchers who agree that climate change is largely man-made? And what is the origin of the widely held perception among the American public that the science is still unsettled?
July 2019 Was Hottest Month on Record for the Planet
Much of the planet sweltered in unprecedented heat in July, as temperatures soared to new heights in the hottest month ever recorded. The record warmth also shrank Arctic and Antarctic sea ice to historic lows. The average global temperature in July was 1.71 degrees F above the 20th-century average of 60.4 degrees, making it the hottest July in the 140-year record, according to scientists at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. The previous hottest month on record was July 2016. Nine of the 10 hottest Julys have occurred since 2005—with the last five years ranking as the five hottest. Last month was also the 43rd consecutive July and 415th consecutive month with above-average global temperatures.