• RFID technology ever more pervasive, pt. I

    RFID tags are everywhere — on boxed goods, in some computer printers, car keys and tires, on shampoo bottles and department store clothing tags; they are also in library books, contactless payment cards, passports, and travel documents; they introduce efficiency and security to the supply chain, but also allow companies and organizations to track the behavior and shopping patterns of individuals

  • NSA, other spy agencies enlisted in effort to address cyber vulnerability

    Prepare for another heated NSA-domestic spying debate: The Bush administration issues secret directive on 8 January — informally known as the “cyber initiative” — expanding the intelligence community’s role in monitoring Internet traffic; the goal is to protect against a rising number of attacks on federal agencies’ computer systems

  • MapSnapper allows queries of points of interest on maps

    Southampton University researchers develop MapSnapper; solution allows cell phone users to take pictures of map sections and have the pictures come back to them with points of interest added; these points of interest can then be queried further; solution could help phone screen advertising — and first responders rushing to the scene of a disaster

  • Product profile: Zone Multi Sensor Control Platform (MSCP)

    An innovative solution from an Australian company allows security managers better direction and control of the organization’s security system and the information streams these systems generate; massively redundant peer-to-peer architecture has many benefits: flexibility, scalability, and cost savings on hardware and professional IT staff

  • Age is more than a number

    Australian researchers develop a software tool which determines a person’s age; tool will be useful for national security, law enforcement — and for restricting children’s access to inappropriate Web sites

  • Israel beefing up its capabilities vis-a-vis Iran

    In the past five days Israel carried out a successful test-launch of a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to a distance of 2,500 km; two days ago, an Indian rocket placed a sophisticated Israeli spy satellite in the sky; new satellite can take pictures of small targets under cloudy and foggy conditions and carry out day and night and all weather imaging

  • Plasma propulsion drives tiny drones

    The military, law enforcement, and industry turn to ever-smaller surveillance and inspection devices — some the size of insects; trouble is, these miniature drones have a tendency to break down because of the many moving parts required to make them fly; OSU researchers find a solution: Plasma micro thruster

  • SPARQL is a new, format-independent query technology

    Many successful query languages exist, including standards such as SQL and XQuery, but they were primarily designed for queries limited to a single product, format, type of information, or local data store; SPARQL is the key standard for opening up data on the Semantic Web, and the goal of the Semantic Web is to enable people to share, merge, and reuse data globally

  • Unisys awarded CBP $62 million RFID reader contract

    This year, various forms of U.S. IDs will be equipped with vicinity RFID technology; DHS selects Unisys to install RFID readers at the 39 busiest U.S. land border ports of entry

  • FBI asks U.K., other countries to participate in U.S. terror database

    The FBI’s Server in the Sky project would allow countries to search and swap biometric data on some of the world’s most wanted criminals; project is similar to the EU’s Prüm Treaty

  • Metro Group, IBM lead Europe's largest RFID rollout

    IBM, German retailer Metro Group — the world’s fourth largest retailer — roll out Europe’s largest RFID project, using IBM technology; suppliers from China and Vietnam are already participating; health experts argue that implementing similar systems throughout the food supply chain would improve health and safety and protect consumers from tainted food; business analysts say RFID would increase efficiency and allow better management of inventories

  • Thales to develop autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV)

    Thales, in collaboration with seven partners, will develop a fully autonomous underwater vehicle dedicated to maritime surveillance and security; specifications call for high levels of energy and decision-making autonomy

  • Storage offers investors intriguing opportunities

    More and more surveillance cameras are placed around critical infrastructure facilities, above city streets, and long highways; these cameras generate mountains of visual material — and there is a need to store all this material; storage solutions will be a major business in the coming years

  • U.S., U.K., China, and Russia are "endemic surveillance societies"

    Respected annual report ranking countries on privacy protection gave the four nations the lowest possible rating; concern over terrorism, immigration, and border control continue to erode privacy and increase surveillance

  • DARPA selects Goodrich for next-generation night vision technology

    Company to develop next-generation night vision sensor technology for helmet-mounted and micro vehicle applications based on its indium gallium arsenide-night vision (InGaAs-NV) SWIR sensors