• Next generation flying: pilots use iPad for navigation

    United Airlines pilots will use the iPad to replace the bulky flight manuals and chart books pilots carry with them; the company ordered 11,000 iPads, saying they will save sixteen million sheets of paper a year, and that the lighter load will save 326,000 gallons in fuel. the on

  • TSA finalizes air cargo screening mandate

    The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced on Tuesday that it had implemented the final part of the 9/11 Commission’s requirement for air cargo screening; under Tuesday’s finalized rule, air cargo companies may apply to become a Certified Cargo Screening Facility (CCSF) — CCSFs carry out a TSA-approved security program offsite and transport it to the airport securely without the need for rescreening

  • One in six IT projects ends up "out of control"

    An analysis of 1,500 global projects — in both government and private organizations — that had revamped their information technology systems within the last ten years finds that one in six projects went over budget by an average of 200 percent (in real terms) or over ran by an average of almost 70 percent; the IT sector was found to be two to three times more likely to have IT projects spiraling out of control than building and construction companies dealing large infrastructure projects

  • Water mist puts out fires at low pressure

    A new water mist system allows for fires to be extinguished from a distance of eight meters; the system’s special nozzles generate a fine mist of tiny water droplets; the water and the propellant nitrogen are non-hazardous, environmentally friendly, and leave no residues

  • USSI showcases port security system

    To help secure U.S. ports and waterways which provide a vital link to the global supply chain, US Seismic Systems Inc. (USSI) has developed an underwater fiber-optic sonar system that detects small craft entering protected areas

  • Japanese pharmaceutical crippled by insider cyberattack

    Last week a disgruntled former contract employee pleaded guilty for severely disrupting the networks of Shionogi, a Japanese pharmaceutical firm; the attacks were so severe that they crippled Shionogi’s operations for “a number of days, leaving employees unable to ship products, to cut checks or even communicate via email,” according to court documents

  • Hong Kong arrests stock exchange hacker

    Last Friday authorities in Hong Kong announced that they had arrested a man for hacking into the city’s stock exchange and disrupting the trades of seven companies; two weeks ago the Hong Kong stock exchange’s website was hit with a malicious attack that caused several firms including global banking giant HSBC and the international airline Cathay Pacific to suspend trading for half a day

  • Micro Unmanned Ground Vehicle helps soldiers, first responders

    Weighing just over ten pounds, Dragon Runner 10 (DR10) is small enough to carry in an assault pack and rugged enough to throw into buildings and hostile environments; the DR10 has multiple sensor and payload options, and thus is suitable for reconnaissance and surveillance missions to support small military units, patrols, and first responder teams

  • Joplin recovers quickly, schools open on time

    In a show of resiliency and determination, schools in Joplin, Missouri opened on time last week less than ninety days after a devastating tornado leveled much of the town; the tornado’s 200 mile per hour winds tore through Joplin killing 160 people, destroying thousands of homes, and damaging ten schools while completely destroying four others, yet despite the destruction more than 90 percent of Joplin’s students returned to school on time as promised

  • "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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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