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NEC successfully tests wideband wearable antenna
The major hurdle in using conductive fabrics was that soldering was not possible; NEC solves problem: Power is supplied to a small flexible print substrate by a soldered coaxial cable, so that power supply is possible through capacity coupling with the substrate
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A first: Reaper armed UAV fires first Hellfire missile in combat
The U.S. Air Force deployed MQ-9A Reaper armed reconnaissance UAVs to Afghanistan, and last week a Reaper launched a missile at enemy combatants some seventy miles from the UAV’s base at Kandahar; al-Queda operatives across the border in Pakistan’s North-West Territories would do well to go even deeper underground
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Maryland State Police to gather critical infrastructure data from air
Johns Hopkins’s APL develops new technology which allows officers to monitor critical infrastructure facilities digitally from the air and quickly locate, inspect important structures during patrols
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Winners announced in two new-approach building competitions
The Solar Decathlon and Lifecycle Building Challenge aim to promote energy independence and better environment through greater reliance on alternative energy and better building design and materials
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Six teams cut in Urban Challenge qualifying round
In qualifying rounds in California, robotic vehicles are tested in self-navigation — no driver, no remote control — through a series of urban challenges; some teams don’t make it
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Belgian police employ blind officers to analyze wiretap recordings
As wiretapping of potential criminal and terrorist-related activity in Belgium grows, so is the need of the Belgian police for individuals with acute and sensitive hearing to analyze wiretaps; police found that some blind individuals have that extra sensitivity to sounds which allows them better to analyze wiretaps
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New bomb detector spray
Israeli chemist develops spray that can detect urea nitrate, a powerful explosive that can be created by amateurs; urea nitrate is commonly used by suicide bombers, and was also used in the first attempt on the World Trade Center in 1993
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Battery-powered textile allows for glowing garments
University of Manchester researchers develop yarns which glow in the dark; this is good news for cyclists, joggers, and pedestrians on dark winter days — but also for first responders and police having to operate in buildings or city streets darkened as a result of power outage
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New baggage screening tool
U.K. researchers to combine scattered X-ray signals with high-resolution 3D X-ray images to give baggage screeners previously unseen information regarding luggage size, shape, and chemical composition of the contents contained in the luggage
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TSA tests Auto-EDS at BWI
Last week TSA sent randomly selected passengers at BWI to be screened by a new screening device from a Massachusetts company; the devices use computed axial tomography (CAT), similar to medical scanners
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ICx delivers underwater radiation detection devices
The Coast Guard is bolstering its ability to detect underwater smuggling of nuclear materials into the U.S.; one way to do so is to equip the service with ICx’s identiFINDER-U
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Tartans' “Boss” enters Urban Challenge qualifying rounds
DARPA’s Urban Challenge competition heats up, and “Boss,” Carnegie Mellon University’s Tartan racing team’s modified Chevrolet Tahoe enters the qualifying rounds
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Air Force completes overhaul of global weather sensing system
USAF upgrades, improves global weather monitoring system, allowing “weather conditions almost anywhere to be factored into large-scale operations”
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Chertoff highlights DHS's approach to counter IEDs
IEDs are the signature weapon of the insurgency in Iraq, but they will soon find their way here; DHS secretary discusses the key points at which the IED threat may be countered; technology companies, investors should listen
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Researchers find three never-before-observed isotopes
Michigan State researchers find three never-before-observed isotopes of silicon, aluminum, and magnesium; discovery will allow design engineers to more accurately tailor future materials to applications’ needs
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The long view
How AI Bots Spread Misinformation Online and Undermine Democratic Politics
As we navigate this era of digital discourse, awareness of blind spots in our social psychology is our best defense. Understanding how cues or triggers affect us can reduce their influence over time. The more aware we are of bots and how they work, the more able we are to protect ourselves from misleading rhetoric, ensuring our democratic processes remain robust and inclusive.
Data Privacy After Dobbs: Is Period Tracking Safe?
Many people think all health care information is protected under the federal privacy law, known as HIPAA. But menstrual cycle tracking apps, along with other health care technologies, like texting platforms that patients can use with doctors, are not. There haven’t been any cases where a menstrual tracking app’s data has been subpoenaed yet, but that’s probably due to the slow speed of which cases proceed through the court system.
States Strike Out on Their Own on AI, Privacy Regulation
There’s been no shortage of AI tech regulation bills in Congress, but none has passed. In the absence of congressional action, states have stepped up their own regulatory action. States have been legislating about AI since at least 2019, but bills relating to AI have increased significantly in the last two years.
Not Just Beijing’s Doing: Market Factors Are Also Hitting Rare Earths Prices
Have depressed rare earths prices been engineered by the Chinese state to snuff out non-Chinese rivals before they get going? Or do they simply reflect a weak market, with demand rising more slowly than was expected by the promotors of a slew of new projects?
The Case for Climate-Resilient Infrastructure
Climate change is making weather harder to predict, and creating new risks in places that never faced them before. And as hurricanes, floods, extreme heat and wildfires intensify, most infrastructure will need to be retrofitted or designed and built anew for future climate resilience.
Quantifying Global Earthquake Risk to Mineral Supplies
Earthquakes could impact the supplies of mineral commodities like copper and rhenium around the world. A new scientific mechanism for assessing the potential risk to worldwide mineral commodity supplies from seismic activity has been developed by USGS scientists.