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3,000 life-saving radios go unused in Chicago
Motorola supplies city with sophisticated emergency radios, but aging radio towers can not take heavy digital equipment, so emergency communication upgrades must wait
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Analyzing intentions and behavior from afar
Security firms working on devices to spot would-be terrorists in crowd; emphasis on analyzing behavior and physiology from afar
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DHS increases size of Nanomix grant
In January DHS awarded a grant to a specialist in nanoelectronic detection; the department liked the company’s progress, and increased the amount of the grant
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Bush administration upholds phone ban in Qualcomm patent dispute
Bush administration upholds import ban on phones which contain Qualcomm chips; DHS review finds no justification to oppose the ban on public safety grounds
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Proxy demonstrates cooperative UAV performance
Maryland UAV specialist, USAF offers the first successful demonstration of multiple UAVs performing fully autonomous cooperative flight
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Metamaterials make levitation thinkable
Purdue University researchers have created a metmaterial that bends infrared light with a wavelength of 813 nm; such metameterials make two things possible: Invisibility cloak and quantum levitation
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Armed robots deployed to Iraq
Three armed robots — called SWORDS — have been deployed to Iraq; Army hopes that safety and control improvements will make the robots an effective urban fighting tool
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Researcher offers new method for analyzing pictures, videos
New error-level analytical techniques allows for detecting authenticity of pictures and videos — for example, those released by al Qaeda; retouched and added images may indicate coded messages to operatives
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New source of energy: People-powered "crowd farms"
These boots are made for walking: Two MIT students propose harvesting the energy of human movement in urban settings
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Versar awarded ISO 9000 certification for its protective suits
The market for personal protective gear is growing, and Versar receives important certification for its PPE products
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Hyderabad University issues certificates with digital chip
Seeking better jobs, thousands of Indians turn to forged school graduation certificate and college degrees; one university makes its certificate tamper-proof
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New fingerprinting technique reveals more
New method offers law enforcement information about the suspect’s gender, dietary habits, and substances he or she were in touch with recently
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Terrorists use online reality games to rehearse attacks
As terrorists find it more difficult to train in camps which can be monitored and attacked, they turn to online games to practice money laundering, identity theft, and attacks
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Senate passes $40.6 billion DHS budget
Ignoring White House veto threat, Senate adds $5.2 billion to DHS budget; House already passed $36.3 billion DHS appropriation
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U.K. unveils broad counterterrorism measures
Prime Minister Gordon Brown unvelis broad counter-terrorism measures, including unified border police, electronic exit controls at U.K. borders, biometric visas, better critical infrastructure protection, and more
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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.