Infrastructure protection

Bioscrypt snatches up A4Vision in stock swap
Deal brings together Bioscrypt’s strength in fingerprint algorithims with A4Visions’s 3D facial recognition technology; company will now offer off-the-shelf finished readers for both finger and 3D face biometrics; investors add another $8 million to the venture
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Ball Aerospace proposes asteroid-busting robots
The collective action problem aside, saving the planet may be more important than saving the homeland; basketball-sized drones would swarm the asteroid, with some exploding while others listen to vibrations; Ball looks for funding and promises a three year delivery date
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British researchers marry lip-reading to video analytics
Government hopes that software will enable them to solve crimes based on conversations gleaned from CCTV; tracking the head and lip remain a challenge, but progress is being made; Asian and African languages present difficulties
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EU seeks feedback on communications infrastructure security
Officials see risk in growing interdependancy from terrorists and other criminals; natural disasters also in play; EU commission lists ten policy objectives and invites stakeholders to email their responses
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NYC to allow citizens to upload photos during 911 and 311 calls
Breakthrough concept relies on established technology to help diffuse information; photos of suspicious individuals can be quickly uploaded to dispatch authorities; citizens protect infrastructure by keeping their eyes (and apertures) open
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TSA to slash half the names from terror watch lists
Confusion between singer Cat Stevens and the wife of senator Ted Stevens emblematic of the problem; ongoing problems cause a loss of confidence in DHS procedures; new Secure Flight program may also help; complaints and corrections about DHS databases will now be centralized
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HSC installs video surviellance at major U.S. dam
The protection of critical infrastructure assets offers businesses major opportunities, and a Nashville-based company is eager to take advantage of these opportunities
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Cernium's video analytics to protect San Diego light rail
Developer of the Perceptrak system teams up with Electro Specialty; rail seen a major challenge for security planners; company is also expert in protecting airports
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EU prepares a massive critical infrastructure campaign
All twenty-seven capitals will cooperate in listing Europe’s most valuable sites; energy and communications seen as vital, considering the continent’s growing interdependance; industry will lend a hand, but rules in place ensure that they implement best practices regardless
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U.K. to spend £1.7 million on urban flooding projects
Urban flooding caused by limited drainage system and ancient infrastructure; overlapping and conflicting government authorities make the problem difficult to solve; global warming has British government anxious
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U. Washington robot to help survey damaged underground cables
Drone is able to traverse cables within pipes and tunnels; neoprene wheels and a gyroscope help it navigate while three onboard sensors look for signs of wear and tear
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ICRC delivers first responder vehicles to Michigan National Guard
Heavy-duty truck is first to incorporate IRCS’s national guard vehicle information system for interoperability and networking; flexible communications, NBS detection, and nighttime surveillance among the features of this interesting vehicle
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New Jersey to build railway fence along "Chemical Alley"
A 2.6 mile stretch of the New Jersey Turnpike has security planners worried; ten-foot-high fence will obtruct view of the track from both drivers and would-be terrorists; motion sensors and CCTV to be deployed as well; contract award is imminent
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Magal subsidiary signs a $1.3 million contract with Scottish hospital
Senstar-Stellar to provide FLARE Emergency Locating System to the State Hospital Facility in Scotland; system uses RF technology to locate both indoor and outdoor events
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DHS announces 2007 grant levels for Infrastructure Protection Program
Transit Security Grant Program, the Port Security Grant Program, the Intercity Bus Security Grant Program, the Trucking Security Program, and the Buffer Zone Protection Program see mostly gains
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