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Smarter Security Systems launches new outdoor DVR line
Temperature-hardened and weatherproof SmarterDVRs are designed for remote, outdoor use in such rugged locales as oil fields — and even underwater; system sports motion-based recording and internet connectivity; lower power consumption a critical feature
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SmartTECH to market Akoura's DataSecure software in India
DataSecure’s clever “obfuscation technology” disguises senstive data as commonplace files; unauthorized users are welcomed into the system, but once there they find nothig of value; “cryptographic data store” hides secure information from the operating system so normal and embedded files look the same on the Properties menu
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SPRUCE system permits emergency supercomputing
Scientists need access to TeraGrid computers in order to predict dangerous weather patterns; once notified by an emergency call, computers and servers linked into the SPRUCE system preempt less-critical work
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Zareba reports devastating first quarter numbers
With net income down 94 percent, the electrical fence company goes through growing pains as it attempts to shift from controlling livestock to controlling prisons and oil refineries
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Buffalo researchers use nano-sensors to locate power outages
Technology will save utilities from block to block searches for downed wires; nanosensors monitor any electrical system that runs on 120 volts — including refrigerators, freezers, home theatre systems, and even home medical systems
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Louisville offers critical infrastructure course
Three-day course is targeted toward security architects, security system designers, project managers and security directors, but does not grant credit toward a degree
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Investigative Services Agencies may buy Intrepid Defense & Security Systems
Negotiations are underway, as ISA tries to expand beyond corporate investigation and risk management into the homeland security market; Intrepid’s LifeVision3D —capable of providing 3D images of autombile undercarriages as easily as it can IEDs — would help ISA leap ahead
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Communication security specialist KoolSpan raises $6.5 million
it is a good time to be in the communication security business, and Security Growth Partners and New York Angels give the company with innovative technology a boost
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DHS inspector general 2007 agenda to focus on IT procurement
Four audits of laptop security, include one for OIG itself, are planned; SBInet to receive particular scrutiny; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ IT modernization, and the Coast Guard’s enterprise architecture implementation among other programs scheduled for review
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Universal Detection Technology offers HAZMAT planning DVD
Known for its BSM-2000 spore detection system, UDT adds to its library of emergency planning resources
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Cisco survey finds federal executives confident of security efforts
Decision-makers spending more time with manadated security requirements than in recent years; half believe software automation tools will be dominant in the near future; the possibility of reduced operations and security delivery due to security breaches are main areas of concerns
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epcSolutions solves the tailgating problem
Company’s Tetragate software combines video, iris scans, and RFID to prevent unauthorized entry by piggybackers; system counts the number of people near an entry point before and after card authorization; “any asset, one network” approach allows objects to be tagged to a person, thereby preventing theft
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Navy scientists use minute manufacturing differences to detect counterfeit IDs
Approach relies in variation among transistors and wires that make up compuuter chips; two may work in the same way, but differences in threshold voltages make all the difference in detecting a fake
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The long view
Training Students to Succeed in the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”
Transformational changes are already underway in the manufacturing industry as technological advancements, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and smart devices from the “fourth industrial revolution” or Industry 4.0., inspire a digital-first approach to engineering. University of Missouri researchers are using a $1 million grant to support the development of an Industry 4.0 lab, training engineering students for the future of digitization in manufacturing.
Tech Breakthrough Could Increase States’ Use of Geothermal Power
Lawmakers in some states have been laying the groundwork to add geothermal power to the electrical grid and pump underground heat into buildings. Now, a technological breakthrough could dramatically expand those ambitions — and perhaps unleash a new wave of policies to tap into geothermal sources. If the technology’s promise is fulfilled, geothermal could power as much as 20% of the U.S. grid.
State Pension Fund is Helping a Middle Eastern Firm Export Arizona’s Precious Groundwater
As rural Arizonans face the prospect of wells running dry, foreign firms are sucking up vast amounts of the state’s groundwater to grow hay for Saudi Arabia and other wealthy nations. The state’s retirement system invested heavily in a private land deal that allowed a foreign company to effectively ship Arizona’s scarce water supply overseas.
Climate Change and U.S. Property Insurance: A Stormy Mix
Accelerating risks and damage from climate change are spurring private insurers in the United States to limit coverage in a growing number of areas, thus imposing mounting stress on local communities and straining the country’s overall economic health.
Wastewater Can Help Tackle Water Shortages
Europe has experienced severe heat and drought over the last few summers, and 2023 has been no different. Vast swathes of Central and Southern Europe are simply too dry from a lack of rainfall. Water shortages are causing tensions in some countries. But, for now, there’s enough water to go around. Using the precious resource more efficiently is key.
Sediment Movement During Hurricane Harvey Could Negatively Impact Future Flooding
Enormous amounts of sediment, or sand and mud, flowed through Houston waterways during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, due in part to modifications made by humans to bayous, rivers and streams over the past century. Harvey was the largest rainfall event in U.S. history, and it moved 27 million cubic meters of sediment, or 16 Astrodomes, through Houston waterways and reservoirs. This could seriously impact future flooding events and be costly to the City of Houston.