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GM, Carnegie Mellon collaborate on autonomous driving
General Motors and Carnegie Mellon University have collaborated on an autonomous vehicle which was entered in DARPA 2007 Urban Challenge competition; the now commit to expanding their collaboration with the aim of accelerating the emerging field of autonomous driving
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Delta's passengers can pay for faster security check
Delta will offer its passengers the option of paying $128 a year for speedier security lines; Delta has hired Verified Identity Pass to enroll passengers in Registered Traveler and operate the lines
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Plane wings made of glass
Researchers learn more about the atomic structure of glass, offering the possibility of constructing plane wings — and other things — with glass rather than metal, thus avoiding the danger of metal fatigue
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Air passnegers now must show an ID to be allowed on board
Until this past weekend, a passenger who agreed to secondary search of his or her body and baggage at airport check-points was allowed to board even if they did not have — or refused to show — an ID; this policy was changed on Saturday
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Cargo security front and center at coming IATA meeting
The air cargo industry has a compelling business motive to protect its longevity by ensuring it is a fast, reliable, secure means of moving freight globally, and a moral duty to safeguard human life
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China in campaign to impriove coastal water, inland waterways security
China has a long coast and many rivers and canals; there are about 200,000 boats and ship plowing these waters, the the Chinese authorities want them to be able to communicate more effectively with security and law enforcement; U.K. company helps
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TSA launches news airport airside and perimeter security
Billions of dollars have been invested in — and strict regulations promulgated for — passenger and baggage screening to prevent explosives from being taken on board; very little money has been invested in and no specific mandates imposed regarding airport perimeter security; TSA is changing this — and also takes the next essential step: coordination among the different money bodies involved in airport perimeter security
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DHS experiments with testing planes for radioactive cargo
In an effort to prevent terrorists from bringing radioactive materials into the United States on planes, DHS engages in 4-month, $4 million test to see whether the government’s radiation-detection equipment can pick up depleted uranium and other radioactive material hidden aboard passenger planes
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OMG helps UAVs see as human pilots do
Northrop Grumman tests Oxford Metrics Group’s software which make UAVs “see” things the way a human pilot would
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French security firm in anti-piracy protection contract
The lawless waters off the coast of lawless Somalia have offered pirates lucrative targets; the nominal Somali government contracts a French security firm to introduce some order and security in the country’s territorial water
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Problem for New Zealand aviation: Laser attacks
Kiwi aviation authorities are worried about a plague of laser attacks on planes coming in for landing at the country’s airports — especially the very busy Wellington facility; laser emiiters are more powerful now and more readily available, and bathing the cockpit with green laser beam my temporarily blind pilots as they approach the airport
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U.K. governmet report reveals incidents of toxic fumes on planes
Pilots had to wear emergency oxygen masks in flight due to toxic fumes; last year 116 “contaminated air events” reported to the Civil Aviation Authority
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Scientists scan boats for radiation
Scientists from several national labs collect radiation data in Puget Sound with help form nationwide program
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U.S. remains the dominant leader in science and technology worldwide
Perceptions to the contrary notwithstanding, the United States remains the world’s undisputed leader in science and technology; the key factor enabling U.S. science and engineering workforce to grow: inflow of foreign students, scientists, and engineers
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Smiths Detection in $25 million TSA contract
The Transportation Security Administration awards Smiths Detection a $25 million follow-on contract for the company’s Advanced Threat Identification X-Ray (aTiX) systems
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The long view
Calls Grow for U.S. to Counter Chinese Control, Influence in Western Ports
Experts say Washington should consider buying back some ports, offer incentives to allies to decouple from China.