RFID Hack

This is one of the technologies that I have hated the most being implemented across the country.



Related link: RFID card-hacking on BBtv

Technorati Tags: RFID, Hack, Conspirousy, Big Brother

QR-Code of Site

The interesting thing about QR-Codes is that if you have a Cell phone with a camera you can grab these codes off of any product or ad and with the help of a program read these. For either a website (such as this one) or any other form of short text. It really is an interesting form of Technology.

Technorati Tags: Technology, QR-Code

Mechanical Fingers

This is very cool!!

Mechanical Fingers Give Strength, Speed to Amputees

If the X-Finger looks like a prop from The Terminator, relax. It isn't out to kill you, and it isn't robotic. In fact, it's a mechanical prosthetic finger so effective it provides articulation as fast and flexible as the real thing.

10 Emerging Technologies

Special Reports: 10 Emerging Technologies

Epigenetics, Cognitive Radio, Nuclear Reprogramming, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Universal Authentication, Nanobiomechanics, Pervasive Wireless, Stretchable Silicon, Comparative Interactomics, Nanomedicine.

Technorati Tags: Tech, Technology, Nano-Tech, Imaging, Medical Tech

Solar-Powered Curtain

Photo Credit: Inhabitat

Here is a novel idea. You live in an apartment but want to cut back on your energy bills and you've already added energy efficient lighting and appliances. Now if you have Southern exposure in one of your rooms you could add a Solar-powered Curtain (PDF file). Design Gőtenborg which explores new technologies has come up with this interesting concept.

Related
Design Gőtenborg
Interactive Institute
Solar-powered Energy Curtain illuminates at night
RE:FORM ENERGY CURTAIN

What was the most Powerful Hurrican, Cyclon or Typoon ever recorded?

Photo Credit: Wikipedia: Hurricane Rita
in the Gulf of Mexico on September 21,
2005.

As Rita comes ashore we keep hearing that it is the third most powerful Atlantic Hurricane recorded. I got to thinking. What was the most Powerful Hurricane, Cyclone or Typhoon ever recorded?

I mean looking at Wikipedia they list the Labor Day storm of 1935 as having the lowest barometric pressure at landfall on N. America at 892 mbar (hPa). Katrina had 918 mbar (hPa) at landfall and God only knows what Rita will be as it comes ashore.

But my question is, what is the most powerful storm? And after some research I found Super Typhoon Tip in 1979. This was a truly Huge storm with tropical force winds extending out 675 miles. It had sustained winds of 190 mph and central pressure at 870 mbar (hPa), the lowest barometric pressure ever recorded in a tropical cyclone.

To give an illustration of its size Wikipedia gave this:

...if a similar-sized hurricane hit south Florida directly, tropical storm force winds would be felt as far north as Charlotte, North Carolina and as far south as Merida, Mexico and Kingston, Jamaica

Luckily it weakened by the time it made landfall in Japan, but nonetheless caused significant damage. Tip cost the agricultural and fishing industries of Japan millions of dollars in damage. There were 68 deaths from Tip. Hopefully Rita will weaken some more before it makes landfall also.

Carjacking in Malaysia

While I don't know if this is a true story, I do think that it is possible. Something to think about, when your buying that high end car in a third world country .

His finger for his car
By Leslie Andres, The New Straits Times Malaysia

There is a team of carjackers on the prowl in Subang Jaya and what they did to accountant K. Kumaran on Monday shows how ruthless they can be. They chopped off part of his left index finger when they realised that his S-Class Mercedes Benz had a security feature which would immobilise the car without his fingerprint....
More on this Story
BBC story

Passport Chip Criticism

It looks as if more people are raising concerns about the US government's intent to place RFID chips in Passports issued later this year. Wired's article talks once again on the dangers of such a system to the public, and the governments down playing of the problems.

Wired: Passport Chip Criticism Grows

Supreme Court Battle over P2P

On Tuesday March 29th a case, that I plan on following, starts in the Supreme Court dealing with the possible future of P2P networks. The real questions seems to be whether the court will reverse it's Betamax decision that created the home video market over the objection of the movie and record industries. At the time they argued pretty much the same thing as now, that these new technologies threaten them with illegal piracy. Like then and at every other point that these industries have faced new challenges, they have jumped to the wrong conclusions. Instead of adapting they are trying to kill it and dragged their feet in adoption, but even if they do win, they loses. By not adapting to what their customers want, and giving them poor substitutes. They are forcing their potential customers to illegal means. The industry has been living in a bubble, thinking that they can force people to their point of view. But this case could once again change what is constituted as "Fair Use".


Article in the Economist

RFID No More

Engadget is reporting on 2 products that will detect and/or disable RFID's.

California proposes ban on RFID

Following up on a posts I made in mid-February (See: Big Brother is Here, Follow-up on Big Brother, & Tin Foil Hat Society) Future Tense has a story on California legislator proposes ban on RFID in government-issued IDs, apparently in response to the up roar in that Northern California School district, legislators are trying to ban them.

For more information on what RFID's are. Check out:

RFID from Wikipedia

SpyChips

Tin Foil Hat Society

As have been reported in other blogs. The government is testing a new system of Passports. This E-Passport will allow them to scan you passport and get your vital information from it at a distance through RFID's. Claiming that this will help streamline traveling through Customs. As the blog I mentioned above discussed, there are some problems with what the Europeans are employing in their system. Like basic protections such as encryption and the ability to turn on and off the electronic information to make it more secure. All of which would potentially make them incompatible with the proposed American system.

And now Wired is also running an article in which they voice concern that this information in the American version will have no electronic security of the information encoded on these passports. Making Identity theft potentially very easy.

Well if they do implement this system, without what I feel is basic protections such as thin wires woven into the cover, as I have heard that the European system does to prevent remote access of the info. I'm going to add tin foil to the inside of my passport cover.

Follow-up on Big Brother

County Pulls Out of Deal to Track Students

Guard Balls!

I saw these and thought of the TV show "The Prisoner" staring Patrick McGoohan. With their menacing bouncing bubble sentries.

Rotundus: Big Black Rolling Ball


Robotus have repurposed their would-be Mars bot into a potential high tech guard dog called something like 'Big Black Rolling Ball'

Big Brother is Here Update

Wired is also reporting on this school district: School RFID Plan Gets an F

Big Brother is Here.

Slashdot is reporting that: Students and Bodies Tracked Via RFID Tags

"The Brittan School District in Sutter County, California, is requiring students to carry RFID-tagged identity badges on them at all times. Readers are currently installed at the doors to all classrooms. Readers were removed from bathrooms when parents protested. The school district is meeting next week to consider parents objections to the system."

Radio to the MP3 degree: Podcasting

USAToday: Radio to the MP3 degree: Podcasting