The Rise of Digital Authoritarianism and the Challenge to Democracy
Posted by: thepinetree on 11/02/2018 11:43 AM
Washington, DC...Governments around the world are tightening control over citizens’ data and using claims of “fake news” to suppress dissent, eroding trust in the internet as well as the foundations of democracy, according to Freedom on the Net 2018: The Rise of Digital Authoritarianism, the latest edition of the annual country-by-country assessment of online freedom, released today by Freedom House. Online propaganda and disinformation have increasingly poisoned the digital sphere, while the unbridled collection of personal data is breaking down traditional notions of privacy. At the same time, China has become more brazen and adept at controlling the internet at home and exporting its techniques to other countries.
Arnold, CA...Even the most reliable of tech companies can have a down day. YouTube was experiencing widespread outages. At first we thought it was just something we were doing but upon checking from different web connections and seeing other news outlets reflecting the outage the problem is widespread. Below is a mashup of our screen when trying to embed a video from the White House's YouTube Channel.
Cupertino, CA...Apple today announced iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max, the most advanced iPhones ever, taking the vision for the future of the smartphone to a new level. The 5.8-inch iPhone Xs and 6.5-inch iPhone Xs Max feature stunning Super Retina displays, a faster and improved dual camera system that offers breakthrough photo and video features, the first 7-nanometer chip in a smartphone — the A12 Bionic chip with next-generation Neural Engine — faster Face ID, wider stereo sound, a beautiful new gold finish and introduce Dual SIM to iPhone. iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max will be available for pre-order beginning Friday, September 14 and in stores beginning Friday, September 21.
The New Apple Watch Series 4, Larger Display, Faster Hardware & FDA Approved Heart Functions
Posted by: thepinetree on 09/12/2018 09:41 PM
Cupertino, CA....Apple today introduced Apple Watch Series 4, redesigned and re-engineered to help users stay connected, be more active and manage their health in powerful new ways. While retaining the original iconic design, the fourth-generation Apple Watch has been refined, combining new hardware and software enhancements into a genuinely singular, unified form. The stunning display is over 30 percent larger and seamlessly integrates into the thinner, smaller case, while the new interface provides more information with richer detail. Apple Watch Series 4 with watchOS 5 brings advanced activity and communications features, along with revolutionary health capabilities, including a new accelerometer and gyroscope, which are able to detect hard falls, and an electrical heart rate sensor that can take an electrocardiogram (ECG) using the new ECG app,1 which has been granted a De Novo classification by the FDA.
EU fines Google €4.34 billion in Mobile Search Antitrust Action
Posted by: thepinetree on 07/18/2018 07:59 AM
Brussels, Belgium....The European Commission has fined Google €4.34 billion for breaching EU antitrust rules. Since 2011, Google has imposed illegal restrictions on Android device manufacturers and mobile network operators to cement its dominant position in general internet search. Google must now bring the conduct effectively to an end within 90 days or face penalty payments of up to 5% of the average daily worldwide turnover of Alphabet, Google's parent company.
Rolls-Royce Demonstrates Future of Engine Maintenance with Tiny Robots that Crawl Inside Engines
Posted by: thepinetree on 07/17/2018 05:46 PM
London, UK...Rolls-Royce today demonstrated an exciting vision of how robotics could be used to revolutionise the future of engine maintenance. Bringing another element of its IntelligentEngine vision to life, Rolls-Royce teamed up with academics from the University of Nottingham and Harvard University to discuss and demonstrate a wide range of potential future technologies at the Farnborough Airshow, from ‘snake’ robots that work their way through the engine like an endoscope, to miniature, collaborative ‘swarm’ robots that crawl through the insides of an engine.
Magnetic 3-D-Printed Structures Crawl, Roll, Jump, and Play Catch, Technique Could be used for Remotely Controlled Biomedical Devices.
Posted by: thepinetree on 06/14/2018 08:44 AM
Cambridge, MA...MIT engineers have created soft, 3-D-printed structures whose movements can be controlled with a wave of a magnet, much like marionettes without the strings. The menagerie of structures that can be magnetically manipulated includes a smooth ring that wrinkles up, a long tube that squeezes shut, a sheet that folds itself, and a spider-like “grabber” that can crawl, roll, jump, and snap together fast enough to catch a passing ball. It can even be directed to wrap itself around a small pill and carry it across a table.
From left to right: Yoonho Kim, Xuanhe Zhao, Hyunwoo Yuk Photo: Melanie Gonick/MIT
MIT Engineers Configure RFID tags to Work as Sensors
Posted by: thepinetree on 06/14/2018 08:31 AM
Cambridge, MA...These days, many retailers and manufacturers are tracking their products using RFID, or radio-frequency identification tags. Often, these tags come in the form of paper-based labels outfitted with a simple antenna and memory chip. When slapped on a milk carton or jacket collar, RFID tags act as smart signatures, transmitting information to a radio-frequency reader about the identity, state, or location of a given product. In addition to keeping tabs on products throughout a supply chain, RFID tags are used to trace everything from casino chips and cattle to amusement park visitors and marathon runners.
