Orion Talk Radio News Feed

Facebook shares are overvalued, say financial analysts

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:27:06 -0400

Facebook shares are overvalued, say financial analysts: Want a piece of Facebook? The social...

List Of Representatives Who Voted For CISPA

Mon, 07 May 2012 21:38:34 -0400

List Of Representatives Who Voted For CISPA: (Thomas Dishaw) Hold them accountable. Here is the...

Palomar Mountain: plague-infected ground squirrel found

Sun, 06 May 2012 20:00:08 -0400

Palomar Mountain: plague-infected ground squirrel found: May 6, 2012 – CALIFORNIA – A ground...

Al Qaeda thought its Internet commenters were making it look bad.

Thu, 03 May 2012 21:37:12 -0400

Al Qaeda thought its Internet commenters were making it look bad.: Al Qaeda Gripes About Its...

Life-Size 3-D Hologram-Like Telepods May Revolutionize Videoconferencing In The Future | Before It's News

Thu, 03 May 2012 21:27:22 -0400

Life-Size 3-D Hologram-Like Telepods May Revolutionize Videoconferencing In The Future | Before It's...

futurejournalismproject: More Journalists Murdered In...

Thu, 03 May 2012 21:24:45 -0400

futurejournalismproject:

More Journalists Murdered In Mexico

Via the Los Angeles Times:

MEXICO CITY — Two missing news photographers were found dead Thursday in southeastern Mexico, officials said, marking a grim week for journalists in the violence-plagued state of Veracruz after the weekend killing of a Mexican magazine correspondent.

The photographers, identified as Gabriel Huge and Guillermo Luna, were found dismembered and bearing signs of torture in a housing complex in Boca del Rio, a suburb of the port city of Veracruz.

Two other bodies found in the same place have not been identified, state spokeswoman Sandra Garcia said. But some Mexican news reports said one of the other victims was a journalist who worked for a newspaper called Diario AZ…

…The deaths come less than a week after correspondent Regina Martinez was found strangled and beaten to death in Xalapa, the state capital, where she lived and covered organized crime and corruption for the Proceso newsweekly magazine.

Poor Richard's News: San Diego student, forgotten in jail cell, drinks his own urine to survive

Thu, 03 May 2012 09:11:51 -0400

Poor Richard's News: San Diego student, forgotten in jail cell, drinks his own urine to survive:...

Robot sensing and smartphones help blind navigate University in...

Wed, 02 May 2012 12:29:23 -0400

Robot sensing and smartphones help blind navigate

University in Paris engineers have developed a 3D navigation system for the blind using a pair of glasses equipped with cameras and sensors like those used in robot exploration.

It produces a 3D map of the wearer’s environment and their position within it that is constantly updated and displayed in a simplified form on a handheld electronic Braille device.

Two cameras on either side of the glasses generate a 3D image of the scene. A processor analyzes the image, picking out the edges of walls or objects, which it uses to create a 3D map.

futurescope:

Robot sensing and smartphones help blind navigate

University in Paris engineers have developed a 3D navigation system for the blind using a pair of glasses equipped with cameras and sensors like those used in robot exploration.

It produces a 3D map of the wearer’s environment and their position within it that is constantly updated and displayed in a simplified form on a handheld electronic Braille device.

Two cameras on either side of the glasses generate a 3D image of the scene. A processor analyzes the image, picking out the edges of walls or objects, which it uses to create a 3D map.

[read more]

The rise of the botnet threat. Down the Sinkhole: Inside the...

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:51:55 -0400

The rise of the botnet threat.

Down the Sinkhole: Inside the Kelihos.B takedown

When Russian antivirus company Dr.Web discovered a botnet running on over 600,000 Mac OS X computers, it sparked attention even among those not normally interested in computer security.

futurist-foresight:

The rise of the botnet threat.

thisistheverge:

Down the Sinkhole: Inside the Kelihos.B takedown

When Russian antivirus company Dr.Web discovered a botnet running on over 600,000 Mac OS X computers, it sparked attention even among those not normally interested in computer security. The scope of the infection, along with criticism of Apple’s response, offered another example of a persistent problem. Because they’re profitable, relatively easy to create, and only intermittently targeted by law enforcement, botnets have increased in size and sophistication. That demands constant vigilance from researchers, who are always looking to disrupt and shutdown emerging threats.

Fukushima: Find the corium?

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:12:26 -0400

Fukushima: Find the corium?: By Christina Consolo Contributing writer for End the Lie and host...

Microsoft Research wants to automate your house, introduces...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:09:33 -0400

Microsoft Research wants to automate your house, introduces HomeOS — Engadget

Ever wondered if you could control your house’s climate, security, and appliances — along with your PCs and peripherals — using Microsoft software? That day may soon dawn, as its Research arm has started testing its home automation software

smarterplanet:

Microsoft Research wants to automate your house, introduces HomeOS — Engadget

Ever wondered if you could control your house’s climate, security, and appliances — along with your PCs and peripherals — using Microsoft software? That day may soon dawn, as its Research arm has started testing its home automation software, called HomeOS, in twelve domiciles over the past few months. The budding system views smartphones, printers and air conditioners as network peripherals, controlled by a dedicated gateway computer. The project even has a handful of apps in play, which perform functions like energy monitoring, remote surveillance and face-recognition. This growing list of applications, available through a portal called “HomeStore”, will allow users to easily expand their system’s capabilities. So how does it all work out in the real world? Head past the break, and let Redmond’s research team give you the skinny.

Who Has the Right to Fly a Drone Above Your Head? While the...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:08:16 -0400

Who Has the Right to Fly a Drone Above Your Head?

While the government’s use of drones in other countries has drawn scrutiny, there are plenty of drones flying in American skies on behalf of the military, law enforcement, universities, and local governments.

theatlantic:

Who Has the Right to Fly a Drone Above Your Head?

While the government’s use of drones in other countries has drawn scrutiny, there are plenty of drones flying in American skies on behalf of the military, law enforcement, universities, and local governments.

Just how many drones are zipping around is not clear, but thanks to the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Freedom of Information Act request with the Department of Transportation, at least we now know which government agencies can fly drones. There are 58 institutions in total, including both active and expired “certificates of authorization” from the Federal Aviation Administration. They range from DARPA to the city of Herrington, Kansas to the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. The individual list is interesting, but we thought the aggregated pie chart above made it easier to take in the data at a glance.

Perhaps most interesting is how many universities have applied for permits. Some may be working with military grant money. There are relatively few law enforcement agencies using drones, maybe because of the expense involved. Only 11 local law enforcement districts have tried out the technology: Arlington PD, Gadsden PD, Georgia Tech PD, Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, Miami-Dade PD, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Ogden Sheriff’s Office, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and the Seattle PD.

Keep in mind, as the EFF points out, the number of certificates are not equal to the number of drones. So the military may have many, many drones flying while a city government might just have one.

Read more.

youseewhy: One year after bin Laden’s death, how done is...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:33:28 -0400

AFP/Yahoo News

AP/Yahoo News

The Economic Times

USA Today

MCT/Canberra Times

PakTribune

Daily Bhaskar

youseewhy:

One year after bin Laden’s death, how done is al-Qaeda? Depends on who you read.
So, when looking up stories on the upcoming one-year anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death, we noticed a bizarre trend: None of the stories seemed to agree with one another.
shortformblog:

One year after bin Laden’s death, how done is al-Qaeda? Depends on who you read.

So, when looking up stories on the upcoming one-year anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death, we noticed a bizarre trend: None of the stories seemed to agree with one another. Some seemed to suggest al-Qaeda was basically gone. Others suggested that they were still planning major terror attacks. Seeing this, we got an idea: What if we scored the stories based on the done-ness of al-Qaeda, from 1 to 10? Because one wire service’s “in ruins” is another national newspaper’s “far from defeated.” Check the results above, and take one major point from this: Not every story has an agreed-upon answer.

They all contradict each other because al Qaeda as we know it does not even exist. It was created by Western intelligence and has been directed by that same community since it was created.

Now they are just shifting their focus to the “homeland” in order to further bring in the police state.

Here’s a great article on it:

U.S. officials continue to shift focus from al Qaeda to ‘home-grown extremists’

More at EndtheLie.com - http://EndtheLie.com/2012/04/29/u-s-officials-continue-to-shift-focus-from-al-qaeda-to-home-grown-extremists/#ixzz1tUFIio7V

Universal Real-Time Translator AT&T is bringing the...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:30:59 -0400

Universal Real-Time Translator

AT&T is bringing the universal translator to an app store near you. Well, Granted, it isn’t quite universal yet. For now, the AT&T Translator is capable of seven languages. So far the app supports English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish. It seems reasonable to assume that if the app catches on that more languages will eventually be added.

smarterplanet:

Universal Real-Time Translator

AT&T is bringing the universal translator to an app store near you. Well, Granted, it isn’t quite universal yet. For now, the AT&T Translator is capable of seven languages. So far the app supports English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish. It seems reasonable to assume that if the app catches on that more languages will eventually be added.

via futurescope:

The app was developed at AT&T Research Labs, using both AT&T Watson and AT&T Natural Voices speech technologies. Usage is simple. Speak a phrase into your device and the Translator converts what you’ve said into the language of your choice before broadcasting it to listeners. […]

Video:

[via] [AT&T Labs]

Bionic eyes to be tested next year Our quest to create the six...

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 20:42:41 -0400

Bionic eyes to be tested next year

Our quest to create the six million dollar man will be one step closer to complete when bionic eyes begin being tested next year. Which is exactly what Bionic Vision Australia plans to do.

futurescope:

Bionic eyes to be tested next year

Our quest to create the six million dollar man will be one step closer to complete when bionic eyes begin being tested next year. Which is exactly what Bionic Vision Australia plans to do.

Using 98 separate electrodes, the implanted chip will help those with genetic eye conditions see large objects, such as buildings and elephants, if you happen to live amongst elephants.

It will be a camera built into a pair of glasses and wired to an external processing device. That information is then sent to the aforementioned implant and finally it reaches the vision processing center of the brain.

The company doesn’t plan to stop there: a “high-acuity device” that would help those same folks recognize smaller things like facial features.

[via] [more] [Bionic Vision Australia]

The Fiction to Reality TimelineCtrl-+ and Ctrl— to zoom in...

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 19:16:09 -0400

The Fiction to Reality Timeline

Ctrl-+ and Ctrl— to zoom in and out

futuristgerd:

(via The Fiction to Reality Timeline)

Tissue Engineering by self-assembly Cytograft has developed...

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 19:13:28 -0400

Tissue Engineering by self-assembly

Cytograft has developed novel technologies that utilize the cell’s own biological processes to produce versatile tissues with remarkable mechanical strength that are free from synthetic scaffolds or exogenous biomaterials.

futurescope:

Tissue Engineering by self-assembly

Cytograft has developed novel technologies that utilize the cell’s own biological processes to produce versatile tissues with remarkable mechanical strength that are free from synthetic scaffolds or exogenous biomaterials.

These robust biogenic tissues can be used as building blocks to support the construction of complex three-dimensional structures to restore function to diseased tissues and organs.

from ScienceDaily:

Cytograft, which L’Heureux and Todd McAllister co-founded in 2000, has indeed developed vessels that are “completely biological, completely human and living, which is the Cadillac of treatments … and it seems to work really well,” L’Heureux says.

First the team created blood vessels from patients’ own skin cells. Then, in June, the company announced that three dialysis patients had received the world’s first lab-grown blood vessels made from skin cells from donors, which eliminates the long lead time needed for making vessels from a patient’s own cells. And now Cytograft has developed a new technique for making human textiles that promises to reduce the production cost of these vessels by half. […]

[read more] [Cytograft] [via]

Oakley: The prototype eyewear allows users to view messages,...

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 18:36:52 -0400

Oakley: The prototype eyewear allows users to view messages, videos, maps, and images in real-time. Now, Oakley has confirmed that it’s testing similar technology that will rival Google’s ‘Project Glass.’

smarterplanet:

Oakley Plans To Launch Its Own Brand Of AR Glasses - PSFK

At the start of this month, Google secretly began testing its augmented reality goggles with selected employees. The prototype eyewear allows users to view messages, videos, maps, and images in real-time. Now, Oakley has confirmed that it’s testing similar technology that will rival Google’s ‘Project Glass.’

Colin Baden, CEO of Oakley, stated in an interview that:

As an organization, we’ve been chasing this beast since 1997. Ultimately, everything happens through your eyes, and the closer we can bring it to your eyes, the quicker the consumer is going to adopt the platform.

Oakley has been working on technology to produce head-mounted displays for nearly 15 years, and has 600 patents mainly relating to optical specifications. Baden refused to confirm if Oakley would produce its own pair of smart glasses, or if the company would only license its technology.

via PSFK:

latimes: Another city, not our own: To live in Los Angeles...

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 18:33:48 -0400

latimes:

Another city, not our own: To live in Los Angeles during the riots was like waking up and seeing your own room through a distorting lens. Now L.A. has changed. We build and tear down and rebuild and glory in the forgetting.

Photo: National Guardsmen patrol near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Vermont Avenue as the ruins of stores smolder. Credit: Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times

theatlantic: On Facebook, Your Privacy Is Your Friends’...

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:03:29 -0400

theatlantic:

On Facebook, Your Privacy Is Your Friends’ Privacy

We tend to think about privacy in personal terms: my data, my personal information, my relationship with Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Pinterest. As our social networks grow and normalize, though, it’s increasingly more accurate to think about privacy as a communal affair, something heavily contextual and owned, collectively, by networks. Which means that privacy is something that all of us, as individuals and as a group, are responsible for.

Take Facebook. Aside from the standard, personalized privacy concerns — algorithms guessing your social security number, say, based on your profile information — there are also the concerns that expand with network effects. Photos, in particular, can reveal not only a user’s favorite places, vacation spots, and closest friends and family members, but also that same information for the other members of the user’s network. For those who have an interest, commercial or otherwise, in figuring out users’ identities and interests and overall persona on Facebook, your data can reveal your friends’ data — and vice versa.

Read more. [Image: João Paulo Pesce, Gustavo Rauber, Diego Las Casas, Virgílio Almeida]