CNET and the Telegraph report new anti-terror laws force Internet and Phone companies to provide your every phone call, text, email and private social network message to the government

The attack on online privacy is assaulting the public from every angle but the bottom line is the government’s unquenchable thirst to monitor your every thought and communication in real-time cannot be satisfied.

While the excuses run the entire spectrum of excuses from child porn to cybersecurity and hacking to copyright and anti-piracy control, all of those scapegoats have thus far fell short of convincing the public they need to sacrifice their civil liberties to give Big Brother the power to protect them.

Now lawmakers have resorted to the tried and true method of fooling the public into giving up their rights – Terrorism.

Yes, terrorism. The same excuse used to invade Afghanistan and Iraq, enact the patriot act and the NDAA, as well as give the United States the power to assassinate their own citizens and to indefinitely detain and torture anyone they wish based on the mere fabrication of allegations with no evidence to  back up their claims.

That is the justification for new totalitarian digital communication monitoring laws that are expected to be announced this May. ... (Read More)
 

Andrea Rossi at October 28, 2011 demonstration in Bologna with prototype 1MW E-Cat energy system, which is housed in a standard shipping container.

Cold Fusion Is Heating Up And Gaining Steaming
Rossi's e-Cat Goes Commercial
By EV World Audio - 112311

Andrea Rossi may have his doubters, detractors and skeptics, but the client for whom he demonstrated his 1MW e-Cat energy system apparently isn't one of them. Not only did the mysterious client take delivery of Rossi's first 1MW heat energy production system, but ordered a dozen more for use in cold, remote locations. That's an order worth $24 million.

While Rossi isn't at liberty to reveal who the client is -- and here speculation has run rampant -- he is not barred from talking about the results of the demonstration, witnessed by a select group of media in Bologna, Italy on October 28, 2011. ...

(Read More)

ECAT.com – The Official Website of Andrea Rossi’s Energy Catalyzer, E-Cat
 

Why Is China Building These Gigantic Structures In the Middle of the Desert?
Gizmodo - Jesus Diaz - 111311

This is crazy. New photos have appeared in Google Maps showing unidentified titanic structures in the middle of the Chinese desert. The first one is an intricate network of what appears to be huge metallic stripes. Is this a military experiment?

Update 2: readers are finding even more weird stuff.

They seem to be wide lines drawn with some white material. Or maybe the dust have been dug by machinery.

It's located in Dunhuang, Jiuquan, Gansu, north of the Shule River, which crosses the Tibetan Plateau to the west into the Kumtag Desert. It covers an area approximately one mile long by more than 3,000 feet wide.

The tracks are perfectly executed, and they seem to be designed to be seen from orbit.

Perhaps it's some kind of targeting or calibrating grid for Chinese spy satellites? Maybe it's a QR code for aliens? Nobody really knows.

You can check it out yourself in Google Maps here.

The second structure seems to be some kind of giant targeting grid, also north of the Shule river.

If you zoom in, you can see vehicles destroyed. It's west of what seems to be a fairly big electrical station or a radio station similar to HAARP, the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program located near Gakona, Alaska, and funded by the US Air Force, the US Navy, the University of Alaska, and DARPA. ... (Read More)
 

But scientists say not to worry. It won't hit.

"We're extremely confident, 100 percent confident, that this is not a threat," said the manager of NASA's Near Earth Object Program, Don Yeomans. "But it is an opportunity."

The asteroid named 2005 YU55 is being watched by ground antennas as it approaches from the direction of the sun. The last time it came within so-called shouting distance was 200 years ago.

Closest approach will occur at 6:28 p.m. EST Tuesday when the asteroid passes within 202,000 miles of Earth. That's closer than the roughly 240,000 miles between the Earth and the moon.

The moon will be just under 150,000 miles from the asteroid at the time of closest approach. ... (Read More)

NewsFocus: So much for the Richard Hoagland claim that YU55 would hit the moon. Where was the science in that claim? NASA had it right, but Hoagland had it wrong.
 

Some broadcasters are wondering why the duration of next week’s planned national EAS test was shortened from some 2-1/2 minutes to 30 seconds.

In a notice, the FCC stated: “After a careful review of the technical elements of the test, FEMA and the FCC have concluded that a 30-second test will allow the agencies to effectively assess the reliability and effectiveness of the EAS as a way to alert the public of national emergencies with limited disruption to the public.”

Presumably the test will be heard on every radio station and seen and heard on every television station and cable system at the same time. That scenario and the length of the message prompted the change to avoid a public panic, according to sources. ... (Read More)

NewsFocus: What's interesting is that we went through the Cold War without a national EBS test. We also went over a decade after 9/11 before even thinking about such a test. Mind you, we had statewide EBS tests, but never a national test. We let 11 years pass after the worst domestic attack on US soil before ever thinking about the validity of a national emergency test system. Seriously? So what has spurred the government into action now, eleven years later?
 

Are We Done With The Elenin Hype Now?
Another Scare Tactic Vaporizes Just Like The Comet
NewsFocus, by Tim Watts - 111311

Finally, the window for the predicted Elenin catastrophe that wasn't is over. As pointed out on this website, the threat was more of a concoction than a reality. Still, many refused to give up, claiming doom and gloom to the very end. The worst of it was, so many kept falsely tying Elenin to the massive earthquakes of the world, pointing to planetary alignments for the Chile, New Zealand, and Japan earthquakes. There were two major problems with that theory... 1) comets are not large enough to cause planetary perturbations, and 2) there was no alignment with the Japan earthquakes. Check the JPL model below and you will note the alignment was many days off.

Many of the websites have now pulled down all mention of Elenin, as if out of supreme embarrassment over their false hype, offering no explanation, apology or "crow plate special."

You have to ask who started such false fear mongering and who stood to benefit. Fear is a powerful tool for politicians, governments and those who delve in occult practices.

Was there any gain from this unsubstantiated fear? Perhaps there may be residual harm, say for the still smoking Nibiru (Planet X) controversy. Perhaps the danger lies when a real threat actually is upon us, but no one takes it seriously. In that regard, maybe there was a nefarious method to the Elenin madness. Time will tell, but at least for now the doomsayers can finally give up on the Elenin BS. At least, let's hope so.

The Comet That Just Won't Die
The Internet Still Buzzes With Dire Warnings, Even After Comet Breakup
NewsFocus, by Tim Watts - 092311

It is the comet that just won't die. After breaking up and disappearing from sight on Friday, September 2nd, the controversy over Elenin just won't go away. Despite its disappearance, the warnings continue as we reach another solar alignment. This time it will be the closest alignment since entering our solar system. What will be lining up is at question, considering that the comet is alleged to have broken up.

In the event that there is some mass left with Elenin, it will be making an alignment first with the sun and the earth on Sunday and Monday, the 25th and 26th of September. That isn't the end of it though because another larger alignment begins right after that, on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 27th and 28th, as any leftover vestiges of the comet (if there are any) will align with Mercury, the sun and Earth. ... (Read More)

Comet Elenin Totally Disappears!
Controversy Over Alleged Doomsday Comet Ends With Its Disappearance
NewsFocus, by Tim Watts - 090211

The Elenin controversy has taken a dramatic turn of events with the sudden disappearance of the comet. Rumors had begun to circulate that the comet was starting to break up as its orbit brought it closer to perihelion, its closest approach to the sun. The comet showed signs of dimming early in the week. On Friday it was gone.

This now ends months of rabid speculation about Elenin being something other than a comet. Many had alleged that the object was as large as the planet Jupiter and was responsible for the large earthquakes that have been taking place over the last two years. Some have even claimed it to be a brown dwarf star, or the infamous planet x, known as Nibiru. NewsFocus weighed in on this hotbed of controversy in May, stating that Elenin was indeed nothing more than a comet. (see story farther below) The breakup of the comet should now put to rest the numerous doomsday predictions and earthquake allegations that have been running rampant since the comet was first observed by Russian astronomer Leonid Elenin, for whom the object was named. Amateur astronomers still have the blacked out area of space by NASA to speculate about, so the Nibiru controversy itself is still alive, but at least is no longer connected to Elenin.
 

New Documentary on ET Life



 

A Lakeville woman and her daughter witnessed something very unusual in the Minnesota sky on Saturday night around 10:00. Jean Watts, 52, and Shannon Watts, 19, of Lakeville were traveling North on Vernon Ave (Co Rd 91) in the Credit River Township countryside when the two noticed eight brilliant orange lights ahead of them in the night sky.

At first, Mrs. Watts recognized them to be similar to tower lights, as they appeared to be rows of four on top of each other. (see fig.1) She then noticed as they grew closer that they became aligned in a horizontal arrangement, (see fig.2) and were spread out equidistantly. The lights were also a bright orange, not red, and appeared to be as large as streets lights, only much higher in the sky. Both Jean and Shannon, the wife and daughter of this reporter, noticed that the lights were moving from the Northeast to the Southwest.

The two stopped their vehicle at 8490 Vernon Avenue and watched the lights for quite a few minutes as they moved slowly in a linear formation to the Southwest, then arcing upwards and suddenly disappearing into the same spot in the sky, (see fig.3) an area described by Jean Watts as a diffused circular area. (Note: the location proximate to the big dipper could not be discerned until the next night, upon reviewing the night sky without the overcast cloud cover.)

Mrs. Watts thought they were an elongated orb shape. She described them as moving in an orderly fashion, as if they were meeting another object, or headed for a particular area of the sky, the diffused spot that she described where the objects disappeared.

All objects appeared to move at the same measured pace, except for one which flew in very fast at the end, as if it was catching up with the others. (This was the ninth object.)

Both Jean and Shannon are adamant that what they observed was not any known type of conventional aircraft. They heard no engine noise whatsoever and stated that the objects were absolutely silent. They also maintain that the objects were not distant, but appeared to be in the nearby vicinity of the countryside, very near their location, less than a quarter mile away and flying very low. At the beginning, they may possibly have been as low as 2,000 feet. Both felt the objects were significant in size, yet neither is able to give a good estimate.

"They were certainly much bigger than any plane I've ever seen," said Mrs. Watts. "We were so excited, we didn't think to compare them to anything, but they seemed big."

Most interesting during the sighting was that the sky was lit up with bolts of lightning, only instead of a ground to sky discharge, they noticed the lightning shooting out in more of a horizontal direction. There was no rain accompanied with the lightning at that time.

The orange oval denotes where the lights were seen, with the arrow showing the direction of movement.
The red area depicts the viewing area, with the South being the starting point and the North the ending.

Click the map above for a larger image.

These orange orbs over Lincoln, England in June 2009 are the same as those witnessed by the Watts'.
 

The Nibiru threads continue on the internet. Many have alleged that comet Elenin is indeed Nibiru, or Planet X, as it is also referred to. NewsFocus does not subscribe to the Elenin/Nibiru one entity rumor, at least not at this time, and not without more proof. To me it appears that the two are separate entities and the following post may indeed support that contention. Elenin may well be the Blue Kachina of Hopi prophecy, but then again, maybe not. The allegation that Elenin is a brown dwarf star also seems a bit far fetched, considering the cosmic chaos that would be taking place. It would be hard to hide that from amateur astronomers. It would seem Elenin and Nibiru are separate bodies. At first blush, this theory seems to make the most sense. Scientists long ago confirmed a planet X in our solar system. Could this be the return of Nibiru? More study is certainly needed, but it is interesting to note all of the bunker building activity taking place around the world, especially so by the Russian government. (see the story below.)

Nibiru 2012 Is Now Visible On Google Sky
BeforeItsNews.com - 082411

Google Sky:
www.google.com/sky/

Step One: After you go to “Google Sky” you will see “outer space” and the blackness of stars.
Step Two: In the search bar at the upper left corner of the Google Sky screen, type “Mercury” and press Enter. Again you will see only the blackness of outer space with a little devil like symbol for the planet “Mercury”.
Step Three: Next, find the little button in the upper right of your screen that says “Infrared”. Click that button. The screen will turn to a hazy reddish colour.
You can now see NIBIRU, in the upper left quadrant of your computer screen. Please note that you did not have to press the + “Zoom In” slider buttons at all to see this monster. This view is from the perspective of Planet Earth. If you hover your cursor over the black ambassador of death, you will see the “coordinates” on the bottom of your screen. They are:

9 hours / 47 minutes / 59.0 seconds / 13 degrees / 16 feet / 19.3 inches

If you want a feel for how close it is to earth, I recommend you search on Jupiter. After doing so you will again see nothing but black space. However, to see Jupiter you will have to click the + “Zoom In” ladder slider about 6 times. Think about that. In order for you to SEE Jupiter, you have to ZOOM IN about 6 times.

How many times did you have to zoom in to see Nibiru? None.

Check it out at: thechaniproject.com/forum/index.php/topic,490.msg2857.html

thechaniproject.
 

Troy, N.Y. – Scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have found that when just 10 percent of the population holds an unshakable belief, their belief will always be adopted by the majority of the society. The scientists, who are members of the Social Cognitive Networks Academic Research Center (SCNARC) at Rensselaer, used computational and analytical methods to discover the tipping point where a minority belief becomes the majority opinion. The finding has implications for the study and influence of societal interactions ranging from the spread of innovations to the movement of political ideals.

"When the number of committed opinion holders is below 10 percent, there is no visible progress in the spread of ideas. It would literally take the amount of time comparable to the age of the universe for this size group to reach the majority," said SCNARC Director Boleslaw Szymanski, the Claire and Roland Schmitt Distinguished Professor at Rensselaer. "Once that number grows above 10 percent, the idea spreads like flame." ... (Read More)
 

The great comet Elenin scare has been underway for some time now, ever since its discovery by Russian astronomer Leonid Elenin (pictured left) on December 10th, 2010. Originally thought to be a hyperbolic comet, one that does not return, the comet is now thought by astrophysicists to be in a long elliptical orbit of 10,000 years. It is also thought to be entering our solar system for the first time and is arriving on a flat trajectory close to the ecliptic. The comet is expected to become visible to the naked eye sometime in August of this year.

The comet first gained internet notoriety early this year with internet predictions of an alignment with the earth and the sun, one that would trigger massive earthquakes on March 11th. The earthquakes did happen as predicted, with Honshu, Japan getting hit with the devastating 9.0, however, the much ballyhooed alignment never happened until four days later on March 15th.

The comet's path, in conjunction with its ensuing planetary alignments, has also been linked to the September 3, 2010 New Zealand 7.3 earthquake, as well as the February 27, 2010 Haiti 8.8 quake. On both on those days there was indeed a perfect planetary alignment with the comet, but technically that shouldn't have any affect.

(Read more here...)

Update: Elenin comet: 2 assassinated astronomers
 

Hello. My name is Stephen Hawking. Physicist, cosmologist and something of a dreamer. Although I cannot move and I have to speak through a computer, in my mind I am free. Free to explore the universe and ask the big questions, such as: is time travel possible? Can we open a portal to the past or find a shortcut to the future? Can we ultimately use the laws of nature to become masters of time itself?

Time travel was once considered scientific heresy. I used to avoid talking about it for fear of being labelled a crank. But these days I’m not so cautious. In fact, I’m more like the people who built Stonehenge. I’m obsessed by time. If I had a time machine I’d visit Marilyn Monroe in her prime or drop in on Galileo as he turned his telescope to the heavens. Perhaps I’d even travel to the end of the universe to find out how our whole cosmic story ends. ...
 

Ever since the peculiar earthquake activity in Greenbrier, Arkansas, NewsFocus has been paying careful attention to the New Madrid fault zone, and so has the U.S. government with its historic FEMA NLE 11 drill (National Level Exercise 2011). A recent strategic levee breach by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has purposefully flooded a 200 square mile tract of land in the New Madrid area, causing alarm for many in the area, as well as those paying attention to the unprecedented seismic activity taking place in the world. (see flood story below)

Many charges have been circulating the internet of eco-weaponry at work regarding the massive earthquakes in Honshu, Japan, but also here in the U.S., particularly the New Madrid fault zone. The recent cresting of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers is feeding the flooded New Madrid area, thanks solely due to the strategically breached Birds Point levee. More rain and violent thunderstorms over the weekend and early Monday in Minnesota and Ohio are now pushing more water into this engineered flood zone.

The big question for many is, are these storms being engineered as well?

(Read more here...)
 

NewsFocus: Each and every one of these innocent websites should sue the US government for interference with retail commerce, and also defamation of character. This is egregious activity from an out of control government. Wake up folks. Our government went away in 2000 and is not coming back, unless we do something about it. We are not in the wrong, our government is. We need to get rid of bad government. The very first paragraph of the U.S. Declaration of Independence gives us this right, in two separate lines from this one opening paragraph. This goes hand-in-hand with our 2nd amendment rights. Forget the left-right political bickering. They divided us on purpose just so they could conquer us more easily.

We need to unite as "Americans" and take our country back from those planning their greedy New World Order. BTW... when were you ever asked to vote on that one?
 

A prolific sky-mapping telescope that has spent more than a year scanning the heavens for asteroids, comets and other cosmic objects received its last command today (Feb. 17).

NASA shut down its WISE spacecraft – short for Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer – at 3:00 p.m. EST (2000 UTC) today. The mission's principal investigator, Ned Wright of the University of California in Los Angeles, sent the final command to the now-hibernating spacecraft, according to an update from the WISE mission's official Twitter account.

"The WISE spacecraft will remain in hibernation without ground contacts awaiting possible future use," NASA officials said via Twitter. ...

NewsFocus: This issue has caused quite the unrest in cosmological circles and many are speculating alternative reasons for the shutdown.

Everything You Need To Know About Nibiru

NIBIRU (TYCHE) PLANET X Admitted by Scientists – NASA shuts down Space Telescope ‘WISE’
 

Darpa’s Cheetah-Bot Designed to Chase Human Prey
Blacklisted News - 030311
Perhaps you thought the four-legged BigDog robot wasn’t eerily lifelike enough. That’ll change soon. BigDog’s makers are working on a new quadruped that moves faster than any human and is agile enough to “chase and evade.”

Boston Dynamics, maker of the Army’s BigDog robotic mule, announced today that Darpa has awarded it a contract to build a much faster and more fearsome animal-like robot, Cheetah. ... (Read More)

Remember BigDog?

The new Cheetah-Bot is from this technology. Steve Austin would be jealous.
 

FBI pushing for enhanced online wiretaps RawStory
 

Once we’ve cleaned up the air, will we need to clean up the airwaves as well? Mat Stein, author of When Technology Fails: A Manual for Self-Reliance, Sustainability, and Surviving the Long Emergency, thinks it’s a possibility.

You’ve heard the rumors that cell phones cause cancer. You’ve seen those folks on the street holding their cell phones away from their head as though their phone’s cancer is contagious. But where did these rumors get started? Are they based in any fact? If there is truth to the myth, will electromagnetic fields be the next battle in the war on pollution? Will we be talking about electro-friendly devices in the future the way we talk about carbon-friendly products now?

In the following excerpt, Mat Stein tells the story of Robert Kane, an early cellular telephone researcher who was convinced that the cell phone gave him the brain tumor that ultimately took his life. ...
 

The reviews are in and they're bad, yet strangely mixed. Neither side side is happy with the ruling.

The FCC has fired the first shot in the net neutrality war, but so far, neither side of the argument is happy with the ruling. First off, it's sad to see the FCC step into the internet arena, but when they step in with a wishy-washy first effort on what should have been a no-brainer slam dunk, you have to wonder what is up at the FCC. Many think this is just a smokescreen for the real bombshell coming. Write your Congressman now. Call the FCC. Make your voice heard now, before it is too late. Once we lose the internet as we know it, we will never get it back again.

FCC Passes First Net Neutrality Rules
Washington Post - Cecilia Kang - ‎122110‎
The Federal Communications Commission voted Tuesday to approve its first ever Internet access regulation, which ensures unimpeded access to any legal Web content for home Internet users. The same provisions do not apply as strongly to ...

Senator Franken: Net Neutrality Bill Is Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

They name this in a way to make it sound like this is the bill we want, but it's not.

FCC's Open Internet Order Bodes Ill For Net Neutrality
InfoWorld - 122110‎
The FCC has gone and done it -- signed off on a watered-down version of Net neutrality that's mostly a dream come true for the major ISPs and a hard knock for anyone who uses the Internet, especially on mobile devices. The fight isn't over yet; ...

The Net Neutrality Sucker Punch
PC Magazine - John C. Dvorak - ‎122110
The FCC made net neutrality the "terrorism" of the Internet, and we let regulation walk right though the door. So this week marks a breakthrough in net neutrality. The breakthrough is that there is an FCC ruling regarding it. The bad news is that there ...

Why Is FCC's 'Net Neutrality' Order Still A Secret?
CNN International, by Amy Gahran - ‎122110
This month in Forbes, Elizabeth Woyke explored this question: Does the public have the right to see the FCC's net neutrality proposal? ...

Splitting the baby in half: Net Neutrality and the FCC CrooksandLiars

Telecoms' secret plan to attack net neutrality
RawStory - 051310
Plan: Target gamers and libertarians, stoke fears of Chinese censorship. ...

New U.S. Push to Regulate Internet Access
Wall Street Journal - 050710
The decision, by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski, is likely to trigger a vigorous lobbying battle, arraying big phone and cable companies and their allies on Capitol Hill against Silicon Valley giants and consumer advocates. ...

FCC Expected to Abandon Net Neutrality, Universal Internet
Huffington Post - 050410
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is "leaning toward" siding with the most powerful phone and cable lobbyists on a crucial decision: whether the FCC will have any authority to protect an open Internet and make it available to all.

FCC's Third Way: What You Need to Know PC Mag
 

CALIFORNIA, Los Angeles – As of today, it has now been over 4-years since both National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) STEREO-A and STEREO-B spacecraft ( placed aboard a Delta II rocket ) were launched from Kennedy Space Center ( Florida ) on the evening ( 8:52 p.m. – EDT ) of October 25, 2006 for the unprecedented ( record setting ) analysis of the “Solar Maximum” flare due, according to NASA, for discharge from our Sun’s corona in a Coronal Mass Ejection ( CME ) the likes of what Earth has not experienced since ‘telegraph wires ceased operating’ during the last one in 1859. ...

NewsFocus: This is worth preparing for folks. Better safe than sorry.
 

Click on the banner ad for more information

Microsoft has issued a warning about a serious vulnerability in all versions of its Internet Explorer (IE) browser.

If exploited by a booby-trapped webpage the bug would allow attackers to take control of an unprotected computer.

Code to exploit the bug has already been published though Microsoft said it had no evidence it was currently being used by hi-tech criminals.

A workaround for the bug has been produced while Microsoft works on a permanent fix. (Read More)
 

NewsFocus: Much like AOL, Facebook was conceived as a big brother operation to keep tabs and snoop on Americans. It is a vast data mining operation for U.S. intelligence. Our privacy and rights are being violated daily, yet most don't even know.
 

The Salt Water Engine

Governments should be scrambling to develop this technology, but big oil says no.

NewsFocus: First off, this is awful that the inventor is so shallow in his thinking to sell to anyone who will buy. That will allow those that already control the fuel and energy markets to simply buy him out and shelve the project, to protect their own investments and profit. Secondly, he has discovered nothing new about RF killing cancer. It has been known about for years, since the 1920s. (See inventor Royal Rife.) Treating cancer patients with RF energy (radio frequencies) was killed by the pharmaceutical industry years ago, because it would kill their new vision at the time for prescription drugs. The salt-water engine has more monetary value in saving the planet, a much nobler goal than trying to kill cancer with a method that has already been shelved. A salt-water engine would revolutionize the world. Too bad he doesn't see the bigger picture.
 

COMPUTER NEWS:

SSD tools crack passwords 100 times faster
Ultra brute force attack
TheRegister.co.uk, by John Leyden - 031210

Password-cracking tools optimized to work with SSDs have achieved speeds up to 100 times quicker than previously possible.

After optimising its rainbow tables of password hashes to make use of SSDs Swiss security firm Objectif Sécurité was able to crack 14-digit WinXP passwords with special characters in just 5.3 seconds. Objectif Sécurité's Philippe Oechslin told Heise Security that the result was 100 times faster than possible with their old 8GB Rainbow Tables for XP hashes. ...

Researchers spy on BitTorrent users in real-time
User uploads and downloads revealed
TheRegister.co.uk, by Dan Goodin in San Francisco - 043010
Researchers have devised a way to monitor BitTorrent users over long stretches of time, a feat that allows them to map the internet addresses of individuals and track the content they are sending and receiving. ...

Symantec Buys PGP And GuardianEdge Too
PGP, The Algorithm That Top Government Cryptologist Couldn't Crack
TheRegister.co.uk, 042910
Crypto shopping spree. Symantec has announced a surprise deal to buy both email and data encryption firms PGP Corporation and GuardianEdge Technologies for a combined total of $370m in cash. The security giant is paying $300m for PGP and $70m for GuardianEdge...

MS withdraws ineffective security update
TheRegister.co.uk, 042610
The patch that failed...

Microsoft preps fix for IE 8 flaw that makes safe sites unsafe
TheRegister.co.uk,
Third time's the charm...

McAfee offers cash for clunkers
TheRegister.co.uk, 042610
Sorry we bricked your PC, here's some money...

Microsoft SharePoint bug exposes credentials, sensitive data
TheRegister.co.uk, 042910
Just add javascript...

NHS computers hit by voracious, data-stealing worm
Easily detected — but isn’t
TheRegister.co.uk, by Dan Goodin in San Francisco - 042310
The UK’s National Health Service has been hit by a voracious, data-stealing worm that’s easily detected by off-the-shelf security software, according to researchers who directly observed the mass compromise. ...
 

Government Using Microsoft To Spy On You
 
 

Prompt Global Strike: World Military Superiority Without Nuclear Weapons
IntelDaily.com, by Rick Rozoff - 041210
(The Intelligence Daily) — A war can be won without being waged. Victory can be attained when an adversary knows it is vulnerable to an instantaneous and undetectable, overwhelming and devastating attack without the ability to defend itself or retaliate.

What applies to an individual country does also to all potential adversaries and indeed to every other nation in the world.

There is only one country that has the military and scientific capacity and has openly proclaimed its intention to achieve that ability. That nation is what its current head of state defined last December as the world’s sole military superpower. [1] One which aspires to remain the only state in history to wield full spectrum military dominance on land, in the air, on the seas and in space. ... (Read More)
 

Television Is A Mind Control Device
 
 

(Bloomberg) -- The earthquake that killed more than 700 people in Chile on Feb. 27 probably shifted the Earth’s axis and shortened the day, a National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientist said.

Earthquakes can involve shifting hundreds of kilometers of rock by several meters, changing the distribution of mass on the planet. This affects the Earth’s rotation, said Richard Gross, a geophysicist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, who uses a computer model to calculate the effects. ...
 

Master Plan: The Power of Google
We are not using Google, they are using us.

NewsFocus: Is Google going too far in their alleged claim of a free "service" for society? Have you ever asked yourself who pays for the gazillion petabytes of expensive hard drive storage to house all of that data? We're talking tons of information and video that continually pours in daily, 24/7. Do you realize the inordinate amount (and cost) of all of the expensive operating bandwidth required to make Google run? As the old saying goes, "There ain't no free lunch..."

Make no mistake about it, we're not using Google, it is Google who is using us. The databases that can be built on each individual user from data mining and usage tracking is more valuable and far more powerful than most people know.

Many are already up in arms over Google's invasions of privacy, most notably Google maps invading our personal privacy by illegally photographing our private property without permission; data that can easily be exploited and used  for criminal endeavors. This type of activity is clearly prohibited under new Patriot Act laws enacted since 9/11.

People need to seriously start thinking twice about the impact and reach of this monolithic Goliath, an overnight success story with quarterly income in the billions. Google has taken its place at the top of, not just the computer industry, but the world business community as well. Along with Microsoft, they have each literally conquered the world in such a short amount of time. Their power is not to be taken lightly.

Gang of villagers chase away Google car CNN

Google Latitude: Stalking Has Never Been This Easy UNC
 

Tesla Motors employees killed in plane crash
 

Apple Introduces The I-Pad

Essentially an overgrown I-Pod Touch, or a flat panel laptop, but it's cool.

Yahoo!: Our spying policies would 'shock' customers
RawStory.com, By John Byrne - Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 -- 9:03 am
A little-noticed letter from Yahoo! to the US Marshals Service offers troubling insight into the surveillance policies of one of the Internet's largest email providers.

In response to a Freedom of Information Act request seeking details of Yahoo's! policies allowing the Justice Department to request wiretaps of its users and the amount they charge US taxpayers per wiretap -- the search engine leviathan declared in a 12-page letter that they couldn't provide information on their approach because their pricing scheme would "shock" customers. The news was first reported by Kim Zetter at Wired.

Yahoo! deepens Facebook connection

Sprint manager: ‘Half’ of all police surveillance includes text messaging requests
RawStory.com, By Stephen C. Webster - Saturday, December 5th, 2009 -- 3:37 pm
According to a graduate student's research into the spying policies of major U.S. telecommunications companies, at a recent security conference a Sprint surveillance manager told a group of onlookers that half of all police requests include the target's text messages.

Half of millions -- including some 8 million automated, web-based requests for GPS location, all in just over a year's time. ...

Did Sprint violate customer privacy 8 million times?
ComputerWorld, By Richi Jennings - December 2, 2009
A blogger alleges that phone companies and ISPs are routinely providing data on their customers' activities to law enforcement... without a warrant. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers search for the truth. ...

Following the Money Trail: Telecoms and ISPs Feed the Secret State's Surveillance Machine
IntelDaily, 121109
(The Intelligence Daily) -- "Follow the money." And why not. As the interface between state and private criminality, following the money trail is oxygen and combustible fuel for rooting out corruption in high places: indelible signs left behind like toxic tracks by our sociopathic masters. After all, there's nothing quite like exposing an exchange of cold, hard cash from one greedy fist to another to focus one's attention on the business at hand. And when that dirty business is the...
 

The Pocket Spy: Will Your Smartphone Rat You Out?
New Scientist, 14 by Linda Geddes October 2009
There are certain things you do not want to share with strangers. In my case it was a stream of highly personal text messages from my husband, sent during the early days of our relationship. Etched on my phone's SIM card - but invisible on my current handset and thus forgotten - here they now are, displayed in all their brazen glory on a stranger's computer screen.

I've just walked into a windowless room on an industrial estate in Tamworth, UK, where three cellphone analysts in blue shirts sit at their terminals, scrutinising the contents of my phone and smirking. "If it's any consolation, we would have found them even if you had deleted them," says one.

Worse, it seems embarrassing text messages aren't the only thing I have to worry about: "Is this a photo of your office?" another asks (the answer is yes). "And did you enjoy your pizza on Monday night? And why did you divert from your normal route to work to visit this address in Camberwell, London, on Saturday?" ... (Read More)
 

Mysterious spiral lights over Norway provokes debate‎
Mirror.co.uk - 121009
By Conrad Quilty-Harper, Mirror.co.uk 10/12/2009 The appearance of a strange spiral light in the skies above Norway yesterday has prompted plenty of debate ...

Mystery as spiral blue light display hovers above Norway
DailyMail.co.uk - 121009
Witnesses from Trøndelag to Finnmark compared the amazing display to anything from a Russian rocket to a meteor or shock wave - although no ...

Official Story Tries To Claim Failed Russian Missile Launch
Since When Do Missiles Project A Huge Spiral Display Against The Sky?
What about a NATO HAARP system near Norway? Could this have anything to do with EISCAT? Russians say no relationship to failed missile launch from Wednesday.

Large Hadron Collider Produces First Physics Results
Science Daily (press release) - ‎121509‎
... paper on proton collisions in the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) -- designed to provide the highest energy ever explored with particle accelerators ...

Acton company contributes to CERN Wicked Local Boxborough
Atom smasher ramps up collisions before year end The Associated Press
City Tech Physics Professor Thinks Both Small and Big Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Large hadron collider up and running Examiner.com
Large Hadron Collider to be started up after fault forced year-long closure Times Online

Atom smasher catches 1st high-energy collisions
The Associated Press - Alexander G. Higgins - ‎Dec 9, 2009‎
GENEVA — The world's largest atom smasher has recorded its first high-energy collisions of protons, a spokeswoman said Wednesday. ...

Large Hadron Collider physicists claim energy world record
guardian.co.uk - ‎Dec 9, 2009‎
Scientists claimed a world record by crashing particles together at the highest energy achieved in a laboratory. Physicists at the Cern nuclear research ...

World-Record Energy Collisions Achieved at Large Hadron Collider
Science Daily (press release) - ‎Dec 9, 2009‎
ScienceDaily (Dec. 9, 2009) — On Tuesday evening, December 8th, thousands of physicists around the world cheered as CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) ...

LHC now world's most powerful collider
PhysicsToday.org - ‎Dec 9, 2009‎
By Physics Today on December 9, 2009 12:14 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks Physics Today: The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider has posted on ...
 

Russia in secret plan to save Earth from asteroid: official
CrooksandLiars.com, by Ron Brynaert - Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

MOSCOW — Russian scientists will soon meet in secret to work on a plan for saving Earth from a possible catastrophic collision with a giant asteroid in 26 years, the head of Russia's space agency said Wednesday.

"We will soon hold a closed meeting of our collegium, the science-technical council to look at what can be done" to prevent the asteroid Apophis from slamming into the planet in 2036, Anatoly Perminov told Voice of Russia radio.

"We are talking about people's lives," Perminov was quoted by news agencies as telling the radio station.

"Better to spend a few hundred million dollars to create a system for preventing a collision than to wait until it happens and hundreds of thousands of people are killed," he said.

The Apophis asteroid measures approximately 350 metres (1,150 feet) in diameter and RIA Novosti news agency said that if it were to hit Earth when it passes nearby in 2036 it would create a new desert the size of France. ...
 

NASA - A Giant Breach in Earth's Magnetic Field
Hole In Magnetic Field Is Said To Be Four Times Larger Than The Earth
Science.NASA.gov - Dec 16, 2008
Space physicists have long believed that holes in Earth's magnetosphere open only in response to solar magnetic fields that point south.

"The opening was huge—four times wider than Earth itself," says Wenhui Li, a space physicist at the University of New Hampshire who has been analyzing the data. Li's colleague Jimmy Raeder, also of New Hampshire, says "10²⁷ particles per second were flowing into the magnetosphere—that's a 1 followed by 27 zeros. This kind of influx is an order of magnitude greater than what we thought was possible." ...  (Read More)

NASA - Sun Often "Tears Out A Wall" In Earth's Solar Storm Shield
Science.NASA.gov - Dec 16, 2008
Earth's magnetosphere works mostly like a bar magnet: ... This process tears the two holes in Earth's magnetic field and appends the section ...

Magnetic-Shield Cracks Found; Big Solar Storms Expected
National Geographic News, by Victoria Jaggard - December 17, 2008
An unexpected, thick layer of solar particles inside Earth's magnetic field suggests there are huge breaches in our planet's solar defenses, scientists said.

These breaches indicate that during the next period of high solar activity, due to start in 2012, Earth will experience some of the worst solar storms seen in decades. ...

Magnetic Tremors Pinpoint the Impact Epicenter of Earthbound Space Storms
NASA - THEMIS Mission Site

NASA Themis Mission Discovers Hole In Magnetic Field

CNN Story On Hole In Our Magnetic Field
 

Earth's Protective Magnetic Shield Has A Hole In It

The prospect for a 2012 solar hit could be devastating.

NASA Discovers Hole In Earth's Magnetic Field
 
This is of concern for all of mankind, especially with the solar maxim waging away.
 

Swedish Study: Wireless Phones Can Affect The Brain
ScienceDaily.com - Nov. 11, 2009
A study at Örebro University in Sweden indicates that mobile phones and other cordless telephones have a biological effect on the brain. It is still too early to say if any health risks are involved, but medical researcher Fredrik Söderqvist recommends caution in the use of these phones, above all among children and adolescents. Few children who regularly use mobile phones use a headset often or always, even though the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority recommends this.

"Children may be more sensitive than adults to radiation from wireless phones," says Fredrik Söderqvist, who is presenting his research findings in a new doctoral thesis at Örebro University. ...

Cell phone-brain cancer link found?
US Senate plans hearing as new study claims proof that mobiles increase risk.
 

ST. LOUIS — Confidential contracts detailing Monsanto Co.'s business practices reveal how the world's biggest seed developer is squeezing competitors, controlling smaller seed companies and protecting its dominance over the multibillion-dollar market for genetically altered crops, an Associated Press investigation has found.  (Read More)

Robot completes first underwater crossing of Atlantic Ocean
AFP, 120909
Spain on Wednesday handed back to the United States a robot which last week completed the first underwater crossing of the Atlantic Ocean to help monitor climate change by tracking temperatures.

The yellow glider, which resembles a rocket with wings on its sides, traveled the 7,400 kilometres (4,600 miles) between New Jersey on the US east coast and Galicia in Spain's northwestern coast in 225 days using only a battery and aided ocean currents.

Dubbed the "Scarlet Knight", it was brought ashore on Friday at Baiona, the town where Christopher Columbus landed in 1493 during the return journey from his initial trip to the Americas.
 

The Potential Death Of The Internet (As We Know It)
 
The rich want the fast bandwidth and the poor will get the equivalent of dial-up.

See More On Net Neutrality

Rupert Murdoch wants to charge for Internet service and wants to destroy "fair use" content
CrooksandLiars.com, by John Amato Wednesday Nov 11, 2009 7:00am
All the news yesterday out of Rupert Murdoch's interview with Sky News was about Murdoch's endorsement of Glenn Beck's claim that President Obama is a racist who hates white people. But the rest of the interview had some even more disturbing remarks in it -- especially early on, when talking about his plan to make everyone pay for their Internet content.

Rupert, Rupert, Rupert. He just doesn't understand how the Internet works. If he continues to actively try to destroy the "fair use" of content, readers from all across the political spectrum will revolt against him. Even from his own side. Murdoch hates Google and every other search engine because he thinks by having Google linking to his stories, they are kleptomaniacs and robbing him. When asked why he just doesn't remove his websites from Google searches now, he replies that he will after he turns them all into "just for pay" only sites. If he feels they are ripping him off then why doesn't he do it now? The answer is he can't afford to do that. I dare him to do it.

Editorial: FCC Internet rules will be good for consumers
San Jose Mercury News - ‎Sep 22, 2009
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski's announcement this week that he plans to add teeth to government guidelines regarding ...

Net Neutrality Rules
New York Times - ‎092509‎
The Federal Communications Commission's chairman announced a new “rulemaking” procedure intended to ensure an “open Internet” through Net neutrality ...

Republicans Halt Efforts To Block FCC Net Neutrality Rules
ChannelWeb - Stefanie Hoffman - ‎Sep 23, 2009‎
"While we are still generally opposed to net neutrality regulations, we have decided to hold off on the amendment because [FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski] ...

Proposed FCC net neutrality Internet regulation draws fire Washington Examiner

Phone companies say 'no' to Net neutrality for wireless
CNET News - Marguerite Reardon - ‎092109
The wireless industry is gearing up to fight new Net neutrality rules that the Federal Communications Commission is formulating to keep the Internet open. ...

Proposed FCC Web rule change draws wireless ire Reuters
 

OBAMA SAYS HE SUPPORTS NET NEUTRALITY
President claims he will defend net neutrality for the internet

Obama exhumes Net neutrality from the Tomb of Forgotten Issues
Los Angeles Times - ‎May 29, 2009‎
The debate over Net neutrality has quieted considerably since the Federal Communications Commission rebuked Comcast in August for its discriminatory ...
Obama Promises Support for Cybersecurity, Net Neutrality Consumer Affairs
Free Press Applauds President Obama's Commitment to Net Neutrality The Latest | Free Press
Obama Pledges to Protect Civil Liberties of Net Users Daily Kos
Obama Committed to Network Neutrality Broadcasting & Cable
Obama Says New Cyberczar Won't Spy on the Net Wired News
Obama: Cyber Security is a National Security Priority Washington Post

Obama Supports Net Neutrality	Obama Creates Cyber Czar

Now it is emerging that an event around 25 years ago dramatically disrupted the rings - and all our telescopes and spacecraft missed it. This mysterious event suddenly warped the planet's innermost rings into a ridged spiral pattern, like the grooves on a vinyl record. The latest images reveal that the perturbation is so vast that only a profound change to the planet can have caused it. ... (Read More)
 

New idea surfaces on origin of moon's water
msnbc.com - Clara Moskowitz - ‎100609
Many experts were shocked by the recent discovery of water on the moon, which was long thought to be bone-dry. ...
A new theory on the origin of lunar water Examiner.com

NASA slams spacecraft into moon to search for water
Salt Lake Tribune - Sheena Mcfarland - ‎100609
Early Friday morning, NASA will slam two spacecraft into the moon in the hope of unearthing signs of water. The spacecraft, called the ...
 

PROJECT INDECT: A.I. TO POLICE EUROPE
RawStory.com, By Stephen C. Webster - September 20, 2009
The European Union is spending tens of millions of euros on an artificial intelligence system known as “Project Indect,” which would draw from multiple data sources, namely public surveillance cameras, in order to detect “threats” and recognize “abnormal behavior” across the whole continent.

According to the project’s Web site, once completed, Project Indect would even be able to track vehicles as a type of support network for EU police officers.

Perhaps more chilling, the project promises “continuous monitoring” of “web sites, discussion forums, usenet groups, file servers, p2p networks [and] individual computer systems”.
 

Federal Authority Over Internet? The Cybersecurity Act of 2009
Government Would Take Control Over Internet In National Emergency
Electronic Frontier Foundation, by Jennifer Granick - 041009
There's a new bill working its way through Congress that is cause for some alarm: the Cybersecurity Act of 2009 (PDF summary here), introduced by Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME). The bill as it exists now risks giving the federal government unprecedented power over the Internet without necessarily improving security in the ways that matter most. It should be opposed or radically amended. Essentially, the Act would federalize critical infrastructure security. Since many of our critical infrastructure systems (banks, telecommunications, energy) are in the hands of the private sector, the bill would create a major shift of power away from users and companies to the federal government. This is a potentially dangerous approach that favors the dramatic over the sober response. One proposed provision gives the President unfettered authority to shut down Internet traffic in an emergency and disconnect critical infrastructure systems on national security grounds goes too far. Certainly there are times when a network owner must block harmful traffic, but the bill gives no guidance on when or how the President could responsibly pull the kill switch on privately-owned and operated networks. ... (read more)

Previously published:

Federal Cyber-Security Director Quits, Complains of NSA Role
Computerworld - ‎By Jaikumar Vijayan 2 hours ago‎ 030809
In a move that highlights differences over who should be in charge of national cyber-security efforts, the director of a federal office set up to protect civilian, military and intelligence networks has ...
Cyber-security official quits, blasts NSA power grab CNET News
Cyber-security chief Beckstrom resigns Reuters
  

The Absurdity Of The Erased Moon Videotapes Allegation
You Need To Reason Simple Facts Before Accepting A Poor Excuse of Stupidity
NewsFocus, 071709

So let's get this straight... arguably the most significant moment in mankind's history, recorded on countless hours and hours of videotape, was somehow errantly erased and then recorded over? Seriously? Days and days of tapes, all accidentally recorded over?
(Read More)
 

Government Surveils PCs

Microsoft made a deal with the devil.

U.S. President Barack Obama's administration needs to answer several questions about the privacy implications of a new version of a computer intrusion detection system that can reportedly read e-mail, a privacy and civil rights advocacy group said.

The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), in a report released Tuesday, called on the Obama administration to release information about the legal authority for the so-called Einstein intrusion detection system, a version of which has been rolled out at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The CDT report also asks the Obama administration to release information about the role of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) in the development and operation of Einstein 3, a new version of the software reportedly being developed.

The second version of Einstein is deployed at the DHS and is being rolled out to other U.S. agencies. While Einstein 2 is able to detect malicious code during predefined code signatures, Einstein 3 will also be able to read e-mail and other Internet traffic, according to recent press reports.

"This raises serious privacy concerns," the CDT report says. "While its predecessor merely detected and reported malicious code, Einstein 3 is to have the capability of intercepting threatening Internet traffic before it reaches a government system, raising additional concerns. According to press accounts, Einstein 3 will operate inside the networks of the telecoms ..."

The Einstein 3 used capabilities created by the NSA, the CDT paper says. NSA is the agency that partnered with U.S. telecom carriers in recent years to conduct surveillance on U.S. residents exchanging telephone calls or e-mail messages with foreigners with suspected ties to terrorism.

Spokespeople for DHS and NSA didn't immediately return messages seeking comment on the CDT report.

The kind of information the CDT is asking the Obama administration to disclose about Einstein is similar in some ways to information released in a privacy impact statement for Einstein 2, released in May 2008, said Gregory Nojeim, CDT's senior counsel. The information CDT is seeking "wouldn't help an adversary overcome the system," he said.

Among other things, CDT wants to know what law gives DHS the legal authority to

conduct such surveillance, Nojeim said. "Some facts about the program might need to remain secret, but the law that supports it cannot be a secret," he added.

CDT also wants to know:

-- If the private sector was involved in developing Einstein 2 and 3.

-- What safeguards will be put in place to prevent the misuse of private information collected.

-- What personally identifiable information will be collected by Einstein 3.

-- How will DHS share data collected with Einstein 3?
 

La Grou also speaks about "remote control and automation of every outlet in every home and business." I am more than a little worried about who would have, or could get, remote control over these outlets.

The technology has won awards, and it is very innovative and practical. I only worry about the potentials for abuse.

Thoughts?
 

New Government Technology

Imagine a herd of these hunting you down somewhere.

Milky Way Galaxy Has 'Billions of Earths'
There could be one hundred billion Earth-like planets in our galaxy, a US conference has heard.
BBC News 021709
Dr Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution of Science said many of these worlds could be inhabited by simple life forms. ...

Space shuttle Discovery blasts into orbit from Florida
Set For Rendezvous With International Space Station
Times Online - ‎031609
NASA's space shuttle Discovery successfully journeyed into space after its earlier attempts to launch last month were scuppered by mechanical problems. ...
Shuttle Discovery closes in on space station Reuters

Space Shuttle Discovery Finally Flies Again

Launch of shuttle discovery

MIT Unveils "Sixth Sense," Technology
Exchange Morning Post, March 11, 2009
This demo -- from Pattie Maes' lab at MIT, spearheaded by Pranav Mistry -- was the buzz of TED. It's a wearable device with a projector that paves the way for profound interaction with our environment. Imagine "Minority Report" and then some. ...
6th Sense Technology May Change How We Look at the World Forever Gizmodo.com
Amazing demo of “Sixth Sense” technology FayObserver.com
New pervasive computing device offers Sixth Sense Atomic

Sixth Sense Technology	New Technology From MIT

IBM Builds A Better Water Filter
InformationWeek - ‎1 hour ago‎ 031309
Big Blue is developing technologies and services that could help increase the earth's water supply. By Paul McDougall IBM on Thursday announced that it has ...
IBM dives into water tech CNET News
IBM sees "green" in water resource management technology SmartBrief
IBM Jumps Into Water Services TheStreet.com

Ed  Note: Water is predicted to be the new gold. A worldwide water crisis is predicted in the coming years. About seven years ago, a man showed up on our rural countryside property with a GPS locator. He said he was given orders to GPS locate every single well. Interesting that someone apparently wants to know where all the wells are.

Satellite crash prediction is plagued with uncertainty
New Scientist, UK - 10 hours ago 021109
Two satellites smashed into each other on Tuesday, creating a mess of space debris that is still being counted. The collision, which involved an Iridium ...

What Are The Odds In The Vastness of Space of This Happening?

Debris is said to threaten the international space station and Hubble telescope.

Two Satellites Collide, Putting Space Station, Hubble, at Risk
Washington Post, United States - Feb 11, 2009
By Joel Achenbach Two communications satellites collided yesterday 491 miles above Siberia, exploding in two clouds of debris that have put the ...

Satellite crash poses new political risk
Reuters - 22 hours ago 021109
By Luke Baker LONDON (Reuters) - The collision between a US and a Russian satellite over Siberia may have been accidental and the first of its kind, ...

What a mess! Experts ponder space junk problem
The Associated Press - Feb 19, 2009
VIENNA (AP) - Think of it as a galactic garbage dump. With a recent satellite collision still fresh on minds, participants at a meeting in the Austrian capital this week are discussing ways to deal with space debris - junk that is clogging up the orbit ...
US, Russian Officials Consult After Recent Collision of Satellites NewsBlaze
European Space Agency hopes to clean up space junk Auburn Citizen
  

Create Your Own Wind Generator

This is only a small generator, but you will get the idea on how to build one.

Senate OKs DTV switch delay
Senate votes to delay digital transition by 4 months to June 12
WASHINGTON January 26, 2009 (AP) By JOELLE TESSLER Associated Press Writer
The Senate on Monday voted unanimously to postpone the upcoming transition from analog to digital television broadcasting by four months to June 12 — setting the stage for Congress to pass the proposal as early as Tuesday.  ...
 

The World of Nano Technology Is Upon Us

A new technology often called the decades biggest breakthrough.

Google Latitude: Stalking Has Never Been This Easy
CollegeOTR, NY - 37 minutes ago 020409
It is only right that on Facebook's fifth birthday a whole new social networking stalking technology is introduced to the masses. Enter Google Latitude. ...

CBS: 60 Minutes On The Re-Birth Of The Electric Car

This could have been accomplished already if others hadn't interfered.

Volt hums on, even without engine factory
Consumer reports - 3 hours ago 012809
Through all its financial troubles in the past few months, one program General Motors has not backed off on is the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt. So far. ...
GM Forges ahead with Volt Despite Money Problems Design News

Amazing Aero EV: 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds, 10 minute recharge
by Thomas Ricker, posted Jan 27th 2009 at 6:44AM
SSC just came clean with the details behind its All-Electric Scalable Powertrain (AESP) producing 1,000 horsepower and 800 lb-ft of torque that rips the Aero EV through 0 to 60 in just 2.5 seconds at a 208mph top speed. Compare that to the Tesla Roadster's 0-60 in 3.9 seconds (or 3.7 for the 2009 sport model) and you'll understand all the hubbub, bub. Better yet, the 150-220 mile battery can be refilled in just 10 minutes...

TASERS - An Issue For Public Concern:

In California, suspect dies after police deploy Taser

'Non-lethal' Tasers Have Killed Over 400 Since Issued

Virginia Teen Tased To Death

Naked man dies after deputies deliver 4 taser shocks
 

NASA discovers: It's snowing on Mars

Obama Gets To Keep 'Enhanced' BlackBerry
Wall Street Journal - 1 hour ago 012209
By Jeffry Bartash Commander in Chief Barack Obama, a known BlackBerry addict, doesn't have to surrender his smartphone after all.

Found: New cosmic background radiation

Europe charges Microsoft with abuse of monopoly again
NetworkWorld.com - 5 hours ago 011709
By Paul Meller , IDG News Service , 01/17/2009 Microsoft was formally charged with monopoly abuse by Europe's top antitrust authority, the European Commission, over the way it bundles the Internet Explorer browser with Windows.
Opera executive praises EU move CNET News
European Regulators Just Can't Leave Microsoft Alone CRN

Microsoft postpones Windows 7 public beta
Computerworld - 1 hour ago 011009
By Gregg Keizer January 9, 2009 (Computerworld) Microsoft Corp. postponed the rollout of the Windows 7 beta today, citing "very heavy traffic" on its Web site.

First flying car prepares for take-off
The Terrafugia

Five top 2009 tech-gadget trends

Notebook Sales Outpace Desktop Sales
eWeek - 2 hours ago 122408
By Nathan Eddy As notebook sales surpass desktop sales for the first time in history, many small business owners may be tempted to jump to an Acer, Dell or even Apple portable.
A First: Notebooks Outnumber Desktops BusinessWeek
Notebook PCs Outsell Desktops for the First Time Bloomberg

Microsoft issues patch to fix IE
Microsoft has said that an emergency security update has fixed a flaw in Internet Explorer that left millions of computers vulnerable to hacking and hijack. ...

Microsoft offers another lifeline to XP
CBC.ca, Canada - 14 hours ago 122308
Microsoft Corp. is giving Windows XP yet another reprieve, this time allowing custom PC builders to continue to order the older operating system for their ...

Military adapting Nintendo Wii to control combat robots

Feds may mine blogs for terrorism clues
 

VHS' Days Appear Numbered CBS News

Goodbye VHS

CBS news report on the demise of VHS

Major undersea communication cables cut near Sicily
Geek.com - 3 hours ago
The reason for the cable breaks are unknown, but over the weekend they caused major communication problems for India, Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, ...
Ship's anchor may have severed undersea internet cable

Repairs begin on undersea cable
BBC News, UK - 7 hours ago
A French ship has begun repairing two undersea cables in the Mediterranean that were severed on Friday, disrupting internet and phone communications. ...

Trucker uncovers atomic secrets?

Killer asteroids could pose real danger

Scientist: Meteorite fall near Alberta-Sask. border could set record

Questions for Obama’s Science Team
New York Times - 121908
By Andrew C. Revkin Click above for a look at global investment in research on energy technology. Many experts see the need for at least triple this level of investment.
Obama Appoints Science Advisers SustainableBusiness.com
 

International Space Updates, November 2008
DailyTech - 5 hours ago
NASA extended shuttle Endeavour's mission at the International Space Station (ISS) an extra day so astronauts were able to work out all the kinks in a new system that converts astronauts' urine into drinking water.

iPhone app store tops 10000 apps, 300 million downloads
CNET News, CA - 29 minutes ago
Apple has announced catalog and download numbers for iPhone applications in the form of a full page ad which is ran in Friday's edition of The New York ...

Windows Vista SP2 beta, WS2K8 SP2 beta released
BetaNews - 2 hours ago 120508 3pm
By Scott M. Fulton, III, BetaNews The first public tests of Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 2 and Windows Server Service Pack 2 (both have the same kernel) were released this morning, and you can download them for yourself now.
Vista SP2 Beta Available For Public Download InformationWeek
Microsoft slaps Vista SP2 beta on Windows Update Computerworld

Microsoft warns of new Windows attacks
Computerworld, MA - 2 hours ago
By Gregg Keizer November 26, 2008 (Computerworld) Security researchers at Microsoft Corp. late yesterday warned of a significant increase in exploits of a ...

New worm exploiting MS08-067 flaw spotted in the wild
ZDNet - 1 hour ago
Microsoft’s Security Response Center and McAfee are warning on increased network scanning activity during the last couple of days courtesy of the very ...

Western Canadian Meteor Had Mass of 10 Tonnes- Scientiists
Meteor Lights Up Canada's Skies

Scientists Find Trigger for Northern Lights

Hawaii unveils plans for Better Place CNET News
DailyTech - 59 minutes ago
Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle has unveiled a plan for the island state to create an electric car network by 2012, helping rid the state of its heavy dependence on foreign oil.
Hawaii unveils plans for Better Place CNET News

Could it be a Blue Christmas for Blu-ray?
PC World - 2 hours ago
This holiday buying season is going to be the first big market challenge for Blu-ray. This will be Blu-ray's first holiday season as the unquestioned HD format leader, but with the economy in the state that it is, will it be able to actually manage to ...

Ocean currents can power the world, say scientists
A revolutionary device that can harness energy from slow-moving rivers and ocean currents could provide enough power for the entire world, scientists claim.
By Jasper Copping Last Updated: 2:39PM GMT 29 Nov 2008
The technology can generate electricity in water flowing at a rate of less than one knot - about one mile an hour - meaning it could operate on most waterways and sea beds around the globe.

All Is Bright for Jupiter, Venus
Washington Post - 23 hours ago
By Blaine P. Friedlander Jr. Unwrap a bounty of night-sky gifts this holiday season: visible planets, glorious conjunctions, a close-up full moon and a change of season.
Venus, Jupiter will 'shine' on Monday night MSNBC

Analyst: Mac, iPod discounts lower than expected
CNNMoney.com - Nov 28, 2008
NEW YORK (Associated Press) - Black Friday discounts were not as steep as expected on Apple Inc.'s computers and iPods, a sign that the company is confident in strong holiday sales, a Kaufman Bros.

Wii leads the way on healthy Black Friday
CNET News - 3 hours ago
Black Friday proved to be a relatively bright light in an economy largely characterized by dark, gloomy reports. Overall, retail sales for the day after Thanksgiving were up 3 percent from the same day in 2007, with preliminary estimates putting total ...

Wii Sales Pass 7 Million Units in Japan
PC World - 16 hours ago
As the second anniversary of the launch of Nintendo's Wii approaches sales of the console have passed the 7 million mark, according to figures released on Wednesday.

Scientists Find a Possible Cause of Aging
New York Times - 1 hour ago
By NICHOLAS WADE A new insight into the reason for aging has been gained by scientists trying to understand how resveratrol, a minor ingredient of red wine, improves the health and lifespan of laboratory mice.
More here... Harvard researchers gain new insight into aging Boston Globe

An unusually destructive hurricane season ends
CNN - 1 hour ago
(CNN) -- The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season ended Sunday, marking the finish of one of the busiest and costliest hurricane seasons ever.
More here... Hurricane season comes to end USA Today

Hoping to Draw Market Share With Touch Screens
New York Times - 2 hours ago
By JENNA WORTHAM and MATT RICHTEL This holiday, cellphone makers and carriers are pushing some shiny new toys: phones with touch-sensitive screens like the one on Apple’s iPhone.

BlackBerry Fan Longs For A Better Curve
Silicon Alley Insider - Nov 29, 2008
If we wanted a heavy, expensive 3G phone, we'd buy the BlackBerry Bold. If we wanted a touch-screen keyboard, we'd buy the iPhone.
High-profile Mac celebrities slam BlackBerry Storm ITworld.com

Unmanned Russian resupply spacecraft docks with ISS
Space Daily - 12 hours ago
An unmanned Russian resupply vehicle on Sunday docked with the International Space Station (ISS) carrying cargo ranging from scientific equipment to birthday presents, the RIA Novosti news agency said.

Videogames get set to go on vacation
Reuters - Nov 28, 2008
By John Gaudiosi RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) - With the holiday season fast approaching, videogame makers are making sure they have games and consoles handy for trains, planes and automobiles -- and so are holiday destinations.