What would you send into space via a space post office?
Young children living the Western world will often spend December writing letters to be sent the North Pole in the hope of reaching Santa Claus. In China, however, people of all ages now have a new reason to get the pen and paper out again as China Post are now offering a service that sends letters into space…
Continue reading… “China Post beams letters into orbit via a Space Post Office”
Top Secret for years after the project was completed.
In the 1970s, during the heights of the Cold War, more than 1,000 engineers worked on a project so secret that they couldn’t tell their wives and children decades after it was over.
In September 2011, the project – a series of spy satellites so advanced that it could see objects about 2 feet wide from space (mind you, this was in the 1970s before the ubiquity of computers so the satellites were built with slide rules), was declassified and with it, the stories of the men who kept their secret for 45 years…
Continue reading… “Secrets of the Hexagon Spy Satellite”
Abraham Karem began tinkering with drones in his garage in 1980.
Abraham Karem, is an engineer who had emigrated from Israel. In 1980 he retreated into his three-car garage in Hacienda Heights outside Los Angeles and, to the bemusement of his tolerant wife, began to build an aircraft.
Continue reading… “Drones: garage invention spawns multibillion-dollar defense industry”
Hear no pandemic, see no pandemic, speak no pandemic.
The US government has approached the scientific journals Nature and Science in order to censor data on a lab-made version of bird flu, because it could potentially be used as a weapon. That’s not cool!
According to the Guardian, the US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) asked the journals to publish redacted versions of studies carried out by two research groups…
Continue reading… “The US Is Trying To Censor Scientific Journals”
A sign in Havre, Mont., notifies drivers of the city’s handheld cellphone ban, which took effect in October.
The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday called for a ban on all cellphone use by drivers saying its decision was based on a decade of investigations into distraction-related accidents, as well as growing concerns that powerful mobile devices are giving drivers even more reasons to look away from the road. This is the most far-reaching such recommendation to date.
Continue reading… “NTSB urges states ban all cellphone use by drivers”
Those annoying ultra-loud TV commercials will soon be a thing of the past.
Today, the Federal Communications Commission is expected to pass regulations requiring broadcasters and cable and satellite TV systems to maintain constant volume levels. The order will go into effect one year from today. The order “says commercials must have the same average volume as the programs they accompany,” says FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.
Continue reading… “Loud TV commercials will soon be a thing of the past”
The new bill will make it easier for entrepreneurs to raise capital and create jobs.
Have the Republicans and Democrats may finally agree on something? They have agreed that small business owners and entrepreneurs need better and more plentiful opportunities to gain access to capital, grow their businesses, and create more jobs.
Continue reading… “Crowdfunding bill to allow startups to fundraise online”
Greenpeace activists shout slogans during a protest.
The UK has spent more than $938.7 million on securing an international agreement on climate change and promoting green technologies in developing countries since April 2006, according to Government spending reports.
Concept vessel for Blueseed.
It can be hard to get a visa to live and work in the United States. It’s can even be hard for highly skilled immigrants and entrepreneurs looking to start businesses. Here is a startup with a plan and a very important backer that could change everything.
“‘Can You Crack It?’
“‘Can You Crack It?’ website has been set up by British GCHQ intelligence agency. GCHQ is looking for a few good spies. The intelligence service of the government of the United Kingdom, is looking for some web-savvy cyber-sleuths-to-be, and apparently decided a post on Craigslist wouldn’t quite do it.
Continue reading… “‘Can You Crack It?’ – British intelligence agency looking for a few good spies”
Money, money, who got the money.
Nicko from the Sunlight Foundation sez, “Before Americans open their wallets for Black Friday (and Cyber Monday), the Sunlight Foundation encourages consumers to first explore the connection between their spending and politics in Washington. Checking Influence, a secure bookmarklet that analyzes financial statements with one click, exposes the lobbying activities and campaign contributions of companies you frequent. ”
Continue reading… “Bookmarklet lets you know how the companies you buy from lobbied Congress”
Pakistan takes a stand on offending texts.
Texting is safe again: gone are offending words like “monkey crotch,” “love pistol,” and “flatulence” from ever invading your text messages, at least in Pakistan.
The guardians of linguistic purity there have issued a list of more than 1,000 words and phrases to be banned…
Continue reading… “Pakistan bans “Monkey Crotch” and other offensive words in text messages”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.