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New radiation sensor developed
Scientists have created one of the most advanced radiation sensors in the world: an X-ray detector that can reveal the composition of materials in a fraction of a second
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Google's new privacy policy
“On its best day, with every ounce of technology the U.S. government could muster, it could not know a fraction as much about any of us as Google does now.”
Shelly Palmer, technology analyst -
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Taser rolls out redesigned wearable cameras
Last week Taser, the manufacturers of the electric stun guns, unveiled its newly remodeled wearable camera system which is sleeker and more advanced than its predecessor; the Axon Flex, introduced less than a year after the company rolled out its first wearable cameras, represents a significant upgrade
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U.S. Navy tests electromagnetic railgun launcher
The electromagnetic railgun launcher is a long-range weapon that fires projectiles using electricity instead of chemical propellants; magnetic fields created by high electrical currents accelerate a sliding metal conductor, or armature, between two rails to launch projectiles at 4,500 mph to 5,600 mph; the new railgun will allow the U.S. Navy to conduct precise, long-range naval surface fire support for land strikes, ship self-defense against cruise and ballistic missiles, and surface warfare to deter enemy vessels
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Smartphone biometric security market set to grow five-fold in three years
A new report projects that the market for mobile phone biometrics will grow more than five times in the next three years
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Startup developing eye blood vessel biometrics
Smartphone users could soon be using the whites of their eyes as their passwords. EyeVerify, a Kansas City-based startup, has developed eye biometrics that use a smartphone’s camera to analyze a user’s blood vessels around their irises
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Cheaper natural gas leads to reduced U.S. carbon emissions
In the United States, lower emission from power plants in 2009 was driven by competitive pricing of natural gas versus coal; Harvard University researchers develop a model which identifies the relationship between the cost of electricity generation from coal and gas and the fraction of electricity generated from coal
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Universal Detection developing smartphone radiation scanner for food
In the wake of Japan’s nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi atomic energy plant, concerns over contaminated food supplies have swept the nation, sparking Universal Detection Technology to develop a smartphone radiation detector specifically designed for comestibles
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SOUTHCOM deploys radar that sees through foliage, rain, darkness, and dust storms
Lockheed Martin’s TRACER is a light weight, low-frequency synthetic-aperture radar that can peer through foliage, rain, darkness, dust storms, or atmospheric haze to provide real-time, high-quality tactical ground imagery; U.S. Southern Command has just deployed the penetrating radar to support the Command’s counter-terrorism and humanitarian assistance missions, and disaster relief operations
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E-Verify Self Check now available nationwide
Starting yesterday, job hunters in every state across the United States can use Self Check to confirm their employment eligibility status
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Middle school robotics team develops solution to food poisoning
A group of eight middle school students in California has developed an electrolyzed water vending machine that can cheaply and effectively reduce food contamination
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Demand for Israeli security solutions remains strong -- and is growing
Homeland Security NewsWire’s executive editor Eugene K. Chow recently spoke with Koby Tanzer, a partner at Indigo Strategic Partners, an investment firm that specializes in the Israeli security and defense sector; in the interview, Tanzer discusses Indigo’s investment philosophy, how the global recession has affected defense and homeland security spending, trends in the global homeland security market, mobile device-based security solutions, and more
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Kansas fights to keep bio lab project alive
Still reeling from the shock of finding out that the administration’s budget proposal does not contain any construction funds for the $650 million Bio Lab Level 4 facility in their state, Kansas political and business leaders vowed to fight to keep the project alive, including looking for alternative funding sources; the bio lab was considered the anchor of what is called an Animal Health Corridor stretching from Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, to the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri
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Raytheon unveils new law enforcement tech center
Last week Raytheon opened the doors for the first time to its new state of the art law enforcement technology center in Downey, California
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GovSec Conference focuses on key security challenges
This year’s annual GovSec Security Conference and Expo aims to train the nation’s law enforcement officials on how to tackle the most pressing national security threats facing the United States
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The long view
U.S. contemplates responses to a cyber-Pearl Harbor attack on critical infrastructure
Cybersecurity experts often contemplate how U.S. security agencies would react to a cyber-9/11 or a digital Pearl Harbor, in which a computer attack would unplug the power grid, disable communications lines, empty bank accounts, and result in loss of life. “Ultimately, it absolutely could happen,” says one expert. “Yeah, that thought keeps me up at night, in terms of what portion of our critical infrastructure could be really brought to its knees.”
To bolster the world’s inadequate cyber governance framework, a “Cyber WHO” is needed
A new report on cyber governance commissioned by Zurich Insurance Group highlights challenges to digital security and identifies new opportunities for business. It calls for the establishment of guiding principles to build resilience and the establishment of supranational governance bodies such as a Cyber Stability Board and a “Cyber WHO.”
More money, different approach offer opportunities to border security tech companies
The number of border agents has reached roughly 21,000, up from 5,000 two decades ago. In fiscal year 2012, spending for border and immigration enforcement totaled almost $18 billion — 24 percent more than the combined budgets of the FBI, the DEA, the Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (total: $14.4 billion). One major trend driving the border security industry is the government’s shift from large-scale border security infrastructure projects to small unit security systems.
Coastal communities can lower flood insurance rates by addressing sea-level rise
City leaders and property developers in Tampa Bay are urging coastal communities to prepare today for sea-level rise and future floods in order to keep flood insurance rates low in the future. FEMA, which administers the National Flood Insurance Program(NFIP), is increasing flood insurance premiums across the country, partly to offset losses from recent disasters such as hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. Cities can reduce insurance premiums for nearly all residents who carry flood coverage by improving storm-water drainage, updating building codes to reflect projected rise in sea-levels, moving homes out of potentially hazardous areas, and effectively informing residents about storm danger and evacuation routes.
Changing human behavior key to tackling California drought: Expert
California is experiencing a drought that has gone far beyond a “dry spell,” and the state has imposed the first water restriction in state history, aiming to cut back on water consumption by 25 percent. One expert says that strict water conservation measures are long overdue, and that “what is happening is a realization that you can’t simply transplant another ecosystem onto a California desert system or arid southwestern system. In a sense, California and much of the U.S. southwest are living beyond their ecological means. Certain lifestyles have been adopted and crops are being grown that are not endemic or sustainable for this particular bioregion.” He adds: “This is a moment for not just cutting off personal water use and turning the tap off when you’re brushing your teeth, as important as that is. This is a moment of reflection, invitation and, I hope, legislation that will cause people to think about water use in the industrial sector too. This is for the long-term prosperity of the state and sustainability of the ecosystem.”