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May 11, 2016

America is ‘dropping cyberbombs’ – but how do they work — By Richard Forno and Anupam Joshi | The Conversation

Posted by in category: security

Soldiers wrapped up day two of an integrated cyber exercise between 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry, 14th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 201st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade, from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., supported by cyber augmentees from the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade from Fort Meade, Md., Oct. 21. Cyber information collected during the exercise enabled the Soldiers to isolate and capture a simulated high-value target in a mock village. The training integrates infantry ground units with cyber, signal and human intelligence collection capabilities, which gives units on the modern battlefield a broader capacity to search out and isolate their enemies in real time. (Photo by Capt. Meredith Mathis)

“Recently, United States Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work publicly confirmed that the Pentagon’s Cyber Command was “dropping cyberbombs,” taking its ongoing battle against the Islamic State group into the online world. Other American officials, including President Barack Obama, have discussed offensive cyber activities, too.”

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May 11, 2016

This Robot’s Teaching Itself to Twirl a Stick

Posted by in categories: information science, robotics/AI

If you’ve ever tried to learn how to spin a pencil in your hand, you’ll know it takes some concerted effort—but it’s even harder for a robot. Now, though, researchers have finally built a ‘bot that can learn to do it.

The reason that tasks like spinning a stick are hard is that a lot happens in a very short time. As the stick moves, the forces exerted by the hand can easily send it flying out of control if they’re not perfectly co-ordinated. Sensing where the stick is and varying the hand’s motion is an awful lot for even the smartest algorithms to handle based on a list of rules.

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May 11, 2016

The Information Age is over; welcome to the Experience Age

Posted by in categories: computing, electronics, internet

Twenty-five years after the introduction of the World Wide Web, the Information Age is coming to an end. Thanks to mobile screens and Internet everywhere, we’re now entering what I call the “Experience Age.”

When was the last time you updated your Facebook status? Maybe you no longer do? It’s been reported that original status updates by Facebook’s 1.6 billion users are down 21 percent.

The status box is an icon of the Information Age, a period dominated by desktop computers and a company’s mission to organize all the world’s information. The icons of the Experience Age look much different, and are born from micro-computers, mobile sensors and high-speed connectivity.

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May 11, 2016

Alphabet Chairman Testifies in Oracle Suit Against Google — By Quentin Hardy | The New York Times

Posted by in category: law

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“Eric E. Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, may have unique insight into the multibillion-dollar lawsuit filed against his company by another Silicon Valley heavyweight, Oracle Corporation.”

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May 11, 2016

Inside Walt Mossberg’s office: Seven products that changed everything — By Eric Johnson | Recode

Posted by in categories: computing, media & arts

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“In case you missed it, this week on the Recode Decode podcast, host and Recode co-founder Kara Swisher interviewed our other co-founder, Walt Mossberg, about the past and future of tech and media.”

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May 11, 2016

IBM Announces Magic Bullet To Zap All Kinds of Killer Viruses

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Working with Singapore researchers, IBM has engineered a chemical that blocks viruses like Zika, Ebola, dengue, influenza, herpes, and more.

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May 11, 2016

HoloFlex Holographic Smartphone

Posted by in category: mobile phones

The HoloFlex prototype is the world’s first flexible, holographic smartphone, and it’s remarkable.

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May 11, 2016

Scientists create coordinated molecular motors for future nanomachines

Posted by in categories: computing, electronics, nanotechnology

An international team of scientists has created molecular motors that can communicate and synchronize their movements.

The team, led by physicist Saw-Wai Hla of Ohio University, published an Advanced Online Publication today in the journal Nature Nanotechnology demonstrating that scientists can control the coordinated motions of tiny machines at the nanoscale. The research has implications for the future development of technologies that can be used in computers, photonics and electronics as well as novel nanoscale devices.

READ MORE ON OHIO UNIVERSITY | NEWS

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May 11, 2016

Just Right: Nine New Exoplanets Discovered in the ‘Goldilocks Zone’

Posted by in category: alien life

Not alone? Kepler and K2 Missions found 9 planets that can be just right for sustaining life. NASA — National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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May 11, 2016

These Five Exponential Trends Are Accelerating Robotics

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, transportation

If you’ve been staying on top of artificial intelligence news lately, you may know that the games of chess and Go were two of the grand challenges for AI. But do you know what the equivalent is for robotics? It’s table tennis. Just think about how the game requires razor sharp perception and movement, a tall order for a machine.

As entertaining as human vs. robot games can be, what they actually demonstrate is much more important. They test the technology’s readiness for practical applications in the real world—like self-driving cars that can navigate around unexpected people in a street.

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