Lifeboat Foundation

In a press conference at the University of Chicago, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) unveiled a report that lays out a blueprint strategy for the development of a national quantum internet, bringing the United States to the forefront of the global quantum race and ushering in a new era of communications. This report provides a pathway to ensure the development of the National Quantum Initiative Act, which was signed into law by President Trump in December 2018.

Around the world, consensus is building that a system to communicate using quantum mechanics represents one of the most important technological frontiers of the 21st century. Scientists now believe that the construction of a prototype will be within reach over the next decade.

In February of this year, DOE National Laboratories, universities and industry met in New York City to develop the blueprint strategy of a national quantum internet, laying out the essential research to be accomplished, describing the engineering and design barriers and setting near-term goals.

Electricity could be beamed to your home using microwave technology instead of copper lines.

Facebook is taking another stab at stealing some video viewing hours from YouTube by launching official music videos in the US.

Starting this weekend, users will be able to watch videos from some of their favorite artists across genres. For that, the company has patterned with some major record labels including Sony Music, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Merlin, BMG, Kobalt, as well as many across the independent music community, and publishers.

Facebook had already tested out official music videos in India and Thailand through partnerships with local labels. Those partnerships also helped the platform with music for certain Facebook and Instagram features.

That’s a wrap on SpaceX’s crewed demo mission, which clears the way for the company to regularly launch astronauts for NASA.

Solar power, hydrogen fuel from seawater, automatic wingsails, a 6 year journey.

The Energy Observer set sail on a six-year world tour in 2017, testing new technologies, from onboard hydrogen electrolysis to fully-automated sails. It’s hoped the rugged ocean environment will prove the techs’ durability and usefulness at home.

Continue reading “First boat to make its own hydrogen fuel from seawater” »

WATCH: Administrator post-splashdown news conference at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

More information: https://bit.ly/3glajLa

Companies like Google and Facebook don’t have to charge you for their product, because you are the product they’re selling—or at least your data is. One individual’s internet habits, shopping tendencies, and interests aren’t that valuable, but when Google owns that data for the majority of internet users the value is enormous. Like Google and Facebook, Amazon understands how profitable data can be and their Alexa service on Echo devices is one avenue to gather it. MSCHF’s Alexagate is a device you can attach to your Amazon Echo to prevent it from listening to your conversations until you’re ready.

Amazon, like Google and Apple, denies that they use Alexa to spy on customers’ conversations. But there is quite a lot of evidence to the contrary. Even in the unlikely event that they’re telling the truth, Amazon is absolutely tracking your Alexa usage data. The Alexagate device physically prevents an Echo device from hearing anything you’re saying until you deactivate the audio blocking capability in order to intentionally issue a command. This is very similar to Bjørn Karmann’s Project Alias device that we covered a couple of years ago. Project Alias was just a concept prototype, but Alexagate is a real product that you can order right now.

Alexagate is an attractive yellow device that sits on top of your Amazon Echo (first generation through third generation). When you don’t want Amazon listening to you through the Alexa service, the device emits ultrasound pulses through transducers directed towards the Echo’s microphone. Those can’t be heard by the human ear, but they are picked up by the Echo and drown out whatever conversation is happening in the area. When you do want Alexa to listen to you, you just clap three times or tap Alexagate three times to temporarily deactivate the ultrasound transducers. The limited edition Alexagate device costs $99 — possibly more than you spent on the Echo itself, but that’s a small price to pay if you value both your privacy and the convenience that Alexa offers.

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WATCH: WKRG News 5 is covering the historical SpaceX Return in the Gulf Coast.

Crews are in position to capture this memorable event near Pensacola. The splashdown is scheduled around 1:40 PM.

Continue reading “Splashdown Pensacola” »

Sao Paulo State Governor Joao Doria displays a box of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by the Chinese company Sinovac Biotech at the Hospital das Clinicas (HC) in Sao Paulo State, during its trial stage, during a press conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on July 21, 2020 amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. — The vaccine trial will be carried out in Brazil in partnership with the Brazilian Research Institute Butanta. (Photo by Nelson ALMEIDA / AFP) (Photo by NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP via Getty Images)