Science & Technology

Double standard: Apple implements the same anti-tracking technique used by Aaron Swartz, for which he was criminally prosecuted

RT
Sun, 22 Jun 2014 20:29 UTC

Apple is going to implement random MAC addresses technology in its iOS8 devices, an anonymity-granting technique which late computer prodigy Aaron Swartz was accused of using to carry out his infamous MIT hack.

Swartz, who faced criminal prosecution on charges of mass downloading academic documents and articles, was also accused of using MAC (Media Access Control) spoofing address technology to gain access to MIT's subscription database.

At the time of his suicide at the age 26, Swartz was facing up to 35 years in prison, the confiscation of assets and a $1 million fine on various charges.

Now computer giant Apple is installing a MAC address randomizing system into its products. The company announced that in its new iOS 8, Wi-Fi scanning behavior will be "changed to use random, locally administered MAC addresses."

'Magic island' appears out of nowhere on Titan, Saturn's biggest moon, then quickly disappears

Tomas Jivanda
The Independent, UK
Sun, 22 Jun 2014 19:48 UTC

© The Independent, UK
Scientist are baffled by images of planet-like Titan’s second largest sea, which appear to show an island materialise then disappear.

A "magic island" has mysteriously appeared out of nowhere in one of the hydrocarbon seas on Saturn's giant planet-like moon, Titan, only to later disappear.

Described as a bright "transient feature" by scientists, it is not clear what the object is, or how it appeared there. Theories include that it could be the result of waves or bubbles, or even buoyant solid matter.

The sea had appeared flat and completely devoid of features, including waves prior to 2013. But then the object, dubbed "magic island" by scientists, suddenly materialised before vanishing in later images.

The object was spotted in Ligeia Mare, Titan's second-largest sea, by radar images. The Cassini space probe which captured it has been exploring the Saturnian system since 2004.

Russian 'Satan' rocket blasts into orbit and successfully releases 33 satellites from 17 countries, including the U.S.

RT
Thu, 19 Jun 2014 16:30 UTC

Dnepr rocket also dubbed 'Satan' has blast off into earth's orbit carrying over 30 satellites from 17 countries, including the US. The rocket itself is of Russia-Ukraine make

Russia's Dombarovsky military air base saw the launch at 19:11 GMT Thursday, the 20th such rocket whizzing off into space.

Twenty-six minutes later, "all of the 33 satellites have separated from the rocket at the pre-set time and were put into their respective orbits," Kosmotras, the launch operator, said.

New Comet: P/2014 L3 (Hill)

Seiichi Yoshida
Aerith Net
Sun, 22 Jun 2014 16:21 UTC

Discovery Date: June 10, 2014

Magnitude: 18.0 mag

Discoverer: R. E. Hill (Catalina Sky Survey)

The orbital elements are published on M.P.E.C. 2014-L62.

The odd, tiny near-earth asteroid 2011 MD

Northern Arizona University
Thu, 19 Jun 2014 20:06 UTC

What seemed to be rock-solid assumptions about the nature of small asteroids may end in collections of rubble or even a cloud of dust, but in such findings lies the lure of the unexpected.

Northern Arizona University researchers David Trilling and Michael Mommert, while playing a well-defined role in the NASA Asteroid Initiative, are beginning to wonder if they have found a separate path of investigation.

The two researchers presented their findings about asteroid 2011 MD on Thursday during a NASA event updating progress on the path to capturing a small asteroid and relocating it for a closer look by astronauts in the 2020s.

What happens if the Earth stopped spinning?

Isaac Saul
Huffington Post
Fri, 20 Jun 2014 00:00 UTC

Sometimes it's easy to forget that the Earth and everything on it are rotating. But it's a good thing that our planet keeps spinning, because if it suddenly stopped it would unleash a torrent of catastrophes.

Just listen to what Michael Stevens has to say in this new installment of his Vsauce YouTube series.

"First of all, you would gain weight," Stevens says, a reference to the fact the Earth's rotation slightly offsets the effect of gravity. "But that would be the least of your worries."

Comment:

There are reports showing earth is not the only planet that is slowing down, other planets are too.

Earth's rotation slowing? A leap second

Scientists baffled to discover that Venus' spin is slowing down

Saturn's Rotation Observed to Slow Down, Instrumental Error Ruled Out

What is happening in the solar system that is contributing to this?. Readers may be interested to read the following article.

The Cs Hit List 07: Sun Star Companion, Singing Stones and Smoking Visions

Hubble's 4-year exploding star time lapse video

CNN
Wed, 18 Jun 2014 00:18 UTC

NASA's Hubble telescope captured the Monocerotis star's explosion and aftermath.

Are comets a bigger danger than asteroids?

Mike Wall
SPACE.com
Wed, 18 Jun 2014 06:27 UTC

Discussions about "death from above" scenarios usually center on asteroids, but a comet impact could be far more devastating than a space rock strike.

Near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) have Earth-like orbits, so their collisions with Earth tend to be glancing blows from behind or from the side. But comets travel around the sun in more random paths and can thus slam into the planet head-on, with potentially catastrophic results, researchers say.

"It would be a much bigger explosion, a much bigger crater, much more damage," impact expert Mark Boslough, of Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, said on June 5. He made the comment during a webcast produced by the online Slooh community observatory, which previewed the June 8 Earth flyby of the asteroid 2014 HQ124.

In fact, comets can be traveling up to three times faster than NEAs relative to Earth at the time of impact, Boslough added. The energy released by a cosmic collision increases as the square of the incoming object's speed, so a comet could pack nine times more destructive power than an asteroid of the same mass.

The speed of comets also means that a dangerous one could be nearly upon Earth by the time scientists detect it.

Earth's changing magnetism revealed

Press Association
Thu, 19 Jun 2014 11:48 UTC

© Press Association
Measurements made over the past six months confirm the general trend of the field's weakening, with the most dramatic declines over the western hemisphere.

These high-resolution images show the most recent changes in the magnetic field that protects our planet.

They have been released by the European Space Agency (ESA) from its three-satellite Swarm Mission which was launched last year.

Measurements made over the past six months confirm the general trend of the field's weakening, with the most dramatic declines over the western hemisphere.

In other areas, such as the southern Indian Ocean, the magnetic field has strengthened since January.

The latest measurements also confirm the movement of magnetic North towards Siberia.

These changes are based on the magnetic signals stemming from Earth's core.

Drone helicopter will target civilians

Nicolas West
Activist Post
Wed, 18 Jun 2014 00:00 UTC

The Orwellian use of non-lethal weapons that can have deadly results just got another boost. A South African company called Desert Wolf ("Be Anywhere, See Everywhere") has developed a drone called the Skunk Riot Control Copter which can be equipped with pepper spray and 4 high-capacity paint ball barrels to strafe the target crowd of protesters.

While this is the first announcement that states an intention to imminently deploy this type of weaponry, it is not the first of its type; non-lethal weapons-equipped drones have been in development for quite some time and are a hair's breadth away from seeing action across the planet.

The widespread acceptance of pepper spray - a chemical weapon that is stated as such by the founder of the product - has found its way into the hands of police and military the world over. As an increasing number of locations become flashpoints for unrest among worsening economic conditions and manufactured conflicts, the evolution of non-lethal weapons continues to be touted as a more humane way to address uprisings. The global drone arms race and the proliferation of non-lethal weapons creates a tempting integration of both technologies.

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Science & Technology

Double standard: Apple implements the same anti-tracking technique used by Aaron Swartz, for which he was criminally prosecuted

'Magic island' appears out of nowhere on Titan, Saturn's biggest moon, then quickly disappears

Russian 'Satan' rocket blasts into orbit and successfully releases 33 satellites from 17 countries, including the U.S.

New Comet: P/2014 L3 (Hill)

The odd, tiny near-earth asteroid 2011 MD

What happens if the Earth stopped spinning?

Hubble's 4-year exploding star time lapse video

Are comets a bigger danger than asteroids?

Earth's changing magnetism revealed

Drone helicopter will target civilians

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