     |
With all the coverage of PRSIM and the NSA's data collection have been getting recently, it's no surprise that the US government is eager to rationalize its actions. The crux of the latest defense seems to be that the government isn't using its treasure trove of data very often: according to recently declassified documents, the NSA used the database to investigate less than 300 phone numbers last year. These efforts reportedly prevented terrorist actions in more than 20 countries.
It's a small assurance, but a vague one, and the NSA knows it -- according to the Associated Press, the organization is trying to get the records of these thwarted plots declassified to demonstrate the program's value to concerned citizens. The reveal of such data might be a convincing argument, but disquieting revelations continue to roll out: members of congress are now reporting that the NSA has acknowledged that it does not need court authorization to listen to domestic phone calls. Either way, we're certainly open to more government transparency.
Source: AP
| |
Want substantially better battery tech? Sometimes, you just have draw together the greatest heroes scientists and engineers and just hammer these things out -- and it helps when there's some money to splash around, too. The US government's awarding $120 million over five years to a new research hub that will draw together a handful of progressive independent research programs, coordinating five national labs, five universities and four private firms to push the humble power pack to new heights. These future advances may not be precisely geared toward making your phone go (even) further however, with energy storage improvements likely to feed into improved vehicle battery storage and charging and better ways to hold onto renewable energy sources. The hub management is being compared to the likes of AT&T Bell's transistor development, the Manhattan project and MIT's Lincoln lab that was responsible for the radar. So no pressure there then.
Filed under: Transportation, Science, Alt
Via: Gizmodo
Source: Energy.gov
Just last week, a Congress committee associated Huawei with "credible allegations" of "bribery, corruption, discriminatory behavior and copyright infringement." The report, of course, was part of the Legislative branch's ongoing concern of the company's alleged threat to national security. Today Huawei may have finally caught a break from the US government, albeit a somewhat backhanded one: according to Reuters, a White House ordered review says that there is no evidence of spying on the Chinese company's part. The other side of the hand lands when the report cites exploitable vulnerabilities in Huawei hardware -- one person familiar with the White House review said it found the company's equipment "riddled with holes," and susceptible to hacking. Security complaints aside, the government's old spying concerns are still there. "China has the means, opportunity and motive to use telecommunications companies for malicious purposes," said the House Intelligence Committee's Dutch Ruppersberger, explaining to Reuters that both Huawei and ZTE has pinned their limited cooperation on restrictions from the local government. Even if Huawei hasn't been caught spying, it's still something it could do -- and that's reason enough, it seems, for the US government to avoid doing business with the firm.
Update: White House spokesperson Caitlin Hayden told The Hill that no such investigation has been made, stating: "The White House has not conducted any classified inquiry that resulted in clearing any telecom equipment buyer as reported in Reuters," recalling the US government's exclusion of Huawei in the planning for America's interoperable wireless emergency network.
Filed under: Cellphones, Misc, Mobile
Reuters: White House finds no evidence of spying by Huawei, feels unsafe anyway (update: White House denies) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 19:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
Reuters, The Hill | Email this | Comments Alt-week peels back the covers on some of the more curious sci-tech stories from the last seven days.
Whether you've got your head in the clouds, or your feet firmly locked on terra firma (or is that terrorist firma?) the last seven days in Alt have something for you. We look at a massive aircraft, that could revolutionize air travel as we know it, as well as look back at a real-world project that heralded a significant shift even further up in the sky. There's the NASA logo that never came to be, and lastly, for those less fond of heights, we hear how a US government department is heading in the other direction -- albeit culturally -- all in the fight against terror. This is alt-week.
Continue reading Alt-week 7.21.12: Outer space, flying hotels and federal trolls
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Science, Internet
Alt-week 7.21.12: Outer space, flying hotels and federal trolls originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 21 Jul 2012 14:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments 
The government's US Ignite partnership aims to push the growth of next-generation broadband networks, teaming up with over 100 start-ups, universities and existing tech companies like HP, Comcast and Verizon for the project. The President is set to sign an executive order today that aims to cut the cost of broadband construction across federal roadways and properties by up to 90 percent. The White House is also is looking to improve "next-generation applications and (the) digital experience," running on networks that are a heady 100 times faster than what's in use today. The National Science Foundation has thrown in $250 million to assist the partnership's creation of a national 1-gigabit network that would connect together academic and developer hubs. Mozilla has decided to team up with the foundation to offer up a $500,000 prize pot for developers looking to help create the "internet of the future". The challenge aims on education, healthcare, public safety and other (admittedly broad) topics, with the top ideas capable of grabbing $15,000 from the prize fund. And if Google reckons gigabit networks are the way to go, who's the White House to argue?
White House aims to make internet '90 percent cheaper' to build, teams up with Mozilla for $500k competition originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 07:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink
Techcrunch | Mozilla Ignite, The White House | Email this | Comments 
iOS device security has regularly been a concern of the government, but locking down one of Apple's devices for the government is still fresh. Precise Biometrics hopes to have the problem licked through the Tactivo, a combo fingerprint and smart card reader for the iPhone 4 / 4S (and the iPad, in the summer). Either method keeps data inside an app away from prying eyes, and while they won't tighten the security around the built-in apps, they do make sure a third-party app's data meets US and international government privacy specs without having to use a BlackBerry. We're not surprised that the Tactivo needs to engulf the iPhone in a full case to work its magic, although there's a micro-USB port to keep it powered and synced up. It's all a bit much if you're just trying to make sure your list of high school crushes stays a secret, and the price reflects that -- at $249 a pop, the Tactivo is really meant for agencies and companies for whom losing the data on an iPhone would cost a lot more. Still, if you're running an outfit encouraging BYOD phone use or just really, really want your secret passions to stay private, both the iPhone case and a BioSecrets app are ready today.
Precise Biometrics' Tactivo for iPhone, iPad locks data by fingerprint and smart card, is overkill for your diary (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 May 2012 19:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |Tactivo case, BioSecrets (App Store) | Email this | Comments 
US government sticking with BlackBerry, appreciates RIM's focus on security originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
PermalinkThe Verge | The Washington Post | Email this | Comments