for life and liberty

Long Shot: Inside the Scope of Smart Weapons

"The company made headlines in early 2013 when it unveiled the precision guided firearm(PGF). Think of it as a long-range, laser-guided robo rifle—as much Linux-based computer as traditional firearm. The PGF's closed-loop system comprises not just the gun itself, a custom Surgeon rifle, but also custom ammunition and, notably, a proprietary (and WiFi-enabled) scope. The technology packed into TrackingPoint's initial PGF package is so advanced that we'd heard it could have an inexperienced shooter, maybe even someone who hasn't ever fired a gun, putting lead on targets at over 1,000 away in mere minutes. Not lifetimes. Not years. Minutes." Continue reading →

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First Open Source Airplane Could Cost Just $15,000

"There’s an open source airplane being developed in Canada, and now its designers are turning to crowdsourced funding to finish the project. The goal of Maker Plane is to develop a small, two-seat airplane that qualifies as a light sport aircraft and is affordable, safe, and easy to fly. But unlike other home-built aircraft, where companies or individuals charge for their plans or kits, Maker Plane will give its design away for free. The group behind the project consists of pilots and engineers who are designing the airplane, allowing it to be built using the kind of personal manufacturing equipment somebody in the maker community might already have at home or can easily purchase." Continue reading →

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James Altucher: How To Break All The Rules And Get Everything You Want

"The key is that we were simply nice to everyone and didn't argue and were very thankful at everything we got to do. Don't break the laws. Don't kill people. Don't steal. But most other rules can be bent. If you act like the river, you ultimately flow past all the rocks along the way." Continue reading →

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Cyprus-Style Wealth Confiscation Starting To Happen All Over The Globe

"Private pension funds were just raided by the government in Poland, and a 'bail-in' is being organized for one of the largest banks in Italy. Unfortunately, this is just the beginning. The precedent that was set in Cyprus is being used as a template for establishing bail-in procedures in New Zealand, Canada and all over Europe. It is only a matter of time before we see this exact same type of thing happen in the U.S. as well. From now on, anyone that keeps a large amount of money in any single bank account or retirement fund is being incredibly foolish. Let's take a look at a few of the examples of how Cyprus-style wealth confiscation is now moving forward all over the globe." Continue reading →

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Dark Wallet: A Radical Way To Bitcoin

"In the Bitcoin world, where banks no longer serve as intermediaries between people and their money, bank accounts have been replaced by online 'wallets' that people can use to virtually store and send bitcoins. Wilson and Taaki’s project is a simple wallet designed to be easier to use for people who aren’t tech-savvy; they hope that in turn accelerates the currency’s rate of adoption around the world. The wallet will be open-source and free to use. Eventually, Wilson and Taaki hope to create a vast stable of Bitcoin-related tools. The goal, for Wilson, is similar to what he tried to do with the Liberator: use technology to remove government intervention from his life, and from the lives of like-minded people." Continue reading →

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3D-printed gun maker to launch Bitcoin wallet next

"We haven't heard the last of Cody Wilson, the creator of the controversial 3D printed gun that prompted an intervention by the US State Department. For the past two months, the anarchistic 25-year-old has been working on a piece of software designed to help people circumvent the government using the semi-anonymous virtual currency Bitcoin. Wilson's new product, made with Bitcoin entrepreneur Amir Taaki, is tentatively called Dark Wallet. Bitcoin users rely on digital 'wallets' to store their coins, but many wallets are confusing to use. Dark Wallet, which Wilson hopes to launch by February of 2014, will be a browser plug-in that is free, easy to install, and accessible even to non-technical users." Continue reading →

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Regulation Opens Door to FinTech Startup Opportunities

"Complying with existing regulations and coping with future regulatory changes represent the biggest opportunity for startups to break into the potentially lucrative world of FinTech (Financial Technology), according to two seasoned FinTech players who spoke at The Wall Street Journal Tech Cafe in London. 'The easiest way to start a business to work within the finance sector is to look for a regulation that is coming down the pipe and develop a solution for that thing,' said Kirk Wylie, co-founder of OpenGamma, an open-source analytics and risk management platform for the financial services industry. 'Anywhere you see new regulation is always a way for startups to make money.'" Continue reading →

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A Tale of Two Giants: The Elephant and the Dragon

"China and India are developing countries with vast growth potential. However, amid a liquidity boom, they over-marketed their potential, and nurtured and enjoyed a bubble ride. Their governments felt lucky and hoped that they could grow out of all their problems. Of course, bubbles cover up problems for a time and make them bigger after. As the global liquidity boom unwinds, investors need a better story to stay in emerging markets. Too much money around was good enough before. Now China and India need to convince investors that they can revive growth without a global liquidity boom." Continue reading →

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Jim Rogers: China investment opportunities today

"Environmental: 'China is horribly polluted…they are spending staggering amounts of money trying to clean up the pollution.' 'For the next 20 or 30 years, huge amounts of money are going to be spent, and therefore, profits made…somebody’s going to make a lot of money cleaning it up.' Agriculture: 'The Chinese government is spending staggering amounts of money on agriculture. Mao Tse-tung ruined Chinese agriculture, and they know it.' Tourism: 'They've not been able to travel for a few hundred years. Now they can get passports very easily…now they can take money out of the country very easily. One billion three hundred million Chinese! Great opportunities in Chinese tourism.'" Continue reading →

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