Mainstream News

Number of names on U.S. terrorist watch list jumps to 875,000

"The number of names on a highly classified U.S. central database used to track suspected terrorists has jumped to 875,000 from 540,000 only five years ago, a U.S. official familiar with the matter said. Maintained by the National Counterterrorism Center, the highly classified database is not a 'watchlist' but instead is a repository of information on people whom U.S. authorities see as known, suspected or potential terrorists from around the world." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNumber of names on U.S. terrorist watch list jumps to 875,000

Woman who killed officer in 1973 added to FBI’s ‘most wanted terrorist’ list

"A woman who killed a police officer 40 years ago and later fled to Cuba has been placed on the FBI’s list of 'most wanted terrorists,' US officials said Thursday. Law enforcement officials said Joanne Chesimard is the first woman ever to make the list, and one of only two to make the list accused of crimes carried out on US soil. US authorities say that on May 2, 1973, Chesimard, a member of the radical Black Liberation Army group, along with two accomplices, fatally shot the highway police officer during a traffic stop. She was convicted of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and other crimes in 1977 and sentenced to life in prison." Continue reading →

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FDA warns manufacturers of possible crackdown on caffeinated candies and snacks

"The US food and drug regulator on Friday called the addition of caffeine to children’s foods like chewing gum and jelly beans 'dangerous' and warned of a possible crackdown. Food and Drug Administration deputy commissioner Michael Taylor said the rise in such caffeine-added products outside the beverage industry was 'very disturbing,' after candy giant Mars Inc. announced a caffeinated version of its Wrigley gum. That was added last month to a slew of 'high energy' foods on the market sporting substantial added caffeine, including pancake syrups, instant oatmeal, waffles, potato chips, marshmallows and sunflower seeds." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFDA warns manufacturers of possible crackdown on caffeinated candies and snacks

‘The Single Most Valuable Document In The History Of The World Wide Web’

"Twenty years ago this week, researchers renounced the right to patent the World Wide Web. Officials at CERN, the European research center where the Web was invented, wrote: 'CERN relinquishes all intellectual property to this code, both source and binary form and permission is granted for anyone to use, duplicate, modify and redistribute it.' It's a dull sentence from a dull document. But that document marks the moment when the World Wide Web entered the public domain — a moment that was central to creating the Web as we know it today. Could the Web have been patented? And how would the world have been different if it had?" Continue reading →

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IRS Data Web Snares Mostly Low- and Middle-Income Taxpayers

"The IRS's next phase in high-tech tax collection will be to create a 'real-time' check of tax returns to 'match them to third party information.' Starting this year, the IRS tools will be able to track all credit card transactions. The agency has also instructed agents on using social media and e-commerce sites including eBay, as well as the rich data generated by mobile devices. Its computers are capable of scanning multiple networks at the same time to collect 'matching' comprehensive profiles for every taxpayer in America. Such profiles include shopping records, travel, social interactions, health records and files from other government investigators." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIRS Data Web Snares Mostly Low- and Middle-Income Taxpayers

Is your webcam spying on you?

"Last week, a Texas judge denied a warrant request from the FBI that would have enabled federal gumshoes to snoop through his webcam, raising a question: Should the FBI be allowed to spy on you through your webcam? An Ars Technica report noted that the practice requested by the bureau was similar to surveillance methods used by an online community called Ratters. Texas Judge Stephen Smith denied the FBI request because the methods used would not only give the FBI access to the camera, but it would give them full control of the suspect’s computer, allowing them to access other files." Continue reading →

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Britain signs agreement with off-shore havens to share tax information

"Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Montserrat and the Turks and Caicos Islands have agreed to 'much greater levels of transparency of accounts held in those jurisdictions', Britain’s Treasury said. The agreement means the jurisdictions have agreed to pass on names, addresses, dates of birth, account numbers, account balances and details of payments into the accounts. The jurisdictions will share the details with Britain but also with tax authorities in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Britain recently reached similar tax information-sharing agreements with Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBritain signs agreement with off-shore havens to share tax information

Arizona governor vetoes bill making gold legal tender

"Republican Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill late Thursday that would have made Arizona the second state in the nation to recognize gold and silver as legal tender. Brewer said she shared concerns with the measure's proponents about a declining dollar, but she said the proposal was sloppily put together and did not address basic issues such as how transactions usingprecious metals would be taxed. Brewer said it was unclear whether the state would have to exempt income tax related to a transaction involving precious metals under Senate Bill 1439. She said it could give businesses that buy and sell collectable coins an unfair tax advantage." Continue reading →

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Engineers build bug-eyed camera that sees the world as flies do

"Taking their cue from Nature, engineers have built a camera using stretchable electronics that scans the world like a fly’s compound eye — with a wide field of view and no distortion, they said Wednesday. The digital device, which has a multitude of tiny, pliable lenses like those found in ant, beetle, and lobster eyes, also allows for a near-infinite depth of field and high motion sensitivity, the team wrote in the journal Nature. 'We’ve figured out ways to make cameras that incorporate all of the essential design features of eyes found in the insect world,' study co-author John Rogers of the University of Illinois’ engineering department told AFP." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEngineers build bug-eyed camera that sees the world as flies do

Flight of the RoboBee: Tiny hovering robot creates buzz

"A robotic fly with a body not much taller than a penny standing on edge has taken to the air, passing its tests with flying colors. The Robobee, as it's called, is the smallest artificial insect yet flown, according to the team that built it. The tiny craft's success – the team that designed it said it was the first such object to fly in a controlled manner – represents a key step in developing insect-size drones that designers say could one day search collapsed buildings for survivors after a disaster, sample an environment for hazardous chemicals before humans are sent in, or pinpoint enemy soldiers or terrorists holed up in urban areas." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFlight of the RoboBee: Tiny hovering robot creates buzz