Category Archives: Technology

Technology, U.S.

U.S. media lying about Osama bin Laden DNA, someone screwed up the test

“Given what I’ve seen so far, there have been some inconsistencies in what’s been presented, and the reason for that is unknown at this time.”-Bruce Budowle, University of North Texas

A Dallas/Fort Worth DNA expert says no DNA evidence, of Osama bin Laden, has been released by the U.S. government.  Bruce Budowle is a Professor at University of North Texas, Health Science Center’s Department of Forensic and Investigative Genetics (whew).

If Budowle’s University credentials aren’t enough, he spent 26 years doing forensics work for the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation).

He believes someone screwed up the DNA test. The DNA might not be bin Laden’s, but a close relative: “We’ve heard that it’s from his sister in Boston, that’s one explanation, and someone else said he only has a half sister and not a full sister, yet they had a 99.99 percent certainty. That alone says there was something done to the calculations.”

Budowles speculates that the government does not have a direct DNA sample of bin Laden, and is using DNA from relatives to try an identify the body they dumped in the Arabian Sea: “That’s where the problem comes in. Right now, anything is just speculation or at best misunderstood.”

International, Technology, U.S.

Pakistan to give China downed U.S. stealth Blackhawk, U.S. Congress threatens end to financial aid for Pakistan

One of the helicopters used in the May 2 assassination of Osama bin Laden could be a modified Blackhawk.

According to an Air Force Times article, the helicopters are modified MH-60 Blackhawks, similar to the Direct Action Penetrator.  However, analysts with Janes Defense point out that the tail section of the copter that crashed does not match that of the Blackhawk.  Officials will not tell what kind of helicopter it was.

Pentagon officials are demanding that Pakistan give the copter back, but Pakistan has another plan.  They may use the high tech helicopter in a deal with China.  Some reports say all that’s left of the helicopter is the tail section.

U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, from California, has introduced a bill that would end financial aid to Pakistan if they don’t return the damaged helicopter remains.  U.S. Senator John Kerry, from Massachusetts, is set to visit Pakistan to discuss issues surrounding the May 2 operation.

Business/Economics, International, Technology

Argentina bans Smokeless cigarettes, U.S. FDA will treat them as real cigarettes

Argentina has banned smokeless cigarettes (aka electronic cigarettes), because there is no proof they help people stop smoking real cigarettes.

Electronic cigarette makers say their product is not dangerous, but Argentina says some of the aerosols used in the cigarette actually contain nicotine.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration lost a court battle to regulate the e-cigarettes as “drug delivery devices”.  Now the FDA says it will regulate the e-cigarettes as if they were real cigarettes.

Some U.S. states have banned smoking the e-cigarettes indoors, because they can contain nicotine.

It seems the makers of the electric cigarette don’t understand the problem with real cigarettes; they contain nicotine and are addictive.  So how can they claim you can quite smoking if their product contains nicotine?

Technology

Symantec finds big hole in Facebook, free access to thousands of accounts

Computer security firm Symantec, discovered a hole in Facebook’s security system, allowing third parties to access at least 100,000 accounts.

“We estimate that over the years, hundreds of thousands of applications may have inadvertently leaked millions of access tokens to third parties.”-Nishant Doshi, Symantec

Symantec says they contacted Facebook officials about the problem, and Facebook says they will fix it.

International, Technology

Like Bananas? They might become extinct no thanks to Black Sigatoka, more food crisis woes

Ecuadorian scientists want to create a genetically modified Banana.  They say it’s the only way to keep Bananas in their country from going extinct.

“…something that we can be sure of is that the Sigatoka will not lose its battle.  As soon as we can get a new fungicide, the disease becomes more resistance. Replacing the Cavendish banana (dominant variety today) for another type, by genetic engineering, is the only answer.”-Emile Frison, International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain

Apparently the use of fungicides has resulted in a super fungus that is resistant to chemicals.  Ecuadorian officials are warning against using too much fungicide.

Another motivator for a GMO Banana, is competition.  Farmers say they just can’t make enough money on each box of Bananas,  mainly because of the cost of fighting the fungus Black Sigatoka.

International, Technology

Proof the Japanese need to be more social; Japanese scientists build cyber ‘french’ kissing machine

Japanese scientists are working on a cyber ‘french’ kissing machine.  The machine works by sensing the actions of your tongue, then transmitting that to another machine across the internet.

It’s hoped that the machine will help Japanese people to interact more intimately over the internet  (maybe they should get out more?).  Scientists hope to recreate “…the sense of taste, the manner of breathing, and the moistness of the tongue.” At first it sounds pathetic, but wait, there is a profit motive; marketing ideas include getting a kiss from your favorite celebrity.

Why a french kissing machine?  Scientist say it’s still too hard to mimic the movements of lips.

Technology, U.S.

Facebook denies acting as government spy, but, at the same time confirms it

“We don’t respond to pressure, we respond to compulsory legal process. There has never been a time we have been pressured to turn over data — we fight every time we believe the legal process is insufficient. The legal standards for compelling a company to turn over data are determined by the laws of the country, and we respect that standard.”-Facebook spokesman

That’s the response from Facebook, who says they do not ‘automatically’ process info for governments.  Julian Assange, of WikiLeaks, says he has evidence that social media sites have had to deal with so many requests by governments, for user’s account info, that they simply hand it over automatically.

However, Facebook does not deny that they hand the government info on users, in fact Facebook has a specific department for that, called “CIPP-certified professionals”.  The CIPP is supervised by two former federal cyber crime prosecutors.

Facebook also admitted that they would like to deal with less of these cases, and, are looking for a legal way not to comply with government demands for info.