Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: transportation

No source of energy is perfect and one of the traditional drawbacks of solar energy has been that it’s tough to generate new power when it’s dark outside. However, SolarCity announced this week that it’s taken a big step toward fixing this problem by agreeing to use Tesla’s 52 MWh Powerpack lithium-ion battery storage system for its massive solar power project that it’s building in Hawaii for the Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC). SolarCity, of course, is chaired by Tesla CEO Elon Musk so the decision to go with the Powerpack is pretty convenient for both companies.

MUST READ: The FBI has laid a clever trap for Apple

SolarCity says it believes that its collaboration with Tesla will produce “the first utility-scale system in the U.S. to provide dispatchable solar energy, meaning that the utility can count on electricity being available when it’s needed, even hours after the sun goes down.” To be clear, using the Powerpack won’t completely eliminate the need for non-solar resources at night since it’s projected to feed up to 13 megawatts of electricity onto the grid, which will only reduce the amount of power used by non-renewable sources.

Read more

Northrup Grumman’s new Cyber Situational Awareness (CSA), which is a set of web-based tools designed to visualize, understand, and share cyber databases being showcase at the WEST 2016 navel conference on February 17.

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has announced that it will be showcasing key naval capabilities at the WEST 2016 navel conference on February 17, 2016. The corporation will unveil its full-spectrum cyber solutions, biometric defense solutions, unmanned aircraft and much more at the event. WEST 2016 is co-sponsored by AFCEA and the US Naval institute in San Diego. Northrop Grumman is a platinum sponsor of the conference, which is themed “how we make the strategy work.”

The defense contractor will be showcasing its sea serving operations and capabilities that will help the US armed forces combat challenges and difficulties more efficiently. It is also expected to display how it integrates cyber-technology into all of its defense segments. The key highlight of its cyber-suite is its Cyber Situational Awareness (CSA), which is a set of web-based tools designed to visualize, understand, and share cyber databases.

Northrop Grumman is committed to building resilience into its cyber solutions to protect and defend critical information of the armed forces. The cyber solution focuses on delivering complete end-to-end mission capabilities, including situational awareness, real-time mission analytics and damage assessment, and utmost integrated security. The defense contractor’s Blue WASP software tool will also be on display at the conference. The tool alerts navy boats of attacks against US navy vessels.

Read more

US Navy fighting the real war that is ramping up by unpluging from certain networks. Well, that is an option; but also very limiting to “sneaker net” information file transfers. Definitely not uncommon across other areas of government.

SAN DIEGO — For the Navy, the best defense against a high-tech enemy may be a low-tech strategy.

After decades of building equipment, aircraft and ships designed to communicate with each other and back to shore, the Navy is now looking to “selectively disconnect” its systems to minimize vulnerability to cyberattacks, said Rear Adm. Lorin Selby, commander of the Naval Surface Warfare Center.

“We’re going back now and trying to selectively disconnect things and slow down some of these connections and only do it where we think it makes sense, where it’s safe to do it,” Selby told an audience at the AFCEA West conference in San Diego. “We’ve got to be more judicious with the things we connect to the internet or to shore, those kinds of vulnerabilities.”

Read more

HYDERABAD: Telangana police and Assam police nabbed an online fraudster in Guwahati on Thursday, even as the culprit tried to open fire at the police party.

A team of Cyberabad Cyber wing police had been camping in Guwahati for the last two days to nab one Vipul, wanted in a Rs 76-lakh online fraud case. He would send emails promising to get contracts in corporate companies, but after collecting money he would cheat the aspirants. The Cyberabad police party called Vipul on the pretext of some business deal to trap him. Crime wing officials and Assam police were waiting in a car for Vipul, who arrived in a Scorpio car.

However, Vipul got alert after seeing the police party and sped away from the location. On seeing the culprit slipping from the location, police chased his car.

Read more

There is a need for a larger “official and governmental” review and oversight board for drones, robots, etc. due to the criminal elements; however, any review needs focus more on the immediate criminal elements that can use and is using this technology plus how to best manage it. Like guns; we may see a need for background check and registration & license to have drones and certain robots as a way to better vet and track who can own a drone or robot.

At AAAI-16, a panel discussed the safety that will be necessary when it comes to autonomous manned and unmanned aircraft. Here’s what you need to know.

Read more

Radio Flyer has partnered with Tesla Motors to release a miniature Model S electric car for children. The vehicle has a top speed of six miles per hour, advanced battery technology, working headlights, a sound system, and other Model S inspired design elements.

The tiny cars will begin shipping in May 2016, and customers can preorder and build their little Model S now. The preorder process involves picking the color as well as optional spare batteries, a cover, and customizable license plate and parking sign.

Tesla for Kids Logo

Read more

And, who said Transformers were only in movies — think again.

A shape-shifting robot could work alongside human troops to bring military capabilities to the next level. The unmanned ground vehicle developed by Estonian defence company Milrem has an adaptable build, so components can be swapped out to suit the needs of different missions

A shape-shifting robot could work alongside human troops to bring military capabilities to the next level. The unmanned ground vehicle developed by Estonian defence company Milrem has an adaptable build, so components can be swapped out to suit the needs of different missions.

Read more

And, this is only going to get worse with the newer AI technology until we can get a handle on hacking and tracking of AI such as bots and cars.

Virtual extortion is causing havoc as cyber criminals target companies of all sizes for ransom, according to the FBI. Here’s what needs to be done.

Read more

Government and tech + telecom & ISPs need to come to an agreement in how to ensure innocent people’s privacy are respected. When a person murders, stalk, threaten, kidnap, and/ or assault a person then we have a responsibility first to protect the innocent public. And, with the resistance being displayed by Apple, are we running the risk of further alienating the consumers and business customers more when it comes to releasing AI like robots, self driving cars, etc. onto the public where criminals can buy AI technology and use it to hurt others?

We really need to be addressing these issues soon.

Tim Cook is playing a dangerous game of brinkmanship with the U.S. government. In the process, he may set in motion political and judicial processes that will endanger the security of all our mobile devices.

First, let me say that I agree with the spirit of Mr. Cook’s open letter rebuffing a court order that Apple Inc. create a new version of the iPhone’s operating system to allow the Federal Bureau of Investigation to access the…

To Read the Full Story, Subscribe or Sign In.

Read more