Astrophysicists design ‘radically different’ world map

You know the old problem of how to portray the round globe of Earth on a flat map? Now a trio of map experts has worked together to solve this problem. Their new map is 2-sided and round. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/astrophysicists-new-design-world-map…

Top Banks Join Linux and Open-Source Patent Protection Group

ZDNet reports:
When it comes to defending the intellectual property (IP) rights of Linux and open-source software, global leading banks aren’t the first businesses to come to mind. Things have changed. Barclays, the London-based global corporate and investment bank, and the TD Bank Group, with its 26-million global customers, have joined the leading open-source IP defense group, the Open Invention Network (OIN)….

US Navy Has Patents on Tech It Says Will ‘Engineer the Fabric of Reality’

The U.S. Navy has patents on weird and little understood technology. According to patents filed by the Navy, it is working on a compact fusion reactor that could power cities, an engine that works using “inertial mass reduction,” and a “hybrid aerospace-underwater craft.” From a report: Dubbed the “UFO patents,” The War Zone has reported that the Navy had to build…

The bizarre ‘UFO patents’ of Dr Salvatore Pais

Over the years, the US Navy had invested large sums into the development of several ‘out there’ technologies. Declassified documents obtained through … Source: https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/343410/the-bizarre-ufo-patents-of-dr-salvatore-pais…

Canon Patents an Osmo-style Camera With Interchangeable Lenses

Canon could take a page from DJI’s playback for its next camera. From a report: The company has filed a patent, first spotted by Canon News, that showcases a handheld camera that combines an Osmo Pocket-like design with its RF series of mirrorless lenses. The camera features a swivel mechanism that allows the sensor and lens mount to easily switch between…

‘Save Europe from Software Patents’, Urges Nonprofit FFII

Long-time Slashdot reader zoobab shares this update about the long-standing Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure, a Munich-based non-profit opposing ratification of a “Unified Patent Court” by Germany: The FFII is crowdfunding a constitutional complaint in Germany against the third attempt to impose software patents in Europe, calling on all software companies, independent software developers and FLOSS authors to donate. The…

Microsoft Also Patented Tech to Score Meetings Using Filmed Body Language, Facial Expressions

Remember when Microsoft was criticized for enabling “workplace surveillance” over “productivity scores” in its Microsoft 365 office software which gave managers highly detailed profiles of each individual employee’s activity. Long-time Slashdot reader theodp writes:
The Microsoft 365 Productivity Score apparently has roots in another Microsoft patent application for Systems, Methods, and Software for Implementing a Behavior Change Management Program, which also lays…

Struggling Electric Jet Startup Zunum Sues Boeing For Fraud and Misuse of Trade Secrets

Kirkland, Washington-based aviation startup Zunum Aero filed a lawsuit this week accusing Boeing of fraud, technology theft, breach of contract, and misappropriation of trade secrets. The company, which had received millions of dollars from the venture arms of Boeing and JetBlue, said it would be ready to fly its 12-seat hybrid electric jets by 2022. Instead, it ran out of cash…

Vestager Seeks Patents Overhaul Amid Court Fights Over Cars

The European Union will seek to overhaul the system for key patents such as those that have fueled legal battles between car makers and technology companies, the EU’s technology chief said Wednesday. From a report: Margrethe Vestager promised that regulators will weigh reforms to improve the framework in place for so-called standard-essential patents and work on industry-led initiatives “to reduce frictions…