More than a century of oil and gas drilling has left behind millions of abandoned wells, many of which are leaching pollutants into the air and water. And drilling companies are likely to abandon many more wells due to bankruptcies, as oil prices struggle to recover from historic lows after the coronavirus pandemic crushed global fuel demand, according to bankruptcy lawyers,…
Tag: public safety
AG Barr Seeks ‘Legislative Solution’ To Make Companies Unlock Phones
stikves shares a report from Engadget: Last December, a Saudi Arabian cadet training with the U.S. military opened fire at Naval Air Station Pensacola, killing three soldiers and wounding eight others. The FBI recovered two iPhones, and after failing to access their data, asked Apple to unlock them. The company refused, but eventually the FBI unlocked at least one of them…
FCC To Vote On Adding 6Ghz Band To Wi-Fi 6 To Improve Speeds
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Gizmodo: Devices with Wi-Fi 6 started rolling out at the end of 2019, but now, a new vote proposed by the FCC could open up the 6Ghz band to unlicensed wifi and add a massive speed boost to wireless gadgets. Backed by Chairman Pai, the FCC vote is scheduled to take place on April…
An AI Surveillance Company is Watching Utah
An anonymous reader quotes Motherboard:
The state of Utah has given an artificial intelligence company real-time access to state traffic cameras, CCTV and “public safety” cameras, 911 emergency systems, location data for state-owned vehicles, and other sensitive data. The company, called Banjo, says that it’s combining this data with information collected from social media, satellites, and other apps, and claims its algorithms…
ACLU Sues To End ICE’s Rigged Algorithms That Keep Immigrants In Jail
A new lawsuit filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union and Bronx Defenders alleges that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses a rigged algorithm to detain virtually everyone ICE’s New York Field Office brings in, even when the government itself believes they present a minimal threat to public safety. The Intercept reports: The suit, which asks that ICE’s “Risk Classification…
Judge Forces America’s FCC To Seek New Public Feedback on Its Net Neutrality Repeal
“Earlier this week, the FCC successfully defeated Mozilla’s attempt to undo the commission’s repeal of net neutrality,” reports Engadget. “But, while siding with the body, judges have asked the FCC to determine if repealing the law to prevent a multi-speed internet has had any negative consequences.”
That includes checking if net neutrality repeal has harmed public safety, reduced spending in infrastructure or…
Fireworks, Long a German New Year’s Eve Tradition, Are Losing Their Luster
Fireworks have long been a staple of New Year’s Eve celebrations in Germany, with revelers setting off their own pyrotechnics in the annual reverie of booze and exuberance known in the country as “Silvester.” But for the first time this year, Berlin will join dozens of other German cities and communities in instituting a partial ban on private fireworks, with three…
California Gives a Green Light To Companies Testing Driverless Delivery Vehicles
An anonymous reader quotes a report from ZDNet: California has said it will now allow companies to test light-duty autonomous delivery vehicles on the state’s public roads. The State of California’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced the new regulations last week, which allows companies with a permit to operate autonomous delivery vehicles that weigh up to 10,001 pounds (4.54 tons)….
The California DMV Is Making $50 Million a Year Selling Drivers’ Personal Info
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Motherboard: The California Department of Motor Vehicles is generating revenue of $50,000,000 a year through selling drivers’ personal information, according to a DMV document obtained by Motherboard. DMVs across the country are selling data that drivers are required to provide to the organization in order to obtain a license. This information includes names, physical…
How Tech From Australia Could Prevent California Wildfires and PG&E Blackouts
“Technology developed to combat Australia’s deadly bushfires could slash California’s fire risk and reduce the need for PG&E’s ‘public safety power shutoffs’,” reports IEEE Spectrum. “See the video to watch an advanced power diverter cut off 22,000 volts of power in less than 1/20th of a second, preventing ignition of dry brush,” writes Slashdot reader carbonnation. IEEE Spectrum reports: California utility…