EAGLES VS. DRONES

As tensions build between Russia and western Europe, France is developing a unique new counter-surveillance technique—the French Air Force is training four golden eagles to intercept any suspicious drones. The measure comes after reports indicate the Islamic State has successfully utilized drones in Iraq and Syria to plan and launch attacks. When asked about drones as national security threats, French Air Force General Philippe Adam commented, "the fact that they can take off close to the actual target which they could be aiming at gives you a short reaction time, even if the threat is a small-scale one.” In recent weeks, close-range encounters with Russian warplanes have kept French forces on full alert. The latest incident involved two Russian Blackjack bombers which breached European airspace near France’s coast. In another recent incident, British military craft were dispatched to monitor two Blackjacks that had approached English airspace.

Why Russia’s Military Adventures Worry Europe

http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/23/europe/russia-military-adventures-baltics/

#Birdforce #Dronekillers #NoFlyZones

WIRE HANGER WIFI BOOST

In houses and apartments with thick walls or large layouts, Wi-Fi signal strength can be a problem for users not situated near the wireless router. Pre-cable television viewers experienced similar signal reception issues, and found inventive ways to boost their signal strength, the most common of which involved using a metal coat hanger as a supplemental antenna. Now, plans have emerged for a simple, do-it-yourself Wi-Fi signal enhancement device involving common household materials and tools. The device, called a “biquad antenna”, requires supplies such as a CD spindle, a spare CD, and some coaxial cable, as well as the old standby, a coat hanger. Necessary tools include a pair of pliers, a wire cutter, a soldering iron, a hot glue gun and a box cutter. The site containing the biquad plans also features a wi-fi signal boost project that utilizes only a soda can.

D.I.Y Wi-Fi Booster

#Wi-Fix-its #NetworkHelpers #SignalStrength

THE CHROMEBOOK PRO IS HERE

Samsung has announced full details of its new Chromebook Plus and Chromebook Pro, two tablet-laptop hybrids designed to compete with Apple’s iPad Pro and Microsoft’s Surface Pro. Of initial note are the price points—at $449 and $549, the devices are now the most affordable offerings for users looking to enter the tablet-laptop market. Unlike past Chromebooks, both models now feature a stylus as well as a touchscreen and are capable of running phone and tablet Android apps. The new machines are also lighter than past models (as well as the 11” MacBook Air), and now feature all-metal designs. Chromebooks are among the simplest and cheapest of all industry laptops, necessitating only a Google account and basic computer understanding to use. In 2016 the devices outsold Macs for the first time ever, due in part to their dominance in the educational sector, where more than 20 million students now use the devices. 

CNET Chromebook Pro Review

https://www.cnet.com/videos/samsungs-new-chromebook-pro-hybrid-can-run-a-universe-of-android-apps/

#FutureComputing #ProBooks #LaptopWars

TWITTER'S ALGORITHM TWEAKS ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Twitter timeline streams have traditionally been organized by time-of-tweet rather than relevance-to-user, but the incorporation of a new display algorithm has slowly been changing the flow of things. Last year, after a failed attempt to sell the company led to disappointing stock prices and a greatly reduced user growth rate, a new display formula was introduced, with the intention of improving Twitter’s business growth. One year later, a mere 2% of users have opted out of the new display algorithm, and business seems to be growing as well. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey recently announced the platform had added 4 million monthly active users in the last quarter, and pointed out Twitter’s stock price is 4 points higher than it was in the first quarter of 2016. It can’t hurt either that the platform is now consistently in the global limelight, thanks to President Donald Trump’s ceaseless tweeting.

Twitter Timeline Algorithm

#TwitterChatter #TimelineRefiner #TwitterBiz

MOONBOOTS GET A MAKEOVER

As Apollo astronauts can attest to, spacesuits are awkward, bulky contraptions, not extremely conducive to easy walks on the moon. Given that the suits are hard to maneuver in, they’re also potentially dangerous, as an ill-timed fall could easily send a wearer into a rock and potentially breach the suit’s seal. To prepare for future Mars explorations, wherein astronauts could face falls in a gravity double that of the moon’s, MIT’s Main Vehicle Lab is developing a new, wearer-friendly incarnation of NASA’s traditional space boots. The originals are too thick for wearers to feel a potential obstacle before a fall begins, so to keep wearers on their feet, MIT is incorporating vibrating monitors that vibrate faster and faster as the boots approach an obstacle. And unlike their weighty predecessors, these boots incorporate 3-D printed bases, reducing their weight to one pound apiece.

NASA’s New Starliner Space Suits

#TheseBootsAreMadeForWalking #NASAKicks #Mars2030s