LA Is Turning Wazers Into Hit-and-Run Vigilantes

Waze works by requiring its users to manually report what they see on the road: traffic jams, potholes, speed traps. Now the City of Los Angeles will ask its Wazers to be vigilant about reporting one more thing: The vehicles possibly involved in hit-and-run collisions. Read more…

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LA Is Turning Wazers Into Hit-and-Run Vigilantes

Seattle Cops Hire the Programmer That Demanded All Their Body Cam Video

The Seattle Police have hired the programmer who inundated the departmen t with requests for footage from the city’s police body camera program last year, and then later, requested nearly every email Washington State government ever sent. If you can’t beat ‘em, hire ‘em. Read more…

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Seattle Cops Hire the Programmer That Demanded All Their Body Cam Video

How This Tiny Colorado Startup Plans To Dethrone Gore-Tex

For nearly 50 years, Gore-Tex has defined rainwear. But now, thanks to an innovative new process that builds water resistance straight into any item of clothing, Voormi is aiming to end that domination. Here’s how their technology works. Read more…

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How This Tiny Colorado Startup Plans To Dethrone Gore-Tex

‘Be My Eyes’ App Crowdsources Help For the Blind

An anonymous reader writes: A new not-for-profit app, Be My Eyes, aims to help the visually-impaired by connecting them with volunteer users who can support them in their daily lives via live video calls. Once downloaded, Be My Eyes asks the user to identify as blind or sighted, to see if you require help or are offering it. When a blind person requests assistance the app scans the system for an available volunteer. The blind user connects with the volunteer over a video call and points to the item they would like described. Be My Eyes was created by Hans Jørgen Wiberg, a visually-impaired entrepreneur, at a startup event. Wiberg teamed up with Robocat, the Danish software studio behind Haze and Thermo, to make his vision a reality. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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‘Be My Eyes’ App Crowdsources Help For the Blind

700-Year-Old Cold Case Clue Found in Mummy Poop

In 1329, an Italian nobleman and dear friend of Dante suffered a particularly horrid bout of diarrhea that—it being the 14th century and all—promptly killed him at the tender age of 38. But now, thanks to Cagrande della Scala’s exhumed, mummified corpse and the 700-year-old poop found therein, we know this wasn’t your normal, everyday bout of fatal feces. This was murder. Read more…

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700-Year-Old Cold Case Clue Found in Mummy Poop

US Army Could Waive Combat Training For Hackers

An anonymous reader sends word that the U.S. Army may adjust some of its training practices and rules in order to attract the best “cyber warriors” available. “New U.S. Army cyber warriors could be spared the rigors of combat training to help the Pentagon attract badly needed recruits from the ponytail wearing Google generation, a top American general has suggested. Lt Gen Brown, commander of the US Army Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, said: ‘We need to give serious consideration to how the US Army could combine the technical expertise of the “Google” generation with its more traditional military skills. In order to gain an intellectual advantage over adversaries in cyberspace, we will need to tap into a talent pool that may not fit the stereotypical soldier profile. Our goal is to recruit the best talent possible.'” This is not the first time there has been talk about loosening requirements to fill these roles. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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US Army Could Waive Combat Training For Hackers

Wall.e Restaurant Staffed With Robots Opens in China

Yet another new restaurant with robot servers has opened in China. And the owners seem determined to test Disney’s patience with intellectual property laws. Why? The name of the restaurant is apparently Wall.e — just like the cute little robot worker from the 2008 Pixar film. Read more…

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Wall.e Restaurant Staffed With Robots Opens in China

The Very American History of Christmas Lights

Christmas lights are a uniquely American tradition. That’s not just because the first electric Christmas lights appeared in America. The tradition embodies a certain American-ness, an ingenuity and hunger for innovation, that’s easily overlooked. America doesn’t just make things. America makes things spectacular. Read more…

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The Very American History of Christmas Lights

Report: North Korea May Be Behind Sony Pictures Hack After All

Despite the FBI saying just a few days ago that there was “no attribution to North Korea at this point, ” ABC News is reporting that federal cyber-security sources “close to the investigation” have indeed confirmed that the FBI does have reason to believe that North Korea may be involved in some capacity after all. Read more…

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Report: North Korea May Be Behind Sony Pictures Hack After All

What Really Happens When You Delete Something from Your PC

If you want to sell or get rid of your computer, it’s important to make sure there isn’t any leftover data that someone could get to. When it comes to NTFS-formatted hard drives, simply deleting your files isn’t enough—even if you empty your recycle bin—but there are still a few things you can do. Read more…

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What Really Happens When You Delete Something from Your PC