News
Assessing the future of video surveillance
As events like the Boston Marathon bombings occur, people are becoming more amenable to video surveillance. Today, video surveillance is no longer limited to traditional security but is also found in retail, government, transport, and other areas. The video surveillance market is expected to grow by over 12 percent globally this year, as compared to 2013, according […]
NSA’s warrantless phone surveillance program gets green light
The recent ruling by the federal court has deepened the ongoing debate about the efficacy of warrantless surveillance by the government. Under the hammer is the National Security Agency’s (NSA) phone surveillance program, in which the organization collected enormous logs of phone calls maintained under a common database. A verdict that upheld the program conflicts […]
In fatal dog attacks, owners get harsher punishments
As the saying goes, there are no bad dogs, just bad owners. A new law in the UK is putting the burden of consequences directly into the lap of the responsible parties. Previously, the owners of a pets involved in fatal dog attacks could face a fine or up to two years in prison. Now, […]
The longest airport security line: TSA to start security background checks
An “SSSS” across your boarding pass is the scarlet letter of the post-9/11 airport. For two highly inconvenient years in the mid-2000s, I couldn’t board a plane without the check-in attendant scrawling the four ignominious letters, which stand for “Secondary Security Screening Selection,” across my boarding pass in big black marker. At every point where […]
Apple aims for biometric greatness with new fingerprint scanners, misses
Fingerprint scanners make it into everyone’s wildest dreams for a future of unbelievable convenience. No more digging around for keys in the dead of night in the middle of winter. Open sesame! What you need is quite literally, at your fingertips. And imagine the security! Thieves would have to pry your very fingertips from your […]
San Bernardino, CA’s law enforcement decodes gang graffiti to curb violence
San Bernardino, CA’s law enforcement agencies have found a way to use gang graffiti to their advantage. Gangs have long used graffiti as territory markers, to intimidate people testifying against them, and to lock horns with other gangs. Now, the San Bernardino County police are decoding this graffiti in an effort to crack down on gang violence. Police […]
Move over home security systems, there’s an app for that
Whether you’re carving fresh powder on a Colorado ski slope or hanging out with Mickey Mouse at Disneyland, you can now remotely control your home security system with – you guessed it, a smartphone. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard someone say, “there’s an app for that,” I’d be lounging on a […]