Week 10 - Weather Bureau Hacked

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology was recently hacked.  While that may seem innocuous to some, it can present big-time problems for others.  Many people and entities rely on accurate weather to safely do their jobs, to include my chosen field--aviation.  How dangerous would it be for an airliner to assume the forecast provided permitted a safe flight to their destination?  How exactly it was hacked hasn't been ascertained, but it has been revealed it will take upwards of a year and hundreds of millions of dollars to fix.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-34980884

Week 9 - Amazon drone released soon

Nearly two years after Amazon first introduced the notion of a drone service to deliver small packages, they've given the world a sneak-peak of their latest iteration--their previous iteration carried packages below the fuselage; this one carries them within.
The holdup is on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), past due on policy regulating how unmanned aerial systems can take to the skies.  Drones present a moderate danger to aircraft and will require their own set of rules.  It is estimated that within the first three years of commercial use, drones will produce 70k jobs, with a $13.6B economic impact.  With such a huge effect, it only makes sense the FAA gets it right the first time around.

Week 8 - Limiting drone airspace

As a pilot-in-training, I oftentimes ponder the dangers I'll face when taking to the skies.  Of the many traditional considerations pilots deal with, the latest is the proliferation of remotely controlled drones.  They have the ability to fly beyond visual range, which can pose serious safety concerns for air traffic.  A Chinese company, DJI, is integrating geofencing into their latest creations, thus limiting where their machines can go.  There simply is no place for drones in controlled airspace, with vulnerable aircraft plying the skies, sometimes loaded with hundreds of passengers.  I imagine the software can be defeated, and hopefully that has been considered and actions taken to mitigate this.  This is a topic I will stay updated on!

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/11/17/drone-maker-dji-adds-technology-to-limit-where-its-machines-can-fly/?ref=technology&_r=0

Week 7 - Alarm clock for the fearless

In man's quest to "build a better mousetrap", an inventor has come up with an alarm clock guaranteed to provide a very rude awakening.  As if shrill alarm sounds weren't bad enough, this clock is designed to actually slap the sleeper's face by way of a robotic arm.  One can't help but wonder how restful, or fitful for that matter, the quality of sleep you'd get knowing full well you'll be physically assaulted come wake up time.  Suffice it to say, I believe it would make it one, maybe two mornings with me; therefore, I give this device one big thumb down.

http://www.cnet.com/news/face-slapping-alarm-clock-refuses-to-let-you-sleep-in/

Week 6 - Autonomous cars are at it again

Driverless cars are once again in the news.  Japan, in an effort to reinforce their position as a tech leader, is looking to introduce driverless taxis in time for the 2020 Olympics.  One of the goals behind this initiative is to reduce the cost of current-day taxi services.  As it stands, 70% of the cost of taxis comes down to labor.  One minor issue that will need to be resolved comes out of the 1949 Geneva Convention, which states “Every vehicle or combination of vehicles proceeding as a unit shall have a driver.”  But consider this:  Tokyo reportedly has 50k taxis on the road today.  With driverless taxis on the forefront, plus who knows what else, this technology stands to take millions of people out of the workforce in the foreseeable future. 

http://qz.com/538758/japan-is-building-a-robot-taxi-service-with-thousands-planned-for-the-2020-olympics/

Week 5 - Smart phone technology proliferation

The spread of affordable smart phone technology is headed to India.  A collaboration between an Indian and Canadian company will see an end-of-year introduction of a relatively low-tech smart phone, retailing for the equivalent of US $15 dollars.  While it won't set any records for data (it's 2G after all), the Linux-based system will surely fuel a proliferation of further tech leaps in the future.  It makes a lot of sense, especially when considering "just" 65% of those upgrading their handsets were to smart phone platforms.  Increasing that number will surely be massively profitable.  As the article summarizes, the real moneymaker is in the apps, content, and network services, all of which are accessed through smart phone technology.  One only needs to look at 1st world countries to see how successful that can be. 

http://www.cnet.com/news/new-15-smartphone-headed-to-india-by-years-end/

Week 4 - Issues with Tesla autonomous cars

Not so fast, Tesla!  It appears Tesla is having some "slight" technical issues with their latest autonomous drive technology, to which I originally discussed in my previous (Week 3) blog.  Less than a week after their autopilot software download was released, several owners have reported their cars have not performed as advertised.  The biggest issue to date is cars veering out of their lane, sometimes into oncoming traffic.  To Tesla's defense, the software update was in Beta mode, and owners were cautioned to keep their hands on the wheel at all times.  More to follow, I'm sure...