Software | Common News Update

Aug12018 by adminNo Comments

US release of 3D-printed gun software blocked

A US federal judge in Seattle has blocked the release of software that allows consumers to 3D-print firearms.Gun access advocacy group Defense Distributed published downloadable gun blueprints five days early on Friday.The firm had reached a settlement with the Trump administration in June to allow it to legally publish the plans. But eight states and the District of Columbia sued the government on Monday to block the settlement, arguing the untraceable guns were a safety risk. US District Judge Robert Lasnik issued a temporary restraining order halting the release hours before the 1 August deadline, saying the blueprints could fall into the wrong hands. 3D-printed firearms, explained Will 3D printing change my world? "There are...

Jun262018 by adminNo Comments

Anti-virus software pioneer says he has been poisoned

Technology

Anti-virus software pioneer and former US presidential hopeful John McAfee has said he was unconscious for two days after "enemies" tried to kill him. The man who founded McAfee technology in the late 1980s claimed the rivals had "spiked something" that he consumed and he has now made a threat that they "better be gone".He spoke of the alleged death plot on Twitter along with two photos of him connected up to tubes and lying on a hospital bed.McAfee wrote: "I apologise for my three day absence but I was unconscious for two days at the Vidant Medical Center in North Carolina and just woke up."My enemies (managed) to spike something that i ingested. However, I am more difficult to kill than anyone can possibly imagine. I am back." I apologize for m...

Jun122018 by adminNo Comments

BAE to develop conflict modeling software for DARPA

Business

June 12 (UPI) -- BAE Systems has been contracted by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop software that models political and military conflicts around the world. The $ 4.2 million contract, announced Monday by the defense contractor, is the first phase of software development for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory as part of its Causal Exploration of Complex Operational Environments program. The software -- called Causal Modeling for Knowledge Transfer, Exploration and Temporal Simulation, or CONTEXTS -- is meant to help the Department of Defense model political, territorial and economic tensions that lead to military conflicts as a means of helping to plan ahead for them. "Military planners often conduct manual research and use limited modelling tools to generate ...

Apr32018 by adminNo Comments

Conservationists use astronomy software to save species

Science

Researchers are using astronomical techniques used to study distant stars to survey endangered species.The team of scientists is developing a system to automatically identify animals using a camera that has been mounted on a drone.It is able to identify them from the heat they give off, even when vegetation is in the way.Details of the system were presented at the annual meeting of the European Astronomical Society in Liverpool, UK.The idea was developed by Serge Wich, a conservationist at Liverpool John Moores University, and Dr Steve Longmore, an astrophysicist at the same university. He says that the system has the potential to greatly improve the accuracy of monitoring endangered species and so help save endangered species."Conservation is not only about the numbers of animals but also...

Dec22017 by adminNo Comments

UK warns government agencies not to use Kaspersky software

Technology

Britain's cybersecurity agency has told government departments not to use antivirus software from Moscow-based firm Kaspersky Lab amid concerns about Russian snooping. Ciaran Martin, head of the National Cyber Security Centre, said "Russia is acting against the U.K.'s national interest in cyberspace." In a letter dated Friday to civil service chiefs, he said Russia seeks "to target U.K. central government and the U.K.'s critical national infrastructure." He advised that "a Russia-based provider should never be used" for systems that deal with issues related to national security. The agency said it's not advising the public at large against using Kaspersky's popular antivirus products. Martin said British authorities are holding talks with Kaspersky about developing checks to prevent the "...