Tag: software

Jun122018 by adminNo Comments

BAE to develop conflict modeling software for DARPA

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 "...

Sep192017 by adminNo Comments

Security software infects 2 million computers

Technology

More than two million people who downloaded security software CCleaner have been infected by malware on their computers, its developers have confirmed.Piriform, the company behind the software, said on its website that a new version of the app had been tampered with before being released.The malicious code was added to the legitimate code for CCleaner, which allows users to wipe unwanted files from their hard-drives, and could have allowed hackers to take over the devices of 2.27 million people.Known as a "supply chain attack", hackers often target trusted software to bypass security checks that target organisations might have in place.Image:CCleaner allows users to wipe unwanted files from their hard-drives. Pic: Talos/CiscoThe version of the software which had been "illegally modified" h...

Sep92017 by adminNo Comments

Scientists design software that detects when people are texting and driving

Science

Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Scientists at the University of Waterloo have created a computer algorithm that can accurately determine when drivers are texting while driving.Distracted drivers are to blame for up to 75 percent of all traffic accidents worldwide, researchers say."It has a huge impact on society," Fakhri Karray, a University Research chair and director of the Center for Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, or CPAMI, at Waterloo, said in a press release.The system uses cameras and artificial intelligence to detect hand movements that deviate from normal driving behavior, such as from texting or talking on the phone, and grades them in terms of safety threats.The algorithms were trained using machine-learning techniques to recognize actions such as texting, talking on the phone or re...