Rise of Spy Planes

Back in March on Mind Set Daily I reported about eyes in the sky and how various drones will be filling up American skies soon. Well the FAA was forced to reveal launch sites across the United States. The agency has also released two lists that include the names of all public and private entities that have applied for authorizations to fly drones domestically. There are at least 63 active drone sites around the U.S, federal authorities have been forced to reveal following a landmark Freedom of Information lawsuit. The unmanned planes – some of which may have been designed to kill terror suspects – are being launched from locations in 20 states. Most of the active drones are deployed from military installations, enforcement agencies and border patrol teams, according to the Federal Aviation Authority.

Also 19 universities and colleges are also registered as owners of what are officially known as unmanned aerial vehicles. It is thought that many of institutions, which include Cornell, the University of Colorado, Georgia Tech, and Eastern Gateway Community College, are developing drone technology. There are also 21 mainstream manufactures, such as General Atomics, who are registered to use drones domestically.

Most of the drones are likely to be small craft. Police, border patrols and environmental agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , could use for them effectively. While few would object to vast open areas being monitored for wildfires, there are fears of privacy violations if drones are used to spy over cities. There is a map provided by FAA that shows the locations of drone approved areas, but as far as listing what they are being used for that information isn't available yet. However you perceive drones whether for your safety or not, just know that they are coming. Well perhaps they are already here, above us...

Move over RoboCop!

Forget RoboCop! Robo-guards will be patrolling Korean Prisons very soon! It seems like every week lately we have some kind of robot related story to report. Well prisons in South Korea will be testing a robot designed to guard and patrol cell blocks in prisons.

Robo-guard displays its smarts in the way it interacts with humans: As it patrols corridors containing inmates, it can sense how a person is feeling. If it senses any abnormalities, it will transmit its data in real-time to the control center for further action. Inside, Robo-guard contains a number of cameras (including a 3D one), a microphone, and software designed for analyzing human emotions. Officers can also speak to inmates without having to leave the control room, and even though Robo-guard is autonomous, it can be controlled manually via an iPad. If it determines that an incident may ensue, based on an inmates' behavior, it will alert human officers to come to the scene. The robot can protect inmates against attacks, suicide, and arson.

Developers are hoping to create a prison robot that can also undertake strip searches, but at least until technology supports such functions, Robo-guard's ability to sense trouble is pretty amazing. But now that the cat is out of the bag on this robot can we expect these to sorts of robot guards to be modified for street and city patrols in our home towns someday soon? Imagine a robot like this outfitted with various sensors for surveillance and even weapons for fighting crime. Sound out of the question? Well is it really since we will be having robotic drones outfitted with similar technology flying above our cities soon? I would suggest that it isn't out of the question. The keyword in this story is "testing" meaning that these are only being tested out and that they are surely to be modified and perfected as time goes on.

Would you take orders from a robot? Would you take it serious? I'm sure if it was armed you would. Slowly but surely we are seeing robots take over jobs and tasks normally done by humans in the past. Why are we so quick to relinquish control to these robots? Is it simply because they can make our lives easier and provide an array of benefits? I would like you to make an observation, notice how this new technology is always presented to us first as a benefit then for our safety.

Google's Augmented-Reality Glasses

Google's latest project is augmented-reality glasses that eliminate the need for a smartphone. Google’s venture into augmented reality has finally come out into the light of day. The Android-running device are glasses that aren’t really glasses, but more like frames with one small lens over the right eye and a camera. That lens provides a heads-up-display which overlays the wearer’s frame of view. The glasses have all the features expected from a mobile device: messaging and chat, photo and video, wireless connectivity, GPS and location services, and music. One of the biggest surprises with the glasses design is how unobtrusive they are, a far cry from the clunky headgear that had been previously suggested on a recent report about Google's Glasses.

Back in February it was announced that the glasses would be on sale by the end of the year, but Google has stricken down that timeline. Although this technology is surely to hit the mainstream market soon enough and we all will be walking around with digital read outs in front of eyes. I'm not sure how the user will control these glasses, but this is most certainly an evolution in technology! Will this eliminate the hand held smart phone?

This latest announcement is intended to excite public interest, get feedback, and assess demand along with coming up with strategies to deal with resistance to the technology. It’ll also answer any questions from people wondering what those things are that early Google testers are wearing around town and as they interact with virtual objects in real surroundings. Additionally, Google just might be trying to create a bigger shift in the current mindset about technology.

Though the excitement over the possibilities of this technology also bring a slew of concerns, the least of which is the onslaught of privacy issues. Then there’s the more technological issues, such as durability, sizing, battery life, and, of course, cost. Finally, the word still isn’t out about whether cell phones cause brain cancer, so the health concerns over glasses that might be worn as long as corrective glasses could be enormous. It makes sense then for Google not to reveal any hard details about the device, and keep everything in the concept realm.

Is this is a sign that our society is becoming more connected? The way we receive and process information digitally is ever changing. The internet is no longer just something we can access on our computers and smart devices. The internet will available right before our eyes, literally! So I would say within the next couple years you will begin seeing people with these new glasses on.

Smart Fabrics

We are all used to having tracking and smart technology built into the devices we use daily. From our appliances, smart phones even in and the cars we drive, the grasp of big brother has never been stronger. It seems like this smart technology is being implemented into more of our everyday products and we are being conditioned to accept it. Where is the logical place to start implementing smart technology you may wonder? Well how about your clothes...

Well in the military sector we often see these technologies used first before being introduced to the general public. Think of the GPS technology we all have become accustomed to, well that for example was used for military purposes first. In this story it is no different as UK soldiers could be wearing electricity-storing 'e-textile' uniforms by the end of the year. British military uniforms will soon be getting an upgrade that turns the fabric they're made from into a central battery. The Centre for Defence Enterprise has showcased a uniform made from conductive "e-textiles," which can route power and data through conductive yarn. Intelligent Textiles, which designed the fabric, is planning to field-test the uniforms by May, and may put them to limited use by the end of this year. A more widespread roll out is planned for 2014 or 2015. The uniform could also act as a sort of wearable computer. Intelligent Textiles is currently designing a machine — complete with fabric keyboard — that could be integrated into the clothes.

I can imagine in the future that you will no longer have to carry a smart device, the device will be the actual clothes you are wearing. You will be wearing a computer in a sense and already similar technology is creeping into public use as one school is in the midst of unveiling a program where computer chips are embedded in the shirts of the student uniforms. Called "intelligent uniforms," the chips will track a student's every move and keep both the schools and parents apprised of what children are doing.

Would you wear clothes embedded with microchips? In the future you may not have a choice.