- The World as Free-Fire Zone
How drones made it easy for Americans to kill a particular person anywhere on the planet.
Editor’s Note: This story relies upon anonymous sources who could not have spoken on the record without prosecution or other serious repercussions. The author revealed their identities to MIT Technology Review.
- Contact Lens Computer: Like Google Glass, without the Glasses
Soft contact lenses could display information to the wearer and provide continuous medical monitoring.
For those who find Google Glass indiscreet, electronic contact lenses that outfit the user’s cornea with a display may one day provide an alternative. Built by researchers at several institutions, including two research arms of Samsung, the lenses use new nanomaterials to solve some of the problems that have made contact-lens displays less than practical.
- Seven Must-Read Stories (Week Ending June 7, 2013)
Another chance to catch the most interesting, and important, articles from the previous week on MIT Technology Review.
- Facebook to Refresh Ads In Effort to Boost Their Relevance
Facebook is simplifying its ad formats, which could mean less annoying targeted ads are in the offing.
- A Global Alliance for Sharing Genomic Data
A common framework for analyzing and sharing genomic information could speed medical progress.
Nearly 70 organizations in research, health care, and disease advocacy have agreed to take part in a global alliance dedicated to standardizing and sharing genomic and clinical data.
- Correlation Is Main Concern Over Data Verizon Gives NSA
What the NSA can do with Verizon’s data on phone calls depends on the other sources it can be combined with.
One of the most interesting things about the data on phone calls being provided to the NSA by Verizon on its business customers, as revealed by the Guardian last night, is what it doesn’t include.
- Researchers, Using Light to Activate Neurons, Make Mice Obsessive-, or Not
Mind-control optogenetics experiments in mice give new clarity to the neural circuitry that underlines repetitive behaviors.
Two teams of researchers have pinpointed some of the neural circuitry that underlies compulsive grooming behaviors. The discoveries, reported in Science on Thursday, could guide new treatments for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism, and other conditions that exhibit symptoms of repetitive and compulsive actions.
- Former FCC Chairman: Let’s Test an Emergency Ad Hoc Network in Boston
Outgoing FCC chairman, Harvard scholar make a pitch for private networks to aid public safety.
As the Boston Marathon bombings unfolded, thousands of anxious people in the region pulled out their mobile phones to connect with friends and family—and found that calls couldn’t be placed or received. Rumors that officials had shut down these mobile networks for security reasons weren’t true. The system was simply overloaded at a time when people needed it most.
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