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Situation Report #11: Proxy cyberwars, Solar Battles, Grexit and the Asian meltdown

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Ill. Solar park planned in the desert of Oman.

The Rise of the Proxy Cyberwar

Private contractors with offensive cyberwar skills are on the rise. The Italian govenment contractor, Hacking Team, recently had their servers exfiltrated. The global company responded to the data breach with public threats and denials – CSO Online. “Oh great, good job, guys … now the TERRORISTS have our zero-day exploits” – The Register. New reports show that the breach at OPM (Office of Personnel Management) exposed more than 21 million american government employees – NYTimes.

Solar Battle Fossile Legacy

Solar Battles: Surplus oil kills surplus solar power when corporate and environmental front groups emerge influential in energy policies EEnews.net. While oil prices drop Oman goes solar and builds giant solar plant to extract oil – WSJ.

Financial system shock or controlled Grexit

Increasingly more frequent financial shocks destabilize global markets. The List of Banks Expecting a ‘Grexit’ Is Getting Longer – Bloomberg. Bitcoin thrives on Greek tragedy and gives fresh life to virtual currencies – Independent.ie. Leak Shows Hacking Team Created Bitcoin Wallet Tracker Coindesk.

Asian Meltdown

China prop up stock market 6 percent while financial systems collapse across Asia. China’s stock-market crash is just beginning – MarketWatch and China stock market surges in volatile session – BBC News

.. meanwhile the Chinese BTC industry thrives – Motherboard.

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MIT-Vanishing-Friction

Nanotech: Friction of a single atom measured with ions

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Illustration: Christine Daniloff/MIT

In tuning friction to the point where it disappears, technique could boost development of nanomachines. MIT reports on recent advances in nanotechnology. Source: MIT News.

According to Nature ions trapped in a vacuum have simulated the friction of surfaces down to the scale of single atoms, and in the process have demonstrated how some surfaces can slide past each other with almost no energy lost. Source: Nature.

 

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Typhoon-vs-russian

Situation Report #10: Google, Ukraine, Yemen, and China

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Meet Google the Monopolist

As the world slowly crumbles to pieces and the global economy implodes industrial competition are heating up. Google, with a 90 percent marked share on the global marked for mobile search, has been sued by the E.U. Commision on antitrust charges, according to Wall Street Journal.

Russia, NATO show military might over Ukraine

Two months after the Minsk peace accord signed on the 12th of February by the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France, the prospects for a long-lasting solution to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine still look vague, according to Russia Beyond the Headlines. The murders of pro-Russian lobbyists increase tension in Ukraine standoff, according to Reuters. Meanwhile in Europe; Russian aircraft arrived as dozens of Nato warships gather off the coast of Scotland for Exercise Joint Warrior, according to the Telegraph.

Yemen conflict could spark regional war

In Iraq, the U.S.-backed efforts of Abadi’s Shiite-led government to vanquish the Islamic State, a Sunni organization, have been aided by Shiite-led Iran. Saudi Arabia, a Sunni monarchy, charges that the Houthi tribes it is fighting in Yemen are part of Tehran’s efforts to exert hegemony over the entire region, according to Washington Post.

China and IMF support Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank

As economic leaders gather here this week for meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, China is set to kick off a rival infrastructure development lender that promises to shake up the traditional American-led global financial order, according to LATimes.

On a brighter note:

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A woman addresses Ukrainian Interior Ministry troops who formed a battle line during the clashes. Gleb Garanich/Reuters

Situation Report #9: Ukraine, 5GW, ISIS, and economic warfare

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Ukraine

Accordring the United Nations Ukraine has since mid-January to the middle of last month seen at least 842 people dead and over 3,400 wounded. The armistice between Russia and Ukraine over eastern parts of the country broke down as suspected by OECD observers, EU, and NATO. Russian involvement has been obvious for observers and journalists since last year. The killing of Boris Nemtsov could be another political assassination arranged by Putin and friends.

5GW

The 5GW terror attacks on commentators and journalists in Paris, Belgium, and recently Denmark is proof that 5GW terrorism is the favorite choice for subversive organizations worldwide. Terrorism is warfare by the individual.

ISIS

The geographical reach of ISIS and their sophisticated use of media progaganda becomes increasingly embaressing for western media and psyops. While western academics deny the possibilty of an ongoing religious and civilizational war all IS terror confirms their attack on liberal and Christian values. The prospect of a perpetual religious and propagandized war should concern us all.

Economic warfare

Meanwhile the world economy collapses due to wars, insecurity, european disintegration, negative interest rates, record low oil-prices and the resulting social distress. Unintended consequences or the beginning of WW4?

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Prox Dynamics Nano UAV goes Thermal

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The Norwegian company Prox Dynamics release updated version of their popular micro-drone (UAV) PD-100 used by the military for reconnaissance:

“The introduction of the PD-100 T significantly enhances the Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance System solution, offering a 24-hour Cargo Pocket ISR capability to the warfighter,” said Ole Aguirre, VP Business Development at Prox Dynamics. The PD-100 enjoys a proven, combat worthiness record from operations in Afghanistan by U.S. allies. Operational since 2011, the PD-100 has been in use by the UK Army and several coalition partners and is described as a “life saver” and “game-changing” technology by the UK Ministry of Defense. The inclusion of a complete, digitally enhanced thermal sensor from FLIR Systems Inc., paired with an EO camera, enables unprecedented mission flexibility and situational awareness in night operations.

“We believe this is the single-most important upgrade on the PD-100 system to date. The PD-100 T combines EO and thermal camera into an 18 gram helicopter, allowing fused live video and still images to be viewed by the operator. Today’s modern warfighters demand a 24-hour solution, and here you have the first nano-UAV solution to achieve this,” says Petter Muren, CTO and Founder of Prox Dynamics.

Source: Prox Dynamics. Also check out “Army researchers develop pocket-sized aerial surveillance device” via The United States Army.

My advice for Prox is to find partners within the autonomous drones community:

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Situation Report #8: Snowmageddon, Fukushima and further Economic Stagnation

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knightscope-robocopAutonomous Robots Will Take on Your Security Job
via MIT Technology Review

News roundup:

  • What’s behind snowmageddon that hit the US this week? via New Scientist
  • Uncrackable code developed for nuclear weapons via R&D Magazine.
  • Containing Ebola with Nanotechnology via Boston University.
  • Singapore moves to regulate taxi booking apps PhysOrg.
  • Mathematical time law governs crowd flow via Nature.
  • 12 LuxLeaks diagrams that will make your head spin via The Guardian.
  • U.S. Firms Accused of Enabling Surveillance in Despotic Central Asian Regimes via The Intercept.
  • Google break-up plan emerges from Brussels via Cryptome.
  • Fukushima radiation detected off California coast via Daily Mail Online.
  • Creaking euro zone, China sound warnings for global growth via Reuters.

Meanwhile on Tundra:

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