Explore a Minefield, Cambodia (narration by Angelina Jolie) 

The HALO Trust has teamed up with Google Earth Outreach to map minefields around the world. Take a tour of mine-affected areas of Cambodia to see how HALO’s landmine removal efforts have helped build safe, thriving communities. Watch, Share, Donate.

The landmine problem in Cambodia remains one of the largest in the world but is now much better understood and systematic clearance is moving the country to a landmine impact free end state.

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“Charleston’s police department is partnering with software giant IBM on a pilot project to better identify trends in armed robberies. By plugging in a variety of data, including variables such as the season, time of day and even the weather, officials hope to speed up results and uncover weak spots through what the industry calls “predictive analytics.”

Charleston Police Department using more computer trending to see crime patterns | The Post and Courier

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smartercities:

Sheltering A City With Data: The Rio de Janeiro Story (by IBM)

Rio de Janeiro, the most visited city in the southern hemisphere, will soon play host to both the World Cup and the Olympic Games. Unfortunately it is also the location of the biggest natural disaster in Brazil’s history. In 2010, Rio de Janeiro was devastated by severe floods and mudslides, which took hundreds of lives and left thousands homeless.

Out of the need for improved emergency management and better weather prediction, IBM helped the city integrate predictive analytics, real-time data, and weather modeling technology and establish a state-of-the-art operations center. At the heart of the center is PMAR, a high resolution weather prediction system powered by IBM’s Deep Thunder supercomputer. It lets the city predict rains and floods 48 hours in advance, allowing for better management of emergency services and potentially saving lives.

From there the Rio Operations Center grew, and now acts as a nervous system for the entire city: managing traffic congestion, keeping a close eye on crime response and prevention, predicting brownouts in the power grid, and coordinating large-scale events to ensure public safety.

Integrating over 30 agencies and services across the city, the Rio Operations Center empowers the government and its citizens to be prepared for whatever nature may throw their way. IBM is helping make cities smarter. Let’s build a smarter planet -

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From Japan, smartphone can detect radiation Since the tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster that shook Japan early in 2011, there have been a number of thoughtful innovations hoping to provide protection in the event of an emergency – from escape pods to shopping bags that double as safety helmets. Adding to this list, Japanese telecoms firm SoftBank has developed the Pantone 5 107SH smartphone, which features an in-built radiation detector. READ MORE…

From Japan, smartphone can detect radiation

Since the tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster that shook Japan early in 2011, there have been a number of thoughtful innovations hoping to provide protection in the event of an emergency – from escape pods to shopping bags that double as safety helmets. Adding to this list, Japanese telecoms firm SoftBank has developed the Pantone 5 107SH smartphone, which features an in-built radiation detector. READ MORE…

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App Tracks Your Teenager's Driving Habits

By merging data from cars’ onboard computers and drivers’ smart phones, AT&T researchers have created a system that reports on drivers’ real-time behavior and long-term driving trends—and reveals whether a particular mistake might have been caused by phone use.

via singularitarian:

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How Social Media Is Changing Disaster Response | Mashable More than 66% of adult online users are now connected to one or more social media platforms. And it’s not just about keeping in touch with friends or following news or interests. As social media continues to play a pervasive role in the way people think, act and react to the world, it’s also changing one of the most crucial ways of actually helping the world: how people respond to emergencies and disaster. From government agencies and other organizations, to citizens and social platforms themselves, people across the spectrum of social media are leveraging its use to respond to emergencies. According to a 2011 report of the Congressional Research Service, there are two broad categories in the way that we can conceptualize this use of social media: 1) to “somewhat passively” disseminate information and receive user feedback; and 2) to use social media more systematically as an emergency management tool.

How Social Media Is Changing Disaster Response | Mashable

More than 66% of adult online users are now connected to one or more social media platforms. And it’s not just about keeping in touch with friends or following news or interests. As social media continues to play a pervasive role in the way people think, act and react to the world, it’s also changing one of the most crucial ways of actually helping the world: how people respond to emergencies and disaster.

From government agencies and other organizations, to citizens and social platforms themselves, people across the spectrum of social media are leveraging its use to respond to emergencies. According to a 2011 report of the Congressional Research Service, there are two broad categories in the way that we can conceptualize this use of social media: 1) to “somewhat passively” disseminate information and receive user feedback; and 2) to use social media more systematically as an emergency management tool.

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The Internet of Things: By 2020, between 22 and 50 billion devices will be connected to the Internet, providing citizens with an unprecedented array of smart applications and services. Europe is confronted with the challenge of remaining at the cutting-edge of this Internet of Things revolution while addressing the complex policy issues that it raises (privacy, security, ethics).

via cityfibre:

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Subaru’s double vision prevents accidents | The Car Tech blog - CNET Subaru’s new EyeSight system, which will first be available on the 2013 Legacy and Outback, uses two cameras to monitor what is out in front of the car. These cameras use stereo processing to determine the distance of other cars or objects ahead. They also can recognize lane lines. These sensors enable a whole raft of driver assistance features. Collision prevention and mitigation can hit the brakes if the cameras detect an imminent collision with a pedestrian, car, or object. Subaru says that at speeds under 19 mph, the system can brake the car quickly enough so as to avoid a collision. At greater speeds the automatic braking will reduce the impact.

Subaru’s double vision prevents accidents | The Car Tech blog - CNET

Subaru’s new EyeSight system, which will first be available on the 2013 Legacy and Outback, uses two cameras to monitor what is out in front of the car. These cameras use stereo processing to determine the distance of other cars or objects ahead. They also can recognize lane lines.

These sensors enable a whole raft of driver assistance features. Collision prevention and mitigation can hit the brakes if the cameras detect an imminent collision with a pedestrian, car, or object. Subaru says that at speeds under 19 mph, the system can brake the car quickly enough so as to avoid a collision. At greater speeds the automatic braking will reduce the impact.

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Railroad Sensors Predict Derailments Wirelessly « Wireless Sensor Networks Blog Union Pacific, the nation’s largest railroad company, says a new software program deployed throughout its network can now predict certain kinds of derailments days or weeks before they are likely to occur, improving safety and potentially avoiding millions of dollars in damages. The company moves some 900 trains per day, including 175 per day in its central north-south corridor. Union Pacific first started using acoustic sensors 10 years ago to transmit noises from vibrations of ball bearings in train wheels back to a control center that can communicate directly with engineers on board the trains. This allows the company to get trains off the track at the earliest convenient opportunity (for example after a load is delivered and the car returns to a terminal), but before a faulty bearing causes a derailment. More recently, the company started using visual sensors that can detect when wheels begin to flatten–another factor that can cause an problem on the rails.

Railroad Sensors Predict Derailments Wirelessly « Wireless Sensor Networks Blog

Union Pacific, the nation’s largest railroad company, says a new software program deployed throughout its network can now predict certain kinds of derailments days or weeks before they are likely to occur, improving safety and potentially avoiding millions of dollars in damages. The company moves some 900 trains per day, including 175 per day in its central north-south corridor.

Union Pacific first started using acoustic sensors 10 years ago to transmit noises from vibrations of ball bearings in train wheels back to a control center that can communicate directly with engineers on board the trains. This allows the company to get trains off the track at the earliest convenient opportunity (for example after a load is delivered and the car returns to a terminal), but before a faulty bearing causes a derailment. More recently, the company started using visual sensors that can detect when wheels begin to flatten–another factor that can cause an problem on the rails.

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North Carolina becomes home of White Spaces network | Physorg.com

America’s first commercial “TV White Spaces Network” was launched this week in Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina. Wilmington, as the first U.S. city to shift from analog to digital TV, was chosen as the present-day site of the first commercial network since the city had early access to white spaces in that TV changeover, and was used as the test bed for the new technology. The city has been testing white space applications since 2010.

White spaces, sometimes used in the context of “Super ,” is being re-tagged by some as “SuperWhiteFi” to more closely describe the unused spectrum between TV stations that resulted from the 2008 transition from analog to digital transmission of TV broadcast. The TV frequencies are lower, enabling signals to travel further, and penetrate foliage and walls better. The tradeoff to achieving more range is less speed. Nonetheless, city officials presiding over the Madison rollout see better range as an important plus for delivering services.

Cameras and wireless Internet access were installed at Wilmington’s city parks, where the white space spectrum could allow wireless service to go through trees and thick foliage. According to a press release, the network applications are designed to provide access for local functions such as video-security surveillance and transmitting data about water quality.

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RF-enabled app locates lost objects or children We’ve recently seen RFID technology used to help farmers track cows and locate children. Now, recently launched Bikn enables consumers to find lost objects, pets or children with a system consisting of an RF-enabled iPhone case, multiple tags and an app. READ MORE… via springwise:

RF-enabled app locates lost objects or children

We’ve recently seen RFID technology used to help farmers track cows and locate children. Now, recently launched Bikn enables consumers to find lost objects, pets or children with a system consisting of an RF-enabled iPhone case, multiple tags and an app. READ MORE…

via springwise:

(via thenextweb)

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Predicting Disasters Of The Future: Economic Disaster, Water Shortages, And Cyber Attacks  A new report asking experts what disasters they’re afraid of has enough in it to make you hide under the bed. Bad news for optimists: The experts think global catastrophe is more likely than ever. via fastcompany:

Predicting Disasters Of The Future: Economic Disaster, Water Shortages, And Cyber Attacks 

A new report asking experts what disasters they’re afraid of has enough in it to make you hide under the bed. Bad news for optimists: The experts think global catastrophe is more likely than ever.

via fastcompany:

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