Category: hardware

Amazon Prime Air

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Prime_Air

http://www.amazon.com/b?node=8037720011

Amazon Prime Air is a conceptual drone-based delivery system currently in development by Amazon.com.

On December 1, 2013, Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos revealed plans for Amazon Prime Air in an interview on 60 Minutes. Amazon Prime Air will use multirotor Miniature Unmanned Air Vehicle (Miniature UAV, otherwise known as drone) technology to autonomously fly individual packages to customers’ doorsteps within 30 minutes of ordering.[1]To qualify for 30 minute delivery, the order must be less than five pounds (2.26 kg), must be small enough to fit in the cargo box that the craft will carry, and must have a delivery location within a ten-mile radius of a participating Amazon order fulfillment center.[1] 86% of packages sold by Amazon fit the weight qualification of the program.

Regulations

Presently, the biggest hurdle facing Amazon Prime Air is that commercial use of UAV technology is not yet legal in the United States.[2] In the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, Congress issued the Federal Aviation Administration a deadline of September 30, 2015 to accomplish a “safe integration of civil unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace system.”[3]

In March 2015 the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted Amazon permission to begin US testing of a prototype. The company responded by claiming that the vehicle cleared for use was obsolete. In April 2015, the agency allowed the company to begin testing its current models. In the interim, the company had begun testing at a secret Canadian site 2,000 ft (610 m) from the US border.[4]

The agency mandated that Amazon’s drones fly no higher than 400 ft (122 m), no faster than 100 mph (161 km/h), and remain within the pilot’s line of sight. These rules are consistent with a proposed set of FAA guidelines. Ultimately, Amazon hopes to operate in a slice of airspace above 200 ft (61 m) and beneath 500 ft (152 m), with 500 ft being where general aviation begins. It plans to fly drones weighing a maximum of 55 lb (25 kg) within a 10 mi (16 km) radius of its warehouses, at speeds of up to 50 mph (80.5 km/h) with packages weighing up to 5 lb (2.26 kg) in tow.[5]

Public concerns

Public concerns regarding this technology include public safety, privacy, and package security issues.[2] Amazon states that “Safety will be our top priority, and our vehicles will be built with multiple redundancies and designed to commercial aviation standards.”[6] However, while privacy and security remain concerns, the FAA’s recently proposed rules for small UAS operations and certifications only provides provisions on its technical and functional aspects.[7]

The fact that the drone’s navigational airspace exists below 500 feet is a big step toward safety management.[8]

Privacy

Concerns over the constant connection of the drones to the internet raises concerns over personal privacy. The primary purpose of drone internet connection will be to manage flight controls and communication between drones.[9] However, the extent of Amazon’s data collection from the drones is unclear.[10] Some proposed data inputs include automated object detection, GPS surveillance, gigapixel cameras, and enhanced image resolution.[11] Because of this, Amazon’s operating center will collect unknown amounts of information, both intentionally and unintentionally, throughout the delivery process. Neither Amazon or the FAA has formed a clear policy on the management of this data.

Stuxnet

  • Security

An Unprecedented Look at Stuxnet, the World’s First Digital Weapon

Stuxnet is a malicious computer worm believed to be a jointly built American–Israeli cyber weapon.[1] Although neither state has confirmed this openly,[2] anonymous US officials speaking to the Washington Post claimed the worm was developed during the Obama administration to sabotage Iran’s nuclear program with what would seem like a long series of unfortunate accidents.[3]

Stuxnet specifically targets PLCs, which allow the automation of electromechanical processes such as those used to control machinery on factory assembly lines, amusement rides, or centrifuges for separating nuclear material. Exploiting four zero-day flaws,[4] Stuxnet functions by targeting machines using the Microsoft Windows operating system and networks, then seeking out Siemens Step7 software. Stuxnet reportedly compromised Iranian PLCs, collecting information on industrial systems and causing the fast-spinning centrifuges to tear themselves apart.[5] Stuxnet’s design and architecture are not domain-specific and it could be tailored as a platform for attacking modern SCADA and PLC systems (e.g., in automobile or power plants), the majority of which reside in Europe, Japan and the US.[6] Stuxnet reportedly ruined almost one-fifth of Iran’s nuclear centrifuges.[7]

Stuxnet has three modules: a worm that executes all routines related to the main payload of the attack; a link file that automatically executes the propagated copies of the worm; and a rootkit component responsible for hiding all malicious files and processes, preventing detection of the presence of Stuxnet.[8]

Stuxnet is typically introduced to the target environment via an infected USB flash drive. The worm then propagates across the network, scanning for Siemens Step7 software on computers controlling a PLC. In the absence of either criterion, Stuxnet becomes dormant inside the computer. If both the conditions are fulfilled, Stuxnet introduces the infected rootkit onto the PLC and Step7 software, modifying the codes and giving unexpected commands to the PLC while returning a loop of normal operations system values feedback to the users.[9][10]

In 2015, Kaspersky Labs‘ research findings on another highly sophisticated espionage platform created by what they called the Equation Group, noted that the group had used two of the same zero-day attacks used by Stuxnet, before they were used in Stuxnet, and their use in both programs was similar. The researchers reported that “the similar type of usage of both exploits together in different computer worms, at around the same time, indicates that the EQUATION group and the Stuxnet developers are either the same or working closely together”.[11]:13

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Free Podcasting Software

A vast array of software is available to support your podcasting requirements; some programs offer one stop integrated solutions to all your podcasting needs, while others fill more specific niches. However, every piece of software that you need in order to record and produce a professional, quality podcast is readily available free of charge.

www.richardfarrar.com

Acquiring the Audio

No matter what software you choose to help create and produce your podcasts, you will first have to get your audio into the computer. How you choose to do this is entirely up to you, but is likely to depend on what level of audio quality you want and your budget. At the most basic level you could use your computer’s in-built microphone, but for a reasonable degree of quality you will want a semi-decent external microphone.

1. Audacity – Audio Recorder and Editor

2. WinLAME – Audio Encoder

winlameOnce your audio has been recorded and edited (preferably in WAV format) you will need to convert it into a suitable podcast format. The universally accepted audio file format for podcasts is MP3. WinLAME is an excellent piece of free podcasting software designed to convert WAV files into the podcast friendly MP3 format.

3. Mp3Tag – ID3 Tag Editor

sshot1qcNow that you have your podcast MP3 audio file and some suitable artwork for its cover, you will need to embed the artwork into the MP3 file and add some additional tags that can be displayed by the listener’s playback device.

Arduino microcontrollers

Published on Dec 30, 2012

Ben teaches you everything you need to know to start using Arduino microcontrollers in your projects

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SparkFun is an online retail store that sells the bits and pieces to make your electronics projects possible. Whether it’s a robot that can cook your breakfast or a GPS cat tracking device, our products and resources are designed to make the world of electronics more accessible.

In addition to products, SparkFun also offers classes and online tutorials to help educate individuals in the wonderful world of embedded electronics.

What Is The RedBoard?

Arduino is one of the most popular physical computing platforms available today. It’s an amazing tool for both experienced and budding electronics enthusiasts. It’s part hardware, part software, and part community; all of which come together to create a well-supported, solidly-designed electronics platform.

The best part: the entire Arduino project – both hardware and software – is open-source. The schematics, hardware design files, and source code are all freely available for viewing and modification. Released under a Creative Commons Share Alike license, anyone is free to riff on the hardware design and produce their own version. That’s what we’ve done with the RedBoard. It still looks and acts just like an Arduino Uno, but is slightly modified to make the board better-suited to our purposes.

Description: If you’re new to electronics and programming, the RedBoard Starter Kit is a great way for beginners to get their foot in the door. This little guy is essentially a mini SparkFun Inventor’s Kit (minus the manual which you can find below) and can be taken straight out of the box to help you make a slew of basic circuits, including:

  • Blinking LEDs
  • Making (bad) music
  • Responding to buttons
  • Twisting a volume knob
  • Detecting ambient light
  • Reading temperature
  • Mixing LED colors
  • And more!

This version comes with our newest SparkFun RedBoard! Also included is a multitude of parts and sensors so you can start messing around with projects.

Here’s a few simple tutorials to get you started:

And here’s some more advanced tutorials, if you’re ready to take on more of the Arduino world!

Resources

For more information on the SparkFun Redboard, check out our product page. We’ve also got:

  • Schematics – A PDF of the schematic.
  • Eagle Files – The PCB design files. This design is completely open-source!
  • FTDI Drivers – Though they’re included with Arduino installs, this is where you’ll find the most up-to-date FTDI VCP drivers.
  • Product Video – A video introduction of the RedBoard.

Description: The Digital Sandbox (DS) is a learning platform that engages both the software and hardware worlds. It’s powered by a microcontroller that can interact with real-world inputs – like light or temperature sensors – while at the same time controlling LEDs, motors, and other outputs. The Digital Sandbox is equipped with everything, on board, that you will need to complete 13 experiments including controlling an LED, measuring how loud things are, detecting what the temperature is, and more. Think of this as a SparkFun Inventor’s Kit all in one board!

By interfacing the Sandbox to your computer via a USB cable, the Sandbox can be programmed using the popular Arduino programming environment. To further simplify the learning experience, we’ve designed the Sandbox and its guide around using a simple, “blocky”, programming add-on to Arduino called, Ardublock. Using ArduBlock – a simple, graphical version of the popular Arduino programming language – you will be able to program all of the experiments with a simple graphical interface instead of writing code.

The full-color Digital Sandbox Guide (included) contains step by step instructions of how to connect each circuit with the included parts. Full example code is provided and explained and even includes troubleshooting tips if something goes wrong. The kit does not require any soldering and is recommended for beginners ages 8 and up.

Published on Jul 14, 2014

Get your first look at the new Raspberry Pi B+ and find more information on element14 http://ow.ly/z7GKy

The Raspberry Pi Ultimate Kit has everything the Pi enthusiast needs or wants. This kit even includes a drawstring bag and mouse mat. This kit has a fantastic Raspberry Pi USB hub and the translucent case that you can hang on the wall or sit on your desktop.


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In Windows 7, trying to do backup, getting error code 0x8078002A

had this problem, too, with Windows 7, trying to use Windows Backup to two new Western Digitial 3TB drives, pre-formatted with NTFS for Windows. It’s very frustrating because each attempt takes many hours before the error occurs so you don’t know until it succeeds whether it will.

I found what worked for me here:

http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/6618/

You can download WD Quick Formatter from that site. However, don’t follow the instructions on that page for formatting a HD under Windows 7, because it tells you how to use MS Disk Management, which will make a 2TB partition and not recognize the remainder of the drive. You must use WD Quick Formatter as described here:

http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/search/1/a_id/3868

Google provides quite a number of cases involving the same problem you are experiencing. None seemed to be resolved. A number refer to USB external drives.

My research has led me to the two sites mentioned below. On the Petri site I found the quotes extracted as they may point to a possible solution.

Are you using an Enterprise or Ultimate version of Windows as these include Bit Locker Drive Encryption

As a general recommendation in regard to using Windows 7 as a client operating system, use either internal hard disks, separate from the one Windows is installed on. Alternatively, use an external USB hard disk and make sure you disconnect it after you perform your backup.

You cannot use any of the following destinations:

•The destination is locked by BitLocker Drive Encryption.

Source:http://www.petri.co.il/where-to-save-your-windows-7-backup.htm

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/4681-bitlocker-drive-encryption-windows-7-drive-turn-off-no-tpm.html