Emergent Futures Tumblelog

This is the Tumblelog of Paul Higgins and Sandy Teagle - Futurists from Melbourne and Brisbane in Australia. Go to Emergent Futures to see more or follow on Twitter at FuturistPaul . If you right click on the pictures, titles or links in these posts you will be able to go to the original story on the web. If you click on comments for each post you can either read what others have said or add your own comment via Disqus. If you click on the date of a post it will take you to a single post view where you can copy the web link if you want to send it to someone else. If you click on the tags it will take you to other stories from Emergent Futures with the same tag.

September 15th 2011

Reblogged from climateadaptation|78 notes |# Comments

Eugene Takle, speaking on the world’s emergency food supply in case of sudden collapse. Takle is Professor of Agricultural Meteorology and Director of the Climate Science Program at Iowa State University. (via climateadaptation)

Posted at 4:43pm and tagged with: climate change, agriculture, crops, drought, food, food security, security, national security, regional planning, usda, fda, government, farming, farms, Iowa,.

“
We don’t have a long-term reserve. We have a global food supply of about 2 or 3 weeks,
”

August 23rd 2011

Hacked in 60 Seconds: Thieves Could Steal Cars via Text Messages

Reblogged from futuramb|130 notes |# Comments

infoneer-pulse:

iSEC researchers Don Bailey and Mat Solnik claim to be able to hack their way into a securely locked car because its alarm relies on a cell phone or satellite network that can receive commands via text messaging. Devices connecting via a cellular or satellite network are assigned the equivalent of a phone number or Web address. If hackers can figure out the number or address for a particular car, they could use a PC to send commands via text messages that instruct the car to disarm, unlock and start.

One of the reasons this text-messaging approach is disconcerting is that text messages aren’t so easy to block, unless you don’t want to receive any texts (either to your car or phone). Google Voice, iBlacklist and a few others (including wireless carriers AT&T and Verizon) do offer some tools for filtering unwanted text messages.

» via Scientific American

Posted at 8:50pm and tagged with: tech, technology, cars, automobiles, sms, text messaging, theft, security,.

July 25th 2011

29 notes |# Comments

Police to begin iPhone iris scans amid privacy concerns


Dozens of police departments nationwide are gearing up to use a tech company’s already controversial iris- and facial-scanning device that slides over an iPhone and helps identify a person or track criminal suspects.

Full Story: Reuters

Posted at 3:40pm and tagged with: smartphone, applications, security, privacy,.

Police to begin iPhone iris scans amid privacy concerns Dozens of police departments nationwide are gearing up to use a tech company’s already controversial iris- and facial-scanning device that slides over an iPhone and helps identify a person or track criminal suspects. Full Story: Reuters

July 2nd 2011

36 notes |# Comments

Anonymous Launches Wikileaks for Hackers

Despite countless WikiLeaks copycatspopping up since the secret-spilling site first dumped its cache of State Department cables last year, the new generation of leaking sites has produced few WikiLeaks-sized scoops. So instead of waiting for insider whistleblowers, the hacker movement Anonymous hopes that a few outside intruders might start the leaks flowing.

Full Story: Forbes

Posted at 3:05pm and tagged with: transparency, tech, technology, security,.

Anonymous Launches Wikileaks for Hackers Despite countless WikiLeaks copycatspopping up since the secret-spilling site first dumped its cache of State Department cables last year, the new generation of leaking sites has produced few WikiLeaks-sized scoops. So instead of waiting for insider whistleblowers, the hacker movement Anonymous hopes that a few outside intruders might start the leaks flowing. Full Story: Forbes

July 1st 2011

Reblogged from climateadaptation|180 notes |# Comments

climateadaptation:

newsflick:

Horn of Africa sees ‘worst drought in 60 years’

The numbers now affected are huge, OHCA says: 3.2m in Ethiopia, 3.2m in Kenya, 2.6m in Somalia and more than 100,000 in Djibouti.

Every month during 2011, about 15,000 Somalis have fled their country, arriving in Kenya and Ethiopia, according to OCHA.

While conflict has been a fact of life for them for years, it is the drought that has brought them to breaking point.

Many have walked for days, are exhausted, in poor health, desperate for food and water.

Nearly one third of all children in the Juba region of Somalia are acutely malnourished, while in parts of Ethiopia the figure is even higher, the UN research says.

The price of grain in affected areas in Kenya is 30-80% above average.

The spokeswoman for OCHA, Elizabeth Byrs, said appeals for Somalia and Kenya, each about $525m (£328m), are barely 50% funded, while a $30m appeal for Djibouti has raised just 30% of the needed funds.

(source)

Article is worth reading: BBC. It’s one reason why the Pentagon is worried about climate change. Note the refugee centers on the map. 

(Source: newsflick)

Posted at 3:40pm and tagged with: agriculture, risk, Africa, security, climate change,.

climateadaptation: newsflick: Horn of Africa sees ‘worst drought in 60 years’ The numbers now affected are huge, OHCA says: 3.2m in Ethiopia, 3.2m in Kenya, 2.6m in Somalia and more than 100,000 in Djibouti. Every month during 2011, about 15,000 Somalis have fled their country, arriving in Kenya and Ethiopia, according to OCHA. While conflict has been a fact of life for them for years, it is the drought that has brought them to breaking point. Many have walked for days, are exhausted, in poor health, desperate for food and water. Nearly one third of all children in the Juba region of Somalia are acutely malnourished, while in parts of Ethiopia the figure is even higher, the UN research says. The price of grain in affected areas in Kenya is 30-80% above average. The spokeswoman for OCHA, Elizabeth Byrs, said appeals for Somalia and Kenya, each about $525m (£328m), are barely 50% funded, while a $30m appeal for Djibouti has raised just 30% of the needed funds. (source) Article is worth reading: BBC. It’s one reason why the Pentagon is worried about climate change. Note the refugee centers on the map. 

June 26th 2011

5 notes |# Comments

ABC Bitcoin currency case sparks business security fears


DIGITAL security experts have urged corporations to review their IT policies following the apparent use of the ABC’s web resources by an employee to transact in Bitcoins, an esoteric but popular form of virtual money.

Full Story: The Australian

Posted at 9:58am and tagged with: tech, technology, security, risk,.

ABC Bitcoin currency case sparks business security fears DIGITAL security experts have urged corporations to review their IT policies following the apparent use of the ABC’s web resources by an employee to transact in Bitcoins, an esoteric but popular form of virtual money. Full Story: The Australian

June 18th 2011

Smartphones and tablets create huge corporate security challenge

Reblogged from smarterplanet|93 notes |# Comments

smarterplanet:

Adapting security and management for the new generation of mobile devices — everything from the Apple iPhone and iPad to Google Android devices to name a few — is turning out to be a huge corporate challenge.

More on mobile security: Smartphones, devices spark IT security melee

“We’re struggling to get our arms around it,” says Tim Mathias, senior director of IT security at Thomson Reuters, whose 55,000 employees worldwide provide news, business information and technology related to financial, media and healthcare. He adds: “It’s a struggle with a technology created for individuals that’s ended up being an important tool for the workplace.”

The RIM Blackberry, designed for the corporate world, has traditionally been the smartphone that Thomson Reuters gave its employees. But early last year, many were asking if they could use their other devices, primarily the iPhone and Android devices, for work.

Source: Network World

Posted at 3:40pm and tagged with: tech, technology, smartphones, tablets, risk, security,.

April 21st 2011

11 notes |# Comments

iOS devices secretly log and retain record of every place you go, transfer to your PC and subsequent devices


Paul Higgins: A lot of people are not very happy about this:

Security researchers presenting at the Where 2.0 conference have revealed a hidden, secret iOS file that keeps a record of everywhere you’ve been. The record is synched to your PC and subsequently resynched to your other mobile devices

via @byrnegreen

Full Story: Boing Boing

Posted at 7:51am and tagged with: security, tracking, transparency, tech, technology,.

iOS devices secretly log and retain record of every place you go, transfer to your PC and subsequent devices Paul Higgins: A lot of people are not very happy about this: Security researchers presenting at the Where 2.0 conference have revealed a hidden, secret iOS file that keeps a record of everywhere you’ve been. The record is synched to your PC and subsequently resynched to your other mobile devices via @byrnegreen Full Story: Boing Boing

April 4th 2011

1 note |# Comments

How China and Others Are Altering Web Traffic

“Invisible” servers let governments quietly intercept and modify their citizens’ online communications.

Full Story: Technology Review

Posted at 8:48am and tagged with: China, security, censorship, tech, technology, computers, internet,.

How China and Others Are Altering Web Traffic “Invisible” servers let governments quietly intercept and modify their citizens’ online communications. Full Story: Technology Review

March 19th 2011

|# Comments

Securing All Androids Proves Tricky

The variety of devices running Google’s mobile OS on different networks makes security more complex.

Full Story: Technology Review

Posted at 10:26am and tagged with: technology, mobile, security, android,.

Securing All Androids Proves Tricky The variety of devices running Google’s mobile OS on different networks makes security more complex. Full Story: Technology Review