School Cop Investigated for Porn Link on Friend’s MySpace Profile

Just a reminder of how ignorance, or blindly rabid prosecutors with a name to make, can misuse technology when it is out of our control.  The officer involved in this situation has absolutely no control over what his MySpace links are doing unless he constantly polices (pun intended) their pages.  A reason to be very careful in this day and age, as perception can often override the techno-magic so many don’t understand.

Suicide-Gene Test Could Spawn Customized Drugs

Wired has an article on the beginning of identifying psychological risks based on genetic studies, this one to identify risk of suicide.  Interesting start to how government and insurance will view the results or eventually require or limit requirements for such testing.

Two articles by MSNBC and the Times Online about a movement to define the ethics of how robots will be treated and the beginning of a code of ethics to define individuals who are involved in robot R&D.  Statements in the article include a belief that robots will be used for sex and eventually seen as marriageable individuals by 2050.   Both are excellent articles, which cover the same material from two different angles.  Worth reading in combination.

California Bans Mandatory Subdermal RFID Tagging

California steps up with a significant ban on mandatory requirements for RFID tags placed beneath the skin.  Senate Bill 362 slaps a fine on any group, business, education o2 government, mandating the entry of an RFID tag into the body.

South Korea to build city dedicated to robots

I wish there was more detail provided, but searches only show a post from 2007.  Looks like a campus/city dedicated to robotic development.  Yet, I get the impression robots will be implemented into every aspect of the city.  A large-scale roll out of technologies into a real-world scenario.

OLE Firefighting Pill Bug-Like Bots May One Day Save Forests

While this is interesting, my main thought is on how the placement of these robots will play out.  Assuming they would be dropped into the fire region, there can be no argument that permanent placement in fire prone regions (California, for example) would allow for total containment of forest fires. 

Yet, you can just hear the environmentalists lining up to scream.  I believe this will be a very gray area for what naturalists will allow.  Robots made of potentially toxic materials sprinkled around delicate ecosystems would normally be a big “NO.”  However, in this scenario, the ‘bots are designed to protect the ecosystem in which they are placed.

Choose a side or get some popcorn and prepare to watch the fireworks.