Matthew S. Williams's Blog, page 175

Anonymous Busts Cyber Bully

As a sci-fi geek and indie writer, I rarely get into stories about terrible tragedies on this site. However, I couldn’t ignore this story once I came across it. Not only does it pertain to an issue which is of extreme importance to all of us – cyber bullying – there are also aspects of this case which are undeniably relevant when it comes to the fields of information technology and internet communications.

It’s no secret that the advance of technology has created new opportunities for predators to prey on the innocent. But at the same time, it seems that said same technology could be opening up opportunities to bring them down as well. What’s more, it seems that when it comes to certain types of cybercrime, hackers and authorities can come together in common cause.

As I’m sure many have already heard, a Canadian teen girl named Amanda Todd was recently found dead in her Coquitlam home after committing suicide. Within days of her death, it was reported that she was the victim of cyber bullying that had been going on for years. Apparently, it began when a man who had developed an online relationship with her convinced her to flash him on her webcam.

A year later, this same man contacted her and threatened to circulate the photo all over the internet unless she “put on a show” for him. The stranger also revealed that he knew everything about her: her address, where she want to school, her friends, relatives, and the names of her family members. Naturally, she was horrified and refused him, and the naked photo was forwarded to all her family, friends and online peers.

Humiliated and now the victim of harassment at school, Todd changed schools. However, things continued as a Facebook page was created with the picture of her flashing the camera as the profile photo. This began the deluge, and the 15-year old was harassed at school and at home for months by former friends, peers, and people she had never met. She posted about her torment online, saying how friends had abandoned her, a group of girls beat her up, and how she even tried to drink bleach to end her pain. For a time, she seemed to be recovering. But it seemed that no matter where she went, the torment followed. Invariably, she chose to end it by ending her life.

And now, in what can only be described as an act of Cyber Vigilantism, the hacker group Anonymous – the same people who brought you such things as the Occupy Movement – have uncovered the identity of the man in question. Apparently, the man is a 30-year old pedophile who lives in New Westminster, BC. Anonymous not only provided his address, but also included Google Map screenshots of his house, his Facebook profile, and chat conversations and screenshots from a “jailbait” website account supposedly tied to the man.

According to Vice Magazine, who picked up the story, Anonymous decided to act when it was becoming clear that the cyber bullying had not ended with Todd’s death. Shortly after her death, nude photos of her autopsy were also posted online. According to a statement released by the hacker group: “We generally don’t like to deal with police first hand but were compelled to put our skills to good use protecting kids. Ironically we have some good people in Vancouver who brought this to our admin’s attention. It’s a very sad story that affects all of us.”

According to CTV, the man identified by Anonymous appeared in court on Monday on charges of sexual assault and sexual interference with a minor. These charges were unrelated to Todd however, indicating that this is not the first time he has preyed on youths. The man denied being Todd’s harasser though, and pointed the finger at a New York man who was harassing her. I’d say that ranks right up there with “the check’s in the mail”, but if it leads to the break-up of a pedophile ring, perhaps it’s worth investigating. Either way, the man is now being tried for his brand of disgusting crimes, and I think he should count himself lucky. After word of his address broke, he could have easily found himself on the business end of some baseball bats and crowbars. Instead, he can look forward to prison, where his life expectancy will be slightly higher.

Alas, I should also mention that sites dedicated to Todd’s memory have been subject to harassment as well. It seems that anonymous flamers and trolls have taken to these sites to question why Todd should be mourned, or to post slanderous comments about her. To these people I can only ask, what the hell is your damage? Suicide is tragic, but suicide as a result of bullying, especially something as cowardly as cyber bullying, is just plain disgusting. In short, piss off or grow the hell up!

And I think I speak for just about everyone when I say that I hope there is a special place in Hell for scum bags like this, and in wishing Todd’s family all the condolences in the world. Nothing justifies this sort of behavior, and it will certainly be a better world when online predators can’t hide behind an internet connection and bully people with impunity. And though the means do not yet exist to police the internet as we might like, this most recent case shows that the weapons used against youth and innocent children could be turned against the predators themselves.

What’s more, it also shows that hackers and civil authorities can come together for the common cause of busting internet predators. I don’t know about you, but that gives me a slender ray of hope.

Hear that perverts? You’re free ride is over! Prepare to be crushed!

A Dance with Dragons, bought!

Hey all. I doubt if anyone remembers, but a few months back when I began reviewing A Song of Ice and Fire, I said that I would be ending the series with the fourth book. After completing A Storm of Swords, I figured one more book was enough. After all, with Dragons just released and the buzz claiming that there would be at least two more books to come, I was sure that I would have to cut myself off or risk being totally sucked in to Matrin’s “Wheel of Time”esque vortex.

But, and here where’s things get awkward, that was a lie… apparently! Last night, I finally finished A Feast for Crows and purchased A Dance with Dragons. And believe it or not, it was the not the cliffhanger ending in book four that made me want to do that, though that helped give me a final push. In truth, friends of mine, such as Goran Zidar, and a slew of other people have been saying how book five is really good and covers all the threads that were strangely missing from book four. So really, the decision to buy it was made several weeks ago, but after getting into the last few chapters, a number of sudden twists piqued my interest and I found myself wanting to know what happened right away!

And, interestingly enough, I also discovered that the final chapter of Crows was not a chapter at all, but a note from the author. In it, he explains that book four was the way it was -  namely, bereft of any information about Tyrion, Jon Snow, Daenerys, or Stannis and Melissandre – for a simple reason. Basically, he went this way because to include what he had planned for all of these characters – plus those of Samwell Tarly, Cersei, Sansa, Arya, Brienne, Jaime, et al, – would have turned Crows into a tome the likes of which had not been seen since War and Peace. Okay, he didn’t say it in those words, I’m just adding them for dramatic license

Hence, he decided to break all he had planned for the fourth installment in the series into two volumes. And instead of telling all of the stories half-way, he chose instead to select half the stories and tell them in full, the rest to be followed up later. I can see the wisdom in this, and the marketing angle, because it certainly worked on me. Damn you, Martin! I swear that this is the last of your books that I’m going to read… It probably won’t be. I’m sure I’ll be checking out book six, especially if this one is as good as they say. I hate you, sir! Keep up the good work!

The Walking Dead, Season Three Premiers!

It’s here at last!This past Sunday, after taking a very long break, the AMC’s Walking Dead finally premiered their third season.I tell ya, I was waiting so long that I almost forogt all about it. And it’s been weeks since there have been any helpful previews to remind me!

But alas, last night I remembered that the 14th was the big day, er, evening, in which the show would be airing. And, since I lack cable TV, I knew I would have to be employing extra-legal means to see it. So, taking to my computer, I found a torrent, uploaded it, and watched it with baited breath! Well, not exactly baited, but definitely lots of anticipation. I mean, it’s not like it was the new season of Game of Thrones, am I right?

But before I tell you about this episode (Spoilers to follow), there’s the matter of how the last season ended. As we all know, there was a pretty big cliffhanger thanks to Shane’s psychotic break, Lori’s pregnancy, and the fact that the Greene family were keeping Walkers in their barn. That all ended with a big shootout, during which time they learned that Sophia – the girl they had been looking for all season – was amongst them.

Naturally, we were all wondering where things would go from there? How would Hershel and his daughters react to this breach of their privacy? How would Rick react to Shane’s worsening mental state? How would Carol react now that she knew her daughter was dead? And of course, there was still the issue of Lori’s pregnancy, as she was not even sure who the father was. All of this set the stage for what was sure to be a tense and revealing season three.

Episode One – The Seed:

The party breaks in to a home occupied by Walkers and begins killing them, clearing the way for the rest to come in and settle down. Afterward, they begin to search for food, but find only an owl (which Daryl shoots with his crossbow) and some cans of dog food. However, more Walkers begins descending on the house, and they are forced to throw their bags into the small fleet of vehicles they have and flee.

From this opening scene alone, a few things become clear. For one, it has been several months since the shootout at the barn took place as evidence by Lori’s pregnancy bump. Second, Hershel, Maggie and Beth have joined the party, clearly believing that they would be safer on the road than on their farm. Third, Shane, Andrea and Dale are gone, either dead or having split off and gone their own way.

After leaving the house, the group confers and agrees that they can’t keep moving as they have been. Pursued by different groups of Walkers, their ultimate goal is to find a place to set down until Lori can deliver her baby. At last, they find a place that seems secure – a prison! However, there is still the matter of clearing it of all the Walkers that are currently inside. After making their way through the fence, the group deploys with the discipline of an army unit and takes out over twenty of them. Apparently, they are getting pretty good at killing zombies!

After making camp and having a meal, Rick tells them that they need to push and take the rest of the prison. He thinks that it fell early on, and that it must have supplies, food, medicine, and an armory. However, since they are low on ammo, they will need to go in in and fight it out hand to hand. This they begin to do,but quickly realize the interior of the prison is not as secure as hoped.

Luckily, a cell block which they come upon does appear to be impenetrable and they decide to spend the night there. And just to be on the safe side, Rick finds the keys to the cells and every locks themselves in for the night. Ironically, the prison’s purpose is reversed now, locking people in instead of trying to keep them from getting out.

In between all this, we cut to a small town, where we meet Michonne for the first time and watch her ass-kicking skills at work! This consists of her decapitating zombies with her samurai sword, and without the slightest bit of trouble I might add! After making the rounds, she returns to a “Deer Cooler” (a meat locker) where we find Andrea, who appears to be sick and in her care.

They decide to set out again, as Andrea doesn’t think she’ll survive if they stay. Packing up her two captive Walkers, the two set out… Yes, apparently Michonne is n the habit of keeping two Walkers with her in chains while traveling. Neither have jaws, which is clearly a defensive measure to make sure they can’t bite her. And I’m guessing having them around keeps other Walkers off their backs. Clever!

Lastly, we cut back to Rick and his usual party of hunters are exploring the basement of the prison. Unfortunately, this area is filled with Walkers, the party gets broken up as they begin running from two separate parties. In the process, Hershel is bitten on the leg and they are forced to scramble to the nearest secure room. Once there, Rick amputates Hershel’s leg with an axe to prevent the spread of the infection. Hershel is still in danger of bleeding out on the floor, and Daryl turns around to see several uninfected prisoners hiding in the next room…

Summary:

What can I say about this opening episode except WOW! Some seriously and truly badass stuff happened here, not to mention plenty of more cliffhanger notes. For starters,the opening scene was very effective and quite intelligently done. Not a word of dialogue passes between anyone in those first few minutes, and yet, we are made to everything of importance. The group has changed, they’ve become more seasoned and experienced, but everyone has the same look of fatigue and wear on their faces. The moment when Carl opens a can of dog food and Rick throws it in the fire place, that too was classic. It’s like he’s saying,”we may be hungry but we’re not animals!” And it was done without a single word.

Then there are the scenes where they fight their way onto the prison grounds, then into the prison proper were both very cool! In the first, special attention is given to the fact that the company has become a highly disciplined and able force, which is demonstrated in how hey manage to quickly envelop the zombies and pick them off from all sides. The moment at the end where Rick shoots the last of them and then laughs to himself is especially good here. It’s like a moment of pride where he’s realizing how effective they’ve become at the whole business of staying alive and killing zombies!

Then comes the fight next day where they begin clearing out the prison grounds using only handheld weapons. Each and every one of them is particularly badass here, stabbing and slicing their way in. But the best part is when the former guards, decked out in full riot gear come to fight them and they have to get creative. After all, you can’t simply smash in their skulls when they are protected by a helmet, and Daryl’s arrows prove useless against the helmets face shields. Here, T-Dog grabs a riot shield and begins bashing into some, while Maggie realizes that the best way to kill them is to stab under the helmets, and then feels very proud of herself when she kills one this way.

And of course, the irony of the prison. What better demonstration is there of how in an apocalyptic world, everything is turned upside down? In this kind of environment, a facility that was once built to incarcerate men is now turned into a fortress, with the express purpose of protecting those withing from those without. And the ending, where they must both cut off Hershel’s leg and find prisoners who are still alive? Whoa, you talk about a climax! A sure fire guarantee that people will be tuning in next week! I know I will…

However, there were also some kinder, gentler elements that were also well suited to the story. In this episode, Lori is desperate to talk to Rick about everything they’ve gone, specifically the triangle that existed between her, Shane and Rick. The matter of the baby’s true father is intrinsic to this, and while Lori wants to talk it out, Rick sure as hell doesn’t! She lets on towards the end that she thinks that Rick hates her, and intimates that Rick killed Shane, which is something she blames herself for. Her words “I put that knife in his hands” silences any doubt as to the whereabouts of Shane, and whether or not she or being literal or metaphorical remains to be seen.

Also, there is the issue of budding and developing romance that is factored in here. In the last season, Maggie and Glen began to have a relationship, and its clear from this episode that it is still happening. At the same time, Carol is beginning to make some overtures towards Daryl, who as we may recall was a great comfort to her last season while they were still looking for her daughter Sophia. However, Daryl seems a bit unenthused and is keeping her at a distance for the time being.

At the same time, little Carl also seems to be taking an interest in Beth, much to the chagrin of her father Hershel. Between these two seasos, he’s obviously grown considerably and is trying to emulate his father, wearing his old hat, shooting a gun, and trying to be a protector. It’s cute, it’s endearing, and in a way all of these relationships are indicative of something very important in the story. In the midst of all that death, people want to cling to life and take what joy they still can. But naturally, there’s a great deal of misgiving and hesitancy since there’s a chance it will end in pain.

Michonne was also very cool, and for what’s it worth, it’s good that they introduced here. Obviously they haven’t developed the thread involving her and Andrea very much in this episode, but we can assume their will be more to  come on that front later. At this point, we can only assume of what happened to separate her from the rest. But if I were a betting man, I’d say Shane killed Dale to protect his secret, Rick killed Shane out of necessity (he did kinda go batshit crazy there!), and Andrea took off because her and Shane had a thing. Somewhere along the way, she got sick and fell in with Michonne, who pulled her out of harm’s way.

The only complaint I might make, more of an observation really, was that as usual, they did up the disgusting factor! The worst part, for me, was when Rick ripped the helmet off one of the prison guard Walkers and his entire face came with it! Oh, and did I mention the skull kept screaming at him? And then Rick cut his head in half with the machete. I know it’s all animatrons and models, but holy shit yuck!

Looking forward to episode two and more revelations, not to mention zombie smashing!

The Smart Bra: The Future of Cancer Prevention

It is no secret that breast cancer is a major disease, accounting for 22.9% of all cases and leading to the death of approximately 500,000 women a year. With one in eight women being effected worldwide at some point in their life, early detection is key. Up until recently, these took the form of doctor exams or self-examinations. However, within a few years, there may very well be an early detection system that women can wear and which never stops working.

It’s known as the Breast Tissue Screening Bra, or Smart Bra as many like to call it. Developed in 2008 by the company First Warning Systems, in Reno, Nevada, the bra is designed act as a continuous exam device. As an alternate to self-exams and the somewhat controversial mammography, early tests indicated that it may actually be the most effective form of cancer screening to date.

The bra accomplishes all this by relying on a series of internal sensors and pattern recognition software. By detecting tiny temperature changes that occur as blood vessels grow and feed tumors, the bra is able to identify the presence of tumors while still in early formation, and up to six years before they would be  detectable by mammogram and twelve years before they could be removed by surgery.

Thus far, First Warning Systems has conducted three clinical trials using a total of 650 participants. So far, the results have been favorable, with the bra showing a 92.1 percent level of accuracy in detecting and classifying tumors. This is compared to a 70 percent accuracy rating as seen in routine mammograms. At present, the company plans to being releasing the bra in Europe by 2013 and, pending FDA approval, in the United States by 2014.

Personally, I don’t think this product can reach the market soon enough. With luck, it could very well signal a new era in the ongoing struggle to put an end to cancer. And who knows? If this works out, perhaps a similar garment could be developed for men, a pair of shorts that help with the screening of testicular and prostate cancer. Combined with nanomachines that are capable of monitoring our hearts, brains, lungs, pancreas and other internal organs, we may very well be able to stop cancer through early detection and prevention.

Here’s hoping! Meanwhile, check out this video of the Smart Bra’s design and workings.

Source: news.cnet.com

Whiskey Delta – Chapter 32

“If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.”

-Sun Tzu

The terrible roar reverberated in his ears long after it was over. And he could feel it shaking in his bones, sending fresh stabs of pain through him. White light flashed behind his eyes and Braun was clenched them shut. Again, a terrible noise filled his helmet, Mance’s howls subsiding just as his own began.

Then came another voice. “LT! LT, I’m en route to you, sir! Hang on and don’t move!”

“Dezba…” he said, but his hand was nowhere near the comm. He tried to reach for it, but the slightest motion brought Mance closer, the grey teeth just inches away now.

Just one bite… His eyes fixated on Mance’s cracked incisors. They were too close to him. He had to move, broken ribs or not. Braun moved his hand away from the comm… and slid it fast towards his holster.

Mance roared.

Braun froze again.

Mance was bearing his teeth more prominently now. A deep enough puncture, and he’d be looking for his weapon all right, but not for use on anyone else. Mance seemed to know it too, because something in his eyes suggested he was dragging this out on purpose. He didn’t want to bite Braun just yet. First, he wanted him to know exactly what his situation was.

As long as he kept perfectly still, Mance would keep toying with him. If he moved, Mance would get angry. And if, for some strange reason, he really tried to go for it, Mance would finish him.

No moves left. No more cards to play…

Yet strangely, he felt oddly comforted by the knowledge that his would-be killer had a name, that he knew who he was. How often did they have that luxury? How often did they know whom they were killing? No reason why it should matter, and yet it did.

“Mance Harmonn,” he whispered. Mance’s face bristled. He didn’t roar this time, but his reaction was clear. The beast was pleased when called by his name. “You remember who you are, don’t you?”

Mance moved closer and raised his voice just a little. Another weirdly comforting thing about the moment, his enemy could actually communicate with him.

“You were laying in wait for us, weren’t you? You knew more would be coming didn’t you? That’s why you have so many surrounding you.”

Mance made a low rumble. Was this was passed for an affirmative with his kind now? Had they developed their own way of conveying things intelligibly. Or was he to discern things from a pattern of grunts? Either way, it was uncanny, and something he needed to investigate further. While he still had time…

“People keep coming for you… you must figure you’re special now, right?”

A plain moaning growl. And now for the big question…

“Do you remember who you were? Do you remember what your life was like before you got infected?”

Mance did something Braun had never seen before with his kind. He blinked. Then his eyes began to exude something other than the usual mix of pain, anguish and unbridled blood lust. Was he thinking? Was he trying to remember?

“Do you, Mance? Is there anything left of you, your old life? Did you have family?”

That didn’t seem to work. Mance went right back to moaning angrily again. Had he failed to find anything within, or was he hitting a hot button with all this talk of a past life? Mance’s beared teeth let him know it didn’t matter. The monster was reasserting itself. Whatever conversations he was having with what might still be there within were at an end.

“You gotta know, Mance. Sooner or later, someone’s going to get you. You can’t run forever.” He looked over at his rifle, the PDA still beeping at its side. “And you can’t hide anymore. We know where to find you.”

A very angry burst. Mance closed the last few inches between their faces, teeth first.

Sir!” he heard Dezba’s voice again. Not through the comms this time. It was coming from the top of the hill. Mance heard it too. His eyes shot up in the direction of the noise and he went deadly quiet.

“Sir! I got him in my sights!”

“Dezba!”

“Lookout!”

Shots rang out, and Mance roared again. Braun’s eyes squeezed shut as the rounds landed around his body. He felt one impact near his shoulder, another scrape past his stomach.

And then, a relative silence… punctuated by the sounds of running feet.

His eyes opened on a canopy of leaves and branches, the piercing light of the sun now hanging directly overhead. He put his hand to his face and began to feel around for a wound. No pain, but that didn’t mean anything in the midst of shock. He inspected his encased hand, found no trace of gore. He kept checking, just to be sure.

The running feet landed by his ear and a hand flashed into his field of view, took hold of his arm and began to pull.

“Sir! Are you alright?”

Braun was pulled upright. He would have yelled, but the movement compressed his diaphragm and robbed him of the necessary air. The look on his face was enough to let Dezba know what had happened.

“Jesus Christ,” he said, putting his hands on Braun’s suit. “Where are you hurt? Did you get you?”

Braun shook his head fiercely. He couldn’t answer, but the last thing he needed was a bullet in the head over some broken ribs.

“Can you stand?”

“Yes!” he managed to get out, pushing Dezba’s hand away. As quickly as he could, he brought himself to his knees. He grabbed a hold of his rifle, struggling all the while for breath while simultaneously trying not to breath too deep. Every breath was a stabbing pain, but the need for air seemed to be winning out against that.

He looked up at their path, saw the brush still swaying from where Mance disturbed it.

“Get on him, Sergeant! I’ll catch up!”

Dezba looked in the direction he was indicating, back to the LT. “Sir, I can’t leave you here…”

“It’s a fucking order, Sarge! Move it… now!”

Dezba looked at the path again, back to the LT. His breathing was getting quick and sharp, the sound of a man poised over the chasm of indecision. Braun repeated himself.

“It’s an order, Sarge! Leave me now, and get that asshole!”

Dezba stopped figdeting. He pulled his rifle to his chest and cleared the grenade launcher’s breach.

“No, sir.” The words we so final, so plain, that Braun was forced to look at him with astonishment. Was he seriously disobeying an order at this juncture? Did he have any idea how stupid that was? He was sure to ask.

“Are you fucking kidding me, Sarge? What the hell -”

“I leave you here, you’re vulnerable. And I’m not ready to assume command of the team.”

Braun grunted and spat a terrible tasting gob of phlegm. No blood, a blessing to be sure, but the situation was still fucked. On top of everything else, he had an insubordinate NCO.

“Sarge, if he gets away, it won’t matter who’s in charge. Our window is closing. We have to get him now.”

“We will.” Dezba turned back to the brush and loaded a grenade. Braun caught the designation on the side.

“Wait, wha – “

Dezba raised the gun at a high angle and let loose. The shell fired with a loud pop of the compressed-air cartridge and disappeared into the bush with a loud hiss. Braun shut his visor in anticipation of the boom.

It came… hard.

He flipped open his visor and saw Dezba clearing the breach on his launcher. He then grabbed another shell from his belt and popped it into the launcher.

“What the fuck are you doing, firing thermobarics into the woods? We need him intact!”

“We just need his head sir. Besides, at the distance I’m placing these, its likely to just shock the hell out of him.”

Dezba fired another at a different angle and waited on the next explosion. This one didn’t seem as loud, or as shocking. Somehow, Braun suspected it was because he was expecting it now. A third one hissed into the bush at an opposite angle, exploded, and Dezba cleared his breach and began waiting. Within seconds, Braun heard the faint sound of crackling. Dezba heard it too, and began to chuckle.

“Not to mention that added benefit.”

Braun drew a deep breath and huddled over from the pain.  “Whiskeys hate fire,” he said, nodding.

So Dezba was hoping to flush him out, was he? Just one problem that he could foresee. “If he’s got company back there, they’re gonna follow.”

“Then we cut through them until we get Mance in our hands again.” Dezba nodded at the rock behind them that had broken the LT’s fall, amongst other things. “Beats chasing him into another ambush.”

Braun grumbled, spat another terrible gob of phlegm. Still no blood. At the moment, he couldn’t tell if the plan was stupid, reckless, or crazy enough to work. All he knew was, he was in too much pain to argue, and they were fast running out of options.

The Future is Here: Electronics that Dissolve

It is no secret that research into nanotechnology is bearing fruit these days. Back in February, both Standford and MIT unveiled implantable devices which would be capable of delivering drugs directly into the human blood stream and detecting health problems. However, despite all the progress being made in terms of nano-miniaturization, there are still numerous barriers which need to be overcome. For example, having microelectronics in the body, while initially beneficial, might prove problematic with time. What’s to happen when they are finished their jobs, become obsolete, or simply stop working after awhile?

Such machines need a way to be removed, but given their size (o.oooooooo1 meters), that’s not exactly practical. And even if it were, there’s the question of disposal. Once commercially viable, there are likely to be billions of nanomachines in circulation. Even at their miniscule scale, such machinery could pose environmental hazards, especially if its likely to malfunction. Ever heard of Grey Goo? Well that’s a scenario that researchers have to consider.

Luckily, researchers at the University of Illinois have come up with a possible solution: electronics that dissolve! Composed of silicon, magnesium, magnesium oxide and contained within a protective layer of silk, these “transient electronics” are built to melt away just as soon as their tasks are complete. In the process, they will reduce or remove the need to pass or surgically remove medical implants. Using rats as test subject, the researchers built their implants out of extremely thin sheets of silicon called nanomembranes to get the electronics to dissolve in hours or days instead of years.

Of course, the medical applications are clear. Already, electronics are being tailor made for the delivery of drugs, sensors implanted in internal organs to monitor of problems, and temperature monitors created to safeguard against infection and disease. Combined with external sensors, doctors would be able to do a full medical workup within seconds, and much of the guess work involving symptoms and patient history could be eliminated. Exploratory surgery could also become a thing of the past, since doctors would be able to use internal sensors to diagnose unexplained problems.

The researchers also used silk collected from silkworm cocoons to control the speed of disintegration. This is part of a growing field of electrical engineering that seeks to create biodegradable microchips and other electronics, in part for the sake of implantation but also to ensure the elimination of computer waste. Such waste, which includes disposable cell phones, cameras, and computers, currently accounts for 50 million tons of waste a year. Sixty percent of that is produced in the US, but could rise by as much as 500 percent over the next decade in developing nations such as India and China. Designing these types of components now could ensure the aversion of a possible ecological disaster.

Source: news.cnet.com

The Next Big Thing: Blog Hop!

Yeah, apparently there’s this new thing making the rounds known of late. Lord knows this here internet is filled with memes, but when you get tagged as part of a new one, you gotta go play. My thanks to Casey Sheridan for being the one to tag me, and now I go on to spread the word! Of course, it behooves me to post the rules of this particular meme. Here they are:

Give credit to the person/blog that tagged you (already done!)
Post the rules for this hop (in progress!)
Answer these ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress) on your blog
Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.

And now, here are the author questions which I shall begin to answer in sequential order:

What is the working title of your book?

Data Miners
What genre does the book fall under?

Thriller/suspense, but with some clear science fiction elements since a lot of it is speculative
Which actors would you choose to play your characters for the movie rendition?

C.S. Lee (who plays Vince Masuka on Dexter) as Yamal Pradchaphet, Lyndsy Fonseca as Agent Righetti, and Mila Kunis as Angela Thompson.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

A second-rate programmer by day and hacker by night finally stumbles onto a real-life conspiracy that is ten years in the making.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Self-published to begin with, with the intent that it will be represented at some later date
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Three y


What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

If pressed, I’d say Neuromancer, Cryptonomicon, and Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates, the works that most directly inspired it.
Who or What inspired you to write this book?

Reading plenty of William Gibson and other thrillers about technological trends, cryptology and espionage.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

The book explores the mysteries of the human mind, with inspirations from Arthur Koestler, B.F. Skinner, and Gilbert Ryle; the concept of digital immortality; and several ongoing questions about what really happened to the Stealth Fighter that was shot down during the Kosovo War.

And last, but certainly not least, are the five people I want to tag next. Naturally, this is 100% volunteer participation, so if you can’t join, don’t worry about it:

Rami Ungar – http://ramiungarthewriter.wordpress.com

Nina D’Arcangela – http://sotetangyal.wordpress.com

Nicola Higgins – http://nicolahigginsfiction.wordpress.com

Lesley Carter – http://lesleycarter.wordpress.com

Margaret E. Alexander – http://addictivestory.wordpress.com

Thanks again to Casey, and hope everyone has a good week!

Whiskey Delta – Chapter 31

“One ought never to turn one’s back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half.”

-Winston Churchill

A thunderclap sounded from overhead. A payload was unleashed, and began speeding directly towards the Earth, just a few hundred meters from their position. All around them, the grass seemed to stop swaying as time slowed inexorably. Any second now, things would begin moving fat again, too fast to follow.

Braun’s ears were filled as Dezba, Cobb and the pounding of his own heart competed for his attention. He did his best to hear them as they barked their reports.

“Enemy Contact!” yelled the one.

“Hellfire inbound! Danger close!” said the other.

He could feel the walls closing. But any second now, he expected to knock one of them down. He keyed the comm and did a little yelling of his own.

“Squad, take cover!”

Every head ducked into the tall grass. The arrival of the missile came was sounded by a loud scream behind them, followed by a deep thud. Everything seemed to go silent after that, the impact felt through the skin of their suits rather than in their ears. Braun felt his back being peppered a moment later by clumps of dirt and a few more solid objects.

He looked up as soon as the Earth stopped shaking, and saw some of what had landed on him. His heart rose , even as his stomach churned. The sight of so many rotting body parts let him knew that they’d taken out at least a dozen of the bastards.

Getting up proved a little difficult. The impact had been so close that it had knocked the air out of him. He brought his rifle up as quick as he could, knowing that he would need it at the ready very soon. He looked to their north, searched his HUD for Dezba and any other movement.

“Sergeant?” he said, keying his comm. He didn’t get a reply. “Sergeant! Report!”

Dezba’s helmet appeared a few meters away, followed by Saunder’s and Mill’s. His hand moved slowly to his comm, and his voice was filled with pain. “I’m here…”

Braun grunted angrily. “Enemy contact, Sergeant, remember?”

Dezba shook his head. Braun imagined he was uttering “oh shit” inside his helmet. He had an equally hard time getting his rifle up, and the field of grass was beginning to move just beyond him. He keyed the comm and swung his rifle up in a series of fluid motions.

“Squad! Contact north! Weapons free!”

The first head appeared through the parting grass, followed by another, then another. Braun’s SCAR was the first to report, a three round burst slamming into the head of the first one. It fell less than a meter from where Dezba stood. The sight of his shattered skull sent him moving real fast.

Mill’s SAW and Saunders rifle began reporting too. The first of them began to fall, the holes they put in the wall of grass sealing shut and making way for new ones to open. Moving back a few feet, Dezba raised his gun and fired off the M203 he had chambered, detonating it just behind the advancing wall of monsters. Several fell, while the others were knocked forward into a hail of gunfire.

“Squad, shift fire left!” Braun yelled. Every gun moved to the left to intercept the path of the next group. More began to fall, pockmarking the grass field with body-sized depressions. More were coming, but the grass was slowing them down and they had a good fire zone carved out in front of them.

Braun felt his spirits rising even higher as he realized the Whiskey’s little ambush was working against them. An open field was a prime place to lay a trap, but the tall reedy grasses were playing havoc with their mobility. And for their kind, mobility was everything. For Braun and his grunts, all they needed was a clear shot and some ammo. And at the moment, they had plenty of both.

Clearing another group, Braun turned to Cobb and demanded a report. Dropping his weapon and producing the pad again, he put it succinctly:

“I got good news and bad.”

Braun grumbled to himself. Wouldn’t be news if there wasn’t something bad about it. “Bad news first.”

“Bad news is, I think we set a fire behind us, and we got a ton of Whiskeys before us.”

“And the good?”

“Our rear is now clear. Every Whiskey still alive back there is bugging out. And…” he checked the pad again. “I lied. I got more good news.”

Braun mentally crossed his fingers. “Tell me!”

“That chopper must have thought we were shooting at him. He’s bugging out as we speak.”

Braun stamped his foot triumphantly. It had worked. He couldn’t say with any certainty what a Hellfire impacting looked like from the air, but if it was anything like what they had just seen, the pilot must have damn near shit his pants. Knowing that there was a UAV overhead with a full loadout couldn’t be helping much either, and he doubted they’d be hearing from him again anytime soon.

One problem solved, that just left the dozens of Whiskeys that stood between them and their objective, and said objective itself.

Bringing his weapon back up, Braun popped off his grenade into the approaching mass and spent the last of his magazine. In the midst of grabbing a fresh one, Saunders jumped on the comm and stopped him mid-reload.

“Sir! Pappa Zulu’s on the move! Heading north along the water!”

Braun looked to the Reservoir and tried to spot him. The damn grass was still too much of an obstruction. He couldn’t see any heads down that way and all movement in the grass looked the same. He swore and shoved the magazine in his gun, picked a new target, and sent three rounds into its skull. He was hoping for no more complications, but clearly that was too much to hope for.

“Sir! Orders?”

Braun picked off a few more and ducked down to key his comm again. Seeing a few more die was just enough for him to get his head clear.

“Mill, Saunders and Cobb! Maintain fire on our left flank. Dezba, on me!”

Dezba turned around and moved to Braun’s side as he clumsily ran up through the grass. Together, they cut to the north-east towards the water. The path led downhill for a few dozens meters, then cut off very suddenly. Braun nearly tripped over; luckily Dezba was there to steady him. He gave him a nod of appreciation.

Raising his scope, he got a magnified view of the grassy shoulder. The brush was thinner near the drop-off, and he could see a trampled path. Roughly a hundred meters ahead, there were more trees, and he could see a shadow moving within them. He motioned forward and keyed the comm.

“Target on the move, Sergeant!”

They took off down the dirt shoulder. Their movement was much faster now that they didn’t have shoulder high grass to deal with, but every step felt like a terrible risk. Braun kept looking down, wondering if the next step would be the one that fell out from beneath him. At a few dozens meters from the trees, he checked his scope again. There were a few shadows in the forest now, and they all seemed to be running in the opposite direction. He raised his visor and listened to the field, caught the distinct pop pop pop of his squad’s weapons. They were holding their own, but their objective was slipping off at this rate.

We need him more or less intact, he reminded himself. He couldn’t ask Cobb to let loose another missile at the north end. He looked back to the south and saw the flames that were rising, consuming the forest to the rear. He began moving again and keyed his comm at the same time.

“Saunders, take the squad back to the treeline west of your position. Try to draw them towards you. Cobb, check the UAV for any flankers.”

“Yes, sir,” Saunders replied. “What do we do if we get surrounded again? Cobb says it’s too tight in there for another Hellfire.”

Braun drew in a deep breath. Running and giving orders was never easy. “Then you fall back to the Stryker. The Whiskeys won’t follow you through that fire. We’ll rendezvous just as soon as we can.”

“Roger that, sir. Good luck.”

Braun looked back and saw Dezba hot on his tail. They kept double-timing it, and before long they were buried in the trees. Over a slop they went, a wet little dirt mount laced with roots. He saw the movement of shadows up ahead. There was very little light in this area of the forest and everything was a deep shade of green. Too bright for NV, too dark for a clear view. All they could do was follow.

Braun looked back again and spotted Dezba not more than three meters behind. He looked back to their path just in time to see the rock that would slip out from beneath him. He just enough time to yelp before he went down too.

The rest of the descent was a series of broken images he went down, end over end down the slippery slope. Several branches slashed across his helmet as he went and a slick mud obscured his visor when he rolled once. He didn’t know how close he was to the bottom. The only indication was the rock that slammed into his side and stopped him dead. He felt a snap and screamed inside his helmet. He rolled back over and drew in a deep breath. For all he knew, he was only half-way down and jackknifed on a particularly large outcropping. But his instincts quickly confirmed the presence of flat earth on his back. They confirmed the presence of something else shortly thereafter…

He flipped his visor up. Without the obscuring mud, he could see the eyes of the demon standing over him clearly. Its teeth were cracked and grey, and the smell coming off him was enough to make Braun wretch. But the look in his eyes was the worst. A look of pure hatred. None of the sadness or dislocation they had come to expect from them.

Braun blinked several times and took several panicked breaths. His heart was racing and every breath sent a stabbing pain through his chest. And the Whiskey was just inches from his face now.

Move, dammit! he told himself. Punch the fucker in the mouth, get your sidearm, get your knife! His body refused to oblige. Between the stifling pain and the fear that any sudden movement would bring those horrible teeth down on his bare face, his body simply would not comply. He lay there motionless, the sickened face hovering above him. It all seemed to be happening so slowly, almost not at all. Nothing but for the pace of his own heart let him know that time was even passing.

That’s when he heard the beeping noise coming from not far away. He looked to his left and saw his rifle, the business end aimed at them both. He had lost hold of it ages ago, but the cable connecting it to his suit had remained plugged. A quick check of his friend revealed he was looking at it too. The sound was just as intriguing to him it seemed.

He remembered the PDA. It was slung to the stock so its eye was aiming at whatever lay in the gun’s sights. It was an affirmative sound. A happy chiming that told him that what it was looking at the right thing.

Confirmation, confirmation, confirmation, it seemed to be saying.

The Whiskey was still staring at the weapon, his eyes looking wide and full of awe now.

All too quickly, it dawned on Braun who he was staring into the dead visage of.

“Harmonn?” he said, painfully.

The face snapped back to him and let out a terrible roar. The fury had returned, having been called out by name.

True Skin: A Cyborg Short

Hello again all. You know that feeling you get when you sense that you’re getting swept up in a trend? Well, it seems that the trend of making futuristic and predictive videos has captured me in its wake. The latest comes from Vimeo, courtesy of N1ON Productions, and is entitled True Skin. The concept is quite intriguing too: a near-future where cybernetic enhancements are all the rage, and people who are purely organic are discriminated against and looked down upon.

Filmed entirely in Bangkok, this video has a real nitty gritty feel to it, something that no cyberpunk tale would be complete without! And of course, there’s plenty of social commentary too, showing how cybernetic augmentation is tantamount to status and the poor are easily recognized by their lack of physical enhancements. And in the end, the story is told from the point of view of a man who knew he had to get upgraded if he was not going to slip through society’s cracks, even if that meant breaking the law.

No more spoilers, check out the video. And enjoy the scenery, courtesy of Bangkok’s Red Light District!

Baumgartner Makes Historic Space Jump!

It happened! The extreme skydiving daredevil made his historic, record-setting jump, after only one false start. The first attempt took place on Tuesday, but unfortunately high wind conditions forced them to cancel the jump. Despite the high altitude and extremely daring nature of the entire enterprise, minor variations in atmospheric and wind conditions had to be taken into account

Luckily, today things went off without a hitch. Launching from their base camp in Roswell New Mexico, Baumgartner ascended via his high-altitude balloon to the upper reaches of Earth’s atmosphere. Then, at an altitude of 100km above sea level, he jumped with the hopes of achieving supersonic free fall.

And that is precisely what he did, and then some. In fact, according to the  Red Bull Stratos team, Baumgartner’s achieved a top speed of 1,173 km/hour, or 729 mph. The team’s expectation was that 690 mph would be sufficient to get Baumgartner to Mach 1, considering the extreme elevation. The previous record, one of several he sought to beat was 614 mph, which was set back in 1960 and has stood ever since.

Naturally, there were a few technical glitches along the way. These included some issues with Baumgartner’s visor and the balloon’s power supply. After making the jump, he found himself spinning faster and faster, and almost lost consciousness at one point. This is apparently what prevented him from feeling the sonic boom that he eventually made. All in all, Baumgartner admitted it was a lot harder than he thought it would be. Hmm, jumping out a balloon on the edge of space and free falling towards the planet at speeds so fast you break the sound barrier? What’s hard about that?

Kudos to Baumgartner for the record-setting jump and making history. And be sure to check out the video of his jump, freefall and landing below:

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