Latest Articles for Author: Kaitlyn Gaffney

Dolphins non-human persons

India Agrees with Douglas Adams: Dolphins are Intelligent

According to the great words of Douglas Adams from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (you know, the one who solved all our problems to the life, the universe and everything with the number 42), dolphins are actually more intelligent than humans: “On the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than…

Ninja turtles movie

Ninja Turtles: Take Five

I grew up on TMNT. My brother had the sheets, the action figures, the puzzles, the nun chucks, you name it, we had it, and we watched the show and the movies quite a LOT – “God, I love being a turtle!” I also love cheesy puns, cheesy pizza (with anchovies), and cheesy costumes, but…

Google’s chromecast: make your tv smart

Google’s Chromecast: Make Your TV Smart

Google’s Chromecast is marketed as “the easiest way to enjoy online video and music on your TV.” So the question is: is it? Many people today don’t own the new smart TVs that Sony, Panasonic and LG are putting out, so Google came up with a brilliant idea. Most TVs, smart or not, do come…

Nsa’s x-keyscore: do they know you’re reading this right now?

NSA’s X-Keyscore: Do They Know You’re Reading This Right Now?

X-Keyscore collects the widest-reaching collection of data online and it requires no authorization for its searches. The analysts can simply run through emails, online chats, social media activity and one’s browsing history at the flick of their wrist. It also, according to a former Intelligence Community computer engineer ,“[actually] is a massive target[ing capability] that…

Samsung tv owners: are you being watched through your hdtv

Samsung TV Owners: Are You Being Watched Through Your HDTV

Are you being spied on in your homes by your television sets? If you own a new Samsung TV, you may very well be. The latest TV models raise serious cause for concern, as hackers have already proved that these TVs are not secure and privacy policies have not yet been released. Hackers Prove Samsung…

Google gives free wi-fi to san francisco parks

Google Gives Free Wi-fi to San Francisco Parks

Internet Philanthropist Google has offered to gift San Francisco parks with free Wi-Fi. Playgrounds, plazas, recreation centers, and parks are going to have the Wi-Fi for two years with no strings attached. Google is paying $600,000, Mayor Ed Lee stated. Although the plan is still pending approval, installation could start as early as November and…

Google makes up 25% of internet traffic

Google Makes Up 25% Of Internet Traffic

During the past month, Google broke an internet record. A recent study by DeepField, an analytic firm, showed that Google accounts for about a quarter of all internet traffic in North America (and they grew fast: in 2010, they were only at 6%). At first, I found this quite unbelievable. But the facts prove it,…

Iris scans are the new school i. D.

Iris Scans are the new School I.D.

I will admit, I lost my ID twice as a college student (and I’m only counting the times I lost it fully and had to buy a new one, losing it for an hour, day, week… yea that happened plenty more times then I’d like to admit). I can’t imagine being in elementary school and…

China to lift 13 year ban on video game consoles

China to Lift 13 Year Ban on Video Game Consoles

In June 2000, the Ministry of Culture forbid “any company or individual to produce and sell electronic game equipment and accessories to China.” The video game ban was originally put in place in an attempt to shield the Chinese children from being corrupted by video games, however it is now going to be lifted in…

Faq released for google glass

FAQ released for Google Glass

The newly posted FAQ for Google Glass (basically a computer inside a pair of glasses that rests above your eye) makes it much easier to understand the amazing product – how it will work, what exactly it is and does, and all the little ins and outs. The online  FAQ was created in response to…

Bionic ear created by princeton researchers

Bionic Ear Created by Princeton Researchers

Research done at Princeton University is bringing the world of Terminator and cyborgs ever closer to us. The Princeton scientists work in cybernetics has resulted in a 3-D printer and a bionic ear, which. Its success, the inventor predicts, will lead to bionic supplements to the human body that empower humans and connect them to…

Goodbye train shuteye: public transportation windows transmit ads into mind

Goodbye Train Shuteye: Public Transportation Windows Transmit Ads into Mind

I am afraid that the near future is going to require wills of steel or endless wallets. Multi-million dollar corporations are fueling creativity into advertising, and new technology has been born that honestly makes me fear for my free will. Why? Well, because technology has been invented and put into practice that is going to…

Terminator will “Be Back”: New Trilogy set to begin in 2015

Paramount confirms that the Terminator is coming back; yes, another movie about artificial intelligence vs. humanity. Hollywood seems to think it’s a pretty good idea; the legal drama over the franchise has been quite tumultuous. Producer and financer Megan Ellison finally won the war, spending over $20 million for the rights in 2011, although nothing…

George Lucas Honored at Women in Film 40th Anniversary

As a female who grew up watching Star Wars, I can attest to the fact that Princess Leia was a significant and positive role model. Her quick wit, her feisty nature, and her strong, fearless leadership made her quite the revolutionary woman (and she won Han’s heart, so what pre-teen girl wouldn’t want to be…