Free Republic

Freepers, Heads up. Palemoon has reached a fork in the road if you are user. Almost all your old add-ons will no longer work.If you update you are hosed.They told no one...

Sen. Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) introduced a bill Wednesday aimed at reducing Chinese control over technology used by the Department of Defense and its contractors. The bill would require defense contractors to disclose where they obtained printed circuit boards, which are an essential component of most complex technology. "A disproportionate amount of the printed circuit boards used in the Department of Defense's electronic systems come from China, where they are vulnerable to sabotage by the Chinese government," Hawley's office said. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed concern about Chinese control of important supply chains. Democratic senators Bob...

Operating on satellites is relatively straightforward, but over the years many tips, tricks, and secrets have been discovered which make operating more efficient and pleasant. Here we are collecting information of use to both the new and experienced operator. Fox-1 Operating Guide, updated for 2019, includes pointers on getting started and provides a handy reference to the Fox-1 cubesat operating frequencies. This color PDF file is designed to print double-sided. Two different resolution versions are available: Low resolution PDF suitable for on-screen display (~300KB size) High resolution, press quality PDF for hard-copy printing (~1.6 MB size) The AMSAT Hamfest Brochure...

Yes, like all other devices around you, your Smart Home devices can be hacked too. You must be thinking how that is even possible. Well, hackers have their way of finding their way around something. And nothing better than a Smart Home device that can allow a hacker to enter your home and quietly collect all your helpful information. This sensitive information can include your personally identifiable information, bank details, account details, and more. Hackers can easily sneak into your Smart Home devices and find their way around the information which is most beneficial to them. So, instead of just...

Exploring alternative communication methods including data that is both long distance and robust for uses in emergencies, privacy, and for preppers. Here are the links to things I discussed in the live stream. Baofeng UV5R Portal UHF/VHF Ham Radio https://amzn.to/2POpmAD​ RTL-SDR - Software Defined Radio - listen to Ham Radio, Air Traffic Control, Marine Radio and more with this cheap USB device for your computer - Fun hobby! https://amzn.to/2Ln0lxG​ HamNet Mesh - AREDN - Introduction https://arednmesh.readthedocs.io/en/l...​ ARRL HAM Radio License Manual https://amzn.to/2LsjiPu​ I'm the Internet Privacy Guy. I'm here to educate. You are losing your Internet privacy and Internet security...

TAMPA — Transportation planners are preparing to use new technology to try to solve an old problem — traffic crashes and congestion on Interstate 4 between Tampa and Orlando. The state Department of Transportation is designing a corridor management system that will relay real time information directly to motorists about congestion, accidents, work zones, weather warnings and even end-of-the-traffic-back-up locations on I-4 and alternate routes. The idea behind so-called connected vehicle technology is to improve traffic flow on the interstate and east-west alternatives without adding new lanes or acquiring new right of way. On Wednesday, Hillsborough’s Metropolitan Planning Organization —...

Internationally, levels of personal freedom continue to decrease; COVID has, of course, played a role, but the downward spiral started long before the pandemic.For freedom to flourish, democracies are required. Around the world, however, established democracies are in decline. Again, the decline was occurring long before the pandemic hit.Democracy, we’re told, dies in darkness. No, democracy dies in Davos.If in doubt, please read the following:"Welcome to the year 2030. Welcome to my city - or should I say, 'our city'. I don't own anything. I don't own a car. I don't own a house. I don't own any appliances or...

A semiconductor shortage has been plaguing the automobile industry for several months, and this piece explains why: To understand why the $450 billion semiconductor industry has lurched into crisis, a helpful place to start is a one-dollar part called a display driver. Correction: The semiconductor industry itself isn’t in crisis, it’s making money hand-over-fist right now. It’s certain industries relying on semiconductors that have the problem. Hundreds of different kinds of chips make up the global silicon industry, with the flashiest ones from Qualcomm Inc. and Intel Corp. going for $100 apiece to more than $1,000. Those run powerful computers...

Set designers were finally able to draw fans into their vivid dream without the constraints of Newtonian physics. Yet virtual reality isn't all wonder.Pandemic lockdowns crushed the concert industry, but things are finally starting to move again. Many of us are optimistic that dense crowds might gather regularly by mid-autumn. The process is already starting in red states. Once everybody who’s anybody “takes the jab,” mass events should spread slowly across the country.All over the world, people are dying for another taste of what Émile Durkheim called “collective effervescence”: the intense thrill we get from a mass gathering with a...

Care and feeding of yagis by WA5VJB

Tech firms funded by the British government are developing facial recognition systems that could be used by private businesses, such as pubs, as coronavirus vaccine passports. The scheme being developed by the tech companies iProov and Mvine — which have received a £75,000 government grant — would see companies employ software that would cross-reference the face of British patrons to vaccination and coronavirus testing databases before entering their establishment. The chief executive of iProov, Andrew Bud, told The Times that other vaccine passport systems are ineffective compared to facial recognition technology.

Amazon delivery drivers nationwide have to sign a "biometric consent" form this week that grants the tech behemoth permission to use AI-powered cameras to access drivers' location, movement, and biometric data. If the company's delivery drivers, who number around 75,000 in the United States, refuse to sign these forms, they lose their jobs. The form requires drivers to agree to facial recognition and other biometric data collection within the trucks they drive.

Central Bank Digital Currencies are the future of currency, and when they arrive, they'll enslave the world. To understand why, you first need to understand what they are, how they serve the vision of those in power, and why they're inevitable. What Are Central Bank Digital Currencies? Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) have yet to be launched on a large scale, but advocates envision a government-controlled cryptocurrency that replaces national currencies. CBDCs will use digital tokens on a computer network to represent a national currency. They'll rely on blockchain, the same technology behind Bitcoin, Etherium, and other popular cryptocurrencies. As...

Late last week, a curious alert appeared in the Federal Aviation Administration’s database of Notices to Airman, or NOTAMs, which, among other things, alerts aviators to chunks of airspace that are temporarily off-limits. The details strongly point to the comings or goings of a high-flying aircraft between either Area 51, also known as Groom Lake, or the Tonopah Test Range Airport, two of the U.S. military’s most closely-guarded flight test facilities, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest of San Francisco, California. The NOTAM, which was first pointed out by users of the Dreamlandresort.com message board, was issued on March...

• In the sequel to our Wintel Wars article, we offer the ultimate deep dive into the tectonic shifts happening in the tech industry, giving unparalleled context to Karp's cryptic musings. • We lay out how Google and Facebook gradually created privatized versions of secretive DARPA programs, and why Palantir and Apple are leading a push for privacy as industry tensions ignite. • We discuss how Palantir threatens the current paradigm with software for a decentralized alternative. Europe's GAIA-X offers significant upside potential as Palantir seeks a new European hub in Switzerland. • While the last decade focused on the...

Build a dual-band low-noise amplifier for 2 meters and 70 centimeters" by kim kocsis WA9PYH is on page 48 https://amatortelsiz.com.tr/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CQFeb2021Fiby2C5.pdf

China’s unabashed ambitions to win the international race to bring 5G networks to the world poses a significant threat to U.S. national and economic security. The Chinese, through their semi-governmental companies and other entities, want to stampede the world into complete dependence on their equipment and services for 5G connectivity, with all the national security problems that would provoke. Sadly, some companies on the free side of the line who should be cooperating to counter this threat are fighting each other. I am referring to the ongoing dispute between Ericsson and Samsung over patent infringement claims at the U.S. International...

I wanted a bit more “oomph” from my 1W 1.2 GHz HT, so I purchased a PC board Yagi to get another 6 dB. I have a Yaesu FT-911 1.2 GHz HT. It is a 1990’s rig gifted me by the wife of a Silent Key at my work. It is a sweet handheld, but with limited power.

The security holes...leave the door open to industrial-scale cyber espionage, allowing malicious actors to steal emails virtually at will from vulnerable servers. Tens of thousands of organizations have already been compromised,...the sluggish pace of many customers’ updates...means the field remains at least partially open to hackers of all stripes...Intriguingly, several of the groups appeared to know about the vulnerability before it was announced by Microsoft on March 2.

After appearing for decades in science fiction, then moving into an actual theory, a new patent for an updated warp drive was published last year to no fanfare. Like many other false starts in cutting-edge research, the patent may represent the next step in the expanding theory, or it could mean the practical, real-world design of a functioning warp drive is on the horizon. BACKGROUND: HOW TO BEND SPACE-TIME WITH A WARP DRIVE After first publishing his groundbreaking 1994 warp drive concept in the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity, Mexican Mathematician and Physicist Miguel Alcubierre received significant positive and negative...