Andrew Patrick

A military supplier has been making lots of money selling dowsing-like devices to troops in Iraq that are supposed to detect explosives and other nasty materials. They devices come equipped with different programming cards to customize the substances they search for.

There has been speculation that the devices are fake and the programming cards don’t do anything. Now comes an analysis of the cards by careful dis-assembly, and the results are predictable…

There is no way in which this device could be programmed to distinguish the many different substances that the ADE651 manufacturer claimed it could, not to mention that any useful interaction with such an LC circuit would require a transmitter antenna, a power source, and lots of other components that the ADE651 appears to lack.

My new employer, The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, is again calling for research and public education proposals for its contributions programs.

Research into the privacy implications of information technologies is one of the four priority areas for funding support under this year’s program. Emerging information technologies can threaten the privacy of Canadians or enhance it – and sometimes both simultaneously. For that reason, the Office is especially interested in receiving funding applications from researchers examining, from a scientific or technical standpoint, the impact of information technologies on privacy.

Not-for-profit organizations, including education institutions, industry and trade associations, consumer, voluntary and advocacy organizations are all eligible under the program. Up to $50,000 is available for successful projects. The deadline for submitting applications is February 26, 2010.

More information is available at:

http://www.priv.gc.ca/resource/cp/p_index_e.cfm

You have probably seen a variety of “traffic calming measures” when you drive down roads. These range from speed bumps to pavement markings to deliberate narrowing of the roads.

Here is an article reporting results from pavement markings designed to produce an optical illusion that makes it appear that you are driving faster than you actually are. The markings are being used at the approach to a corner with a bad accident record, and they seem to we working quite well.

Traffic calming results