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#Georgia #Tech #drones #enhance #campus #security
Shoplifters in the US could soon be chased down by drones
The news: Flock Safety, whose drones were once reserved for police departments, is now offering them for private-sector security, the company has announced. Potential customers include businesses trying to curb shoplifting.
How it works: If the security team at a store sees shoplifters leave, they can activate a camera-equipped drone. “The drone follows the people. The people get in a car. You click a button and you track the vehicle with the drone, and the drone just follows the car,” says Keith Kauffman, a former police chief who now directs Flock’s drone program. The video feed of that drone might go to the company’s security team, but it could also be automatically transmitted directly to police departments.
The response: Flock’s expansion into private-sector security is “a logical step, but in the wrong direction,” says Rebecca Williams, senior strategist for the ACLU’s privacy and data governance unit. Read the full story.
—James O’Donnell
Read more of our stories about the latest in drone tech:
+ Why you’re about to see a lot more drones over America’s skies.
+ Meet Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, the radio-obsessed civilian shaping Ukraine’s drone defense. His work could help to determine the future of Ukraine, and wars far beyond it.
+ We examined four big trends that show what’s next for drone technology.
+ The defense tech startup Epirus has developed a cutting-edge, cost-efficient drone zapper that’s sparking the interest of the US military. Read our story about how it could change the future of war.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 TikTok US is being valued at $14 billion by Trump’s deal
That’s shockingly low for a fast-growing social media company. (FT $)
+ The deal is basically just Trump giving TikTok to his friends. (Vox $)
+ Here’s what the sale means for you. (WP $)
2 Microsoft has stopped letting Israel use its technology for surveillance
The system was used to collect millions of Palestinian civilians’ phone calls every day. (The Guardian)
3 There are more robots working in China than the rest of the world combined
It’s a trend that’ll further cement its status as the world’s leading manufacturer. (NYT $)
+ China’s EV giants are betting big on humanoid robots. (MIT Technology Review)
4 The inside story of what happened when DOGE came to town
If anything, this is even more grim and chaotic than you might imagine. (Wired $)
5 Instagram’s teen safety features are flawed
Researchers tested 47 of these features, and found that only 8 were fully effective. (Reuters $)
+ There’s growing concern among lawmakers about the risks of kids forming bonds with chatbots. (MIT Technology Review)
6 Brazil’s judicial system is adopting AI with gusto
The trouble is that rather than reducing the amount of work for judges and lawyers, AI seems to be increasing it. (Rest of World)
+ Meet the early-adopter judges using AI. (MIT Technology Review)
7 Amazon is refunding $1.5 billion to Prime subscribers
The deal with the FTC lets it avoid a trial over claims it tricked consumers into signing up. (WP $)
8 These women are in love with AI
Like it or not, these sorts of romances are becoming more common. (Slate $)
+ It’s surprisingly easy to stumble into a relationship with an AI chatbot. (MIT Technology Review)
9 Scientists are improving how we measure nothing
Researchers are developing a vacuum-measurement tool that could unlock exciting new possibilities for science. (IEEE Spectrum)
+ This quantum radar could image buried objects. (MIT Technology Review)
10 Why does everything online feel so icky? 
Most of us will go to extreme lengths to avoid awkwardness IRL. On social media, it’s another matter entirely… (Vox $)
+ China’s government has had enough of everyone being negative on its internet. (BBC)
Quote of the day
“AI machines—in quite a literal sense—appear to be saving the US economy right now. In the absence of tech-related spending, the US would be close to, or in, recession this year.”
—George Saravelos, global head of FX research at Deutsche Bank, warns that the AI boom is unsustainable in a note to clients, Fortune reports.
One more thing
COURTESY OF OPENAI
The two people shaping the future of OpenAI’s research
—Will Douglas Heaven
For the past couple of years, OpenAI has felt like a one-man brand. With his showbiz style and fundraising glitz, CEO Sam Altman overshadows all other big names on the firm’s roster.
But Altman is not the one building the technology on which its reputation rests. That responsibility falls to OpenAI’s twin heads of research—chief research officer Mark Chen and chief scientist Jakub Pachocki. Between them, they share the role of making sure OpenAI stays one step ahead of powerhouse rivals like Google.
I recently sat down with Chen and Pachocki for an exclusive conversation which covered everything from how they manage the inherent tension between research and product, to what they really mean when they talk about AGI, and what happened to OpenAI’s superalignment team. Read the full story.
We can still have nice things
+ Wherever you are, this website helps you discover the most interesting bars nearby.
+ Take a tour of Norway’s lighthouses.
+ Inside London’s flourishing underground rave scene.
+ Meaningful changes rarely occur instantly. Here’s how they do happen.
#Download #shoplifterchasing #drones #Trumps #TikTok #deal
“Instead of a 911 call [that triggers the drone], it’s an alarm call,” says Keith Kauffman, a former police chief who now directs Flock’s drone program. “It’s still the same type of response.”
Kauffman walked through how the drone program might work in the case of retail theft: If the security team at a store like Home Depot, for example, saw shoplifters leave the store, then the drone, equipped with cameras, could be activated from its docking station on the roof.
“The drone follows the people. The people get in a car. You click a button,” he says, “and you track the vehicle with the drone, and the drone just follows the car.”
The video feed of that drone might go to the company’s security team, but it could also be automatically transmitted directly to police departments.
#Shoplifters #chased #drones
September is around the corner and with it – the National Preparedness Month. That’s why T-Mobile is on the topic, explaining how the company is expanding its technology and resources to strengthen connectivity during natural disasters and severe weather events.
The company has broadened its satellite services, increased the number of deployable assets, upgraded community support vehicles and reinforced its physical network. Together, these measures are designed to keep people connected to loved ones, emergency alerts and critical services when it matters most, while also giving first responders stronger tools to coordinate in the field.
One of the most significant additions is T-Satellite, launched earlier this summer in partnership with Starlink. The service is the first of its kind in the United States, automatically connecting most modern smartphones to a satellite network without additional setup. This allows people to send and receive text messages even if traditional cell service is disrupted.
Wireless Emergency Alerts can now also be delivered via satellite, and those with an active subscription have the ability to text 911 in areas where the sky is visible.
The service proved its value during the recent floods in Texas, when nearly 94,000 people relied on T-Satellite to send more than 287,000 messages. T-Mobile has also started supporting limited satellite data, with the latest Google Pixel devices offering early access to apps like Google Maps for use in off-grid situations.
Starting August 28, Pixel 10 devices will be able to use satellite connectivity for WhatsApp voice and video calls, as we told you earlier.
T-Mobile knows that disasters test communities, but connection holds them together. That’s why we continue to innovate and expand — including a $2 billion network investment in Florida completed this year — so that whether it’s texting a loved one or 911, ensuring first responders have critical connectivity or receiving emergency alerts in real time, people have the peace of mind that comes from staying connected when it matters most.
– Jon Freier, President, T-Mobile Consumer Group
T-Mobile has increased its aerial support capacity by expanding its drone fleet by 50 percent. The drones are designed specifically for disaster conditions, including heavy-lift models that can transport supplies and portable connectivity equipment, as well as search-and-rescue drones equipped with thermal imaging, LiDAR (light detection and ranging) mapping, and one-way broadcast communications.
Tethered drones, which remain connected to the ground, can stay in the air for long periods to create temporary coverage areas of about two miles.
On the ground, T-Mobile has nearly doubled its fleet of deployable assets. This includes more Satellite Cells on Light Trucks (SatCOLTs) and Satellite Cells on Wheels (SatCOWs), with new extra-large versions that provide wider coverage and greater capacity during emergencies.
The company has also expanded its number of Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs), which are portable satellite antennas that deliver temporary wireless service. These resources are supported by upgraded community support vehicles, which now offer stronger Wi-Fi connections and higher-capacity device charging.
The company has also continued investing in its physical infrastructure. Across the United States and Puerto Rico, thousands of cell sites have been fortified with additional backup power and greater resilience to wind and flooding. In Florida, a $2 billion project completed in July upgraded more than 1,300 sites and hardened over 1,300 towers.
For first responders, T-Mobile‘s 5G network now includes T-Priority, a dedicated slice of spectrum designed specifically for public safety agencies. This ensures lower latency, faster speeds and higher priority access across all 5G bands, a feature aimed at giving emergency teams reliable connectivity when every second counts.
“Iconic Phones” is coming this Fall!
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#TMobile #expanded #satellites #drones #emergencies #heres #fine #print