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Daily Archives: November 21, 2019

Mission Science

NISAR Science Users’ Handbook – “The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), or NISAR mission is a multi-disciplinary radar mission to make integrated measurements to understand the causes and consequences of land surface changes. NISAR will make global measurements of the causes and consequences of land surface changes for integration into Earth system models. NISAR provides a means of disentangling and clarifying spatially and temporally complex phenomena, ranging from ecosystem disturbances, to ice sheet collapse and natural hazards including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides. The purpose of this handbook is to prepare scientists and algorithm developers for NISAR by providing a basic description of the mission and its data characteristics that will allow them to take full advantage of this comprehensive data set when it becomes available…”

Opinion: Workers Deserve a Say in Automation

Opinion – By Sherrod Brown, Ohio’s senior US senator and Liz Schuler, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO: “The Workers’ Right to Training Act allows employees to evolve as their employers adopt new tech. When the global economy shifted in the late 19th century, working people were the first to adapt. They moved to cities like Cincinnati,… Continue Reading

Uber Embraces Videotaping Rides, Raising Privacy Concerns

The New York Times – “The company says it is increasing the recording of rides to settle disputes between drivers and passengers and to improve safety…Uber began the video recording program in Texas in July, and is conducting smaller tests of the program in Florida and Tennessee. In November, it announced a similar effort in… Continue Reading

Here’s One Reason the U.S. Military Can’t Fix Its Own Equipment

The New York Times – Opinion: “Manufacturers can prevent the Department of Defense from repairing certain equipment, which puts members of the military at risk…In the United States, conversations about right-to-repair issues are increasing, especially at federal agencies and within certain industries. In July, the Federal Trade Commission hosted a workshop to address “the issues… Continue Reading

PA Supreme Court – Police Can’t Force You to Tell Them Your Password

EFF: “The Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a forceful opinion today holding that the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects individuals from being forced to disclose the passcode to their devices to the police. In a 4-3 decision in Commonwealth v. Davis, the court found that disclosing a password is “testimony” protected by the Fifth… Continue Reading