Actual Iris Scanners in Mexico

via Fast Company:

Minority Report-style retinal scanning & identification. To be used for security purposes, but advertisers are already salivating.

Videotapiing Law Officers illegal?

via time:

Info on multiple cases awaiting court dates, prosecutors attempting to argue that filming the police equals a violation of federal wiretapping laws. Dunno how that's supposed to work.
Understandable that the police are wary about being filmed, but don't criminalize and/or harass bystanders to cover the collective ass, just in case a cop is doing something he or she shouldn't.

Amateur 3D

via wired:

A group of like-minded collaborators have been DIYing 3D. More research required.

DARPA & Nitrous Oxide

via wired:

DARPA awarded funding to researching attempting to find a way to rapidly oxygenate the blood of soldiers (minutes, not days), specifically to allow them to maintain function at high altitudes. Other uses include vastly increased muscle efficiency at lower altitudes, potentially easier healing, etc. Via nitrous oxide, no less.

Might also help improve the quality of donated blood (after weeks of transit, very low in oxygen).

Human Regeneration is getting closer...

via wired:

Muscle tissue regeneration in mice @ Stanford U, without the use of stem cells. These are regular, adult cells that have been coaxed into replicating themselves as if the mouse were still growing.

Pregnant woman executed by Taliban

via Huffpost:

Executed for ALLEGED adultery. Not even proof, just the allegations are enough to warrant her death, apparently. Way to go, humanity. You suck.

A Look at the Coming Collapse of Society

via Salon:

A glimpse at the precursors to larger local gov't collapse. Chipper.

Govt Agency storing body-scan images

via Huffpost:

Despite all the ink & bandwidth devoted to promises of it being "not physically possible" to store bodyscan images (in use at various airports & courthouses), the U.S. Marshall's Service has been saving them. Tens of thousands of them. Surreptitiously.

But it's OK, since they're not PHYSICAL. What is this, the Dark Ages? They're digital, of course.

Right Wing Nutjob, now with Rifle & Bulletproof Vest!

via Salon:

Yet another crazy man, stopped by Oakland PD prior to going on a shooting spree. Joy.