If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The Australian government is planning a nationwide digital ID launch‚ which is tentatively set for this year. While it could be delayed for logistical reasons‚ it’s clear that the government is fully intent on pushing a new digital ID agenda in the country. Having first entered Parliament last year‚ the Digital ID Bill in Australia finished its final stage at the end of January‚ garnering input from business and finance groups. The country’s authorities are currently communicating with the individual states. An announcement from the Department of Finance revealed that the novel system would empower users to select their preferred digital ID provider for the accessibility of both government and private services. Private entities can apply for accreditation to provide digital ID services under the Trusted Digital Identity Framework (TDIF)‚ which is the government’s recognition framework. As stated by an official spokesperson‚ the legislative step will set in motion the enlargement of the Australian Government Digital ID System to encompass state‚ territory and private sector organizations opting to participate. The national digital ID will essentially serve as a comprehensive version of MyGovID that Australians currently utilize for the Australian Taxation Office‚ Centrelink and Medicare access. The strategy to retain other digital IDs issued by other state governments. An individual user will have the capability to create a multipoint image on a device‚ to be validated against their passport photo or eventually‚ their driver’s license. Officials state that users need only establish their credentials once. Digital IDs often involve the collection and storage of personal data‚ including biometric information such as fingerprints or facial recognition data. This concentration of sensitive data can be a tempting target for hackers and cybercriminals. A successful breach could lead to identity theft‚ fraud‚ or even blackmail. Moreover‚ there is the risk of unauthorized surveillance and tracking. Governments or other entities could potentially misuse digital ID systems to monitor individuals without their consent‚ infringing on personal freedoms and privacy. The post Australia Plots Digital ID Launch For This Year appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

The Boeing B-17—or its computer-generated likeness—appears front and center in the AppleTV+ series Masters of the Air. The story of the 100th Bombardment Group of the Eighth Air Force in World War II‚ MOTA is based on the book by Donald L. Miller. The 100th flew the B-17 Flying Fortress and some of its missions over Europe provide harrowing sequences in the series. Here are a few classic films that feature the B-17 and are worth searching out. Air Force (1943). Directed by Howard Hawks. Starring John Ridgely‚ Gig Young‚ Arthur Kennedy‚ Charles Drake‚ Harry Carey‚ George Tobias and John Garfield.While B-17s are known primarily for their role in the European Theater‚ they flew in the Pacific as well. Howard Hawks’ Air Force tells the story of one such Fort‚ Mary Ann. After flying into the attack on Pearl Harbor‚ the airplane and its crew proceed to Wake Island and then on to the Philippines to take action against the Japanese. The production used real B-17B‚ C and D models‚ supplemented by model work when necessary. The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress (1944). Directed by William Wyler.Director William Wyler left Hollywood to document the war for the U.S. and received permission to film an account of a B-17 crew on a mission over Germany. He ended up flying five missions with pilot Robert Morgan of the 91st Bombardment Group‚ two of them in Morgan’s regular plane‚ Memphis Belle. Wyler used his footage to create a composite twenty-fifth mission for Morgan and the crew of Memphis Belle. (While not the first bomber to complete 25 missions‚ Memphis Belle was the first to return to America after having done so and earned much public attention as a result.) Released on April 15‚ 1944‚ the New York Times called the film “a perfect example of what can be properly done by competent film reporters to visualize the war for people back home.” (The real Memphis Belle is on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton‚ Ohio.) Memphis Belle (1990). Directed by Michael Caton-Jones. Starring Matthew Modine‚ Eric Stoltz‚Tate Donovan‚ D.B. Sweeney‚ Billy Zane‚ Sean Astin‚ Harry Connick Jr.‚ John Lithgow and David Strathairn.The fictionalized film based on Wyler’s (and co-produced by his daughter) also tells the story of the titular B-17’s 25th mission but suffers from a willingness to embrace cliché as the crew faces a familiar litany of threats (bandits‚ flak‚ cloud cover‚ engine loss). Command Decision (1948).Directed by Sam Wood. Starring Clark Gable‚ Walter Pidgeon‚ Van Johnson‚ Brian Donlevy‚ Charles Bickford‚ John Hodiak and Edward Arnold.Where MOTA focuses on what the B-17 crews endured during the war‚ Command Decision focuses on the commanders who sent them on their missions in what Brigadier General “Casey” Dennis (Gable‚ who actually flew some missions over Europe) calls “the weirdest kind of war on earth.” Watching B-17s and their crews head out on a mission‚ he says‚ “In a few hours from now they’ll be fighting on oxygen five miles above Germany. Tonight some of them will be dancing at the Savoy. Some of them will still be in Germany.” The film can’t escape its roots as a Broadway play (adapted from a novel) and remains mostly set-bound. A scene where Dennis has to talk down a B-17 bombardier flying for his wounded pilot suffers from some obvious model work that stands out in comparison to the actual combat footage used elsewhere. Twelve O’Clock High (1949). Directed by Henry King. Starring Gregory Peck‚ Hugh Marlowe‚ Gary Merrill and Dean Jagger.Twelve O’Clock High covers some of the same ground as Command Decision but does it much better. The focal point is General Frank Savage (Peck) who takes command of the snakebitten 918th Bombardment Group after its previous commander got too close to his men and efficiency suffered. Savage plans to whip the unit into shape even if it means the crews will hate him. The 918th does improve‚ but the stresses of command eventually take their toll on Savage. B-17 fans will especially enjoy a legendary stunt sequence when stunt pilot Paul Mantz performs a belly landing in a real Fortress. The film later inspired a television series. The War Lover (1962). Directed by Philip Leacock. Starring Steve McQueen‚ Robert Wagner‚ Shirley Ann Field‚ Gary Cockrell and Michael Crawford.This adaptation of John Hersey’s novel tells the story of a pilot (McQueen) and co-pilot (Wagner) of a Flying Fortress and the woman one of them loves (Field). The pilot‚ “Buzz” Rickson‚ is the war lover of the tile‚ a man who treads the “fine line between the hero and the psychopath” in the words of the squadron doctor. Filmed with three actual B-17s (and footage‚ including Mantz’s belly landing‚ borrowed from Twelve O’Clock High)‚ the film boasts a strong performance by McQueen but is weakened by the romance in which Field’s character is used to explain the movie’s themes. “You are on the side of life‚” she tells Wagner’s character; to Buzz she explains‚ “You can’t make love.… You can only make hate.” Target for Today (1944) is also of interest. This wartime documentary provides a detailed nuts-and-bolts look at what it took to plan and fly B-17 missions over Europe. Cast with real military personnel and filmed largely on location‚ it will provide viewers with some key background for the events of MOTA.

This Japanese kawari-kabuto‚ or individualized helmet‚ dating from the 17th century sports the shape of a crouching rabbit forged from a single piece of iron. The helmet’s ear guards are shaped like ocean waves. Rabbits are commonly depicted with waves in Japanese art‚ particularly during the early Edo period in the 1600s. It is said that ocean whitecaps resembled white rabbits darting over the waters in the moonlight. A Noh play called Chikubushima which centers around a mystical island has a famous verse referring to a “moon rabbit” darting over the waters. But why would a warrior want to go into battle wearing the image of a rabbit? Was it just about literature or culture? Perhaps the symbol on this helmet is more directly related to battle. In another famous legend called “The Hare of Inaba‚” a white rabbit outsmarts a group of predatory sea creatures by deceiving them and darting across them over the ocean‚ showing not only wisdom but strength and agility. The warrior who chose this helmet may have wanted to express not only a sense of mystical power‚ but also cleverness and speed facing enemies.  this article first appeared in military history quarterly See more stories subscribe now!  

Biden Decides He CAN Act on Border

Mounting piles of human poop are kicking up a stink on Mountain Everest‚ much to the annoyance of local authorities who are now instructing climbers they must bring their dirty business back to base camp. The Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee estimates that literally tons of human excrement have been dumped between Camp One and Camp Four of Mount Everest. Due to the extreme conditions of the high-altitude mountain‚ much of this waste doesn’t fully degrade and can persist for years. To combat the problem‚ Pasang Lhamu rural municipality – the local authority that looks after much of the Everest region – is ordering climbers to buy special poo bags at base camp‚ which will be "checked upon their return"‚ according to BBC News.The bags will contain chemicals that help to solidify the human excrement and reduce its odor. "Our mountains have begun to stink‚" Mingma Sherpa‚ chairman of Pasang Lhamu rural municipality‚ told the BBC."We are getting complaints that human stools are visible on rocks and some climbers are falling sick. This is not acceptable and erodes our image‚" said Mingma.The number of people scaling Everest has significantly increased in the past two decades.Image credit: Statista (CC BY-ND 3.0)Everest's poop problem has been raised before. In 2022‚ Nepal announced it needed to relocate the Everest base camp because climate change and human activity were making it unsafe.Along with warming temperatures destabilizing the icy area‚ local groups were becoming concerned by the amount of trash‚ urine‚ and human excrement that was being littered at the camp. That’s not evening mentioning the long-lost human corpses that are emerging out of the melting ice.The camp's relocation was eventually scrapped‚ but the impact of human activity has continued to grow.All of these issues are being fuelled by the sheer amount of people who are attempting to scale Everest’s summit nowadays. Expeditions have become increasingly accessible and popular over the past two decades‚ causing the mountain to become dangerously overcrowded with traffic jams of climbers.Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers to conquer Mount Everest in 1953. Just seven decades on‚ over 6‚664 different people have scaled its summit – and this once-pristine environment is starting to feel the strain.

For the first time‚ according to the team of scientists behind the innovation‚ natural temperature sensation has been incorporated into a functioning prosthetic limb. The device‚ called MiniTouch‚ can be integrated into any commercial prosthesis without the user having to undergo surgery‚ and restores a more human-like touch that many would consider to be permanently lost after amputation.For test user 57-year-old Fabrizio‚ whose hand was amputated at the wrist more than three decades ago‚ his first experience with the new device was powerful.“When one of the researchers placed the sensor on his own body‚ I could feel the warmth of another person with my phantom hand. [I]t was a very strong emotion for me‚ it was like reactivating a connection with someone‚” Fabrizio said in a statement.But there are practical benefits too. Our brains rely on sensory feedback constantly as we navigate our environment. Feeling temperature is an important part of our sense of touch‚ but according to co-senior study author Silvestro Micera‚ it’s also “one of the last frontiers to restoring sensation to robotic hands.”Micera added in another statement‚ “For the first time‚ we’re really close to restoring the full palette of sensations to amputees.”In tests‚ Fabrizio was able to use the MiniTouch to sort objects of different temperatures. When presented with three identical bottles containing cold‚ cool‚ and hot water‚ respectively‚ the MiniTouch allowed him to distinguish between them with 100 percent accuracy‚ compared to just 33 percent without the device. Similarly impressive results were seen when Fabrizio was tasked with sorting metal cubes of different temperatures.Thermal imaging shows the different temperatures of the cubes that Fabrizio was asked to sort.Image credit: EPFL CailletThe MiniTouch works by transmitting thermal information that it senses from the fingertips of the prosthesis to the nerves in the amputee’s residual arm. Because it's compatible with commercial prostheses‚ there's no need to produce a whole new specialized device for users to start reaping the benefits.When Fabrizio was blindfolded and asked to differentiate between human and prosthetic arms‚ the MiniTouch improved his accuracy from 60 to 80 percent. But it was still not perfect‚ and the researchers think this is because the sensation of things like skin softness and texture remained limited.Fabrizio was blindfolded and asked to tell the difference between a human arm and a prosthesis.Image credit: Med‚ Muheim and Iberite et al“When you reach a certain level of dexterity with robotic hands‚ you really need to have sensory feedback to really be able to use the robotic hand to its full potential‚” said co-senior author Solaiman Shokur.“Our goal now is to develop a multimodal system that integrates touch‚ proprioception‚ and temperature sensations. With that type of system‚ people will be able to tell you ‘this is soft and hot‚’ or ‘this is hard and cold.”After this testing‚ which followed promising earlier results‚ the scientists say their device is ready to go from a technical perspective. More safety tests and other improvements will be needed before it can be made available for clinical use‚ however. In the future‚ we could see the MiniTouch combining inputs from multiple points on a prosthetic limb‚ such as allowing people to feel touch on the back of their hand.Prosthetic technology dates back a surprisingly long way‚ but it is improving all the time – even our animal friends can get in on the action. The team hopes the MiniTouch will provide a neat solution to one of the persistent challenges with these kinds of devices.“This study paves the way for more natural hand prostheses that restore a full range of sensations‚ offering amputees a richer and more natural perception of the tactile world‚” Micera concluded.The study is published in the journal Med.

Here’s a spot of happy Friday news for you: the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco‚ California‚ has recently seen a bounty of African penguin chicks hatching – and‚ predictably‚ they are 100 percent adorable.Between November 2022 and January this year‚ a total of 10 African penguin chicks have hatched at the aquarium‚ which is quite the uptick compared to the previous rate of hatchings. “To hatch 10 chicks in just 14 months is truly remarkable‚ especially if you consider the previous 10 chicks hatched over a period of 10 years‚” said Steinhart Aquarium biologist Sparks Perkins in a statement. I'm not crying‚ you are.Image credit: Nicole RavicchioThe chicks are the result of a breeding program spearheaded by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums‚ which recruited three pairs of penguin parents with the task of maintaining the genetic diversity of the species. The latest proud parents are Parker and Tux‚ whose first chick was hatched in January – though it’s yet to be named and sexed.After a 21-day period spent chilling with who we’re calling #Pux‚ the little fuzzball will go on to join its fellow baby penguins at “fish school”‚ which frankly‚ sounds like a delightful place to be. As well as playing with paint‚ bubbles‚ laser pointers‚ and ice cakes‚ the young birds learn how to swim on their own and eat fish given to them by their human caretakers.     Around three months later‚ their new skills are put to the test; the team makes sure that they can eat‚ swim‚ and get in and out of the water on their own‚ as well as checking they are adequately buoyant and waterproof. After that‚ the chicks are introduced into the colony – and‚ eventually‚ will hopefully become parents in the breeding program themselves.With only 9‚000 breeding pairs of African penguins left in the wild‚ the species is currently classed as endangered.“African Penguins are such a charismatic species‚ but sadly threats like overfishing‚ habitat degradation‚ and oil spills have had a devastating effect on wild populations‚” said Brenda Melton‚ director of animal care and wellbeing at Steinhart Aquarium and member of the African Penguin Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) steering committee. “These issues extend beyond penguins‚ too— the birds are a visible indicator for the marine environment‚ and when we see penguin colonies in decline we know there’s trouble for other marine species.”     There have been significant efforts to tackle these issues and conserve the species‚ which has seen biologists hand-rear abandoned eggs and chicks and release them back into their environment. The recent success of the breeding program is an important step in protecting the penguins under the care of zoos and aquariums too‚ in more ways than one.“Every chick we welcome strengthens the genetics and overall population of the species in human care‚” said Melton. “More than a million people come through the museum each year‚ which is an incredible opportunity to educate about these birds and the challenges they face in the wild‚ and hopefully ignite care for all animals facing threats and endangerment.”

Imagine stumbling upon a scene straight out of a movie: a flooded field‚ debris everywhere‚ and in the midst of it all‚ what seems to be a dog with a bucket stuck on its head. This is the backdrop for a heartwarming tale of rescue and compassion brought to us by the San Diego Humane... The post Rescuer thinks they’ve saved dog but are taken aback when they lift bucket off his head appeared first on Animal Channel.

NBC’s new crime drama The Irrational had been interesting‚ entertaining and intriguing to watch‚ somehow managing to avoid typical leftist propaganda and delivering entertainment everyone can enjoy. That is until the last two episodes went “ACAB.” On last week’s episode‚ “Scorched Earth‚” it was a brief and fleeting moment of anti-cop hate as a female suspect with purple hair - because‚ of course - wanted for questioning in an arson investigation spits on main character Detective Alec Mercer (Jesse L. Martin)‚ calling him a “pig” and shouting‚ “All cops are bastards!” Tyler: Hey‚ stop! Marisa: There's another one? What the hell? FBI! Stop! Come on. Don't move. I said don't move. Tyler: Wait a sec. Kat? Alec: Who's your blonde friend? Kat: Eat it‚ pig! All cops are bastards! The reason Kat (Olivia Kate Iatridis) ran was to distract the authorities from her girlfriend Dara was because she's terrified of her family finding out she’s gay. Kat tells them Dara will be kicked out of her house if they find out‚ and an officer who knows both girls remarks‚ “Dara’s family is super traditional. Makes sense.” Yes‚ because obviously anyone in a traditional family who believes homosexuality is wrong or a sin is automatically heartless‚ evil and incapable of loving their own child just because they have different beliefs. /sarcasm In this week’s episode‚ “Cheating Life‚” Alec’s sister Kylie‚ who is (surprise!) gay‚ finds herself attracted to a police officer‚ which is problematic for Kylie because‚ as she’s made clear‚ she “doesn’t date cops." Apparently in Kylie’s mind‚ the supposed evil of being a police officer trumps everything else. Things take a turn in the end‚ however‚ when Detective Morgan Hall (Paloma Nozicka) lets Kylie know she didn’t like cops‚ either‚ but she needed to pay her rent and the “staties” were the only ones offering a decent paycheck. It’s bothered her for years‚ but she feels a sense of pride now that she has a purpose - to stop all cops from being bastards on the inside: Alec: I have something I don't think you want to hear. You and Morgan‚ you like her. I know you don't date cops. Sometimes we gotta break the rules. Kylie: I don't like you. Alec: Go out there and talk to her. Kylie: Hey‚ Morgan. I'm just gonna spit this out. I like you. But— Morgan: You don't like cops. I get it. I used to feel the same way. Kylie: So‚ what changed? Morgan: The truth is‚ I needed to make rent. And Staties were the only ones hiring with a decent paycheck. And... I have struggled with it over the years. But if people like me aren't around to make things better‚ then how will things change? So‚ I stick with it. And that gives me a sense of pride. It's like every day I wake up‚ and I have a purpose. Kylie: Guess I'm searching for what you have‚ purpose... but with six figures. Morgan: Well‚ it's only five figures. But if you're looking‚ you are kind of good at this solving crime thing. Kylie: Me‚ a cop? Girl. How about we start... with me going on a date with one? Perhaps this show got its name from these irrational storylines? Let’s hope they get back to their original‚ non-political episodes and leave the propaganda behind.