This is NOT an excerpt from a science fiction movie

Microchip implants chart new territory, but some experts say they are an ethical nightmare

KARMA ALLEN
Good Morning AmericaAugust 3, 2017


A vending machine software firm recently implanted about four dozen of its employees with Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) microchips that it says will allow the employees to navigate the office more conveniently. But the move has raised concerns about potential ethical and security issues.

Three Square Market, based in Riverdale, Wisconsin, said it surgically implanted the chips in about 50 volunteers on Tuesday, giving the workers the ability to make purchases, unlock doors, log into computers and perform other office functions with just the wave of a hand. The firm employs 95 workers at its Wisconsin location and has more than 200 other employees stationed around the globe.

Three Square Market’s Chief Operating Officer, Patrick McMullan, estimates that the technology will become standardized within the next decade or so, eventually allowing people use their chips for passports, public transit and various purchasing opportunities. He, too, was microchipped, and said the program was "going well" since its implementation.

"The reality is, it’s coming and it’s coming soon," McMullan told ABC News. "And I think you’re going to see a whole new wave of people who are wanting to get into this.”

The company, which also operates about 6,000 inmate kiosks through its corrections industry business, says the chips are safe and encrypted to protect the user’s data, but some security and technology experts are questioning if the implants are ethical.

Three Square Market says the chips are less invasive than mobile phones and apps, which it says are rich with all types of GPS tracking data.

Michael Zimmer, director of the Center for Information Policy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said the implants are fundamentally different than other technologies because the user has less control over the experience.

“With my phone, I can turn it off, I can to leave it at my desk and I can control the apps that I have access to,” Zimmer told ABC News. “There are a lot more ways that I can manage what people know about me.”

With the chip implant, “I simply lose that element on control because I can’t turn it off and I can’t just take it out and put it back in,” he said. “I think that’s a fundamental change in the way we control what access people have to our bodies and what we’re doing.”

He’s also worried that the chips could eventually lead to larger scale tracking of one's movements and behaviors -- such as what you purchase or how long you stay in the restroom -- as the technology evolves.

“I think we need to be a little more cautious, making sure that we’re not going too quickly and that we understand the implications,” Zimmer said. “There are some things that we need to make sure we’re paying attention to before we start walking down this path.”

Three Square Market said the chips lack GPS capability and it is not interested in tracking its employees. And the chipping program will never become mandatory for employees, McMullan said.

Microchip implants could cross ethical boundaries “if done recklessly, but we’re not going to be reckless,” McMullan acknowledged, adding that the company would notify its employees if it ever decided to track their behavior or use their data.

However, Michelle De Mooy, a privacy and data expert at the Center for Democracy & Technology, believes the company will gain an "intrinsic understanding of where you were and when" because RFID tags are trackers by design.

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An Update on our Latest Military Equipment

US Navy Tests Laser Weapon That Can Hit Missiles At Speed Of Light


The U.S. Navy successfully tested the world’s first laser gun system that has been designed to target drones. The Laser Weapons System (LaWS) gun was tested by the USS Ponce, an amphibious transport ship on a mock enemy drone, CNN reported Monday.

Naval officers claim the laser moves at the speed of light, is "more precise than a bullet" and is expected to be used in combat by the year 2020, reports said.

The speed of LaWs is 50,000 times the speed of an incoming intercontinental ballistic missile. The new technology does not need heavy and costly missiles and is operated by electricity derived from a small generator. A three member crew can operate the $40 million setup. Moreover the cost per shot is just about a dollar.

Lt. Cale Hughes, a laser weapons system officer, told CNN it throws a massive amount of protons at the target and that officers do not have to worry about the range or wind and the target can be engaged at the speed of light.

Unlike other weapons, the strike in this case happens silently. As soon as the laser makes contact with a drone, the vehicle heats to a temperature of more than 1,000°F and explodes. "It operates in an invisible part of the electromagnetic spectrum so you don't see the beam, it doesn't make any sound, it's completely silent and it's incredibly effective at what it does," said Hughes.

The U.S. Navy also claims this would reduce the collateral damage during the time of war. “I no longer have to worry about rounds that may go beyond the target and potentially hurt or damage things that I don't want to hurt or damage," Chris Wells, captain of the USS Ponce told CNN.

The advantage of this technology is that no other country is even near to such missile. "It is more precise than a bullet," Wells told CNN. "It's not a niche weapon system like some other weapons that we have throughout the military where it's only good against air contacts, or it's only good against surface targets, or it's only good against, you know, ground-based targets - in this case this is a very versatile weapon, it can be used against a variety of targets."

U.S. navy officials have said that primarily, the technique would be used to destroy small boats and aircrafts. They also claimed the weapon was designed to counter bigger airborne and surface-based threats. U.S. navy officials said the weapons have proved to be effective in the last three years.

This comes while President Donald Trump looks to make the U.S. Navy stronger, having said he wants to build dozens of new warships in one of the biggest peace-time expansions of the U.S. Navy.

The initiative could cost nearly $700 billion in government funding, take 30 years to complete and require hiring tens of thousands of skilled shipyard workers.

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https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hobo-handbook-memoirs-of-a-homeless-poet-in-new-york 

They are not being sold on Amazon.com at this time.

To view a few sample pages or to purchase the books visit:

https://smashwords.com/books/view/573076  (Note: You must 1^st remove “adult content” filter from top right hand corner of Smashword page to access the books, by clicking the “Adult Content” button before searching for the titles titles in search field).

If you want to view my Smashwords Author Profile visit:

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You can also check out the comments I will be posting on these social media sites:

My Blogsite: http://obsidianthemystic.blogspot.com/

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My Twitter account: https://twitter.com/lordlumiel

If you wish to shoot me a personal note, this is my email address: lordlumiel@yahoo.com

Alien Ship Near Saturn?

 I'll let you be the judge. 

ALSO CHECK OUT MY 2 BOOKS “THE SHAITAN” & “HOBO HANDBOOK: MEMOIRS OF A HOMELESS POET IN NEW YORK” SOLD AT THESE LOCATIONS:

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/573076

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/655627

Barnes & Noble Bookstore: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-shaitan-daniel-canada/1123886050?ean=2940152342888

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hobo-handbook-daniel-canada/1124340542?ean=2940153669205

Kobo Bookstore: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-shaitan

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hobo-handbook-memoirs-of-a-homeless-poet-in-new-york 

They are not being sold on Amazon.com at this time.

To view a few sample pages or to purchase the books visit:

https://smashwords.com/books/view/573076  (Note: You must 1^st remove “adult content” filter from top right hand corner of Smashword page to access the books, by clicking the “Adult Content” button before searching for the titles titles in search field).

If you want to view my Smashwords Author Profile visit:

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ObsidianBlade64

You can also check out the comments I will be posting on these social media sites:

My Blogsite: http://obsidianthemystic.blogspot.com/

My Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/daniel.canada3

My Twitter account: https://twitter.com/lordlumiel

If you wish to shoot me a personal note, this is my email address: lordlumiel@yahoo.com