Photo encryptionEncrypting Photos on the Cloud to Keep Them Private Published 14 July 2021 The limited amount of data that smartphones hold, and the way in which they are vulnerable to accidental loss and damage, lead many users to store their images online via cloud photo services. However, these online photo collections are not just

Earthquakes early warningSmartphone Network Offers Inexpensive Earthquake Early Warning Published 14 July 2021 A new study demonstrates how Earthquake Early Warning using smartphone technology can be both inexpensive and effective for millions of people.  In late 2019, a research team assembled 82 smartphones, strapped them to walls and floors in buildings across Costa Rica and waited

InfrastructureMaking Infrastructure Pay Off By Peter Dizikes Published 14 July 2021 James M. Poterba, an MIT economist, advocates for cost-benefit analyses of projects, finds that repairing infrastructure often pays off more than new projects, and suggests that infrastructure user fees be considered as a source of financing for projects. He argues that the value in

China watchEU Agrees on Global Infrastructure Plan to Rival China’s Belt and Road Initiative By Jamie Dettmer Published 13 July 2021 On Monday the EU announced an ambitious global infrastructure plan which aims to counter China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Western governments fear that China’s project encourages countries to take on large Chinese loans which

DamsBipartisan Legislation Addresses Dams’ Safety, Hydropower Published 13 July 2021 There are more than 90,000 dams in the U.S., including 6,000 “high-hazard” dams with poor, unsatisfactory, or unknown safety ratings, posing threats to life and property. Hydropower is responsible for 6 percent of electricity production in the U.S.— and more than 90 percent of the

CybersecurityClosing the Skills Gap in the Cyber Workforce Published 13 July 2021 There are currently more than three million unfilled cybersecurity jobs globally, and, as high-profile incidents like the Solar Winds attack demonstrate, it is vital to address that shortage. But it is difficult for organizations to find and recruit the cyber talent they need. Gather

EarthquakesMachine Learning Helps in Earthquake Risk Prediction Published 13 July 2021 When that solid ground turns to liquid — as sometimes happens during earthquakes — it can topple buildings and bridges. The phenomenon is known as liquefaction, and it was a major feature of the 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. New framework applies big

Disaster responseDelivering Aid to Disaster Scenes with Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Powered Vehicles Published 13 July 2021 DHS S&T, along with other government agencies, is working on the design and creation of the “H2Rescue” emergency vehicle. The H2Rescue is an innovative new truck that can be a lifeline to responders and community members during times of chaos

Climate & infrastructureMost Buildings Were Designed for an Earlier Climate – Here’s What Will Happen as Global Warming Accelerates By Ran Boydell Published 12 July 2021 Architects and engineers design buildings and other structures, like bridges, to operate within the parameters of the local climate. The structures are built using materials and following design standards

WildfiresWildfires Threaten California’s Power Grid Published 12 July 2021 Wildfires blazed through California, Arizona, and Oregon, driven by winds and a lack of humidity.. Death Valley in California’s Mohave Desert hit 128 degrees Fahrenheit. Utility officials in Oregon were keeping a weary eye on the Bootleg Fire which is raging out of control in southern