Tag: technology

New Company Hopes to Build Age-Verification Tech into Vape Cartridges 

Their goal is to use biometric data and blockchain to build age-verification measures directly into disposable vape cartridges.

Wired reports on a partnership between vape/cartridge manufacturer Ispire Technology and regulatory consulting company Chemular (which specializes in the nicotine market) — which they’ve named “Ike Tech”:[Using blockchain-based security, the e-cig cartridge] would use a camera to scan some form of ID and then also take a video of the user’s face. Once it verifies your identity and determines you’re old enough to vape, it translates that information into anonymized tokens. That info goes to an identity service like ID.me or Clear. If approved, it bounces back to the app, which then uses a Bluetooth signal to give the vape the OK to turn on.

“Everything is tokenized,” [says Ispire CEO Michael Wang]. “As a result of this process, we don’t communicate consumer personal private information.” He says the process takes about a minute and a half… After that onetime check, the Bluetooth connection on the phone will recognize when the vape cartridge is nearby and keep it unlocked. Move the vape too far away from the phone, and it shuts off again. Based on testing, the companies behind Ike Tech claim this process has a 100 percent success rate in age verification, more or less calling the tech infallible. “The FDA told us it’s the holy grail technology they were looking for,” Wang says. “That’s word-for-word what they said when we met with them….”

Wang says the goal is to implement additional features in the verification process, like geo-fencing, which would force the vape to shut off while near a school or on an airplane. In the future, the plan is to license this biometric verification tech to other e-cig companies. The tech may also grow to include fingerprint readers and expand to other product categories; Wang suggests guns, which have a long history of age-verification features not quite working.

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Government Actions Against Anthropic Are ‘Classic First Amendment Retaliation’

Good news in the battle between the federal government and the AI company Anthropic: A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Department of Defense from declaring Anthropic a “supply chain risk,” which would have barred any federal agency or contractor from doing business with the company.

The government’s “conduct appears to be driven not by a desire to maintain operational control when using AI in the military but by a desire to make an example of Anthropic for its public stance on the weighty issues at stake in the contracting dispute,” wrote U.S. District Judge Rita Lin in an order granting Anthropic’s motion for preliminary injunction.

“Weighty issues” might undersell it. The supply chain risk designation—usually reserved for foreign companies—and President Donald Trump’s declaration that all federal agencies must “IMMEDIATELY CEASE all use of Anthropic’s technology” came after Anthropic refused to remove contract language preventing the Pentagon from using its AI system, Claude, for autonomous weapons or mass domestic surveillance.

Rather than simply discontinue Anthropic’s contract, the Trump administration threw a massive public tantrum over not being able to use Claude for killer robots or new frontiers in the surveillance state. (Not that it wanted to do these things, the Pentagon insisted. It just needed these restrictions removed because…reasons.)

Anthropic sued, alleging a violation of its First Amendment rights.

In a March 26 order, Lin issued a preliminary injunction order that prohibits the federal government “from implementing, applying, or enforcing in any manner” the president’s directive and “any and all other agency actions taken in response to the Presidential Directive.” Lin further blocked the Department of Defense and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from designating Anthropic a supply chain risk.

“It is the Department of War’s prerogative to decide what AI product it uses,” notes Lin in the order.

Everyone, including Anthropic, agrees that the Department of War may permissibly stop using Claude and look for a new AI vendor who will allow ‘all lawful uses’ of its technology. That is not what this case is about.

The question here is whether the government violated the law when it went further.

For now, Lin has concluded that there is strong evidence that it did. “This appears to be classic First Amendment retaliation,” she wrote.

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White House App Found Tracking Users’ Exact Location Every 4.5 Minutes via Third-Party Server

The Trump administration’s newly launched White House App is under scrutiny after a software developer claimed to have found embedded code that tracks users’ precise GPS coordinates every 4.5 minutes and automatically syncs them to a third-party server. The claim, posted on 28 March 2026 by the X account @Thereallo1026, has drawn nearly 260,000 views and prompted questions about data collection practices in government-operated applications.

The post included what appeared to be decompiled source code from the app, revealing what the user described as OneSignal’s ‘full GPS pipeline compiled in.’ According to the post, the code showed the app ‘polling your location every 4.5 minutes, syncing your exact coordinates to a third-party server.’ The White House has not publicly responded to the specific technical claims.

What the Code Allegedly Shows

OneSignal is a widely used push notification platform that, according to its own documentation, updates a user’s GPS coordinates ‘approximately every 5 minutes (based on permission and system rules)’ when location sharing is enabled within a mobile app. The platform is designed to allow developers to segment and target users based on their physical location for messaging campaigns.

The decompiled code shared by @Thereallo1026 references Android location permission strings, background location access, and a foreground update time set to 270,000 milliseconds — the equivalent of 4.5 minutes — alongside a background update time of 600,000 milliseconds, or 10 minutes. If accurate, these constants suggest the app is configured to collect and transmit precise location data at regular intervals, even while running in the background.

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Israel kills three journalists in south Lebanon after strike on press vehicle

The Israeli army killed veteran Al-Manar correspondent Ali Shoeib, Al-Mayadeen journalist Fatima Ftouni, and her brother, photojournalist Mohammad Ftouni, during a double-tap drone strike on a press vehicle in southern Lebanon on 28 March.

The Israeli attack wiped out the entire media team traveling together to deliver coverage of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon’s south. Media officials confirmed the team was inside a clearly marked “PRESS” vehicle when it was bombed.

Images show the car was moving along a forested road in the town of Jezzine with very little traffic due to the forced displacement of residents, confirming a deliberate targeted strike.

The area was then targeted again with a second strike after people attempted to provide aid. The Israeli military broadcast video of the attack, claiming that Shoeib was a “terrorist in the intelligence unit of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force.”

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Trump Appoints Big Tech Elites to New Advisory Board

President Donald Trump has formally populated his President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), a body created by executive order just days into his second term. The names now attached to it represent a tightly interconnected network of global tech power long associated with the most nefarious elements of the globalist agenda, technocratic thinking, transhumanist ambitions, disdain for constitutional norms, and having extensive ties to the Deep State and entities such as the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The council will be advising the president on everything from the economy and education to national security.

The public reaction was immediate. “Is Bill Gates next for being rewarded?” is one of the most widely shared reactions, capturing the outrage surrounding the appointments.

The Council

Trump signed the order establishing PCAST early in his second term. The document framed technological dominance as a national-security imperative.

It states that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and biotechnology “have the potential to reshape the global balance of power.” It calls for “unquestioned and unchallenged global technological dominance.”

The order warns that science has been corrupted by “ideological dogmas” and calls for restoring a “pursuit of truth.” That mandate, apparently, will be carried out by a council drawn heavily from the same corporate and technological structures that already shape public reality, and whose leading figures openly promote their own ideological dogmas rooted in the technocratic model of governance by “experts.” In practice, this concentrates decision-making power among a small oligarchic group controlling the digital systems that organize modern life and, by extension, the behavior of the masses. (The ideology is also referred to as “Dark Enlightenment.”)

The structure of the council mirrors the corporate model. The assistant to the president for science and technology (APST) and the special advisor for AI and crypto serve as members and co-chairs. If also serving as director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the APST may designate the U.S. chief technology officer (CTO) as a member. The remaining members are appointed by the president from outside the federal government and are described as “distinguished individuals” from industry, academia, and related sectors.

The new technocratic board can include up to 24 members. The scope of their “advice” is broad:

The PCAST shall advise the President on matters involving science, technology, education, and innovation policy.  The Council shall also provide the President with scientific and technical information that is needed to inform public policy relating to the American economy, the American worker, national and homeland security, and other topics.

The concept of PCAST is not new. Presidents have convened similar advisory bodies for decades. The structure dates back to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Science Advisory Board in 1933.

The List

The list of “the Nation’s foremost luminaries in science and technology” who will be advising the president includes:

  • Marc Andreessen
  • Sergey Brin
  • Safra Catz
  • Michael Dell
  • Jacob DeWitte
  • Fred Ehrsam
  • Larry Ellison
  • David Friedberg
  • Jensen Huang
  • John Martinis
  • Bob Mumgaard
  • Lisa Su
  • Mark Zuckerberg

Each has played a defining role in building the digital systems that now underpin communication, commerce, and governance.

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Sophisticated drones attacked Louisiana’s Barksdale bomber base

Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, in Bossier Parish not far from Shreveport, was attacked by drone swarms during the week of March 9. The attack disrupted B-52H aircraft launches in support of Operation Epic Fury against Iran. It is the first time a US airbase was temporarily put out of operation in wartime, something that never happened even in World War II.

Each wave forced the Air Force to halt operations and send its personnel to shelters. Barksdale is the command hub of the US Air Force Global Strike Command. Not only are B-52s based there, but the base is part of America’s nuclear triad. It shelters long range nuclear cruise missiles (such as the AGM-86B) and will soon house a new Long Range Standoff cruise missile. Shelters and storage sites for the new missiles are under construction.

The only other significant US airbase for B-52s is in Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. Both bases are supporting Epic Fury. The aircraft can either fly to the UK and then on to Iran, or (as they did during the period when the UK blocked them) fly directly from Barksdale to Iran, a very long mission requiring eight in-air refuelings.

The drone waves lasted around four hours each day, an extraordinarily long loiter time for a drone. It is not known if the drones were fixed wing or quadcopter types, or how they were powered (liquid fuel or electrical). Each wave consisted of 12 to 15 drones, and the drones flew with their lights on, intentionally making them visible.

Barksdale AFB does not have air defenses, nor does it have fighter jets that can take down drones.

The airbase does have some electronic countermeasures that were designed to disable GPS and the datalinks between the drones and their remote operators. The electronic countermeasures failed to work.

The drones themselves may have been autonomous or semi-autonomous, and operated in ways suggesting the drones were equipped with multiple sensors that directed the behavior of each drone over the base and in response to attempts at jamming.

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REPORT TO CONGRESS: GANGSTALKING Who watches the watchers?

A small but legally significant segment of the American telecommunications market consists of privately owned carriers that operate and maintain their own physical infrastructure — including switching equipment, fiber runs, tower assets, and routing hardware. While these providers collectively represent a minority share of total subscribers, their independent control over physical network infrastructure creates structural conditions that, absent adequate federal oversight, enable systematic and illegal surveillance of private citizens without judicial authorization, law enforcement nexus, or public accountability.

This report has been expanded beyond its original scope to address a phenomenon that intersects telecommunications abuse with organized criminal exploitation of individuals: the practice commonly referred to as “gangstalking,” its documented connections to corrupt law enforcement networks, and the use of illegally obtained surveillance data to facilitate human trafficking, coerced criminality, blackmail, and the systematic destruction of targeted individuals’ lives. This report is written in part for the benefit of members, staff, and constituents who may not be familiar with these practices and who may be skeptical of their existence. The evidence base for each section is grounded in documented federal cases, congressional testimony, and peer-reviewed research.

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Biden Judge Blocks Trump From Forcing Pentagon, Every Federal Agency to Cut Ties with Anthropic, a ‘Woke’ AI Company That is ‘Putting Troops in Danger’

A federal judge on Thursday blocked the Trump Administration from forcing the Pentagon and every federal agency to cut ties with Anthropic.

Judge Rita Lin, a Biden appointee said Trump’s ban is a First Amendment violation.

The judge halted her ruling for a week to give the Justice Department time to appeal her decision.

Last month, President Trump ordered every federal agency to cease use of Anthropic AI after the company refused to comply with the Pentagon’s demands.

“THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL NEVER ALLOW A RADICAL LEFT, WOKE COMPANY TO DICTATE HOW OUR GREAT MILITARY FIGHTS AND WINS WARS! That decision belongs to YOUR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, and the tremendous leaders I appoint to run our Military,” Trump said.

“The Leftwing nut jobs at Anthropic have made a DISASTROUS MISTAKE trying to STRONG-ARM the Department of War, and force them to obey their Terms of Service instead of our Constitution. Their selfishness is putting AMERICAN LIVES at risk, our Troops in danger, and our National Security in JEOPARDY,” Trump said.

“Therefore, I am directing EVERY Federal Agency in the United States Government to IMMEDIATELY CEASE all use of Anthropic’s technology. We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again! There will be a Six Month phase out period for Agencies like the Department of War who are using Anthropic’s products, at various levels. Anthropic better get their act together, and be helpful during this phase out period, or I will use the Full Power of the Presidency to make them comply, with major civil and criminal consequences to follow,” Trump added.

“WE will decide the fate of our Country — NOT some out-of-control, Radical Left AI company run by people who have no idea what the real World is all about. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump added.

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Trump, Blackburn Push to Federalize AI Control

The Trump administration and its allies in Congress are moving to define the rules of the digital future, with consequences that could extend far beyond artificial intelligence (AI).

Last week, the White House released a national AI legislative framework, while Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced a sweeping, 291-page companion bill to codify it into law. Together, they mark the most aggressive federal push yet to define how Americans access, use, and build AI systems.

Supporters argue the country needs a single national standard to compete with China and rein in Big Tech. The language is polished and ambitious. It promises to protect children, safeguard free speech, support creators, spur innovation, empower communities, and prepare Americans for an “AI-driven economy.”

Critics see something else: Identity-gated access, continuous monitoring, traceable content, and federally managed AI development.

At the center of the debate is a simple question: Who controls access to AI, and at what cost?

One National Framework

At the core of the Trump administration’s AI push is a single premise: Centralization of AI regulation.

The White House states it plainly:

Importantly, this framework can succeed only if it is applied uniformly across the United States. A patchwork of conflicting state laws would undermine American innovation and our ability to lead in the global AI race.

Blackburn’s bill sharpens the point. Its title is telling:

The Republic Unifying Meritocratic Performance Advancing Machine Intelligence by Eliminating Regulatory Interstate Chaos Across American Industry Act (TRUMP AMERICA AI Act).

In other words, when states regulate AI, it is, in the senator’s telling, “chaos.” When Washington does it, it a “unifying” order.

“The Federal government is uniquely positioned to set a consistent national policy,” the White House adds.

The effect is sweeping. A single federal framework would override emerging state laws. States such as California and New York have already begun shaping AI rules. Under this model, those efforts would be sidelined.

Blackburn’s bill turns that vision into structure. It consolidates authority across safety, liability, and enforcement. It expands federal oversight and delegates rulemaking authority to agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Other provisions reinforce the shift. The Department of Energy (DOE) gains authority to evaluate advanced systems, centralizing access to data and infrastructure.

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Days Before Iran Strikes, DOJ Charged Silicon Valley Engineers in Case Involving Tech Secrets Sent to Tehran

With the United States forces engaged in destroying the Iranian military, it’s easy for Americans to think the enemy is on the other side of the world.

But a Department of Justice operation that resulted in the arrests of three Iranian-born computer engineers on the virtual eve of Operation Epic Fury has a different kind of message:

The danger can be much, much closer to home.

As the New York Post reported Monday, two sisters and the husband of one of the women were arrested in mid-February, 10 days before military operations against Iran began, and charged with stealing trade secrets from Google and other Silicon Valley powerhouses.

A Department of Justice news release from Feb. 19 identified the trio as Soroor Ghandali, 32; Samaneh Ghandali, 41; and Samaneh Ghandali’s husband, Mohammadjavad Khosravi, 40.

The Ghandali sisters are former Google engineers who went on to work at another unidentified tech company; Khosravi worked at a third tech company, the release said.

And they apparently operated like trained professionals.

“As part of the alleged scheme to commit trade secret theft, the defendants used their employment to obtain access to confidential and sensitive information,” according to the DOJ release.

“The defendants then exfiltrated confidential and sensitive documents, including trade secrets related to processor security and cryptography and other technologies, from Google and other technology companies to unauthorized third-party and personal locations, including to work devices associated with each other’s employers, and to Iran.”

In official terms, the three are charged with “conspiring to commit trade secret theft from Google and other leading technology companies, theft and attempted theft of trade secrets, and obstruction of justice,” according to the news release.

But as the U.K.’s Daily Mail noted, “trade secrets” in this case sounds more like a euphemism for technology that can pose a direct danger to American troops, and the country itself.

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