Southern California 'Fusion' Anti-Terrorism Intelligence Center

Southern California Opens 'Fusion' Anti-Terrorism Intelligence Center

Thursday, July 27, 2006

By Michael Paranac /FOX Noise

To defend Southern California more effectively from terrorist attacks, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies on Thursday launched the area's first "fusion" command center.

The Los Angeles Joint Regional Intelligence Center (JRIC), based in Norwalk, Calif., is designed to provide a common information and intelligence-sharing network for local police and federal agents in seven counties working to infiltrate or expose terrorist operations. It will combine information from the Los Angeles Police Department, FBI and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

"It brought all of our capabilities and expertise together instead of doing it through telephone calls and e-mails," said Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Robert Fox.

"It's really unique that we have so many players coming together," Willie T. Hulon, FBI executive assistant director, said at the center's opening Thursday. "This will be a model for the rest of the country."

Memex is the Virginia-based company that created the search software used by the new L.A. fusion center. It allows the JRIC to gather, collate, track, analyze and disseminate intelligence information in real time, including counterterrorism tips and leads.

"One of the primary things we’ve done with the multi-agency approach is collecting all tips and leads into a single center to provide searching and cross-referencing with other databases within the whole system," Mike Himley, western general manager of Memex, told FOXNews.com. "Instead of the old manual processes, everything's more automated."

Memex has been in business for 20 years. Scotland Yard has been using its technology for more than a decade, and some other U.S. agencies are also utilizing it. The company hopes to put its software to use in other cities' fusion centers in the future.

"We're enthusiastic to try to share information," Himley said.

The Memex system works to reduce search time by allowing investigators to research and locate an entity by clicking through one unifying intelligence system. Agencies can share leads and are able to conduct more efficient searches when trying to locate or apprehend a suspect.

Without this search capability, Himley said, the investigator may have to make phone calls to various other agencies or sift through mounds of paper documents. A search concerning a suspicious rental truck can be completed in seconds instead of hours, Himley continued.

"The mission here is to look at counter-terrorism operations. [The system] significantly speeds up intel reports, it helps them move faster," he said.

While similar centers exist in other areas around the country, the Los Angeles center is staffed by 62 personnel from more than 15 other agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security. The center will be responsible for a region spanning seven counties which is also home to some 18 million residents. Roughly $6 million has been invested in the operation.

"No place is going to be better prepared to defend against terrorism," Los Angeles police Chief William Bratton said.

In related news, DHS announced on Thursday that analysts from the Office of Intelligence Analysis will work with state and local authorities on fusion centers in New York City, Los Angeles, Reisterstown, Md., and Baton Rouge, La. to help facilitate the fast-flow of information and intelligence on all types of hazards.

"One of the the department's top priorities is to work with state and local authorities and share information that helps to connect the dots on emerging threats," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a statement. "There is no more effective way to connect the dots than by having our personnel sitting in a chair next to their local counterparts, providing them with information they need to make timely and informed decisions on how best to protect their community."

Thirty-eight fusion centers can be found around the country. DHS has so far provided $380 million to state and local governments to support the facilities.

Campers at Henry Coe park find human remains

San Jose Mercury News

March 28, 2007

Campers at Henry Coe State Park on Monday stumbled across the remains of what appears to be a man who went missing in 2005, Santa Clara County Sheriff's Sgt. Ed Wise said today.

The bones clung to the edge of a steep ravine about an hour-and-a-half hike from the park's entrance. Investigators found a rifle and clothing near the remains, Wise said.

The campers reported their find to park rangers around noon on Monday. Rangers, in turn, called deputies.

While items at the scene lead investigators to believe the remains belong to a man who went missing in 2005, Wise said authorities are waiting for results of DNA tests before identifying the man.

Google Pack Adds Free Security Apps

Ok whats the catch?
The Google Pack version of Symantec's Norton Security Scan is designed to remove all existing viruses, Trojans, and worms found on a user's PC and provide tips on how to improve PC security. Meanwhile, the free Google Pack edition of PC Tools' Spyware Doctor offers on-demand spyware detection and removal as well as real-time protection.

Google on Tuesday made moves to beef up its Google Pack service. The free collection of software applications now includes antivirus, antimalware, and antispyware tools.

Google Pack provides basic virus protection from Symantec's Norton Security Scan, which offers automatic security Relevant Products/Services updates and scheduled scanning. No subscription fee is required. The company also added PC Tools' Spyware Doctor Starter Edition, an antispyware utility that offers scheduled scanning, threat removal, active protection, and automatic updates.

The new additions are in line with Google Pack's aim to make it easier for users to find, install, and update software. A Google Updater keeps the programs up to date.

"It is almost always a benefit to security to have that kind of defense in-depth. Having this sort of free security products through Google is a great benefit for users," said Jen Albornoz Mulligan, an analyst at Forrester Research. "This offering is impressive."

Demonstrated Need

Google is responding to a demonstrated need. According to Symantec's most recent Internet Security Threat Report, home users or "the everyday Internet user" made up the most highly targeted sector, accounting for 93 percent of all targeted attacks.

The Google Pack version of Norton Security Scan is designed to remove all existing viruses, Trojans, and worms found on a user's PC and provide tips on how to improve PC security. Norton Security Scan replaces Norton AntiVirus 2005 Special Edition, which was part of the initial lineup of software when the Google Pack first launched in 2006.

Meanwhile, the free Google Pack edition of PC Tools Spyware Doctor offers on-demand spyware detection and removal as well as real-time protection. Users can choose to upgrade to the full version, which features the File Guard module.

With so many different vendors offering security, some might wonder whether you can install too much of a good thing. Indeed, downloading too many different security applications could slow a PC, Mulligan said, and there is a limited benefit to having multiple services running at the same time. "Symantec and McAfee share a lot of their information and oftentimes scan for the same threats," she added. "But if it doesn't slow your computer down then there's no real downside."

Social-Networking Play?

In a customized social networking-style play, Google also added the Photos Screensaver, which allows users to turn their screen into a digital picture frame of sorts, to display photos from family and friends or images from other photo-sharing sites.

"Now you can turn your computer into a digital picture frame that displays pictures from photo feeds -- continuously updated streams of photos from the Web. Many of your favorite photo-sharing sites support them already, so it's easy to keep in touch with your friends and family this way," Google Product Manager Jesse Savage wrote in the company's official blog.

Google Pack's growing lineup of free products also includes Google Earth, Google Talk, Picasa, Google Desktop, and the Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer. Google also has packed in third-party applications, such as Mozilla's Firefox browser and Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Google Pack Beta is available in 12 languages, runs on Window XP and Vista, and supports Internet Explorer 6.0 and Firefox 1.0 and higher.


Original story Link here at sci-tech-today.com

The Constant American: FBI Violated Patriot Act Guidelines

The Constant American: FBI Violated Patriot Act Guidelines:

FBI Violated Patriot Act Guidelines

Like that couldn't have been wasn't predicted.

ABC News reports:

The FBI repeatedly failed to follow the strict guidelines of the Patriot Act when its agents took advantage of a new provision allowing the FBI to obtain phone and financial records without a court order, according to a report to be made public Friday by the Justice Department's Inspector General.

The report, in classified and unclassified versions, remains closely held, but Washington officials who have seen it tell ABC News it documents "numerous lapses" and describe it as "scathing" and "not a pretty picture for the FBI."

FBI Director Robert Mueller is scheduled to brief Congress on the report at noon.

The officials say the inspector general found the FBI underreported by at least 20 percent the use of the controversial provision, known as National Security Letters, NSLs, in required disclosures to Congress.

The Patriot Act gave FBI agents the ability to demand telephone, bank, credit card and library records by issuing an administrative letter, bypassing the need to seek a warrant from a federal judge.

Civil liberties groups have long opposed the provision, saying the lack of oversight could lead to the kinds of problems apparently uncovered by the inspector general.

In a report last year, the Justice Department said there were 9,254 NSL requests on 3,501 persons in the calendar year 2005.

Some officials say the actual number is substantially higher.

The inspector general's report reportedly found "systemic" failures in the issuance, tracking and accountability of the controversial NSLs, although a Justice Department official said there was no finding of "willful or criminal misconduct."

FBI officials said they could not comment until the report was made public but said the FBI welcomed the findings because several of the reported problems were unknown to senior management.

"Expect a weekend firestorm," said one Justice Department official.

Bobonit News Blog - Bob's news blog: The earth is shaking...Two Major pacific rim jolts

Bobonit News Blog - Bob's news blog: The earth is shaking...Two Major pacific rim jolts

: "Thursday, March 08, 2007

Thursday, March 08, 2007

The earth is shaking...Two Major pacific rim jolts

The earth is shaking...Two Major pacific rim jolts and a smaller 4.7 5 second jolt near Bridgeport in the Central Sierra's it was felt across the Central Valley into Modesto, Stockton, Tracy and even Fresno!

Looking at world earthquakes in the last day or so hundreds of moderate earthquakes around the pacific rim including Alaska, Indonesia, Japan, Russia and in California a whole bunch of Micro Quakes in the San Francisco Bay area and Mammoth Lakes / Long Valley area.

Central California/Sierra Earthquake
A light earthquake occurred at 7:17:32 PM (PST) on Thursday, March 8, 2007.
The magnitude 4.7 event occurred 22 km (14 miles) NNW of Bridgeport, CA.
The hypocentral depth is 10 km ( 6 miles).

Magnitude	4.7 - regional moment magnitude (Mw)
Time	Thursday, March 8, 2007 at 7:17:32 PM (PST) Friday, March 9, 2007 at 3:17:32 (UTC)
Distance from	Bridgeport, CA - 22 km (14 miles) NNW (328 degrees) Wichman, NV - 37 km (23 miles) WSW (246 degrees) Bodie, CA - 39 km (24 miles) NW (308 degrees) Hawthorne, NV - 66 km (41 miles) W (261 degrees) Sacramento, CA - 184 km (114 miles) E (94 degrees)

Map of 4.7 Richter earthquake near Bridgeport California















Map of 4.7 Richter earthquake near Bridgeport California north of Mammoth Lakes and the long Valley.

Two Major Pacific rim jolts one Offshore Japan - and apparently early reports of a large quake near Valdivostock which could affect as many 450,000 people in Russia

6.1 in Russia near Valdivostock - USGS LINK

Earthquake map Valdivostcok

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Maps/10/135_45.gif

Earthquake Details

Magnitude	6.2
Date-Time	Friday, March 9, 2007 at 03:22:42 (UTC) = Coordinated Universal Time Friday, March 9, 2007 at 1:22:42 PM = local time at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location	43.218°N, 133.546°E
Depth	436.2 km (271.1 miles)
Region	PRIMORYE, RUSSIA
Distances	65 km (40 miles) NE of Nakhodka, Russia 130 km (80 miles) E of Vladivostok, Russia 990 km (620 miles) NNW of TOKYO, Japan 6525 km (4050 miles) ENE of MOSCOW, Russia
Location Uncertainty	horizontal +/- 5.1 km (3.2 miles); depth +/- 7 km (4.3 miles)
Parameters	Nst=197, Nph=197, Dmin=354 km, Rmss=0.78 sec, Gp= 32°, M-type=moment magnitude (Mw), Version=8
Source	USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID	us2007zsai

• This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.

No further reports yet potentially could affect 450,000 people.

Earthquake off the coast of Japan- USGS Link

Magnitude 6.1 - IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION

Magnitude 6.1 - IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION

Earthquake Details

Magnitude	6.1
Date-Time	Thursday, March 8, 2007 at 05:03:32 (UTC) = Coordinated Universal Time Thursday, March 8, 2007 at 2:03:32 PM = local time at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location	29.918°N, 140.281°E
Depth	138.6 km (86.1 miles)
Region	IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
Distances	355 km (220 miles) S of Hachijo-jima, Izu Islands, Japan 370 km (230 miles) NNW of Chichi-shima, Bonin Islands, Japan 580 km (360 miles) N of Iwo-jima, Volcano Islands, Japan 640 km (395 miles) S of TOKYO, Japan
Location Uncertainty	horizontal +/- 6.1 km (3.8 miles); depth +/- 14.7 km (9.1 miles)

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The Editor is predicting a large quake along the Pacific Rim possibly in the United States in the next week or so....Checking lost dog reports in your area?

Technorati tags
Earthquake California Earthquake

Posted by Bob Blogger at 9:34 PM

San Jose Mercury News - Shameful sex slave denial begs for rebuke

San Jose Mercury News - Shameful sex slave denial begs for rebuke: "Shameful sex slave denial begs for rebuke
Mercury News Editorial
Article Launched: 03/07/2007 01:40:34 AM PST

During World War II, Japan enslaved as many as 200,000 women, most of them Korean, and forced them to work as prostitutes in military brothels serving the Japanese troops.

A Japanese Cabinet minister issued a lukewarm apology to the victims in 1993, and a private fund was set up to help the few remaining survivors.

But last week, Japan's conservative prime minister, Shinzo Abe, took it all back. 'There is no evidence to prove there was coercion, nothing to support it,' Abe said.

That is an outrageous lie, echoed by conservative Japanese lawmakers, one of whom likened the brothels to 'college cafeterias.'

Congress needs to send a strong rebuke to Japan's leaders. It should pass a resolution introduced earlier this year by Rep. Mike Honda, D-Campbell, that calls on Japan to unequivocally apologize for its treatment of the women and educate its people about its wartime actions.

During a U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing last month, three survivors testified about the trauma they suffered from the sexual abuse by Japanese soldiers. 'It was as if I were already dead. I cannot remember how many or how long. I lost consciousness,' said Koon Ja Kim, 81.
"

San Jose Mercury News - Google wins key ruling in patent dispute over Earth software

San Jose Mercury News - Google wins key ruling in patent dispute over Earth software: "Google wins key ruling in patent dispute over Earth software
Associated Press
Article Launched: 03/07/2007 04:14:57 PM PST

SAN FRANCISCO - Online search leader Google Inc. has won a key court ruling in a patent dispute over its popular three-dimensional software that provides Internet tours of the Earth.

In a summary judgment issued Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Douglas Woodlock in Massachusetts decided that Google Earth doesn't infringe on a patent issued to Skyline Software Systems Inc. in 2002.

Skyline, a privately held company in Chantilly, Va., had been pursuing a patent infringement claim since 2004 when it first sued Keyhole Inc., whose technology powers Google Earth. Mountain View-based Google bought Keyhole for an undisclosed amount in October 2004.

Keyhole's 3-D technology powers mapping software that ranks among Google's biggest successes outside of its search engine. Google said its Earth software has been downloaded more than 100 million times.

Skyline had been seeking unspecified damages as well as a court order to prevent Google from using the technology allegedly covered by U.S. Patent No. 6,496,189.

'From the beginning, we felt confident that Google Earth's technology does not infringe Skyline's patent,' Google spokesman Ricardo Reyes said Wednesday.

Skyline didn't immed"