【147-148】科学家使用无人机研究鲸鱼健康&欧盟召回“严重”隐私风险的儿童智能手表
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Scientists Use Drone Aircraft to Study Whale Health
February 06, 2019
Historically, sailors called out the words “Thar she blows!” whenever they saw whales.
Today, the old cry of sailors is taking on new meaning as scientists turn to modern technology to study whales.
Some scientists have begun using drone aircraft, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles, to collect some of the fluids expelled by whales.
Vanessa Pirotta is a researcher with Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. She told the Reuters news agency that a drone has been used for the first time to collect whale mucus from humpback whales at sea. She believes that drones could help improve scientists’ understanding of whales around the world.
“We’re collecting...that visible plume of spray rising from the whale’s blowhole, as they come to the surface to breathe,” she said.
The method, she added, could provide a better understanding of the patterns and drivers of disease in wild populations.
Pirotta was one of the writers of a paper on the use of drones to study whales. The paper appeared in the online publication, Viruses.
She and other scientists reported that they collected whale blow from 19 humpbacks during 2017. At the time, the whales were traveling northward from Antarctica to northern Australia.
The report said the spray is collected in a small container connected to the top of a drone. The person operating the drone opens the container just as the aircraft flies above the whale.
Pirotta described the new method as less invasive than using a boat to get close enough to collect fluids. And it is better than methods that depend on killing whales or on whales that are trapped. The whale spray collected by a drone contains DNA, the carrier of genetic information, proteins and different kinds of bacteria.
Pirotta said her team can collect bacteria that lives in a whale’s lungs to measure whale health.
In this way, drones serve as an early-warning system of possible changes in whales’ health.
An international ban on whaling took effect in 1986. But Japan announced last year that it would restart commercial whaling this July in its waters and restricted economic area.
I’m Caty Weaver.
James Redmayne reported this story for the Reuters news agency. George Grow adapted his report for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.
We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.
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Words in This Story
mucus – n. a wet, sticky liquid produced inside the nose and other body parts
visible – adj. able to be seen
plume – n. something (such as smoke, steam, or water) that rises into the air in a tall, thin shape
spray – n. liquid that is forced or blown through the air
pattern – n. a model; a repeated design
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
EU Recalls Child Smartwatch Over ‘Serious’ Privacy Risks
February 06, 2019
The European Commission has ordered a recall of a smartwatch for children because of what is calls a “serious” privacy risk.
The watch, called Safe-KID-One, is a product of the German electronics manufacturer Enox. The company sells other smartwatch models, as well as televisions and wireless communication devices.
On its website, Enox describes the Safe-KID-One as a tool for parents. The watches have a simple, colorful design that seems appealing to children. The device has a built-in microphone and speaker to permit two-way communication.
The company says the smartwatch can be used by parents to learn where their children are at all times and contact them. It says this can be done with a computer software program, or app.
The Enox website says children wearing the watch can place a telephone call with just one touch of a number. The site claims that “only pre-listed parties” can call a child through the device.
However, the European Commission (EC) recently reported that it found major security concerns with the Safe-KID-One system. The EC is the decision-making body of the European Union (EU). The warning was made public through the EC’s “Rapid Alert System.” Commission members investigated the device after concerns were reported by officials in Iceland.
The EC wrote that the risk level of the smartwatches was “serious” and called for an immediate recall of the devices.
The warning said the app linked to the Safe-KID-One device can permit non-secure communications with the system’s computer server. The server’s security issues make it possible for people to break into the system and steal private information, the EC said.
As a result, “data such as location history, phone numbers and serial number can be easily retrieved and changed,” it warned.
“A malicious user can send commands to any watch - making it call another number of his choosing - can communicate with the child wearing the device, or locate the child through GPS,” the warning said.
The European Commission said the privacy and security risks led to its decision to announce an immediate recall of the devices from EU members. EC officials said the Safe-KID-One was being sold on the internet.
The founder of Enox, Ole Anton Bieltvedt, spoke to the British Broadcasting Corporation about the EC’s decision. He said the device had met all German government rules last year before being offered to the public. He added that the version of the smartwatch tested by the EC was no longer being sold.
Enox plans to appeal the recall decision.
It is not the first time privacy and security concerns have been raised about smartwatches for children.
In 2017, German officials banned some kinds of smartwatches. The government said the watches let parents secretly listen in to children and their environment. At the time, no specific smartwatches were named.
Officials said the devices had microphones that let parents listen in on teachers and school activities. The government said the system violated German laws aimed at restricting surveillance.
Also in 2017, a Norwegian Consumer Council report warned of the dangers of smartwatches for children. The group said it had uncovered serious security and privacy issues after examining and testing several smartwatch models being sold across Europe.
The report said that in a few simple steps, a stranger could easily take control of the watches to be able to find, listen to and communicate with a child. At the time, the council said there was an urgent need for manufacturers to increase security of the systems or face forced recalls of the devices.
I’m Bryan Lynn. And I’m Dorothy Gundy.
Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
What do you think about children using smartwatches? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.
Words in This Story
recall – n. an order to return something found to have problems
location – n. a place or position
retrieve – v. get something
malicious – adj. intended to cause harm
GPS – n. abbreviation for Global Positioning System: a system of computers and satellites used to identify where users are
surveillance – n. the careful watching of something or someone, especially by police or the government
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