V4 N38 -  27 February 2005

iTHINK ZONE
 

76 YEARS OF ACADEMY AWARDS "BEST PICTURES"

Being a movie addict since about 1942, I find that I still prefer the older movies to the recent flix. But I bit the bullet and watched both the old ones and some of the new ones and was struck how technology had changed the form and content. In the past few months I attempted to view via DVD or TCM both generations. So I thought a listing of the Best Picture Academy Awards would be a starting point to show the evolution in film.
Read More  http://cyberzone.pacific-tier.com/iThink.htm
[Posted Feb 24 ]

VoIP ZONE

GLOBAL VoIP MARKET TO PASS $1.7 BILLION IN 2005 Global sales of service provider voice over IP equipment totalled $1.71bn in 2004, a healthy 36 per cent gain over 2003, according to research.
http://www.vnunet.com/news/1161492

CYBERZONE

JUDGE TO FCC: "YOU CAN'T REGULATE WASHING MACHINES. YOU CAN'T REGULATE THE WORLD."
A U.S. appeals panel on Tuesday challenged new federal rules requiring certain video devices to have technology to prevent copying digital television programs and distributing them over the Internet.

U.S. Circuit Judge Harry Edwards told the Federal Communications Commission it "crossed the line" requiring the new anti-piracy technology in next-generation television devices. But another appeals judge on the panel questioned whether consumers can challenge the FCC's rules in the courtroom. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-02-22-tv-piracy_x.htm

AT&T MUST PAY FEES ON PREPAID CALLING CARDS, FCC SAYS The FCC yesterday ruled that AT&T owes as much as $500 million in Universal Service Fund and interstate connection fees related to its prepaid calling cards. AT&T said it would appeal the decision.
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W1RT04046129E09A7C77F3CD79D8E0

CAN YOU FEEL ME NOW?
At the end of March 2005 Samsung will release a mobile phone with a difference. Not only will it be able to send images and streaming video, but the phone can vibrate in such a way that you can add the sensation of a playful tickle to your text message, or make the person on the other end of the phone feel as if their handset has slapped them across the face. Welcome to the world of haptics - the technology of recreating touch and texture through artificial stimuli. http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7049
Gives real meaning to "Reach out and touch someone"

WHO WILL CONTROL THE WEB?
A U.N. -sponsored panel aims to settle a long-running tug of war for control of the Internet by July and propose solutions to problems such as cyber crime and email spam, panel leaders said. The panel, set up in December 2003, will lay groundwork for a final decision to be taken in Tunis in November at a U.N.-sponsored World Summit on the Information Society, where global control of the World Wide Web may be decided.
http://www.ciol.com/content/news/1899/105022202.asp

MEET ME IN CYBERSPACE
Virtual meetings are becoming one of the first choices for productivity and knowledge management in the enterprise.
http://www.computerworld.com/newsletter/0,4902,99857,00.html?nlid=AM

NEW VIRUS BEING DISTRIBUTED IN FAKE FBI EMAIL The FBI is warning computer users about a fake e-mail from it that includes a virus, and agency officials said that any messages purportedly from the FBI should be ignored.
http://www.computerworld.com/newsletter/0,4902,99957,00.html?nlid=AM

MUNICIPAL FIBER ATTRACTS GOOGLE
In all of the arguments against municipal broadband, one that doesn't get nearly enough attention is how a good municipal broadband offering can help attract new business. Last week, there were some articles buzzing around about how Google was getting set to open a research facility in Oregon. Deep within the details comes the news that a good part of the reason they chose this location was a municipal fiber project, meaning there would be plenty of bandwidth for the Googlers. This, of course, doesn't mean that all municipal broadband projects will attract Google (or business in general), but since the anti-municipal camp keeps throwing out random anecdotes about municipal broadband that fails, it seems only fair to point out cases where it succeeds as well, as a counterbalance.

GILAT WINS 123 WENDY RESTAURANT VSAT DEAL Gilat Satellite Networks has announced that its U.S. subsidiary, Spacenet has been selected by Wendy's Restaurants of Rochester, to provide a Connexstar broadband satellite network to 123 Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburger restaurants in New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
http://www.spacemart.com/news/vsat-05k.html

BIO/NANO/MEMS ZONE

TERMITES LISTEN TO THEIR FOOD
Termites decide if wood is safe to eat by listening to it first, Australian scientists show.
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/enviro/EnviroRepublish_1307205.htm

SYNTHETIC ENAMEL FIXES ROTTEN TEETH
A new synthetic tooth enamel that can repair early tooth decay without drilling and fillings has been developed by Japanese scientists.
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s1310021.htm

NEW TECH TO DISPOSE OF SEWAGE, MUD DEVELOPED IN CHINA Chinese scientists have developed a technology that can effectively turn sewage water and mud, two main headaches of urbanization, into organic fertilizer and high value pesticide.
http://english.people.com.cn//200502/21/eng20050221_174094.html

NTT REDTACTON HUMAN AREA NETWORK
NTT's "RedTacton" Human Area Networking technology Research Project safely turns the surface of the human body into a data transmission path at speeds up to 10 Mbps. It uses weak electric fields on the surface of the body as a transmission medium.
http://www.i4u.com/article2936.html

MAKE YOUR NEXT DISCOVERY ON MAC
From bioinformatics to physics, the Mac platform offers advanced technology that's flexible for researchers and scientists to work seamlessly with a wide variety of scientific applications.
MORE INFORMATION: <>http://clk.atdmt.com/AVE/go/asc0020000016ave/direct/01/

BIO-BRIEFS ZONE

Boston--If they build it, can we staff it?: Mass. falls behind North Carolina in preparing biotech industry workers
http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278008

Boston--Streamlined permitting for biotech to get fresh look
http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278009

Cincinnati--Knowing rules helps Lockwood land biopharma jobs:
Engineering firm focuses on labs, research centers http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278010

Denver--State of tech: Outlook is improving
http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278011

East Bay--Biotech sage pursues new dream
http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278012

Minneapolis/St. Paul--Biotech lab lands $11 million
http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278013

Philadelphia--Biotech suitors multiply
http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278014

Raleigh/Durham--Chiron mulls Triangle flu vaccine plant: Manufacturer of influenza drug said to be looking at Wake site
http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278015

San Antonio--CTRC selling property in Texas Research Park: New complex is planned for Medical Center
http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278016

San Francisco--Biotech's pricey space offers huge niche for some
http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278017

San Francisco--BayBio to launch annual conference this April
http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278018

San Francisco--FivePrime scores $45M, preps for move to San Francisco
http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278019

San Francisco--QB3 ready to set sail: Lab's goal: Link scientists with industry, each other http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278020

San Francisco--Slough is planning a building with lab space for baby biotechs
http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278021

San Jose--Stem cell chief key to site pick
http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278022

Seattle--Biotech fund bags big-name ally
http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278023

South Florida--DOR BioPharma trying to stay alive on AMEX
http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278024

St. Louis--$86 million biotech initial public offering
http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278025

Tampa Bay--Accentia's $86-million IPO taps into St. Louis biotech expertise
http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278026

Wichita--Health officials hope research boosts state bio effort
http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/1278027

ASIA ZONE

86% OF HONG KONG POPULATION OWNS CELLPHONES According to a research conducted in Hong Kong, about 25% of the total number of mobile owners are below thirteen years of age. About 5.1% of the mobile owners were under the age of 6 years. During the survey that was conducted across 613 households 67% of family members under the age of 18 years owned a cellphone. The new handsets accounted for about 80% while about 20% owners used a second hand cellphone. Hong Kong has the highest mobile penetration in Asia. Of the total population of 6.9 million about 86% owns mobiles, sometimes more than one.

TOKYO COURT REJECTS WOMEN'S SUIT FOR BEING CALLED "OLD HAGS"
The Tokyo District Court on Thursday rejected a suit filed by a group of 131 women claiming damages from Tokyo Gov Shintaro Ishihara for making disparaging comments about women. The plaintiffs had demanded 110,000 yen each in compensation, together with an apology, saying they were demeaned by the governor's comments, including his repeated references to women as "baba," a Japanese expression meaning "old hag."
FULL STORY [JAPAN TIMES]

FIRST CHINESE TEXTBOOK FOR "FOREIGN HOUSEWIVES" DEBUTS IN SHANGHAI The first Chinese textbook for foreigners working in Shanghai and their families, "My Chinese Classroom" made its debut in Shanghai recently. Experts say the textbook fills the void in Chinese language teaching for expats in China.
http://english.people.com.cn//200502/22/eng20050222_174296.html

WIRELESS ZONE

TEXAS PROJECT TO ALLOW ACCESS TO WiFi AT LOWER RATES Parts of Texas where the population is facing poverty have been included in a project called Rice Network Group by the Rice University, Houston Public Library and the nonprofit Technology For All (TFA) foundation. The citizens residing in Pecan Park of Houston will be provided with free or discounted access to Wi-Fi broadband.
The project covers an area of about 1.6 square miles. The students and faculty participating in the project have developed one of largest Wi-Fi meshes in the US for people with low incomes. The citizens who are a part of the project will be able to access 1 Mb/s at discounted rates and a lower bandwidth without paying any charges.
NO CLICK THROUGH

FLOATING AERIAL BASE STATION
This spring engineers at Sanswire Networks, an Atlanta-based Wi-Fi provider, plan to test a prototype of a high-tech airship that they claim could supply mobile communications service to major metropolitan areas for as long as 18 months at a stretch. If the concept proves successful, fleets of whale-shaped "Stratellites"--short for stratospheric satellites--will fly 20 kilometers up to where the air is so thin that solar-powered electric motors can keep the $10-million-plus ships in geostationary "orbits."
http://cl.exct.net/?ffcd16-fe681575756c057c7214-fe2b167377670375771d70

HOTSPOTS

Edmonton's big mall puts in a WEMiSphere; AT&T expands available hotspots; Houston students install mesh for the poor; and more.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,1ewv,1,l0p5,ecft,jcj3,9ffi

Houston students install mesh for the poor; Chicago's new children's hospital to be totally wireless; Hobart and William Smith Colleges use Meru equipment; and more.
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,1err,1,l0p5,ecft,jcj3,9ffi

SITE CITES

THE CAMBRIDGE HISTORY OF ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE Considered the most important work of literary history and criticism ever published, the Cambridge History contains over 303 chapters and 11,000 pages, with essay topics ranging from poetry, fiction, drama and essays to history, theology and political writing. The set encompasses a wide selection of writing on orators, humorists, poets, newspaper columnists, religious leaders, economists, Native Americans, song writers, and even non-English writing, such as Yiddish and Creole.
http://www.bartleby.com/cambridge/

Marty Plotnick's CyberZone is a weekly review of Hawaii technology and international technology news.  The Hawaii Technology Calendar is available on the front page of this site, with links and descriptions of events relevant to the Hawaii technology and telecommunications community.  CyberZone takes special interest in researching and collecting links to stories from international technology news sources of interest to CyberZone's readers.  If you have any comments or suggestions for improvements to his site and information resource please contact Marty Plotnick at martycri@lava.net