CYBERZONE

FEB 14, 1946: ENIAC UNVEILED

There are two epochs in computer history: Before ENIAC and After ENIAC. The first practical, all-electronic computer was unveiled on Feb. 14, 1946, at the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School of Electronics. While there are controversies about who invented what, there is universal agreement that the ENIAC (Electrical Numerical Integrator And Calculator) was the watershed project that showed electronic computing was possible. It was a masterpiece of electrical engineering, with unprecedented reliability and speed. The two men most responsible for its success were J. Presper Eckert and John W.

Mauchly.

http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2006/0,4814,108568,00.html

FBI DIRECTOR ASKS SILICON VALLEY FOR HELP Computer hacking has evolved from a sport for geeks into a moneymaking tool for organized crime -- a trend so disturbing to FBI Director Robert Mueller that he came to San Jose Wednesday to ask for help from tech security experts.

It was the first time a director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation had addressed the annual RSA Security Conference, a 15-year-old confab where the companies that build protective technology mingle with customers and discuss threats. Mueller's presence at the McEnery Convention Center was testament to the fact that just as the Internet has become a global growth engine for business, it also has become a global target for savvy criminals.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/13885779.htm

U.S. COMPANY IMPLANTS ELECTRONIC TAGS IN WORKERS An Ohio company has embedded RFID chips in two of its employees -- the first known case in which US workers have been "tagged" electronically as a way of identifying them.CityWatcher.com, a private video surveillance company, said it was testing the technology as a way of controlling access to a room where it holds security video footage for government agencies and the police.

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/ec414700-9bf4-11da-8baa-0000779e2340.html

NEW MICROCHIPS SHUN TRANSISTORS

Researchers have created a working prototype of a radical new chip design using arrays of separate magnetic domains, instead of transistors, to achieve higher device density and processing power.Computers using the magnetic chips would boot up almost instantly. The magnetic chip's memory is nonvolatile, making it impervious to power interruptions, and it retains its data when the device is switched off.The magnetic architecture of the chip can also be reprogrammed on the fly.

http://wired.com/news/technology/0,70190-0.html?tw=wn_index_1

PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR PROPOSES LAPTOPS FOR 100 HIGH SCHOOLS Governor Rendell has proposed putting laptop computers on every desk in the English, math, science and history classrooms of 100 high schools across Pennsylvania.

http://news.techlearning.com/cgi-bin4/DM/y/huOo0FjRB80E2V0D3LB0Ei

PARENTS & TEACHERS SAY THE INTERNET HELPS WITH HOMEWORK Parents and teachers share a common view of the value of the Internet, with 81% of teachers and 83% of parents agreeing that online sources are helpful for homework help, according to the AP/AOL Learning Services poll.

http://news.techlearning.com/cgi-bin4/DM/y/huOo0FjRB80E2V0D3LC0Ej

OPEN SOURCE ZONE

LINUX JOINS THE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS REVOLUTION Designers are turning to the Linux operating system to meet the escalating user-interface, networking, and multimedia requirements of today's consumer-electronics products.

http://email.electronicnews.com/cgi-bin2/DM/y/epR40HRQ8K0DbD0CioD0ES

SCIENCE ZONE

COMPUTER FEELS YOUR RAGE

Wouldn't it be great if your computer could recognise when you're frustrated with it and adjust itself to calm you down? Emotion-sensing technology could someday allow a computer to do just that, researchers say.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/tech/InnovationRepublish_1563867.htm

WINDOW TO THE HEART: NEW EYE EXAM SPOTS DISEASE RISK \University of Melbourne researchers have shown in several large-scale studies that abnormalities of the blood vessels in the retina can be used to predict patients' risk for diabetes, hypertension, stroke and heart disease.The approach involves analyzing digital photographs of patients' retinas and studying them to find narrowing or ballooning of the small blood vessels. Systemic diseases often cause changes in the eye that can show up as red dots or small blood clots.

http://www.kurzweilai.net/news/frame.html?main=/news/news_single.html?id%3D5277

GRAPE COMPOUND PROLONGS LIFE, FISH STUDY CONCLUDES

An organic compound found in grapes, berries and some nuts extended the life span of fish in a recent study. Nothobranchius furzeri lives an average of nine weeks in captivity but lacing its food with resveratrol boosted longevity by more than 50 percent.

http://cl.exactt.net/?ffcb10-fe6711717266057e7014-fdfb15737467027b72147874-ff3310707762

COATING DEFEATS TAGGERS

A removable coating designed for concrete, granite, marble, and painted surfaces, would protect against stains from spray paint and permanent ink markers. Designed to protect against graffiti, the coating is based on dispersions or coemulsions of oxidized polyethylene waxes with paraffin. The coatings are weather-resistant, but can be removed with the graffiti using hot water or steam.

http://link.abpi.net/l.php?20060214A3

THE ULTRA BATTERY

A new type of ultracapacitor could eventually have you throwing out your conventional batteries.

http://cl.exactt.net/?ffcb10-fe6611717161017c7114-fdec1573716c0d7f72137473-ff011674776105

BIO BRIEFS

Albuquerque--Breathtaking: Institute hiring approximately 200

http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/2138647

Baltimore--Notre Dame takes training program to Hopkins' labs

http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/2138648

Baltimore--GBC backs tax breaks for new biopark tenants

http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/2138649

Baltimore--Putting science on hold: While the feds mull what to do with bioterror research funds, an Annapolis biotech sweats it out http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/2138650

Boston--Beacon Hill offers $20M to land Bristol-Myers

http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/2138651

Dallas--UNT Health Sciences sees drop in funds

http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/2138652

Jacksonville--Stem-cell proponents look for big money

http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/2138653

Jacksonville--Mayo researchers make gains in cancer war

http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/2138654

Philadelphia--Science Center doubling

http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/2138655

Phoenix--Phoenix biotech firm lands $3.5M anti-terrorism contract

http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/2138656

Phoenix--$25M tech fund faces uphill climb

http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/2138657

Raleigh/Durham--NCSU may gain in research cash: Changes could cost UNC, Duke

http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/2138658

San Francisco--Living up to its name: Applied Biosystems finds ways to apply its technology to real-life issues

http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/2138659

San Francisco-- Researchers working to bring TB testing out of 19th century

http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/2138660

South Florida--UM finds medical school dean in biotech hot spot

http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/2138661

Washington--Looking for the next big cure: The region's biotechs are in a race to make their mark -- feverishly working to cure, prevent and treat the diseases that afflict mankind. Along the way, they may just put the I-270 corridor and its Virginia and D.C. counterparts on the map.

http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/2138662

WIRELESS ZONE

WHEN WILL THE BIG APPLE GET ITS WiFi?

he city that never sleeps is way behind the curve on municipal wireless broadband, and probably won't catch anytime soon.

http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,28is,1,fxta,9sub,jcj3,9ffi

SITE CITE

WHAT DOES UNCLE SAM KNOW, AND HOW CAN YOU FIND OUT?

FirstGov launched a powerful new search engine last month, expanding the number of accessible documents from 8 million to 40 million, including more state and local Web sites. Perhaps equally significant for time-constrained browsers, the new search engine uses improved algorithms to provide more relevant results.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/14/AR2006021401768.html?referrer=email