FUTURE ZONE

BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE STATE OF THE GLOBAL TELECOSM

The most notorious promoter of the 1990s telecommunications boom has been proved right.

http://www.technologyreview.com/Biztech/20592/?nlid=1027

BRAIN SCANNER PREDICTS YOUR FUTURE MOVES

Researchers have measured brain activity 7 seconds before they carried out the associated task (pressing a specific button). By deciphering the fMRI brain signals with a computer program, the researchers could predict which button a subject had pressed about 60% of the time.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13658-brain-scanner-predicts-your-future-moves.html

HOMELAND SECURITY ZONE

JUDGE ORDERS GOVT. TO TELL WHETHER PASSENGERS ARE ON WATCH LIST

  "Federal magistrate judge" Sidney Schenkier has "ordered the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to turn over records showing whether [ten] plaintiffs are on the government's radar," reports the Tribune.

"Federal attorneys had argued that doing so would reveal 'state secrets' that could jeopardize national security." The judge "disagreed [see the Quote of the Week], further ordering that he be allowed to privately review more government records showing why [Chicago businessman Akifur] Rahman and the others have been interrogated. The government had previously admitted to Rahman that the incidents-some lasting as long as six hours-were the result of mistaken identity."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-watchlist-24-apr24,0,7847146.story

IT's BEEN DUBBED "CYBERGEDDON", THE "DIGITAL MUSHROOM CLOUD"

What would happen if well-organised hackers - criminal syndicates, agents of hostile nation-states or terrorists - disabled the computer networks that sustain the critical infrastructure of modern societies?

For Michael Chertoff, the head of the US Department of Homeland Security, the threat is real, and likely to get worse. And he's not shy of offering some alarming examples of how such a devastating attack could unfold.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4492130a28.html

COURT RULES NO SUSPICION NEEDED TO SEARCH LAPTOPS AT U.S. BORDERS

In a ruling that's likely to come as a disappointment for privacy-rights advocates, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit this week held that Customs officers need no reasonable suspicion to search through the contents of any individual's laptop computer at the country's borders. 

http://cwflyris.computerworld.com/t/3181789/149763351/110060/0/

NATURAL DISASTER ZONE

FEMA OFFERS PREPAREDNESS TRAINING TO NEW ENGLAND FOURTH GRADERS

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is initiating a pilot program for New England 4th grade students to teach basic emergency preparedness skills. The Student Tools for Emergency Planning (STEP) program will be offered by participating schools within the region.

In addition to the key lesson plan, students in the selected schools will also receive items to make their own ëstarterí kit; including a water bottle, snack bar, emergency whistle, Mylar blanket, and carrying bag. STEP will be taught during the 2008-2009 academic year.

http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=43235

More information on family emergency kits and communications plans found at:

http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/supplykit.shtm

http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/commplan.shtm

EARTHQUAKE HAZARD MAPS SHOW HOW U.S. SHAKES WITH QUAKES

The recent magnitude-5.2 earthquake in southern Illinois is a reminder that earthquakes are a national hazard. Today, scientists at the U.S.

Geological Survey (USGS) are revealing how shaky the nation is by releasing an updated version of the USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421193729.htm

FIRST CONTACT WITH AN EARTHQUAKE ZONE

Scientists have completed the first stage of an ambitious plan to drill down into an earthquake-generating region near Japan. The project saw holes bored 1.4km into the sea floor, producing 3D images of stresses inside the quake zone.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/sci/tech/7353866.stm

MAKING A HOME AWAY FROM HOME FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS

The mayor of Baker, La., recalls the lessons learned from hosting the largest encampment for hurricane victims run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/24/us/nationalspecial/24trailers.html?th&emc=th

  FREE DOWNLOAD FOR FIREFOX PLUGIN EARTHQUAKE ALERT

Click here to download the free plugin for Firefox that will send earthquake alerts to your browser.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2239

CYBERZONE

FCC CHAIRMAN CALLS COMCAST LIAR, CRITICS PILE ON

Comcast has lied about how and why it blocks peer-to-peer Internet traffic, and may be lying in its promise to stop some of its practices by year end, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said during a hearing held by a Senate committee on the future of the Internet.

http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/62722.html

MICROSOFT MAY KEEP XP ALIVE AFTER ALL

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said Thursday that the company may reconsider its decision to stop selling Windows XP on June 30. At an event in Belgium, Ballmer told reporters, "If customer feedback varies, we can always wake up smarter," according to an Associated Press report.

http://cwflyris.computerworld.com/t/3190502/121438482/110412/0/

NEWS CORP ALLEGEDLY HIRED HACKER TO 'SABOTAGE COMPETITION'

News Corp. employed a top hacker to develop pirating software, a court has heard. Media network Dish is suing News Corp. for $900 million in lost revenue and system-repair costs resulting from pirated smart cards.

http://cwflyris.computerworld.com/t/3190502/121438482/110413/0/

ONE-POUND OGO PC FACES A HUGE CHALLENGE

A little-known San Francisco firm has created a personal computer that weighs 1 pound, clips onto a belt like a cell phone and runs any Windows program. Born in a warehouse in Hunters Point, Oqo (pronounced O-Q-O) is...

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/04/21/BU4D107M5R.DTL

GOOGLE EARTH RESURFACES

Google's latest version of Google Earth, its 4.3 beta, includes Google Maps Street View, along with faster 3D rendering, photo realistic renderings for dozens of new cities, and and a button to view light changes throughout the day.

ttp://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/google/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207400008

THIEVES SET UP DATA SUPERMARKETS

Cyber criminals are setting up web shops that sell stolen data for a knock-down price, say security experts.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/technology/7363422.stm

STORING DATA FOR THE NEXT 1000 YEARS

Researchers from the University of California Santa Cruz have developed the idea of Pergamum, a new disk-based approach for archiving data.

Pergamum uses both intra-disk and inter-disk redundancy to guard against data loss, relying on hash tree-like structures of algebraic signatures to efficiently verify the correctness of stored data. They believe a 10 petabytes storage system could be built for about $4700, with an annual operational cost (power for running and cooling the system) of about $50.

http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/37073/113/

SCIENCE ZONE

CHOCOLATE BAR SHOWN TO LOWER CHOLESEROL

The results of a new study have demonstrated an effective way to lower cholesterol levels -- by eating chocolate bars. Researchers attribute the drop in cholesterol numbers (total cholesterol by 2 percent and LDL or "bad" cholesterol by 5.3 percent) to the plant sterols that have been added to the bar and the drop in blood pressure to the flavanols found in dark chocolate.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421114616.htm

CORDLESS, IN 3-D, AND ANY TIME

Securing evidence at the scene of a crime, measuring faces for medical applications, taking samples during production -- 3-D images are in demand everywhere. A handy cordless device now enables such images to be prepared rapidly anywhere.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416114413.htm

NANOTECH SCORE IN UNCOVERING CONDUCTIVE PROPERTY OF CARBON-BASED MOLECULES

Researchers have discovered that certain organic -- or carbon-based -- molecules exhibit the properties of atoms under certain circumstances and, in turn, conduct electricity as well as metal. Detailed in Science, the finding is a breakthrough in developing nanotechnology that provides a new strategy for designing electronic materials, including inexpensive and multifunctional organic conductors that have long been considered the key to smaller, cheaper and faster technologies.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417142457.htm

ENERGY ZONE 

REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF JUICE ELECTRONIC GADGETS CONSUME

"Vampire power" has been bugging everyone--It's the juice consumed by electronic gadgets even when they're turned off (also called phantom loads, standby power or leaking electricity). They just sit there, plugged in, sucking electricity, at a cost to you and to the environment.  According to the Energy Department, vampire gadgets account for about 25 percent of total residential electricity consumption in the U.S.

One solution is here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/24/technology/personaltech/24pogue-email.html?8cir&emc=cir

TREES IN YOUR TANK? THE FUTURE OF GREEN GASOLINE

Researchers at UMass Amherst recently published a new method of refining hydrocarbons from cellulose, paving the way to turn wood scraps into gasoline, diesel fuel, Tupperware-anything, essentially, that's normally refined from petroleum.

Using a catalyst commonly employed in the petroleum industry, they heated small amounts of cellulose very quickly for a matter of seconds before cooling it, producing a high-octane liquid similar to gasoline. If they can get 100 percent yield, they estimate the cost to be about a dollar per gallon.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/4260296.html?series=19

CHEAP, EFFICIENT THERMOELECTRICS

MIT and Boston College researchers have developed an inexpensive, simple nanocomposite-based technique for achieving a 40 percent increase in the efficiency of a common thermoelectric material, making possible solar panels and car exhaust pipes that use waste heat for electrical power.

http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/20448/

USING NANOTECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE Li-ion BATTERY PERFORMANCE

Chinese scientists have developed 500-nanometer lithium-ion-battery electrode materials using tin nanoparticles encapsulated in elastic hollow carbon-nanotube-based spheres, replacing conventional graphite. The scientists have found that the new materials provide higher initial and long-term ampere-hours capacity, prolonging battery life.

http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=5210.php

ENVIRONMENT ZONE

HAWAIIAN PLANT, THOUGHT TO BE NEWCOMER, ACTUALLY SHAPED ECOLOGY OF THE ISLANDS FROM THE BEGINNING

One of Hawaii's most dominant plants, Metrosideros, has been a resident of the islands far longer than previously believed. Metrosideros, commonly called "ohi'a" in the Hawaiian Islands, has puzzled researchers for years. Although previously thought to be a newcomer to the islands, these plants are well integrated into the islands' ecosystems.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415210623.htm

ARE BIG HIGH-TECH COMPANIES GREEN HYPOCRITES?

Green sells, whether the product in question is a hybrid car or a laptop computer. Tech firms know this.

http://cwflyris.computerworld.com/t/3181793/121438482/110010/0/

ASIA PACIFIC ZONE

VIETNAM LAUNCHES ITS FIRST SATELLITE

http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=22703&email=text

CHINA MOBILE PROFIT LEAPS 37 PERCENT ON NEW RURAL ACCOUNTS

China Mobile, the country's biggest mobile phone carrier, said Monday its first-quarter profits surged while China Telecom, the country's main fixed-line carrier, reported essentially flat earnings, reflecting a shift in consumer tastes. Consumers in China increasingly view fixed- line service as impractical, opting instead to use only mobile phones.

http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/62664.html

WIRELESS ZONE

TELECOM CARRIERS SAY: "PHANTOM" VOIP TRAFFIC COSTING THEM BILLIONS

Some rural carriers are seeing up to 30 percent of their minutes eaten by voice calls lacking ID needed for carriers to charge access fees for use of their networks http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/04/23/Telecom-carriers-Phantom-voice-traffic-costing-billions_1.html

MetroFi WIRELESS NETWORK DISAPPOINTS PORTLAND

MetroFi is a municipal wireless network provider that has failed to meet many of its commitments to the cities that it has worked with. Despite once claiming that the reason that their networks work is because they are ad-supported, they have demanded money during the process of building out their networks. This caused delays in development of networks in Alaska, Ohio and California where cities all expressed surprise that MetroFi wanted money after initial agreements indicated that the city would not have to pay for the networks.

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/MetroFi-Wireless-Network-Disappoints-Portland-93725

SITE CITES

SLIDESHOW: FIFTY YEARS OF AMERICAN SPACE EXPLORATION

NASA celebrates half a century of American space flight with a new collection of space exploration images http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe30157874600678701170&ls=fdfb15737467027b72147874&m=ff3310707762&l=fef61c7471640d&s=fe2615717c670174701272&jb=ffcf14&t=

ORIGIN OF THE LEAPING CHINESE EARTHQUAKE DOOMSDAY WEAPON

The original source of the Leaping Chinese Earthquake Doomsday Weapon was a whimsical proposal in Geotimes in 1969 by David Stone, now Professor Emeritus of Geophysics at the University of Alaska. It reached a much wider audience when it was reported in Time.  The 19 December 1969 issue says:

"If at a given moment, says Stone, all 750 million Chinese obeyed a command to jump from 61Ž2-ft. platforms, they could constitute a "geophysical weapon." How? Assuming that the average Chinese weighs 110 lbs., he calculates, the energy released by this great leap downward would be equivalent to an earthquake of magnitude 4.5 on the Richter scale, causing extensive damage in China. But if the Chinese were organized to jump roughly every 54 minutes-just when the peak of a barely perceptible natural ripple that continually sweeps around the earth's surface passes through China-they might set up a world-girdling resonant ground wave that would cause even greater damage in distant lands. By properly aligning their millions and carefully timing the jump, for example, Peking could aim a ground wave along the Pacific-rim earthquake belt and possibly set off quakes in California far more devastating than the original shocks in China.

"Would there be any defense? Certainly, says Stone. By having its population jump between the peaks of the ground waves stirred up by China, a threatened nation could damp them out before they grew intense enough to cause damage. There is one catch: the target nation would, of course, be less populous than China. Thus, to effectively counteract the massive Chinese geophysical aggression, its people would have to jump from higher platforms."

Prof. Stone wrote this in 2006; he is amused to see the changes rung, like echoing seismic waves, on his idea:

"My favorite response to the great leap downward was in the London Economist where I was hailed as the saviour of the economy of SE Asia - who else could build 600 million step ladders?"

Original 1969 Time article:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,941748,00.html