US VoIP GAINS MEAN LEGACY TELCO PAIN

According to new data from TeleGeography's U.S. VoIP Research Service, the three incumbent U.S. Bell Operating Companies, AT&T, Verizon and Qwest, lost 17.3 million residential subscribers between Q1 2005 and Q1 2008, while cable companies and VoIP service providers gained 14.5 million. Cable companies have had huge success with their "triple play" voice, video and Internet bundles: cable operators account for 80 percent of U.S. IP telephony subscribers.

The two largest RBOCs, Verizon and AT&T, have taken a page out of the MSOs' playbooks, and are upgrading their broadband networks to provide Internet access, video and voice over one unified network. Verizon has pinned its hope on its "FiOS" fiber-to-the-home service, while AT&T is deploying a next-generation VDSL network under the brand name "U-verse."

This was a summary from a for-fee report at

http://cmpgnr.com/r.html?c=1232601&r=1231517&t=1373403458&l=1&d=89646280&u=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2etelegeography%2ecom%2fproducts%2fvoip&g=0&f=-1

HOMELAND SECURITY ZONE

CHINA'S ALL-SEEING EYE

China is building a high-tech police state under a massive surveillance and censorship program:

"Golden Shield," linking surveillance cameras, the Internet, phones, facial-recognition software, voice recognition data from phone calls, GPS monitoring, and facial photos into a centralized database for every person in

China--1.3 billion faces.

Some 200,000 surveillance cameras have already been installed throughout the city of Shenzhen, with a total of 2 million CCTVs planned, making it the most watched city in the world. It will be connected to a single, nationwide network, an all-seeing eye.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/20797485/chinas_allseeing_eye/print

Very long, detailed article and includes the U.S.

involvement and plans for the same.

UK PHONE CALLS, EMAILS & WEB PAGE VISITS DATABASE CONSIDERED

British Govt. Wants Database of Citizens' Phone Calls, Emails, and Web Page Visits The British Home Office wants to "create a database to store the details of every phone call made, every email sent and every web page visited by British citizens in the previous year," reports the Telegraph. "Š The security services and police would then be able to access records for any individual Š by gaining permission through the courts." The program "would require the development of untried technology," reports Computer Weekly.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/uk/7409593.stm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1990999/Home-Office-plans-to-create-Big-brother-database-for-phones-calls,-emails-and-web-use.html

http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2008/05/22/230779/revealed-untried-technology-and-huge-costs-behind-government-online-surveillance.htm

DHS SETS UP EMERGENCY SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

"The Homeland Security Department's National Communications System is launching a three-year pilot program to give key government and industry facilities access to advanced satellite communications during emergencies," reports Government Computer News. The Satellite Priority Service "will provide interoperable, nationwide push-to-talk radio and satellite phone service that will not be affected by local terrestrial conditions."

http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/46309-1.html

LAWMAKERS SEE CYBER THREATS TO ELECTRICAL GRID --

A U.S. House subcommittee questions whether the organization charged with regulating electrical suppliers is painting a rosy and misleading picture of the U.S. electrical system's readiness for cyber attacks. Read on:

http://cwflyris.computerworld.com/t/3247017/121438485/115657/0/

NATURAL DISASTER ZONE

CHINESE BLOGGERS GET FREE REIN AS EARTHQUAKE SLOWS CENSORS

The flags have been lowered for the tens of thousands of victims of last week's earthquake during a three-day national mourning period that ends on ...

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=government&articleId=9087278&taxonomyId=13&intsrc=kc_top

SCIENTISTS IDENTIFIED EARTHQUAKE FAULTS IN SICHUAN, CHINA

Only last summer research published by earth scientists in the international journal Tectonics concluded that geological faults in the Sichuan Basin, China "are sufficiently long to sustain a strong ground-shaking earthquake, making them potentially serious sources of regional seismic hazard." An international team of scientists carefully mapped and analyzed a series of geologically young faults that cross Sichuan Province like recently healed scars.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080516123837.htm

EARTHQUAKE DISASTER SCENARIO UNVEILED FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

Scientists today unveiled a hypothetical Scenario describing how a magnitude 7.8 Southern California earthquake -similar to the recent earthquake in China- would impact the region, causing loss of lives and massive damage to ...

http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1947&

CYBERZONE

GPS HAS NEW FUNCTION: HELPING POLICE TRACE CRIMINALS

Electronic surveillance technology is changing the way the authorities in the U.S. monitor repeat offenders. Advocates say the technology can save lives, but detractors fear a breach of privacy.

http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=11000ATF0VY6&nl=2

STARTUP LAUNCHES 'INTERNET-SCALE' DATABASE

Aster Data Systems adds a new wrinkle to the cluster database concept with nCluster which, the company claims, can divide the various components of a data-analysis workload into discrete pieces.

http://cwflyris.computerworld.com/t/3242939/121438485/115140/0/

MOST BUSINESS-LAUNCHED VIRTUAL WORLDS FAIL

The vast majority of virtual world projects launched by businesses fail within 18 months, because of a lack of clear objectives and a limited understanding of the demographics, attitudes, and expectations of virtual-world communities, market research firm Gartner said.

However, Gartner estimates that by 2012, 70% of organizations will have established their own private virtual worlds, because of lower expectations, clearer objectives, and better constraints. Gartner believes virtual world adoption will begin in role-based scenario-driven training exercises, and extend to a secure, persistent, and interactive virtual workspace that allows individuals and partners to interact and improve collaboration.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/virtualworlds/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207800625

RESEARCHERS FIND NEW WAYS TO STEAL DATA

Researchers have developed two new techniques for stealing data from a computer that use some unlikely hacking tools: cameras and telescopes.

http://cwflyris.computerworld.com/t/3241048/121438482/11484

SEEING STARS IN YOUR COMPUTER

Microsoft Corp. this week launched the beta of its WorldWide Telescope project, giving users free access to information and images stitched together from telescopes around the world and in space. People will be able to use their computers to pan across the night sky or zoom in on a particular star or nebula.

http://cwflyris.computerworld.com/t/3244534/1176609/115258/2/

NEW VIDEO GAME LETS VISUALLY IMPAIRED SHARE THE FUN

A new computer game developed by students makes it possible for visually impaired people to play the game on a level field with their sighted friends. The game, called AudiOdyssey, simulates a deejay trying to build up a catchy tune and get people dancing. By swinging the remote-control device used by the Nintendo Wii, which senses motion, the player can set the rhythm and lay down one musical track after another, gradually building up a richer musical track.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515214926.htm

OLPC ANNOUNCES NEXT-GEN XO-2 $75 LAPTOP

The nonprofit One Laptop Per Child Project has shown the first images of its next-generation touch-screen laptop that goes by the name XO-2.

According to Nicholas Negroponte, chairman of OLPC, the laptop is under development and has a goal of costing $75.

http://cwflyris.computerworld.com/t/3244783/121438482/115388/0/

SCIENCE ZONE

NANOTUBE EXPOSURE COULD POSE SAME RISK AS ASBESTOS

Nanotubes -- the super-small, high-strength carbon fibers increasingly being deployed in computers, auto bodies, and electrical brushes -- are potentially as dangerous as asbestos, a study says.

http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=11100A799IO3&nl=2

LASER HEATS UP THE FUSION FUTURE

The world's most powerful laser is used to heat matter to 10 million Celsius - hotter than the surface of the Sun.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/sci/tech/7407963.stm

ENERGY ZONE

COIN-SIZED FUEL CELL

Sharp has announced that it has developed a fuel cell about the same size as a coin-sized lithium battery, to power toys and portable digital electronics. The cell runs on methanol and has a power density of 0.3W/cc.

http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/AC/TNKS/Nni20080515D15JFA09.htm

FUEL CELL NEW MATERIAL INCREASES POWER BY 50%+

Engineers have improved the power output of one type of fuel cell by more than 50 percent through technology that could help these environmentally friendly energy storage devices find a much broader market, particularly in portable electronics.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515145345.htm

POWERING VILLAGES FROM RICE HUSKS

Two students from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business recently started a business that supplies electricity to rural villages in India by gasifying the rice husks that are a waste product of rice milling. So far, two rice husk gene...

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52488

CHINA FUELS ETHANOL INDUSTRY WITH YAMS, SWEET POTATOES & CASSAVA

In 2006, China imported 145 million tons of crude oil, accounting for 44% of its consumption of oil. With the rapid growth in vehicle sales in China, consumption of fuel oil for vehicles accounted for 35% of oil consumption in 2006. And demand for fuel...

 http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52450

KIWI FLIES A SUPER KITE & REELS IN $10 MILLION FROM GOOGLE

A Kiwi who wants to use giant kites soaring a kilometre into the sky to harness cheap and green wind power has hauled in a US$10 million (NZ$13

million) investment from Internet giant Google. - http://www.stuff.co.nz/4553829a28.html

ENVIRONMENT ZONE

OVERHEATED EARTH MAY BE LOCKED IN PLACE

Dramatic changes to the temperature of Earth's atmosphere could cause the planet's crust to become locked in place, research shows.

http://abcmail.net.au/t/159577/681895/3379/0/

ASIA PACIFIC ZONE

CHINA SHOWS OFF OLYMPICS TECH ... SORT OF

An exhibition of technology being used in the Beijing Olympics opened here Wednesday, with mixed results in demonstrating one of the Games' themes of "Hi-tech Olympics."

http://cwflyris.computerworld.com/t/3244783/121438482/115384/0/

WIRELESS ZONE

FASTER WIRELESS NETWORKS WITHOUT THE DATA

A novel wireless-network protocol, developed by BAE Systems for DARPA, sends not the data itself but rather a description of the data. In simulations, a network using the protocol was five times more efficient than a traditional network.

http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/20805/

WIRELESS WEB PUSH PROVES LUCRATIVE TO SCHOOLS

Educational institutions across America are reaping millions of dollars by leasing out their allocated radio spectrum to bandwidth-hungry telecom companies who are trying to build nationwide wireless Internet networks. "Our bandwidth ... is gold," said Warren Ashley, director of the Center for Mediated Instruction and Distance Learning at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-schools20-2008may20,0,7833282.story

INTEL INVESTS $16 MILLION INTO MALAYSIAN WiMAX EFFORT

Intel will invest $16 million to help Malaysia's Green Packet Berhad develop the country's maiden nationwide high-speed WiMAX network, the chip maker announced. The company plans to launch its WiMAX broadband service in June.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/19/business/AS-TEC-Malaysia-Intel-WiMAX.php

GOOGLE WON'T CONTRIBUTE ITS DARK FIBER TO WiMAX PROJECT

Google said its $500 million backing of Clearwire's planned Mobile WiMAX network is not a sign that the carrier will use Google's dark -- or unused -- fiber to reduce the cost of connecting Clearwire's cell sites to the wired Internet. A Google spokesman said its funding was purely for investment reasons rather than for getting involved in its network infrastructure.

ttp://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=154249

WIMAX PROMISES TO RATTLE WIRELESS DATA FRAY

The competing wireless connectivity protocol has distinct advantages over rival LTE. The current lack of certified products, however, has some providers a bit nervous. Read on:

http://cwflyris.computerworld.com/t/3242939/121438485/115141/0/

SITE CITES

THE IRISH POTATO (ACTUALLY, THE HISTORY OF THE PERUVIAN POTATO)

The potato is a fine vegetable, high in nutrients and low in fat. And when you think of potatoes, you think of Ireland - mostly because of the Great Potato Famine in the 1840s that http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s1969962.htm

FREAK OUT YOUR SUNNIES

Science meets art in this colourful trick. Grab a pair of polarised sunnies and a roll of sticky tape, and create some cool colour patterns on your LCD screen.

http://abcmail.net.au/t/159577/681895/3373/0/

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MARTY PLOTNICK

CREATIVE RESOURCES, INC.

1-808-533.1715   VOICE  24/7

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martycri@clearwire.net