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VOL III No 46 April 25, 2004: CYBERZONE/BIOZONE CALENDAR
A SERVICE OF CREATIVE RESOURCES, INC. by MARTY PLOTNICK
HAWAI'I CALENDAR:
****NEW****Wednesday, April 28 --12:00 pm - 1:30 pm--WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY HAWAI`I CHAPTER 2004 DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER SERIES Karl Stahlkopf, PhD. Energy Senior Vice President, Energy Solutions & Chief Technology Officer Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. and President, Renewable Hawaii. The Plaza Club RSVP Frances I. Mossman 225-354 mossman_ssd@earthlink.net FEES.
****Wednesday, April 28 --12:00 pm - 1:00 pm. UOP Brown Bag Seminar: "Technology Entrepreneuring: The Ultimate Reality Show." Speaker: Mr. Peter Kay, one of Hawaii's most recognized technology visionaries. Participants will learn about what it's really like to be a tech entrepreneur: to rise, fall, rise, fall, and rise. If you've dreamed of creating your own business, you won't want to miss out on Peter's 20 years of starting five different companies in Hawaii. University of Phoenix, 828 Fort St., Rooms 101/102. Free. For more information, call 536-2686 ext. 108 or e-mail Steven.Schoen@phoenix.edu.
****Tuesday, May 4--9 a.m. to ? HP's Semi-Annual Hawaii Technology Event. Hilton Hawaiian Village. FREE Register: Jane Ferreira. 808.839.8517 or at http://www.hp.com/large/events/2004/ae_hawaii
****May 10-12, Asia Pacific Conference on Emerging Technologies: The Challenge of the Mobile Revolution and the Digital Divide. Sponsors: East-West Center and the Korea Information Strategy Development Institute (KISDI). Renaissance Hotel in Seoul, Korea. Early Registration Deadline April 26, For more information and registration materials: http://www.eastwestcenter.org/sem-bp.asp Registration Online: http://www.eastwestcenter.org/index.asp
****NEW****Wednesday to Friday. May 19-21-- International Conference on Strategies for Building Software Industries in Developing Counties East-West Center University of Hawai'i at Manoa Strategies for Building Software Industries in Developing Countries will bring together experts and software industry professionals from around the world to identify, discuss and debate the various policy options governments have to cultivate their software industries and what strategies software companies can employ to ensure success in the international market place. FREE FOR CONFERENCE. <http://www.iipi.org/activities/forums.htm>http://www.iipi.org/activities/fo rums.htm > Or contact Anthony L. Clapes Technology Law Network tclapes@attglobal.net
General East-West Seminar information: Marilu Khudari, khudarim@eastwestcenter.org, or phone 944-7384.
UH CALENDAR http://dbserver.its.hawaii.edu/calendar/
HTDC CALENDAR
http://www.hitechhawaii.com/webevents.asp
IF YOU HAVE CALENDAR ITEMS, SEND THEM TO martycri@lava.net
HAWAI'I JOB ZONE
Decision Research Corporation (Honolulu) has an immediate opening for an experienced software development project manager. Please email resumes to hr@decisionresearch.com. Please include the position and "CZ-0421" in the subject line.
ANNIVERSARY ZONE
This week marks the 30th Anniversary of the Incorporation of CREATIVE RESOURCES, INC. as a Hawai'i-based corporation.. THINK ZONE U.S. SCIENCE LOSING ITS EDGE, GROUP WARNS A new coalition of research universities and high-tech companies opened a public campaign Tuesday to implore the federal government to increase funding for basic research as their answer to the job losses hitting the U.S. workforce as a result of offshoring. The Task Force on the Future of American Innovation warned that the United States is at a tipping point where it stands to lose its long-standing technological edge to competitors such as India, Russia and China, which are replicating the U.S. model, including pouring money into basic research. "The U.S. is consumed in a discussion of offshoring or outsourcing," said Craig Barrett, chief executive of Intel Corp. and a former faculty member at Stanford University in materials science and engineering. "Unfortunately, it's not consumed in the discussion of what you need to do to be competitive." sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/04/21/BUGHT686SJ1.DTL
GRID ZONE
GOOGLE AND AKAMAI: THE CULT OF SECRECY vs THE KINGDOM OF OPENNESS As Google attempts to expand its empire into e-mail, the king of search is tapping into what may be the largest grid of computers on the planet. And the company remains extraordinarily secretive about the technologies it has at its disposal-perhaps because it senses a potential competitor in dotcom era flameout Akamai. http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/wo_garfinkel042104.asp?trk=nl
CYBERZONE
LIBRARIES WIRED AND REBORN Public libraries have been transformed over the last decade as Internet-connected computers have increased their traffic -- and, in some cases, even their book budgets. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/22/technology/circuits/22gate.html?8cir
CREDIT CARDS THAT WILL LISTEN TO YOU A credit card that will not work unless it hears its master's voice could be the latest weapon in the fight against online fraud. The card requires users to speak a secret password that it authenticates using a built-in voice-recognition chip. The challenge for engineers is to pack a microphone, a loudspeaker, a battery and a voice-recognition chip all into a standard-sized credit card, that can also withstand bending. The first prototype card is the right length and width, but still needs to slim down a little. http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994900
NEW WEB PROTOCOL MAY LEAVE DSL IN THE DUST A new data-transfer protocol "makes today's high-speed digital subscriber line connections seem lethargic," say computer science researchers at North Carolina State University. http://cio-today.newsfactor.com/perl/story/23720.html
FEDERAL JUDGE GIVES SPRINT THE RIGHT TO SUE A COUNTY Municipalities suffered a blow in their fight to control or limit wireless service distribution and tower placements in their communities. In a published opinion, a U.S. district judge in southern California said carriers have the right to sue and seek damages from counties that are trying to prohibit service rollouts. Federal Judge Judith Keep ruled that in the case involving Sprint and the county of San Diego, Sprint has the right to sue the county and can move ahead with its suit that alleges violations of the federal Civil Rights Act. http://www.wirelessweek.com/index.asp?layout=newsat2direct&starting=4&pubdat e=04/20/04
PanAmSat's PASport TAKES BROADCASTERS ANYWHERE & EVERYWHERE PanAmSat Corporation has launched PASport, a global, on-the-spot broadcasting service for the transmission of breaking news and live events around the world. Leveraging the power of PanAmSat's 24-satellite fleet with its' 22,000 mile video fiber network this new service gives broadcasters and video content producers access to PanAmSat's global hybrid network from virtually every corner of the globe. http://www.spacedaily.com/news/satellite-biz-04zze.html
BIO/NANO/MEMS ZONE OLD RECORDINGS MAY BE SAVED BY PARTICLE PHYSICS A technique developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory allows researchers to create digital copies of old records without damaging the fragile discs. The technique uses a ight sensor to capture images of the record's groove. A computer then uses these to reconstruct the recording, http://www.nature.com/nsu/040419/040419-4.html
SAGA UNIVERSITY STARTS EXTRACTING LITHIUM FROM SEAWATER Researchers at Saga University's Institute of Ocean Energy have begun extracting tiny amounts of lithium from seawater - at a rate of 1 gram per day - and hope to be the first in the world to commercialize the process. The operation is being conducted by the institute's plant located in Imari, Saga Prefecture. Full Story (Kyodo News) INNOVATION AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT Israeli researchers working at Intel's plant in Israel have developed a new chip technology that will speed up the flow of information to the speed of light. The Israeli-developed electro-optical chipsets are based on silicon wafers capable of converting electronic signals to optic signals within the chips. The new chip will enable communication to be conducted at the speed of light - some ten times faster than the present speed. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/print.php3?what=news&id=61203
CANCER TREATMENT A breast cancer treatment based on MIT radar research, originally funded by the U.S. Air Force and intended to detect space-borne missiles, is showing promise in the final phase of clinical testing. The outpatient procedure uses a single tiny needle probe to sense and measure parameters during treatment. Side effects appear to be minimal. Microwaves in the new technique heat and kill cells containing high amounts of water. Cancer cells have high water content (~80%), while healthy breast tissue contains much less. Treating cancer with heat is not a new idea, but "researchers were having trouble using it to treat tumors deep within the body," said Alan Fenn, inventor of the technique. Further more, it is difficult to deliver the heat only to cancer cells and not overheat normal tissue. In the study, microwave energy is focused externally on the breast and delivered to tumors prior to lumpectomy. The goal is to use focused heat to kill tumor cells and reduce additional surgery. http://link.abpi.net/l.php?20040420A2
IRON TABLETS CAN IMPROVE WOMEN's BRAINPOWER Giving supplements to women who are iron deficient, even only modestly, dramatically improves attention and memory, suggest new findings http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994898
BIO BRIEFS ZONE
Boston--Former Raytheon HQ wins OK for biotech use http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/816394
Greensboro/Winston-Salem--Chambers develop legislative agenda http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/816395
Philadelphia--Life sciences investors step up http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/816396
Raleigh/Durham--BioVista misses; $250K at risk http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/816397
San Francisco--Biotech behemoth Amgen gets away: Catellus, mayor tried to lure firm to Mission Bay but hit a snag: The Tularik deal http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/816398
Seattle--Deal diary: Biotech shuffles cancer products http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/816399
St. Louis--Sensitive situation: Singulex's CoreMD promises better drug-interaction tests, more sensitive diagnostics http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/816400
St. Louis--Apath takes on Ebola with 2 grants from NIH http://www.bizjournals.com/ct/c/816401
CAPITAL ZONE
CALPERS TO INVEST IN INDIA India has passed the investment test of top U.S. pension fund Calpers, winning an endorsement that is likely to spur more foreign stock buying in the emerging markets. Just two months ago, India had failed to meet Calpers' checklist for market efficiency, corporate governance practices, political stability and respect for human rights. http://www.nytimes.com/reute
CHINA ZONE
CHINA REPORTS FIRST SARS DEATH SINCE JULY China confirmed on April 23 that two laboratory workers have contracted SARS and that the mother of one has died -- making her the first apparent SARS fatality in the country since July. Hundreds of people have been quarantined. Trying to prevent an epidemic, the government announced it would start disinfecting public buildings and take the temperatures of travelers at all ports of entry. ``Anyone who has a temperature over 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 Fahrenheit) will be taken to the hospital,'' said a Health Ministry statement published in Chinese newspapers. ``No one will be exempt.'' http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-China-SARS.html
CHINA AGREES TO POSTPONE WIRELESS PLAN China agreed on Wednesday to give up a plan to impose its own standard for wireless technology, essentially agreeing to join the rest of the world rather than dividing it up. The Chinese said they would indefinitely postpone a plan, scheduled to go into effect on June 1, to impose a software encryption standard for wireless computers that American giants like Intel and Microsoft regarded as an unfair trade barrier. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/22/business/worldbusiness/22trade.html
EBAY HOPS THE FAST BOAT TO CHINA EBay is in a race with Yahoo to determine which company's online auction business will be the victor in China's ongoing Internet cultural revolution. http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W3RT0588A647A0E3B2B653E3C7535 TIANJIN REPORTS 35% RISE IN FOREIGN TRADE Tianjin, the largest port city in north China, reported a foreign trade of US$13.56 billion in the first quarter of this year, up 35 percent on a yearly basis, according to local customs. The total included US$7.24 billion in exports, up 28.8 percent, and US$6.32 billion in imports, up 42.8 percent. Imports and exports conducted through general trade reached US$8 billion during the three-month period, up 50 percent year-on-year. http://china.org.cn/english/BAT/93722.htm
ENERGY ZONE
BIODIESEL SET TO TAKE OFF AT MIAMI AIRPORT In what could turn out to be a rather large application of biodiesel fueling, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Florida Energy Office are teaming up to test the clean fuel as an alternative to regular diesel at the Miami International Airport. Researchers are examining the prospect of using the bio-based fuel, made from vegetables, oil and fats, to power baggage handling and ground support equipment at Florida's busiest airport. http://www.solaraccess.com/news/story?storyid=6543
RFID ZONE
PHILLIPS BUMPS RFID TAGS RANGE UP TO 8 METERS RFID tags with a range of eight meters, instead of the one meter range of currently standardized RFID tags, have been developed by Philips in chips for UHF RFID. http://email.electronicnews.com/cgi-bin2/DM/y/eggv0HRQ8K0DbD0CBpY0AP
BAGGAGE TRACKING MAY GO RFID Some in the airline business envision a future without misplaced bags. The key to getting there may lie with tiny computer chips attached to bags that permit instant tracking from airport check-in to pickup at the destination. http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=23763
FCC LOOSENS RFID RULE FOR HOMELAND SECURITY The Federal Communications Commission has adopted a new rule allowing the use of more powerful radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in U.S. commercial shipping containers. http://bpm-today.newsfactor.com/perl/story/23735.html
HOTSPOT HITS ZONE
The latest in public access Wi-Fi: New Orleans uses wireless for public cameras; T-Mobile did the right thing; Sprint and AT&T Wireless will roam; and more. http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,ukx,1,l0p5,ecft,jcj3,9ffi
SITE CITES
HISTORY OF SOFTWARE Computer programs are ubiquitous and seem to have been with us forever. But the software industry that writes them didn't exist before the 1950's. Now it is the USA's fourth largest industrial sector and affects pretty much every aspect of our lives. http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/buzz/stories/s1089032.htm
ALGORITHIMS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD Algorithms -- or, in layman's terms, defined procedures for accomplishing a task or solving a problem -- abound throughout the computing industry and have shaped the ways in which people interact online. In this article, the E-Commerce Times profiles a few good algorithms. http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/33488.html
CHOCOLATE CAKE & PIZZA ADDICTIONS: IT'S REAL People who say they are addicted to chocolate or pizza may not be exaggerating, according to U.S.-based scientists. http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s1091988.htm
Hawaii Technology and Activity News
