Week of Sun, 2006-12-17 00:00 to Sat, 2006-12-23 23:59

Space Shuttle Discovery touched down on Kennedy Space Center's Runway 15 at 5:32 p.m. EST on Dec. 22, wrapping up a resoundingly successful mission to rewire the International Space Station and retract a stubborn solar array.

NASA officials expressed their satisfaction with the mission's outcome during a post-landing news conference.

The III Hispano-French Conference on micro and nanotechnologies was held recently in Donostia-San Sebastián, one of the participants being AZTI- Tecnalia which presented part of its research carried out within the framework of the European GOODFOOD - Food Safety and Quality Monitoring with Microsystems programme

Being involved as it is in the field of micro and nanotechnologies, AZTI-Tecnalia is currently taking part in the validation of microsystems for their application in foodstuffs, collaborating in the development of improvements in the "BIO" detection system. Thus, microsystems for their use in the rapid detection of pesticides and pathogens, amongst others.

Research In Motion Limited (RIM) reported preliminary third quarter results for the three months ended December 2, 2006 (all figures in U.S. dollars).

The results reported are preliminary pending the restatement related to RIM's historical non-cash charges associated with past option grants. As disclosed previously, RIM is completing a management-initiated, voluntary review of RIM's historical option granting practices. It is the Company’s belief that the impact of any restatement on GAAP and adjusted operating results for fiscal 2007, including the third quarter, will be immaterial. RIM will file final financial statements for the second and third quarters of fiscal 2007 following the completion of the review, which is expected prior to RIM’s fiscal year end of March 3, 2007.

Imagine a car windshield that displays a map to your destination, military goggles with targets and instructions displayed right before a soldier's eyes or a billboard that doubles as a window.

Only in science fiction you say? Northwestern University researchers report that by combining organic and inorganic materials they have produced transparent, high-performance transistors that can be assembled inexpensively on both glass and plastics.

To your left runs a high-voltage power cable that is worn, but still physically sound. To your right runs a cable that looks identical, but damaged insulation means the cable is vulnerable to a short. Can you tell the difference?

Even most power companies don't know the weak points in their electrical grids. And although lights get turned on after a storm, the long-term effects of hurricanes, landslides or wind storms lie unnoticed. Now a robot can roll along the miles of cable, performing a utilities' equivalent of check-ups.

The first Ford Shelby GT CSM No. 07SGT0001 will fire up its engine and drive out of the Shelby Automobiles build center in Las Vegas in celebration of the start of production of the third model in the modern Ford Shelby Mustang portfolio. The Shelby GT features a 4.6-liter V-8, classic Shelby design cues, and performance modifications and will be priced at $36,970 MSRP including applicable taxes and destination and delivery.

Before carbon nanotubes can fulfill their promise as ultrastrong fibers, electrical wires in molecular devices, or hydrogen storage components for fuel cells, better methods are needed for purifying raw nanotube materials. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL, Golden, Colo.), have taken a step toward this goal by demonstrating a simple method of cleaning nanotubes by zapping them with carefully calibrated laser pulses.

Boeing test pilots took the first KC-767 Tanker slated for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) on its maiden flight.

Set to make history as Japan's first aerial-refueling platform when delivered in February 2007, the aircraft lifted off from McConnell Air Force Base, Wichita, Kan., adjacent to the Boeing Integrated Defense Systems Wichita facility, and logged a three-hour and 30 minute flight before employees, customers and suppliers.

There are some Airmen who train to push a 4,000 pound hunk of steel and electronics out of their way with a flick of their pinky finger.

Some Airmen train to fly at more than 17,000 mph, or roughly 5 miles per second. And some Airmen even train to "fly" without the use of any aircraft at all.

But all of these Airmen are training to be astronauts at the Johnson Space Center.

The Defense Information Systems Network Security Accreditation Working Group approved U.S. Joint Forces Command's (USJFCOM) request on Dec. 12 allowing the command to connect the Joint Training and Experimentation Network (JTEN) and Australia's Defence Training and Experimentation Network (DTEN).

The connection will allow USJFCOM, U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) and the Australian Defence Force to continue work on Australia's Joint Combined Training Capability (JCTC).

Researchers, at IBM, have built a device capable of delaying the flow of light on a silicon chip, a requirement to one day allow computers to use optical communications to achieve better performance.

Researchers have known that the use of optical instead of electrical signals for transferring data within a computer chip might result in significant performance enhancements since light signals can carry more information faster. Yet, "buffering" or temporarily holding data on the chip is critical in controlling the flow of information, so a means for doing so with light signals is necessary. The work announced today outlines just such a means for buffering optical signals on a chip.

Holiday travelers: Listen up and buckle up!

New research shows that unbelted backseat passengers risk injury or death to themselves and the driver seated in front of them in the event of a head-on crash.

Automobile sled tests simulating head-on crashes between two vehicles and using crash-test dummies have demonstrated the likelihood of severe head and chest traumas for driver and passenger caused by an unbelted passenger slamming into the seat of a belted driver.

A new Advanced Architecture and Technology Lab led by Rich Witek, AMD corporate fellow and chief architectural officer. The new lab will focus on technology and platform development beyond the five-year time horizon, further extending AMD’s strong tradition of advanced silicon planning.

Rich Witek has been with AMD since 2002 and has more than 30 highly accomplished years of hardware and software experience. He helped architect the ARM, StrongARM, Alpha processors and PowerPC. He also holds 22 patents in the areas of CPU, cache and system design; and has co-authored numerous Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) technical papers.

Motorola, Inc. and Tut Systems, Inc. announced that the two companies have signed a definitive merger agreement, under which Motorola will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Tut Systems common stock for $1.15 per share in cash. The transaction has a total equity value of approximately $39 million on a fully-diluted basis.

Founded in November 2005, Transinsight GmbH is a software company focused on the life sciences that provides products and solutions for knowledge-based technologies. Their flagship product, GoPubMed, a well established biomedical search engine, will be extended towards biomedical image search and knowledge-based image recognition. Especially particle tracking imagery produced by high throughput microscopy will be a focus in the upcoming years.

Tapping the power of 1,500 suns, scientists at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center have met a critical milestone in the development of aerocapture technology, a maneuver that primarily uses a planet's atmosphere to capture a spacecraft and place it in the desired orbit.

The In-Space Propulsion Technology Project at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., has successfully tested a series of 12-inch-square thermal protection panels. The tests focused on a type of spacecraft shielding material called an advanced charring ablator.

A FBI federal search warrant was executed Thursday in connection with an ongoing criminal matter, followed by an immigration arrest.

GERD HUHN, 44, was arrested in Saint Pauls, in Robeson County, where over 2100 pirated movies were seized subsequent to a federal search warrant. HUHN, originally from Germany, is in federal custody facing immigration violations. Additionally, a computer system was seized allegedly used to duplicate movies.

The FLAG Project at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed suit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in federal court, demanding immediate answers about an invasive and unprecedented data-mining system deployed on American travelers.

The Automated Targeting System (ATS) creates and assigns "risk assessments" to tens of millions of citizens as they enter and leave the country. In November, DHS announced that the program would launch on December 4, but Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff later admitted that the program had already been in operation for several years.

Siemens VDO Automotive Corp. has signed an agreement to acquire Ballard Power Systems Inc.'s Electric Drive Business located in Dearborn, Mich. Ballard Power Systems Corp., a subsidiary of Ballard Power Systems Inc., develops and manufactures electric drive technology for fuel cell vehicles. Pending final approvals, the acquisition is projected to be completed in early 2007 and will include Ballard Power Systems Corp.'s research, development and manufacturing operation in Dearborn, impacting approximately 80 highly specialized personnel.

Carbon nanotubes are tiny garden-hose-like hollow tubes that have considerable promise for future applications such as nano-sized plumbing and nanolithography, and for the creation of numerous tiny devices such as mass sensors and actuators. Such applications require improved understanding of the mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes. Previous studies pointed out that carbon nanotubes behave like macroscopic elastic hoses similar to garden hoses made of rubber.

Air Force Advanced Power Technology Office, or APTO, officials held a December demonstration of a hydrogen fuel cell for providing power at remote locations.

The hydrogen fuel cell was developed by Battelle, a global science and technology company that develops and commercializes technology that is based in Columbus, Ohio.

During the demonstration, halogen light units were powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, and also by a current generation light cart using diesel fuel. The diesel generator produced toxic emissions, an odor and considerable noise, along with electric power. The hydrogen fuel cell produced electric power with no emissions, no odor and almost no noise.

New observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope strongly suggest that infrared light detected in a prior study originated from clumps of the very first objects of the universe. The recent data indicate this patchy light is splattered across the entire sky and comes from clusters of bright, monstrous objects more than 13 billion light-years away.

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) and the U.S. Navy have successfully completed the first series of flights of the enhanced, more capable version of the Fire Scout vertical takeoff and landing tactical unmanned air vehicle (VTUAV), the MQ-8B.

The MQ-8B Fire Scout offers a significant capability increase over the first generation RQ-8A Fire Scout. The addition of a fourth rotor blade, and other enhancements, give the MQ-8B greater payload carrying capacity -- up to 600 pounds for future sensors, equipment pods, and possible weapons.

Drawing on advances in robotics and computer technology, Johns Hopkins University researchers are designing new high-tech medical tools to equip the operating room of the future. These systems and instruments could someday help doctors treat patients more safely and effectively and allow them to perform surgical tasks that are nearly impossible today.

DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Xcel Energy dedicated a new system to convert wind power into hydrogen last week. The system, located at NREL's National Wind Technology Center, links two wind turbines to devices called electrolyzers, which pass the electricity through water to split the liquid into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can be stored and used later to generate electricity from either an internal combustion engine turning a generator or from a fuel cell.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Reform Commission (NDRC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will pave the way for Westinghouse Electric Company to construct four civilian nuclear power plants in China. This agreement illustrates the United States government's support of the Chinese expansion and use of safe, emissions-free nuclear power and the related technology transfer.

The Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) Program has delivered the second of two Block 2006 sensor payloads, marking another major milestone toward providing a space- based capability for the Ballistic Missile Defense System. The first sensor payload was delivered in March 2006.

Comprised of refurbished hardware, originally built as flight demonstration satellites, the Block 2006 STSS sensors will be the initial step towards providing significant and unique capabilities for missile defense. The payload sensor suite, consisting of an acquisition sensor and a track sensor, is capable of detecting visible and infrared light. The satellites will demonstrate the potential of an STSS constellation to provide global coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week of ballistic missile events and continuous tracking of missile and re-entry vehicles (warheads) through all phases of flight. Infrared sensing is expected to provide a sensor capability not subject to some limiting factors of radars and improve target acquisition by interceptor missiles.

The successful transfer of the Boeing Company 702 satellite to XM Satellite Radio follows 44 days of on-orbit testing to ensure the spacecraft is operational. Launched on Oct. 30, the fourth Boeing-built satellite for XM Satellite Radio joins its sister satellite, XM-3, to complete the "Rhythm" and "Blues" satellite duo. "XM-4 has successfully completed all on-orbit testing," said Stephen T. O'Neill, president of Boeing Satellite Systems International, Inc.

The newest modernized Global Positioning System Block IIR (GPS IIR-M) satellite, designed and built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT], has been declared fully operational by the U.S. Air Force following successful on-orbit deployment and checkout of all spacecraft systems.

The satellite, designated GPS IIR-16M, joins two other modernized Block IIR-M spacecraft and 12 original IIR satellites currently on-orbit within the overall

AXIOMTEK designed a series of fanless touch panel computers named GOT for Human Machine Interface (HMI) solutions. The new 10.4” and 12.1" fanless touch panel computers, GOT-3108T and GOT-3128T, both support NEMA 4X complaint stainless front bezel and ultra low voltage Intel® Celeron® M 800MHz processors. The GOT-3128T supports wide temperature range of -20ºC to +50ºC for harsh environments; the GOT-3108T supports sunlight readable design for outdoor use.

The 23rd Space Operations Squadron began operations confidence testing of its newest Air Force Satellite Control Network antenna.

The testing that began Dec. 14 is the first of four rounds of tests. Phase two will be a second operations confidence test; the third phase will be a segment verification test, and the final phase will comprise integrated system testing.

Installation of the new antenna began July 12, 2004. Construction of the radome housing the antenna was finished Sept. 15, 2005. The radome's primary purpose is to protect the antenna from the environment, keeping maintenance and downtime to a minimum.

Argonne National Laboratory has been designated by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies as the lead national laboratory for the simulation, validation and laboratory evaluation of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and the advanced technologies required for these vehicles.

The powertrain for the XC60 Concept is using the same six-cylinder, in-line petrol engine that was introduced in the new Volvo S80 in 2006. The engine has been optimised for E85 (85 percent bio ethanol, 15 percent gasoline). This gives 265 horsepower and 251 lb-ft (340 Nm) of torque and acceleration from 0-60 mph in 8.2 seconds. Top speed is approximately 143 mph (228 km/h).

NASA's twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatories (STEREO) sent back their first images of the sun this week and with them a view into the sun's mounting activity.

After a successful launch on Oct. 25 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., STEREO spent the first few minutes separating from its stacked configuration aboard the single Delta II rocket. Shortly afterwards, mission operations personnel at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, (APL) Laurel, Md., monitored the two observatories as they traveled in an elliptical orbit from a point close to Earth to one extending just beyond the moon.

Intel Corporation is using computers and wireless technology to help Oseem's 200,000 residents tap into vast "knowledge resources" on the Internet in hopes of bettering their lives.

Working with Egypt's government, business and education leaders, Intel installed a state-of-the-art WiMAX network to connect two public schools, a health care center on wheels, a municipal building and an e-government services kiosk. Intel also donated and installed computers in the mobile health center and PC labs at the two schools where students and teachers can regularly connect to the outside world for the first time.

A man skilled in the operation of commercial wireless Internet networks was sentenced today for intentionally bringing down wireless Internet services across the region of Vernal, Utah, the Justice Department announced today.

Ryan Fisher, 24, of Vernal, was sentenced to 24 months in prison to be followed by 36 months of supervised release for intentionally damaging a protected computer. U.S. District Judge Paul G. Cassell also ordered the defendant to pay $65,000 in restitution.

Laboratory experiments with a type of nanomaterial that has great promise for industrial use show significant potential for dispersal in aquatic environments -- especially when natural organic materials are present.

When mixed with natural organic matter in water from the Suwannee River -- a relatively unpolluted waterway that originates in southern Georgia -- multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) remain suspended for more than a month, making them more likely to be transported in the environment, according to research led by the Georgia Institute of Technology.

ASML Holding NV and Brion Technologies, Inc. have signed an agreement for ASML to acquire privately held Brion.

Brion’s computational lithography technology enables semiconductor manufacturers to simulate the realized pattern of integrated circuits and to correct the mask pattern to optimize the manufacturing process and yield.

Subject to approval by regulatory authorities, closing is expected in the first quarter 2007. Following completion of the acquisition, Brion will continue to support its current product offering and operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of ASML.

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. has developed a new type of high-performance filter using the anti-allergenic properties of natural grape seed polyphenol. The new filter is significantly more efficient in eliminating allergens that are the cause of pollen allergy. The filters will be introduced into Nissan's range of compact cars in Japan beginning December this month.

The Software Freedom Law Center filed a brief with the United States Supreme Court arguing against the patenting of software.

In the case Microsoft v. AT&T, the Supreme Court will decide whether U.S. patents can apply to software that is copied and distributed overseas. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, a specialized patent court known for allowing patents on software and business methods, originally decided in favor of AT&T, expanding the international reach of U.S. software patents. Microsoft appealed, and the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case.

A B-52 Stratofortress took off Dec. 15 on a flight-test mission using a blend of synthetic fuel and JP-8 in all eight engines. This is the first time a B-52 has flown using a synfuel blend as the only fuel on board. In September, the Air Force successfully flew a B-52 with two-engines using the synfuel-blend while the others used standard fuel.

Verizon Business, China Telecom and China Netcom to build the first next-generation undersea optical cable system directly linking the U.S. mainland and China.

The new fiber-optic cable can support the equivalent of 62 million simultaneous phone calls, more than 60 times the overall capacity of the existing cable directly linking the United States and China.

Attributor completed its series B round of venture financing, bringing the company's total raised and available capital to more than $10 million. Led by Sigma Partners, the round also included previous investors: Selby Venture Partners, Draper Richards, First Round Capital and Amicus Capital.

Founded in 2005, Attributor has developed advanced technology that will for the first time empower publishers of all kinds to understand and unlock the value of their original content, including text, images, and video. By providing visibility into when and how publishers' content is re-used online, and by allowing publishers to set the terms for that re-use, Attributor will enable dramatic growth in the distribution and monetization of online content. The company is led by CEO and Co-founder Jim Brock, formerly SVP at Yahoo!, where he led the highly successful communication and broadband operating groups, and CTO and Co-founder Jim Pitkow PhD, former CEO of Moreover and previously a research scientist at Xerox PARC, who has more than two dozen patents in the field of information retrieval.

Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd. has established a mass-production system for a lithium-ion battery that incorporates the technology to ensure safety. The company began shipping the industry's first 2.9 Ah*1 high capacity batteries in April this year and is now ready to mass-produce the products.

MBI has succeeded in improving the safety by forming a heat resistance layer (HRL) consisting of an insulating metal oxide on the surface of the electrodes. Lithium-ion batteries contain a thin polyolefin*2 separator to insulate the cathode from the anode. When a separator is pierced by an electrically conductive material such as a metal particle, a short-circuit develops, causing the battery to overheat and, in the worst case, catch fire. The HRL used in the Panasonic battery, however, has better insulating and heat-resistant characteristics than polyolefin. Even if a short-circuit occurs, it will cease without causing the battery to overheat.

The 2006 Annual MessageLabs Intelligence Report which examines trends seen over the last twelve months and looks forward to 2007. The report highlights the relentless escalation of spam activity throughout the year, with annual average spam levels reaching 86.2 percent, driven by an increase in sophistication of botnets and new targeted techniques. The adoption of new levels of ingenuity has changed the focus of the threat landscape significantly, with spam overtaking viruses as the dominant menace over the last twelve months, a trend which is predicted to continue through 2007.

The High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP) recently assigned a super computer to U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) that will enhance experimentation and training efforts in modeling and simulation (M&S).

The super computer itself is much larger and more powerful than the machines used today which will yield finer details when it comes to imaging and behavior at a faster speed.

Elpida Memory, Inc. and Powerchip Semiconductor Corp. will establish a new joint venture company to operate DRAM fabrication facilities in Central Taiwan Science Park with a total planned capacity of 240,000 12" wafers per month, making this site the largest concentration of 12" DRAM fabrication facilities in the world. Both parties have also agreed to jointly develop a part of next generation process technology.

TacSat-2 launched successfully at 7 a.m. EST on Saturday, Dec. 16. TacSat-2 will be propelled into a circular orbit approximately 255 miles above the Earth by a Minotaur I launch vehicle. The satellite, housed in a shroud atop the rocket, will be released into space between 100,000 and 150,000 feet altitude, and will share the brief ride into the cosmos with NASA’s GeneSat-1.

Further analysis of networked computing resources at the University of Texas at Dallas indicates that all individuals employed between 1999 and 2005 potentially have had sensitive information exposed by a computer network intrusion.

The information that may have been exposed includes names and Social Security numbers, and in some cases addresses, e-mail addresses and telephone numbers.

There continues to be no indication that the information has been disclosed, disseminated or used to anyone’s detriment at this time. The approximate overall number of affected individuals has increased to 6,000.

UCLA alerted approximately 800,000 individuals that their names and certain personal information contained in a restricted database had been illegally accessed by a sophisticated computer hacker. This database contained certain personal information, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth and home addresses, regarding current and some former UCLA students, faculty and staff, some student applicants and some parents of students or applicants who had applied for financial aid.