Week of Sun, 2007-09-30 00:00 to Sat, 2007-10-06 23:59

Toshiba Corp. and Microsoft Corp. have plans to form the Advanced Interactivity Consortium (AIC), an open forum aimed at the promotion of superior interactivity for a wide range of next-generation consumer devices, digital content and distribution scenarios. The newly formed organization's mission is to maximize consumer satisfaction worldwide by accelerating industrywide adoption of advanced interactivity and interoperability across a broad array of HD DVD products.

The latest generation ASIMO made a European debut in Barcelona. The new ASIMO, which Honda hopes will one day be so advanced that it can truly help people, incorporates several significant technological advancements over its predecessors, including a streamlined new design, even more fluid and quick movements and the ability to run at nearly 6 km/h (nearly 4 mph).

eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) has acquired ViA-Online GmbH, a auction management software company in Germany that operates Afterbuy.com to enable professional trading on eBay.de and other online marketplaces. The acquisition enables eBay to expand service and support for its German sellers, while allowing Afterbuy to grow its business with the resources of eBay. Afterbuy will continue to operate under its current brand name and will remain in Krefeld, Germany.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. showed members of Congress equipment now being used in Iraq that incorporates technologies developed under the Future Combat Systems program.

Gen. Casey and Secretary of the Army Pete Geren spoke to the House Armed Services Committee Sept. 26 about the need to reset and modernize the Army to improve its overall readiness.

Airport screeners, customs agents, police officers and members of the military who silently pose that question to people every day, may soon have much more than intuition to depend on to determine the answer.

Computer and behavioral scientists at the University at Buffalo are developing automated systems that track faces, voices, bodies and other biometrics against scientifically tested behavioral indicators to provide a numerical score of the likelihood that an individual may be about to commit a terrorist act.

The Federal Trade Commission has announced complaints against seven online sellers of alternative hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products, alleging that they made health claims for their natural progesterone creams without supporting scientific evidence. Six of the sellers have signed consent orders barring them from making such unsubstantiated claims in the future. The seventh did not respond to staff’s repeated contacts, and the case will now be heard by an administrative law judge.

An Earth-like planet is likely forming 424 light-years away in a star system called HD 113766, say astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.

Scientists have discovered a huge belt of warm dust - enough to build a Mars-size planet or larger - swirling around a distant star that is just slightly more massive than our sun. The dust belt, which they suspect is clumping together into planets, is located in the middle of the system's terrestrial habitable zone. This is the region around a star where liquid water could exist on any rocky planets that might form. Earth is located in the middle of our sun's terrestrial habitable zone.

The Securities and Exchange Commission continued its assault on stock market e-mail spam by suspending trading in the securities of three companies that haven't provided adequate and accurate information about themselves to the investing public.

The trading suspensions are part of the Commission's Anti-Spam Initiative announced earlier this year that cuts the profit potential for stock-touting spam and is credited for a significant worldwide reduction of financial spam. A recent private-sector Internet security report stated that a 30 percent decrease in stock market spam "was triggered by actions taken by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which limited the profitability of this type of spam."

The Pivo 2, from Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., is an advanced electric concept car that will debut at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show. Powered by advanced Compact Lithium-ion Batteries and featuring a unique rotating cabin - meaning no reverse gear required - the first Pivo became a cult hit at shows from Beijing to Geneva.

Pivo 2 takes the idea of an environmentally friendly electric urban commuter vehicle and delivers fun, functionality and a unique relationship between the car and driver. Pivo 2 is powered by advanced Compact Lithium-ion Batteries and employs 'by-wire' technologies for braking and steering.

FPL Group, Inc., (NYSE: FPL) has a $2.4 billion investment program aimed at increasing U.S. solar thermal energy output and reducing carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming.

FPL Group, and its subsidiaries Florida Power & Light and FPL Energy, announced the following three initiatives today:

* Investment of up to $1.5 billion in new solar thermal generating facilities in Florida and California over the next seven years, starting with a project at Florida Power & Light (FPL).

By mimicking a brick-and-mortar molecular structure found in seashells, University of Michigan researchers created a composite plastic that's as strong as steel but lighter and transparent.

It's made of layers of clay nanosheets and a water-soluble polymer that shares chemistry with white glue.

Engineering professor Nicholas Kotov almost dubbed it "plastic steel," but the new material isn't quite stretchy enough to earn that name. Nevertheless, he says its further development could lead to lighter, stronger armor for soldiers or police and their vehicles. It could also be used in microelectromechanical devices, microfluidics, biomedical sensors and valves and unmanned aircraft.

BAE Systems has turned to the motor racing industry to capture ‘best of breed’ technology for current and future armoured fighting vehicles.

British troops are facing determined and innovative adversaries in Iraq and Afghanistan, which means that vehicles have to be modified very quickly when a new threat emerges. BAE Systems Land Systems has responded to over 80 UORS (urgent operations requirements) in the last 18 months, mainly to provide better protection for vehicle crews.

Thomas Cook, the pioneer of modern tourism, would have rubbed his hands together at the prospects of better, faster and more reliable tourism information and services offered by the internet today. Now, a European consortium is going to do for “on-demand” cultural tourism planning what Cook did for tour packaging in the 19th century.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has developed the Human-Friendly Transmission (HFT), a new automatic transmission system for motorcycles using Honda’s infinitely variable hydraulic mechanical transmission. Easy to operate, the HFT realizes outstanding relaxed riding comfort, riding feel with direct response and excellent transmission efficiency. The HFT will be installed on the DN-01, a new motorcycle scheduled for market launch to be introduced at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show.

RIKEN, NEC Corporation, and JST (“Japan Science and Technology Agency”) have successfully demonstrated a laser emission from one artificial atom by coupling superconducting quantum bits (“qubits”) to a resonator. The lasing effect was achieved by an extremely simple system - a single “atom” coupled to a resonator - and represents a world first in the use of a superconducting qubit as an artificial atom to generate lasing photons.

Investigators led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service have arrested 77 people as part of a global fraud crackdown which has since January intercepted more than $2.1 billion in counterfeit checks bound for the United States.

The eight-month investigation involved schemes in Nigeria, the Netherlands, England and Canada, and has stopped more than half a million fake checks from being mailed to American victims.

A hypersonic vehicle comprising five innovative payloads accomplished a successful, six-minute flight during its initial mission Sept. 20 here.

The hypersonic vehicle was designed and developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.

Launched on a Navy-supplied rocket, the Re-Entry Structures Experiment, or RESE, reached an altitude of 95,000 feet at Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound, or 3,800 miles per hour), then safely landed in the desert in two pieces more than 21 miles north of its launch point.

Mascoma Corporation intends to establish the country’s first operating facility producing cellulosic ethanol utilizing switchgrass as feedstock. The project represents one of the largest commitments of capital yet made in support of the cellulosic biofuels industry.

Mascoma and The University of Tennessee plan to jointly build and operate the five million gallon per year cellulosic biorefinery. Construction is expected to begin by the end of 2007 and the facility will be operational in 2009. The business partnership and plans for the facility are a result of Tennessee Governor Bredesen’s Biofuels Initiative, a research and business model designed to reduce dependence on foreign oil and provide significant economic and environmental benefits for Tennessee’s farmers and communities. It includes a $40 million investment in facility construction and $27 million for research and development activities, including incentives for farmers to grow switchgrass funded by the State and The University of Tennessee. The large-scale demonstration facility will be located in Monroe County, Tennessee.

Micron Technology, Inc., (NYSE: MU) announced results of operations for its 2007 fiscal year and fourth quarter, which ended August 30, 2007. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007, the company incurred a net loss of $158 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, on net sales of $1.4 billion, which compares to a net loss of $225 million, or $0.29 per diluted share, on net sales of $1.3 billion for the third quarter. For the 2007 fiscal year, the company incurred a net loss of $320 million, or $0.42 per diluted share, on net sales of $5.7 billion, which compares to net income of $408 million, or $0.57 per diluted share, on net sales of $5.3 billion for the prior fiscal year.

The Department of Energy is aware of suspicious activity, involving a phishing email scam, targeting the general public. The email erroneously claims to be from the Department of Energy forging the email address . This email account does not exist. The scam attempts to entice victims by claiming they are eligible to receive a refund. The email instructs the victim to click a link which could infect a computer or provide an opportunity for someone to collect any information that is entered onto the form. The Department of Energy does not collect revenue from, or issue refunds to, the general public via email.

Tiny meteors flash through space. There's spacecraft debris flying around, too. And so there's a risk that objects just a few millimeters across could pierce the thin aluminum skin of spacecraft such as the International Space Station orbiting 220 miles above Earth.

A tiny hole means a tiny leak of pressurized air.

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. will test its "slip-hazard warning system" in Hokkaido, Northern Japan, to help mitigate accidents on slippery roads experienced in cold weather conditions. The advanced intelligent-system combines data from its ITS (Intelligent Transport System) and in-vehicle ABS (anti-lock braking system) to issue real-time voice alerts as the vehicle approaches a slippery point in the road.

NASA has issued a request for proposals from industry for the design, development and production of a new spacesuit system for Constellation Program voyages to the International Space Station and the moon.

The Constellation spacesuit system contract is for design, development, test, evaluation and production of equipment to support astronauts aboard the Orion crew exploration vehicle. Orion will carry astronauts on trips to explore the moon and support the space station in the next decade. NASA expects to award the contract in June 2008.

Haavard Nord, one of Trolltech's two co-CEOs will assume the role of sole CEO as effective of November 1, 2007.

Co-CEO Eirik Chambe-Eng is resigning from his position as co-CEO of the company as of the same date, due to health reasons. Eirik Chambe-Eng will remain involved with the company and advise on strategies, culture, and other critical aspects of the company. He expects to be able to contribute at 80% of a full time work load.

United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced today the arrest of GREG KING, 21, of Fairfield, California, and the unsealing of an Indictment returned on September 27, 2007, charging KING with four counts of electronic transmission of codes to cause damage to protected computers.

This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

NEC Corporation has succeeded in the development of multiprocessor dynamic-control technology, which enables embedded devices, such as mobile phones, digital home electronics and automotive information devices, to coordinate with each other through open networks, such as the Internet. The newly developed technology simultaneously achieves dynamic allocation of the processing performance, required for device coordination, and protection of pre-installed, basic-function software.

After the plot to blow up trans-Atlantic airlines with liquid explosives was uncovered in London in August 2006, there has been pressure on the airline industry, and Homeland Security, to find new ways to not only detect liquids in baggage and on airline passengers, but also to figure out what they are. Now, the DHS Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) is teaming with scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory to find a possible solution.

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], working with industry teammates and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, successfully completed a missile defense flight test that resulted in the intercept of a target warhead and demonstrated the capability and reliability of the nation's only defense against long-range ballistic missiles.

The test of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system began at 4:01 p.m. Eastern when a long-range ballistic missile target lifted off from the Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska. Seventeen minutes later, military operators launched an interceptor from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. As the interceptor flew toward the target, it received target data updates from the upgraded missile-warning radar at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. After flying into space, the interceptor released its exoatmospheric kill vehicle, which proceeded to track, intercept and destroy the target warhead.

PC technology providers are seeking new growth opportunities in emerging markets, and this is fueling industry interest in ultralow-cost mobile PCs for educational purposes, according to Gartner, Inc. Gartner analysts said more than 6 million ultralow-cost mobile PC devices for the education segment are forecast to be shipped by the end of 2012. Such a volume of ultralow-cost PC devices could provide a 40 percent uplift for education PC shipments in emerging regions.

According to “Mobile Market View,” a new mobile consumer study conducted by The Kelsey Group with research partner ConStat, 44.7 percent of U.S. mobile phone users surveyed say a mobile phone with better Internet capability will be a key factor in their next mobile phone purchase decision. According to the survey, only 26 percent of mobile phone service subscribers currently opt for an Internet access plan.

DOE and The Green Grid signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on September 18th to increase energy efficiency in the information technology sector. The Green Grid is a consortium of information technology companies seeking to lower power consumption of data centers around the world. Data centers last year used an estimated 61 billion kilowatt-hours, or 1.5% of electricity in the United States. Energy use in data centers is projected to grow 12% per year through 2011.

The Business Software Alliance (BSA), officially kicked off National Cyber Security Awareness Month by announcing an extension of its $1 million rewards incentive program. BSA originally increased the reward from $200,000 to $1 million in July to run through the end of September. However, the success of the program has led BSA to extend the $1 million reward. “Blow the Whistle,” a national advertising campaign that encourages employees to report software piracy, will also continue through the remainder of the year.

Early findings by Carnegie Mellon University researchers suggest that people who are suckered by a spoof email into visiting a counterfeit Web site are also people who are ready to learn their lesson about "phishing" attacks.

Phishing attacks have become a common method for stealing personal identification information, such as bank account numbers and passwords. Lorrie Cranor, associate research professor of computer science, said phishing often is successful because many people ignore educational materials that otherwise might help them recognize such frauds.

"Hey, Dr. Chung, can I talk to you a minute?" Not an unusual greeting in a busy hospital hallway - unless Dr. Chung is actually at home, or on temporary duty in another city, or perhaps sitting in a café while on leave.

MAJ Kevin Chung, medical director for the Institute of Surgical Research\'s burn intensive care unit (ICU) at Brooke Army Medical Center, is accustomed to people addressing his image on an RP-7 robotic system while he is sitting at a keyboard in another location.

Sony Corporation and Qimonda AG (NYSE: QI) have signed an agreement to found the joint venture Qreatic Design. The scope of the joint venture is the design of high-performance, low power, embedded and customer specific DRAMs for consumer and graphic applications. According to the agreement, the 50:50 joint venture is intended to start with up to 30 specialists from Sony and Qimonda. Qreatic Design, which will be located in Tokyo, Japan, is planned to start operations by the end of the calendar year, subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.

The new version of Opera Mobile 8.65 for Windows Mobile is available from www.opera.com/mobile with a free 30-day trial. This release is the culmination of user feedback and beta testing results to further enhance mobile Web-browsing.

New Features:

* Support for Macromedia Flash Player 7 for Pocket PC
* FlashLite 2.1
* Text Wrap in Desktop Mode

NASA's blueprints for an outpost on the moon are shaping up. The agency's Lunar Architecture Team has been hard at work, looking at concepts for habitation, rovers, and space suits.

NASA will return astronauts to the moon by 2020, using the Ares and Orion spacecraft already under development. Astronauts will set up a lunar outpost – possibly near a south pole site called Shackleton Crater – where they’ll conduct scientific research, as well as test technologies and techniques for possible exploration of Mars and other destinations.

Nokia and NAVTEQ have a definitive agreement for Nokia to acquire NAVTEQ. Under the terms of the agreement, Nokia will pay $78 in cash for each share of NAVTEQ including outstanding options for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $8.1 billion (EUR 5.7 billion), or approximately $7.7 billion (EUR 5.4 billion) net of NAVTEQ existing cash balance. The acquisition has been approved by the board of directors of each company and is subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory approvals and NAVTEQ shareholders' approval.

Ford Motor Company and MIT have a major new energy research partnership that will focus on new powertrain, fuel and energy technologies to deliver sustainable transportation for consumers.

With the establishment of this partnership, Ford becomes the inaugural Sustaining Member of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), which was formally established in November 2006 to address global energy issues.

Operators who infected more than 15 million computers with destructive, intrusive spyware will give up $330,000 in ill-gotten gains from their venture to settle FTC charges that their scam violated federal law. The settlement will bar the defendants from downloading software onto consumers’ computers without disclosing its function and obtaining consumers’ consent prior to installation, bars them from downloading software that interferes with consumers’ computer use, and bars false or misleading claims.

Clean Cities coalitions around the nation displaced the equivalent of 375 million gallons of gasoline in 2006, according to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The amount of gasoline displaced in 2006 was 50 percent more than the 250 million gallons in 2005.

Engineers have shown how to grow forests of tiny cylinders called carbon nanotubes onto the surfaces of computer chips to enhance the flow of heat at a critical point where the chips connect to cooling devices called heat sinks.

The carpetlike growth of nanotubes has been shown to outperform conventional "thermal interface materials." Like those materials, the nanotube layer does not require elaborate clean-room environments, representing a possible low-cost manufacturing approach to keep future chips from overheating and reduce the size of cooling systems, said Placidus B. Amama, a postdoctoral research associate at the Birck Nanotechnology Center in Purdue's Discovery Park.

USB “key drives”, contrary to what their name suggests, can be a security nightmare. A new, patented European design of key drive improves security by keeping fallible humans out of the loop, using hardware techniques to lock up sensitive data.

To organisations concerned with computer security, the ubiquitous USB “key drive” or “memory stick” is a problem. Such drives are quick to use, easy to conceal, and are available in huge capacities. A USB drive containing private information can easily be stolen from a pocket or briefcase, or used to smuggle confidential files out of an office.

The A160T Hummingbird unmanned rotorcraft successfully flew on Sept. 26 for eight hours while carrying a 1,000-pound payload.

During its longest flight to date and the program's 42nd flight overall, the aircraft reached an altitude of 5,000 feet near Victorville, Calif. The half-ton payload simulated the delivery of critical supplies to the battlefield. Future payloads will include a combination of sensors, weapons and systems to perform a variety of missions.

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Virtual Ubiquity and its online word processor, Buzzword.

Buzzword, an online word processor, enables individuals to work together to create high quality, page perfect documents. The collaboration capabilities in Buzzword enable multiple authors to edit and comment on documents from anywhere, at anytime, while document creators can set permissions that virtually eliminate version control chaos.

Tufts University researchers are developing techniques that could allow computers to respond to users’ thoughts of frustration — too much work — or boredom—too little work. Applying non-invasive and easily portable imaging technology in new ways, they hope to gain real-time insight into the brain’s more subtle emotional cues and help provide a more efficient way to get work done.

“New evaluation techniques that monitor user experiences while working with computers are increasingly necessary,” said Robert Jacob, computer science professor and researcher. “One moment a user may be bored, and the next moment, the same user may be overwhelmed. Measuring mental workload, frustration and distraction is typically limited to qualitatively observing computer users or to administering surveys after completion of a task, potentially missing valuable insight into the users’ changing experiences.”

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) has agreed, through one of its subsidiaries, to acquire privately held Interwise®, a provider of voice, Web and video conferencing services to businesses. AT&T will pay approximately $121 million in cash for the company.

Following the acquisition, the company will operate as a business unit within AT&T Global Business Services. AT&T expects to retain Interwise's management team and its domestic and international operations, including its R&D center in Israel.

Nokia Siemens Networks and IBM (NYSE: IBM) signed an agreement including the transfer of specific parts of Research and Development Center activities for four Business Lines of the Service Core and Applications Business Unit to a subsidiary of IBM. Upon closing of this transaction, expected to take place by the beginning of December 2007, up to 235 employees located in Munich and Berlin will become part of the IBM organization. The transferred Research and Development Center activities include specific parts of R&D for Next Generation Voice and Multimedia; Media Gateway; Mobile Internet Connections; and Consumer and Business VoIP business lines of the Service Core and Applications Business Unit as well as technical support. Entire teams will be transferred and continue to deliver necessary development activities back to Nokia Siemens Networks. They will work together with Nokia Siemens Networks' program management, product management, architecture, technical support and system level testing to fulfill obligations. Over time, development services will also be offered to other IBM clients as part of the portfolio of the IBM Global Engineering Solutions division, which provides engineering as well as research and development (R&D) services to a variety of industries.

Mazda Motor Corporation has developed a catalyst for cars that use single-nanotechnology to create a catalyst material structure which substantially reduces the amount of precious metals that are used, such as platinum and palladium.

The new development enables Mazda to reduce the amount of platinum and palladium used in automotive catalysts by 70 to 90 percent. This does not result in any changes in the performance of purifying gas emissions and maintains the high durability of conventional catalysts. Single-nanotechnology is a technology that can control even smaller particles than nanotechnology.

BAE Systems has been awarded a £45m-plus contract by the UK Ministry of Defence to upgrade the RAF’s battlefield information system.

FALCON Increment C will provide broadband-like voice, data and video communications for the RAF worldwide. It will also link to MOD systems such as Skynet 5 satellites. The system, to be delivered in 2010, offers greatly improved data throughput, security, and mobility compared with current systems.

The open source BanditTM Project kicked off the “Control Your Identity” campaign to promote awareness and use of information card technology. Recognizing that millions of people who access Internet services each day are frustrated with entering identity data and managing passwords at multiple Web sites, the Bandit Project has launched an initiative to give users access to “Bandit Cards” – digital identity cards for use in Web transactions. To easily manage their Bandit Cards, visitors to the campaign Web site can obtain the Bandit Project's open source Linux* and Macintosh* cross-platform DigitalMe® information card selector and Microsoft Windows* CardSpace selector.

Two Bay Area men were indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit economic espionage and to steal trade secrets, two substantive counts of economic espionage and two substantive counts of theft of trade secrets, U.S. Attorney Scott N. Schools announced. A federal grand jury in San Jose yesterday returned a superseding indictment against Lan Lee, a.k.a Lan Li, of Palo Alto, and Yuefei Ge, of San Jose.

A high-speed quantum cryptography system that allows “Alice” and “Bob” to discuss things in absolute secrecy earned a 2007 R&D 100 Award for a team of researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

The R&D 100 Awards* are made annually by the editors of R&D Magazine to recognize “the 100 most technologically significant products” introduced in the past year.

MIT on September 27 announced the launch of the Kerberos Consortium, embarking on an ambitious mission to create a universal authentication platform to protect the world's computer networks.

MIT also announced that Centrify Corporation, the Financial Services Technology Consortium, Google, Stanford University, Sun Microsystems, TeamF1, and the University of Michigan are founding sponsors of the Consortium. The Consortium also will receive generous support from Apple.

Carnegie Mellon University computer scientists have developed an interactive, online game featuring a little fish named Phil that can teach people how to better recognize and avoid email "phishing" and other Internet scams.

In testing at the Carnegie Mellon Usable Privacy and Security (CUPS) Laboratory, people who spent 15 minutes playing the Anti-Phishing Phil game were better able to identify fraudulent Web sites than people who spent the same amount of time reading anti-phishing tutorials or other online training materials.

Space Shuttle Discovery has left the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center to begin its journey to Launch Pad 39A. The shuttle began its slow roll to the pad atop the crawler transporter at 6:47 a.m. Arrival at the pad is estimated between 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m.

Waiting at the pad is the payload canister containing the Harmony module that the STS-120 crew will deliver to the International Space Station. Harmony will be installed in Discovery's payload bay at the launch pad. Launch of STS-120 is currently targeted for Oct. 23.

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] successfully completed the paveway II Dual Mode Laser Guided Bomb (DMLGB) First Article Test program and is now the only qualified source for delivery of DMLGB kits to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

The Navy Qualification Test Program, conducted from December 2006 through March 2007 at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake Test Range, Calif., consisted of 25 DMLGBs released from AV-8B and F/A-18 aircraft. Various release conditions were executed and the terminal impact control was successfully demonstrated. The DMLGBs were released against both horizontal and vertical targets and consistently hit well within the Navy’s required Circular Error Probability.