Week of Sun, 2008-03-30 00:00 to Sat, 2008-04-05 23:59

Better access to ultra-fast broadband networks in Europe is driving development of a host of new web services, promising everything from video conferencing to internet protocol (IP) television. But “ultra-broadband” like this needs a new champion, and European researchers think they have found it: optical networks.

A champion technology needs a noble cause. In this case, the cause is better access for all Europeans to the benefits that ‘always-on’ fast internet can bring. Researchers in the European NOBEL project know this better than anyone.

Students on Erie High Team II braved pouring rain and fierce competition from around the world to win the high school division of NASA's 15th annual Great Moonbuggy Race at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville.

Finishing the simulated lunar race course with the fastest time -- 3 minutes and 17 seconds – the winning team's original moonbuggy design overcame 21 other high school teams from across the United States and as far away as Germany.

HMS Daring, the first of class Type 45 Destroyer for the Royal Navy, has set sail to start the second stage of sea trials. The trials will involve extensive testing in open water off the west coast of Scotland and will last for five weeks.

According to the 2007 Internet Crime Report, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 206,884 complaints of crimes perpetrated over the Internet during 2007. Of the complaints received, more than 90,000 were referred to law enforcement around the nation, amounting to nearly $240 million in reported losses. This represents a $40 million increase in reported losses from complaints referred to law enforcement in 2006. All complaints received by IC3 are accessible to federal, state, and local law enforcement to support active investigations, trend analysis, and public outreach and awareness efforts.

Emerging computer technologies will change our lives for the better by 2020. But we need to retain control to ensure that these developments do not impact negatively on basic human values, according to a new report co-edited by a University of Nottingham academic.

Advances in interfaces — the physical way we react with computers — and other techniques of controlling computers will supplement the role of the traditional keyboard and mouse. Technologies in development include surfaces that allow fingertip control of on-screen objects and devices that sense — and react to — movement.

The Federal Trade Commission has released three 60-second videos to help alert consumers to phishing scams. Phishing uses deceptive spam to trick consumers into divulging sensitive or personal information, including credit card numbers and other financial data, through an email or a link to a “copycat” site. The goal of the videos is to offer practical, useful, and memorable messages.

Engineers at GM’s battery test facilities have developed a new computer algorithm to accelerate durability testing of the advanced lithium-ion batteries needed to power the Chevrolet Volt for up to 40 miles (64 km) of electric-only driving.

This advanced computer program duplicates real-life vehicle speed and cargo-carrying conditions, and compresses 10 years of comprehensive battery testing into the Volt’s brisk development schedule.

A modern computer contains two different types of components: magnetic components, which perform memory functions, and semiconductor components, which perform logic operations. A University of Missouri researcher, as part of a multi-university research team, is working to combine these two functions in a single hybrid material. This new material would allow seamless integration of memory and logical functions and is expected to permit the design of devices that operate at much higher speeds and use considerably less power than current electronic devices.

U.S. Geothermal Inc. (“U.S. Geothermal”) has entered into an agreement with Michael B. Stewart individually and Empire Geothermal Power LLC (“Empire”)(together “Seller”), to acquire a 3.6-megawatt operating geothermal power plant and approximately 28,358 acres (44.3 square miles) of geothermal energy leases and certain ground water rights all located north of Reno Nevada. The power plant is comprised of four binary cycle units, a wet cooling tower and nine geothermal wells developed in a proven geothermal reservoir.

Boeing [NYSE: BA] has, for the first time in aviation history, flown a manned airplane powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

The recent milestone is the work of an engineering team at Boeing Research & Technology Europe (BR&TE) in Madrid, with assistance from industry partners in Austria, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Amid rising gas prices and increased dependence on foreign oil, a report by the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies cites the work of U.S. automakers as a beacon of hope to bring about dramatic solutions in personal transportation.

In its report, titled “Review of the Research Program of the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership,” the NRC highlighted the program’s strength, progress and “critical role in carving out a sustainable path for the U.S. transportation system.”

As gas prices continue to soar to record highs, motorists are crying out for an alternative that won’t cramp their pocketbooks.

Scientists at U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory are answering that call by working to chemically manipulate algae for production of the next generation of renewable fuels – hydrogen gas.

Some varieties of algae, a kind of unicellular plant, contain an enzyme called hydrogenase that can create small amounts of hydrogen gas. Tiede said many believe this is used by Nature as a way to get rid of excess reducing equivalents that are produced under high light conditions, but there is little benefit to the plant.

In the spring of 2007, an Air Force joint tactical combat controller (JTAC) challenged researchers to quickly solve a nagging combat problem--he and his fellow warfighters needed a simple, lightweight, user-friendly cable to transfer target location information from their laser rangefinders to a computer when directing air strikes against enemy positions.

If you want to know the universe’s ultimate tough guys, look no further than black holes. These strange objects gobble up gas from their surroundings, and sometimes swallow entire stars. But a black hole’s gravity is so powerful that nothing, not even light, can escape its grasp.

But just as Olympic boxing teams have their flyweights, somewhere out there in the depths of space exists the lightest black hole in the universe. It’s still a tough guy, but it’s smaller and lighter than all other members of its kind.

The Federal Trade Commission today reiterated that despite the claims made in e-mails circulating on the Internet, consumers should not be concerned that their cell phone numbers will be released to telemarketers in the near future, and that it is not necessary to register cell phone numbers on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry to be protected from most telemarketing calls to cell phones.

General Motors has called on the energy industry and governments to step up and help automakers make volume production of fuel cell-electric vehicles a reality by opening more hydrogen fueling stations.

That message was delivered by Larry Burns, General Motors vice president, research & development and strategic planning. Burns delivered a keynote address at the National Hydrogen Association’s annual conference in Sacramento, CA.

AT&T (NYSE: T) will bring Microsoft Surface to life in a retail environment. Microsoft Surface is a 30-inch table-like display that gives individuals or multiple people the opportunity to interact with devices and content in a way that feels familiar — by using touch, gestures and placement of devices on the display. In essence, it’s a surface come to life for exploring, learning, sharing, creating, buying and much more.

Intel Corporation today introduced five new Intel® Atom™ processors and Intel Centrino® Atom™ processor technology for Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and embedded computing solutions.

The technology package includes the Intel® Atom™ processor (formerly codenamed "Silverthorne") plus a single-chip with integrated graphics called the Intel® System Controller Hub that enables PC-like capabilities in smaller devices that can fit in your pocket. Manufacturers around the world are planning to ship Intel-based MIDs beginning this summer.

The new VIA VX800 Series of digital media IGP chipsets featuring the latest video, graphics and connectivity performance in a single chip measuring just 33 x 33mm, from VIA Technologies, Inc.

The VIA VX800 Series comprises two primary digital media IGP chipsets, the VIA VX800 for ultra thin and light notebooks, mini PCs and embedded devices, and the ultra low voltage VIA VX800U for the fast-expanding ultra mobile market, including the rapidly-emerging mini-note, UMPC and UMD markets.

Toyota Technical Center (TTC) a division of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., has announced the establishment of the Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRI-NA). Toyota plans to spend $100 million during the next four years on advanced research activity in North America and will utilize existing facility space at the Toyota Technical Center Ann Arbor campus.

The world's most talented and creative information technology (IT) students will gather April 6-9, 2008 in Alberta, Canada for the 32nd annual World Finals of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC), sponsored by IBM (NYSE: IBM). The competition will be hosted by the University of Alberta, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

One hundred three-person teams from 33 countries have qualified for what is affectionately known as the "Battle of the Brains." The ACM-ICPC World Finals brings these teams together to solve eight to ten highly complex computer programming problems, modeled after real-world business challenges. The problems are designed to test students' knowledge, endurance and business acumen -- key skills that are needed by global employers in the new IT workforce.

In a conventional conflict, the B-52 can perform strategic attack, air interdiction, offensive counter-air and maritime operations. During Desert Storm, B-52s delivered 40 percent of all the weapons dropped by coalition forces. It is highly effective when used for ocean surveillance, and can assist the U.S. Navy in anti-ship and mine-laying operations. Two B-52s, in two hours, can monitor 140,000 square miles (364,000 square kilometers) of ocean surface.

Air Combat Command's B-52 is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,166.6 meters). It can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability.

For more than 40 years B-52 Stratofortresses have been the backbone of the manned strategic bomber force for the United States. The B-52 is capable of dropping or launching the widest array of weapons in the U.S. inventory. This includes gravity bombs, cluster bombs, precision guided missiles and joint direct attack munitions. Updated with modern technology the B-52 will be capable of delivering the full complement of joint developed weapons and will continue into the 21st century as an important element of our nation's defenses. Current engineering analyses show the B-52's life span to extend beyond the year 2040.

The B-52 Stratofortress is continually modified with new technology making the 50-year-old airframe one of the Air Force's most effective long-range heavy bombers.

Modified B-52 aircraft with modern technology are capable of delivering a full range of joint-developed weapons and will continue to be an important element of national defense, said Air Combat Command officials.

ZENN Motor Company Inc. (TSXV: ZNN; the “Company”), a leading manufacturer of electric vehicles, held its Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders at which time management updated shareholders with Company progress in 2007 and detailed future plans for EEStor implementation including specifications around a highway capable, fully electric cityZENN!

ZENN Motor Company’s business will expand to include highway capable vehicles and international markets:

HP and Tower Software have signed a pre-bid agreement for HP to acquire Tower, a document and records management software company based in Canberra, Australia.

The acquisition of Tower will add electronic records management to HP Software’s existing e-discovery and compliance capabilities in information collection and retention. This includes both records management and identification, which have become increasingly important for organization due to rules and regulations such as the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts.

DANIEL JAEGER, also known as “Microeguy,” 25, of Wappinger, New York, waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty today before United States Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement. This matter stems from a multinational software piracy investigation known as “Operation Higher Education.”

Iberdrola Renewables plans to develop six offshore wind farm projects with an aggregate generation capacity of 3,000 MW at locations off the coasts of the Spanish Atlantic provinces of Cádiz and Huelva and the Mediterranean province of Castellón. The Company has submitted its proposals to the Ministry of Industry in accordance with current regulations and incentive frameworks.

6N Silicon Inc., a supplier of true solar grade silicon for the photovoltaic industry, has secured up to USD $20 million in second round financing. This investment round was led by Good Energies, a leading global investor in the renewable energy and energy efficiency industry. Both major investors from the company's first round of private financing, Ventures West Management and Yaletown Venture Partners, also participated. The investment will be used by the company to move into commercial production.

Engineers have created the first "active matrix" display using a new class of transparent transistors and circuits, a step toward realizing applications such as e-paper, flexible color monitors and "heads-up" displays in car windshields.

The transistors are made of "nanowires," tiny cylindrical structures that are assembled on glass or thin films of flexible plastic. The researchers used nanowires as small as 20 nanometers - a thousand times thinner than a human hair - to create a display containing organic light emitting diodes, or OLEDS. The OLEDS are devices that rival the brightness of conventional pixels in flat-panel television sets, computer monitors and displays in consumer electronics.

Researchers from the Nano Machine Center at the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA have developed a novel type of nanomachine that can capture and store anticancer drugs inside tiny pores and release them into cancer cells in response to light.

Known as a "nanoimpeller," the device is the first light-powered nanomachine that operates inside a living cell, a development that has strong implications for cancer treatment.

This month, NASA begins the most extensive field campaign ever to investigate the chemistry of the Arctic's lower atmosphere. The mission is poised to help scientists identify how air pollution contributes to climate changes in the Arctic.

The recent decline of sea ice is one indication the Arctic is undergoing significant environmental changes related to climate warming. NASA and its partners plan to investigate the atmosphere's role in this climate-sensitive region with the Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) field campaign.

Since receiving the largest-known scanning electron microscope in the world in September 2007, Air Force officials here said the documented savings to date on less than eight components exceeds $70,000.

Tinker Air Force Base officials project annual savings to the Air Force of up to $1 million, plus the incalculable benefits of mishap avoidance.

When Space Shuttle Endeavor launched March 11, more than 1,000 new materials were onboard to be tested as a part of the sixth Materials International Space Station Experiment, or MISSE-6.

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research initiated MISSE-6 to gain a theoretical understanding of the mechanisms involved in materials degradation. In the low-Earth-orbit environment -- 50-1,240 miles above the Earth's surface -- materials erode more quickly because they are exposed to ultraviolet rays and atomic oxygen, an elemental form of oxygen not found in Earth's atmosphere.

NASA is targeting May 31 as the launch date for shuttle Discovery's STS-124 mission to deliver the large Japanese Kibo Pressurized Module to the International Space Station. The liftoff time is approximately 5:01 p.m. EDT.

NASA decided to reschedule Discovery's target launch date from May 25 to May 31 after shipment of the mission's external fuel tank from its assembly plant at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to Florida was delayed by weather. The tank arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 26.

In the last 6 months an international team of astronomers have used two batteries of cameras, one in the Canary Islands and one in South Africa, to discover 10 new planets in orbit around other stars (commonly known as extrasolar planets). The results from the Wide Area Search for Planets (SuperWASP) will be announced by team member Dr Don Pollacco of Queen’s University Belfast, in his talk at the RAS National Astronomy Meeting (NAM 2008) on Tuesday 1 April.

The first commercially available 3D workstation graphics card with DisplayPort support. The ATI FireGL™ V7700 professional graphics accelerator provides superior rendering speed, 3D performance and color fidelity for Computer Aided Design (CAD), Digital Content Creation (DCC) and Medical Imaging professionals. ATI FireGL V7700 delivers the top-quality image quality needed to create photorealistic visualizations of real-world objects and environments —like the design concept for a new aircraft or a home remodel—by providing designers with The Ultimate Visual Experience™.

LiMo Platform™ Release 1 is the world’s first globally competitive, Linux-based software platform for mobile devices.

The "platform" is a modular, plug-in, hardware-independent architecture built around an open operating system, with a secure run-time environment for support of downloaded applications. All of the enabling technology within Release 1 has now been commercially deployed and proven within multiple handsets enjoyed by consumers today, as well as in several reference and pilot devices that will be on the market later this year. This represents hundreds of millions of dollars of technology investment to date.

LiMo Foundation and Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN), announced today the important addition of TI as the Foundation’s newest Core member.

By actively participating in LiMo Foundation, TI will work towards the advancement of the LiMo Platform™; establish an open and diverse ecosystem that realizes the advantages of open Linux-based development, and collaborate with other committed mobile industry leaders and innovators. TI will assume a seat on LiMo’s Board of Directors, Executive Council, Architecture Council and Requirements Council, and will work within LiMo’s constructs to make valuable contributions to the development and advancement of the LiMo Platform.

Adobe® AIR™ software for Linux® operating systems is available on Adobe Labs (www.adobe.com/go/airlinux ). The Linux community of developers can now use proven Web technologies, such as HTML, Ajax, Adobe Flash® and Adobe Flex® software, to build rich Internet applications (RIAs) that deploy to desktops across operating systems. RIA developers can extend the reach of their desktop applications on Adobe AIR to Linux users without writing additional platform-specific code, providing access to innovative, branded desktop applications that were previously only available to Mac and Windows users.

Supreme driving skill is a prerequisite for any Formula 1 driver but the class of 2008 are getting the chance to show their car control skills even more than in previous years thanks to the elimination of traction control.

Purists have long argued that traction control - an electronic system which regulates power to the rear wheels to eliminate wheel-spin - spoils the spectacle of Formula 1. But the ‘good old days' of iconic drivers demonstrating their mastery over their machine by taking it to the limit of traction and beyond are back.

The DOE will make available up to $2.4 million to 12 cities across the country selected as Solar America Cities, chosen for their commitment and comprehensive approach to the deployment of solar technologies and the development of sustainable solar infrastructures. Combined with industry cost share and funding from each city, total investment in all 12 cities is estimated at $12.1 million. Secretary Bodman made the announcement while delivering keynote remarks at the New Frontiers in Energy Summit 2008 in Denver.

Iteris, Inc. (AMEX: ITI) has introduced its Safety Direct™ system for the heavy truck market.

The Iteris Safety Direct™ system analyzes real-time lane departure warning (LDW) data captured by Iteris’ LDW system and can relay this information directly to fleet operators through integration with the truck’s existing fleet communications system. The system provides an immediate warning to fleet operators if their drivers are having difficulty staying in their lanes, often a first indicator of driver drowsiness or other potential problems. The ability to collect and analyze LDW data in real-time is a major step towards assisting fleet safety managers in their efforts to proactively manage large truck safety initiatives and creates a unique opportunity to initiate contact with drivers prior to an accident, potentially saving lives and significant expense.

New market data released by ABI Research shows that about 440 million Wi-Fi chipsets will be shipped over the course of 2008. This represents a tenfold increase over the number shipped in 2003; but over the same five-year period, the revenues they produced have multiplied by only five.

In 2007, Broadcom was the leading Wi-Fi chipset vendor. The company even widened its market lead over its competitors as it gained market share in the laptop segment.

Intel Corporation has finalized and closed its transaction with STMicroelectronics and Francisco Partners to create a new independent semiconductor company Numonyx B.V. that will design, develop and manufacture NOR and NAND flash memory products. As part of the transaction, Intel has transferred the assets associated with its NOR flash memory business and certain assets related to the company's phase change memory initiatives to Numonyx in exchange for 45.1 percent ownership in Numonyx. ST Microelectronics acquired a 48.6 percent ownership interest in Numonyx. Francisco Partners acquired a 6.3 percent ownership interest in exchange for a cash investment of $150 million. As part of the overall transaction, Numonyx will receive $450 million of debt financing at closing from Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A and Unicredit Banca d'Impresa S.p.A in addition to a $100 million committed revolving credit facility. The loan has a 4-year term and Intel and STMicroelectronics have each provided Numonyx and the banks with a guarantee of 50 percent of the indebtedness.

The EcoBoost family of 4- and 6-cylinder engines uses turbocharging and direct injection technology to deliver up to 20 percent better fuel economy and and up to 15 percent fewer emissions.

In 2009, Ford first will introduce EcoBoost on the Lincoln MKS featuring a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 that will produce the power and torque of a V-8 engine with the fuel efficiency of a V-6. In fact, with an estimated 340 horsepower and more than 340 lb.-ft. of torque, the Lincoln MKS will be the most powerful and fuel-efficient all-wheel-drive luxury sedan in the market.

The Global Hawk set an endurance record for a full-scale, operational unmanned aircraft when it completed a flight of 33 hours and 6 minutes on March 22.

During the flight, the aircraft flew at altitudes exceeding 60,000 feet over Edwards AFB, Calif.

On a clear early morning March 21, with the aircraft fully laden with fuel, AF-8 took off on its 19th mission at 7:09 a.m. with a fuel load of 17,356 pounds. On its way down, the aircraft successfully accomplished other test points to validate the operation of the environmental control system. It was not until after 4 p.m. the following day that the Global Hawk landed flawlessly on centerline, with 1,259 pounds of fuel remaining.

The European Commission has initiated a Phase II review of the pending acquisition of NAVTEQ by Nokia. This is part of the Commission's review process, and does not in any way signal the ultimate outcome.

"We have engaged in an open and constructive dialogue with the Commission in order to find agreement on the acquisition of NAVTEQ. We have listened to the Commission's concerns, and look forward to finding a common understanding that will enable the transaction to be closed," said Rick Simonson, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Nokia.

The Commission has issued a staff report highlighting the challenges of consumer protection in the face of emerging and evolving technologies in the next ten years. The report summarizes the proceedings of the FTC’s three-day public hearings, “Protecting Consumers in the Next Tech-ade,” and which will inform its consumer protection efforts in the next decade.

The report explains the FTC will work to prevent Internet fraud by using its new powers under the U.S. SAFE WEB Act to coordinate and cooperate more closely with foreign consumer protection officials, ensure that consumer-producers who engage in activities to market and advertise products for consideration do so within the confines of laws prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices in trade, and develop new strategies and to harness the power of technology to deliver timely and effective consumer education messages.