Obama Says He Will Name National Cybersecurity Adviser - washingtonpost.com

Obama said he will name a senior White House official to coordinate government efforts to protect a "strategic national asset": the digital networks that handle phone calls, e-mails, government and military data, and also control power grids, nuclear plants and airplane traffic.

Obama Says He Will Name National Cybersecurity Adviser - washingtonpost.com

President Obama Delivers Remarks on Cyber Security Strategy

But none of this progress would be possible, and none of these 21st century challenges can be fully met without America's digital infrastructure, the backbone that underpins a prosperous economy and a strong military and an open and efficient government. Without that foundation, we can't get the job done. It's long been said that the revolutions in communications and information technology have given birth to a virtual world.

But make no mistake, this world, cyberspace, is a world that we depend on every single day. It's our hardware and our software, our desktops and laptops and cell phones and Blackberries that have become woven into every aspect of our lives. It's the broadband networks beneath us and the wireless signals around us, the local networks in our schools and hospitals and businesses and the massive grids that power our nation.

It's the classified military and intelligence networks that keep us safe and the Worldwide Web that has made us more interconnected than at any time in human history. So cyberspace is real, and so are the risks that come with it. It's the great irony of our information age, the very technologies that empower us to create and to build also empower those who would disrupt and destroy. And this paradox, seen and unseen, is something that we experience every day. It's about the privacy and economic security of American families. We rely on the Internet to pay our bills, to bank, to shop, to file our taxes.

President Obama Delivers Remarks on Cyber Security Strategy

Time-Lapse Videos of Massive Change on Earth | Wired Science | Wired.com

Over the past decade, the number of people on Earth shot up by more than 13 percent, to nearly 6.8 billion people. To make room for all the hungry, breeding, CO2-emitting bodies on our small planet, we’ve ravaged Earth’s surface with staggering feats of deforestation, irrigation and urbanization — and NASA satellites have captured it all. Here are a few videos, compiled from images posted on NASA’s Earth Observatory, of some of the most impressive conquests of man over environment.

Time-Lapse Videos of Massive Change on Earth | Wired Science | Wired.com

Hulu Could Become An Ad Agency, Says NBC CEO (GE, DIS, NWS)

Web TV startup Hulu could become an ad agency, NBC CEO Jeff Zucker said at the All Things D conference today.

Hulu Could Become An Ad Agency, Says NBC CEO (GE, DIS, NWS)

The Associated Press: Obama to create cyber czar in awareness effort

Government and private industry need to better protect the nation's computer networks, the White House warns in a plan to be rolled out Friday as the administration sets broad goals for dealing with cyber threats.President Barack Obama is expected to say that cyber security is a top priority of the administration and to call for a new education campaign to raise public awareness of the challenges and threats cyber security involves.Completed six weeks ago, the much-anticipated cyber report has been delayed because policymakers in and outside the White House have been at loggerheads over how much power and budget-making authority the new office will have.

The Associated Press: Obama to create cyber czar in awareness effort

AT&T May Have Swayed ‘Idol’ Results - NYTimes.com

Representatives of AT&T, whose mobile phone network is the only one that can be used to cast “American Idol” votes via text message, provided the free text-messaging services at two parties in Arkansas after the final performance episode of “American Idol” last week, according to the company and people at the events.

AT&T May Have Swayed ‘Idol’ Results - NYTimes.com

Rob Pegoraro - Fast Forward: Web Radio Hits the Road - washingtonpost.com

For people at a desk, Web radio has long offered a terrific upgrade over the playlist-choked monotony of most FM stations. But a few things had to happen before people could order up Web radio to go.

First, wireless carriers had to offer data services fast enough for a digital stream of music -- then relax the absurd restrictions they first imposed on this access, which in some cases explicitly banned Web radio. Then phone developers had to make it easy for users to tune in, either through browsers on phones or programs provided through such simple software catalogues as Apple's App Store.

Rob Pegoraro - Fast Forward: Web Radio Hits the Road - washingtonpost.com

Synchronized Brain Waves Focus Our Attention | Wired Science | Wired.com

A deluge of visual information hits our eyes every second, yet we’re able to focus on the minuscule fraction that’s relevant to our goals. When we try to find our way through an unfamiliar area of town, for example, we manage to ignore the foliage, litter and strolling pedestrians, and focus our attention on the street signs.

Now, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered that the brain’s control center syncs up to its visual center with high-frequency brain waves, directing attention to select features of the visual world.

“It’s been known that the prefrontal cortex plays an important role in focusing our attention, but the mystery was how,” said neuroscientist Robert Desimone, who led the study, published in Science Friday. “Now we have some insight into how it has that focusing role — through this synchrony with our sensory systems.”

This novel understanding of attention may inform future studies on disorders like schizophrenia and ADHD, in which patients are easily distracted and the prefrontal cortex is thought to be impaired. The region’s newly discovered role as a source of synchronized brain activity may be crucial to understanding these diseases.

Synchronized Brain Waves Focus Our Attention | Wired Science | Wired.com

Wired Struggles to Find Niche in Magazine World - NYTimes.com

But Mr. Anderson has yet to solve the equation for Wired. Under his editorship, the magazine is an editorial success, winning three National Magazine Awards last month, which tied it for the most honored magazine. And Mr. Anderson’s own profile is higher than ever, thanks to his books, which roll messy business trends into neat canapés that executives pass around. He gives 50 speeches a year for an estimated $35,000 to $50,000 apiece.

But that has not equaled success for Wired in the downturn. The magazine has lost 50 percent of its ad pages so far this year, ranking among the worst off of the more than 150 monthly magazines measured by Media Industry Newsletter. Only Portfolio, which Condé Nast shut down last month, and Power and Motoryacht fared worse.

Wired Struggles to Find Niche in Magazine World - NYTimes.com

Tougher Antitrust Division May Target Google - NYTimes.com

Last week, the Obama administration declared a sharp break with the Bush years, vowing to toughen antitrust enforcement, especially for dominant companies. The approach is closer to that of the European Union, where regulators last week fined Intel $1.45 billion for abusing its power in the chip market.

In this new climate, the stakes appear to be highest for Google, the rising power of the Internet economy.

Tougher Antitrust Division May Target Google - NYTimes.com

Advertising - Networks Pitch New Schedules in Uncertain Climate - NYTimes.com

The recession has suppressed demand for commercial time during the shows the networks are planning for the 2009-10 season, which starts in September. That is particularly true for crucial advertising categories like automotive, retail and financial services.

Advertising - Networks Pitch New Schedules in Uncertain Climate - NYTimes.com

FT.com / Companies / Banks - Citigroup looks to slash tech costs

Citi had originally estimated it could save $3bn over three years by rationalising its operations and technology functions, which employ 140,000 people, including 25,000 software developers – more than many information technology companies.

But progress in reducing overlaps and linking IT infrastructure across businesses that had run individual systems prompted Citi executives to increase its target.

FT.com / Companies / Banks - Citigroup looks to slash tech costs

Greenspan Says Banks Still Have a ‘Large’ Capital Requirement - Bloomberg.com

A lack of capital at banks may inhibit lending to consumers and businesses, tempering any economic recovery. The former Fed chief, who left the central bank in 2006, said that the continued slump in home prices is putting at risk millions of borrowers.

“We’re on the edge and if this thing doesn’t get resolved quickly I’m worried,” he said before a meeting with House of Representatives members on financial regulation that was organized by the Washington-based Bipartisan Policy Center.

Greenspan Says Banks Still Have a ‘Large’ Capital Requirement - Bloomberg.com

Digitize All of Your Old Media - washingtonpost.com

First, you need to take inventory of the digital media you may need to convert or recover, including old machines, hard drives, and removable media. Make special note of anything broken or damaged, since getting that data back may require a specialist's help.

Digitize All of Your Old Media - washingtonpost.com

Renewable Energy a Pillar of New Prosperity, Says Obama

But much of the president's speech was about renewable energy, and touted the base's solar energy system. "Right now, we're standing near the largest solar electric plant of its kind in the entire Western Hemispher," said Obama. "More than 72,000 solar panels built on part of an old landfill provide 25 percent of the electricity for the 12,000 people who live and work here at Nellis. That's the equivalent of powering about 13,200 homes during the day." He said the project created 200 jobs and will save the Air Force $1 million per year.

Renewable Energy a Pillar of New Prosperity, Says Obama

News Corp hopes for broader ad deal with Google - washingtonpost.com

The current deal allows Google to run its Internet search ads on MySpace's widely trafficked social media Web site, but is set to expire in about a year and a half, said MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta, who appeared onstage alongside Miller.

According to recent media reports, Google is seeking to renegotiate the deal at a significant discount to the current terms, which popular IT blog Tech Crunch pegged at $300 million a year.

News Corp hopes for broader ad deal with Google - washingtonpost.com

New Web site to amplify debate on Google book deal - washingtonpost.com

The site,http://www.gbs.sharedbook.com, is set to debut Thursday.

Using SharedBook's annotation tools, anyone will be able to comment on the complex settlement and other key court documents in a class-action lawsuit filed four years ago by authors and publishers. New York-based SharedBook plans to turn the dissertation into a book that will be sold "at cost," Vanderlip said.

New Web site to amplify debate on Google book deal - washingtonpost.com

How HTML 5 Is Already Changing the Web - Webmonkey

HTML 5 represents the biggest leap forward in web standards in almost a decade. Unlike the specifications that came before it, HTML 5 is not merely intended to present content to a web browser. Its goal is to bring the web into maturity as a full-fledged application platform — a level playing field where video, sound, images, animations, and full interactivity with your computer are all standardized. And it may be a long way off still, but elements of HTML 5 are already reshaping the way we use the web.

The last update to the Hypertext Markup Language — the lingua franca of the web — was the 4.01 specification completed in September, 1999.

How HTML 5 Is Already Changing the Web - Webmonkey

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Ecuador Pursues Unusual Carbon-Credit Plan to Leave Oil Untapped - washingtonpost.com

The idea envisions wealthy countries effectively paying Ecuador to leave its oil -- and the carbon dioxide that would result from using it -- in the ground. Environmentalists hail the proposal as a potentially precedent-setting approach to conservation in developing countries.

Ecuador Pursues Unusual Carbon-Credit Plan to Leave Oil Untapped - washingtonpost.com

Russian Firm Invests $200 Million in Facebook - washingtonpost.com

Digital Sky Technologies, with headquarters in Moscow and London, will get a 1.96 percent stake in the company for its investment. It will not have a seat on Facebook's board, the Palo Alto-based company said in a statement yesterday.

Russian Firm Invests $200 Million in Facebook - washingtonpost.com

The New Socialism: Global Collectivist Society Is Coming Online

We're not talking about your grandfather's socialism. In fact, there is a long list of past movements this new socialism is not. It is not class warfare. It is not anti-American; indeed, digital socialism may be the newest American innovation. While old-school socialism was an arm of the state, digital socialism is socialism without the state. This new brand of socialism currently operates in the realm of culture and economics, rather than government—for now.

The New Socialism: Global Collectivist Society Is Coming Online

Obama Set to Create A Cybersecurity Czar With Broad Mandate - washingtonpost.com

The adviser will have the most comprehensive mandate granted to such an official to date and will probably be a member of the National Security Council but will report to the national security adviser as well as the senior White House economic adviser, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deliberations are not final.

The announcement will coincide with the long-anticipated release of a 40-page report that evaluates the government's cybersecurity initiatives and policies. The report is intended to outline a "strategic vision" and the range of issues the new adviser must handle, but it will not delve into details, administration officials told reporters last month.

Obama Set to Create A Cybersecurity Czar With Broad Mandate - washingtonpost.com

Deficit Jam

This has left the impression that Obama's policies hold the main responsibility for the deficits. But it's not true. Obama is inheriting a budget facing a structural deficit--that is, one that bleeds red ink even when the economy is running full tilt--and the deficit is exploding because the economy has cratered.

In fact, Obama's budget, on net, reduces the deficit. In recent years, Congress and the president have relied on a series of budget gimmicks to mask the size of the deficit. For instance, they would assume that certain tax breaks would expire starting a year in the future, but routinely extend them a year at a time. According to the Congressional Budget Office's numbers, Obama's budget--compared to continuing current policies--would make the deficit $900 billion lower over the next decade.

Deficit Jam

The New New Economy: More Startups, Fewer Giants, Infinite Opportunity

"Imagine an AT&T that breaks up into not two or three different companies but two or three hundred thousand different companies," Malone told Wired in a July 1998 interview. "This sort of voluntary, radical disaggregation is an attractive alternative for some large organizations."

The New New Economy: More Startups, Fewer Giants, Infinite Opportunity

Peaceful Evolution Angst - NYTimes.com

Technology has taken the “total” out of totalitarian. The Stalinist or Maoist dark night of the soul has been consigned to history by wired societies. Neither China nor Vietnam is free. At the same time, neither is so un-free as to make their citizens ache for liberty.

Op-Ed Columnist - Peaceful Evolution Angst - NYTimes.com

Honolulu's Internet vote considered 1st in nation - Yahoo! News

Some 115,000 voters in Honolulu's neighborhood council election were able to pick winners entirely online or via telephone. The voting, which started May 6, ended Friday.

Honolulu's Internet vote considered 1st in nation - Yahoo! News

Obama hopes for `leaner, meaner' GM and Chrysler - Yahoo! Finance

Obama said he believes have been "weighed down by a legacy of some bad management decisions, health care costs and the whole host of other things that they are now in the process of cleaning up."

Obama hopes for `leaner, meaner' GM and Chrysler - Yahoo! Finance

Bloomberg's Insane Twitter Rules For Employees

Bloomberg LP doesn't depend on Web traffic for its subscriptions-based business. Which is good, because if it did, these rules would be very, very silly rules, especially since Bloomberg's terminals and its Website already link to other media outlets.

Bloomberg's Insane Twitter Rules For Employees

How the Dow Is Calculated -- Seeking Alpha

To understand this, you need a quick history lesson. In 1896 to be exact the index consisted of just 12 stocks, and to get the average back then all you needed to do was divide the total price of all 12 stocks by 12... easy isn't it? But if that were the case today, it would mean that the basket of 30 stocks in the DJIA would sum to around 248,319 as of Friday May, 22 close anyway. As you may know, this is not how you get the average. Over time, stocks were added and taken out of the index, as well as stock splits and spinoffs, etc...

How the Dow Is Calculated -- Seeking Alpha

Iran Blocks Access to Facebook, Used by President's Campaign Opponents - washingtonpost.com

Facebook has become hugely popular in Iran, where young urbanites use it to connect with friends, play online games and share photographs. Recently, lively discussions had taken place on the social-networking Web site among Iranians who wondered whether voting in the June 12 presidential election meant supporting Iran's system of clerical rule, or, as some argued, could be used to remove Ahmadinejad.

Iran Blocks Access to Facebook, Used by President's Campaign Opponents - washingtonpost.com

As Stimulus Piles Up Dollars, Their Value Falls - NYTimes.com

Experts warned there might not be enough demand to sop up all those new dollars and dollar-denominated Treasury securities. That led investors to fret about the sustainability of the United States government’s AAA sovereign credit rating after the Standard & Poor’s ratings agency warned this week that the sovereign rating of Britain — which is spending hundreds of billions of pounds to engineer a recovery — is under threat.

As Stimulus Piles Up Dollars, Their Value Falls - NYTimes.com

NASA readies for a return to the moon

The two NASA satellites are expected to give scientists more information about the moon than they've ever had before.NASA is hoping not only to return astronauts to the moon but also to build a lunar outpost by 2020. The plan includes the use of next generation robots and machines to help prepare the spacecraft and the surface of the moon for such missions.

NASA readies for a return to the moon

Researchers Raise Concern Over Privacy Policies Of Social Networking Websites | Technology | Sky News

Faring well in the study were the dedicated photo-sharing sites Flickr, Photobucket, and Fotki, which all removed photos within 1 hour.

Researchers Raise Concern Over Privacy Policies Of Social Networking Websites | Technology | Sky News

“Star Trek”’s Box Office Legs are No Surprise to the Folks at Flicketz FanScore - Carpetbagger Blog - NYTimes.com

Box office tea-leaf readers have been surprised at the staying power of “Star Trek,” which continues to perform well during the week among young audiences even though school is still in session. But it’s not much of a shock over at Flicketz FanScore, a new Web site that seeks to do a better job of reflecting what’s popular at the multiplex.

“Star Trek”’s Box Office Legs are No Surprise to the Folks at Flicketz FanScore - Carpetbagger Blog - NYTimes.com

Amazon Counters Discovery With E-Commerce Patent Suit - washingtonpost.com

In a lawsuit filed Friday in Seattle, Amazon said Discovery's online store violated four patents that allow consumers to narrow searches for products or receive recommendations based on previous purchases. Amazon is seeking a court order to prevent Discovery from continuing to use the patents, as well as cash compensation for prior use.

Amazon Counters Discovery With E-Commerce Patent Suit - washingtonpost.com

Connect through proxy services

Connecting from off-campusTo connect to licensed databases and full text off-campus, you need to login using your NYU NetID and password.*

Connect through proxy services

Goldman Sachs Issues Online Video Report :: Communications Technology

Nevertheless, consumer usage of online video continues to grow at a healthy clip. The report predicts a 45 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2012, which would make online video advance to more than 75 percent of all Internet traffic. "We estimate that a minute spent with streaming video consumes almost 20 times the bandwidth of a minute with a typical Web page without video," stated the report. "Today, the average bit rate for standard definition video online is in the range of 500-600 kbps, which has advanced from about 400 kbps 18 months ago, or about a 24 percent effective annual growth rate."

Goldman Sachs Issues Online Video Report :: Communications Technology

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Technology aids agents in $1.5 million pot bust near Nogales - Phoenix Arizona news, breaking news, local news, weather radar, traffic from ABC15 News | ABC15.com

U.S. Border Patrol agents have made a $1.5 million pot bust west of Nogales on Sunday after being tipped off by surveillance technology.

Technology aids agents in $1.5 million pot bust near Nogales - Phoenix Arizona news, breaking news, local news, weather radar, traffic from ABC15 News | ABC15.com

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Credit Card Industry Aims to Profit From Sterling Payers - NYTimes.com

Now Congress is moving to limit the penalties on riskier borrowers, who have become a prime source of billions of dollars in fee revenue for the industry. And to make up for lost income, the card companies are going after those people with sterling credit.Banks are expected to look at reviving annual fees, curtailing cash-back and other rewards programs and charging interest immediately on a purchase instead of allowing a grace period of weeks, according to bank officials and trade groups.

Credit Card Industry Aims to Profit From Sterling Payers - NYTimes.com

Birthday Bash Marks 50 Years of Integrated Circuit Evolution

The evening of May 8, 2009, turned out to be a time of smiles and handshakes, remembrances of times gone by and glimpses of legendary IT pioneers at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif. Drs. Gordon Moore and Jay Last, two of the founders of Fairchild Semiconductory in 1957 and each a true icon in the IT world, spoke to a capacity audience and offered insight about how the integrated circuit—which 50 years later runs the business world—came to be. The event, which commemorated the publication of Robert Noyce's 1959 paper describing the first working silicon-based processor, attracted several hundred people and closed out a week's worth of events commemorating the anniversary of the single most important component in computing—the data processor.

Birthday Bash Marks 50 Years of Integrated Circuit Evolution

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Banks’ Efforts to Repay U.S. May Undercut Taxpayers - NYTimes.com

At issue are so-called warrants that the government received from the banks last autumn, when the financial world was teetering. Like options, warrants give their owners the right to buy stock at a set price over a certain period of time, in this case, 10 years.Now, with many banks itching to return their bailout money, the warrants are raising some thorny questions. What are these investments worth? Should the government drive a hard bargain, or let the banks off easy? Should it maximize profit for taxpayers, or minimize pain for banks?

Banks’ Efforts to Repay U.S. May Undercut Taxpayers - NYTimes.com

How to Buy a Netbook - washingtonpost.com

Netbooks are tiny--usually between half and two-thirds the size of a garden-variety laptop--and they typically weigh around 2.5 pounds. With their cool, slim designs, they outclass some fancy ultraportables. And best of all, these diminutive laptops start at around $200 (in some cases $100, when purchased as part of a mobile broadband promotional deal).

How to Buy a Netbook - washingtonpost.com

U.S. IT Spending to Dip Slightly

Total U.S. information technology budgets will decline from $761 billion in 2008 to $750 billion in 2009, a decrease of two percent, says Forrester (News - Alert) Research analyst by Andrew H. Bartels. The IT budget on a cash-outlay basis includes the IT purchases data and adds IT staff salary and benefits.

U.S. IT Spending to Dip Slightly

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As Detroit Crumbles, China Emerges as Auto Epicenter - washingtonpost.com

America's auto titans are dismantling their global empires. But across the Pacific, it's as if the global economic forces that have pummeled Detroit never struck. Chinese auto sales are up, and this year China is projected to displace Japan as the world's largest car producer.

As Detroit Crumbles, China Emerges as Auto Epicenter - washingtonpost.com

Internet Society, African internet leaders gather in Cairo for INET regional conference | Internet Society

The agenda for the Cairo meeting includes an important introduction to the multistakeholder nature and processes of the IGF, before drilling down to key issues facing the African Internet community, such as backbone development, the importance of exchange points as a part of national infrastructure, IPv6 addressing, multilingualism, and the benefits of the Internet's open architecture.

Internet Society, African internet leaders gather in Cairo for INET regional conference | Internet Society

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E-Commerce News: Business: A Brief History of US Trust Busting

Now, in tough recession times, the Obama administration is swinging back the pendulum, maintaining that lax enforcement over the past decade has worsened economic woes and hurt consumers by failing to protect business competition.

E-Commerce News: Business: A Brief History of US Trust Busting

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Just Browsing? A Web Store May Follow You Out the Door - NYTimes.com

A new Web service, called Abandonment Tracker Pro, is in beta testing and scheduled for formal release next month. Developed by SeeWhy in Andover, Mass., the service will alert a subscribing Web store when a visitor places an item in a shopping cart or begins an application and does not complete the final step.

Digital Domain - Just Browsing? A Web Store May Follow You Out the Door - NYTimes.com

Bruce W. Sanford and Bruce D. Brown - Laws That Could Save Journalism - washingtonpost.com

Google Chairman Eric Schmidt tells newspaper publishers that the answer for journalism is to "invent a new product. That's the way Google thinks." But Google's products (and profit) would look a lot different if, for example, the law said it had to obtain copyright permissions in order to copy and index Web sites. Search engines have instead required copyright holders to "opt out" of their digital dragnets, and so far their market power has allowed them to get away with it.

It is unrealistic to demand new business models from the press without giving it the legal tools to succeed. Here are a few things Congress can do:

Bruce W. Sanford and Bruce D. Brown - Laws That Could Save Journalism - washingtonpost.com

WTO Confirms Judgment Against U.S. | Journal of Commerce

The controversy about zeroing involves the way the U.S. calculates antidumping duties. When other countries calculate such duties, they usually average the prices of batches of goods to assess whether a foreign country is selling its products at prices that are lower than at home. However, the U.S. ignores -- or treats as "zero" -- those imports that actually cost more than U.S.-made products. Critics of zeroing, opposed by all of the WTO's 153 members except the U.S., say that zeroing exaggerates the extent of dumping and artificially inflates antidumping duties, because it ignores those cases where imports cost more than U.S. products. However, the U.S. still considers the method fair, and has been urging the WTO to recognize zeroing in the WTO-sponsored Doha round of trade talks.

WTO Confirms Judgment Against U.S. | Journal of Commerce

Tips For Collaborating with SharePoint -- Intranet Journal

Don't assume that your employees will take time to learn it/Do train employees -- You need to take the initiative to train your employees. When training employees, keep it non-technical. An IT person may not be the best person to head up administration.

Tips For Collaborating with SharePoint -- Intranet Journal

Back to Basics

Which leads us to the better way: Limited Purpose Banking (LPB). To understand it, think about trucking companies. Were trucking companies to sell rights to future shipping at a guaranteed price, they'd make a bundle in the short run. But were gas and other trucking costs to soar, the companies and the economy would shut down. One such episode would suffice for the government to outlaw this kind of gambling by trucking companies, limiting them to their legitimate and critical purpose.

To keep banks from shutting down the economy, we propose a new regime. Under Limited Purpose Banking, banks would let people gamble, but they would not themselves gamble. Banks would operate exclusively as pass-through mutual funds. Specifically, they would be permitted to one and only one set of activities: create mutual funds, sell shares to these funds to the public, and use the proceeds to purchase assets. These mutual funds would provide as much credit as the economy needs, allow us to engage in as much risk-taking as we want, and provide maximum liquidity.

Back to Basics

EU Pushing to Take over ICANN | Blogs | ITBusinessEdge.com

The issue is that the EU does not like the fact that the U.S. "controls" assigning Internet addresses. Some countries have criticized the U.S. for not opening up more top-level domains (TLD) and feel that it would be run better if managed by an international organization.

EU Pushing to Take over ICANN | Blogs | ITBusinessEdge.com

Chatham House Rule - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Chatham House Rule is a rule that governs the confidentiality of the source of information received at a meeting. Since its refinement in 2002, the rule states[1]

Chatham House Rule - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Norway Thrives by Going Against the Tide - NYTimes.com

With a quirky contrariness as deeply etched in the national character as the fjords carved into its rugged landscape, Norway has thrived by going its own way. When others splurged, it saved. When others sought to limit the role of government, Norway strengthened its cradle-to-grave welfare state.

Norway Thrives by Going Against the Tide - NYTimes.com

E-Commerce News: E-Commerce: E-Commerce Ace in the Hole: Drop Shipping

While many manufacturers and distributors in the past were reluctant to consider a drop-shipping partnership, economy-induced reductions in inventory orders have changed the retailing landscape completely. Retailers are now able to reach out to their suppliers and can begin establishing drop-shipping partnerships that benefit the retailer, the supplier and the customers.

E-Commerce News: E-Commerce: E-Commerce Ace in the Hole: Drop Shipping

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Back to Basics

There is a better way to restore trust in our financial system and get our economy rolling: Limited Purpose Banking. It's a simple and essentially costless change in our financial system that limits banks to their legitimate purpose: connecting, and intermediating between, borrowers and lenders and savers and investors. Under Limited Purpose Banking, all financial corporations engaged in financial intermediation, including all banks and insurance companies, would function exclusively as middlemen who sell safe as well as risky collections of securities (mutual funds) to the public. They would never, themselves, own financial assets. Thus, they would never be in a position to fail because of ill-advised financial bets. No-risk banking? Exactly. It means making banks--meaning all financial corporations--be the disinterested intermediaries they pretend to be.

Back to Basics

Business finance news - currency market news - online UK currency markets - financial news - Interactive Investor

NYSE Euronext's market capitalisation is less than half that of Deutsche Boerse. The U.S.-based exchange operator runs stock markets in four European countries and the London-based derivatives exchange Liffe. Its German peer runs the Frankfurt exchange and derivative exchange Eurex.

"We have a natural built-in defence because the U.S. government and the European governments have a say in whether we get sold or not," Niederauer said, noting NYSE's takeover of Euronext faced tough political scrutiny before it closed in 2007.

Business finance news - currency market news - online UK currency markets - financial news - Interactive Investor

EU Pushing to Take over ICANN | Blogs | ITBusinessEdge.com

I couldn't disagree with this more. First, have you ever listened to the United Nations debate an issue? It takes forever for them to agree on anything and often there is never a resolution. Decisions will be delayed and the advancement of the Internet will come to a crawl. Could you imagine if a quick decision had to be made? This might put us and our companies at risk.

Second, the U.S. generates a tremendous amount of e-commerce traffic on the Internet. Do we want to put our economic future in the hands of countries that do not have as much at stake as we do? Even though the U.S. generates only 30 percent of the total Internet traffic, the majority of e-commerce flows through the U.S. We can debate numbers here, but I'm not going to.

Third, the U.S. maintained the Internet for many years and has done an excellent job at it. Do we want to put TLD and server management in the hands of people that do little to continue the development of it? Please spare me the protocols developed in Europe.

Fourth, many of the countries arguing for a more openly governed Internet do not believe in free expression themselves. Russia, China, North Korea, and some Middle Eastern states are the countries pushing the most for international governance. I could only imagine why. Finally, the EU should not have a say in how the Internet is being run at all. The EU passed a bill that will soon go into effect that does some really nasty things to users. It limits the number of Web sites a user can visit and it tells you whether you can use a specific service. This will control the flow of information (music, video, and data) over the Internet in those participating European countries. If you do business with any EU country, good luck. The people in those countries will never even know your Web site exists.

I can understand world governments wanting more input into ICANN and server management. Here is what I recommend:

EU Pushing to Take over ICANN | Blogs | ITBusinessEdge.com

Report Warns of Insolvency for Social Security, Medicare - washingtonpost.com

The report, issued yesterday by the trustees who monitor the government's two main forms of help for the elderly, shows that Medicare has become more fragile as well and is at greater risk than Social Security of imminent fiscal collapse. Starting eight years from now, the report says, the health insurance program will be unable to pay all its hospital bills.

Report Warns of Insolvency for Social Security, Medicare - washingtonpost.com

Verizon, Frontier in $8.6B Deal for Wirelines - NYTimes.com

The agreement gives Frontier 4.8 million access lines to residential and small business customers and narrows Verizon's focus on faster-growing wireless, broadband and Internet services. The deal will triple Frontier's size and make it the nation's largest communications provider focused on providing voice, broadband and video services to rural and smaller city markets.The sale includes all of Verizon's wireline assets in Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin as well as some assets in California.

Verizon, Frontier in $8.6B Deal for Wirelines - NYTimes.com

Pixel Qi Promises Cheap, Readable, Low-Power Displays | Gadget Lab | Wired.com

Mary Lou Jepsen is a tech necromancer who battled the odds to conjure up a product that most experts said couldn’t be built: a $100 laptop (give or take a few twenties). Now she’s back, with plans for low-cost, low-power, super-readable, LCD-based screens that will go into everything from e-book readers to netbooks and computers.

“We are creating e-paper with color and video capability, but on high volume, standard, mass production lines, so they will be available easily,” says Jepsen, founder of Pixel Qi (pronounced Pixel Chee), a San Bruno, California-based startup. The company plans to have samples of its display out within the next two months, “and we are pulling all-nighters now to get the product ready.”

Pixel Qi Promises Cheap, Readable, Low-Power Displays | Gadget Lab | Wired.com

Intel hit with record $1.45 billion antitrust fine - washingtonpost.com

"Given that Intel has harmed millions of European consumers by deliberately acting to keep competitors out of the market for over five years, the size of the fine should come as no surprise," European Union Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes told a news briefing.

The EU executive said Intel paid computer makers to postpone or cancel plans to launch products that used AMD chips, paid illegal, secret rebates so computer makers would use mostly or entirely Intel chips, and paid a major retailer to stock only computers with its chips.

Intel hit with record $1.45 billion antitrust fine - washingtonpost.com

Obama Aides Debate Role Of Proposed Cyber Czar - washingtonpost.com

The nation's top military, intelligence and homeland security officials are recommending that President Obama establish a new White House cyber czar under the National Security Council with broad policy-setting authority for protecting both public- and private-sector computer networks, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

Obama Aides Debate Role Of Proposed Cyber Czar - washingtonpost.com

Taxing Internet purchases only fair - Editorials - Starbulletin.com

Legislators have approved a bill that would join Hawaii with other states that have formulated a logical method to collect sales tax on remote transactions over the Internet. Gov. Linda Lingle is expected to veto the measure, as she killed a similar proposal four years ago, this time because of the idea of imposing what may be considered new taxes in the middle of a recession. She instead should sign it into law with the realization that it probably won't take effect until after the economy has recovered.

Taxing Internet purchases only fair - Editorials - Starbulletin.com

Obama Urges Credit Card Reform | 44 | washingtonpost.com

Obama has urged Congress to pass legislation that would do away with some of the most aggressive fees, penalties and interest rates levied by the credit card companies on their cardholders.

Obama Urges Credit Card Reform | 44 | washingtonpost.com

How Google Earth explains the financial crisis | FP Passport

Want to get a sense of just how bad things are? Take a spin on Google Earth.

How Google Earth explains the financial crisis | FP Passport

Banks scrambling to get grip on card risks - FierceFinance

As the recession rolls on, many think the credit card market will be the next to implode. Banks are certainly scrambling to a get a grip on their risks. Reuters notes that the likes of Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and others are cutting rewards, hiking interest rates and raising fees. All in the face of mounting losses and lots of nervousness.

Banks scrambling to get grip on card risks - FierceFinance

Online tool helps assess economics of organic, conventional rotations

As part of the campaign, the department developed a powerful, flexible, and easy-to-use spreadsheet to help farmers evaluate the economics of organic crop production and strategies for transitioning to certified organic production.

The Prairie Star: Montana Ag Newspaper

Best Practice: Franklin County’s Innovative Approach to Rural Broadband Deployment

Rural counties across the nation share the same challenges when it comes to broadband – including large land area, dispersed populations, and limited funds. Franklin County, Virginia, succeeded in meeting those challenges through an innovative best practice example of rural broadband development. As nationwide interest in rural broadband increases as a result of billions of dollars of planned economic stimulus funding, Franklin County’s example is critical and timely.

Event Registration (EVENT: 146142)

US top trade negotiator in first visit to WTO - Yahoo! Canada News

Negotiations towards a global trade liberalisation deal have foundered for several years, and Lamy has said that talks could not move forward until member states had Washington's position.

US top trade negotiator in first visit to WTO - Yahoo! Canada News

Star Trek - A Franchise Goes Boldly Backward - NYTimes.com

Those laughs never slide into mockery. Mr. Abrams doesn’t treat “Star Trek” as a sacred text, which would be deadly for everyone save the fanatics. But neither does he skewer a pop cultural classic that, more than 40 years after its first run, has been so lampooned (it feels like there are more “South Park” parodies than original episodes) it was difficult to see how he was going to give it new life. By design or accident, he has, simply because in its hopefulness “Star Trek” reminds you that there’s more to science fiction (and Hollywood blockbusters) than nihilism. Mr. Abrams doesn’t venture into politics as boldly as Mr. Roddenberry sometimes did, though it’s worth noting he does equate torture with barbarism.

Movie Review - Star Trek - A Franchise Goes Boldly Backward - NYTimes.com

Verizon Rolls Out 3G Wi-Fi Hotspot -- Wireless Hotspot -- InformationWeek

The carrier announced Tuesday the MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot, which uses the company's mobile data network to create a personal Wi-Fi cloud. Unlike 3G data cards sold by Verizon and other mobile operators, the MiFi can connect up to five devices at a time to the Internet.

Verizon Rolls Out 3G Wi-Fi Hotspot -- Wireless Hotspot -- InformationWeek

Europe Votes Sweeping Telecom Reform - BusinessWeek

The European Parliament has voted through a massive tranche of reforms for the European telecommunications sector, including a significant net-neutrality amendment.

The 'Telecoms Package' of laws was voted into force on Wednesday with a large majority, and must now be ratified by the Council of Telecoms Ministers. The vote marks the first time that internet access has been recognised in European law as a fundamental right on a par with freedom of expression.

The legislation also compels European telecoms and internet service providers (ISPs) to notify their customers of any personal data breaches, the first time they have been required to do so.

Europe Votes Sweeping Telecom Reform - BusinessWeek

Dream big. Sleep well.

Avid delivers solutions that allow you to create at your best while we take care of the complexities. Our audio and video production solutions combine the industry's prefered creative tools with powerful infrastructure to manage media and metadata and help you collaborate. All backed up by the industry's most experienced service team. That leaves you free to deliver the work that inspires your customers and captivates your audience.

http://www.avid.com/us/picture-sound/index.aspx?cmpid=29

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So Many Secrets

Since the onset of the Cold War, the state secrets privilege has been used to prevent the disclosure of evidence in litigation in instances where it would harm the national security. But the Bush administration took the practice much further, routinely arguing that entire cases must be dismissed before the evidence had even been identified because the very "subject matter" of the case was a state secret. As it so happened, the "subject matter" of all of these cases was an unlawful U.S. policy. Bush's use of the privilege thus transformed it from a narrow protection for specific evidence into a tool to avoid accountability in the courts.

So Many Secrets

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Introduction of Broadband Stimulus May Have Initially Caused Spending Slowdown

Some industry suppliers may have seen a slowdown in infrastructure orders because of uncertainty about the "broadband stimulus" programs whose rules are not yet available, as if the recession impact were not reason enough to reevaluate just about any form of spending.

Introduction of Broadband Stimulus May Have Initially Caused Spending Slowdown

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Telecom Expense Management � Old Term, New Technology

Today’s floundering world economy has been a boon for the Telecom Expense Management (TEM) industry. The term TEM is hated by just about everybody in the industry, since TEM’s capabilities have in recent years expanded far beyond just checking phone bills for the 15 percent or so of errors that are inevitably found there. Everyone has their own, upgraded version of the term, such as Total Telecom Cost Management (TTCM).

Telecom Expense Management � Old Term, New Technology

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It’s Time to Legalize Personal-Use DVD Copying | Threat Level

A federal judge here Thursday or soon thereafter is likely to conclude RealNetworks’ DVD-copying software is unlawful, and therefore should be permanently barred from distribution.

That’s the correct interpretation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Yet we think it’s offensive that the 1998 act produces the absurd result that consumers are considered hackers and copyright scofflaws just for duplicating DVDs for personal use.

It’s Time to Legalize Personal-Use DVD Copying | Threat Level

GAO: Cox's SEC Discouraged Corporate Punishment - Regulatory Issues - CFO.com

In a report released publicly today, the General Accountability Office said that policies put in place during the tenure of former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox were thought within the agency to have hampered investigations, discouraged staff from pursuing penalties against corporations, and created an adversarial relationship between the Division of Enforcement and the agency's commissioners.

GAO: Cox's SEC Discouraged Corporate Punishment - Regulatory Issues - CFO.com

Blackboard to Buy Rival E-Learning Firm - washingtonpost.com

Blackboard, the maker of software used by colleges to put lectures online, said yesterday that it expects to acquire one of its main competitors, Angel Learning of Indianapolis.

Blackboard to Buy Rival E-Learning Firm - washingtonpost.com

Blackboard to Buy Rival E-Learning Firm - washingtonpost.com

Blackboard, the maker of software used by colleges to put lectures online, said yesterday that it expects to acquire one of its main competitors, Angel Learning of Indianapolis.

Blackboard to Buy Rival E-Learning Firm - washingtonpost.com

Buckminster Fuller: Starting with the Universe

Philosopher. Forecaster. Designer. Poet. Inventor. Advocate of alternative energy.R. Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) was one of the greatest American thinkers of the 20th century -- and a visionary for the 21st. Buckminster Fuller: Starting with the Universe is the first major US exhibition of Fuller's work in 35 years and a testament to his fascinating mix of utopian vision and organic pragmatism. A combination of models, sketches, and other artifacts -- many on view for the first time -- represent six decades of the artist's integrated approach to housing, transportation, communication, and cartography

Museum of Contemporary Art

Cyber-Command May Help Protect Civilian Networks - washingtonpost.com

The Pentagon is considering whether to create a new cyber-command that would oversee government efforts to protect the military's computer networks and would also assist in protecting the civilian government networks, the head of the National Security Agency said yesterday.The new command would be headquartered at Fort Meade, the NSA's director, Lt. Gen. Keith B. Alexander, told the House Armed Services terrorism subcommittee.

Cyber-Command May Help Protect Civilian Networks - washingtonpost.com

Intelligent Community Forum (ICF)

The Eindhoven metropolitan area (a 2008 Smart21) – including Eindhoven and Helmond – has long been the industrial heart of the Netherlands. Through a public-private collaboration called Brainport, the region is ramping up its knowledge economy to maintain and accelerate growth in a hyper-competitive global market, while at the same time coping with an aging population and shrinking workforce. Among more than 40 public-private projects are an award-winning coop that has brought FTTP and a broadband culture of use to the suburb of Neunen; the SKOOL outsourced IT management system for public schools; the remote home health care program Viedome; and the Technific campaign, which promotes technology and tech education.

Intelligent Community Forum (ICF)

A move to cloud computing should involve SOA and BPM

Cloud computing is met by many skeptics today, but during the next few years more standards will emerge and most concerns about cloud security and compliance will be addressed. Ten years from now, companies that sat on the sidelines and bypassed the cloud computing movement will find it hard to compete due to higher costs of assets, less flexibility, higher headcount and a higher ratio of maintenance versus innovation. So to take advantage of these disruptive technologies, get your house in order by decoupling business processes from your software applications, a process that will involve transformational change in the form of service-oriented architecture (SOA) and business process management (BPM).

A move to cloud computing should involve SOA and BPM

Qwest - The First Rule of Bandwidth Caps Is Don’t Talk About Bandwidth Caps - NYTimes.com

Qwest has become the latest ISP to be accused of having an undisclosed bandwidth cap. The Consumerist quotes a user who thinks a friend’s Qwest connection was throttled while watching YouTube videos. The user was reportedly told by a representative of the third-largest phone company in the U.S that it throttles customers after they have violated Qwest’s excessive use policy. Later, the Qwest representative apparently called the user back to deny that the ISP throttles traffic at all.

Qwest - The First Rule of Bandwidth Caps Is Don’t Talk About Bandwidth Caps - NYTimes.com

Findings - Ear Plugs to Lasers - The Science of Concentration - NYTimes.com

The book’s theme, which Ms. Gallagher chose after she learned she had an especially nasty form of cancer, is borrowed from the psychologist William James: “My experience is what I agree to attend to.” You can lead a miserable life by obsessing on problems. You can drive yourself crazy trying to multitask and answer every e-mail message instantly.

Findings - Ear Plugs to Lasers - The Science of Concentration - NYTimes.com

EU Blasts U.S. Links to ICANN - InternetNews.com

The body in charge of assigning Internet addresses such as .com and .net should be shorn of its U.S. government links from October and made fully independent, the European Union's information society chief said on Monday.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a not-for-profit organization set up in 1998 but operates under the aegis of the U.S. Department of Commerce, a set-up that raises concerns for some as the Internet is seen as belonging to a wider constituency.

Pressure in the past on ICANN from right-wing politicians to stop .xxx from becoming a domain name for pornography, worried some policymakers. ICANN's operating agreement with the U.S. government expires at the end of September.

"This opens the door for the full privatization of ICANN and it also raises the question of to whom ICANN should be accountable, as from 1 October," EU Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding said in a statement.

She urged U.S. President Barack Obama to agree to a "new, more accountable, more transparent, more democratic and more multilateral form of Internet governance."

EU Blasts U.S. Links to ICANN - InternetNews.com

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Open Left:: President Obama Putting Net Neutrality At Risk?

There is a disturbing possibility that President Obama has put his excellent open media and network neutrality platform at risk with his latest--and last--Democratic FCC appointment, Mignon Clyburn.

There are five seats in the FCC, and "only three commissioners may be members of the same political party." For the next five years, the FCC will have a 3-2 Democratic majority, once the remaining Republican open seat has been filled. That makes this appointment by President Obama the key swing vote that will largely determine FCC policy and regulation over the next five years.

The reason Mignon Clyburn is such a worrying pick is that she is the daughter of South Carolina Representative James Clyburn, who has an anti-Net Neutrality record:

Open Left:: President Obama Putting Net Neutrality At Risk?

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Pentagon cyber command to create force for future - washingtonpost.com

Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander, also the Pentagon's leading cyber warfare commander, said the U.S. is determined to lead the global effort to use computer technology to deter or defeat enemies, while still protecting the public's constitutional rights.In testimony prepared for delivery Tuesday to a House Armed Services subcommittee, Alexander and other military leaders in cyber matters outlined the challenges to keeping up with rapidly changing technologies and the need for more resources and training. In blunt comments, Alexander acknowledged that cyber training for the Pentagon's work force is inadequate and must be improved.

Pentagon cyber command to create force for future - washingtonpost.com

In India, Educated but Unemployable Youths - washingtonpost.com

"I studied economics, accounting, trade, corporate tax planning and industrial law for three years. But I was still clueless when I graduated," said Dubey, 22. "All my education was bookish and theoretical."

In India, Educated but Unemployable Youths - washingtonpost.com

Broadband Caps Can Cost You - washingtonpost.com

Last October, Comcast set a 250-gigabyte monthly cap on its residential Internet service. There's no charge for going over that line, which Comcast communications director Charlie Douglas said "fewer than one-tenth of 1 percent" of its customers do. But if you exceed it twice in six months the company can cancel your service.

Mobile broadband services from such carriers as AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless have far stingier restrictions, limiting users to just 5 GB a month.

Most providers in the United States, however, continue to shy away from specific usage limits. Verizon, for example, bans "high volume" use of its FiOS service but doesn't define the term. (Every responsible Internet provider prohibits such egregious abuses as spamming.)

Rob Pegoraro - Fast Forward: Broadband Caps Can Cost You - washingtonpost.com

Middle East Online

Her 2 The Point, formed in 2002, is a medium-sized company in the information technology sector and has worked on the successful implementation of several projects for government and private sector companies such as King Faisal Specialist Hospital and the Department of Home Economics at the King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, among others.But Alia and thousands of other Saudi businesswomen faced a dilemma. Saudi commercial law at the time required her to appoint a male legal agent to conduct her affairs with various governmental organizations. Women were not expected to deal with our bureaucracies. And there was no way around it.

Middle East Online

Slipstream - Facebook Opens a Door, and Start-Ups Rush In - NYTimes.com

The company said it would provide a set of technology tools that will let other companies create programs that tap into the heart of the social network — the endless stream of photographs, status updates and comments that people post to the service. Saying it is unable to provide a range of access to the service from every possible gadget, Facebook expects developers to create Facebook programs that sit on computer desktops, run inside Web browsers and are tailored to a wide range of mobile devices like the iPhone.

Slipstream - Facebook Opens a Door, and Start-Ups Rush In - NYTimes.com

Adult education class teaches the many tools of Google

Charles Greenberg, longtime computer instructor and head librarian at Yale Medical School, will cover Google.com’s tricks and free tools. Participants will see how to create a blog, Web site, wiki, calendar, and spreadsheet with Google’s tools.Other topics include searching your desktop, tracking stocks, sharing images and videos, translating Web pages into other languages, clipping and collecting information as you surf the Web, and organizing your medical records.

Adult education class teaches the many tools of Google

Obama Boosts Tech Spending And Enthusiasm, Report Says -- InformationWeek

The report states that President Obama has created a sense of optimism among IT providers who believe that the president "gets it." The industry has already felt some positive impact from plans for direct government spending on IT and from government promoting technology, the report states.

Last year, the federal government spent $129 billion on IT, and that figure is expected to rise at a moderate pace of 4.27% annually through 2013, when spending will reach $159 billion, according to the report.

Obama Boosts Tech Spending And Enthusiasm, Report Says -- InformationWeek

Thin-Film Speakers Add Big Sound to Big TVs | GadgetLab

Now some companies say they have a better way: Transform the front of the TV screen itself into a vibrating membrane, making it in effect a giant, high-fidelity speaker, giving your HDTV an acoustic range that would make Pavarotti proud.

Emo Labs, a Waltham, Massachusetts startup, has created flat, transparent “speakers” that go in front of the display. And it is not alone in its plans to put good sound right on the face of your TV. Warwick Audio and NXT Technologies, two British companies, and a Korean firm, Plasma & Ion Beam Corp., have similar plans.

Thin-Film Speakers Add Big Sound to Big TVs | GadgetLab

Undersea cable investments to grow despite recession - Network World

The study, which was conducted by surveying global telecom providers who invest in submarine cables to improve their bandwidth capacity, finds that carriers are projected to light up 16 new submarine cables this year, the largest number of new cables to come online in the past decade. In terms of cost, operators are projected to spend over $2 billion on undersea cables in 2009 and over $3 billion on cable investments in 2010. These investments mark sharp increases from the past five years, as cable investments made between 2004 and 2007 totaled less than $2 billion combined.

Undersea cable investments to grow despite recession - Network World

IT Helps Seal Our Borders -- Border Protection -- InformationWeek

The Obama administration's economic stimulus package includes about $980 million aimed at increasing surveillance of the nation's borders, with much of that fueling a huge, costly bet that technology and technology-related projects can help better secure them.

IT Helps Seal Our Borders -- Border Protection -- InformationWeek

Swine Flu Ancestor Born on U.S. Factory Farms | Wired Science

Scientists have traced the genetic lineage of the new H1N1 swine flu to a strain that emerged in 1998 in U.S. factory farms, where it spread and mutated at an alarming rate. Experts warned then that a pocket of the virus would someday evolve to infect humans, perhaps setting off a global pandemic.The new findings challenge recent protests by pork industry leaders and U.S., Mexican and United Nations agriculture officials that industrial farms shouldn’t be implicated in the new swine flu, which has killed 176 people and on Thursday was formally declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization.

Swine Flu Ancestor Born on U.S. Factory Farms | Wired Science

Al-Qaida used Hotmail, simple codes in planning - washingtonpost.com

The document shows how al-Qaida, at least in 2001, embraced prosaic technologies like pre-paid calling cards, public phones, computer search engines and simplistic codes to communicate, plan and carry out its operations.

Al-Qaida used Hotmail, simple codes in planning - washingtonpost.com

Record Amount of Supercomputer Time Means New Science | Wired Science

In 2009, 900 million processor hours were up for grabs (a million processing hours would take 1,000 processors 1,000 hours, or around 41 days), but both computers received huge performance boosts this year. Jaguar’s processor count has shot up from 31,328 to 180,832, while Intrepid now boasts 163,840 from 32,768. Jaguar’s peak performance is now a blistering 1.64 petaflops (a quadrillion and a half floating point operations per second), making it the second most powerful supercomputer on Earth.

The only number cruncher with more power is IBM’s “Roadrunner” at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, which runs simulations of nuclear weapons, and sits behind the rather impenetrable firewall of national security.

The boost will allow scientists to tackle traditionally cantankerous problems that involve multiple simultaneous physical phenomena. In enormous, high-resolution simulations, they can tweak an unprecedented multitude of conditions to test their theories.

Record Amount of Supercomputer Time Means New Science | Wired Science

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Wall Street Civil War

There's a tendency, in the endless discussions about the economic crisis, to think of the entire financial industry as a single, ultra-powerful actor. Big commercial banks, nimble hedge funds, even the odd insurance company all get lumped together under the heading "Wall Street," with its sinister, Death-Star connotations. In a recent story about relations between the financial world and Obamaland, no less a populist organ than The Wall Street Journal offered up such a conflation, noting that the administration, "after months of criticizing Wall Street, has been scrambling to woo top bankers and financiers to back its latest bailout plan."

Wall Street Civil War

Yahoo! Movies - All Time Box Office and Buzz

All Time Box Office (U.S.)Rank Title Dist. CumulativeGross ReleaseDate1 Titanic Paramount Pictures $600,788,188

Yahoo! Movies - All Time Box Office and Buzz