~e; Electromagnetic News & Views #50
From
human being <human@electronetwork.org>
Date
Mon, 29 Sep 2003 21:09:52 -0500
===================================================
Electromagnetic News & Views -- #50
===================================================
00) Electronetwork.org Commentary (9/29/2003)
01) Top Stories of Electromagnetism
02) Electromagnetic health & safety
03) Electromagnetic trash & treasure
04) Electromagnetic security & surveillance
05) Electromagnetic power & energy
06) Electromagnetic current & human affairs
07) Electromagnetic transport & communication
08) Electromagnetic matter & information
09) Electromagnetic trends & inventions
10) Electromagnetic weaponry & warfare
11) Electromagnetic business & economics
12) Electromagnetic artworks & artifacts
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00) --commentary-- URLs...
===================================================
01) --top stories--
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Radio tags give guidance // inverting RFIDs...
<http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2003/092403/
Radio_tags_give_guidance_092403.html>
'The Rochester team has reversed the standard radio tag setup by
making the receivers mobile and the transponders fixed; the
arrangement provides information at certain points in space. "We
reversed the usual application of fixed reader and... portable tag
to... use fixed tags to let a person know where they are," said Jack
Mottley,....' .. 'The system, dubbed Navigational Assistance for the
Visually Impaired (NAVI), can provide location information for the
visually impaired and for other kinds of navigational assistance
applications like self-guided tours.' ... 'The system could be a
low-cost alternative to global positioning system-based schemes for
providing location-specific information and pedestrian navigational
assistance.' .. 'For applications for the visually impaired,
transponders could be mounted near key points like hallway
intersections. For tour applications, transponders would be mounted
near items of note, and near places where people might need directions.'
The art of knowledge // interview. via SciTech Daily Review...
Meet the people shaping the future of science
<http://www.newscientist.com/opinion/
opinterview.jsp;jsessionid=NPEHDDKMHILB?id=ns24131>
'When Keith Tyson won Britain's Turner prize last year, one critic
described him as "the wacky boffin of art". Tyson first caught the
public eye with his Art Machine, a computer programme that generates
random proposals for works of art. Yet he insists he is "traditional".
While his creations are overwhelmingly inspired by science, he says
they are not vehicles for scientific theories. Rather, he tells Michael
Bond , they are a way of navigating through the mass of scientific data
that risks overwhelming us'
Baby Satellites Have A Big Future // nanosats & pico-sats. thanks *
<http://www.spacedaily.com/news/microsat-03r.html>
'Even small or poor countries can now run their own space programmes
using microsatellites, which are generally defined as having no more
than 100 kilograms of mass at launch. Algeria, Turkey and Nigeria have
been assisted in their space ambitions by the University of Surrey in
the United Kingdom.' .. 'Their microsatellites are Earth-observing
spacecraft with unusually wide fields of view, for a multinational
Disaster Monitoring Constellation. China will join the constellation in
2005, and participation by Vietnam and Thailand is expected too.' ..
'In normal operation the satellites supply their owners with images of
pre-selected areas every four days. In the event of a disaster all of
them can work together to provide daily images of the affected area.
This service complements ESA's Earth Watching programme, which
coordinates the use of imagery from European and US satellites in
helping disaster-relief teams.'
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02-- electromagnetic health & safety
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Man of few words now can't stop talking // great story...
<http://www.startribune.com/stories/389/4117005.html>
'A lot of people knew Kelash was scheduled to be fitted for a
relatively new device that helps some stutterers. The device, called
SpeechEasy, looks like a hearing aid and fits in the ear.' ... 'Devices
such as SpeechEasy are controversial. They don't work for everyone. The
National Stuttering Association surveyed its members about using
"assisted speech" devices and found that 125 of the 710 respondents
reported using one of the several brands now available. Of those, 38
percent reported that their experience with the device was not at all
successful; the rest found them somewhat to very successful.'
More about fluency devices // EM device for stuttering...
<http://www.startribune.com/stories/389/4118495.html>
'Fluency devices, which started out as large machines with headphones,
can now be made small enough to fit into a person's ear. The devices
attempt to replicate the choral effect by echoing the stutterer's voice
back a millisecond later, tricking the mind into thinking the person is
speaking in unison.'
// newer LEDs have microchips built into them, so that they can
// blink, changing colors from blue to green and back again, over
// and over. it is wondered if a blue1-blue2 LED light could be
// fitted, or a blue-green, using different lighting technologies.
Spitzer: Law does not permit blue lights on trooper cruisers
<http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/6884839.htm>
'Some highway safety experts say singly flashing blue lights, without
other colors, are the most attention-grabbing for other motorists.'
QX400 // Braille Display (without screen). via gizmodo.net
<http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/PACmate_qx400info.asp>
---------------------------------------------------
03-- electromagnetic trash & treasure
---------------------------------------------------
// low batteries (no backup battery?). free software upgrade...
U.S. recalls Segway scooters // gyroscope needs power...
<http://salon.com/tech/wire/2003/09/26/scooters/>
The Level of Discourse Continues to Slide // powerpointism
<http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/28/weekinreview/28SCHW.html>
'The board echoed a message that Mr. Tufte and other critics have been
trying to disseminate for years. "I would refer to it as a virus,
rather than a narrative form," said Jamie McKenzie, an educational
consultant. "It's done more damage to the culture."' ... 'It has also
become so much a part of our culture that, like Kleenex and Xerox ,
PowerPoint has become a generic term for any bullet-ridden
presentation.'
---------------------------------------------------
04-- electromagnetic security & surveillance
---------------------------------------------------
Panel to Close Pentagon Terror-Spy Office
<http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=542&u=/ap/20030925/
ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/pentagon_spying_1&printer=1>
'...they left open the possibility that some or all of the
high-powered software tools under development might be employed by
different government offices to gather foreign intelligence from
foreigners, U.S. citizens aboard or foreigners in this country.'
Network Protection - How Firewalls Work
<http://computer.howstuffworks.com/firewall.htm>
Microsoft critic thrown out of job
A technology executive whose company does business with Microsoft
Corp., has been forced out of his job after he helped write a
cybersecurity report critical of the software giant.
<http://www.ciol.com/content/news/2003/103092611.asp>
SPAM TOADAY: Spy on Anyone by
sending them an Email-Greeting Card!
Check up on your SPOUSE, KIDS, or EMPLOYEES!
Follow This Link To Begin...
---------------------------------------------------
05-- electromagnetic power & energy
---------------------------------------------------
US says oil prices should be set by market forces
<http://www.forbes.com/home_asia/newswire/2003/09/25/rtr1091763.html>
- QUOTATION OF THE DAY - New York Times Online...
<http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/25/business/25OIL.html?th>
"This was a message to Washington: 'You can send a delegation to OPEC,
but we control the oil price.'" - MEHDI VARZI, an energy consultant, on
OPEC's decision to cut production.
[and] OPEC Puts the Brakes on Further Output Cuts
<http://www.quicken.com/investments/news_center/story/?story=NewsStory/
dowJones/20030926/ON200309260108000044.var&column=P0DFP>
// or: be prepared to lose data and be offline indefinitely.
Mobile Computing: Power Tips for Notebooks
Blackouts are more common than you think: Be prepared.
<http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,112421,00.asp>
// strange, .US, .UK, .IT, a northern european country also
// (may have been .DK) had power outages on a very large scale,
// all being in similar political alignment in current events.
// France denies responsibility in the most recent problems...
Italy Grinds to Halt in Nationwide Blackout
<http://www.reuters.com/
printerFriendlyPopup.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3519862>
[and] France's national grid denies responsibility in Italian blackout
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2003-09/28/content_1105081.htm>
Iran says its enriched uranium is accidental
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2003/09/29/iran/>
'The admission came ahead of key negotiations this week with the U.N.
International Atomic Energy Agency over inspections of Iran's nuclear
program.' ... 'Foreign diplomats said last week that IAEA inspectors
found minute quantities of weapons-grade uranium at Kalay-e, where Iran
reportedly tested centrifuges used to enrich uranium. Earlier this
year, U.N. inspectors found highly enriched uranium particles at a
plant in Natanz that is supposed to produce only a lower grade for
energy purposes.'
---------------------------------------------------
06-- electromagnetic current & human affairs
---------------------------------------------------
Long - Gone Microchipped Cat Finds Owner // via drudgereport.com
<http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/technology/AP-Cat-Returns.html>
Californians Rally Behind Arnold in Cyberspace // via syndicate-l
<http://www.recallcandidates.com/article000142.html>
EM QUOTE: '"I am so proud that so many Californians are rising up to
take back their government," stated Schwarzenegger. "They may have
replaced their pitchforks with laptops, but make no mistake - we are
leading a people's revolution in California."' ... 'According to the
company's Web site, "Meetup.com, an online tool to organize offline
groups, was launched in the summer of 2002 to help foster local
community everywhere.'
---------------------------------------------------
07-- electromagnetic transport & communication
---------------------------------------------------
L.C.D. Palette Wins Over Some C.R.T. Loyalists // great.
<http://nytimes.com/2003/09/25/technology/circuits/25howw.html>
'Aside from professional uses, C.R.T.'s have also been favored for the
most serious of leisure activities: gaming. The main benefit there is
in response time. Using beams of electrons, some C.R.T.'s can "paint"
over 100 new screen images per second, keeping up with fast-action
games and high-powered video cards.' .. 'L.C.D.'s are slower because
they create images through the relatively poky process of rotating
crystals to control light passing through a liquid. Until recently the
differences were painfully obvious: games appeared to leave streaks or
"ghosts" because the scenes moved faster than the pixels could respond
to refresh images. But L.C.D.'s are now close enough in response time
that many gamers are satisfied.'
Space-Age Garages That Save Space // robotic parking garage...
<http://nytimes.com/2003/09/21/realestate/21COV.html>
Philips Demonstrates Video-Speed Electronic-Paper Technology
Based on Electrowetting // thanks *
<http://www.philips.com/InformationCenter/Global/
FNewPressRelease.asp?lArticleId=2955&lNodeId=13',550,450);>
Russian Rocket Launches Six Satellites // global-eyes
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-russia-
satellites-launched,0,597128.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>
Talking In The Free World // free world dialup + VOIP
<http://www.forbes.com/2003/09/25/cx_dl_0925tentech.html>
---------------------------------------------------
08-- electromagnetic matter & information
---------------------------------------------------
Wi-Fi Earns Zagat's Blessings // now guidebooks. thanks *
<http://www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,60591,00.html>
Due North - How Compasses Work
<http://science.howstuffworks.com/compass.htm>
How Flash Memory Works -
<http://computer.howstuffworks.com/flash-memory.htm>
How Electronic Ink Will Work -
<http://computer.howstuffworks.com/e-ink.htm>
How Ethernet Works -
<http://computer.howstuffworks.com/ethernet.htm>
The Octopus as Eyewitness
<http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,60578,00.html>
'Albert Titus, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at the
University at Buffalo , New York, has created a silicon chip that
mimics the structure and functionality of an octopus retina.' ... '"The
visual system is more than eyes," Titus said. "An animal uses eyes to
see, but the brain to perceive. Yet, the retina is an extension of the
brain, so where does the distinction between seeing and perceiving
begin and end?"'
---------------------------------------------------
09-- electromagnetic trends & inventions
---------------------------------------------------
Seagate hard disk drives with pre-loaded Lindows
<http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2003Sep/gee20030925021911.htm>
Nokia Frame, Necklace, Kaleidoscope // via gizmodo.com
<http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,,46252,00.html>
<http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,,43613,00.html>
<http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,,43612,00.html>
[and] Nokia Snapshot of the Future
<http://www.wired.com/news/gizmos/0,1452,60605,00.html>
NEC Eyes Billion-Color LCDs // 10-bit RGB
New chip shoots for a color explosion on monitors, flat-panel TVs.
<http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,112656,00.asp>
[and] Reality TV // ultra high definition video (UHDV)
<http://www.e4engineering.com/item.asp?id=50014&type=news>
'UHDV displays images with 4,000 horizontal scanning lines, compared
to the 1,000 offered by the current state-of-the-art high definition
television (HDTV) technology and just 625 for standard TV broadcasts.
When horizontal and vertical scanning are both taken into account a
UHDV picture contains 16 times the number of pixels - individual image
components - of HDTV.'
---------------------------------------------------
10-- electromagnetic weaponry & warfare
---------------------------------------------------
New U.S. Army game is 'tip of the spear' // game expansion pack
Special Forces unit added to realistic military title
<http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/09/24/hln.game.army/index.html>
CIA pursues video game
<http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030929-123116-1145r.htm>
'The CIA is set to spend several million dollars to develop a video
game aimed at helping its analysts think like terrorists, The
Washington Times has learned.' ... 'The institute, part of the
University of Southern California, works with Hollywood movie and video
game specialists.' ... [accounts of criticism] ... '"For out-of-the-box
thinking, we are reaching out to academics, think tanks and external
research institutes that are critical in the fight against terrorism,"
Mr. Mansfield said. "If it will help us to prevent terrorist attacks,
it is worthwhile."' .. 'A CIA analyst playing the game also could be
placed in the role of CIA analyst or operations officer, a U.S. Customs
agent or even a cooperative or hostile neighbor living next to a
terrorist.'
---------------------------------------------------
11-- electromagnetic business & economics
---------------------------------------------------
Demand for quelling office noise booms: Acoustical privacy
pro is hearing more calls for 'sound conditioning'
<http://www.dallasnews.com/business/columnists/chall/stories/
092603dnbusLeverage.67b1b.html>
We've all heard about white noise – dull hums that drown out clatter.'
.. 'His Plano company, Button Group LLC, creates "pink noise" that
targets conversation to make it less intrusive.' .. 'You see, our
brains are programmed to home in on chitchat. When we overhear a
co-worker talking on the phone, we automatically try to process it.'
... 'In essence, pink noise is lower-frequency sound that masks
higher-frequency conversation.' ... 'The technology, developed by
Dynasound Inc. in Norcross, Ga., has been around for more than 20
years, but many companies still don't know it exists.' .. 'Sales often
depend on word of mouth – both spoken and not.'
Gadget maker aims for global reign // BenQ
<http://news.com.com/2100-1041-5082834.html>
---------------------------------------------------
12-- electromagnetic artworks & artifacts
---------------------------------------------------
// this is an immensely talented thinker and writer who is
// adept at capturing the essence of architecture, oftentimes,
// and doing so has written of electromagnetism in ways. a
// short book review could not capture one page of complexity
// of Shepheard's writing, IMO, so to capture the work in its
// original state, as a book, might be quizzical as it sounds
// this goes further than earlier works, yet the idea below
// is quite interesting, considering the microsatellites that
// are mentioned above dropped a copper wire in low orbit, for
// measuring electromagnetic fields, thus chunks of copper, in
// essence, may be recreating some mythic charged prime matter
// and in relation, a prime mover. the other books are in the
// section of the ae thesis electronetwork.org/works/ae/towards/
// in the 'fragments' section, analysis of two Shepheard works
// which may be helpful reading if to grok the storytelling...
'Artificial Love': All the World's a Contraption
book review of ARTIFICIAL LOVE
A Story of Machines and Architecture. By Paul Shepheard.
Illustrated. 296 pp. Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/28/books/review/28SHARRAT.html?th>
'Pivotal to the book is the Shepheard character's own pet project: to
persuade NASA to launch a constellation into low orbit, an arrangement
of rocket-propelled bronze lumps he calls enchanted rocks, to be
visible in the night sky. The scheme connects to several significant
stones cross-linked by the book: Ayers Rock in Australia, which once
centered aboriginal songlines; the fallen meteorite that became
Artemis, a focus for Greek cults; the Kaaba stone orienting Islam; and
the ''smart rocks'' (inert missiles) of America's Star Wars program,
warping space into a new tribal horizon. Each stone encapsulates a
certain relation of landscape, building, machine, power and nature. But
his orbiting lumps strike me as celestial vandalism, akin to inscribing
self-advertising graffiti on the dawn. Here the hubris of the architect
becomes self-celebrity gone ballistic.'
A dream that lies derelict -- Battersea Power Station is the great
white elephant gracing London's skyline, a stunning piece of
architecture that has gone unused for 20 years. Who will breathe life
back into it, and how? Jay Merrick reports // 'super station'...
<http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/story.jsp?story=446701>
[and, related] World Monumnets Watch 2004 // UK's Battersea...
<http://www.wmf.org/html/programs/watchlist.html>
Panasonic Announces Digital Filmmakers Grant // via macsurfer.com
<http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?bw.092903/
232725454&ticker=MC>
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