Growing Pains: Can Web 2.0 Evolve Into An Enterprise Technology?

Forget outsourcing. the real threat to IT pros could be Web 2.0. While there's a lot of hype and hubris surrounding wikis, mashups, and social networking, there's also a lot of real innovation--much of it coming from increasingly tech-savvy business users, not the IT department.
"We've cut IT staff by 20%, and we're providing a whole lot more in terms of IT services," says Ken Harris, CIO at nutritional products manufacturer Shaklee. Harris started with a mashup platform from StrikeIron; he found mashups such an effective way to integrate multiple Web services that he turned to Web-based service providers to replace in-house functions. Now, Shaklee gets its ERP from Workday and search from Visual Sciences, and it's looking at other IT functions that software as a service can replace.
And Web 2.0 means more than just SaaS. Though the term is often abused, all the various technologies, products, and sites grouped together as "Web 2.0" do have one thing in common: interactivity. Web 2.0 is designed for two-way communication. At the technical level, it replaces static HTML with (usually) JavaScript apps that continually send and receive small chunks of XML or text. At the social level, it means Web sites that let people communicate, not just read or shop. Instead of passive consumers, Web surfers can become active creators.
All that interactivity ought to make Web 2.0 ideally suited for business use. Most workplaces are about production, not consumption. However, enterprises lag far behind consumers in adoption of Web 2.0 technologies. What's more, our online poll shows that interest in technologies such as blogs, wikis, and mashups has gone down during 2007, despite explosive growth outside the firewall.
Part of the reason is that business users already have access to more sophisticated versions of the same technologies. Blogging is publishing, a wiki is a CMS (content management system), and Ajax is a more standardized way of achieving what many internal enterprise apps already do with ActiveX or Java. Now, that doesn't mean new technologies can be ignored--their lower costs and simpler administration mean they will quickly overtake legacy platforms, and already have done so in some areas. But it does mean they need to fit in with their predecessors.

Technology, the Stealthy Tattletale

Initially, it seemed like an easy bank robbery. After stealing $7,000 from a PNC Bank in Evendale, Ohio, Kenneth Maples climbed into a white Ford pickup driven by his wife, Jewell, according to a police report. No dye pack exploded, no police sirens screamed in pursuit as the couple’s truck slipped into the anonymity of heavy traffic on Interstate 71 just after 10 a.m. on Sept. 14.
But the suspects never had a chance. A Global Positioning System tracking device had been tucked inside the stolen cash, according to the report, allowing a small army of local police officers and F.B.I. agents to follow the signal from on-ramps and overpasses as it moved south into downtown Cincinnati.
Police put up a roadblock, closing five lanes of traffic. As hundreds of vehicles stopped, police converged on the suspects’ truck, sitting just five cars behind the police line.
“It was incredibly precise,” said Mark Fisk, a Cincinnati resident who photographed the arrest from his delivery van, three cars behind the suspects.
A technological revolution is making it possible not just to track down escaping bank robbers but to find missing things and people far more quickly and precisely than ever.
The change is powered less by new technologies than the artful combination of existing ones, mainly the Internet, cellphones and G.P.S. satellites. In some cases, the new devices linked to these systems can even detect a theft before it happens.
“This stuff is coming down the pike very soon,” said Jim Van Cleave, vice president of Spectrum Management, which has developed tracking systems for commercial and covert uses since 1980. “The number of potential applications is mind-boggling.”
One new use is tracking teenage drivers. Brian Aladesuyi, 17, received a new Jeep in exchange for a promise: he would never drive it outside his hometown, Kennesaw, Ga. His father, Kayode Aladesuyi, chief executive of the security firm EarthSearch Communications, used EarthSearch’s Web site to map Kennesaw’s boundaries into the Jeep’s onboard computer, surrounding the entire city with an electronic fence.
But when his father took a business trip to Brazil, Brian decided to try his luck, Mr. Aladesuyi said. Brian drove to Marietta, a neighboring town. Seconds after Brian breached the invisible wall, his father received a text message on his mobile phone.
Mr. Aladesuyi sent a message commanding the computer to disable the Jeep’s engine as soon as Brian switched it off. When the Jeep would not restart, Brian had to call his father and confess he had broken their agreement.
“I don’t think Brian really understood I could do that from Brazil,” Mr. Aladesuyi said.
That tracking system became available this spring. The onboard computer costs $229, installation included, and the service costs $19.99 a month. Mr. Aladesuyi uses a similar EarthSearch system to disengage the engine of his own Mercedes E500 sedan, making it “virtually impossible” to steal, he said.
Like a host of other location technologies in the works, the money-tracking tools can trace their origin to an initially obscure rule, written into the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, which required that new cellphones be able to communicate their location to emergency responders whenever callers dial 911. Some companies planted chips in their phones that communicate directly with G.P.S. satellites. Others use cellular towers to triangulate the signal. With the location systems in place, a number of companies began working on other applications.
“There’s a lot of sexy stuff out there that’s just getting ready for prime time,” said David Mansfield, vice president of Raptor Analytics, a company in Longmont, Colo., that advises banks on security.
Banks began putting the technology to use about two years ago, Mr. Mansfield said. Harry Trombitas, the F.B.I. special agent who leads the bank robbery unit in southern Ohio, said that the G.P.S. devices allowed law enforcement officials to keep close track of missing money. “These things are pretty accurate,” he said. “They can get it down to within a few feet.”
Sometimes the technology allows property owners to detect a theft before it occurs. SC Integrity, a security firm in Bothell, Wash., uses G.P.S. technology and a database of shipping container thefts to safeguard trucking fleets.
If it finds a pattern of thieves stealing, say, cigarette shipments from a certain Texas truck stop, the company can load the coordinates into a G.P.S. module inside the trailer, creating an electric fence around the entire freeway off-ramp, said Denis duNann, the company’s chief executive.
If the truck exits anyway, trucking company dispatchers instantly receive an alert and phone the driver. If the driver lies about his location, dispatchers call the local police and alert them to a possible theft in progress.
“You can sit at your computer and watch him do a U-turn and get right back on the highway,” Mr. duNann said.
Many missing objects, of course, do not involve a crime. Project Lifesaver, a nonprofit group in Chesapeake, Va., fits Alzheimer’s patients and autistic children with radio frequency beacons disguised as bracelets, which help emergency responders find them if they are lost.
Next spring the group will introduce new bracelets, created by Locator Systems, a British Columbia company, that combine radio signals with G.P.S. and cellular communications. That should allow caregivers to establish a zone where patients can safely wander, said Jim McIntosh, the company’s chief executive. If patients wander off, emergency crews could receive more specific information.
But most of the work is aimed at recovering stolen property, potentially saving billions.
OnStar, the G.P.S.-based navigation system offered by General Motors, will start a “stolen vehicle slowdown” service next spring to help avoid dangerous high-speed chases. If an equipped vehicle is stolen, police can ask OnStar to send a wireless message to the onboard computer, cutting the engine’s power.
The driver, said Chet Huber, OnStar’s president, will have time to pull off the road safely. After that, the thief is on his own.

Facebook's Business Technology Future

Doubtful that Facebook execs will lose too much sleep over what business IT teams want and need from social networking. But that's where last week's big Facebook hook-ups just might get interesting. Its new partners, Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) and Research In Motion (NSDQ: RIMM), have a deep understanding of how business IT works.
Microsoft paid $240 million for a 1.6% sliver of Facebook, in a deal focused on online ad sales. RIM, meanwhile, is offering a version of Facebook customized for BlackBerry devices that will use the device's push e-mail to let users receive Facebook messages and updates automatically, so people can feed two online addictions at once.
Both these two companies are looking to tap Facebook's runaway consumer vibe, but wouldn't it be great if some of it rubs off the other way, and Microsoft and RIM help Facebook be more useful to businesses? A growing segment of businesspeople already use social networking sites to nurture connections inside and outside their companies. And IT departments desperately want in on the act -- they're feeling the pressure to provide tools that let people know what projects their colleagues are working on, what skills the company has in-house. At the InformationWeek 500 Conference this fall, two dozen IT execs met in an informal discussion of their wants and worries about Web 2.0 collaboration, and Facebook capabilities kept coming up. But with consumer tools, they worry about security, regulatory compliance, and just plain time wasting.
As Facebook tries to keep up with consumer demands, hopefully its partners can help it figure out the best way to tap the business IT opportunity. (See J. Nicholas Hoover's "What Microsoft Could Do With Facebook.") Any thoughts? Could your company use Facebook-like tools, or are the IT execs I've heard from just chasing a fad?

Technology a do or die situation

An Invercargill nursery has turned to cutting-edge technology in a bid to bolster production and avoid becoming a casualty of widespread consolidation within the industry.
Evandale Gardens has installed a $100,000 transplanting machine which it says will cut down on production costs and help meet demand for its product from buyers.
Owner Peter Brass said the technology was one of about five of its type being used by nurseries in New Zealand, and was capable of transplanting more than 1000 plants from cell trays to distribution trays in 10 minutes using robotic hands.
While a large cost at the onset, the wireless technology would pay for itself over time and gave the company assurance for its future, he said.
"If we didn't do it we would not be here.
It's as simple as that. You either do it or you die. We can't afford not to," Mr Brass said.
Big box retailers like The Warehouse had increased demand for product from seedling nurseries like Evandale and had factored in the decision to invest in robotic technology.
Evandale imported the machinery from Italy two months ago, ahead of the two biggest months for production, Mr Brass said.
The seedling nursery employs more than 30 staff and distributes its product throughout the South Island.

7 teams, 3 individuals win Defence Technology Prize

SINGAPORE : Seven teams and three individuals have been honoured this year with the Defence Technology Prize in recognition of their breakthroughs in the sector. The winners are scientists and researchers from Singapore's defence science agencies. Presenting the awards on Friday, Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean emphasised that local research capabilities will help the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) power ahead for years to come. The defence technology community now has some 5,000 defence scientists, engineers and acquisition professionals. Mr Teo said the Defence Technology Prize helps recognise these experts who have achieved technological excellence. Among the projects developed are complex command and control systems and the integration of these systems with sensors and weaponry into the networked SAF system. Mr Teo said: "Over the years we have continuously invested up to 4 percent of our defence budget in defence research and technology. "Our sustained investment, in a pipeline of projects that challenge our scientists and engineers to come up with unique and innovative solutions to critical operational requirements, has resulted in a very capable defence research and technology community in DSO, as well as our academic and research institutes." - CNA/ms

Technology acquires Hypersonic PC Systems for undisclosed sum

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - OCZ Technology Group Inc said it has acquired Hypersonic PC Systems, a maker of laptop and desktop computer systems, for an undisclosed sum.
The maker of computer components said the acquisition will add a range of high-performance and personalised mobile, desktop gaming and commercial computer systems to its existing product range.
It said it also expects the addition of 'Hypersonic PC' brand to increase brand recognition for its existing product line.
OCZ Technology said the brand will form a new system division within the company and utilise its existing global channels to increase the customer base for Hypersonic PC products.
Chief executive Ryan Petersen said the deal will also present cross-selling opportunities for its line of high-performance memory components and PC Power & Cooling's power management solutions

Air Chief calls for technology roadmap

Air Chief Marshal F.H. Major at the inauguration of the international conference on “Energising Indian Aerospace Industry” in New Delhi on Thursday.
NEW DELHI: The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal F.H. Major, on Thursday sought a technology roadmap for the aerospace industry and a greater role by the private sector in defence design and development to help the industry become a major player in the global market.
He was speaking at a second international conference on “Energising Indian Aerospace Industry: New Partnership, New Opportunities,” organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in partnership with the Society for Aerospace Studies, the Centre for Airpower Studies and the Indian Air Force here.
The Air Chief said: “As new technologies are altering warfare tactics, it is important for the Indian aerospace industry to have a strong research and development (R&D) infrastructure, backed by quality players with dedication, motivation, spirit of teamwork and world-class education.”
Talking about skilled workforce, he emphasised the need for retaining the talent pool with adequate incentives.
The Air Chief said that as design, development and manufacturing would remain important, the private sector would always find a meaningful role to play.
He called for greater indigenisation and identification of co-technology, especially in metallurgy and avionics. “There is greater need for production support and maintaining the economies of scale.”
In the keynote address, Baba Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Forge Ltd., urged the government to come out with a national aeronautics policy to propel the country’s aerospace industry.
The CII signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the French Aerospace Industries Association, GIFAS.
Lt. Gen. (retd.) S. S. Mehta signed it on behalf of the CII and Guy Rupied, Managing Director for GIFAS.
Source: hindu.com

BorgWarner Dual-Clutch Technology Featured at Tokyo Auto Show on Nissan GT-R Sports Car

BorgWarner Dual-Clutch Technology Featured at Tokyo Auto Show on Nissan GT-R Sports Car



AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BorgWarner's leading dual-clutch transmission technology is showcased at the Tokyo Auto Show on the 2008 Nissan GT-R sports car, dubbed the most eagerly anticipated car in a generation by the automotive press.


"The Nissan GT-R is a great driving machine and one that is a superb platform for experiencing the full range of dual-clutch transmission efficiency, responsiveness, and versatility," said Dr. Bernd Matthes, President and General Manager, BorgWarner Transmission Systems. "We feel privileged to have worked with Nissan on this milestone vehicle, the first GT-R engineered for sale in global markets. This is another key event in the globalization of dual-clutch transmissions, launching BorgWarner's DualTronic(R) technology in a Japanese transmission for the first time. It is also the world's first transaxle dual-clutch transmission -- front engine and rear transmission -- the perfect balance for sports cars."


BorgWarner worked with Nissan on the design of the dual-clutch transmission for the GT-R to create a driving experience fitting for a premier sports car. Standard equipment on all GT-Rs, the transmission is a rear transaxle layout, chosen to enhance weight distribution. The transmission features four of BorgWarner's advanced DualTronic(R) transmission technologies including the integrated dual-clutch module, clutch control and shift actuation modules, and synchronizer assemblies. The sports car will go on sale in Japan in December and be available in other markets including the U.S. next year.


BorgWarner leads the globalization of dual-clutch transmission technology with awarded business in Europe, North America and Asia. Customers include VW, Audi, Bugatti, SAIC, Nissan and Getrag dual-clutch transmission programs with five additional global automakers. At full-launch of announced programs, the company will be providing its innovative DualTronic(R) technology to an expected 2.3 million dual-clutch transmissions per year. In addition, BorgWarner is working on over 20 programs with transmission and vehicle makers around the world.


BorgWarner's family of DualTronic(R) dual-clutch transmission technology combines the efficiency of a manual gearbox with the functionality of a fully automatic transmission, delivering seamless powerflow, improved fuel efficiency, and a fun-to-drive experience. Global manufacturing capacity for BorgWarner dual-clutch transmission modules is supported by its facilities in the United States, Germany France and China, and a new facility in Mexico.
Auburn Hills, Michigan-based BorgWarner Inc. is a product leader in highly engineered components and systems for vehicle powertrain applications worldwide. The FORTUNE 500 company operates manufacturing and technical facilities in 64 locations in 17 countries. Customers include VW/Audi, Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Hyundai/Kia, Daimler, Renault/Nissan, Chrysler, Navistar International, Fiat, BMW, Honda, PSA and Caterpillar. The Internet address for BorgWarner is: http://www.borgwarner.com/.


Statements contained in this news release may contain forward-looking statements as contemplated by the 1995 Private Securities Litigation Reform Act that are based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed, projected or implied in or by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include: fluctuations in domestic or foreign vehicle production, the continued use of outside suppliers, fluctuations in demand for vehicles containing our products, changes in general economic conditions, and other risks detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Risk Factors, identified in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K. We do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Making the world a giant Internet hotspot

Despite the potential of this new technology, many carriers are staying on the sidelines
Technology has so far managed to take the Internet into the wireless world, but if consumers really want to take advantage of it away from their home or office they are stuck seeking out hot spots. WiMAX could change all that, delivering a new technology that promises to do what the cellphone did for phone calls.
Anyone frustrated with having to wait minutes to load a web page or navigate a website on a mobile device such as a BlackBerry or cellphone will be quick to recognize the potential of the new technology.
Unfortunately, to date Canada's major telecom carriers have been slow to get on the WiMAX bandwagon. But elsewhere, the technology is starting to get some prominent endorsements.
Yesterday, Cisco Systems Inc. said it is snapping up privately held WiMAX equipment maker Navini Networks Inc. for $330-million (U.S.), a move analysts said provided the latest validation for the new wireless network technology
Companies betting on WiMAX, including Canadian telecom equipment maker Nortel Networks Corp., insist there is pent-up demand for a speedy wireless Internet service.
They point to the popularity of social networking sites such as MySpace and YouTube and their limitations on cellphones today. YouTube, for example, may only offer 50 instead of thousands of clips for viewing.
"I believe this really is the promise of bringing mobility to broadband," Richard Lowe, Nortel's president of carrier networks, said in an interview.
With their cameras and video players, cellphones are advanced consumer electronic devices. Yet the networks they run on haven't kept pace with the speed, bandwidth and low prices available on land line Internet connections.
The fastest cellular networks offer speeds of around one megabit per second (Mbps). WiMAX promises to be up to five times faster, comparable to connections at home.
Soon, consumers could be constantly connected to the Web whether at home or out with friends, just as they don't hesitate to reach for their cellphones to make calls today.
WiMAX "will make the Web truly a part of our everyday life, like electricity," said Michael Rogers, the Futurist-in-Residence for The New York Times.
But the technology hit a roadblock recently when the chief executive of its most prominent promoter, Sprint Nextel Corp., left amid concerns that his vision for mobile services was flawed. Some have speculated that could delay or deal a serious blow to WiMAX before it takes off, though Sprint says it remains committed to rolling out the network in the second quarter of 2008.
Source: theglobeandmail.com

Phone cable to link China and US

Work has begun on the first undersea telecommunications cable linking the US with China, Chinese press reports say.
The fibre-optic cable is designed to meet booming internet traffic between the regions, with 60 times more capacity than existing cables.
Work began in the coastal city of Qingdao this week and is scheduled to finish next July - ahead of the Beijing Olympics, Xinhua News Agency said.
Earthquake hotspots have been avoided in the planned route of the cable.
It is hoped that potential disruption to internet and telephone networks in Asia, such as that caused by the magnitude 7.1 earthquake last December near Taiwan, will be avoided.
Super highway
Investors in the project, named Trans-Pacific Express, include US telecoms giant Verizon Communications, mainland Chinese firms China Telecom, China Netcom and China Unicom, South Korea's Korea Telecom and Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom.
Verizon has previously said that the cable will extend more than 18,000 kilometres and will cost the consortium about $500m (£244m).
It will terminate in Nedonna Beach, Oregon on the US west coast with connections to Taiwan and South Korea, but none to Japan.
Current cable links between China and the US run through Japan, but observers note that regional rivalry has been a key motivator in China wanting an independent trans-Pacific connection.
When complete, the new cable will be able to support the equivalent of 62 million simultaneous phone calls, with the design capacity to support future internet growth and advanced applications such as video and e-commerce.

Source: bbc.co.uk

Hitachi exits personal computers

Hitachi exits personal computers

Hitachi had been Japan's eighth-largest PC makerHitachi is pulling out of the sale of personal computers, saying it wants to focus on larger network systems for businesses instead.
Analysts said the move showed Hitachi had been struggling to compete in a PC market dominated by US firms Dell and Hewlett-Packard and China's Lenovo.
Hitachi said it was now scaling back PC production at its central Japan plant.
The electronics group had been Japan's eighth-largest PC maker, with its main PC brand being Prius.
"We want to develop new computers for use in the broadcasting industry, which is becoming more digitised," said a spokesman.

These Phones Can Find You

Two new questions arise, courtesy of the latest advancement in cellphone technology: Do you want your friends, family, or colleagues to know where you are at any given time? And do you want to know where they are?

Obvious benefits come to mind. Parents can take advantage of the Global Positioning System chips embedded in many cellphones to track the whereabouts of their phone-toting children.
And for teenagers and 20-somethings, who are fond of sharing their comings and goings on the Internet, youth-oriented services like Loopt and Buddy Beacon are a natural next step.
Sam Altman, the 22-year-old co-founder of Loopt, said he came up with the idea in early 2005 when he walked out of a lecture hall at Stanford.
“Two hundred students all pulled out their cellphones, called someone and said, ‘Where are you?’ ” he said. “People want to connect.”
But such services point to a new truth of modern life: If G.P.S. made it harder to get lost, new cellphone services are now making it harder to hide.
“There are massive changes going on in society, particularly among young people who feel comfortable sharing information in a digital society,” said Kevin Bankston, a staff lawyer at the Electronic Frontier Foundation based in San Francisco.
“We seem to be getting into a period where people are closely watching each other,” he said. “There are privacy risks we haven’t begun to grapple with.”
But the practical applications outweigh the worries for some converts.
Kyna Fong, a 24-year-old Stanford graduate student, uses Loopt, offered by Sprint Nextel. For $2.99 a month, she can see the location of friends who also have the service, represented by dots on a map on her phone, with labels identifying their names. They can also see where she is.
One night last summer she noticed on Loopt that friends she was meeting for dinner were 40 miles away, and would be late. Instead of waiting, Ms. Fong arranged her schedule to arrive when they did. “People don’t have to ask ‘Where are you?’” she said.
Ms. Fong can control whom she shares the service with, and if at any point she wants privacy, Ms. Fong can block access. Some people are not invited to join — like her mother.
“I don’t know if I’d want my mom knowing where I was all the time,” she said.
Some situations are not so clear-cut. What if a spouse wants some time alone and turns off the service? Why on earth, their better half may ask, are they doing that?
What if a boss asks an employee to use the service?
So far, the market for social-mapping is nascent — users number in the hundreds of thousands, industry experts estimate.
But almost 55 percent of all mobile phones sold today in the United States have the technology that makes such friend-and- family-tracking services possible, according to Current Analysis, which follows trends in technology.
So far, it is most popular, industry executives say, among the college set.
But others have found different uses. Mr. Altman said one customer bought it to keep track of a parent with Alzheimer’s. Helio, a mobile phone service provider that offers Buddy Beacon, said some small-business owners use it to track employees.
Consumers can turn off their service, making them invisible to people in their social-mapping network. Still, the G.P.S. service embedded in the phone means that your whereabouts are not a complete mystery.
“There is a Big Brother component,” said Charles S. Golvin, a wireless analyst at Forrester Research. “The thinking goes that if my friends can find me, the telephone company knows my location all the time, too.”
Phone companies say they are aware of the potential problems such services could cause.
If a friend-finding service is viewed as too intrusive, said Mark Collins, vice president for consumer data at AT&T’s wireless unit, “that is a negative for us.” Loopt and similar services say they do not keep electronic records of people’s whereabouts.
Mr. Altman of Loopt said that to protect better against unwelcome prying by, say, a former friend, Loopt users are sent text messages at random times, asking if they recognize a certain friend. If not, that person’s viewing ability is disabled.
Clay Harris, a 25-year-old freelance marketing executive in Memphis, says he uses Helio’s Buddy Beacon mostly to keep in touch with his friend Gregory Lotz. One night when Mr. Lotz was returning from a trip, Mr. Harris was happy to see his friend show up unannounced at a bar where he and some other friends had gathered.
“He had tried to reach me, but I didn’t hear my phone ring,” Mr. Harris said. “He just showed up and I thought, ‘Wow, this is great.’”
He would never think to block Mr. Lotz. But he would think twice before inviting a girlfriend into his social-mapping network. “Most definitely a girl would ask and wonder why I was blocking her,” he said.

As Calif. wildfires rage, technology used to track blazes

As Calif. wildfires rage, technology used to track blazes
But there's little IT can do to help stop the fires until the weather cooperates

October 23, 2007 (Computerworld) -- With 14 major wildfires ravaging thousands of acres of land, homes and businesses across Southern California, high-tech tools such as GPS technology, satellite imaging systems and aerial photography have been helping firefighters and other officials track the destructive paths of the massive blazes.

But while technology can be helpful, right now it's no match for the powerful Santa Ana winds fueling the fires, which continue to build in intensity and destructiveness. So far, upward of 500,000 people have been forced from their homes.

"Tried and true methods [including water, manpower and creating firebreaks] are being used now to try to get things under control," said MaryAnn Aldrich, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) in Sacramento. With conditions so volatile, the most important task becomes the age-old practice of fighting the fires, protecting lives and immediately dealing with the situation at hand, she said. Later, when the winds die down, firefighters can turn to technology to help them do their jobs, she said.
Firefighters have begun using various GPS technologies to map out the progress of wildfires over the last several years, Aldrich said. They are also trying out other kinds of high-tech aids, such as devices that use infrared images to "see" moisture levels in shrubs and grasses. "We're always striving to stay on the cutting edge," Aldrich said.

So far, fires are burning in seven counties -- San Diego, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura -- and states of emergency have been declared in those counties, according to Cal Fire.

Glenn Nader, the natural resources adviser for the University of California Agricultural Extension in Yuba City, said one technology that continues to help firefighters is geographic information system (GIS) mapping data, which can be combined in layers to provide details on topography, fire history, roads, access and population. "It gives you kind of a plan," Nader said.
Also critical is the use of GPS navigational technology to help firefighters arriving from other areas during emergencies, he said. Because they are from out of town, they don't know where fire hydrants and other water supplies are, so they can use the GPS tools on their trucks to quickly find water supplies to battle the blazes, he said.

Reverse 911 systems are also being used, Nader said. They enable police and fire officials to quickly issue evacuation notices to thousands of residents at a time. "They can target a community and tell everyone to evacuate," he said. "Sometimes when you've got these kinds of fires, you've got to rely on technology to let people know that an evacuation is being ordered."
But while GPS, computer modeling and satellite and infrared imaging technologies are already helping firefighters, other high-tech methods are still in the development pipeline, including new kinds of computer modeling systems and improved ways of using GPS data to give real-time reports of fire activity and direction.

Ming-Hsiang Tsou, an associate professor of geography at San Diego State University, is working with other researchers on improved mobile GIS tools that would allow firefighters to instantaneously report the locations and boundaries of a fire to a central database where conditions can be constantly monitored.

Such systems are now being tested, he said. Tsou's department has a Web site that is monitoring the fire zones in the state.

Peter Sadler, a geology professor at the University of California, Riverside, said he is working on computer modeling of fires with a twist -- instead of modeling how fires will move and change direction and grow or retreat, he is modeling the growth of shrubbery, grasses and other natural combustibles and how they contribute to fires. What his work has revealed, he said, is that in areas where major fires have already burned, there is little danger of new wildfires for years because the dry undergrowth has already been consumed. "It's a natural firebreak," he said.
What the software can do is tell researchers or fire officials how the undergrowth will react if it is thinned out, replaced with other species or left to grow unaltered, and then compare that data to past fire histories, he said. "This is giving land managers the ability to look ahead," he said.
Max Moritz, a wildfire specialist at the University of California Agricultural Extension in Berkeley, has been studying weather and wind patterns and their effects on wildfires in California. He and his team have created a "fire engine tool kit" Web site where officials and residents can use databases of historical fire data to analyze new fires and determine how they might behave. "Firefighters can use the tool kit to see what they're up against when fighting fires like this," Moritz said. The Web site is still evolving, but it's drawing interest from officials, he said.

Doug Stow, a geography professor at San Diego State University, is working on creating remote sensors to track the water content of plant life to determine its combustibility in the event of fire. The sensors take infrared satellite images and pick up reflected light from the vegetation. "When these levels go higher, that means the plant moisture levels are getting more dangerous," Stow said. In San Diego County, where some of the fiercest blazes are burning now, fire officials typically measure vegetation moisture in three or four places per acre; satellite images can provide much more detail, he said.

The Modis sensors (the name is derived from the term "moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer") that are capturing the infrared images are located on two NASA satellites, Terra and Aqua, that are part of a NASA Earth observation system (download PDF).
Although a number of new technologies are under development, he said, that doesn't mean they can be quickly deployed, even after they're shown to work. "Mostly, local governments just don't have the money for new technology," Stow said. "In California, most money goes into [fire] suppression" rather than technology.

China Technology Launches the Re-designed Website Introducing Its New Solar Energy Business

HONG KONG, Oct. 23 /Xinhua-PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- China Technology Development Group Corporation , a provider of renewable energy solutions and network security focusing in the solar energy business in China, today launched its redesigned and updated corporate website http://www.chinactdc.com , introducing the Company's solar energy business following the 2007 AGM successfully convened on October 19, 2007.
The redesigned website marks a dramatic improvement in the appearance, navigability, and accessibility. It provides a comprehensive platform for introducing CTDC's new solar energy business and products.
Commenting on the updated website, Stephan Yao, General Manager of CTDC's PR & IR Department, said, "Our goal for redesigning the corporate website is to offer our existing and potential stakeholders comprehensive information on how CTDC is committed to becoming a leading renewable energy solution provider in China. We hope, with regular updates in the future, the website will become an essential and informative resource for people wishing to learn about CTDC."
Source: money.cnn.com

Strike by office workers at seven companies hits core of technology industry

A strike by office workers affiliated with the Union of Salaried Employees (TU) began on Monday morning at seven companies in the metal and technology industries. The companies affected include the shipbuilder Aker-Yards, steel manufacturers Outokumpu, and Ovako, the metals company Rautaruukki, engine manufacturer Wärtsilä, the mining and smelting company Boliden, and metal fabrication and component manufacturer Luvata. Employers say that the strike will have a rapid impact on the operations of the companies. Last-ditch efforts to avert the strike failed over differences on the level and form of pay increases. National Conciliator Juhani Salonius said on Sunday night that the views of the two sides were too far apart for him to make a mediation proposal. The gap between the union demand and the management offer for wages is 2.5 percentage points over a two-year period. The industry has offered pay hikes which would raise labour costs by 8.7 per cent, while the labour side are calling for 10.6 per cent. Another dispute is over how the pay hikes should be targeted. Jaana Aaltonen, head of communications at TU, says that the management side is offering percentages alone. The union wants a flat sum for everyone, and a percentage-based hike for the higher pay levels. The TU wants all office employees to get a monthly pay increase of at least EUR 176 over the next two and a half years. The lowest-paid white-collar workers in the technology sector currently earn EUR 1,454 a month, which means that the rise for those with the lowest pay would be just over 12 per cent. Such a scheme would especially benefit women, who comprise half of the membership of the Union of Salaried Employees. Head shop steward Ari Havurinne at the Aker Yards Helsinki shipyard, where about 50 TU members walked off the job, said that he expects that the strike could delay handovers of ships, and slow production. One of the strikers, Raimo Oikarinen said at the front gate of the shipyard, that he does not expect the strike to last long. The Chairman of the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries, Wärtsilä CEO Ole Johansson, said in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat on Saturday, that the dispute boils down to a membership demarcation dispute between two organisations - TU, and YTN, the negotiating arm of private sector employees affiliated with the Confederation of Unions for Academic Professionals (AKAVA). Jaana Aaltonen says that the only reason for such a claim is the employer's desire to confuse matters. She says that the dispute Johansson referes to has already been resolved. "Now we are talking about money." The executive committee of the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries decided on Monday to suspend payment of TU dues in all of its member companies. The decision does not apply to companies in the information technology business. TU has threatened to expand its strike on October 31st, if no agreement is reached before that. If this happens, the strike would affect 20 companies and more than 4,000 employees. The strike could also be expanded after that. A total of about 30,000 members of TU work in the technology industry. Especially vulnerable to the effects of the strike is the Ovako plant in Imatra, which produces parts for the automotive industry. Delivery problems could rapidly affect the production of Volvo cars around the world for instance.
Helsingin Sanomat Source: hs.fi

technology key to meeting regional and global energy needs

technology key to meeting regional and global energy needs
BP Showcases Groundbreaking Technologies at Kuwait’s World Energy and Chemicals Exhibition
Oil & gas major BP showcased some of its industry leading technologies at the World Energy and Chemicals Exhibition in Kuwait, demonstrating how these can be applied to meet rising Middle Eastern and international energy demand. BP has developed a range of proprietary industry-leading technologies that have enabled it to increase recovery factors throughout its global network and to unlock difficult to extract resources.
“The application of innovative technologies and cooperation between governments, national oil companies and international oil companies will be crucial to meeting rising Middle Eastern and global energy demand over the coming years,” explained Dr. Tim Marchant, President, BP Kuwait.
The major Gulf producers have announced plan to increase oil production capacity by more than 50% by 2020, equivalent to an unprecedented average of 1 million barrels/day of net productive capacity per year. These plans take on new significance in light of increasing global energy demand and domestic and international economic growth.
“BP has significantly increased recovery factors from its oil and gas fields around the world through the application of leading edge technologies and field management processes. Our aim is to work in partnership with national oil companies and governments to maximise their resources and meet expansion targets by sharing BP’s global expertise and upstream technologies,” Marchant said.
“An area where BP sees particularly strong potential for cooperation is in what we call ‘difficult hydrocarbons’, that is non-conventional oil and gas such as tight and sour gas, and hard to recover oil beyond normally achievable 35-40% recoveries.”
BP believes the Middle East has vast resources of ‘difficult hydrocarbons’ which have not yet been developed because they pose significant technical challenges.
One example where BP’s extraordinary recovery technologies have made a difference is the super-giant Prudhoe Bay field in Alaska which, given its characteristics, would normally yield a ‘standard’ recovery of less than 40%, whereas in reality the field is set to recover around 65% of in-place reserves.
Other technologies BP has developed over the past decade and deployed in the field includes Improved Waterflood Recovery. With Waterflooding, water is injected into the reservoir to “sweep” out any residual oil. BP’s Enhanced Waterflooding Technology significantly improves sweep efficiency allowing for greater amounts of oil to be displaced and ultimately extracted.
BP is also pioneering the research and development into methods for the capture and storage of carbon dioxide in combination with enhanced oil recovery. “Removing carbon dioxide from produced natural gas and reinjecting it into oil reservoirs results in the double benefit of reducing pollution and maximising recovery from producing fields,” Marchant explained.
The world’s first industrial scale carbon capture project is being lead by BP at In Salah in Algeria, where the removal of carbon dioxide from extracted natural gas currently amounts to the equivalent of taking 200,000 cars off the road. The carbon dioxide is reinjected into a sandstone reservoir where it is permanently stored.
“We know there are still significant oil and gas reserves that can help meet the rising demand for energy. These reserves contain more difficult oil than in the past, but thanks to significant advances in oilfield technology we are increasingly able to optimise production from mature oilfields,” concluded Marchant.
Source : © 2007 Al Bawaba (http://www.albawaba.com/)

GE Gets Hybrid Technology Contracts

GE Gets Hybrid Technology Contracts
General Electric Gets $6.8 Million for Hybrid Vehicle Technology Development Projects

NEW YORK (Associated Press) - GE Global Research, the centralized research organization of the General Electric Co., said Tuesday it was awarded $6.8 million in funding for two projects designed to help bring plug-in hybrid vehicles to market.
The projects include a $5.6 million contract to develop smaller, lower cost, higher performance hybrid drivetrain motors. The second is a $1.2 million project to develop advanced high temperature, high energy density capacitors, GE said.
Both projects are co-funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's office of vehicle technologies and managed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory, GE said.
GE shares rose 32 cents to $40.49 in midday trading.

Scandium "Gyro" Technology From Element 21

Scandium "Gyro" Technology From Element 21 Golf Company Wins Big on the Champions Tour at the AT & T Championship
Element 21 Golf Company ("e21") (OTCBB: EGLF) (FRANKFURT: BJQ), the manufacturer of advanced Scandium Alloy golf and bio-fibre fishing equipment, are pleased to announce a rookie player on the Champions Tour has won the AT&T Championship played this past weekend at Oak Hills in San Antonio Texas using Eagle One Scandium Golf Shafts.
This Nike Golf sponsored player incorporated Element 21 Scandium technology into his Nike iron clubs in early 2006, and has since moved to the leading position in GIR from 176th to a 1st on the PGA in the spring of 2007. This is only his second Champions Tour event, as he turned 50 on October 2. He fired a closing round of 6 under par 65 on Sunday for a two-stroke victory over his closest competitor. This 11-time PGA Tour winner with earnings in excess of 13 million switched to Element 21's Eagle One Scandium shafts and continued to impress onlookers during this windswept tournament at 15 strokes under par, and ranked number 2 in greens-in-regulation at 77.8%. He was quoted as saying, "Some tricky winds on a good golf course and major championship winners were all over the place."
Element 21-engineered "gyroscopic" balls will keep ball flight on course in a precise direction initiated at launch, even in very windy conditions. The golf ball cuts through shifting air masses because of centrifugal force generated parallel to the line of the launch. This "gyroscopic" effect has been engineered into hybrids and irons utilizing Element 21 Scandium Technology, by minimizing the ratio of the sidespin to the backspin of the golf ball in flight. This is one of the most unique features of the hybrids and iron clubs using Element 21 Scandium Technology, and provides unprecedented accuracy even on windy days.
Once a golfer hits a ball, the ball has been given speed, direction and spin. The spin of a golf ball has two components: a sidespin and a backspin. By controlling the spin and spin ratios, the accuracy and distance are maintained even in most difficult playing conditions. This effect will be illustrated and explained in an Element 21 Scandium Technology infomercial.
Player testing (during the Wealth Expo in New York on September 19-21, 2007) using Element 21 Scandium Technology and recorded by the Zelocity Pure Launch Monitor http://www.zelocity.com/golf/purelaunch.shtml demonstrated spin ratios as low as 17-rpm sidespin over 2500-rpm backspin. The graphite shafted clubs of major manufacturers demonstrated on average of 250-rpm sidespin to 2200-rpm backspin. On a slice or a draw the sidespin of a golf ball is over 500 rpm.
The side-to-back spin ratio of Element 21 Scandium 6 iron can be easily tested on a launch monitor in many golf equipment retailers, and compared to any other irons. The USGA conforming, brand new 6 iron-test-club is available to be purchased at http://www.e21golf.com/ (1-888-365-2121) for only $49.95. Find out how Element 21 Scandium Technology benefits every golf player on every hole.

Southern Company Honored for Technological Achievement

Southern Company Honored for Technological Achievement by the Technology Association of Georgia

ATLANTA, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southern Company has been named a 2007 Excalibur Award winner by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). The award recognizes businesses throughout the state that have gained a competitive advantage through the use of advanced technology. Southern Company won in the large organization category for its new remote, wireless monitoring technology to collect meter data and report power outages.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020207/SOCOLOGO )
Nominees for the Excalibur Award were judged on a variety of criteria including the scope of the problem solved, the creativity of the technology- enabled solution and the return on investment and business results.
Southern Company's largest electric utility, Georgia Power, is using this wireless monitoring technology, known as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). To date, approximately 128,000 meters have been installed or replaced with Georgia Power's residential customers, resulting in reduced operating costs.
"We are honored by this recognition, particularly given the many outstanding entrants in our category," said Christie Miree, Southern Company's AMI project manager. "AMI is the next generation of metering technology and will change the way we do business once it is fully deployed. By moving to AMI, we will be able to deliver greater value to our customers."
More sophisticated than traditional automated meters, the new "smart meters" have advanced technology that allows for a range of functionality, including two-way communications, outage detection, and remote reconnects and disconnects. Once fully deployed, AMI will also allow customers to manage energy consumption with real-time pricing signals.
While cost savings and customer satisfaction have justified this business decision, there is also an environmental benefit as the new technology significantly reduces driving requirements for Georgia Power field service representatives. Less driving also lowers the chances of vehicular accidents, as well as travel to potentially unsafe locations.
The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support its members by generating opportunities for personal, professional and business growth. By forging strategic alliances, TAG serves as a primary catalyst to foster a rich environment for economic development in Georgia's technology community. TAG is made up of 3,200 members representing technology leaders from more than 1,500 Georgia-based companies, affiliated technology and business organizations.
With 4.3 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company is the premier energy company serving the Southeast, one of America's fastest-growing regions. A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are significantly below the national average. Southern Company has been listed the top ranking U.S. electric service provider in customer satisfaction for seven consecutive years by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Visit our Web site at http://www.southerncompany.com/.
Source:money.cnn.com

Business Online Connection Options Expand with WiMax Technology

The world, especially the business world, is rapidly embracing a new connectivity technology called Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, or WiMax, to satisfy their data access needs. This is because many businesses have been looking for high-speed data research as they are mobile by way of wireless phones and other WiMax-enabled devices.The key difference between the WiMax technology and the Wi-Fi wireless technology is that WiMax can cover several miles or more, whereas Wi-Fi is limited to small hot spots. Advocates for the WiMax technology, such as Sprint and Motorola, assert that this new breakthrough could turn the entire country into one large hot spot.The primary reason for all this excitement surrounding this new technology is the ever growing demand among consumers for broadband, no matter where they are. In addition, the Federal Communications Commission is pushing businesses to implement the WiMax technology to broaden mobile broadband options for consumers.Originally, this new technology was developed for mobile data transmission, but it was soon discovered that is was a perfect fit for Internet phone service. This is why most analysts believe that WiMax will compete and actually threaten the traditional wireless carriers. This is one of the big reasons why Sprint is working hard with WiMax companies to build a national WiMax network.Certainly the WiMax technology will have huge market implications. By enabling consumers to surf the Internet anytime, any location, on virtually any device will create a whole new ballgame in a variety of markets. One thing to keep in mind as this evolves is that Wi-Fi is unlicensed whereas the more robust WiMax utilizes airwaves that require a government license, which is the same as cellphone service.
WiMax can support lots of high-bandwidth customers with ease, which means faster broadband at cheaper prices. This means that consumers will more than likely be big winners as WiMax’s efficiency will generate much better prices than currently being offered with today’s cell-based wireless broadband. Experts project that down the road WiMax will deliver Internet speeds up to 100 megabits per second on the down-link path and 10 megabits on the uplink.
In the meantime, companies like Sprint and Clearwire are combining to create a real network with bona fide customers. The first goal is to install mobile WiMax equipment at more than 60,000 cellphone sites across the United States. Sprint alone will be investing about 5 billion into the effort. The first markets will be Chicago and Washington D.C. and it is anticipated they will be going online in the spring of 2008.The new WiMax-based rollout will provide their customers with the capability to use virtually any WiMax device or software. This represents a huge leap from typical cell-phone businesses, which burden their customers with strict limitations on devices and software. Look for big changes to come shortly for the WiMax technology as other companies like Alvarion, which supplies service providers with the WiMax standard, start to get involved as well.
Jeff Neal Senior Writer, Options Strategist & Profit Strategies Radio Show Market CorrespondentVisit Jeff’s Forum

Atlantis Technology Group Executes Letter of Intent

Atlantis Technology Group (OTCBB: ATNOD) announced today the Company has agreed to purchase a 12.5% equity stake in the technology holding company Intervision Network, a Florida company.
The companies have executed a Letter of Intent and mutually entered a 45 day exclusive, 'no-shop' agreement & due diligence period. The Company will file an 8-K with the SEC upon the Definitive Agreement.
Pursuant to the Letter of Intent Atlantis will supply growth capital and restricted stock to Intervision in an undisclosed amount. Both parties will provide input as to ongoing operation of Intervision to better position the company to the investment community. The company's ownership will equal 12.5 % upon closing on the above-mentioned investment. Atlantis Technology Group and its principals shall assist Intervision in the preparation of and filing of the documentation for Intervision to begin the process of becoming a publicly traded company.

New Business Collaboration for the Benelux Marketplace

Raptor Networks Technology and Triple P Announce New Business Collaboration for the Benelux Marketplace

SANTA ANA, Calif., Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Raptor Networks Technology, Inc. , provider of the world's first distributed network switching architectures, announced today the addition of Triple P Nederland B.V. as a systems integration partner focused on Benelux markets.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040429/RPTNLOGO)
"We are pleased to form a relationship with a skilled, network-savvy integrator like Triple P," noted Tom Wittenschlaeger, Raptor Networks Technology Chairman and CEO. "Our intent is to shift the business lead on current funnel opportunities in The Netherlands to Triple P whose local presence and service infrastructure will, we believe, improve the win probability on current new business pursuits."
"As a company that prides itself on its technical skills in networking, we are pleased to collaborate with Raptor Networks to demonstrate the value of the first distributed core switching technology to the Benelux marketplace," added Frans Hulshof, Managing Director of Triple P.
Source: money.cnn.com

Deloitte's 'Technology Fast 50' List

Patriot Scientific Named Fourth-Fastest-Growing Company on Deloitte's 'Technology Fast 50' List
Rank based on five-year percentage growth in a given geographic area

CARLSBAD, Calif., Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Patriot Scientific , an Intellectual Property (IP) licensing company that develops, markets and enables innovative proprietary technologies, announced today it was ranked #4 in the Deloitte and Touche LLP "Technology Fast 50" for the San Diego area, based on its phenomenal 2,772% growth over the past five years. Patriot ranked above such well-known companies as Qualcomm; DivX, Inc.; Leap Wireless, and others.
President and CEO of Patriot Scientific, Jim Turley, said, "Our growth in the recent years has rocketed. While it is nigh on impossible to continue at this pace for another five years, our staff and shareholders look forward to growing Patriot Scientific with additional revenue streams that will supplement the wealth generated by our microprocessor patent portfolio. It's a real testament to the value and technology we provide."