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Feed Japan looking to establish wireless island (engadget.com)

Filed under: Cellphones, Household, Wireless

Honestly, we're a bit freaked out right here in the US of A with all the RFID tags floating around in various forms, but Japan is planning to take tagging to the extreme by creating an island where there's just no escapin' it. The nation is looking to set up an "experimental landmass" where a smorgasbord of sensors will "allow doctors to remotely monitor the health of the elderly," and in another instance, "monitor the movement of pedestrians and notify nearby drivers." Additionally, IC tags could be implanted into produce in order to divulge information such as where it was grown to a shopper's mobile phone. Reportedly, the government is talking with local telecom carriers, electronics manufacturers, automakers, and several "other companies" as it attempts to assemble the pieces, and while no specific test site has been nailed down just yet, "the northern island of Hokkaido or southern island chain of Okinawa" are currently the most likely candidates.

[Via Textually]

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Patents

Submission + - Jonathan Schwartz of Sun weighs in Litgation

RichMan writes: This is under politics and patents because that is where the real subject is. Sure Microsoft is threatening Linux but the real deal is the approach to customers and business strategy fostered by the consumer environment.

Jonathan Schwartz shares his thoughs on Sun's history with open development and customer relations. Sure it reads a bit like PR but some good history and points and lots of good quotes.

With business down and customers leaving, we had more than a few choices at our disposal. We were invited by one company to sue the beneficiaries of open source. We declined. We could join another and sue our customers. That seemed suicidal. We were offered the choice to scuttle Solaris, and resell someone else's operating system. We declined. And we were encouraged to innovate by developers and customers who wanted Sun around, who saw the value we delivered through true systems engineering.
Patents

Submission + - OIN Comments On Microsoft Article In Fortune

nadamsieee writes: Jerry Rosenthal, chief executive officer of Open Invention Network, issued the following statement today: "A recent article in Fortune Magazine raises — or more precisely, re-raises — tired, old allegations about the Linux operating system for the sole purpose of perpetuating unwarranted fear, uncertainty and doubt among current and potential Linux users and distributors... We stand ready to leverage our IP portfolio to maintain the open patent environment OIN has helped create." Groklaw, as always, provides perspective.
Data Storage

Submission + - Scientists uses electricity to increase HDD speed

vinitM writes: "Researchers at University of Hamburg in Germany has announced a new breakthrough in hard drive technology that makes use of electricity to increase the capacity, speed and reliability of hard drive. Guido Meier and his colleagues used nanosecond pulses of electric current to push magnetic regions along a wire at 110 meters per second — a hundred times faster than was previously possible. http://www.pclaunches.com/hard_drive/scientists_us es_electricity_to_increase_hard_drive_speed_and_ca pacity.php"
Power

Submission + - Depletion Levels in Ghawar

Prof. Goose writes: "http://www.theoildrum.com/node/2470

Ghawar is the largest conventional oil field in the world. The field is entirely owned and operated by Saudi Aramco, the nationalized Saudi oil company. Relatively little is known about Ghawar because the company and Saudi government closely guard field performance information and per-field production details. Available information is predominantly historical (pre-nationalization), from incidental technical publications, or anecdotal.

The reason to understand Ghawar is simple: If Ghawar is in decline, it is very highly likely that world supply has plateaued.

In this post, Stuart Staniford has put together what may end up being the definitive piece of research on the world's largest field. It is an amazing tome, bringing together his fascinating original research and the extant research on Ghawar. It is not for the faint of heart, but it is written in an accessible style."
Space

Submission + - Hubble Finds Ring Of Dark Matter

An anonymous reader writes: Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have discovered a ghostly ring of dark matter that was formed long ago during a titanic collision between two massive galaxy clusters, ScienceDaily reports. It is the first time that a dark matter distribution has been found that differs substantially from the distribution of ordinary matter.
Networking

Submission + - OpenSEA vows enterprise-grade Open Source 802.1X

galimore writes: "A new consortium called OpenSEA (Open Secure Edge Access) aims to bring a high-quality Open Source networking projects to enterprise standards. Their first sponsored project is the Open1X supplicant, Xsupplicant, and efforts are underway to add support for Windows and a cross-platform UI. This is interesting considering the recent acquisitions of Meetinghouse by Cisco and Funk by Juniper. A note on the Open1X homepage also mentions OpenSEA. The consortium boasts a number of well-known industry faces such as Symanetc, Extreme Networks, and Tipping Point. There is also a fair bit of University interst through UKERNA, which is kind of like the Internet2 for Europe."
Announcements

Submission + - WaterField Designs Custom HP Laptop SleeveCases

Heidi writes: "WaterField Designs Announces Custom Laptop SleeveCases for HP models Introduced at Last Week's HP Mobility Summit SleeveCases available for eleven new HP laptop models; additional two available in June San Francisco, CA, May 15, 2007 — WaterField Designs announces custom-fitting laptop SleeveCases for 13 new notebook models announced at last week's HP Mobility Summit, including a sleek, ultra-light Tablet PC and the company's first 20-inch diagonal entertainment notebook. Because all design and manufacturing are done in San Francisco, WaterField Designs is able to offer custom-sized sleeves for new models almost immediately. The SleeveCase is a slim, durable covering made of a ballistic nylon shell and a high-grade neoprene interior that is customized for a snug fit. It is available in a vertical or horizontal orientation making it easily accessible from either a briefcase or backpack. Customers can choose to add a front flap for added protection or a strap for carrying the SleeveCase by itself. They can also opt for a "Piggyback," a detachable accessories pouch to carry power adapters and other gear. These sleeves for the new HP models add themselves to the list of over 40 custom laptop cases available from WaterField Designs for the Mac and PC market. Frequent flyers can insert their SleeveCase into a wheelie or larger bag to comply with the carry-on limit. At airport security, the SleeveCase can be quickly retrieved and reinserted into the WaterField Cargo, Cozmo or Vertigo bags to help speed the process. "The first step to protecting your laptop is to have the correct-fitting case to cushion it while in transport," explained Gary Waterfield, company founder. "Our SleeveCases hug your computer and the neoprene inner shell provides shock-absorbing qualities. People eager to purchase HP's new laptops can protect their new investment safely and stylishly with one of our new SleeveCases." Availability & Pricing The basic SleeveCase price is $39.00-$41.00. Optional accessories: adding a front flap ($15.00), a suspension shoulder strap and D-rings ($18.00), the Piggyback ($22.00). Specific sizes for the new HP models are listed on the WaterField Designs custom sizing chart: http://www.sfbags.com/products/sleevecases/sizing/ hp.htm About WaterField Designs WaterField Designs manufactures custom-fitted, high-quality cases and bags for a full-range of laptop computers, iPods, and other digital gear. More information is available at www.sfbags.com."

Feed Chemical Maps Hint At Drug's Effects On Schizophrenia (sciencedaily.com)

Antipsychotic drugs do most of their work in the brain, but they also leave behind in the bloodstream a trail of hundreds of chemicals that may be used in the future to direct better treatment for schizophrenia and other psychiatric conditions, say Duke University Medical Center researchers.

Feed US Continues To Lag On Health Care, According To New International Comparison (sciencedaily.com)

The US health care system ranks last compared with five other nations on measures of quality, access, efficiency, equity and outcomes, in the third edition of a Commonwealth Fund report analyzing international health policy surveys. While the US did well on some preventive care measures, the nation ranked at the bottom on measures of safe care and coordinated care.

Feed Reducing Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors When Discontinuing Hormone Replacem (sciencedaily.com)

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can reduce many cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks, but many women have stopped using HRT due to reports that HRT may increase the risk of breast cancer and heart disease. In a recent article, scientists examined whether the increased CVD risk from stopping HRT could be minimized by lifestyle change intervention.

Feed Atypical Pathogen Treatment Vital In Hospitalized CAP Patients (sciencedaily.com)

Hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia who received treatment regimens against atyical disease-causing pathogens reached clinical stability quicker, had fewer days of hospitalization and had lower mortality rates as a result of their disease, according to a large new study.

Feed New Way To Calculate Speed Of Bacterial Sex Developed (sciencedaily.com)

By building upon previous studies of bacteria, researchers have created a formula that quantifies bacterial gene transfer under natural conditions. Scientists believe that these findings will help to increase knowledge about the rates of potentially beneficial and harmful bacterial adaptation in the environment.

Feed Biotechnology Has Solved The Debate Over The Origin Of The European Potato (sciencedaily.com)

For years, researchers have debated the birthplace of the European potato. Recent genetic studies revealed that the earliest known landraces of the European potato contain both Andean and Chilean molecular markers. These findings may change current breeding programs which focus solely on the Andean landraces and not the Chilean landraces, according to scientists.
Digital

Submission + - Digital music bit rates voice your lifestyle

applechips writes: An article running on CNET is generating huge controversy in the UK, by claiming that someone's lifestyle can be determined simply by looking at which bit rate is most common in a their digital music library.

Responses to the article such as, "Scarily accurate...", "some of the stuff said in these is spookily accurate" and "Very accurate indeed. I'm up at 320, and 90% of the paragraph applies to me", have highlighted how bizarrely predictable most digital music users actually are.

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