Brian Gongol
(7.23.2005)
Europe in R&D "Slow Lane"
EU spends way less of its GDP on research and development than the US or Japan
(7.23.2005)
US Birth Rate at New Low
Infant death rate also at a new low, but poverty rate is up and so is crime involving children
(7.23.2005)
Microsoft Trying to Patent Emoticons
Clearly a case of intellectual-property abuse. If this keeps up, the backlash is going to be worse than anything Napster ever caused.
(7.23.2005)
Windows "Longhorn" Becomes "Vista"
Beta launch: August 3
(7.23.2005)
British Worried that Costs of Mobile Ring Tones Aren't Clearly Discussed in Advertising
A prediction: Soon, advertisers will offer to pay cell-phone customers if those customers will use the company's jingle or other advertising as their ring tone.
(7.23.2005)
Under Certain Conditions, Genetically-Modified Pollen Can Travel More than 20 Kilometers
Doesn't mean we should give up on biotech, as some will propose, but we may need to rethink the allocation of property rights and costs of externalities. But we still need biotechnology to feed the world; there's no reasonable debate about that.
(7.23.2005)
Apes Recognize Themselves in the Mirror; Monkeys Don't Seem to Quite Get It
(7.23.2005)
Analysis of Meteorite Strikes Suggests Mars May Have Been Cold Virtually Forever
But water may have existed in some isolated hot springs
(7.23.2005)
NASA May Try a Tuesday Shuttle Launch
They think they've isolated the fuel-sensor glitch.
(7.23.2005)
This Week's Failed Bombings in London a Forensics "Gold Mine"
Can help trace the source of the explosive material used and lead to the terrorists. The material may have simply degraded from its volatile state before they were able to set the bombs off, which could explain why four simultaneous attempts failed.
(7.23.2005)
SMTP Protocol Filtering Could Be a Useful Anti-Spam Tool
Certain IP's are always the trouble. Essentially a traceroute analysis could help discriminate between bad and good email.
(7.23.2005)
Sanyo in Big Trouble
Earthquake wrecked a major plant last October, and much of its private-label business is under pressure. Prices for cell phones are falling, and the same goes for batteries. Not good when those are the company's major product lines.
(7.23.2005)
New Space Budget OK's Going Without Transporter for Four Years
Shuttle to be retired in 2010, but no replacement expected before 2014.