Online travel sites’ report released

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, July 27 (UPI) — While Travelocity had the highest sponsored click-through rate for April 2006 among the most-visited online travel agencies, according to a recent report from comScore Media Metrix, Orbitz received the highest percent of click-throughs from sponsored ads.

The new report is part of comScore’s launch of its new search analysis product “Competitive Search Marketing Reports.”

Online travel agencies comScore looked at included Expedia.com, Orbitz.com, Travelocity.com and CheapTickets.com, finding that more “than 50 percent of the total click-throughs to these sites were generated by sponsored ads, compared to just 11 percent across all Web search activity,” according to the release.

Orbitz.com and CheapTickets.com led, each receiving about 72 percent of click-throughs from sponsored ads. Expedia received 62.5 percent and Travelocity received 55.9 percent.

“With search advertising accounting for roughly 40 percent of total online spending, it’s clear that advertisers view the medium as a critical component of the advertising mix,” said Peter Daboll, president and chief executive officer of comScore Media Metrix. “This is particularly true for the leading online travel agencies, which receive nearly two-thirds of their search-generated click-throughs from sponsored ads. This high volume of advertising makes it even more important for advertisers to focus on the search terms that have the most relevance to their target audience.”

However, comScore also noted that even though Travelocity.com received a lower number of sponsored ad click-throughs than Expedia or Orbitz, it had the most “effective sponsored search advertiser, yielding a 6.5 percent click-through rate, compared to the 4 to 5 percent click-through rates achieved by competitive sites.”

“Although both Expedia and Orbitz demonstrate leadership in total ad exposures and sponsored click-throughs, our analysis shows that Travelocity is making very effective ad placements,” Daboll said. “While they have a lower percentage of their total click-throughs coming from sponsored ads (59.9 percent) than the other three competitors, Travelocity.com seems to be quite adept at search engine optimization, the other critical component of search engine marketing.”

But comScore also found that Yahoo! was the preferred advertising channel among most-visited online travel agency sites in April, with 44 percent of sponsored ads placed by these sites; while Google has generated a higher click-through rate with 35 percent over Yahoo!’s 32 percent, said the release. Google’s higher click-through rate indicated a higher ad relevancy, comScore noted.

Moreover, comScore compiled a list of top non-travel sites and travel sites that were popular among consumers who would eventually venture onto an online travel agency Web site. For example, comScore noted, “Consumers conducting travel-related searches are 127 percent more likely than average to visit site Bizjournals.com.”

Non-travel sites included Bizjournals.com, About Cities & Towns, DoItYourself.com, CitySearch.com, MSN Local Search, Epinions.com, TheKnot.com, WeddingChannel.com, About Food, and SFGate.com, respectively. Popular travel sites were TravelNow.com, Hotels.com, TripAdvisor.com, Hotwire.com, Orbitz.com, SideStep.com, Travelocity All, Yahoo! U.S. Travel, Travelzoo.com and About Travel.

And who is using online travel searches? ComScore points out that these consumers are more likely to be from higher-income households, without children, and are likely to conduct their searches from work.

It found that households with incomes above $100,000 are 10 percent more likely than average to conduct a search on travel terms, while those with incomes of $75,000 to $99,000 are 3 percent more likely to do so.

Furthermore, ComScore reported that one-member households were 7 percent more likely to conduct a travel search, compared two-member households who are 5 percent more likely to. In addition, where children are not present, consumers were 6 percent more likely to conduct an online travel search.

Also, consumers age 25 to 34 and 55 to 64 are more likely to conduct travel searches, whereas consumers are 23 percent more likely to conduct these searches at work.

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Pajamas Media on the live edge

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, July 25 (UPI) — “Live from an Israeli Bunker”… it’s Eugene.

Who?

Seventeen-year-old Eugene, blogging at www.israelibunker.blogspot.com from a bunker in Haifa, is one of several bloggers featured by Pajamas Media (PJM) writing firsthand experience from the Middle East.

Finding the teen’s blog, PJM’s CEO and co-founder Roger L. Simon jumped at the opportunity to conduct a podcast interview with him via Skype.

And that’s the focus of media blog company PJM, which aggregates content from some 90 high-trafficked blogs and scans mainstream media news — to extend political and world coverage like the Israel-Hezbollah conflict within the blogosphere using converging media including commentary, video and podcasting.

“We’re an alternative to mainstream media,” Simon said. “We have editors in Sydney and Barcelona and Los Angeles who are all online at different hours, so we’re covering events 24 hours — better than the ‘Drudge Report.’”

Eugene’s blog is one of several blogs providing a continuous commentary on the conflict, which also includes “Atlas Shrugs,” “Instapundit,” and writer Allison Kaplan Sommer’s “An Unsealed Room” among others, as well as “Truth Laid Bear,” which is providing a breakdown of links to Israeli bloggers, Lebanese bloggers, Palestinian, as well as outside perspectives.

In fact, readers can view the front page of www.pajamasmedia.com, which has a live chronology of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

“This chronology’s intention is to give the public moment-to-moment access to the vicissitudes of the war and ultimately to provide historians with a record of the evolving struggle,” says Simon.

And Eugene’s podcast interview on the conflict won’t be the only one; in a day or two, PJM will roll out with podcast interviews featuring panel discussions with Middle Eastern bloggers and citizens from Israel and Lebanon.

“Hopefully, there won’t be a lot of yelling and screaming at each other,” said Simon, “but I don’t think there will be.”

Undeniably, more Internet enthusiasts are reading blogs, with some 57 million American adults or 39 percent of the online population who are blog readers, according to the latest report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. And sites like PJM are likely to see more readers as they transform the blogosphere with multimedia content.

As Simon has described, “when the Middle East conflict started to expand we wanted to get access to an Israeli official. We weren’t sure we could, but we tried and were able to land an interview with the Israeli U.S. Ambassador Daniel Ayalon. Our interview lasted 14 minutes compared to cable news organizations of perhaps 3 to 4 minutes. This flexible timeframe is one of our advantages compared to the more sound bite oriented mainstream media approach.”

In addition to expanding coverage of the Middle East, PJM also launched its new initiative “Politics Central” — which features blogs as well as exclusive podcast interviews covering ‘06 and ‘08 elections, world and politic issues, media and research.

Podcast interviews include U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., and through “Instapundit’s” Glenn and Helen Show, with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. “The podcast interviews are different, they go for as long or as short and are not sound-bite oriented,” Simon added.

“It’s the 21st century media,” Simon said. “We’re on the cusp of something we don’t understand, the technology is changing. And we’re using citizen journalists to break down the borderline between professionals and amateurs. How will you do it — not who you are — and how will you stick to the facts. Some people will slaughter you online if you don’t keep with the facts.”

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Podcasts gainning on radio’s heels

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, July 21 (UPI) — Kopper, host of weekly rock ‘n’ roll show “The Wayback Machine” at KDHX-FM 88.1 in St. Louis, Mo., is also the owner of GaragePunk.com, which features a slew of syndicated podcasts updated daily playing garage, punk, and primitive rock ‘n’ roll including 50s and 60s rock ‘n’ roll, 60s garage, 70s punk, soul and R&B as well as modern garage.

In short, “anything obscure … you won’t hear anything mainstream,” he says, noting that the site that started last August was revamped into a blog earlier this year.

“It was slow at first getting the word out, but we had a pretty large community of 3,000,” Kopper explains, which helped with recruiting podcast hosts and listeners. “MySpace also helped out in finding listeners, and recently we were listed in iTunes directory of podcasts and was a featured podcast.”

And according to Kopper, subscriptions have been up, as high as 800 with daily downloads of each show between 4,000 to 5,000. “We’re a radio station, if you want to call us that.”

Indeed, podcasting is starting to dance on traditional radio’s turf, suggests the new report “The Economics of Podcasting.”

The report signals that individuals, organizations and businesses are tapping into a niche market of consumers who have preferences as to what and who they want to hear from politics to technology, music, financial news and comedy — and their getting loyal listeners too — as analysts project the podcast audience could reach between 20 million and 80 million by 2010.

“People, they hear The Strokes, and they think that’s garage — but it’s not,” Kopper said. “(Our podcasts) are pretty much for a niche market. But that’s the great thing about podcasting, they reach a niche market — whoever digs it, digs it or you can go elsewhere.”

The first quarter 2006 study released by the Nielsen Analytics, part of VNU’s Media Measurement & Information Group, found that more than 6 percent of U.S. adults or 9 million Web users have downloaded podcasts in the past 30 days.

With more than 1,700 participants surveyed on their podcasting usage, 6 percent described themselves as regular podcast downloaded and more than 75 percent where male. Meanwhile, about 38 percent of active podcast downloaders said they are listening to the radio less often.

“The incredible popularity of podcasting is the latest demonstration of consumers’ willingness to take control of their media experiences,” said Larry Gerbrandt, general manager and senior vice president of Nielsen Analytics, in a release. “While essentially still in nascent form, podcasts offer free audio and video content that is inexpensive to create, easy to access and on a portable platform that has already reached mass distribution. This exciting new medium has only just begun to stretch its legs.” The study however also found that 60 percent said they always fast forward past commercials in their podcasts, and are women more likely to do so than men, with 67 percent saying they “always fast forward.”

Moreover, it found that the average length was at 44 minutes, which may change with the growing popularity of video podcasts.

But podcasting is also becoming enticing to advertisers, as advertisers continue to acknowledge the importance of new media to attract potential new customers.

In fact, the most successful podcasts are garnering as many as 2 million downloads a month, and 72 percent of respondents said they regularly download podcasts an average of one to three podcasts a week and about 10 percent of all podcast downloaders could be characterized as “heavy users” — downloading eight or more a week. This is a good sign for advertisers.

And advertisers have already begun to look into new ways to advertise as a result of individuals fast forwarding commercials including embedding messages within the program content or having podcast hosts endorse their products and services.

But why the momentum of podcasting — the report from Nielsen Analytics says it’s a number of things, among them are that business and other organizations are adopting them too.

According to the report, cable and broadcast networks are converting episodes of some of their linear programs into short audio and video podcasts as previews or promotions, while movie studies are using podcasting to market films and DVDs.

In addition, it also said that financial service firms including McDonald Investments and The Motley Fool were offering financial-specific podcasts, travel agencies such as Orbitz offered audio descriptions of travel destinations as a marketing tool, as well as professors were making lectures and class notes available through podcasts.

“For podcasting to reach its full potential, we will have to find the best ways to keep track of its audiences,” added Gerbrandt. “That means developing accurate and comprehensive metrics that will allow podcast producers, distributors and advertisers to answer questions like: ‘Who are we reaching?’ ‘With what kinds of content?’ ‘When and how often?’”

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More bloggers get more personal

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, July 20 (UPI) — Elly is: in the city …engaged … the boss… active… girly… friendly… slightly sarcastic… interested… a writer … a reader… proficient.

That’s in part how Buffalo, N.Y., resident Lauren E. Rozanski describes herself on her blog “Elly in the City.” Hence, the blog name “L.E.,” she says.

Rather than expressing their thoughts on politics, media, government, or technology, a new Pew report finds that most bloggers are focused on sharing their personal experience tailored to a small audience of readers.

In fact, many bloggers are viewing their blogs as personal journals, not thinking what they did as journalism, according to the national blogger survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project released Wednesday.

But for Rozanski, the aim for “Elly in the City,” which she started about a month ago, is less personal compared to her previous blog that she had written for a year which was a more personal site for friends and family.

“I attempted to move away from personal stuff, (writing) more on interesting stories about where I live and activism — I say ‘attempted’ — certainly there is a level of personal narrative there all the time,” Rozanski said. “There’s kind of a drought of young people in the city. I’m attempting to be a voice for young professionals to stay here and not leave right after graduation.”

“The people I’ve met who blog, are really active and very progressive,” added Rozanski. “We turn to our ability to write … and more or less to our laptops during lunch or after work, so we’re not the traditional activists. We have 9-to-5 jobs, educated and don’t stand outside with signs.”

And blogging continues to garner popularity. Pew reported that the blogging population has grown to about 12 million American adults or just about 8 percent of adult Internet users, and similarly the number of blog readers has rose to 57 million American adults or 39 percent of the online population.

“We’ve been doing single questions on blogging since mid-2002, and we wanted to learn more,” said Senior Research Specialist Amanda Lenhart to UPI, noting that blogging has been linked to influencing the political arena. “We wanted to look into that, as well as the practices and motivations of bloggers.”

Lenhart along with Pew Associate Director Susannah Fox wrote the report that helps shed light on who today’s bloggers are.

“Bloggers in the past, generally were believed to be older white men who blogged about technology or politics to the general public, and who commented on news from journalists… and observed journalism — that’s the image provided by the media,” Lenhart said.

But the survey paints a different picture explained Lenhart, describing the blogosphere as divided among men and women and mostly made up of 18 to 30 year olds, who are blogging about their personal lives and personal experiences to a relatively small audience of family and friends.

Fifty-four percent of bloggers are under the age of 30, and women represented 46 percent of bloggers versus men at 54 percent, the report said. Meanwhile, 76 percent of bloggers say the reason they blog is to document their personal experience and share them with others, while 64 percent say they blog to share practical knowledge or skills with others.

And some 54 percent of bloggers say they have never published their writing or media creations anywhere else versus 44 percent who said they have.

The report also found that 37 percent of bloggers believed that “my life and experiences” were the primary topics of their blog, followed by political and government with 11 percent, entertainment with 7 percent, sports at 6 percent, general news and current events at 5 percent, business at five percent, technology at 4 percent, religion, spirituality or faith at 2 percent, and lastly health or illness problem at 1 percent. Other topics of mention included opinions, volunteering, education, and organizations.

But Lenhart also noted that more than half of bloggers interviewed, 55 percent, said they use a pseudonym.

“This shows us a different side of blogging,” Lenhart said. “Bloggers are sharing personal experiences, while maintaining their privacy.”

In addition, according to Lenhart and Fox, “bloggers are avid consumers and creators of online content” as well as “heavy users of the internet in general.”

It was reported that 44 percent of bloggers have taken material such as songs, text, and images, and remixed it into their own artistic creation, compared to 18 percent of all Internet users who do so. And moreover, 77 percent of bloggers have shared something online they created themselves versus 26 percent of Internet users who have done so.

Other findings included:

– 87 percent of bloggers allow comments on their blog.

– 72 percent of bloggers post photos to their blog.

– 41 percent of bloggers say they have a blogroll or friends list on their blog.

– 8 percent of bloggers earn money on their blog.

The complete report can be found: www.pewinternet.org.

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Microsoft announces alliances, lawsuits

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, July 18 (UPI) — Microsoft and XenSource said Tuesday they will collaborate to develop technology for interoperability between Xen-enabled Linux and Microsoft’s new Windows hypervisor technology-based Windows Server virtualization.

But the PC giant is also making news on its United Communications front announcing a new strategic alliance with Nortel Tuesday as well as 26 lawsuits against illegal software pirates.

This marks yet another effort by Microsoft in the direction of interoperability, where it has showed lack of interest in the past.

According to the announcement with XenSource, the interoperability tech will be included with the next version of Windows Server, code-named “Longhorn,” and “provide customers with a flexible and powerful virtualization solution across their hardware infrastructure and operating system environments for cost-saving consolidation of Windows, Linux and Xen-enabled Linux distributions.”

XenSource develops software that lets several versions of Linux run on the same computer through a technology called virtualization and hypervisors is software that allows computer’s hardware resources to be shared by multiple operating systems.

Thereby, the interoperable tech developed by Microsoft and XenSource would allow multiple operating systems run on one server, and address the importance of software. So in essence, businesses could run Linux from a Windows machines on the server without a separate Linux machine.

“Microsoft’s commitment to customers is to build bridges across the industry with solutions that are interoperable by design,” Bob Muglia, Microsoft’s senior vice president of the server and tools business, said in a statement. “Our work with XenSource, a recognized leader in open source virtualization technology, reflects that commitment and Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to bring virtualization solutions to the mainstream and help customers progress toward self-managing dynamic systems.”

Microsoft, which provides virtual machine add-ins and technical support for Linux guest operating systems running on Virtual Server 2005 R2, also said it expects to release a beta version of Windows Server virtualization by the end of the year with plans to release the solution to manufacturing (RTM) within 180 days of the RTM of Windows Server “Longhorn,” targeted for 2007.

Earlier this month Microsoft announced it would push document interoperability by sponsoring with its partners an Open project between Microsoft Office Open XML Formats and the Open Document Format (ODF). The move by Microsoft came in response to government requests for interoperability with ODF, which along with public institutions, seek a common standard for which to maintain, read, post and send documents.

ODF creates an open standard for cross-platform documents of text, spreadsheet or presentation that can be displayed on any OS or application.

The translation tools will be developed and licensed as open source software, Microsoft said, who mentioned it would be working with France-based Clever Age along with several independent software vendors including Aztecsoft in India and Dialogika in Germany.

The company also noted that Microsoft Office Word, Excel and PowerPoint “had built-in support of formats to enable interoperability across projects and that in addition to the default Open XML file format, the 2007 Microsoft Office system would include a new menu option dealing with add-ins for PDF and XML-based formats including XML Paper Specification and ODF,” Microsoft had said.

But Microsoft also made news announcing the creation of the Innovative Communications Alliance with delivering communications capabilities company Nortel Tuesday as part of Microsoft’s unified communications vision. The company said in late June that its 2007 Microsoft Office applications would be enhanced with the incorporation of voice, instant messaging and multi-faceted conferencing.

Both companies said they would collaborate in development and research of technology, joint sales and marketing partnerships, and business engagement levels, as Microsoft expects that the emerging market for unified communications could be upwards of $40 billion.

In addition to its alliance announcements, Microsoft has filed 26 lawsuits against alleged dealers of illegal software including one against a criminally indicted reseller, it said. Among those companies hit with a lawsuit are Affordable Computers, Cyber Connect Inc., Computer Imaging Services Inc., The Computer Shop and SurplusOutlet19. Lawsuits were filed in Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and South Carolina.

Microsoft said it believes these companies “allegedly pirated software or participated in hard-disk loading (installing unlicensed software on computers they sold),” having gathered evidence through a secret shopper program and tops from its anti-piracy hotline.

“Our message should be made very clear by today’s lawsuits,” said Mary Jo Schrade, senior attorney at Microsoft. “To our honest partners, and to consumers who expect and should receive genuine Microsoft software wherever they go to buy it, we are listening and we are investing a tremendous amount of resources to help you. We are committed to finding the unscrupulous dealers of pirated software and making piracy a business model that doesn’t work.”

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Handsets tapping into MP3 market

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, July 14 (UPI) — Mobile music phones charging onto the music scene could put a dent into the MP3 player market, taking steam away from industry giants Apple and Microsoft.

Already, many consumers are snapping up mobile phones that play digital music and act as regular handsets, thereby killing two birds with one stone, according to analysts.

Adding to the attractiveness of mobile music phones is the notion of wireless mobile music stores. As a result, there’s growing speculation that competitors Apple and Microsoft are racing to release wireless-capable portable media devices — a feature that the mobile is based on.

In the June 2006 IDC study “U.S. Wireless Music 2006-2010 Forecast and Analysis,” U.S. wireless music services will have over 50 million users and generate more than a billion dollars in revenue in 2010 — five years after appearing in late 2005.

It also found that a total of 22 percent of respondents said they would buy at least one track from their service provider within the first three months of availability. Moreover, 8 percent of age 25 to 44 year olds said they would four or more tracks, which IDC analysts noted that this would be the “core base of wireless over-the-air service users.”

“Wireless OTA music services… brings the music industry new opportunities to reach consumers and drive revenue,” noted Susan Kevorkian, program manager of consumer markets: audio at the IT market research firm IDC. “Wireless music services… are expected to quickly gain traction during the forecast period. By the end of this year, the number of U.S. OTA customers will be approximately half that of online music service users, but may surpass them by the end of the forecast period.”

And the report also said “OTA mobile music storefronts are emerging as one of the most important new channels for fans to discover, purchase, and enjoy full-track music and related content.”

This is good news for Apple at least, who has iTunes to fall back on, already armed with a deal with Motorola to bring the popular music service to Motorola’s mobile handsets with phones including ROKR (launched last year, paving the road for music-enabled mobiles) and the SLVR.

In addition, Verizon too launched its music service called V Cast music, which allows users to sync DRM-protected WMA music stored on their PC as well as purchase music directly from their cell phones and works with phones including LG VX8100 or Samsung SCH-a950 phone.

IDC analysts also noted that in order for wireless music services to reach the masses, consumers would need access to such music-enabled devices, reporting that music-enabled mobile phone shipments would reach nearly 60 percent of all handsets shipped in the United Stated by 2010.

Other key drivers included deployment of broadband wireless networks, increased marketing efforts, and bundling and cross-promotion of music-related services, flat-rate pricing schemes along with music enabled handset penetration.

“What we see, in the U.S. and in other places, is that handset manufacturers are making the integration of music functionality a priority in their product lines,” Kevorkian told UPI, noting that wireless carriers could see an increase of revenue stream.

This has been the case for Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, and LG Electronics who are among those companies jumping on the music-enabled mobile bandwagon and releasing multiple devices ranging anywhere from $350 to $600, aiming to tap into the group of consumers who want a phone and their music, if not the MP3 market.

In fact of the handset markers, Sony Ericsson has seen the most recent success reporting Thursday that it had doubled its year-on-year income before taxes for the second quarter, due impart to the “momentum” of its three new Walkman branded phones — W300, W700, and W425. The company even announced two new models the W850, a tri-band/UMTS slider phone, and the quad-band EDGE W710, the first sports Walkman with pedometer and jogging applications. And it began shipping out the W425 for KDDI for the Japanese market.

Meanwhile, taking on challenge of the storing the most tunes on the higher price scale per device, Nokia and Sony Ericsson leads releasing 4GB phones capable of holding up to 3,000 songs. And getting top bill for looking most like an MP3 player goes to LG Electronics who recently released its FUSIC mobile with a similar turn wheel on the outside of its clam-like shell resembling that of the iPod.

“One important trend in entertainment technology is the influx of new devices and integration of different features,” Kevorkian said. “They are more choices tailored to new devices to fit different lifestyles and this is beneficial to both handset manufacturer and service providers.”

Still, analysts like Kevorkian and her colleague Sean Ryan, a research analyst on mobile markets at IDC who worked on the same report, say music-enabled mobiles won’t take over the MP3 player market but will put a dent in it.

“I don’t think music mobiles will replace optimized devices but it’ll eat into the MP3 player market — it’s a definite threat,” said Ryan, mentioning that portable media player companies are fighting back looking to launch wireless devices.

Still, Ryan notes that music-enabled mobiles are for the type of people who use their mobiles alot, won’t leave home without it, and don’t need to access their entire music library versus those who prefer optimized devices for that great music experience and a phone separately for communication.

And whereas portable audio/MP3 players don’t compromise other functions, mobiles whose primary function is talking could be compromised among other things, including complex user interface, battery life, and connectivity, added Kevorkian.

Therefore, Ryan advises consumers who are interested in purchasing a music-enabled mobile to consider navigation, battery life, and memory as phones become more consolidated with other features such as video clips, music, and pictures.

“The (music-enabled) phones are good now, and they’re getting better,” Ryan said. “On the higher end, manufacturers are focused on music types but eventually music functionality will be a third, fourth, or fifth feature on all phones. They are bringing out more and more phones with different music capabilities and price ranges to fit different people in the market.”

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Blinkx to lead in video search engine

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, July 5 (UPI) — When it comes to video searching on the Net, blinkx is big.

Deeming itself the smartest and largest video search engine on the Web, blinkx.tv delivers 4 million hours of searchable content — audio, video, and TV via RSS — and boast more content than Google Video and Yahoo.

“Basically, our goal is to find and collect video content from across the Web,” said Suranga Chandratillake, founder and Chief Technology Officer of San Francisco- and London-based blinkx. “We don’t care where it’s from or what it’s about.”

And winning over acclaim — the “Most Innovative Digital Business” at Revolutions Awards 2006, and named by BusinessWeek Online for “Best of The New Web” for 2005, among other accolades — the company just might spring to the forefront of the market, already serving over 3.5 million video search queries a day, since taking a chance on the non-existent market when it was founded in 2004.

“When we started, the bulk of online content came from big media companies such as CNN, MTV, BBC, but within the last two years, user-generated content has grown,” said Chandratillake, explaining that he and his team knew it was only a short time before video content would arrive on the scene. “It ended up being 2 and a half years.”

Unlike other competitor video search engine sites, blinkx.tv uses advanced speech recognition technology to “automatically listen to and understand” audio and video content, moving pass the current use of metadata-based keyword services that tags titles and descriptions — and subsequently, rolling out a search engine that also moves pass a text-based Web into a more television landscape.

The company, in addition, has struck more than 80 content partnerships that allow users to spider content from as well as free content from the Web, including the History Channel UK as of July 3, MTV Networks, Sky News, Times Online to bring FIFA Archive and the Times Smart Search, Discovery Channel, UNICEF, HBO, Sundance Channel, AtomFilms, CBS Television stations, Zango, and Playboy.com.

And in terms of user-generated content, which the company has named “garage” videos as part of its Garage Video Channel, makes up 1 million hours of its 4 million hours of content.

“We want to be the one place on the Web to find any video — whatever it’s about, wherever it’s from,” said Chandratillake, who predicts that by the end of the year, the site will double in content. “The more content there is, the more video there is, and the more important we become.”

Moreover, the company has also launched: my blinkx.tv, which allows users to aggregate video content into a single customized stream to play on-demand; blinkx.tv To Go, a service that enables users to sync content to their iTunes or personal video player software; and signed an agreement with MIVA Inc. that will allow blinkx to deliver contextually targeted advertising to users via its Smart Ads Platform.

And being the largest video search engine isn’t the only service it aims to be, it also provides the smallest search engine named Pico. The free 1MB download retrieves relevant information from the various sources including video, Wikipedia, and social networking sites’ blogs based on context of your active screen, and appears as unobtrusive channels on the desktop, according to blinkx.

But as it shifts ahead in the video Internet realm — beyond partnering with companies for their content archives, it will soon begin to license out their technology to partner companies — taking a similar approach to Google.

These partnerships, set to be announced in a month or two, will have sites incorporate the video search technology powered by blinkx and will include advertisements with the service, said Chandratillake, adding that the revenue will be shared between those sites and blinkx.

“Google hasn’t chosen itself to be the Google of video content, as it has stop being just a search engine portal,” Chandratillake said. “What they’re doing is — content stays on Google and lives on Google.”

And blinkx.tv is the opposite of that, Chrandratillake said. Unlike Google which provides no way of searching other sites, blinkx wants to be the single destination place for video search users which includes content from its partners to other viral videos from sites like Google Video, Revver and YouTube, he noted.

Moreover, on the long term front, blinkx seeks availability of its content service on television and mobile, as IPTV and technology supporting it is being pushed.

As Chandratillake predicts that the remote control will be a more complex one in the future, he likens blinkx.tv to a remote control. “That’s what blinkx.tv will be — a remote control for Internet video,” he said.

“This is only the beginning, and YouTube is only the tip of the iceberg,” Chandratillake said. “More content is going to spill on the Internet … it’s going to be amazing.”

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Microsoft backs cross-platform initiative

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, July 6 (UPI) — Microsoft announced Thursday it will sponsor with its partners an Open Translator project between Microsoft Office Open XML Formats and the Open Document Format (ODF).

Pushing document interoperability, the move was in response to government requests for interoperability with ODF, which along with public institutions, seek a common standard for which to maintain, read, post and send documents. The translation tools will be developed and licensed as open source software, Microsoft said.

This is also a win for interoperability advocates who promote ODF adoption of technology standards within the arena of stored digital documents by allowing information to be available regardless of what type of client application is used.

ODF creates an open standard or cross platform documents of text, spreadsheet, or presentation that can be displayed on any OS or application, and with the project undertaken by Microsoft, it signals growing interest in interoperability — via customer concerns — where the PC-giant has showed lack of interest in the past.

Jean Paoli, general manager of interoperability and XML architecture at Microsoft, noted “that Open XML meets the needs of millions of organizations for a new approach to file formats, so we are sharing it with the industry by submitting it, with others, to become a worldwide standard. Yet it is very important that customers have the freedom to choose from a range of technologies to meet their diverse needs.”

The company also noted that Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint “had built-in support of formats to enable interoperability across projects and that in addition to the default Open XML file format, the 2007 Microsoft Office system would include a new menu option dealing with add-ins for PDF and XML-based formats including XML Paper Specification and ODF,” Microsoft said.

While the translational tools will be made available as free, downloaded add-ins for several older versions of the Microsoft Office system, the company also announced that a prototype version of the first translator added to Word 2007 will be posted as of July 6 on the Web site SourceForge under the open source Berkeley Software Distribution license.

Individuals may submit bugs and feedback or contribute to the project, Microsoft noted in its release.

Microsoft expects to release the free completed version of the Word translation tool by the end of 2006, along with add-ins for Excel and PowerPoint in 2007.

It also announced it would be working with France-based company Clever Age along with several independent software vendors including Aztecsoft in India and Dialogika in Germany to develop the translation tools.

“OpenXML represents a paradigm shift not only in its architecture but also in the customer needs it serves, opening organizations’ existing documents to take advantage of new content management and collaboration scenarios that weren’t possible even as recently as a few years ago,” said Clever Age’s CEO Frederic Bon. “Through the documentation Ecma International is creating and work such as the Open XML Translator project, customers will soon have the confidence that Open XML and ODF formats can coexist and new document scenarios will flourish. We are looking forward to working with the community of developers and businesses interested in XML documents.”

Google to rival PayPal in online commerce

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, June 29 (UPI) — The Mountain View, Calif.-based company once again is making headlines, this time with the launch of Google Checkout.

And once again, the new product is a jab to who Google finds as its major competitor Microsoft, who continues to play catch-up in the Internet realm.

Google is billing its latest service as a “checkout process that makes online shopping faster, more convenient and more secure for Google users,” which now provides a rival to PayPal owned by eBay since 2002. But the service could also mean good news for the declining interest in its online shopping search engine Froogle.

Not only enabling shoppers to purchase from participating stores with a single Google login, the checkout service will also work with Google’s search advertising program AdWords — to help merchants acquire new customers and process all or a portion of their Checkout sales for free, it said. Stores so far providing the option include Jockey, Starbucks Store, Levi’s, Timberland and Buy.com.

“By integrating the checkout process with search and advertising, we’re helping our users complete the cycle of searching, finding and buying,” said Salar Kamangar, Google’s vice president of product management. “In the offline world, shoppers don’t tolerate long lines and tedious data entry just to buy something. They shouldn’t have to in the online world either. Google Checkout simplifies and improves the online purchase experience for both consumers and merchants.”

According to Google, shoppers can access Google Checkout by looking for the Google Checkout icon on AdWords advertisements or come across the Google Checkout option on a participating store’s site. They then create a login from the merchant’s site with a single username and password by entering basic information including contact details, payment preferences and shipping information, the company said. And by creating the login once, when they are ready to check out items, they can complete their transactions with their login transaction with their login information to avoid multiple forms. Moreover, Google is providing shoppers with the ability to track their purchase history, orders and shipping details.

Google also notes that shoppers can enhance their security when making purchases by being able to conceal the buyer’s credit-card number and reimbursements for unauthorized purchases as well as the ability to choose whether or not to keep e-mail addresses confidential or turn off unwanted e-mail from the stores where they ship, it said.

And on the merchant side, Google is promising that it helps streamline the checkout process while attracting new customers and increase sales via its AdWords advertising program. In addition, Google said that the AdWords advertisers could also process all or a portion of their sales for free, explained that for every $1 merchants spend on AdWords, they can process $10 in sales through Google Checkout at no charge.

Merchants are also given the opportunity to integrate the checkout service into their current commerce platforms — GSI Commerce, MonsterCommerce, and ChannelAdvisor already doing so — through options including “cut-and-paste buy buttons, as well as an advanced API that integrates with existing merchant shopping carts and order management systems,” the company said.

Currently, the service is open to all U.S. merchants, as Google continues to work to expand the service internationally.

The launch of Google Checkout marks yet another product among the wave of products Google released this year alone, and that’s not including the presence it’s making in terms of expanding its company, joint ventures, vocal in Congress and internationally, as well as in other markets — stepping on the toes of some industry leaders in the process beyond the search-engine arena that it dominates.

Yesterday, it announced that mobile-phone users can get free access to Google e-mail, news alerts and headlines, and a personalized Google homepage for mobile devices and PDAs. It also announced Friday it had sold its stake in Baidu.com, a Chinese search engine, in a move to concentrate on its own search engine in the country, Google.cn, also known as “Guge.” And earlier last week it said that it was currently testing a new type of online ad that would protect advertising partners from paying additional funds due to click fraud as well as testing a free ad-supported video model on Google Video for a limited time.

Over the last several months Google’s services continue to grow including releases of government and financial search engines, a free Web-based spreadsheet application for easy collaboration, and integrated IM service in its e-mail browser. Also introduced was Google Video, Google page creator, Google Notebook, Google Mars, Google Trends, Google Web Toolkit, and Measure Map, which provides statistics for blog writers, among other things.

And so far, this year also meant working with Vodafone to develop a mobile-search service, paying $1 billion for a 5-percent stake in AOL as their partnership includes looking at the market for graphical online ads, releasing the joint venture Joga.com for soccer enthusiasts with Nike Football, and entering into multi-year distribution deals with Adobe and Dell Computers, to name just a few.

The company in March 2006 also joined the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, which determines the 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy.

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NASA GPS software to calculate quake size

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, June 29 (UPI) — GPS software developed by NASA could be the answer to determining the scale of an earthquake.

That’s what a team of university scientists is saying, showing that data from NASA’s GPS technology can be used to determine whether an earthquake is big enough to generate an ocean-wide tsunami, and in turn provide faster tsunami warnings.

The team, led by Geoffrey Blewitt of the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology and Seismological Laboratory at the University of Nevada, demonstrated that within 15 minutes an earthquake’s size can be determined, much faster than current methods, according to the release.

“We’ll always need seismology as the first level of alert for large earthquakes, and we’ll need ocean buoys to actually sense the tsunami waves,” Blewitt said. “The advantage of including GPS in warning systems is that it quickly tells how much the ocean floor moved, and that information can directly set tsunami models into motion.”

Results of their study were published in the Geophysical Research Letters from the American Geophysical Union, in which the scientists tested a method called “GPS displacement” that they hope will aid in predicting large-scale earthquakes in the future.

The method entails “measuring the time radio signals from GPS satellites arrive at ground stations located within a few kilometers of an earthquake.” And by calculating how far the stations moved because of the earthquake, scientists could derive an earthquake model as well as its true size or “moment magnitude,” which is connected to rather a quake would generate into a tsunami.

According to the team, the December 2004 Sumatra earthquake in Indonesia provided a good example to test their hypothesis. The team had noted that the earthquake moved the ground permanently more than 0.4 inches as far away as India or about 1,200 miles away.

“With signals like that, an earthquake this huge can’t hide,” Blewitt said. “We hypothesized that if GPS data could be analyzed rapidly and accurately, they would quickly indicate the earthquake’s true size and tsunami potential.”

The 2004 earthquake that killed thousands in its wake had a magnitude of 9.2 to 9.3 but was first estimated at 8.0 using seismological techniques designed for rapid analysis — which the team says underestimates earthquakes larger than 8.5 by making estimates from the first recorded seismic waves. Additionally, it was noted that this initial estimate was “the primary reason warning centers in the Pacific significantly underestimated the earthquake’s tsunami potential.”

“Tsunami warning is a race against time,” said co-author Seth Stein of the Department of Geological Sciences at the Northwestern University. “Tsunamis travel at jet speed, so warning centers must accurately decide, within minutes, whether to issue alerts. This has to be done fast enough for the warning to be distributed to authorities in impacted areas so they can implement response plans. Together with seismometer and ocean buoy data, GPS adds another tool that can improve future tsunami danger assessments.”

So, taking advantage of NASA’s satellite positioning data processing software, the scientists analyzed data within 15 minutes of the earthquake. Looking at 38 GPS stations varying in distances from the Sumatra earthquake’s epicenter, they tested the feasibility of their approach, the team said.

According to the release, the scientists’ results indicated that most permanent ground displacements occurred within a few minutes of the arrival of the first seismic waves and that their analysis inferred an earthquake model and moment magnitude of 9.0 — “very near the earthquake’s final calculated size.”

“Modeling earthquakes with GPS requires a robust, real-time ability to predict where GPS satellites are in space with exacting precision, which our software does,” added Frank Webb, a NASA geologist at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. “This technique improves rapid estimates of the true size of great earthquakes and advances real-time tsunami modeling capabilities.”

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W3C releases mobile site practices

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, June 28 (UPI) — Mobile content far beyond ringtones and wallpapers is on its way with the recent release of guidelines for designers of Web sites solely for the mobile phone.

The candidate recommendation for the “Mobile Web Best Practices 1.0″ guidelines was published Monday by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and is being backed by 30 companies which include Nokia, Vodafone and NTT DoCoMo from the Mobile Web Initiative, which is encouraging the adoption of these guidelines in order to advance the goal of “One Web.”

W3C, an international consortium where member organizations and full-time staff work together to develop Web standards, is jointly run by the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics, and Keio University.

Other supporters part of the Mobile Web Best Practices Working Group include AOL, France Telecom, and ICANN-appointed registry for the .mobi domain as well as Google and Microsoft. In fact, Google announced Wednesday that mobile phone users can get free access to Google e-mail, news alerts and headlines, and a personalized Google homepage for mobile devices and PDAs; while Microsoft unveiled Sunday its unified communications plan for 2007 Office software applications and includes partnerships with telecom and mobile manufacturers such as Motorola to have devices that are compatible for the new Office features.

Comparing the mobile Web in 2006 to that of the Web in 1996, the W3C has said that much of the same conditions are the same such as lack interoperability, child protection, and problem with accessibility. However, they acknowledged that the current 2006 mobile Web climate suggests more potential connected users, content, develops and industry more than it did in 1996 for the Web.

While the mobile Web surfing bug hasn’t quite hit since the emergence of convergent devices, Internet and telecom industries are doing their best now to lure PC Internet surfers to continue their online activities on mobile devices by addressing Web functionality fundamentals on the mobile.

But creating Web sites for the mobile is so far requiring communication between content providers, mobile operators, device manufacturers, browse venders, adaption providers, and authoring tool vendors who not only must answer to the challenge of usability but also screen dimensions, image formats, non-text items, color support, size limitations, browser features, and device capabilities, among other things.

And when it comes to content, the W3C and its supporting members are hoping to extend the Web content producing experience to mobile devices in less problematic ways as the new market emerges.

“There are many devices, but one Web,” said Daniel Appelquist, chair of the Mobile Web Best Practices Working Group. “Practical guidelines on how to create content once that can be delivered to the plethora of devices saves developers and organizations time and money, and has the added benefit of not breaking the Web.”

As the W3C noted, the recently released advanced guidelines are a how-to to author technical Web content that works well on mobile devices geared at developers, designers, and content producers, aimed at improving the experience of the Web on mobile devices.

According to the candidate recommendation, “‘One Web’ means making, as far as is reasonable, the same information and services available to users irrespective of the device they are using,” adding “that it did not mean that exactly the same information is available in exactly the same representation across all devices.”

Content guidelines included:

– Services that should be available as some variant of HTML over HTTP.

– Addressing non-text content since many devices don’t support embedded objects or script because users are unable to load plug-ins to add support.

– Keep device capabilities in mind, ensure that content is suitable for use in a mobile context, and use clear and simple language.

– Because many mobile devices do not implement cookies or offer an incomplete implementation or even stripped away on some devices, designers are suggested to use URI decoration for session management instead.

Moreover, the W3C has also launched a wiki to collect observations and suggestions on techniques and implantation experience of the Mobile Web Best Practices 1.0., it said.

According to the W3C’s Mobile Web Best Practices Working Group, it expects to request that its director advance the guidelines after further testing of implementation experience and practice is gathered.

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Microsoft’s Office 2007 vision

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, June 26 (UPI) — Microsoft Office applications are getting a multimedia tech facelift, which will incorporate voice, instant messaging and multi-faceted conferencing in its new 2007 Office system products.

The move by Microsoft unveiled Sunday signifies a big effort by the company to regain its lead in some arenas among competitors Apple and Google to name two, by investing in a unified communications package for Microsoft Office applications.

Given Microsoft’s track record, however, questions loom over the security troubles that lie ahead of Microsoft in making a large scope of software features impenetrable to hackers as well as how future Microsoft patches and critical flaw updates will affect the software, and how it will affect Windows Vista.

“Unified communications will drive the next major advancement in individual, team and organizational productivity in today’s 24×7, always-connected and increasingly mobile work environment,” said Microsoft business division’s president Jeff Raikes in San Francisco at a strategy event to announce the latest development. “We believe that through software, we can transform business communications (bringing down both its cost and complexity) by now integrating voice communications with the familiar and powerful communications and collaboration experiences provided by Microsoft.”

The software behemoth plans to “bring together” the e-mail offerings of Microsoft Exchange Server — which will include the new unified messaging capabilities — as well as Microsoft Office Outlook and Microsoft Speech Server. It also said it would update its real-time collaboration technologies while adding new communications devices.

In a further interview with Raikes on Microsoft’s corporate Web site, he said their new products would address the mass-communications struggles in the business world and that the emerging market for unified communications could be upwards of $40 billion.

Additionally, Anoop Gupta, corporate vice president of the Microsoft Unified Communications Group, noted software would be the key to its updated product line.

“To achieve the productivity revolution we believe is possible with unified communications, we need to provide deeper integration of communications modes within the processes we use every day,” Gupta said. “Ensuring all modes of communications are people-centric and presence-based will help people find and connect to the right person the first time using the most effective communication modes. Software will be the key to delivering on this promise, resulting in a more powerful end-user experience, real productivity enhancements, and compelling business value for our customers and partners.”

The unified communications announcement also signals strategic alliances with companies including Hewlett-Packard, Motorola and Siemens, as well as telecom equipment manufacturers Polycom, LG-Nortel and Thomson Telecom.

HP will provide hardware devices and systems integrations served for new and enhanced products supporting new elements of the Office applications, while Motorola entered into a multiyear joint market and development deal with Microsoft to provide mobile devices and network hardware based on Office Communications Server 2007 and Office Communicator Mobile, beginning with the Motorola HC700 series rugged mobile computing devices and the Motorola Q smart phone. And Siemens will provide a single unified communications platform for telephony, audio-, video- and Web conferencing and e-mail by integrating its HiPath 8000 softswitch real-time telephony with Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft Office Live Communications Server.

According to Microsoft, the new vision of Microsoft 2007 Office applications will include:

– Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 will incorporate Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) standards-based real-time communication platform for presence-based VoIP call management, audio- video- and web conferencing, and IM communication within its exiting software applications, services and devices.

– Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 unified messaging will bring a unified inbox of e-mail, voice mail, and faxing functionality as well as speech-based auto attendant allowing users to access their communications from any phone.

– Microsoft Office Communicator 2007, which works with the Office Communications Server 2007, will deliver VoIP “softphone,” IM for intercompany federation and connectivity to public instant messaging networking such as MSN, AOL and Yahoo!, one-to-one and multiparty audio- video- and web conferencing, and will be available in desktop, browser-based and Windows Mobile-based versions.

– Microsoft Office Live Meeting is a conferencing service, Microsoft says will help users collaborate, train, and deliver presentations using a PC and Internet connection and will support e-learning, enhanced audio and video capabilities including VoIP, a streamlined user interface, seamless integration with the Microsoft Office system and simpler deployment.

– Microsoft Office RoundTable, an audio-video collaboration device with a unique 360-degree camera that combines with Office Communications Server 2007, to enhance conferencing and includes a panoramic view of users in the conference room as well as close-up views.

– Microsoft Office Communicator phone experience will be based on communicator-based software designed to run on an innovative set of new voice and video devices including business-enabled IP desktop phones from Polycom Inc., LG-Nortel Co. Ltd. and Thomson Telecom.

– PC peripheral devices including USB handsets, wireless USB headsets, USB webcams and PC monitors with built-in audio and video components, Microsoft plans to have work with Microsoft Office Communicator 2007. Devices from industry partners Microsoft is working with include GN Netcom Inc., Logitech, Motorola, Plantronics Inc., Samsung and Tatung Co.

Microsoft plans to release Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 in late 2007 or early 2006, while Microsoft Speech Sever 2007 later this year, while all other new applications are set to release in the second quarter of 2007.

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Google, Adobe in distribution deal

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, June 24 (UPI) — Google’s move to sign a multi-year distribution deal with Adobe to include the Internet group’s toolbar in the installation process of Adobe products for Windows is raising eyebrows in the industry over the search giant’s recent actions in its competition with Microsoft.

Adobe made the announcement earlier this week that it had signed the multi-year distribution agreement with Google to distribute the Google Toolbar with Adobe’s Macromedia Shockwave Player, among other of the company’s products. Financial terms were undisclosed, but the agreement with Google bumps off its rival Yahoo!, which previously had the bundling agreement since 2004.

“As leaders in our respective market categories, it’s fitting for Adobe and Google to work together to improve the ways customers engage with ideas and information,” Shantanu Narayen, Adobe’s president and chief operating officer, said in a statement. “Our customers will benefit from the power and convenience of the Google Toolbar, and the popularity and reach of Adobe technology gives Google even broader exposure to a growing base of consumers. We expect the agreement to represent significant revenue to Adobe over a period of years.”

According to Adobe, the company has had more than 200 million downloads to date of its Macromedia Shockwave Player, “with hundreds of thousands of Shockwave Players downloaded each day,” and the “Shockwave Player is installed on more than 55 percent of Internet-enabled desktops.”

“Adobe customers are some of the most savvy, enthusiastic consumers of Web content, and we think they’ll love the fact that Google Toolbar will let them take the power of Google search with them anywhere on the Web,” added Omid Kordestani, senior vice president of global sales and business development at Google. “Adobe and Google are teaming up to help users more easily and quickly find the ever-increasing sources of information that are important to them.”

Similarly, Google signed another such deal last month to further expand its distribution capabilities via a distribution agreement with Dell Computers, after the two companies were in talks earlier this year. The agreement, in which Google paid an undisclosed amount, had the PC maker bundle Google’s desktop software for searching content of a user’s hard drive and e-mails as well as to install a Web browser search tool bar with laptops and PCs purchased from the Dell store. Dell computers also had personalized Google homepages for Dell, which included typical Google and Dell widgets.

As of October 2005 Google and Sun Microsystems agreed to “promote and distribute their software technologies,” including having the Google Toolbar bundled with the download of Sun’s Java Runtime Environment, as well explore other opportunities with OpenOffice.org and OpenSolaris, the companies had said.

Google’s move to gain distribution agreements could prove beneficial to the company as it continues to position itself to move ahead of its competitors in other arenas, namely Microsoft — while grasping the search market realm it currently dominates.

According to comScore Networks’ monthly qSearch analysis released Wednesday of search engines’ activities, Google maintained its status as market leader with 44.1 percent of searches conducted on its sites from the 7.4 billion searches conducted by Americans for May 2006. It also gained search market share for the tenth consecutive month. Behind Google came Yahoo! with 27.9 percent and MSN third with 12.9 percent, followed by Time Warner Network, Ask Network and MySpace.com Search.

comScore also reported that Google registered the most search queries performed with 3.3 billion, followed by Yahoo! with 2.1 billion and MSN-Microsoft with 963 million. Additionally, it reported that Google grabbed 49.1 percent of toolbar searches vs. 46.2 percent of Yahoo!.

But Google continues to have a busy week in the news. The company also announced this week it is currently testing a new type of online ad that would protect advertising partners from paying additional funds due to click fraud and is also testing a free ad-supported video model on Google Video for a limited time.

It also said Friday it had sold its stake in Baidu.com, a Chinese search engine, in a move to concentrate on its own search engine in the country, Google.cn, also known as “Guge.”

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Social music lovers become ‘Moggers’

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, June 21 (UPI) — The launch of a site intertwining music blogging into a social network could be an opportunity for MOG to segue into a deal with major players in the music industry including music labels and online music stores, if not also appeal to online advertisers.

Don’t even mention, though, that MOG is part of the MTV empire that was hatched by a former executive of the music channel. After all, MOG wants to be considered anti-MTV if anything, sending out an e-mail to members who may have gotten the wrong message when some news reports incorrectly announced that MTV had created the social networking site MOG.

Armed with the motto “Bare your musical soul,” Berkeley, Calif.-based MOG hopes to attract music fans via its growing member base and its MOG-O-MATIC technology — for both Macs and PCs — which keeps score of a user’s digital music collection updating their profile automatically.

The site’s functions include MOG-O-MATIC widgets, in addition to users creating their own personalized widgets, allowing them to display current playlists, concerts they are attending, favorite artists, recommendations and write blog posts, among other things. Users also have access to customizable skins for profiles designed by pop artists such as Kinsey, Frank Kozik and Coop as well as embed audio samples, video clips, and links to the MOG community. And according to the company, MOG can be added to any blog or MySpace page. It also said that it would be rolling out with many new features soon.

“Thanks to bleeding-edge technology and ridiculously easy tools, MOG takes the work out of showing the world what you’re about musically and connecting you with others with similar musical tastes,” stated MOG chief executive David Hyman. “We use all of MOG’s smarts to point you in the direction of people like you, based on the music you’re into — NOT to pretend that a computer really knows what you like.”

But MOG isn’t some creation by a college student, coming from the mind of Hyman, a seasoned music/Internet industry veteran. So far, the company has raised $1.4 million in Angel funding to date since it was founded in June 2005.

Hyman, not only a former senior vice president of marketing at MTV Interactive, but is also a co-founder of music magazine Addicted to Noise and a former CEO of Gracenote, provider of its Music Recognition Service and content delivery engine for use in consumer electronics.

Gracenote is providing MOG with its music recognition service, who also powers Apple’s iPods and iTunes with the similar service, and who provides the software to automatically catalog, organize and display music collections from CDs.

“At MOG, people still matter most,” Hyman said. “We see our technology as an enabler, but MOG’s users are the definitive. That means we allow you to edit anything in your collection — from adding CD’s you’ve been listening to in your car or vinyl you’ve been spinning at a recent party to deleting those embarrassing Olivia Newton-John tracks.”

And staying true to its motto, social networking doesn’t occur by zip code, gender, or age; rather the site connects users by similar music tastes, but still providing a search for Moggers.

Albeit, only launching its beta version Tuesday, users of the site have already posted a number of ideas on its feedback forum that if implemented could propel the site’s potential for attracting music fans as well as companies via its tools. Suggestions have included providing album art, scanning ID3 tags, including top songs and artists list among Moggers, listing opening bands on a bill and page views, adding music tools, and getting more artist blogs.

Yet, the site does hit on the impact of consumer-to-consumer recommendations. According to a December 2005 from IT research firm Gartner, consumer taste sharing is changing the landscape of the music industry. Among the study’s findings, it found that one-tenth of early adopters of digital media stated that they make music purchases based on others’ recommendations, while one-third said they were interested in online music discovery and recommendation tech powered by their taste in music.

Moreover, in the same study from Gartner analysts Michael McGuire and Derek Slater predicted that “by 2010, 25 percent of online music store transactions will be driven directly from consumer-to-consumer-taste-sharing applications, such as playlist publishing and ranking tools built into online music stores or external sites with links to stores.”

Falling in line with what is the latest trend for a growing number of online music fans and continuing to build its member base and tools capabilities, could spur added interest from online music stores and music labels, as it now only provides 30-second sound samples of every song as well as direct links to iTunes and Amazon for download and CD purchases.

As Hyman noted, “like an older brother that plays you Miles Davis for the first time or a favorite musician that turns you on to an unexpected influence, MOG helps people connect with trusted voices to expand their musical exposure.”

“Computer generated recommendation models tend to be self-referential in nature and don’t account for the fact that taste is complex and ever-evolving,” he added.

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System wages war against movie piracy

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, June 20 (UPI) — Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have come up with a prototype device that could be the answer to movie piracy.

The team, which is part of the interactive and intelligent computing division of the Georgia Tech College of Computing, has developed a device that can block digital-camera functions in a given area, translating into the notion that a commercial version of the technology could thwart the unwanted use of video or still cameras. This could spell good news for those in the entertainment sector, particularly the film industry including the Motion Picture Association of America, which continues to struggle in the battle against pirates.

In fact, the worldwide motion-picture industry loses an estimated $3 billion to $4 billion due to piracy. In 2005 alone the industry lost $3.5 billion, with the origin of most pirated content being from camcorders filming in theaters, said Gregory Abowd, an associate professor leading the project.

And this is what the team’s system — made up of off-the-shelf equipment including camera-mounted sensors, lightening equipment, a projector and a computer — aims to do, namely by scanning, finding and neutralizing digital cameras.

According to researchers, a contraband camera can be located by looking for the reflectivity and shape of the image-producing sensors used in the camera. This reflectivity is considered to be the camera’s image sensor called a CCD, which is retroflective. So when a digital camera is located via visible light, their device flashes a beam of visible white light at the CCD rendering the video unusable.

“The idea of the device is to use it to detect where a recorder device is within some distance in a given area you’re trying to protect,” said Abowd, adding that subsequently, a neutralization beam will shine at the lens blocking the picture and causing it to be unusable and overexposed.

The current prototype can work in a 60-degree angle of about 5 ft to 20 ft away depending on the solution for detection, adding that it operates in two modes: a quick mode in which it can spot a single camera and a slower-reacting mode able to track multiple devices.

Abowd also noted that while camera-neutralizing technology can stop video copying aiding the film industry, it could also protect limited areas against clandestine photography that include stopping espionage in government agencies, trade shows, corporations and banks, and maintaining piracy from camera phones.

But now the team is focusing on the prototype in terms of its commercial potential, hoping to develop it so that it might even use invisible infrared lasers and photo-detecting transistors to scan for contraband cameras.

Eager to get more investments, the researchers are counting to gain additional funding from companies as Abowd’s company DominINC — started last year since the technology was developed — applies for the Georgia Research Alliance Phase 2 grant, which it plans to use for anti-piracy product development.

Abowd said that funding availability would also determine whether the team would develop small- or large-area applications first.

Moreover, if the MPAA were to become involved it would mean striking an agreement with theater owners for the technology to be used as well as legitimizing the cost of it, Abowd added. This could apply to any other industry looking to legitimize the cost of the technology when enough intellectual property is being lost or privacy violated.

Still, work needs to be done, as researchers are looking to increase the range and not have their system impact the viewing experience, keeping it within health and safety regulations.

The researchers, however, noted that the energy levels used to neutralize cameras would be low enough to preclude any health risks to the operator.

In addition, better computer analysis is necessary so as to avoid “false positives” so that a person isn’t harmed by the neutralized beam as well as “false negatives” so that all possible camera devices could be detected, Abowd said.

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Webbys signal changes in Internet

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, June 13 (UPI) — You know you’re at the Webby Awards, when winners and nominees armed with their digital camera, camera phone, Palm Pilot camera, and other electronic recording device are crowded around the stage trying to take a photo of Prince.

That was the last award presentation closing out Monday night’s Webby Awards held at the Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, honoring Prince with a lifetime achievement award as the first major artist to release his 1997 album “Crystal Ball” exclusively online and his New Power Generations Web site.

The Webby Awards from the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences honors excellence in Web design, functionality, and creativity every year and was hosted for a second time by comedian Rob Corddry of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”

Other Special Achievement honorees this year went to founders — Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe — of MySpace.com for Breakout of the Year, Gorillaz as Artist of the year, Webby Entrepreneur of the Year Dallas Mavericks owner Marc Cuban, Webby Person of the Year New York Times columnist and author of “The World if Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century” Thomas Friedman, and second Lifetime Achievement recipient Robert Kahn noted as a co-founder of the Internet.

“It was really exciting to be here earlier because I was not only interviewed by a whole host of news organizations I have never heard of before, but with various devices I have never been interviewed with before from cell phones to cameras to handheld I-don’t-know-what,” said prominent journalist Thomas Friedman in his acceptance speech of how the scene reminded him of the tipping point in regards to the Internet.

His speech surfaced on YouTube.com thanks to Editor & Publisher.

“I think the way I would like to personally describe this point, is this — whatever can be done, will be done,” added Friedman, “If you got an idea, don’t wait six months, because there are so many people connected, so many cheap tools of collaboration and connectivity. … There’s only one question, will it be done by you or to you.”

The Academy, made up of some 535- Web, business and creative experts from various industries — musician David Bowie, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson and “Simpsons” creator Matt Groening to name a few — determined the winners of the 69 categories this year.

And this year’s nominations included 5,500 entries from more than 40 countries for categories in consumer and culture, film, fashion and politics, and for debut categories including best in Political Blog, Business Blog, Culture Blog and Podcast as well as Best use of Video or Moving Image.

Criteria of all sites were based on content, structure and navigation, visual design, functionality, interactivity, and overall experience.

Additionally, The Webby People’s Voice Awards presented by Verizon allowed individuals to vote for their favorite Web sites in all Webby categories.

Title sponsors for the event included AOL.com and The Creative Group.

Still for the Webby Awards, star-studded in its own respect, recognized many of those in cyberspace who largely remain anonymous to the billions of online viewers who spend time and money on the growing education, social, and commercialized institution that has been created by entrepreneurs over the information superhighway — even disappearing behind the masses were infamous MySpace.com founders.

But as Webby founder Tiffany Shlain noted, that as “communication tools have evolved, the power of dispersing information has evolved too,” comparing the Web to a long-time relationship with someone.

And that’s what those recognized at the awards event share in common, evolving the technology to communicate with users in new, innovative ways.

Already these changes have began, as suggested by the Web Awards Top Web Trends in 2006, signaling the convergent mobile phone to include scan, voice, image and sensor recognition, evolving online video or Internet television, selling small products for small prices online in the wake of ring tones, more intuitive technology for search engines, and the growing adoption of citywide wireless access.

Perhaps, even next year, the Webby Awards will have to add a new category for best .mobi site, domains used specifically for mobile phones, as registry is completely open to the public by the end of summer.

Nominee Greg Selkoe of online urban street wear boutique Karmaloop said that as a large consumer base for 18 to 25 year olds trendsetters since 1999, the company has grown up with a generation whose preferred method of shopping is via the Internet.

And selling retail on the mobile is likely, as the company now looks into that, according to Selkoe.

“Any medium that connects to the Internet like the mobile phone is a natural extension of connecting with customers over the Internet,” he said.

Meanwhile, Head of Web Services at the Library of Congress Kevin Novak noted the Institution, who won the People’s Voice Award for cultural institution, was making strides in making more than 22 million items available and more accessible to the public as well as providing a more unique online experience to the some 4 billion hits it receives per year.

“We’re an authority for information … and pushing the limits of technology,” said Novak, who mentions the Institution was also working on a project to extend the Institution’s visitor experience online.

CEO Alexander Tsiaras of Anatomical Travelogue Inc. credited with The InVision Guide to a Healthy Heart — an interactive Web site that shows 3-D dimensions of the cardiovascular system, medical problems, treatments, and lifestyle options — says his company is producing the next generation in health information.

“People want visuals, interaction, and engaging activities,” said Tsiaras, whose site won a Webby award for best in health. “Right now, health information is all hypertext information. You might as well just go to Barnes and Nobles to get the book.”

And 72hours.org, developed by the San Francisco’s Office of Emergency Services and Homeland Security, is the Webby winner for best government site which provides disaster and emergency information and has so far had requests from other parts of the country for similar emergency sites including Boston and Florida.

“It’s such an overwhelming topic with overwhelming information,” said Amy Ramirez, an emergency planner with the organization, “but the site provides advice on taking the simple steps. The idea is to the take some fear out of it and make it more intuitive.”

They also planned the site as a way to present a user-friendly platform for getting emergency information to the public, she added.

Google Earth, Google Maps, Flickr, NPR, BBC and THE BOOK OF COOL were among those who walked away with wins in multiple categories.

And keeping with tradition, winners of both the Webby Awards and People’s Voice Awards were once again limited to five-word acceptance speeches; last year’s memorable five-word speeches included one from Webby Lifetime Achievement Award honoree former presidential candidate Al Gore, who said, “Please don’t recount this vote.”

Among this year’s notable five-word speeches included:

– “Liberals have mojo; we win.” — MotherJones.com for the Peoples’ Voice award for politics.

– “Sports? Pornography? Sports? Pornography? Sports.” — ESPN.com for best in sports site.

– “Make more magnificent map mash-ups.” — Google Maps for the People’s Voice Award in best practices.

– “Announcing Goggle Earth 4 Beta” — Google Earth won for best visual design in function.

– “Two crackers fighting racism, yo.” — Webby winner Remember Segregation for best in home/welcome page.

– “Darlings, make blog, not war.” — Arianna Huffington won for best political blog with The Huffington Post.

– “BabyCenter … you push, we deliver.” — BabyCenter won the People’s Voice winner for site relating to family and parenting

– “Gavin Newsom for President 2024.” — Webby winner to 72hrs.org for best in government site.

– “Jewish American Princesses … Smokin.” — Webby winner Jdate for social networking.

– “I propose, Elizabeth said yes.” — People’s Voice winner for personal Web site.

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A full list of Webby and People Voice winners as well as five-word speeches can be found at www.webbyawards.com.

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Robots duke it out in Germany for RoboCup

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, June 12 (UPI) — In 2050, soccer and robot fans may soon be rooting for their favorite teams in a Cup game of human world soccer champion teams vs. a team of fully autonomous humanoid robots — that’s at least the ultimate vision of the RoboCup Federation.

But until then, as soccer fans in Germany eagerly wait to see which two teams advance to play for the World Cup, a different set of players are competing in Bremen, Germany, this week for a competition known as RoboCup World Championship 2006.

The 10th annual championship in Germany marks a first in the country since the competition was initiated in 1997 in Nagoya, Japan, and has been held thereafter in Italy, Korea, and Portugal to name a few.

Since its initiation, the research and education project has made progress in its aim at using soccer to foster artificial intelligence and robotics research in a wide range of technologies.

And this year’s competition from June 14 to 20 will feature more than 440 teams — 2,500 participants — from some 40 countries of which only 33 teams will win, competing in the three arenas of soccer, rescue and RoboCupJunior in leagues and sub-leagues for soccer simulation, small-size robots, middle-size robots, four-legged robots, humanoid robots, rescue simulation, rescue robot, and junior.

“This is a humongous event,” said co-chair organizer Ubbo Visser from the University of Bremen, Germany, who told United Press International that they’ve been planning for the event in Germany since 2003. “Everything is going smoothly as far as the organizers go. Some people are scared as far as competitors go, feeling not ready and last minute changes — but in the end, they are all ready.”

But fine-tuning software, integrating artificial intelligence and robotics in fields outside their expertise, damage control from shipping mishaps, and added changes in the playing field, are among some of the problems that send competitors into a frenzy just days before a competition, according to Visser.

“If one module doesn’t work, you’re whole robot doesn’t work,” Visser said, “So one of the biggest fears for developers, is if one part isn’t working.”

“Competitors don’t stop working,” he added. “Champions don’t come already done, they improve upon and further develop their software over the period of the competition — it’s a rule of thumb.”

But as far as challenges go, the most challenging is enabling robots with automation for real — life environments.

Dr. Peter Stone from the University of Texas at Austin says that new challenges in the environment are pushing teams to overcome other problems in order to advance the technology, such as finding solutions for visual perception so that robots can use a black and white ball instead of orange or perform in natural lightening.

Stone, also a RoboCup Trustee, is competing this week and is the founder and team leader of the Austin Villa robot soccer teams which will play in the soccer coach simulation in which their coach agent tries to improve the performance of team of agents by giving strategic suggestions via a standardized coach language as well as in the Sony Aibo four-legged leagued that require solving the problems of vision, localization, locomotion, and coordination.

The Sony league in particular has added challenges, according to Stone, who says the field has gotten much bigger, there are more robots, and the walls in which balls can bounce off have been taken down.

“It encourages a more controlled play … and enables teams to become more innovative than the year past,” he said.

“The soccer league provides us with a good way to get into the strategic aspects of soccer,” also said Stone, emphasizing that soccer allows scientists to test robots when it comes to behavior and movement but is also feasible and understood being the most popular sport other than the United States. “Some of the most motivated and innovative people are in this competition, trying to get to the top.”

“It’s more than just stress, it’s a lot of fun,” Stone added. “There’s no other time in academia where people are jumping up and screaming, there’s a lot of excitement and camaraderie. It’s a community building event … and pushes the future of the science.”

Fellow RoboCup Trustee and assistant professor at Georgia Tech whose research includes autonomous robots, social animals and multi-robot teams, Tucker Balch says that the teams have been getting better and better each year.

Georgia Tech’s College of Computing will be hosting the RoboCup 2007 from July 1 to July 10 in Atlanta, where Balch will chair the event.

“The most amazing thing is that you watch these robots play and they seem so alive — that’s the most significant thing I’ve noticed in the last year, they’ve really switched from being robots to being alive,” Balch said. “Our focus is on developing the best AI software, the robots are autonomous and have become more perceptive of their environments, and it’s more complicated (with a team) than producing a single robot, they really are using wireless digital capabilities to communicate with each other.”

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TiVo launches broadband vid service

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, June 7 (UPI) — Broadband video content and IPTV may have just gotten their largest push into the living rooms of mainstream America, now that TiVo will deliver broadband content to subscribers.

The DVR vendor/service provider made the announcement Wednesday for its launch of “TiVoCast,” a new service that will deliver broadband video directly to the television sets and PCs of its some 400,000 subscribers.

Among those video-content providers TiVo has struck licensing agreements with are the National Basketball Association and Women’s NBA, The New York Times, and CNET.

“Television is still the preferred platform for watching video,” said Tara Maitra, TiVo’s vice president and general manager of programming. “The TiVoCast service captures mainstream and specialty-based content on the Web, delivering programming that is not otherwise available through the TV today and providing a wide variety of choice that will be of interest to all segments of the TV audience.”

According to TiVo, subscribers will have access to the free content via the Showcases area on TiVo Central on the main menu of TiVo service and is available on TiVo Services2 DVR connected through broadband.

Programming will include NBA and WNBA video showcases as well as a special video package of the greatest Finals moments in NBA History during the June 8 NBA tip off.

In addition, the New York Times will offer video segments on news analysis including A.O. Scott’s Movie Minute film reviews and David Pogue’s technology product reviews; while, CNET will provide buying advice and how-to segments on technology products as well as videos including Insider Secrets, Weekend project, and First Look from the Labs.

Other companies, TiVo has made licensing agreements include:

– Heavy.com who will provide programming including “Behind the Music that Sucks,” “American Suck Countdown” and “The Massive Mating Game” for pop culture enthusiasts.

– Popular with women, iVillage will provide content covering real stores, how-to advice, beauty, parents, fashion, home, and relationships.

– Danger Rangers, an animated children’s show, is set to provide content on safety awareness.

– H20: HipHop on Demand will offer HipHop/Urban themed programming.

– Action sports themed films based on surf, snow skate, BMX, and Motocross supplied by Union on Demand.

– Popular video blogs and news and political commentaries will be provided by Rocketboom.

– Here! will offer gay and lesbian themed programming.

TiVo also said that they and their partners would have to ability to integrate advertising with the content.

This is the latest service TiVo has released; only last month the company announced the initial launch of “TiVo Product Watch,” offering subscribers the option of searchable advertising and allowing them to select their favorite brands or opt-in to receive video content directly from a company on an ongoing basis.

As part of that launch, some 70 advertisers and 100 leading brands including General Motors, Sony Pictures, Lending Tree, and Kraft Foods participated and will feature newly formatted ads including cooking demonstration, infomercials on mortgages, behind-the-scene movie trailers, and advice on new automotive features and aesthetic options for vehicles.

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Eye-catching mobile security on its way

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, June 5 (UPI) — The mobile phone may soon be equipped with a higher level of security thanks to Leeds, United Kingdom-based technical solutions company xVista and its iris-scanning technology.

The company says it has developed what it considers to be United Kingdom’s first iris-scanning system that can be housed within compact low-power computing systems such as a camera mobile phone. And with this technology developed in collaboration with the University of Sussex under a $3.4 million six-year partnership, xVista is hoping to capitalize on the rapid growth of the $1.5 billion global biometrics market, it says.

“The xVista technology performs a similar task to the traditional signature, photograph or pin number in confirming an individual’s identity, but is far more reliable,” remarked xVista Managing Director Karlis Obrams, who formed the company back in 2000. “The fact that the system can run from portable devices like the mobile phone and SIM card opens up fantastic potential for its use, making it far more effective than other scanning systems that are usually bulky and limited to fixed points.”

According to xVista, the technology that scans and maps the iris for individual characteristics uses a unique algorithm designed specifically to be operated on low-power computing devises such as a phone with a standard 256 MB mobile-phone memory card — which is able to hold over 250,000 separate iris templates and from a database of 1,000,000 irises could take less than one second to verify an individual iris.

And with the iris data scanned onto a central database, a template is created to be checked against all further scans to verify the user’s identity, the company said.

“Using an airport as an example, the xVista system can be deployed across all members of a security team in a discreet handheld device, enabling staff to know within seconds whether a pilot, crew member or baggage handler is who they say they are, offering peace of mind against threats such as identity theft and terrorism,” Obrams added.

But that’s not all xVista’s iris scanning and verification technology can be used for, as the company said it could be applied to other markets including consumer electronics security, financial transactions, mobile telecom and banking.

In a further interview with United Press International, Obrams explained that even though the mobile phone isn’t as efficient as a PC, the scanning technology’s ability to be operated by low-power computing system opens up a range of applications especially as the chances of two irises matching is about one in 7 billion, protecting against fraud.

“The system is so efficient that it doesn’t even interfere with the use of a mobile phone,” Obrams said.

As an example, Obrams suggests that if an individual’s mobile phone is stolen, with their iris scanning technology, it acts both as a theft prevention mechanism by identifying and verifying the owner and scanning the iris of the thief storing it on the database.

He also proposes that their technology be used as an element of security for financial transactions in terms of micro-payments, useful as the mobile eventually may soon carry small deposits of cash, electronic cash, or used for Internet shopping.

Moreover, he also recommends that xVista’s technology be used for other security issues such as authenticating individuals in medical/aid distribution as well as for voter registration in other countries other than using blue/black ink.

But as the company is currently in discussion with the U.K. Defense Diversification Agency — responsible for identifying new civil technology for defense and homeland security application — it is also seeking opportunities from financial institutions and their customers from the micro-payment and security arenas interested in implementing additional security in such devices as the mobile phones, according to Obrams.

“Our technology gives the public the control over their biometrics and the mobile phone is something you don’t leave behind,” he said.

Unity08 looks to the Internet for 2008

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, May 31 (UPI) — A new political movement seeking a bipartisan ticket for the 2008 presidency looks to garner voters via the Internet.

Calling themselves Unity08, the new online political movement seeks to fix existing parties by creating a president and vice-president bill for the 2008 presidential election to be headed by a woman or man from each party or an independent who presents a Unity Team from both parties, according to group’s Web site.

“We believe that, while the leaders of both major parties are well intentioned people, they are trapped in a flawed system — and that the two major parties are today simply neither relevant to the issues and challenges of the 21st century nor effective in addressing them,” Unity08’s Web site states. “As a result, most Americans have not been enthusiastic about the choices for president in recent elections, the key issues they ran on, or the manner in which the campaigns were conducted.”

So unlike the current presidential primaries system, the group is planning to open its delegation to where any American voter will be qualified to vote in a secure online convention.

The online convention where delegates vote is expected to take place in the first half of 2008. And organizers say that if at least 20 percent of the voting public vote in the convention, then “our voters will decide the 2008 elections.”

“In our current nominating system, middle America will lose based on how the Iowa Caucus, New Hampshire, and South Carolina will vote and by and large, the race is over, leaving greater middle America without any say,” said Doug Bailey, media adviser to former President Gerald Ford and co-founder of The Hotline. “Why not use the technology to enable greater middle America to correct today’s politics. (They) are not only upset with the Republicans and the Democrats, but with Washington.”

Moreover, he added that young voters who have been turned off by the political system could use their movement to empower themselves via technology, but that anyone would be interested in the group’s goals since close to 70 percent of people use e-mail and the Internet on a daily basis.

But Unity08, headquartered in Denver, is also focusing its efforts on reforming the 2008 national elections by influencing major parties in terms of crucial issues for the national agenda.

These crucial issues are defined as those for America’s future safety and welfare including global terrorism, national debt, education, healthcare, global climate vs. important issues regarding gun control, abortion and gay marriage, the site said.

Its members include former communications director for Jimmy Carter Gerald Rafshoon, Democratic consultant and co-founder of The Hotline Roger Craver, and Nicco Mele, Howard Dean 2004’s Internet strategist and webmaster.

Already launching their site to promote their campaign agenda and getting people interested some two years before the next election isn’t too early, says Julie Germany, deputy director at The Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management.

According to Germany, people are excited about the new group and the site, which also includes an interactive game allowing users to help voters cross the street to DemocracyLand by dodging partisan parties, special interests, and lunatic drivers.

“In fact, it’s just the right time,” she said, “especially at a time where people are ready for the emergence of a new kind of party.”

Moreover, she mentioned that the group is using the Internet more to provide a new forum of debate to pique the public’s interest as well as “decrease the polarization and partisanship, not only among the political parties, but the American public.”

“The people involved learned the important lessons from the Bush campaign, the Kerry campaign, and the Dean campaign, taking the best components and putting them together to target the public all on one site,” Germany said. “I think it’s a good start, it’s neither far left or far right, at the very least it aims to regain some of that middle ground.”

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Home broadband users up 40 percent

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, May 30 (UPI) — More Americans are adopting broadband in their homes, according to a report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, finding that the adoption rate grew by 40 percent from March 2005 to 2006.

This doubles the 20-percent rate reported from March 2004 to March 2005.

The report, “Home Broadband Adoption 2006,” released over the weekend, is based on the Project’s March 2006 survey of 4,001 Americans, of whom 1,562 were home broadband users, and explained the increase from 60 million in March 2005 to 84 million in March 2006 is due in part to Internet newcomers who have bypassed dial-up connections for high-speed Internet.

Included in the study is data on user-generated content, monthly cost of service and Voice over Internet Protocol, taken from a December 2005 survey of 3,011 Americans, in which 1,014 were home high-speed users.

“The early adoption phase of broadband-to-the-home is behind us,” remarked John B. Horrigan, associate director for research and principal author of the report. “As broadband moves beyond the elite, so does an online activity once largely the province of early adopters — posting content to the Internet.”

Among those making the leap to home broadband, the report found that it was “very strong” in middle-income households, especially among African-Americans and those with low levels of education.

The report found that the adoption rate grew by 68 percent among those whose incomes were between $40,000 and $50,000 per year, while the adoption rate among African-Americans increased by 121 percent, and the percentage for those with less than a high-school education and senior citizens also grew by 70 percent and 63 percent respectively, which were initially at an adoption level of 8 percent and 10 percent.

Moreover, it found that adoption rates for rural areas were at 39 percent but still lagged behind suburban and urban areas, it said.

Also reported were that digital-subscriber-line services had overtaken cables companies for broadband, finding that DSL connections made up half of all home broadband connections vs. the 41-percent share by cable modems. The increase in these services, it explained, could be attributed in part to price differences due to the growth of DSL subscriptions, the report said.

This marked a reversal from 2005, when cable modems took a 50-percent share compared to DSL with 41 percent.

However, it also noted that fixed wireless was beginning to make a presence with 6 million American adults who had a wireless broadband connection.

And when asked the reason for getting broadband at home, the Project said that nearly three in five broadband users did so for speed, while only 4 percent mentioned price.

Moreover, of those with dial-up, 60 percent said they would not change to broadband due to already having broadband at work or were older and had lower incomes than those dial-up users who were interested in making the switch.

Additionally, the Project’s report also found that of the 48 million Internet users who have posted content to the Internet, a majority of them were home broadband users, signaling that these users were “shaping the environment of cyberspace.”

“The mainstreaming of high-speed, in combination with user-generated content being a widespread phenomenon, suggests that individuals will continue to shape the Internet,” Horrigan also said. “This means that an Internet that permits open access to lawful content is of great value to the tens of millions of Americans who post their creative work online.”

The Project found that about 31 million home broadband users have posted content to the Internet, accounting for 73 percent of home Internet users who were the source of online content, it said.

This is compared to only about 13 million adults with dial-up who have placed content online.

It also found that of the 36 million Internet users or 26 percent who have “shared their own artwork, photos, stories, or videos online,” about two-thirds of that was home broadband users.

Meanwhile, user-generated content was also driven by young home broadband users with 51 percent “under 30″ posting content compared with those “older than 30″ at 36 percent.

Furthermore, while it attributed the increase of broadband with the emergence of phone services over the Internet, it reported that VoIP services were still in the early stage of acceptance with a mere 3 percent of Americans who used a VoIP service at home, but awareness was up by 86 percent since early 2004, the report found.

The full report can be found at www.pewinternet.org

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Text messaging partners mobile and TV

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, May 25 (UPI) — With more than 64.5 million text messages throughout Fox’s fifth season of “American Idol,” LogicaCMG gave United Press International a behind-the-scenes look at how text messaging is uniting the mobile and television industries.

As the developer of the text-messaging technology used by some 300 network operators and service providers including Cingular, the multiple IT services company LogicaCMG delivers two out of every three text messages sent in the world and has provided the first commercial multi-media and video-message deployments.

“Text messaging has become valuable to television producers, providing a direct channel to customers in gaining back valuable feedback on their shows,” said Han Weegink, LogicaCMG’s director of marketing and communications.

At the same time, it has also meant the evolution of a business model for network operators to retain loyalty with customers as well as attract new ones through exclusive content, he said.

In fact, show-based text messaging is nothing new, having been around for about four to five years already and originally used to garner reactions from fans of a show.

The challenge, however, was tackling the problem that as shows got bigger and phone-in votes went up as a result, it was impossible for network service providers to handle; therefore, text voting provided a good alternative.

And it is now that text voting has come into its own, he said, especially in the United States thanks to “American Idol.”

In fact, having had the experience of handling massive volume over the last couple of years, LogicaCMG has figured out the success of text voting that satisfies all parties involved including the end user by watching from the mistakes of some shows bite the dust.

“The more successful a show gets, the more votes you get, and the more problems you get,” said Weegink, pointing to “American Idol,” which now receives millions of calls and text messages compared to some 1,000 texts per second in 2001 — considered an enormous global market then.

According to Weegink, lessons learned since 2001 have meant that a) the end user with a confirmation message and reasonable price per text and b) how effectively and efficiently text voting is done on a technical level.

“Whereas, a voice call provides an immediate response to a vote — you know right away — and a busy signal if not, while text messaging is not 100 percent sure, unless you get some kind of feedback … ‘Thank you for your vote. We have counted your vote. Join us next week for our show,’” he said, “And some operators have forgotten to send confirmations, so customers had no clue if (their vote) was taken into account.”

Of course, if customers have no clue if their vote was been accounted for, this could mean a problem for loyal customers but once taken care, the problem was then sending out a million confirmation messages for a million votes, he explained.

Moreover, reasonable prices per text became an issue.

For instance, he cited that on a Holland show, operators received $.50 per vote as well as $.50 per confirmation level, leaving some frustrated customers shocked and requesting a refund but only to spend $30 to $40 to roll back the transaction for the refund.

In addition, Weegink, as some operators were facing the problem of increased text votes, subsequently, they began to only aggregate votes which ran into legal problems but was also a lost for operators, by losing precious information.

But even more challenging these days is consolidating information for business in real time, Weegink said, citing how one show that wanted to set a world record by have 1 million people text in within 100 minutes wanted a real-time count during the show.

And it hasn’t been until recently that text voting has transformed text messaging into new arenas and developed into good business for network operators, especially Cingular, with the success of “American Idol,” attracting new customers via its exclusive rights with Fox and “American Idol.”

For “Idol” fans, Cingular Wireless subscribers can text the word VOTE to the text messaging four digital short numbers for their favorite contestant for .$10 a message or as a package for as low as $2.99 a month.

Since Season 2, it saw the “Idol” campaign generate some 7.5 million text messages in its texting debut, followed by 13.5 million “Idol”-related text messages sent by customers throughout the season including fan mail, sweepstakes entries, games, trivia and votes in Season 3 — representing an 80-percent increase from 2003, according to Cingular. And in Season 4, with the merger with AT&T Wireless, the company had seen “Idol”-related text messages triple with 41.5 million sent throughout the season, it said.

“Our expectations for a record-breaking year with ‘American Idol’ is not based solely on high hopes; it is grounded in actual results that we’ve realized so far,” John Burbank, Cingular’s vice president of marketing, had said in March of this year. “Since we first launched much of our ‘Idol’-themed content six weeks ago, Cingular has realized a significant increase in messaging results. In fact, our messaging results to date are greater than they were this time last year. And what makes this even more impressive is that voting just started.”

Moreover, according to Weegink, the acquisition of a new customer is priced at $150 but in Cingular’s situation, it saves $150 just with “American Idol” alone in some cases.

And by satisfying end users and retaining market valuable information from large volumes of text voting, LogicaCMG feels that the possibilities are endless for network operators, television producers and mobile content.

But what will text messaging tune into next as business continue to play more with the concept?

Well, companies are looking to expand even more looking into how TV formats can be integrated with the mobile, Weegink said.

This means more downloading of ringtones, show date/time alerts, sending pictures or video clips, and setting up chats with favorite celebrities’ from a specific show which is proving to be a new business, transitioning the mobile from just simple text voting, he said.

“There is a lot more money to be made over this than text voting,” Weegink said, “it’s just that more attention is given to voting. If you preserve all the information from text voting, you can put it in target promotion.”

Furthermore, end users who consistently vote stay even more loyal by receiving content freebies, he said.

However, he also notes that if a good business model is done right, and end users are rewarded for votes, then over time, he does see that operators could allow for free votes as mobile users become more prone to purchasing specific show mobile content.

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Mine-safety bill sent for Senate vote

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, May 18 (UPI) — New legislation sent to the Senate floor would require all mines to have state-of-the-art two-way wireless communications and tracking systems in place within the next three years.

The bipartisan bill introduced by Sens. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., Wednesday was unanimously approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, of which Enzi Chairs and Kennedy is the ranking member.

The Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006, created in wake of the 18 miners killed in the Sago and Alma mining tragedies in West Virginia, calls for substantial increases in oxygen supplies for miners, improved emergency responses and enhanced training for rescue teams.

Cosponsors of the bill include Sens. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Patty Murray, D-Wash.

“This bill is the product of months of work across party lines to find practical and innovative solutions to enhance mine safety,” Enzi has said. “Our goal has been to move the industry to create mine-specific emergency response plans that incorporate safety and technology provisions that will enhance mine safety and better protect workers who put themselves in harm’s way to provide our nation’s energy.”

If signed, this means good news on the technology front for companies that are further developing wireless technologies that provides real-time monitoring and physical location tracking of miners, which is the push in current mine safety.

Already, state legislators including those from West Virginia and Illinois have incorporated into their mine-safety laws the need for such technology in emergency communication.

Technology-wise, the MINER ACT would direct the secretary of labor to require within three years wireless two-way communications and an electronic tracking system permitting those on the surface to locate persons trapped underground.

It also creates a permanent Office of Mining Safety within the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health to develop new technologies to be used for mine safety and expedite its commercial implementation. This could include the use of refuge chambers for underground coal mines after additional study.

The bill also establishes a competitive grant program administered by NIOSH to provide capital and incentives to private companies to encourage development and manufacture of mine-safety equipment that might be otherwise, according to the bill summary, “economically unwarranted because of limited potential market.”

It also streamlines the approval and certification process for new mine-safety technology by providing NIOSH with funding to enter into review and test contracts with third-party laboratories.

Moreover, it requires coal operators to submit detailed emergency-response plans to be continuously reviewed, updated and re-certified by the Mining Safety and Health Administration every six months as well as help mining businesses maintain the use of technology that is currently commercially available.

But the bill also instructs a NIOSH-chaired interagency working group to provide information on non-classified technology for safety and accident management.

“The MINER Act represents the most groundbreaking development in mine safety legislation in a generation,” Rockefeller said. “This bill will usher in a new era of safety for our mines. For the first time, we will be better able to address an accident before it occurs, not simply react to it. And when accidents happen — and, unfortunately, they will because coal mining is dangerous — we will now be able to employ the most advanced technology to bring miners back to safety and to their families.”

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Bill tackles so-called new piracy frontier

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, May 15 (UPI) — A new House bill seeks to further protect the music industry from piracy by limiting the ability to record digital radio broadcasts, singling out satellite radio industry competitors XM Radio and Sirius.

If approved, it would create parity among satellite, cable and Internet radio services in terms of rate setting and content protection standards, while excluding terrestrial broadcasts.

The bipartisan legislation called the Platform Equality and Remedies for Rights Holders in Music Act of 2006 or Perform Act introduced Friday comes from Democratic Rep. Howard Berman and Republican Rep. Mary Bono, both of California.

Last month the Senate version of the bill was introduced by Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and co-sponsored by Bill Frist, R-Tenn., Joseph Biden, D-Del., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

The act would address Section 114 of the Copyright Act on the issue of compulsory licenses given to satellite services, which legislators and proponents of the bill say are designed for listening-only services — not recording.

Bill proponents are concerned that new portable devices allow consumers to record, sort and store digital broadcasts, resulting in them turning these broadcasts into downloads and creating an unlicensed music library without adequately paying the artist.

Thus, they argue that such service is bypassing the marketplace, hoping the new legislation will base all digital media broadcasters on a fair market value rule.

“When I see a device that permits consumers to identify the specific tracks they want from a satellite broadcast, record them and library them for future use, I call that device an iPod and I call the satellite service making that device available a download service,” said Warner Music Group Chief Executive Officer Edgar Bronfman told Congress at an April 26 hearing. “What is clear to everyone is that these services no longer resemble and will increasingly stray from our collective understanding of what constitutes a traditional radio service.”

And the Recording Industry Association of America has endorsed such proposals arguing that satellite radio services should be required to obtain a license in the marketplace to offer the capability for consumers to choose individual songs and store them to a digital library.

According to the RIAA, legislation like the Perform Act is “needed to ensure that satellite services play by the same set of rules everyone else does and not profit from becoming a download/subscription model without acquiring the appropriate license and compensating artists and songwriters.”

It similarly supports content protections placed on HD radio as it makes its transition to mainstream, noting that Rep. Mike Ferguson, R-N.J., introduced a bill that requires users of free government spectrum to protect content delivered through HD radio receivers via private market agreements.

Still, businesses and advocacy groups share mixed feelings on the act.

XM Chairman Gary Parsons said in his testimony before Congress that the act “would unfairly change the rules governing the upcoming royalty rate arbitration” between satellite-radio companies and the recording industry by taking away the 801 standards. Negotiations are currently under way to set royalty rates for the next five years.

He also said if passed it could even lead to a new tax to be imposed on subscribers.

Parsons maintains that XM’s products, service and licensing agreements are within the statutory framework of the Audio Home Recording Act and the 801(b) standard of the Copyright Act, which governs performance license under section 114.

Under the standard, a specific formula for performance royalties is put forth taking into consideration technological contribution, capital investment, cost, risk and contribution to the opening of the new market.

Moreover, Parsons called such legislation “device-crippling,” comparing XM’s new product XM2GO and future devices XM Helix and Inno players to that of TiVo.

For XM2GO, the company provides five hours of programming, seeing the device as the functionality as what TiVo did for the VCR without providing subscribers with a programming guide; while XM Helix and Inno players are next-generation devices that allow subscribers to record content in addition to storing songs from their personal music collection, or bookmark a song they enjoy to purchase later by CD or Napster to be directly downloaded on their device, according to Parsons.

Devices that would record HD Radio programs and even current FM programs would be unaffected by this bill, the XM rep pointed out.

Chair Gary Shapiro of the Home Recording Rights Coalition released a statement last week saying that the Perform Act would stifle innovation and “take away recording rights that consumers have used since the birth of the magnetic tape 50 years ago.”

“Because the bill does not allow a ‘transmission’ of a musical recording, it also would appear to block consumers from moving one song from one room to another within their own homes via a digital network,” he said.

Fred von Lohmann, senior intellectual-property attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, has also pointed out that a provision in the bill would require music Webcasters to use DRM-laden streaming formats rather than MP3 formats.

As Lohmann notes, MPR streaming format is used by Live364, Shoutcast and other smaller Webcasters such as Santa Monica’s KCRW and Seattle’s KEXP as well as streaming radio stations included in iTunes.

“If the PERFORM Act becomes law, Webcasters who use the statutory SoundExchange licenses to play music would have to give up MP3 streaming in favor of a DRM-restricted, proprietary formats that impose restrictions on any recordings made,” he wrote April 16 on the EFF blog “Deep Links.”

Both bills have currently been referred to each House’s Judiciary Committee.

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Congress may clamp down on MySpace

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, May 11 (UPI) — New legislation from Congress would block access to social-networking sites like MySpace and Facebook in schools and libraries, including instant-messaging services.

The bill known as the “The Deleting Online Predators Act” introduced by Rep. Michael G. Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., aims at protecting minors from online child predators.

According to the bill, it “prohibits access to commercial social networking Web sites or chat rooms through which minors” can access obscene or indecent material, be subject to unlawful sexual advances or repeated offensive comments of a sexual nature from adults, or access harmful information.

The bill terms a social-network Web site as one that allows users to create Web pages or profiles about themselves as well as offers communications including a forum, chat room, e-mail or instant messenger, while a chat room is termed a site that allows multiple users to communicate in real time via text.

“Sites like MySpace and Facebook have opened the door to a new online community of social networks between friends, students and colleagues,” Fitzpatrick said. “However, this new technology has become a feeding ground for child predators that use these sites as just another way to do our children harm.”

Specifically, it would require schools and libraries to implement security systems to prevent students from being exposed to obscene and objectionable material, according to Fitzpatrick.

It would strengthen existing Web-surfing filters for indecency or obscenity.

Moreover, it also mandates that a Web site be created by the Federal Trade Commission to educate adults about the dangers of such online child predators and at the same time provide information on how social-networking sites are used and what should not be included in a user’s profile.

“As the father of six children, I hear about these Web sites on a daily basis,” Fitzpatrick said. “However, the majority of these networking sites lack proper controls to protect their younger users. Also, many parents lack the resources to protect their children from online predators. My legislation seeks to change that.”

While some schools have already banned access to MySpace, which has some 72 million users, a raging Internet battle has been brewing between children, parents, law enforcement, Internet-freedom proponents and Congress over different issues in the debate, such as the legality of a ban vs. educating youths vs. stricter protections against online child predators.

Still, social-networking sites are cleaning up.

In March MySpace announced it had removed some 200,000 “objectionable” profiles from its network to address fears of Internet security.

The site removed profiles contained either hate speech or risqué content as one way to deal with the problem.

Maintaining a reputation for appropriate content isn’t a bad thing either, making sites more attractive to advertisers who are already flocking to sites like MySpace because of their growing user base.

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TiVo brings ad search to subcribers

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, May 9 (UPI) — DVR vendor/service provider TiVo launched Monday “TiVo Product Watch,” offering subscribers searchable advertising and content.

Some 70 advertisers and 100 leading brands are participating in the initial launch of the almost Google-like ad service providing a variety of ad content within the five categories of Automotive, Entertainment, Financial, Lifestyles, and Travel and Leisure.

Those companies that will provide new formatted ads include General Motors, Sony Pictures, Lending Tree and Kraft Foods.

“Bringing to market the innovative TiVo Product Watch solution is another powerful example of TiVo’s ability to lead the industry and distinguish the TiVo service from generic DVRs in the marketplace,” said TiVo’s CEO Tom Rogers. “TiVo Product Watch will, for the first time, enable TV viewers to get commercial information about a product they are interested, when they want it, rather than through traditional TV advertising, where a viewer has no control of what ad comes on when they are watching a program.”

According to TiVo, its 4.4 million subscriber base will be able to create searches and select advertising content based on their favorite brands or opt-in to receive video content directly from a company on an ongoing basis.

Subscribers can expect ads ranging from one minute to 60 minutes, including cooking demonstrations from Kraft Foods, an infomercial on understanding the impact of different types of mortgages from Lending Tree, behind-the-scenes movie trailers from Sony Pictures, and new automotive features and aesthetic options from General Motors.

Specific details of the deal were not disclosed, but the interactive direct response advertising program was launched last year, according to TiVo, in which subscribers could respond to a customized call to action or branded “tag” in select commercial spots.

“We are pleased to launch TiVo Product Watch with more than 100 participating brands,” said Davina Kent, vice president of TiVo’s national advertising sales. “Delivering informative and entertaining advertising content to consumers that have already expressed an interest in a brand or category is another important and valuable step forward in our efforts to help our advertising partners reach consumers that are ‘In Market’.”

Those who partnered with TiVo to help advertisers and develop pricing based on a cost per download and set-up fee include Starcom MediaVest Group, MindShare, Cmedia, BrightLine Partners, Interpublic Group, OMD and The Richards Group, along with Comcast Spotlight of Comcast Cable.

“We are in a video era where consumers not only expect choice and control, but demand it,” said Jen Soch, vice president and associate director of Advanced TV, MediaVest USA. “By providing a platform for consumers to customize their viewing experience, TiVo Product Watch meets the needs of both. Consumers can seek content relevant to them, and marketers benefit because they are providing valuable information when and how they want it.”

But some analysts like Todd Chanko, with research firm JupiterResearch, argue that “TiVo is offering merely what the Internet already does.”

“This is just another refinement of the interactive advertising movement,” he said. “And advertising is more sophisticated in the 21st century.”

According to Chanko, one of the underlining assumptions using a DVR is that subscribers are skipping commercials, and he questions how the new service will make customers more pre-disposed to these ads targeted at them.

He said that modern ad research already does a good job of matching programming and demographics with advertisers and their products, as it does for popular network programs such as Desperate Housewives. In addition, the Internet can be used by consumers to research products and services that interest them, which already poses a level of competition to TiVo’s service.

“It’ll bring in revenue, and it causes no one any harm. … It’s not a bad thing to do,” Chanko said. “But as a service, it already has competition, and that source is the Internet itself.”

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MySpace, Google among ‘06 Webby winners

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, May 9 (UPI) — The winners of the 10th Annual Webby Awards were announced Tuesday; among them were Myspace.com, The Onion, Google, and the BBC.

The Webby Awards from the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences honors excellence in Web design, functionality, and creativity every year.

Winners will be saluted at a June 12th gala at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, hosted by comedian Rob Corddry of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”

Keeping with tradition, winners will be limited to five-word acceptance speeches; last year’s memorable five-word speeches included one from Webby Lifetime Achievement Award honoree former presidential candidate Al Gore, who said, “Please don’t recount this vote.”

This year’s nominations included 5,500 entries from more than 40 countries for categories in consumer and culture, film, fashion and politics, and for such new categories as political blog, business blog, culture blog and podcast as well as best use of video or moving image.

Of those, the 535-member body of Web, business and creative experts from various industries — musician David Bowie, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson and “Simpsons” creator Matt Groening to name a few — determined the winners of the 69 categories.

“The winners of the 10th Annual Webby Awards reflect the Web’s incredible diversity and the vital role it plays in all aspects of our daily lives,” said Webby founder Tiffany Shlain. “We’re proud to salute the people and organizations whose groundbreaking ideas are reshaping how we experience our world.”

Webby Awards included:

– MySpace.com; founders Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe won Webby Breakout of the Year.

– Webby Artist of the Year went to virtual band The Gorillaz.

– Dr. Robert Kahn, co-founder of the Internet, won the Lifetime Achieve Award.

– Webby Person of the Year went to New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, author of “The World if Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century.”

– Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and HDNet, won Webby Entrepreneur of the Year.

– Google Earth won Best Visual Design and Function, and Broadband Awards and Google Maps won best in Services.

– Blog winners included: 5 Blogs Before Lunch (Business), we make money not art (Culture, Personal), and The Huffington Post (Political).

– FabChannel.com won best in Music, ESPN.com for Sports, Expedia for Travel, Style Wars for Best Visual Design, Netart to PostSecret, Humor to The Onion, and nationalgeographic.com took best in Science for The Genographic Project.

– Jewish social networking site JDate.com took best in social networking.

– Politics award went to Open Secrets, Best in government went to San Francisco’s Office of Emergency Services and Homeland Security 72hours.org, The Katrina Help Center for Charitable Organization, Bank of America for Banking and Bill Paying, and Paypal in Financial Services.

– Podcasts went to Yahoo! Podcasts.

Title sponsors for the awards are AOL.com and the Creative Group.

A full list of Webby winners and People’s Voice Awards can be found at www.webbyawards.com.

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VCU to lead U.S. in Microsoft’s Imagine Cup

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, May 8 (UPI) — Four Virginia Commonwealth University students were chosen Friday to represent the United States in the Software Design Invitational of Image Cup 2006.

Microsoft’s Imagine Cup competition is for technology students who compete for best in creative and technological innovations. This is VCU’s second win in a row.

Representing the United States in the worldwide competition to be held in Delhi, India, are William Calder, Joanne Cunningham, A. Brooks Hollar and Brandon Saunders, who received a cash award of $8,000 and a trip to the worldwide finals this summer for a chance at more than $25,000 in cash prizes.

“The bar was set very high with this Imagine Cup competition — we’re thrilled and honored to be named U.S. champion and going to India to the worldwide finals,” Hollar stated. “The Imagine Cup is such an exciting event and allows students like me and my team to do something that really matters: work together to create software solutions that make a difference in the real world.”

The VCU students developed PocketDoc, an application that runs on mobile devices linking doctors and patients, allowing doctors to see if patients are adhering to treatment guidelines, as well as enabling patients to be more responsible for their own treatment through alerts and notifications when medication is needed.

Some 46 students from 13 teams were selected to participate in this year’s U.S. Imagine Cup finals, where they were asked to create using Microsoft technology and .NET Web Services based on competition’s theme: “Imagine a world where technology enables us to live healthier lives.”

Teams had to survive two qualifying rounds of competition before making the finals.

In second place was a team from the University of Nebraska at Omaha who developed the Emergency Stick. The microchip bracelet — an encrypted USB device — holds medical history and provides emergency real-time feedback about recommended treatment and is compatible with PDAs, mobiles, Tablet PCs and desktop computers.

In third was a team from East Tennessee State University who came up with the GenkiNet, an easy-to-use home health monitoring system that can read and store personal health information that could be accessed by a health professional.

“The students at this year’s Imagine Cup represent the next generation of technology and business leaders,” said Sanjay Parthasarathy, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Developer and Platform Evangelism, whose team organizes the Imagine Cup. “Each team has created an application that demonstrates the power of software in solving real-world problems. Their creativity, innovation and commitment to improving people’s lives is inspiring, and speaks volumes about their futures and that of technology overall.”

Last year’s worldwide finals in Yokohama, Japan, had nine categories based around the theme, “Imagine a world where technology dissolves the boundaries between us,” in which the Imagine Cup 2005 World Champion was awarded to Team OmniMusic from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and Moscow State University in Russia.

The team won $25,000 for their software design in which they used technology to create an online music community to unite musicians, saying that music is a universal language.

The community they developed would allow musicians to find other musicians of complementary skills and interests, perform live in a distributed environment, and share the real-time performance via IP multicasting, allowing musicians to plug instruments into a computer or mobile device, staying connected and in synch while performing in different locations.

This year’s finals will have teams compete in six categories based on technology enabling healthier lives. Finals are likely to be held from July 28 to Aug. 1, 2006.

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W. Va. leads nation, A in school tech

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, May 5 (UPI) — West Virginia leads the nation with an “A” in school technology, according to a recent study from Education Week.

But as a whole, the nation received a “C-.”

The report “Technology Counts 2006: The Information Edge: Using Data to Accelerate Achievement” from the publication Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center surveyed and ranked all 50 states based on state policy and practice, access to and use of school technology, and the ability of educators to use technology more effectively.

Following West Virginia were Virginia, North Dakota, Wyoming and Georgia to round off the top five.

At the bottom of the list was Nevada with a “D-” preceded by Minnesota, Rhode Island, Oregon and Massachusetts.

“Fields from health care to finance have revolutionized how data is used to improve performance,” said Virginia B. Edwards, the editor and publisher of Education Week and Technology Counts 2006. “While progress has been made in bolstering computerized data systems in K-12 education, states are not consistently making the critical connection between information and learning.”

Despite efforts to make data central to instructional decisions by the federal government, states were still slow to put electronic information into a form easily understood by educators on all levels, it said.

It found that only 28 states and the District of Columbia provided current state assessment results to educators through a centralized information system, while nearly half of the states did not provide a Web portal or other data tool to access students’ test performances.

Moreover, whereas two-thirds of states provided access to interactive databases so that educators could analyze school-level information, only 20 allowed for a comparison with other schools.

Other highlights from the report include:

– Only 26 states and the District of Columbia provided teachers with training in using data to shape classroom instruction.

– Less than half of the states, 22 states and the district, have centralized access to key information about students’ demographic background and participation in school.

– While 21 states require teachers to take one or more technology courses or pass a technology test before receiving a teaching license, only nine states have similar requirements for school administrators.

– 47 states and the district have academic standards for students’ knowledge about technology, but only four of those test that knowledge.

– The number of states in the 2005-2006 year that offered computer-based tests went up from 16 to 21 and the district, while 22 states had statewide virtual schools, and those with cyber charter schools increased to 16.

“Data alone cannot make a difference in learning unless it is collected, shared, and used effectively,” said Christopher B. Swanson, the director of the EPE Research Center. “Right now, educators in 15 states have no more information or analysis than is available to parents and the general public. States have made significant progress on technology, but need to find ways to get more of the most useful information into the hands of educators.”

The report can be found at www.edweek.org.

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Rep. Markey introduces Net Neutrality Act

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, May 4 (UPI) — In response to his net neutrality amendment dumped from the House telecom reform bill last week, Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., introduced the Network Neutrality Act of 2006.

The act hopes to carve out net neutrality concerns in the spotlight as two House and Senate legislations move on for review probing how best to reform the telecommunications law.

According to Markey, the legislation has three parts: to define net neutrality and the statute of law for violations of it, reasonable exceptions to the general rules, and features an expedited complaint process to deal with grievances and violations within thirty days.

It also states that a broadband network provider “may not block, impair, degrade, or discriminate against the ability of any person to use a broadband connection to access the content, applications, and services available on broadband networks, including the Internet.”

This would also mean that consumers can attach any device to the network such as Internet phones, WiFi routers, or a set-top box.

More importantly for net neutrality proponents, it would prevent telecom operators and broadband providers from creating of a two-lane system that would establish a pay-for-play tier system of premium services, and thus have market power to limit consumer choice in content.

In addition, it also requires that if a broadband provider chooses to prioritize data of any type, it then must do so for all data of that kind and not charge a fee for prioritization.

Therefore, it would prohibit telecom companies and cable operators from favoring one provider’s Web traffic or their own content over another’s by ensuring faster downloads to companies that pay a tax.

“If we don’t protect the openness of the Internet for entrepreneurial activity, we’re ruining a wonderful model for low barrier entry, innovation, and job creation,” Markey stated. “Broadband network owners should not be able to determine who can and who cannot offer services over broadband networks or over the Internet.”

“The detrimental effect to the digital economy would be quite severe if such conduct were permitted and became widespread,” he added. “The deterioration of significant policies of nondiscrimination by the imposition of artificial bottlenecks by broadband network owners imperil economic growth, innovation, job creation, and First Amendment freedom of expression on such networks.”

Cosponsors of the bill include fellow Democratic Reps. Rick Boucher of Virginia, Anna Eshoo of California and Jay Inslee of Washington, who cosponsored the Markey Amendment which would have been added to the House Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton’s Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act of 2006, if it had been approved.

The recent net neutrality debate has divided the tech community as it has caused a political stir with mixed views in Congress.

A bipartisan coalition of tech companies, advocacy groups, and consumer organizations who include Google, Intel, Microsoft, eBay, MoveOn.org, the Gun Owners of America, and the American Library Association, to name a few, have voiced many of the concerns that the Markey Act addresses, such as the possibility of a tiered system.

But telecom companies such as AT&T, BellSouth, and Verizon have maintained that such net neutrality provisions are unnecessary, saying they would not compromise overall quality service. They argue that they should be able to charge companies who want it for faster delivery of content especially for VoIP, video over IP and TV over IP services, as companies continue to invest in adding bandwidth and new superfast fiber-optic technologies.

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Iraqi libraries get digital makeover

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, May 3 (UPI) — The first phase of an initiative to modernize Iraqi libraries into the digital world is complete thanks to a team from the American Association for the Advancement of Science at the U.S. Defense and State departments.

Iraqi engineers, scientists and students can now access more than 1 million articles from some 17,000 journals including The American Chemical Society, The American Institute of Physics and The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

To date, the team has garnered support from tech and government entities as well as $360,000 from the Advanced Systems Concept Office in the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to develop the digital library Web portal.

Named the Iraqi Virtual Science Library, the team of Science and Technology Policy Fellows hopes it will allow the Iraqi scientific community to “easily and safely” access information.

“The IVSL is a shining example of how today’s Internet technologies can enable people even under the most difficult situations,” said Dr. Susan Cumberledge, co-founder of the IVSL project and former AAAS fellow. “We need to ensure that the blueprint developed here is used to ensure that all developing countries have a basic library system that allows them to connect with the international scientific community and build an operational infrastructure that fosters better lives for their citizens.”

In addition, phase one of their initiative will provide access to online courses, funding and research, and other tools necessary to finding information in the rebuilding effort, the IVSL team said.

To complete the first phase, the team had to evaluate Internet connectivity for partner universities, systems and software development and launch the centrally controlled and managed portal, they said. This was followed by working with the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research and the Iraqi Ministry of Science & Technology to form a public/private partnership, they said.

“The Iraqi scientists we have worked with are very smart and are eager to re-enter the international scientific community,” said Dr. DJ Patil, another co-founder and former fellow. “They are grateful for the resources the IVSL provides and are enthusiastic about working together to make the IVSL a long term success.”

But the IVSL team had much help to make the initiative a reality, consulting with Sun Microsystems Inc. to build a public/private partnership for the digital library Web portal.

The partnership includes a slew of tech companies and government agencies that include the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Elsevier Publishing, EBSCO Publishing, Science.gov, SpringerLink and Thomson Scientific.

“The IVSL project is indicative of how eliminating the digital divide enables positive improvements to both the online and the offline world,” said Kim Jones, Sun Microsystems’ vice president of education and research. “This project underscores Sun’s commitment to enable developing countries to take advantage of leading edge technologies, improving lives and opening new markets.”

What are the next steps for the project?

According to the team, they are now planning to develop a new Web site using Java technology and standard digital library development protocols for journal access, as well as move the project from a U.S.-hosted portal to eight locally based portals running on Sun Fire T2000 servers.

The local portals, the team said, will “allow Iraqi universities to strengthen their academic community, manage license fees and reduce costs.”

It also hopes to transition ownership and support of the project to the Iraqis within the next two years, which is currently being managed by the U.S. Civilian Research Developer Foundation.

Currently, Sun Microsystems is working with the fellows and the CRDF to create a journal access “portal in a box” to be launched and maintained by Iraqi universities, the team also noted.

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Telecom reform boosts vid franchising

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, May 2 (UPI) — A rewrite in the Senate of the Telecommunications Act is under way, pushed by Monday’s introduction of draft bill S. 26868, known as the Communications, Consumer’s Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006, from Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska.

The 135-page bill covers 10 title-by-title reforms of current communication laws promoting video franchising and nationwide broadband deployment but glosses over Net-neutrality concerns.

According to Stevens, the bipartisan bill “attempts to strike a balance between competing industries, consumer groups and local government” and has an “overarching theme” of nationwide broadband deployment.

“This bill includes provisions throughout that will benefit consumers,” he stated in the floor introduction. “It encourages competition and cost savings in the video market. It addresses some critical needs in rural America. And, it encourages deployment of broadband so that our nation can remain competitive.”

If approved as is, the bill would require every provider of a telecom service, broadband service, or IP-enabled voice service to pay into the Universal Service Fund, tighten requirements that competitive eligible telecom carriers must meet to receive USF, and prohibit a carrier from hiding its traffic whether it is interstate or intrastate.

It also encourages municipalities to enter into public-private partnerships, would specify an open bidding procedure for choosing private municipal broadband service partners, as well as address a 30-day notice process by the municipality of its intent if it did not partner with a private entity.

And in terms of unlicensed white spaces, it amends Title III of the Communications Act to allow unlicensed devices to operate in unused television broadcast spectrum and directs the Federal Communication Commission to complete its existing rulemaking to protect television broadcasters from any possible interference.

The Stevens bill also would require the FCC to take action but not regulate rates that would reduce phone rates for Armed Forces deployed overseas to call home and seeks to improve interoperable communications among federal, state and local law enforcement and medical responders.

In terms of video franchising, the bill seeks to streamline a franchising application process to promote competition but preserves almost all existing video regulations such as must-carry as well as sets national limits while preserving flexibility with local franchises including negotiating rights-of-way management at the local level.

It would also set a shot clock of 30 days by which franchise applications must be processed.

Under the House Commerce Committee’s bill the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act of 2006 that now moves on to the Senate to be reviewed, it would establishes a narrower version of the national franchising system.

Notably, Net neutrality is touched upon in the bill but does not address the issue as aggressively as the amendment by Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., that was dumped last week from the House telecom revision of the COPE Act.

Under the Markey amendment, the FCC would have had the power to prohibit telecom companies and cable operators from favoring one provider’s Web traffic or their own content over another’s by ensuring faster downloads to companies that pay a tax.

Instead the Stevens bill directs the FCC to commence an annual study of the Internet and information transmitted over the Internet, of which any problems arises, the agency would make recommendations to Congress as for its course of action.

Proponents of the Markey amendment included a coalition of tech companies, small businesses and consumer groups who have worried that telecom operators and broadband providers would create a two-lane system that would establish a pay-for-play tier system of premium services, and thus have market power to limit consumer choice in content.

Among the supporters are Google, Intel, Yahoo!, Amazon, eBay, the National Religious Broadcasters, as well as the bipartisan SavetheInternet.com Coalition comprised of MoveOn.org, Consumers Union, the Gun Owners of America and the Parents Television Council.

But the telecom industry argues that it should be able to charge companies who want it for faster delivery of content especially for VoIP, video over IP and TV over IP services, as companies continue to invest in adding bandwidth and new superfast fiber-optic technologies.

Co-sponsoring the Senate Commerce bill is Co-Chairman Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, who expressed a number of objections on the bill especially on the lack of Net neutrality regulation, signaling that the telecom-reform bill could expect an intense markup.

“We cannot ignore concerns about the potential for discrimination by network operators, but the draft appears to do just that by failing to create enforceable protections that will ensure network neutrality,” Inouye said in a statement.

The bill will now be reviewed during a two-step process in which Commerce Committee members will hold two public hearings to consider the bill, followed by an Executive Session with committee members after the Memorial Day recess to mark up the legislation.

Visto wins patent case, files against RIM

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) — A Federal Court ruled Friday in favor of Visto Corporation that Seven Networks’ mobile e-mail service had infringed on the company’s system created several years back.

Visto now hopes the ruling will validate a similar suit it filed the same day against BlackBerry provider Research In Motion, in which it seeks an injunction to halt the service and monetary damages.

In the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, the jury awarded damages of a royalty rate of 19.75 percent from Seven’s infringed products’ revenue at about $3.6 million in the ongoing patent litigation.

It found that five claims from three separate patents were willfully infringed by Seven in its Enterprise, Server and Personal Edition products.

“Friday’s sweeping decision against Seven Networks validates our claims that Visto’s intellectual property serves as the basis for this industry’s birth,” Visto Chief Executive Officer Brian Bogosian said in a statement. “There was no ambiguity in the jury’s decision. Likewise we believe that RIM’s infringement of Visto’s technology will be halted. Our case against RIM is based on similar technology, law and patents as the case we have just won in federal court against Seven Networks.”

The next phase in the court will determine if the claims are enforceable as Visto seeks an injunction to stop Seven from further infringement, followed by the appeals process.

Visto is looking to the Seven case to confirm patent infringement in its suit against RIM, in which three of the patents in the Seven case are identical to those against RIM. Visto further supports its claim with the validity upheld by the recent re-examination of patent No. 6,085,192 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

According to Visto, those patents RIM infringed upon are patent numbers 6,085,192; 6,023,708; 6,708,221; and 6,151,606.

“Based on Visto’s sweeping victory in court against Seven Networks on Friday, RIM must understand that there is no place in the mobile e-mail space for this sort of behavior,” Bogosian said. “Under the law, which protects consumers from products that contain infringing technology, RIM should not be able to sell the BlackBerry system.”

This could mean another legal battle for the Waterloo, Ontario-based company RIM, which just settled a long-running IP litigation with NTP Software in March this year for $612.5 million.

Visto had signed a license agreement with NTP only in December 2005.

A spokesperson from RIM could not be reached by press time.

The suits are just two of several that Visto has filed that include suits against Microsoft and Good Technology.

But the dispute between Seven and Visto isn’t over yet, Seven announced Friday, saying the ruling “did not restrict or prohibit them from continued and normal business.”

Filed in August of last year, Seven has a separate and on-going countersuit against Visto in the same court, claiming infringement of two of its mobile e-mail patents that predate the Visto patents. The trial is set for June 2007.

“We are clearly disappointed with the verdict; however we are grateful for the limited nature of the damages and look forward to the next phase of the litigation and the outcome of the PTO’s re-examination proceedings,” said Harvey Anderson, Seven’s senior vice president corporate affairs and general counsel.

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Net neutrality provision dumped

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, April 27 (UPI) — Telecom companies won a round in Congress late Wednesday when the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted down the Democratic-backed Net neutrality amendment to a telecom-reform bill in a 34-22 vote.

The amendment sponsored by Rep. Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications, was co-sponsored by fellow Democratic Reps. Rick Boucher of Virginia, Anna Eshoo of California and Jay Inslee of Washington.

“The decision made by this panel is backward looking,” Markey said in a statement. “Right now we are heading down a dangerous road that will stifle the openness of the Internet, endanger our global competitiveness, and warp the web into a tiered Internet of bandwidth haves and have-nots. This is the introduction of creeping Internet protectionism into the free and open World Wide Web and we need to rise up to stop it.”

Squashed by the committee, the provision would have given the Federal Communication Commission the power to prohibit telecom companies and cable operators from favoring one provider’s Web traffic or their own content over another’s by ensuring faster downloads to companies that pay a tax.

The proposal, Markey hoped, would have been attached to House Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton’s Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act of 2006.

The telecommunications-reform bill would create a national franchising system vs. local franchises of a city or town. It also gives the FCC authority to ensure Net neutrality, govern municipal broadband networks and set rules for 911 emergency services on Internet telephone services.

Specifically, it would require the FCC to resolve any complaint regarding a violation of the bill within 90 days and raises the penalty limit for a fine to $500,000 per violation.

The bill now moves on for a full House vote, and then on to the Senate, where views are mixed on net neutrality.

Wednesday’s vote took place the day after a markup of the COPE legislation Tuesday and signals a blow for proponents of the amendment in the net-neutrality movement.

Leading up to the vote, a coalition of tech companies, small businesses and consumer groups have worried over telecom operators and broadband providers that have indicated the possible creation of a two-lane system that would establish a pay-for-play tier system of premium services, and thus have market power to limit consumer choice in content.

Among those supporters include Internet companies Google, Intel, Yahoo!, Microsoft, Amazon and eBay as well as the National Religious Broadcasters, the American Civil Liberties Union and the “father of the Internet,” Vint Cerf.

Others supporters included the bipartisan SavetheInternet.com Coalition comprised of an eclectic selection of groups such as Common Cause, the Gun Owners of America, MoveOn.org, Consumers Union, American Library Association, Parents Television Council and Craig Newmark of Craigslist, among others, who vow to continue rally public support for new neutrality.

According to the coalitions, “in less than one week, the coalition gathered more than 250,000 petition signatures, rallied more than 500 blogs to write about this issue, and flooded Congress with thousands of phone calls.”

Telecom companies have said that the provision is unnecessary, saying they would not compromise overall quality service or block access.

And the industry argues that it should be able to charge companies who want it for faster delivery of content especially for VoIP, video over IP and TV over IP services, as companies continue to invest in adding bandwidth and new superfast fiber-optic technologies.

“Today’s action brings consumers one step closer to having a real choice in video, allowing them to get the services they want from the companies they choose,” said Ed Merlis, senior vice president of government and regulatory affairs of the USTelecom Association. “We congratulate chairman Barton, chairman Upton and congressman Rush and all those on the committee who have worked so hard to further TV freedom for the American consumer. This legislation will also help spur investment and innovation in communities across the nation.”

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Online data-broker bill passes in House

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, April 27 (UPI) — In a unanimous vote Tuesday the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4709, the Law Enforcement and Phone Privacy Protection Act of 2006.

The bill introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, back in February 2006 would amend Title 18 to provide criminal penalties for fraudulent sale or solicitation of unauthorized disclosure of phone records.

The bipartisan legislation was approved by a vote of 409-0.

“Few things are more personal and potentially more revealing than our phone records,” Smith said in a statement. “A careful study of these records may reveal details of our medical or financial life. It may even disclose our physical location and occupation — a serious concern for undercover police officers and victims of stalking or domestic violence.”

If passed in the Senate, the legislation would impose serious criminal penalties against those people who sell, transfer, purchase or receive confidential phone records of a telephony company without prior consent of the customer.

These persons could spend up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000.

“We need to pass this bill to demonstrate that we take seriously the obligation to protect the confidentiality of consumer telephone records and to make clear to data thieves that their conduct will result in a felony conviction,” Smith added. “This legislation supports crime victims, prosecutors, companies and individuals who have been the targets of this fraud.”

The legislation to be referred to the Senate will be up against two similar bills, one from Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and another from Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill.

All three are in response to the awareness of individuals posing as a phone-company customer in order to access a customer’s records and disseminating the information.

The particular activity had been exposed by a large number of reports on online data-broker sites who advertise such illegal services, offering to obtain personal phone records for as low as $90.

Former presidential candidate Gen. Wesley Clark was among those who could have experienced phone data theft, when the political site AMERICAblog announced in January that for only $89.95 it had purchased Clark’s cell-phone records of 100 calls over three days in November 2005, UPI reported.

Blog publisher John Aravosis wrote he had bought Clarks phone records from the Web site Celltolls.com and his own from Locatecell.com for $110 to address failed privacy protections.

AMERICAblog’s action came after the Chicago Sun Times published a Jan. 5 article by reporter Frank Main in which the paper conducted a similar investigation.

The Sun Times story followed after the FBI informed law enforcement nationwide including the Chicago Police Department, warning officers phone records may be purchased online, according to Main’s article.

Several telecom companies have been in legal conflicts with online data-broker sites, some since last year, including T-Mobile, Cingular and Verizon Wireless, who welcome legislation like H.R. 4709 that emphasizes enforcement actions.

“Protecting the privacy of customer communications and records is an essential component of customer care by our companies and critical to the success of their businesses,” said Ed Merlis, senior vice president of government and regulatory affairs of the USTelecom Association. “We applaud the House for passing common-sense legislation to pursue aggressively the bad actors abusing consumer privacy without imposing unnecessary and costly regulatory mandates.”

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Nations celebrate International IP Day

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, April 26 (UPI) — Wednesday marks the International Day of Intellectual Property recognized by the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Celebrated on the 26th of April each year since its inception in 2001, this year’s motto is “It Starts with An Idea,” true to the nature of inventors and creators.

The event marks a significant time as international intellectual property comes to the forefront of the IP argument.

According to WIPO Director General Kamil Idris, World Intellectual Property Day was established to enhance public awareness of IP’s role in society and the importance of stimulating and safeguarding innovation and creativity in nations.

“This year we celebrate the starting point of all intellectual property, the seeds from which all innovations and creative works grow — ideas,” Idris said in a statement. “Mankind’s inexhaustible capacity for producing ideas makes us unique. Yet this extraordinary ability is often taken for granted. We hardly notice the countless ideas we generate every day, or how much of what we value is the fruit of others’ ideas: labor-saving inventions, pleasing designs, life-saving technologies.”

Countries are celebrating the day differently by having inter-government seminars, public lectures, film screenings and IP campaigns via online, paper and workshops on piracy inter-world IP communications and laws, competitiveness, legal cases and patent law.

Other issues include manufacturing, licensing and export, and social-economical development.

– In the United States, the Creative and Innovative Economy Center of George Washington University Law School with WIPO will invite Congress, the Washington Diplomatic Corps and IP personalities for the screening of Nigerian television film “Wetin Dey?” or “What’s Happening?”, followed by a panel discussion.

– Australia launched the National Australian Innovation Festival and World IP Day, as well as having an online chat to discuss current IP issues, distribution of show bags at museums to promote IP Day, among other things as well as have IP Australia staff participate in a “great debate” for World IP Day.

– Bulgaria held an annual ceremony in which the names of the best investors and their inventions in 2005 will be writing in the Golden Book of Bulgarian Inventions.

– Kyrgyzstan held seminars for its parliament members, a scientific conference, short courses for enforcement officials and secondary-school teachers, and chess and tennis tournaments.

– Hungry awarded the Millennium Prize of the Hungarian Patent Office to representatives of institutions and organizations with outstanding achievements in IP among its list of events.

– In the Philippines, a weeklong celebration was held with the theme “Filipino Creativity and Ingenuity: Our Gift to the World,” featuring such activities such as a radio program on IP, a flag-raising ceremony and exhibition of WIPO awards, and a National Essay Writing Contest.

– In the Republic of Korea, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism held a ceremony awarding persons in the IP field along with having an anti-piracy campaign and a cyber game competition.

“Ideas shape our world,” Idris said. “They are the raw materials on which our future prosperity and heritage depend. This is why it is important to provide environments in which innovative ideas are encouraged and rewarded. This is why intellectual property exists. From the words, music and images which move us, to the brands which attract us; from the bicycle to bio-fuel; from the microchip to mobile phone — it all starts with an idea.”

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Wallop takes on next-gen social networking

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, April 26 (UPI) — Microsoft hopes to thump competition with its spinoff Wallop, which the company says will bring about the next generation in social networking.

Wallop is a spinoff for Microsoft IP Ventures, which developed and licensed the technology to the San Francisco start-up company led by Chief Executive Officer Karl Jacob.

Series A Financing for the project will be provided by Bay Partners.

Specific details of the deals were undisclosed.

“Our access to industry-leading technology through the IP Ventures programme has led to a golden opportunity for Wallop to change the face of social computing with differentiated technology and unprecedented support,” said Jacob in a statement. “I feel fortunate to be working with Microsoft again and hope other entrepreneurs are taking note of the opportunity afforded through IP Ventures.”

Jacob is a former employee of Microsoft and veteran entrepreneur, whose last post was CEO at the anti-spam start-up company Cloudmark Inc.

Both Microsoft and Wallop are hoping to take away steam from now heavy hitters and once small-time start-ups themselves — MySpace, Friendster and Facebook — later this year.

For the next generation of social networking, Wallop, it says, is capitalizing on solving problems that social networks today are facing.

According to the company, it will introduce a new way for consumers to express themselves by making the experience more real world interactive.

The company has also recruited Frog Design Inc. to create a new user interface.

Moreover, for its new unique venture, it will say good-bye to the friend-to-friend model and instead “use a unique set of algorithms that respond to social interactions to automatically build and maintain a person’s social network.”

“What is exciting to us is Wallop’s vision to turn social computing on its head and significantly change how we look at this sector,” stated Eric Chin, venture partner at Bay Partners and now member of the Wallop board. “There is no question that with a talented management team and innovative technology, Wallop is well positioned to take the market by storm.”

Launched in May 2005, Microsoft IP Ventures allows Microsoft to expedite new innovations. The company expanded its program January this year to include collaboration with governments and public-sector development organizations.

Under its belt, Microsoft licensed digital media technology to Dublin-based software product company Softedge-Systems earlier this year, and traffic monitoring technology to Washington-based company Inrix last year.

So far, the program boasts more than 30 technologies, Microsoft said.

“We’re excited by the interest it has attracted with entrepreneurs and the venture capital community,” remarked Eric Rudder, senior vice president of technical strategy for Microsoft. “Microsoft has one of the world’s pre-eminent R&D labs, and we are committed to getting our innovations into the hands of entrepreneurs. This deal is another great example of Microsoft working with the right team to get this next-generation technology into the marketplace quickly.”

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Asia, U.S. high on spam-relaying report

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, April 21 (UPI) — Asia has the worst record for helping to relay spam, according to a new report from a computer threat solution management firm.

Abingdon, U.K.-based company Sophos released a report Thursday that looks at “spam relaying” in the first quarter of 2006.

While Asia was the top continent in terms of spam, the United States was revealed to be the worst country in terms of having spam sent from it, despite increasing efforts to negate the problem.

Rounding off the top 12 after the United States were China (including Hong Kong), South Korea, France, Poland, Spain, Germany, Brazil, Japan, United Kingdom, Netherlands and Taiwan.

According to a statement from Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos, two years ago the United States had accounted for over half of all spam sent worldwide, but that has been reduced to less than one-quarter due to more consumers becoming aware of the problem.

This also means helpful legislation including the CAN-SPAM act, awareness shared by Internet service providers and imposing severe penalties and fines on prolific spammers, the company stated.

Among those prolific spam cases in the first quarter included several cyber-gang members like Jennifer Clason of New Hampshire, Andrew Ellifson of Arizona and Kirk Rogers of California of a gang that spammed out millions of e-mails advertising graphic hardcore pornography sites.

Some 600,000 complaints from AOL users had criticized spam messages promoting adult content that had allegedly been sent by the defendants in their international spamming operation.

A 33-year-old mother, Clason was the third-ever conviction related to the transmission of obscene e-mails, according to the Department of Justice in March 2006.

Clason plead guilty in federal court in Phoenix to two counts of violating the CAN-SPAM Act, and one of criminal conspiracy for conspiring with Jeffrey A. Kilbride and James R. Schaffer who had created overseas companies The Compliance Company and Ganymede Marketing to conceal and disguise their activities as well as overseas bank accounts to purposes of the operation, DOJ stated.

Clason forfeited money obtained in the commission of the crime and faces a maximum penalty of five years in person for each offense.

Cluley warned that further needs to be done as “more and more viruses, worms and Trojan horses are being designed to take over personal computers with the intention of stealing information and sending out junk email campaigns.

The Sophos report also indicated that Europe could overtake North America ranking second in continents in spam relying behind Asia.

“Europe is in danger of overtaking North America as the second worst spam-relaying part of the world. This continental shift is inevitable because as North America’s percentage continues to fall, the rest of the world is witnessing a rise,” Cluley said. “It’s imperative that computer users worldwide put better defenses in place to prevent their computers from being converted into spam-spewing zombies.”

Sophos advises consumers to use updated anti-virus software, a properly configured firewall, and install latest operating system security patches while businesses should implement a best-practice policy regarding e-mail account usage.

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Report finds turnaround in tech industry

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, April 19 (UPI) — A new report found that 61,000 net jobs were added to the hi-tech industry for a total of 5.6 million tech jobs in 2005, indicating a turnaround in the industry, according to a trade association.

This 1-percent increase is up from 44,700 in 2004 and 333,000 in 2003, said the American Electronics Association’s ninth annual report entitled “Cyberstates 2006: A Complete State-by-State Overview of the High-Technology Industry.”

Releasing the report Wednesday, AeA is the nation’s largest trade association in the hi-tech industry.

“While we are encouraged by the positive employment trend, the technology industry is focused on the long term health of the industry, the economy, and our nation,” said William T. Archey, president and chief executive officer of AeA. “Tech industry employment only grew by 1 percent last year compared to two percent for the U.S. private sector as a whole. To promote the creation of high-paying technology jobs for the future, we need to address the competitiveness issues facing our country, today.”

Archey added that investment in long-term basic research, especially in the physical sciences, was needed, reforming the visa system, and improvements in the educations system along with competition were necessary in fully turning around the hi-tech industry.

According to the study, the unemployment rate for most tech professions fell in 2005, citing that the unemployment rate for electrical engineers, for instance, was down by 1.5 percent — the lowest in three years.

It said that hi-tech jobs were to “grow significantly” in the next 10 years, with nearly 1 million new computer specialists and nearly 200,000 engineers who will be needed in the future.

Moreover, it found that specific sectors within the hi-tech manufacturing industry added some 3,300 net jobs in 2005, the first increase since 2000, according to AeA.

And software services, engineering, and tech service employments were up for the second year in a row.

Among state levels, Virginia was found to be the country’s leading state for tech employment growth, adding 9,100 jobs in 2004 according to the most recent data available.

But it also found that Florida was the second fastest growing state with a net increase of 6,700 jobs.

Virginia also ranked second behind Colorado for concentration of hi-tech workers in 2004 with 88.6 hi-tech workers per 1,000 private-sector workers in 2004. Colorado had 88.7 hi-tech workers per 1,000 private-sector workers.

In addition, the Cyberstates report noted that hi-tech exports rose 4 percent to $199 billion in 2005 compared to $191 billion in 2004 and represented 22 percent of all U.S. exports.

Vermont and New Mexico had the highest concentration of tech exports in the nation with 84 percent and 77 percent respectively.

But in terms of venture capital investment, it found that it fell by 5 percent in 2005, due in part to the decline in venture capital investments in software, according to AeA.

Other key facts the Cyberstates Report noted included:

– Defense electronics industry grew significantly in 2005, gaining 6,300 jobs.

– At the sectoral level, five of the nine tech manufacturing sectors lost jobs in 2005, while four of the sectors gained.

– Communications services sector continued to shed jobs in 2005, losing 42,600 positions.

– Software services industry added 43,400 jobs.

– Engineering and tech services industry added 57,000 jobs in 2005, putting it at an all time high.

– While 25 cyberstates had a net job increase in 2004, 27 cyberstates saw their tech employment decline. California and Texas had the largest declines, by 10,600 and 10,500 jobs, respectively. According to AeA, these declines are significantly fewer than in 2003, “signaling that the job losses are slowing in these states.”

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Burst.com files counterclaim against Apple

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, April 18 (UPI) — Burst.com Inc. announced it has filed a counterclaim alleging that Apple’s iTunes Music Store, iTunes software, iPods, and Apple QuickTime applications has infringed on four of Burst’s 10 U.S. patents.

The Santa Rosa, Calif.-based developer of fast streaming media technologies filed the counterclaim in the San Francisco Federal District Court in response to a suit filed by Apple back in January of this year.

Whereas Apple’s seeks a declaration that Burst’s patents are invalid and Apple does not infringe on them, Burst’s counterclaim would have Apple pay royalty fees for the infringing products as well as an injunction against further infringement, the company said.

This isn’t the first time Burst has been caught up in an infringement case; it won a settlement in a similar dispute with Microsoft last year.

Microsoft settled with Burst.com in March 2005 after on-going litigation, with the PC giant paying Burst $60 million for a non-exclusive license for Burst’s patents for its own Microsoft products.

The lawsuit from 2002 against Microsoft had claimed that the company had infringed upon Burst’s technology for its video-on-demand applications in the 2001 Windows Media Platform.

According to Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder Richard Lang last year, the company would be using the money from the Microsoft settlement to payoff or reserve current and long-term liabilities amounting to $2.8 million, reserve money for costs to launch enforcement of its patent rights against infringing parties and to distribute funds through a cash dividend to its shareholders.

And this might be the case, now that it’s seeking out Apple for patent infringements.

In Burst’s April 17th filing to the federal district court, it alleges that Apple has infringed on its patents 4,963,995; 5,995,705; 5,057,932 and 5,164,839 that were filed from 1990 to 1992, claiming Apple’s success is crucial on the audio and video-on-demand media delivery solutions.

The patents include specific apparatus or methods developed by Burst on improved recorder and transceiver technology with expanded functionality and capability through “analog to digital conversion, signal compression, and intermediate storage in an integrated circuit, random access memory” over either “a compressed or decompressed format over fiber optic lines, conventional phone lines or microwaves.”

“While we had hoped to avoid litigation and negotiate a reasonable license fee, it is Apple’s own actions that have forced our hand,” said Lang in a statement. “We now look to the courts to reaffirm Burst’s rights as innovators and to be paid fairly for our widely acknowledged contributions to the industry.”

Burst is hoping that the settlement paid by Microsoft will validate infringement claims against Apple.

“We have a responsibility to protect our patents and to seek a fair return for the many years and tremendous investment that we have made in developing Burst technology and patents,” he also stated.

Spencer Hosie, of the San Francisco law firm Hosie McArthur who represented Burst against Microsoft and now in with the Apple case, told United Press International that Burst’s patents are crucial in the iTunes and iPod platform, and that the law firm expects to vindicate Burst’s patent rights.

“Because of the PR campaign of big companies, small owners and innovators are seen as exploiting patents by suing these big companies,” Hosie said, “but the very same companies do the same when someone infringes on their patents — this is a classic giant and Goliath story.”

An Apple spokesperson declined to comment on the matter, citing that it was pending litigation.

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Microsoft subpoenaed by AMD in Intel suit

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, April 17 (UPI) — Microsoft is the latest company to be subpoenaed by chip maker Advanced Micro Devices for its antitrust lawsuit against rival Intel Corp.

AMD filed the suit Monday with the U.S. District Court in Delaware which instructs the PC company to produce unlimited documents necessary for its claim that Intel has bullied companies as part of its business practices.

Microsoft has until May 15 to hand over the requested hardcopy and electronic documents which also includes e-mail, instant messages, shared network files, and databases dating as far back as January 2000.

“Microsoft was on the original list of those third parties who would be subpoenaed,” said AMD spokesperson Drew Prairie. “Therefore, this is not a surprise to them.”

The documents in question, according to the subpoena, reflect or discuss issues including Microsoft’s decision to develop software for AMD’s or Intel’s 64-bit microprocessors as well as development, protocols, schedule and timing for its deployment and release.

It also requests documents on Microsoft’s and AMD’s collaboration in advertising and promotion of AMD, AMD microprocessors and computer systems containing AMD microprocessors as well as Intel’s reaction to Microsoft’s collaboration and promotion of AMD products.

Also, singled out are correspondences of Microsoft with any third party involving capitalization, financing, valuation, or financial viability of AMD as well as any assessments or evaluations of such financial issues, the subpoena said.

Moreover, requested were documents that compared Intel and AMD products from a price, quality and performance standpoint.

Microsoft is one of some 30 plus companies that the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based AMD has subpoenaed, seeking evidence for its on-going case against Intel which initially began back in June 2005.

Among those companies that have been subpoenaed since last summer include a slew of big names in the technology industry such as Sony, Sun Microsystems and Gateway, as well as retail giants Best Buy, Circuit City, and CompUSA.

AMD has used past investigations by the Fair Trade Commission of Japan, Fair Trade Commission of Korea, and the European Union into Intel’s sphere of influence to further support their on-going lawsuits against Intel.

The 48-page complaint filed in the Delaware federal court in June asserts that Intel intimidated industry customers in order to secure a monopoly.

AMD also alleges that Intel was forcing customers like Dell, Sony, and Toshiba into Intel-exclusive deals in return for outright cash payments and discriminatory pricing, as well as conditioning rebates and giving allowances and market development funds on customer’s agreeing to limit or forego entire purchases from AMD.

In addition, the complaint also said that Intel had required retailers to overwhelmingly overstock Intel computers and forced tech partners to boycott AMD product launches or promotions.

According to Prairie, legal counsel for AMD and Intel will meet on April 20 in the Delaware courtroom with Judge Joseph J. Farnan, Jr. to preside over the Initial Status Conference.

Both company units in Japan will also meet on April 21, in the Tokyo District Court for the next hearing in a separate lawsuit, in which AMD Japan is seeking some $50 million in damages, claiming Intel K.K. violated Japan’s antitrust laws.

A spokesperson from Intel was unable to be reached by press time.

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Qualcomm, DOJ $1.8M settlement

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, April 14 (UPI) — Qualcomm Inc. and Flarion Technologies Inc. agreed to the pay a $1.8 million settlement in civil penalties in a suit filed by the Department of Justice, the companies announced Thursday.

Filing the civil antitrust complaint and proposed settlement in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia was the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department, claiming the companies violated pre-merger waiting-period requirements.

The Antitrust Division asserted that wireless technology company Qualcomm obtained “operational control” in its acquisition in violation of government waiting periods required of merging companies.

The government said that the “gun-jumping” violation of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act occurred when Flarion had to obtain Qualcomm’s consent to enter into certain types of intellectual-property licenses and customer proposals as well as in undertaking routine activities such as hiring consultants and employees.

Under the HSR Act, companies undergoing acquisitions or mergers are held to specific requirements including a mandatory 30-day waiting period in which antitrust agencies can investigate the transaction and decide whether they violate the law.

Moreover, under the Act, parties must file pre-merger notification documents with the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission, and a maximum civil penalty of $11,000 per day is given to those in violation of the Act.

According to the Department, the penalty was reduced after both Qualcomm and Flarion voluntarily reported the existence of such activities and changed their contract and conducts, consummating the most current merger Jan. 19 with the consent of the DOJ.

“Merging parties must continue to operate independently until the end of the pre-merger waiting period,” said Thomas O. Barnett, assistant attorney general in charge of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will vigorously enforce this requirement against any company that assumes operational control of a business that it is acquiring.”

However, the companies said in a news release they “disagree with the DOJ’s position” and that the judgment contains “no finding or admission of wrongdoing by Qualcomm or Flarion.”

The settlement is subject to a federal judge’s approval.

“With the successful integration of Flarion well under way, we decided to put this matter behind us to avoid diverting or distracting the Qualcomm-Flarion team from the important tasks of integrating the best of both companies’ technologies and refining our joint roadmap,” said Louis Lupin, Qualcomm’s senior vice president and general counsel.

San Diego-based Qualcomm is the innovator of Code Division Multiple Access and made news recently with its announcement of the generation 3G Chip.

The new chip is expected to triple wireless bandwidth for Verizon and Sprint wireless customers using Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO) Revision B technology, which it hopes to launch by the end of next year.

Qualcomm announced the acquisition July last year of Bedminster, N.J.-based Flarion, whose technology includes a mobile high-speed broadband system that enables “LAN-like” communications over mobile phones called FLASH-OFDM as well as other high-speed wireless technology.

The $600 million purchase was a move by Qualcomm to further expand its wireless-technology offerings.

Qualcomm had announced that it “expected the acquisition to contribute about $0.02 dilution to pro forma earnings per share — primarily R&D expense — and an addition $0.01 dilution to total Qualcomm earnings per share — primarily stock option expense and a one-time in-process R&D charge — in its fiscal year ending September 2006.”

Despite the settlement announcement, stocks were up by $0.51 closing Thursday at $51.48.

On Forbes’ Global 2000 list for 2006, Qualcomm ranked 392 with sales of $6.02 billion, profits of $2.25 billion and a market value of $77.81 billion, Forbes reported.

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2006 Webby Awards nominees released

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, April 11 (UPI) — Top blogs and podcasts will be decided at this year’s 10th Annual Webby Awards on May 9.

The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences released Tuesday its nominations for this year’s awards, which honors excellence in Web design, functionality, and creativity every year.

“For a decade, The Webby Awards has honored the new and groundbreaking Web sites that have changed the way we work and live,” said Tiffany Shlain, the founder and ambassador of The Webby Awards. “This year’s nominees provide us with an inside look at where we’re going next.”

Among those categories making a debut this year are Political Blog, Business Blog, Culture Blog, and Podcast as well as Best use of Video or Moving Image.

Boing Boing, Cute Overload, GM FastLane Blog, Gartner Inc, and The Huffington Post, was some of those blogs nominated.

And podcast nominees included Podcast Pickle, Voices on Genocide Prevention, Yahoo! Podcasts, Youth Radio, and National Public Radio’s Podcasts.

This year’s leader in nominations was NPR with six, while other organizations receiving multiple nods were Google Earth, the Library of Congress, and The Book of Cool, among others.

Moreover, those nominated for Best Practice — demonstrating breakthroughs in reshaping the cyber sphere — included blog counter and aggregator Technorati, personal news aggregator Bloglines, online photo management and sharing application Flickr, and Google Maps.

The 535-member body of Web, business and creative experts from various industries — musician David Bowie, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, and “Simpsons” creator Matt Groening to name a few — will be determining winners in the some 65 plus categories ranging from politics and news to fashion, social networking, and religion.

Criteria will be based on content, structure and navigation, visual design, functionality, interactivity, and overall experience.

In addition, The Webby People’s Voice Awards presented by Verizon will allow individuals to vote for their favorite Web sites in all 65 Webby categories.

Winners will be honored on June 12 at an event at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, hosted by comedian Rob Corddry of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”

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(A full list of nominees can be found at: www.webbyawards.com)

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Hi-tech tunnels ads, an alternative to TV

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, April 10 (UPI) — Imagine watching a man being pulled by a team of dogs as you travel in a metro train under the streets of Washington, D.C.

That’s what the Travel Channel hopes when metro riders see its new 15-second motion-picturesque advertising display — a new initiative to generate revenue for the Washington Metropolitan Transit Area Transit Authority.

The hi-tech tunnel ads inspired by the 200-year-old children’s toy known as the zoetrope is creating a new niche for potential consumers as companies seek new avenues for advertising.

A March 2006 survey found that 78 percent of advertisers felt that over the last two years television had lost effectiveness according to the Association of National Advertisers and Forrester Research — indicating that they are moving to alternative ways to capture audiences.

But beyond the Internet, transit advertisements are offering a novel way for advertisers to capture potential consumers without irritating them, says Submedia Chief Executive Officer Peter Corrigan.

Some 70 million people in major transit cities around the nation from Atlanta to New York have seen the tunnel ads from New York-based company Submedia LLC, and this isn’t even mentioning those overseas from cities including Prague, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

And the Travel Channel with the promotion of its program “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” isn’t the only one who is debuting an ad in the nation’s capital.

The Ford Motor Company has an ad too where a red carpet rolls out to greet the driver of the luxury car and Toyota’s Lexus will have one up in May.

In fact, since its launch in 2001, Submedia has transferred ads into short motion pictures for tunnels for over a 100 big name companies including Target Stores, Coca-Cola, General Motors, Infiniti Motors, American Express, Budweiser, Cartoon Network and United Airlines, among others.

And mass-transit systems are finding it a great way to generate non-passenger revenue, without putting the burden on its customers.

“It’s an innovative way to advertise and for its main purpose — generate revenue — without going to the customer base and raising fares,” said Cathy Asato, a spokesperson for WMATA.

In fact, WMATA expects in-tunnel advertising to generate $100,000 this fiscal year and $700,000 next year, and there are plans to use the money on customer enhancements such as bomb-containment trash cans, telephone-based Spanish language Trip Planner, a remote monitoring system for the Passenger Information Displays and a new sales and service center.

Transits systems gain a quick return on the purchase of the technology, which despite the initial costs of up to $1.4 million, allows for displays of advertising that can sell for as much as $35,000 to $250,000 a month.

According to Corrigan, the ads are a series of static images that appear to move for 15 to 30 seconds as if it was a big flip book.

Using the average speed of the metro train to determine frame count with some 200 to 300 frames per second seen by a rider, these frames are mounted in backlit boxes and thus creates the illusion of a flipbook.

This technology that produces the animated advertisement was developed by astrophysicists Josh Spodek, who founded Submedia with Matthew Gross in 1999.

Spodek took the idea of the zoetrope, turning the cylinder concept of the toy into a linear one and applied it to subways.

The company acting on this principle launched their first tunnel ad back in 2001 in Atlanta and has since launched ads for pedestrians, walkways, and escalators, as well.

Advertisers are finding that these transit ads are a viable option in marketing to an audience.

“The response has been great since we’ve been doing this for a number of years now,” Corrigan said. “The advertisers are there, but more importantly, the customers love it — they’re a captive audience who actively looks forward to the ads.”

According to Corrigan, such companies have turned towards advertising in tunnels due to dwindling effectiveness of television commercials as a result of cable, TiVo, and Digital Video Recorders.

In the same March 2006 survey from the ANA and Forester, 70 percent of the 133 national advertisers interviewed believed that DVRs and video-on-demand will reduce the effectiveness of 30-second television ads.

And while DVRs are expected to reach 30 million households, almost 60 percent said they will spend less on conventional commercials and 24 percent said they will cut their TV budget by at least 25 percent.

Instead, some 80 percent of advertisers said they will spend more on Web advertising and 68 percent will look to a search engine.

And while your TV is not completely out, advertising over the tube will mean branded entertainment within TV programs, TV program sponsorships, interactive advertising during TV programs, in addition to online video ads and product placement, advertisers surveyed said.

This trend also signals the rush of advertisers to answer the download problem as television networks are rushing to provide online downloads for laptops and video iPods.

“We’re what you call capturing the ‘out-of-home market,’” Corrigan said.

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AtomFilms going mobile

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, April 6 (UPI) — AtomFilms and Verizon Wireless announced Thursday plans of a multi-year exclusive agreement to bring AtomFilms original short films to Verizon’s mobile content service V CAST.

The AtomFilms mobile video channel, which makes its debut as part of V CAST’s basic entertainment programming, signals the coming of short Internet-style content as the new wave in mobile television for the consumer on-the-go.

According to the April 2006 forecast from eMarketer, there will be 100 million worldwide users of paid or sponsored mobile broadcast video services by the end of 2009.

The deal, a first for AtomFilms Entertainment Inc., is their first venture in providing their content to a wider range of audience — mobile users — via on-demand digital distribution.

“Atomfilms has a strong business online, bringing the top filmmakers and animators, and the timing is right to extend it to the mobile market,” said Scott Roesch, Atom Films’ vice president and general manager. “We believe Verizon is a market leader in video-on-demand mobile service and we are very thrilled.”

The channel will be available under the Entertainment category and will include AtomFilms Studio Originals, the exclusive Atomfilms series Stainboy from Tim Burton, Animation, Comedy and videos from users on AtomFilm’s user-generated content site, AddictingClips.com.

Customers have access to V CAST entertainment channels with V CAST-enabled phones and a V CAST VPak subscription for $15 monthly access along with their Verizon Wireless calling plan.

The wireless network is a venture between Verizon Communications and Vodafone with 51.3 million voice and data customers.

“AtomFilms has unique experience at finding the type of digital content that consumers want — quick, instantly gratifying entertainment experiences,” said John Harrobin, vice president of marketing for Verizon Wireless. “We’re excited to bring the AtomFilms ‘entertainment snacking’ experience exclusively to our V CAST customers.”

Only last month, the Web site viewed by some 5 million users a month had introduced a multi-format download service to portable media devices including iPod and PSP called “AtomFilms To Go.”

In an interview with Roesch in February he indicated that the company was interested in making the mobile jump, since both mediums give users similar viewing experiences.

“Digital entertainment gives consumer total control of their viewing experience,” Roesch told UPI. “Their schedule is no longer two hours or 30 minutes shows, rather you can access wherever and however long you want it — that’s pretty revolutionary.”

The success of streaming online video has been based not only on AtomFilms, but also such Webcasters as eBaum’s World, You Tube and Google Videos. Now AtomFilms hopes its company’s success will transcend into the mobile market.

A June 2005 report from comScore Media Metrix found that 56 percent of the U.S. online audience had watched streaming videos this year, and over a three-month period the average video consumer viewed 73 minutes of streaming video content per month.

Moreover, according to Accustream Research in August 2005 video streams were forecast to grow by 48 percent in 2005 to over 21 billion served. The research group also estimated in a different study that the combined market for streaming advertising, subscription and download media was estimated at $1.36 billion in 2005 alone.

Whether or not consumers will watch mobile content is still up in the air and will be determined by the number of people who are phone-enabled and who are eager to watch television on-the-go.

A February study from eMarketer showed that the number of Americans who will be able to access video content on their mobile phones will rise from 1 million users to 15 million by 2009.

But surprisingly enough, companies like AtomFilms and Verizon could see the payoff from the portable media revolution.

A November 2005 report from JupiterResearch predicted that the growing demand for mobile video content will increase from $62 million in 2005 to $501 million in revenue by 2010.

Still, Roesh is counting on consumers wanting mobile video-on-demand, since he sees short-form video content as “bite-sized entertainment” perfectly suited for customers on the go.

“Our biggest goal is to get consumers habituated to the channel,” he said. “We want people to watch while they’re commuting to school or work and have them check out our new, original, and entertaining content.”

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Love on the Web for STD sufferers

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, April 5 (UPI) — While many are turning to the Internet for love, those with a sexually transmitted disease can now find themselves in less awkward position thanks to a new dating site, MatchSTD.com.

The free site launched only two weeks ago had about 150 members last Friday and as of Wednesday has ballooned into 3,000 members.

“We’re averaging about 800 members a day,” said co-founder Bentley Dawson. “This all happened so quickly. We went from pretty much nothing to 15,000 hits an hour, and as of today, we’ve gotten 35,000 hits in an hour.”

As the online dating boom matures, more niche dating sites have begun to spring up along side e-dating giants including Match.com and Yahoo! Personals as the stigma of Internet romances diminishes.

A March study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that some 31 percent of U.S. adults reported they know someone who has used a dating Web site, while 15 percent or roughly 30 million people know someone who has been in a long-term relationship or married via the Internet.

The study of 3,215 adults also found that 11 percent of Internet users — or 16 million people — have used an online dating Web site and about 3 million have found long-term relationships or married someone via Internet Web sites and their services.

And in the online romance scene, those with infections may find themselves in a comprising and burdensome situation when it comes to revealing their secret.

So sites like MatchSTD as well as a handful of others including MPwH (Meet People with H) from the Antopia Herpes Network, which has some 54,090 members, reduces that burden, not only creating an online dating service but a social community.

Nationwide at least 45 million people ages 12 and older, or one out of five adolescents and adults, have had genital HSV infection, and about 40 million Americans are infected with genital warts.

And there were an estimated 42,514 AIDS diagnoses in 2004.

MatchSTD cofounders and friends Dawson and James Kassemi began developing the site two years ago intending to help infected friends with a variety of STDs from herpes and hepatitis to HIV/AIDS find love while providing anonymity.

“The idea for this site came from growing up knowing people who had become infected with a STD, and watching how it affected them in their efforts to date,” Dawson said.

One friend in particular had motivated to her get the site up and running, Dawson wrote in a letter to users. A girl was left heartbroken after falling in love with a man whom she had revealed her secret to and broke up with her out of disgust.

The response to the site has been great, Dawson says, hoping it will make those infected have an easier time finding love.

“It was created mostly because of the stories I would hear from my friends, and my desire to do something to make their life easier,” she said. “The response has been amazing. We have been completely overwhelmed with e-mails from users, or just people that want to say what a great idea it is.”

Once a member is registered with the site, they can search the world matching their profile preferences with others and are never forced to discuss their STD again.

Moreover, the site provides a proposal system in which, if one user is interested in another user, they must send one of the three communication proposals — fling, friendship and relationship.

If the proposal is accepted, both users could communicate via the site’s internal messaging system.

While Dawson does see room for harassment, she hopes that users won’t abuse the service, since their aim was to have a gender-friendly site since they also include transgender persons pre-operation and post.

Both Dawson and Kassemi hope to keep the site free for users making it self-sustaining through advertisements.

And they plan to expand it educationally to include articles and posts as well as a blog from a doctor about the latest on the STD health-news front.

“We want MatchSTD to be seen as free, safe, anonymous, and gender-friendly,” Dawson said. “I hope that enough people will come to the site in a study fashion.”

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D.C. ranked No.1 for teleworking potential

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, April 4 (UPI) — The nation’s capital was ranked “Best City For Teleworking” according to a recent nationwide study.

It was followed by Boston, Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco respectively, rounding off the top five in the extra-large metro-area category, said the study released by research firm Sperling’s BestPlaces and Intel Corporation.

The survey ranked 80 of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States in terms of its telework potential by looking at commuting, office-based workforce, Internet infrastructure, extreme climate and natural hazards.

“Recent increases in fuel prices, crowded highways and security concerns have all combined to make telework increasingly important in today’s world,” said Bert Sperling, principal author of the study. “Our analysis shows that working from home even one day a week can have a huge beneficial effect for employees, companies and the entire community.”

Meanwhile, California’s San Jose topped the large metro area followed by Baltimore, Denver, San Diego and Indianapolis.

And medium metro areas were led by Bridgeport/Stamford/Norwalk, Conn., and Boulder, Colo., for the small metro area.

According to the study, the D.C.-Va.-Md. region has one of the highest percentages of white-collar workers and a daily commute that is one of the most time-consuming and costly in the nation.

The study reported that “a single Washington office worker who teleworks just one day each week can see savings of $488 in transportation costs and $2,708 in time savings each year.”

Intel is one company among others including JetBlue Airways and Alpine Access, who have been promoting telework. At Intel more than 80,000 of its workers participate in teleworking.

“D.C. wins or loses depending on how you look at it,” said Nigel Ballard, Intel’s teleworking campaign manager. “So many people have a long commute. It’s got one of the worse problems in the nation.”

Ballard has spent time and effort in researching teleworking, talking to IT professionals and those in the federal government; and despite the benefits of this new model, he says that he’s found a great sense of reluctance to adopting telecommuting despite fines and relevant congressional legislation.

And he says the government, if not businesses, would benefit from huge savings from teleworking, higher worker morale combined with effective training.

“It takes the ability to change and trust your employees,” said Ballard, describing the old-school management liking to see their people 9-to-5 because that’s how business has been for a long time.

Based on interviews with 235 IT professionals and 542 Washington-area federal employees, a recent study by CDW Government Inc. found that 41 percent were teleworking and 43 percent had recently just began.

But teleworking could be much higher especially in the public sphere unlike the private sector where it’s been catching on, says Chuck Wilsker, president of advocacy organization The Telework Coalition.

Wilsker mentions that there is a continued frustration in the lack of telework in government voiced by the concerns of teleworking advocates like Republican Reps. Tom Davis and Frank Wolf of Virginia.

And what started out as an issue to address environmental issues such as gas prices and global warming, telework has become a solution for real-estate savings as well as business continuity.

According to Wilsker, the big push for teleworking came after Sept. 11, 2001, when businesses realized that they did not want their key people all on one site. Moreover, it was apparent with Hurricane Katrina when people wanted to maintain business continuity despite facilities being destroyed, he said.

And it will even address the baby-boom generation retiring where many will choose to work full time or part time from home thanks to teleworking, which simply does not only mean working from home but means mobility.

More importantly, he says that by preparing a contingency plan using teleworking, it will greatly enhance businesses and government operations in terms of hurricanes, terrorist attacks and the potential outbreak of a pandemic looming.

And the benefits of teleworking are numerous, he says, which will bring jobs to a broader base of people, widen the labor pool by bringing jobs to the rural areas and those with disabilities, reduce dependency on imported gas, reduce absenteeism and raise worker morale.

But before teleworking can be offered, he warns that training and practice must be in place as well as standard technology.

In the 2006 telework benchmarking study on large-scale telework implementation of organizations sponsored Intel, it was found that most telework programs were voluntary and provided training that ranged from none to intensive with a focus on online training.

Moreover, it found that a certain standardized set of technology solutions were in place including laptops, virtual private networks, file-sharing, a help desk and increasingly Voice over Internet Protocol.

“You can’t just go home and work,” Wilsker said. “You need a program in place, what you are going to do and how, practice, refining the program, more practice, and fine-tuning.”

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Digital revolution takes on movie industry

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, April 4 (UPI) — With Hollywood’s largest studios launching a download-and-own film service via rivals Movielink.com and Cinemanow.com, the move towards digital distribution also means the move toward D-Cinema.

The movie industry may soon be taking the lead from its independent filmmaking colleagues making a significant move towards digital filmmaking. That could be the catalyst for the digital revolution in every arena of the film industry.

“This is a landmark development in the evolution of home entertainment,” said Benjamin Feingold, Sony’s president of worldwide home entertainment, digital distribution and acquisition. “Allowing consumers to download and own movies digitally via their broadband Internet connections, gives them more power to be entertained when and how they choose.”

Sony Pictures Entertainment was among those studios partnering in the Movielink deal, which also includes Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, MGM Studios and 20th Century Fox. Sony along with Lions Gate also has a deal with CinemaNow.

Earlier this year there was uncertainty when the movie industry was going to embrace digital distribution. Only a handful of companies had already started the trend, not including video-clip download sites.

Apple’s iTunes allows consumers to purchase $1.99 per TV episode downloads from ABC, NBC Universal, USA Network, Disney and the Sci-Fi Channel, while TiVo and DIRECTV announced plans of a launch to-go service that allows transferring shows to portable media players.

The Starz Entertainment Group launched its own video-download service, Vongo, for purchase or download of its some 1,000 movies onto different consumer electronics.

Already video download and streaming sites have been providing content including do-it-yourself vids on eBaum’s World, Google and YouTube sites as well as the successful indie short-film haven Atom Films, which has moved towards a multi-format download service.

And with big studios joining the bandwagon, such service may spell trouble for snail-mail DVD services like middlemen distributors Blockbuster and Netflix, which may be adapting quicker than intended if it means they could be cut out if not experience a split in the profitable revenue sector.

But movie theatres, not to be left out, will soon find themselves turning completely into digital cinemas within the next 10 years if not sooner, says John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theatre Owners.

“This will be the biggest transition in the movie theatre industry since the advent of sound,” he said.

That means over the next several years the some 6,114 movie theatres that exist in the United States today will make that move, which will result in them ultimately downloading movies from satellite or broadband or receiving HD disk tape, replacing the expensive and fragile 35 mm cellulite film stock on bulky reels.

According to Fithian, the industry has already spent five years transferring to digital technologies with technical specifications that promote compatibility and interoperability, enhancing quality levels with the best visual systems, and financing the transition.

Digital for the theater not only provides owners a solution to deteriorating film but enhances the patron’s experience, Fithian noted.

With D-Cinema, it signals 3-D production of high-quality experience and provides greater flexibility in programming, which would include music concerts, sports and more indie movies.

But this move towards digital distribution both in home delivery and theater also suggests the drive to digital filmmaking. Hollywood has been slow to adopt digital filmmaking, unlike its up-and-coming independent colleagues who have embraced the digital movement as a cost-effective approach to making films.

And the accessibility provided by digital video is a major step into democratization of the film industry, says Connecticut-based independent filmmaker A.D. Calvo of Goodnight Film.

The digital movement along with the Internet, Calvo says, has in fact opened up the filmmaking realm by allowing anyone to get involved with a decent camera and good footage, making it more economically efficient in producing and disseminating.

“LA has been slow to adapt new technology,” says the filmmaker, whose most notable work is a documentary on now infamous nude-Britney-Spears-birth-on-a-bearskin sculptor Daniel Edwards called “The Several Severed Heads of Daniel Edwards.”

According to Calvo, Hollywood spends a huge amount of money to digitize film after shooting in order to control color and visual effects in the digital intermediate process and then converts it back in the film out process.

And he says while this process won’t go away for major studio epics like “King Kong,” most people don’t notice subtleties of color, grains or resolutions, and because of this, Hollywood should allocate that money to fund more indie projects.

“People want a broader range of films and choice than millions of dollars spent on color touch-ups,” Calvo said. “It makes sense to keep work entirely digital, that’s what most indie films are doing.”

The former software and interface developer interested in making psychological horror films was inspired by the good story-low cost J-Horror films or Japanese horror films that have inspired American movies like “The Ring” and “The Grudge.”

And the low-cost digital movement is making that dream possible for him.

“It’s an avenue for new talent to get their works seen, short film or demo reels,” he said. “And as a director, with digital video, I don’t have to view daily screenings but see the takes on the set and get multiple cameras and shoot more coverage at a lower cost.”

Still at the end of the day, Calvo says two things are the most important.

“Even with technology, it comes back to story and acting,” he said, “but it is making the cost of production go down, providing more choices for consumers to choose from, and making niche films a profit.”

Devices give weather at-a-glance

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, March 30 (UPI) — A variety of new and novel devices are changing the way consumers get their weather — including such techno items as a weather-forecasting umbrella.

The fusion of various objects and technology has sparked much consumer interest by providing the simplest of practical convergent devices.

The Cambridge, Mass.-based company Ambient Devices Inc. is a leading maker of “glanceable” forecasting devices using wireless technology and is winning over praise since its start in the fall of 2001. The company aims not to crowd consumers with a number of features but rather produce objects that are so-called polite technology.

“Ambient devices are a new category of devices, I call them ‘calm computing’ — you don’t interact with it like a cell phone,” said Ambient President David Rose. “These devices allow you to do one thing at a time; it’s really pleasant, polite than other electronic devices that require a lot of attention. You’ll never be bugged by your orb.”

All of Ambient’s devices use a wireless solution, the Ambient Information Network and the Ambient Device Design, which creates an infrastructure of back-end service delivery and wireless network and a set of hardware specifications to turn everyday objects into glanceable information devices.

The company, aside from its products, also licenses this technology out to other companies aimed with the same goal such as GPS systems for cars allowing for individuals to know traffic congestion, or LG refrigerators with weather forecasts.

But their latest anticipated device is the “Forecasting Umbrella” set to debut in summer 2006 and the “E Ink Weather Wizard” this fall.

The Forecasting Umbrella uses proprietary data-radio in the handle, which receives accuweather.com information and pulses when rain is forecast.

Battery-operated, its handle also glows to remind a forgetful individual to take the umbrella with them.

Meanwhile, the E Ink Weather Wizard is a thin display mounted to the wall, refrigerator or used as a bedside clock, and shows the “Atomic time” with current conditions and the five-day forecast, according to the company.

Using batteries, it too connects to accuweather.com, updating the forecasts every hour, using weather icons and giving temperature expectations.

“People have had an anticipatory attitude (for the new devices),” Rose said. “People really want more information about their weather. It’s about putting the information exactly in the right place, in a golf bag for golfing conditions or a surfboard that knows waves.”

But this is just two of many products however, which includes the 5-Day Weather Forecaster, Executive Dashboard, Weather Beacon and the Ambient Orb.

In particular, the Executive Dashboard, the Weather Beacon and Ambient Orb offer more than just weather forecasts but give individuals the ability to track any dynamic Internet-based information whether it is stocks or energy prices.

And the last two changes color depending on the information on the Ambient channels ranging from S&P 500, NASDAQ Composite, pollen count, traffic congestions, presidential approval and even gardening, golfing or sailing conditions.

In particular, the weather colors correspond with the standard color-spectrum used on weather maps used by the Weather Channel among others the paging networks.

“Consumer attitudes to convergent devices are dreadful,” he said. “The average person is not using their phone for sports scores or watching videos, instead we’re looking for devices that don’t complicate our lives.”

He added, “People would rather have 100 devices that do one thing good, than a cell phone that does 100 things.”

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FEC approves new Internet rules

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, March 27 (UPI) — The Federal Election Commission approved Monday new rules that would specifically deal with paid Internet political ads on Web sites, but excepting most Internet communications including blogging.

It was approved unanimously in a 6-0 vote after a 96-page proposal was released on Friday.

FEC’s decision to review the Internet and public communications was prompted by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in Shays v. Federal Election Commission.

The Internet has become an increasing political landscape since the 2004 election cycle, according to the FEC, which saw the number of Americans using the Internet as a source of campaign news grow from 30 million to 63 million from 2000 to 2004.

Moreover, the FEC cited that about 11 million people relying on politically oriented blogs as a primary source of information during the 2004 presidential campaign.

Under the new set of rules, it would alter the current definition of “public communication,” which in the past excluded the Internet, to include paid Internet advertising placed on another person’s Web site.

Paid Internet advertising placed on Web sites includes banner advertisements, streaming video, pop-up advertisements, and directed search results and is differentiated from blogging and personal Web sites by cost.

Internet advertising revenue has been increasing, the FEC said, citing that it grew 33.9 percent between third quarter of 2004 and third quarter of 2005, reaching $3.1 billion for the third quarter of 2005.

But as far as the rules go, no minimum threshold was established by the Commission.

Blogs on the other hand was considered low-cost, and the FCC was warned that peer-to-peer podcasts could replace blogs in the low-cost Internet debate, more reason for broad rules.

“These final rules are intended to ensure that political committees properly finance and disclose their Internet communications without impeding individual citizens from using the Internet to speak freely regarding candidates and elections,” the FEC wrote in its draft.

The FEC also would re-promulgate the definition of “generic campaign activity,” revise scope of its declaimer regulations, and add an exception for uncompensated individual Internet activities.

In addition, it revises media exemption and adds a new provision for the use of corporate and labor organization computers and other equipment for Internet activities by certain individuals.

The media exemption in particular applies to those covering or carrying news stories and editorials online as if it were print or television news program by adding Web site to the exemption.

Reactions from bloggers are positive, and many are saying this is a win for their cause.

According to Loyola Law School Professor Rick Hasen’s on his blog Election Law last week, the FEC broad rules would be welcomed by the Internet political community.

“On the whole, I think these are very good rules in preserving robust political speech on the Internet that takes place without much danger of the corruption of candidates,” he wrote. “My one personal disappointment is the FEC draft’s decision not to require disclaimers on blogs where the bloggers have been paid by campaigns.”

“I am also concerned with some language in the explanation, page 62, allowing for campaigns and committees to reimburse bloggers for certain expenses without it counting as “compensation” under the rules,” he added.

Meanwhile, Bob Bauer of the “More Soft Money Hard Law” blog wrote that the FEC’s contribution, although limited by its statutory scheme under which it must operate, is “commendably constructive.”

“These are still rules, built around specific terms and assumptions, and so there will be argument, in the future, about what they mean and whether the meaning should change with changed circumstances and technology,” he wrote. “The Internet community cannot escape this fact — that this is a rulemaking, for the first time, devoted to Internet politics, and there may be another.”

“Before new rules, there will come complaints, such as arguments about whether individual activity is sufficiently ‘uncompensated’ to qualify for the exemption,” he also wrote, adding that “there may even be litigation over these rules, if various reform organizations so choose; or the litigation may come later, if complaints are directed toward particular activity and the complainants, meeting with no success at the FEC, challenge the agency in court.”

And, despite the many legislative proposals floating around Congress, many say congressional legislations proposed on the same issue are now irrelevant.

“Congress is set to reconsider HR 1606, the Online Freedom of Speech Act, this week,” wrote Adam Bonin of the Daily Kos Monday. “Honestly? I don’t believe it’s necessary now. These FEC regulations give as strong a set of legal protections as we could reasonably expect, and the best thing Congress can do now would be to find ways in the Record to simply affirm that the FEC approach reflects their beliefs, and that the regulations should be interpreted with a bent towards freedom.”

John Morris, Staff Counsel of the Center of Democracy and Technology, too says it incorporates many of those proposals on the Hill.

The CDT had proposed an alternative amendment to the Online Freedom of Speech Act from Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas.

“We think the FEC did a very good job in crafting the rules given the constraints,” Morris said. “The Internet will continue to be an amazing and growing source of political commentating.”

However, Morris did note that the CDT would have like to see more exemptions including for low-cost advertisements.

And Scott E. Thomas, former FEC Chairman and now of counsel with Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky LLP, applauded the approved rules.

“I think the Commission finally got it close to right,” Thomas said. “Earlier regulations were truly problematic and the Court properly noted that. But now, the Commission has balanced things out with plenty of flexibility for individuals and bloggers while touching on the right sphere of regulation to get involved with – paid Internet ads.”

According to Thomas, although the rules should have been decided on much sooner, it comes just in time providing guidance for the 2006 mid-elections.

“I truly hope that those on Capitol Hill will (accept this) better resolution than the legislation being considered,” he said.

Yet, there are some who feel that Hensarling proposal should still be passed.

“There remains precious little reason to think that Congress really intended for the McCain-Feingold law to regulate the web,” wrote Brian Smith on the Republican community blog Red State.

Smith is a former chairman, vice chairman, and commissioner at the FEC, now a professor at the Capital University Law School.

“It is also clear that the FEC would be keeping it’s blanket exemption from the statutory definition of “public communication’ for the internet, absent the ruling of a single federal judge that it must regulate the web,” he wrote, adding “it is clear that none of the horror stories spread by so-called “reform” groups about HR 1606 have come true in the last four years, when the position that HR 1606 would enact has, in fact, been the law pursuant to FEC rules.”

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Broadband in space

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, March 24 (UPI) — Broadband might be entering into space thanks to a collective team of MIT researchers developing a tiny light detector that could help speed up data transmission from planetary probes to Earth.

This is just the latest breakthrough on the nanotechnology front, which could keep costs low in one aspect of space communication.

“Half the battle is getting the probe up in space, but getting information back quickly and not limited is also important — the reason for the probe to go up there in the first place,” said Karl Berggren, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

It can take hours with existing wireless radio frequency to get useful scientific information back from Mars to Earth, but using an optical link can speed up the process, according to Berggren.

In better context, he suggests that with a probe to Pluto, it would take two weeks to orbit the planet and nine months for data transmission which is slow and could limit data.

As Berggren describes it, this would mean that as a single photon is absorbed and transmitted down to earth, the beam gradually becomes wider, and collecting it using a telescope could compromise or lose data since telescopes only collect a fraction of that wide beam.

But with the light detector, that he and his colleagues developed, information transmission from space to earth could be more efficient and faster.

Berggren along with colleagues from MIT’s Research Laboratory of Electronics, Lincoln Laboratory and Moscow State Pedagogical University developed the device featured in the January 23 issue of Optics Express.

The space application of nanotechnology came after MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory worked with NASA in coming up with the first laser communication link between Mars and Earth in 2004.

And the research that that team came up with would have been used in the 2010 launch of the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter spacecraft for similar technology, if it were not for budget problems, canceling the project in July 2005.

According to NASA, the maximum data rate transmission is 128,000 bits per second using radio waves from the Mars Odyssey spacecraft to Earth, but using the researchers’ detector could speed up that transmission significantly.

The new detector improves detection efficiency for single photos from 20 percent to 57 percent at a wavelength of 1,550 nanometers, according to researchers.

Current single-photon detectors are either sensitive or too slow.

And while a typical detector could receive photons at 100 kilobits per second which is 100,000 bits per second, their detector could receive photons at 300 megabits per second or 300 million bits per second, Berggren said.

But it could receive photons at as much as 781 megabits per second.

Using nanowires and superconductor technology, the detector is able to sense low light or small laser signals in the infrared part of the optical spectrum down to a single photon.

And in order for interplanetary communication to take place and the detector to work accurately, a large laser and a lot of power would be needed to send information at a high rate down to Earth.

But with the single-photon detector sensing small laser signals, this means not much power is required by a spaceship to transmit data and could be more cost-effective for planetary researchers, since the detector acts as a receiver on Earth.

Moreover, to make the detector more efficient, Berggren and his team added a “photon cavity” or type of photon trap to collect photons that reflect or transmit since in order to detect a beam, they must be absorbed.

The photon trap contains a measured gap of glass, a mirror, and a tightly coiled nanowire resembling the metal on the back of refrigerator that would broaden its area of overlap with the laser light.

Also, included is anti-reflection coating to keep light from reflecting off the surface.

The wire, however, must be cooled to above absolute zero in order to become a superconductor, thus allowing for photons to be absorbed.

If it’s not absorbed, then the wire permits photons to bounce between the coil and the mirror, so that greater absorption, could take place.

Such technology, the researches hope, could eventually allow for real-time information to be collected in space and sent to Earth.

This could be the answer to enabling quicker transmission of color video between astronauts or robots in space and scientists on Earth.

The researchers, though, are back at work, making the detector more efficient and fast.

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Movies-for-download making inroads

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, March 24 (UPI) — U.K. movie-goers now have easier access to Hollywood blockbusters anywhere they go thanks to Universal Pictures.

The studio giant will allow customers to purchase movies to keep in three different downloadable formats onto computers, mobile phones or portable video players.

This marks a big move for a major Hollywood studio in providing a new delivery service via legal downloading of recent box-office hits, especially in the face of the recent digital-rights-management debate.

But it’s a move that was inevitable, it was only time before more and more movie and television studios jumped on the bandwagon following the music industry, as they try to win over lost consumers.

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Tech remodeling the art gallery scene

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, March 20 (UPI) — What may seem at first glance to be black scribbles amidst white backgrounds are actually displays of varying black particles moving in calculated mathematical parameters shown via LCD screens and projectors.

The ambience resembling a combination of the movies “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Pi” is the latest art show at Conner Contemporary Art in Washington, entrenching onlookers with digital art made by conceptual math and synthesized digital sound all created by David Morse.

Welcome to today’s modern contemporary art gallery.

While the move towards digital may be transforming our experience of the traditional art gallery into something more hi-tech, it’s providing a world of different challenges to today’s curators and artists.

This scene is nothing new for Conner gallery owner, M. Leigh Conner, who opened the space seven years ago for new and innovative young artists.

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AMD CEO speaks on innovation and tech

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, March 16 (UPI) — The microprocessor is the single-most important ingredient in information technology, says Dr. Hector Ruiz, chief executive officer of Advanced Micro Devices Inc. Without it there would be no computers, cell phones or modern-day electronic products.

Ruiz spoke Wednesday as part of the Congressional Internet Caucus speaker series, discussing the importance of technological innovation, its impact on the U.S. Competitiveness agenda and AMD’s latest projects.

The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company is a leader in microprocessors, and one of only two companies — Intel the other — that produces such technology.

“Any segment of any industry nowadays is driven largely by technology, and it doesn’t matter if you are in agriculture, or if you are in medicine or if you are in rocket science,” he said. “The technology that is driving all of the progress and changes in any of these segments of the industry is driven by computing technology or informational technology, and at the root of any of this is computation capabilities — and all of these things require a microprocessor.”

The reason for the success and strength of the industry, said Ruiz, is based on the technological standard adapted worldwide — the instruction set architecture based on x86 set of instructions.

And AMD and Intel have been the only one to enter the market; because they are the only two companies that have enough investment in intellectual property, resources and commitment to explore this technology, he says.

“The barriers are so big now, it is unlikely, at least in my lifetime, to see another player come in,” Ruiz said, “because this is a very powerful ecosystem that has been built and supported by these two companies.”

According to Ruiz, the microprocessor industry has grown and has become more far reaching, citing that AMD technology has brought a broad range of innovations for industries including movies like Sin City and Star Wars Episode 3 and search-engine companies.

This also includes lowering the cost of computing, which enabled the first affordable $1,000 PC, which he considers a major breakthrough for the industry.

AMD has also worked with other organizations for government challenges such as partnering with Cray Inc. and the Department of Energy to come up with a supercomputer cluster nicknamed Red Storm to understand stockpiling nuclear weapons.

But even with a vibrant business, Ruiz says that AMD and the industry must do their part in spreading technology worldwide.

“We believe that going forward is more important than ever, and that technology is being used to solve real problems,” he said, “and real problems in the past that may not have been captured in our imagination as being able to be addressed by technology.”

To help bridge the technological gap among nations, AMD has been garnering support and help for its 50×15 Initiative, which seeks to empower 50 percent of the world’s population with affordable basic Internet access by the year 2015.

According to Ruiz, roughly only 1 billion of the 6 billion people in the world population are connected to the Internet.

And although their goal is aggressive and challenging, it would bring about “positive changes, industry, business, trade, and most importantly improve the quality of life,” he says.

AMD’s key goal is to build platforms on affordability and access, and one way to reach that goal is by developing and deploying Personal Internet Communicators in nations including China, India, Turkey, Yugoslavia and the Caribbean.

It even set up a project in a region in Sao Paulo, Brazil, providing a public Internet access facility that has so far gained more than 500,000 monthly customers and served as many as 60 million requests.

“This is not done because it is only a good thing to do,” Ruiz said, “we truly believe this is a phenomenal business opportunity for us as a company that can help us bring us value to our shareholders, while doing something good at the same time.”

And even at home, AMD is working with Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Laboratory and several other companies including Google and Samsung to develop the One Lap Per Child project that would provide inexpensive laptop to children at $100.

But to advance America’s edge in innovation so that its lead won’t be derailed, Ruiz warns that elevated education of K to 12 is necessary.

“Innovation to me is the engine of growth, the engine of opportunity and creation that is critical for all of these technologies to find a relevant applicable solution in the marketplace,” he said.

He also stresses the need to elevate education to include a new language of computers and Internet, attract students overseas and towards graduate schools, support policy structures in favor of innovation and technology, increase and support basic research, encourage investment, support workforce training, and promote fair and open competition.

It is only with free and open competition that will aid in a flourishing technological environment for all, he says, citing search engine and telecommunication industries as examples of this competition.

Still, Ruiz emphasizes education and access to technology empower people and consumers around the world.

Ruiz considers himself lucky living in Mexico and crossing the border to a school in Texas, with access to better education in America. But still, many children are without that opportunity.

While it is difficult to open borders, technology can short-circuit that and provide knowledge and information to children they would not otherwise have access to, he says.

“I am convinced that somewhere in Africa, Mexico, Brazil, or India, there is a future Bill Gates, waiting to be discovered,” Ruiz said, “but if you don’t provide the access to them through technology of information, then it wont happen.”

Picked as CEO of the Year for 2005 by Electronic Business Magazine, Ruiz is also chairman of AMD, chosen two years ago after joining the company back in January 2000.

Previously he served as president of Motorola’s Semiconductor Products Sector.

He was appointed earlier this month to President Bush’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), but has served on the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee and the advisory board for the Tsinghua School of Economics and Management.

In addition, he also serves on the Eastman Kodak Company Board of Directors as well as the board for the Semiconductor Industry Association.

The speaker series is an effort by the Congressional Internet Caucus to continue educating congressional members and staff on emerging Internet issues.

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PTO unveils new patent filing system

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, March 16 (UPI) — A new electronic patent application filing system to be used by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office was launched Thursday by Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez.

Known as EFS-Web, the new system allows patent filers anywhere at any time to submit applications and pay fees online.

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Bloggers revisited in campaign-finance law

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, March 13 (UPI) — A bill that would exempt bloggers from campaign-finance laws was approved Thursday by the Committee on House Administration and comes just in time as the Federal Electoral Commission will release its decision as early as this week on how campaign-finance rules will apply to Web sites, Internet ads and blogs.

However, the new legislation begs to question the differentiating role and conduct of bloggers worldwide, with some 30.4 million sites today, blog counter Technorati cites.

The Online Freedom of Speech Act (H.R. 1606) introduced last year, by Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, was defeated when it fell short of the two-thirds vote it needed to pass in the House, 225-182.

Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., filed the amendment as part of the lobbying reform bill last week that would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 by excluding the Internet from the definition of public communications.

On approving the bill, Chairman Vernon J. Ehlers, R-Mich, said in a statement that it was necessary to “allow bloggers and other online activists to express their views on the Internet without fear of running afoul of our campaign finance laws.”

“We don’t want bloggers to have to check with a federal agency before they go online,” he added. “They shouldn’t have to read FEC advisory opinions, or hire federal election lawyers to make sure what they are doing is legal. They should be able to express their views on politics and politicians without having to worry about running afoul of our election laws.”

Approving the bill comes in time as the FEC is schedules to vote on regulations governing political speech on the Internet on March 16, which is expected to be under review by the House.

And a mixed batch of bloggers, mainly conservative, is drumming up support for the bill.

“We need to be encouraging, not discouraging, political involvement online and any FEC regulation could have a frightening effect on one of our most cherished rights — freedom of speech,” posted Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., on the Republican community blog RedState.com.

Political bloggers Markos Moulitsas Zúniga and Michael Krempasky from DailyKos.com and RedState.com respectively are urging the passing of the H.R. 1606 over a proposal from the Center for Democracy and Technology that says the Hensarling bill provides potential loopholes for soft money.

They say the proposal should be reviewed by members but does not make it an alternative to the Hensarling bill.

In a letter to members of Congress, both wrote that “Congress needs to pass the Online Freedom of Speech Act now and consider long-term answers later.”

“H.R. 1606 would preserve the status quo which governed the 2004 election cycle and beyond, one in which a vibrant blogosphere empowered millions of citizens to influence national politics, leveling the effect of wealth on the electoral process, and without any of the corruption which its opponents now fear,” they wrote.

Yet, other bloggers including like Michael Hampton of the blog “Homeland Stupidity” says his blog would not really be affected by FEC regulations, rather he says that the blog space should be completely unregulated.

“And after carefully reconsidering the issue, I am still of the opinion that the only Internet campaign finance reform we need is for the Federal Election Commission to stay away from the Internet entirely,” Hampton wrote in his March 10 blog.

“The CDT proposal is going to do the same thing to the Internet as existing campaign finance laws do: make it harder for third parties to get their message out,” he added. “And since one third party has the most important message few people are hearing, it’s absolutely vital that every possible avenue for communicating that message be protected.”

But several activist groups are calling for even broader exemption of bloggers and online political communication contained in the CDT proposal, saying that the Hensarling bill could allow aggressive spending in Internet campaigns.

The CDT proposal is being supported by the Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause, Democracy 21, the League of Women Voters, Public Citizen and U.S. PIRG and would provide broader exemption for bloggers for campaign finance laws.

“Although we fully support the spirit of the House measure, we’re concerned that the bill is both overbroad and under-inclusive. H.R 1606 deals with only one of the burdens facing individual speakers online. We want to make sure that a blogger won’t have to hire a lawyer before commenting on an upcoming election,” said CDT Staff Counsel John Morris. “We’ve worked extensively with proponents on all sides of this issue, and we are confident that this proposal addresses all the major concerns that have been raised.”

According to the CDT, the Hensarling bill excludes all online campaign ads which would allow candidates, corporations, and individuals in coordination with federal candidates and state parties, to spend unlimited amounts.

Instead, the CDT criticizes the Hensarling bill for opening a soft money loophole that would allow essentially Internet advertising.

The CDT proposal would: raise the threshold of becoming a political committee from $1,000 to $10,000 for Internet-related expenses; raise independent expenditures threshold by an individual from $250 to $5,000; require a disclaimer for communications over the Internet where more than $5,000 was spent; provides that online press activities qualify for the media exemption from the campaign finance laws; and exclude campaign ads for federal elections purchased on another’s person Web site unless $5,000 aggregate was spent.

Still, ethical questions remain brewing on the role and the impact of blogging in campaign elections especially as the number of political blogs rise.

But a number of commentators and bloggers are saying otherwise, questioning whether a new form of payola or plugola emerging and how far ethical standards from the professional media world should be extended to bloggers.

Recent discussions came after several bloggers were invited to Amsterdam thanks to Holland’s tourism board as well as an event footed by al-Jazeera. Bloggers say transparency is key.

“An estimated 28.8 million bloggers publish on the Internet, while by comparison there are only a paltry 2,500 U.S. daily and Sunday newspapers published,” wrote Alvin Snyder, a senior fellow at University of Southern California’s Center on Public Diplomacy, in his March 9 piece “The Ethical Dilemma of Blogging.”

“As blogging grows and matures, it needs to confront an ethical issue, as its senior ink-to-paper colleagues have, where free trips and other gratuities are offered by those who would likely expect a return on their investment,” he added.

And scholars and professionals will continue to wrestle with the norms established in the blogging world as the medium matures.

As Daniel Glover asked in his March 10 blog “Beltway Blogroll” — “If al-Jazeera invites dozens of bloggers to the Middle East in order to cover a forum that is designed to promote the Arab television station, should those bloggers: a) take the free trip, or b) disclose the freebie to their readers if they do?”

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Internet tech dazzles FOSE convention

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, March 9 (UPI) — Perhaps the U.S. government can rest a little easier over its battle with Internet censorship in China, knowing there is software that could circumvent the Chinese’s online censor program.

That’s exactly what tech company Anonymizer Inc. hopes to launch in coming months, said founder Lance Cottrell, whose company has worked with entities including the Broadcasting Board of Governors’ Voice of America in Iran to do pretty much just that.

Anonymizer’s services allows users to mask their IP addresses and protect their privacy, so as not to be tracked by online snoops, who can build profiles around a person’s Internet activities.

“The Internet is the least anonymous thing you do in your life,” Cottrell said. “If you walk past me in a store, they don’t get any personal information, but if you walk by a Web site, then they got it — your IP address.”

By redirecting or rerouting an individual’s Web traffic through the company’s servers ,which are armed with 128-bit Secure Sockets Layer technology, it can also protect against phishing, pharming or spyware sites.

This is extended not only to consumers and businesses but especially useful for government entities that can use its Field Chameleon product, which features traffic and language mixing in countering terrorists, who may build sites known as a “honey pot,” that aim to obtain IP addresses and monitor online activities.

As Cottrell said during an education seminar, such emerging threats include IP-based cloaking that Anonymizer aims to address in which a Web site changes its online content based on a user’s IP address or geographic location.

Anonymizer was just one of the many hi-tech companies stationed at the three-day government technology trade show FOSE in Washington that ends Thursday.

The convention included the latest gadgets, services and security systems from 550 companies including giants Adobe, BlackBerry, Cisco Companies, Intel, Kodak, Xerox and Microsoft.

Keynote speaker Robert J. Stevens, president and chief executive officer of Lockheed Martin, opened the convention with a speech addressing the future of IT companies that must realign themselves to ensure security against a backdrop of uncertainty.

This uncertainty on a worldwide level with stabilizing Afghanistan, Iraq, North Korea and the war on terror, but also on the American consumer level with response to pandemics and natural disasters, a critical infrastructure to protect them, and the country’s edge in science and technology.

“Against this backdrop, our missions now are more multi-faceted and interwoven,” Stevens said. “We must provide the openness of a democracy with the security of a sovereign state; improve transparency and access while assuring privacy protection; enhance collaboration within a framework of appropriate controls; and increase efficiency and effectiveness while decreasing cost.”

He urged companies to expand “the need to know” and include “the need to share,” and nurture close and continuous collaboration between government and business partners, and handle fiscal pressures.

“Your job is more critical than ever,” he added. “Information technologies underpin every system, every process, and every action the government undertakes. It will be your energy, your drive, your knowledge, your leadership, and your dedication that will protect and advance American interests.”

With more local governments recognizing the value of secure wireless architecture to telemedicine and video conferencing during emergency operations, many of the companies at the convention reflected the interest of communication in a time of security and emergency and the role of a wireless and interoperability system among entities.

In fact, reps from the District of Columbia government spoke at the convention Tuesday about the region’s first city-wide project, the 2004 Wireless Accelerated Responder Network project, which they plan to extend via wireless broadband network and fiber-optic secured networks in coming months.

And companies providing services using wireless networks are banking that government and law enforcement will want to use secure communication gadgets enabling communication in times of crisis is coming from companies such as Polycom, who provides technology for video conferencing.

In critical communication, the company recommends the Mobile Responder, a portable, durable video conferencing laptop unit with built-in display, camera, microphone, IP network interface and AES encryption.

“With the advent of broadband, it has pushed video conferencing into the mainstream,” said Rich Itkin, a manager of sales for the government with the company.

However, it could also be used for training, distance learning and telemedicine, Itkin added.

But among the durable, tougher laptops, multi-network mobiles and state-of-the-art cameras and scanners that were present, there were smaller hidden treasures at the convention.

The Victor, N.Y., company Kirtas Technologies Inc., like their motto says, is moving knowledge from books to bytes.

The company showed the Kirtas BookScan 2400 Gold, a manual book-scanning system that uses a manual to automatic page turner and digital cameras to capture images of each page in a book, which is then sent to a computer and where its BookScan Editing PRO is used for optical character recognition conversion.

The company started when a principal of the Venture Lab at Xerox Corporation, Dr. Lotfi Belkhir, sought an exclusive technology license from Xerox for the book-scanning technology back in 2001 when Xerox canceled funding for non-core projects, including this one.

According to Borden Mills, a lead image technician with the company, the system can scan 2,400 pages per hour and about 40 images a minute. But it could also scan a 300-page document and make it searchable in 177 languages in less than eight minutes.

And business is doing good especially among universities and businesses that are digitizing their libraries, buying the book scanner or sending their books to be scanned.

Already, the Rochester Library in New York is among those that have bought the scanner in order to digitize its documents on the region’s local history, Mills mentioned.

“Businesses like Google and Amazon are recognizing the need to digitize everything,” he said. “And so we’re in a position right now, in the perfect spot, where digitizing documents is very important.”

Also, on the school front is Serious Magic, which has enabled students at Pickens Middle School in South Carolina to make professional newscasts for their television announcements.

“It’s made for the person who doesn’t have to be tech-savvy,” said Chris Putnam, a sales rep from the company. “Everything is drag and drop.”

All one needs is a camera, a computer and a green screen, along with the company’s innovative video software, and not only is it aimed at redefining how presentations are given in businesses but also intended for bloggers too for “vlogging” or video blogging.

Other notable technologies include:

– Meganet Corporation’s VME Terminator H2 — a broadband bomb jammer for improvised explosive devices.

– NITGEN Co., Ltd.’s biometric technology that detects fake fingerprints.

– Itronix’s semi-rugged VR-1 Notebook that withstands temperature, vibration and humidity.

– SMART Technologies Inc. interactive whiteboard products.

– Jupiter’s Fusion 960 Display Wall Processor, which provides control-room applications, graphics, video display and ControlPoint Software.

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Love on the information suitor highway

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, March 7 (UPI) — Angie Vasconcellos started dating online two years ago before she moved to Arizona but broke off the relationship before it got too serious.

“It’s easy to meet people from the convenience of your own home,” said the 24-year-old from Tempe. “You get to screen who you talk to first, online and then eventually meet them and see what they’re all about … and if you like what they’re all about in person and enjoy their company, you start to develop a relationship and eventually, you start dating.”

Vasconcellos is just one of many Americans who have dabbled in online dating or knows someone finding love over the information suitor highway.

Some 31 percent of U.S. adults say they know someone who has used a dating Web site, while 15 percent or roughly 30 million people know someone who has been in a long-term relationship or married via the Internet, according to a recent study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

The study, called “Online Dating,” interviewed 3,215 adults in a telephone survey last fall, finding that more online daters were using the Internet in a variety of ways to make potential love connections.

“It really doesn’t matter where people meet each other,” Vasconcellos said. “I think online dating can be great, and I’m sure a lot of people have dated online and are now married — it’s pretty much commonplace now and very much accepted in today’s society.”

And that’s the idea that authors Mary Madden and Amanda Lenhart are trying to convey, that the stigma of finding love online is wearing off.

“Online dating sprung out of newspaper personals,” Lenhart said. “Except now, most people are aware of who is doing it and don’t see there is a stigma of desperation.”

The study found that 11 percent of Internet users — or 16 million people — have used an online dating Web site and about 3 million have found long-term relationships or married someone via Internet Web sites and their services.

“We found that online daters had access to a wider pool that could help them find a better match,” Madden said. “They could search for people and focus on niche interests like religion affiliation. They also had a sense of control in an arena where a lot is left up to chance.”

Lenhart added that online daters were spending more time online because it simply fit into their lifestyle, and at the same time, these same online romancers used technology as a mediated way to speak with someone, getting over the initial awkward stage of meeting a person.

They acknowledged that thanks to word of mouth, strength of success stories and more people using online dating services, these factors were carrying a lot of weight in the increase to the media.

The study found that 7 percent of the online daters saw themselves as single and looking for a romantic partner online, some 40 percent say they flirt online, and 28 percent have asked someone out from online.

It also found that 74 percent said they have used the Internet for romancing, whether using an online dating service, searching for a potential date or flirting over e-mail or instant messaging.

Online daters were doing more research on dates, the authors mentioned, thanks to the Internet and “Googling” information on a date, with 17 percent having done this while currently dating a person or about to go on a first date.

According to the authors, two trends emerged in tech dating. On one hand there was a more competitive wave of social network sites and the other, more niche sites specialized in providing top-tier services using scientific approaches such as eHarmony.

They also noted that there were strength in numbers based on the number of users on a service and saw that smaller sites were cross-lifting, forming a larger network to compete with their larger counterparts.

Yet, with more people trying to find romance online, not as many were taking the first step with an in-person meeting, the study found. Only 43 percent or 7 million had gone on a date they met from a Web site.

Still, the authors found that many were concerned about the potential dangers of posting personal information and reliability of information users post on sites.

Some 66 percent of Internet users said they agreed that online dating was dangerous because of personal information online, while 57 percent said a lot of people lie about their marital status on online dating sites.

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New bill promotes Net neutraity

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, March 3 (UPI) — A new bill in the Senate seeks to prohibit network operators from charging content providers extra for faster delivery of their content to consumers over the Internet, or in favor of certain content.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced the Internet Nondiscrimination Act of 2006 to Congress on Thursday in support of “net neutrality” or non-discriminatory access and service for consumer and business interests in promotion of a continued free and open Internet.

The current debate has arisen after the Regional Bell Operating Companies, which include the big three — AT&T, BellSouth and Verizon — called for a multi-tiered system where content providers could pay for priority use of faster service in downloading content such as movies.

But the debate has spilled over into a national debate over regulation, revenue-sharing agreements and open access to the Internet, with already a coalition of content providers and consumer advocacy groups rallying for Net neutrality as part of telecommunications legislation in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

“Creating a two-tiered system could have a chilling effect on small mom and pop businesses that can’t afford the priority lane, leaving these smaller businesses no hope of competing against the Wal-Marts of the world,” Wyden said in a statement. “Neutrality in technology enables small businesses to thrive on the Internet, and allows folks to start small and dream big, and that’s what I want to protect with this legislation.”

The bill aims to ban priority lanes where content providers can buy quicker access to customers, as opposed to those who cannot afford to do so, prohibits network operators from interfering with traffic on the Internet, allows consumers to choose which device they want to connect to when online and have transparent access to rates, terms and condition for Internet service.

“It’s wrong to create an information superhighway that’s strewn with discriminatory hurdles,” Wyden added. “Today, I have introduced legislation to stop the powerful interests who control access to the Internet from picking winners and losers on the Internet. This bill is for consumers, innovators and small businesses — it’s all about equal access for everyone: the same access, the same content, for the same price.”

The bill would also provide a written complaint-filing process before the Federal Communications Commission, in which the burden of proof is on the network operator that they had not violated the law. The FCC has 90 days to reach a decision, and the penalties are the same as those in the Communications Act.

But the U.S. Telecom Association contends that there are enough FCC regulations in place, worrying too much regulation could be a bad thing.

“There already exists oversight by the Federal Communications Commission today that has proven to be effective in protecting consumers’ right to be in control of their Internet experience,” Walter McCormick, president of the U.S. Telecom Association, said at the Feb. 7 hearing.

But on the other side of the spectrum the association also notes who will be fronting the bill when it comes to expensive Internet innovation and increasing need of broadband technology.

“All sides of the Net neutrality debate agree that consumers should be in control of their Internet experience. Where we differ is on whether consumers alone should foot the bill for the advanced networks that drive the Internet’s growth and evolution,” McCormick also said. “Simply put, our side believes that businesses that seek to profit on the use of next-generation networks should not be free of all costs associated with the increased capacity that is required for delivery of the advanced services and applications they seek to market.”

Still, public-interest groups that support Net-neutrality legislation like the Wyden bill say that it will keep the Internet open and allow smaller businesses to strive.

The tech group Public Knowledge is supporting the bill. President Gigi B. Sohn said in a statement that the Wyden legislation would prevent network operators from discriminating in favor of content in which they have a financial interest.

“Now, we are in an uncertain time when network operators are threatening to impose new conditions on the high-speed broadband network,” Sohn said. “Certainly, Net Neutrality should be part of any legislation that allows network operators to provide broadband into the home on an expedited basis, such as a national or state video franchise.

“In this environment, small companies, as Google once was, have been able to become large companies, as Google has become,” she added. “Innovation has flourished for consumers and service providers.”

The Consumer Electronics Association also released a statement yesterday pleased with Wyden’s efforts.

“Specifically this legislation would ensure that consumers retain the right to access music, movies and other digital content from across the Internet — when and where they want and with the device of their choice, no matter how they connect to the Internet,” Michael Petricone, CEA’s vice president of technology policy, said in a statement. “It also ensures that tomorrow’s small digital entrepreneur with the ‘next great idea’ will not be blocked from reaching consumers across the world.”

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ICANN and VeriSign settle over dot-com

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, March 1 (UPI) — The U.S. Department of Commerce will now have to judge whether to sign-off on the agreement approved by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers Tuesday night on the controversial dot-com settlement and contract extension with VeriSign.

Critics of the settlement are disappointed with ICANN’s approval and may now be redirecting their strategy to convince the Department of Commerce that approving such an agreement promotes anti-competition.

The decision was decided in a 9-to-5 vote, five in opposition and one abstention.

If approved by Commerce, ICANN will allow VeriSign to retain its contract for management of the dot-com domain until 2012.

It also limits VeriSign to raise registration fees at a maximum of 7 percent in four of the next six years, which would increase the current base fee of $6 per domain name to resellers — contrary to what registrars say should otherwise decrease if there was a competitive bid.

However, the Mountain View, Calif.-based company has said in the past that “presumptive renewal” would create an incentive to invest in the dot-com infrastructure, but registrars have still criticized the company for lack of transparency in its $200 million investment.

Also, under the settlement, VeriSign would pay a one-time $625,000 fee to ICANN for “meeting the costs associated with establishing structures to implement the provisions of this agreement.” At the same, ICANN expects to have VeriSign pay a much higher registry-level fee as much as $6 million for operating in the first year and $12 million in 2009.

The settlement puts to rest a long time dispute between the two entities that stemmed from countersuits and litigation over VeriSign’s Site Finder which allowed users to look for a dot-com domain that had expired or did not exist.

ICANN Chief Executive Officer Paul Twomey said in a conference call Wednesday afternoon that the approval was based on a long process of consultancy, and it was the best deal in negotiations between the two organizations.

However, he noted that the agreement would beckon the end of the “cold war” between ICANN and the dot-com registry, by establishing security and stability.

He also said that it was a win for the ICANN community in that a large registry operator would contend to the same definition of registry and the implementation process.

Still, he says that many safeguards are put into place for registrars despite the fee hike increase, including committee of registry constituency.

In addition, he said that compulsory arbitration in the international arena would replace U.S. court jurisdiction.

Over the last several months, advocates from Congress, the industry, and advocacy groups have shown dismay over revisions of the settlement from back in October, saying that competitive bid should be opened for the dot-com registry like it was for the dot-net registry.

VeriSign won the dot-net bid, beating out four companies in the competitive process in March 2005.

Co-Chair of the Congressional Internet Caucus Rick Boucher, R-Va., expressed concerns that the agreement would assure VeriSign the “perpetual right to manage the .com top level domain operator (TLD), regardless of the maximum prices it charges for initial and renewal registrations.”

“Article IV of the settlement states that the ‘agreement shall be renewed upon the expiration of the term,’ unless VeriSign fundamentally and materially breaches the agreement and fails to cure,” wrote Boucher in a Feb. 17 letter to Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez.

“This clause would effectively allow VeriSign to manage the .com TLD in perpetuity, without respect to the fees it assesses for registrations,” he added. “It removes the checks and balances in the current agreement with respect to contract renewal, which provide that the contract be rebid if VeriSign increases the price of registrations about the amount set in the agreement.”

But these advocates are even more disappointed by the recent decision.

“We are disappointed that after hearing from so many Internet stakeholders about why this proposal is anti-competitive, the ICANN Board still approved a known bad deal,” said Champ Mitchell, Chairman and CEO, Network Solutions in a statement. “The Board has left NTIA with no choice but to reject this deal to ensure that competitive and accountable operation of the .com domain registry is not lost forever to consumers. The long-term interests of the entire Internet community must prevail over short-term expediency for a few.”

A spokesperson from the Coalition for ICANN transparency John Berard said in a statement that ICANN was “wrong” to increase prices without justification, allow a monopoly to expand without review, and give VeriSign perpetual ownership of the .com registry.

The advocacy group along with the World Association of Domain Name Developers filed suits against ICANN in November 2005.

“Voting in favor of a bad deal doesn’t change the deal’s dynamics; it just confirms ICANN’s refusal to listen to legitimate criticism coming from every corner of the Internet community,” Berard added. “There will not be less litigation. There will likely be more litigation. CFIT’s suit against ICANN and VeriSign will certainly continue especially in light of the fact that the judge in the case has upheld our antitrust claims.”

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Funeral home serviced by solar tech

By Stokely Baksh

WASHINGTON, March 1 (UPI) — More companies are switching to solar power to run their businesses and New Jersey resident Bob Prout is no different — except he’s turning to the sun to run the Prout Funeral Home.

In Verona, N.J., which has about 14,000 people, the 82-year-old funeral home is the first in the town, if not the state, to install solar electric power technology. And now that phase one of his solar project is complete, Prout has built a see-through educational display room, too, hoping to teach others how alternative energy works.

“It works,” said Prout, 50, a third-generation funeral director. “Being a funeral home, day in and day out, about two or three people come up after a service and ask about my display — how it works — and find they are supportive of how we should be living.”

Prout is no stranger to environmental causes. A lifelong environmentalist, he drives a hybrid car and has taken part in many conservation committees, including the Soil Conversation District for the state.

“Conservation is not a new revelation,” he said. “If we had started using solar energy 30 years ago, after the last gas crisis, we would not be so dependent on foreign oil today. But, more importantly, it is the right way to go for the health of our environment.”

Now, he’s installed 114 solar panels – made by BP in Solar in Frederick, Md., measuring 3 feet by 5 feet each and weighing 33 pounds, atop his room. The panels produce 17 kilowatts and can convert sunlight directly into electricity, sending it to a series of six converters in the basement that transform the electricity into household current.

“Back then the technology wasn’t that great, like it is now,” Prout said, referring to the period of the oil crisis in the 1970s. “Now, in a business sense, it makes sense. In this industry, energy costs are like healthcare costs.”

According to Prout, the technology converts sunlight into electricity, saving him hundreds of dollars and allowing him to keep service fees down for his clients. This has sent his $800-$1,000 monthly electricity bill down to $350, which is what the utility, Public Service Electric & Gas, charges for its equipment on site.

“It’s good for 30 years and it only takes six to eight years to pay back for the panels,” Prout said.

And if he gets his permits approved in the coming months, phase two of his solar project will include a carport — nearly 120 feet long and 16 feet front to back — adding another 26 KW in power.

Solar power has become more of an option now that states such as New Jersey are setting up incentives like the Clean Energy Program, offering inducements, including rebates, tax credits and utility buybacks to individuals adopting the new technology.

Of the $340,000 needed to install the system, 60 percent was paid for by New Jersey rebates, while Prout paid for the remaining $140,000.

He’s also reaping the benefits when he generates more energy than he consumes.

He says the utility companies can buy credits from small producers. For every thousand kilowatt hours produced, BPU issues him a green certificate worth anywhere from $200 to $250, which can then be auctioned off to the utility.

“So, I estimate that this will bring in another $8,000 to $10,000 a year in cash over and above the reduction of my bill from the $10,000 to $12,000 a year range to zero,” Prout said. “And, there is a tremendous tax credit.”

For Prout, there are no downsides to using alternative energy technology, even when it’s snowing, cloudy or dark and he must rely on getting electricity the old-fashioned way. About 70 percent are good, sunny days where he lives, he says.

Prout’s next move is to have students visit his display to learn about alternative energy sources.

“When I was young, we didn’t have to wear seatbelts, now we do — it’s the first thing my kids do when they get in the car,” Prout said. “My theory is that like seatbelts, if we dispose our kids to it, they will be more accepting of using alternative energy sources.”

Beware of eBay deadbeats, author warns

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (UPI) — Imagine buying vintage Spiderman comics for $16,000 and receiving instead, a box of printer paper or losing a whopping $27,000 in purchasing a big rig that didn’t exist in the first place.

These are just many of the online auction fraud horror stories that brothers Edward and Steve Klink compiled from their eBay watchdog Web site eBayersThatSuck.com (E.T.S.).

In their book “Dawn of the eBay Deadbeats,” some 70 strange-but-true stories were collected and retold with the help of illustrator Clay Butler.

The December 2005 publishing of the book comes just in time as the online auction giant has been criticized by consumer groups, most recently by the U.K. magazine “Computing Which?” for its passive and sometimes delayed approach in handling fraud reports.

At any given time, the site has 78 million listings, and 6 million new listings are added each day.

And while, eBay maintains that less than .01 percent of all listings end in a confirmed case of fraud, that could mean that of the 1.9 billion listings reported by eBay in 2005, that 190,000 cases were confirmed frauds in the last year.

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Portable cocaine sensor on the cheap

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 (UPI) — A portable cocaine sensor made with inexpensive, off-the-shelf electronics could be the wave of the future in detecting drug trafficking.

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, two high school students and a Nobel laureate all helped in coming up with what they say could be valuable for bioterrorism and medical use detection.

“Cocaine serves as an ideal and representative target for testing new analytical techniques due to pressing needs for its rapid detection in law enforcement and clinical settings,” wrote the authors of the study in the Feb. 18 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, sponsored in large part by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

But according to Kevin Plaxco, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry and a co-author of the study, it’s still early. He says the sensor could be used to detect many other targets including diagnostic of diseases as proven by the creation of their first sensor.

“It’s a good early target, but the approach is more general than that,” Plaxco said. The device can be used for detection by law enforcement and in the emergency room.”

The current way that most U.S. law enforcement detects drugs include using dogs, lab tests, and the Scott test which adds a chemical to white powder to change its color.

As Plaxco adds, cocaine manufacturers could mask the smell of cocaine with powered sugar, flour, coffee, or add a chemical to block color change. Moreover, lab tests are expensive and timely.

“It’s difficult to beat the evolution of dogs trained to sniff sensitive materials,” he said, mentioning that this is another “robust” approach to detecting drugs.

But researchers believe their sensor could be more accurate and efficient.

They note the sensor can detect cocaine in blood or saliva to a degree of a few micromolars, equivalent to that of a drop of kilogram of cocaine in an Olympic-sized pool or three parts per million in blood.

Still, more testing needs to be done to increase the sensitivity of testing cocaine in the blood at a much smaller degree, if .3 parts per million of cocaine in the blood could be considered “stoned on cocaine,” researchers concluded.

To make the sensor, researchers took a DNA molecule that converts from a floppy and unfolded shape into a structured, folded shape in the presence of cocaine, thereby observing the changes in DNA and how electrons travel through it.

The sensor is then made portable once placed in electronics the size of a small handheld device.

“We have developed a method of detecting small molecules and proteins in a way that is not specific to cocaine — a whole class of biosensors can be based on this concept,” 2000 chemistry Nobel laureate Alan Heeger said in a statement. “It can be applied to the prevention of bioterrorism. It is beautiful work; the sensor is fully portable.”

Researchers also note that the sensor could be used for medical purposes in detecting and regulating prescription drug use such as cyclosporine or a family of antibiotics known as aminoglycosides.

“Now doctors could monitor how much is in your blood than how much you take,” Plaxco said.

Moreover, it researchers say it could be useful in its application to new drugs.

The sensors were easy to make that even the two California high school seniors Elaine Doctor and McCall Wood, who were interning over the summer for six weeks helping with the project, made and tested their own sensors.

The University is already in talks with companies interested in licensing the technology, Plaxco said.

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Fiber optics may beat hackers

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 (UPI) — Fiber-optic communication is coming closer to becoming the next boom in worldwide communication, as researchers are using quantum physics to make it both secure and fast.

This means good news for consumers and businesses that are using the Internet for transmitting sensitive data such as banking records, personal information and even military communications.

Thanks to the laws of quantum mechanics, quantum cryptography sends information using laser light particles (photons)with encryption keys through fiber optics in order to secure communication.

So, hackers should take note that researchers — like those at the University of Toronto — have successfully completed a new technique that could nab eavesdroppers in the future.

Published in the Feb. 24 issue of “Physical Review Letters,” their study looked at manipulating the intensity of photons in order to create “decoys” to catch eavesdroppers.

Researchers also expanded the encryption key rate and distance for the technique, using a commercial device, according to Professor Hoi-Kwong Lo, an expert in physics and electrical and computer engineering at the University’s Centre for Quantum Information and Quantum Control and the senior author of a new study.

As Lo explains, quantum cryptography is better than today’s conventional encryption, because it is based on the laws of physics — specifically Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, which states there can be no full precision of values for pairs of variables including position and momentum for one single particle.

Using this principle, they devised a technique that varies the intensity of photons, creating some photonic decoys, transmitted over a 15 kilometer telecommunication fiber. After signals are sent, a second broadcast tells the receiver which photons carried the signals and which were decoys. If a hackers tries to “eavesdrop” on the data stream to figure out the encryption key, the decoys changes, at which rate the receiver knows the information was tampered with.

“Once consumers become aware of the risks involved in today’s encryption which needs to be more secure, quantum cryptography will be the future,” Lo said.

But quantum cryptography is not new; it’s been under work since 1984 in its theoretical phase and 1992 in its first experimentation. Businesses such as MagiQ Technologies, Inc. and University of Geneva’s spin-off company id Quantique, Geneva, are already been marketing commercial quantum cryptographic products.

Moreover, the United States has been researching the technology including the Military’s Defense Advanced Research Project Agency as well as such major firms, IBM, NEC, NTT, and Toshiba, who may make commercial products in the future, Lo said.

And the United States has made progress. One such example is creating the world’s first quantum cryptographic network called the DARPA Quantum Network in 2004.

Sponsored by DARPA, BBN Technologies worked with Harvard University and Boston University to build and operate the six-node quantum cryptographic network that exchanged secure keys within 10 kilometers between BBN and Harvard.

Today, the secure network has extended to 10 nodes, extending 100 km between the three entities under the streets of Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, and equipped with Internet and applications such as web surfing and video conferencing.

But as quantum cryptography is secure, its communication has becoming faster — 20 times faster — thanks to BBN Technologies.

The hi-tech research firm confirmed Thursday, that they came up with the technology to provide continuous operation at a 100 million pulses per second after a year of research.

However, in another year or two, that speed may go beyond even 10 billion pulses per second, according to Chip Elliott, principal engineer with BBN Technologies and principle investigator of the project.

BBN researchers worked in collaboration with Colorado-based National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), University of Rochester in New York and Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, under sponsorship of DARPA.

The system uses NIST-developed packaging and cooling technology coupled with the superconducting detector to a standard telecom fiber, operating at a temperature of about 3K without using liquid cryogens.

Whereas the old system used integrated circuits, Elliott explains, it now has a strip of metal and in which a spark of electricity is made when a single photon hits the metal. Upon doing so, it then quickly becomes absorbed allowing for the next photon to hit the metal. BBN’s technique now speeds up that process.

So what does this mean for quantum cryptography?

“Until now, quantum cryptography looked a lot like dial-up, it worked but you wished it worked faster, but now it’s in the fast lane,” Elliott said. “It’s also communication cross the city. The Holy Grail is to go coast to coast or under the Atlantic Ocean to Europe — we want to go as far as you can go.”

He explains that while it is unknown rather companies will make the transition from the current system to quantum cryptography, the technology is going beyond protecting e-mail and instant messaging but also to include video conferencing, movie downloads, and telephone conversing.

Research continues to make headway in the field of advancing quantum cryptography, although research firms still look for major funding sources and partners to continue expand the system’s distances and security.

This may also be a push-start in the right step in putting back consumer faith into a new form of communication within an atmosphere of evolving technologies and countering hackers.

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Tech empowers victims` access to hotline

By Stokely Baksh Feb 25, 2006, 6:45 GMT

WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) — Thanks to a new technology system, more domestic-violence victims around the country will have better access to life-saving services through the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., and the Texax-based National Domestic Violence Hotline revealed the new technology system Thursday.The system includes mapping software, networked computers, flat-screen monitors and telephone air time to maximize call volume as well as collects and reports national domestic violence patterns.

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Bills support broadband over TV spectrum

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (UPI) — Two bills recently introduced in Congress aim to provide consumers with greater access to wireless broadband via unused broadcast television spectrum called “white spaces” or “empty channels.”

Both are intended to address the disparity in availability and affordability of wireless broadband in various areas of the United States including some of the country’s most rural and remote locations.

Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, is sponsoring the American Broadband Community Act, while Sens. George Allen, R-Va., and John Kerry, D-Mass., are sponsoring the bipartisan Wireless Innovation Act.

Between 40 percent and 80 percent of unused broadcast spectrum is in rural areas, according to the New America Foundation, and the average television market has more than 50 empty analog television channel slots.

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Online gambling ban reintroduced

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (UPI) — A bill reintroduced in Congress that would crack down on illegal, offshore gambling or interstate gambling via phone or Internet technologies is expected to pick up momentum, now that a 115 members from the U.S. House of Representatives are standing behind it.

But those in the online gambling industry say Congress is too quick to prohibit the activity.

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Cable ‘a la carte’ gets boost

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (UPI) — Consumers may find a happier ground with their cable companies now that the recent cable “a la carte” pricing report from the FCC favored allowing cable subscribers to purchase channels of their choosing.

The “Further Report on the Packaging and Sale of Video Programming Services to the Public” found that it could lower monthly cable bills by 13 percent as well as make it easier for new channels to be aired on cable system allowing for better response to consumer demand for diverse programming.

A re-evaluation from the original 2004 report that was first requested by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., two years ago, it found that data had been misinterpreted suggesting that the average consumer who purchased his or her own channels would face a monthly rate increase of between 14 percent and 30 percent.

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Google Chat takes on AIM Express

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (UPI) — Google has its cake and is eating to. The concept of Google Chat (soon to be released) wins best instant messenger for the workplace, in this correspondent’s opinion — hands down.

Here is the logic.

For most of us, we spend more time at work than at home — an average of nine hours a day, with bosses looking over our shoulders and no administration authority to change download settings.

Yet we insist on checking our personal mail, and almost everyone seems to have a Gmail account these days.

So it makes sense that as basic as Google Chat is, it allows us to embed IMs into the same Gmail Web browser that we check mail in — simply brilliant.

And now that it will be fully available in coming weeks the Mountain View, Calif.-based company announced Monday, just imagine how much more empowered employees will be with their IMs.

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WiFi tracking aid in mining communication

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 (UPI) — In wake of recent mining tragedies, some technology companies have suggested extension of wireless real-time location technology using WiFi networks to pinpoint miners trapped underground — a solution that could save lives in the future.

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Entertainment industry fights piracy

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 (UPI) — Finding itself in a whirlwind battle of fighting revenue losses as a result of piracy, the entertainment industry is pushing legislation that would prevent the exploitation of a gap in content protection technology known as the “analog hole.”

The Digital Transition Content Security Act of 2005 referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary last year is being heavily supported by giants in the industry such as the Motion Picture Association who demonstrated Monday methods in how pirates are taking advantage of the loophole during analog-to-digital conversion.

The legislation addresses the breech in content protection when digital signals are converted into an unprotected analog format, thus allowing for digital rights management information (DRM) or content protection coding not to be maintained and copies made of the original content.

If passed, the bill mandates electronics manufacturers to produce devices that detect irremovable watermarks on content via Content Generation Management System Analog (CGMS-A) and Video Encoded Invisible Light (VEIL), which are protection signal technologies.

Currently, there is no guideline for tech manufacturers on content protection, only a voluntary system and such legislation would level competitive pressure between volunteers and those who do not, according to MPAA representatives.

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‘Competitive’ initiative may lack steam

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 (UPI) — To revive America’s leadership in technology and innovation, President Bush in his State of the Union address proposed multibillion-dollar funding in science and tech research and development, possibly signaling a renew interest resembling post-Sputnik.

But some scholars share mixed feelings saying that it might be just big talk.

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Mobile industry key to Africa’s future

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (UPI) — Africa will see a significant rise in mobile subscribers between 2006 and 2011, adding as many as 265 million new subscribers, according to a recent study that indicates telecommunications will narrow the gap in the digital divide.

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Seamless: Computational Coutour ::Fashion meets Tech

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 (UPI) — Imagine the ability to convert a belly dancing outfit into a burqa and vice versa, equipped with two servo motors and switch.

That’s what MIT graduate student Ayah Bedeir imagined when she spent nearly four days making this project “Arabiia” to illustrate the media stereotypes typically associated with Arab women.

“I hope this project will empower Arab woman and the full range of woman in between,” said Bedeir, who moved from Lebanon almost two years ago. “I would like people to take away questions about these stereotypes and whether they believe in them or not.”

Bedeir joins a slew of designers partaking in the fashion show “Seamless: Computational Couture” (seamless.sigtronica.org), fusing technology and fashion to create conceptually innovating clothes whether making a statement or demonstrating the next wave in the fashion industry.

Seamless (to be presented Feb. 1) was put together by fellow MIT graduate students in media arts and sciences, Christine Liu and Nicholas Knouf, in collaboration with Lisa Monrose, director of Brainy Acts at the Museum of Science in Boston.

“There aren’t many technological fashion and computation couture shows and there aren’t a lot of venues for them,” Knouf said. “We created this event to showcase designers working at the cross section of technology and fashion. These designers are augmenting people’s senses and placing computation power on the body.”

The event showcases a collection of original works made by some of today’s most innovative students from MIT, Rhode Island School of Design, Parsons School of Design and New York University as well as independent designers.

Iraqi stations launched online by JumpTV

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 (UPI) — Starting in February, five independent Iraqi broadcast stations will be streamed online through a partnering up with the New York-based online TV service JumpTV.

Calling itself the world’s leading online television network, JumpTV has over 100 channels from nearly 50 countries appealing especially to expatriates from countries including India, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Bangladesh and Eastern Europe.

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Portable tourist guides now in service

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (UPI) — Your iPod might be your next tourist guide if you find yourself in Ireland, just one more example how countries are adapting with evolving technologies to intrigue a new generation of tourists.

A small number of entrepreneurs have already latched onto this idea as national tourism is hitting the bandwagon too.

Dublin Tourism is launching iWalks — the first in a series of podcasts or audio guides available to tourists, as one way to help boost its tourism business.
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More home buyers go online

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (UPI) — More Americans who search online for a new home are more likely to purchase a house through a real-estate agent than a non-Internet user, says a recent survey from the National Association of Realtors.

The survey revealed 81 percent of online home searches bought a house through a real-estate agent, compared with 63 percent of non-Internet users. These non-Internet users were most likely to buy directly from the builder or the owner.

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Watch out iPod, Mobile TV is under way

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 (UPI) — Portable television may have just gotten a lot easier, now that the wireless industry is checking into mobile TV.

A new alliance of wireless and technology companies are jumping on the bandwagon to do just that, including Intel, Motorola, Modeo, Nokia and Texas Instruments.

The Mobile DTV Alliance aims at promoting an open standard in North America for broadcast digital TV reception on mobile devices called Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld (DVB-H).

Converging media is nothing new and the mobile phone is no exception. The mobile industry continues to look for ways to incorporate consumer electronics such as the camcorder, the still camera, audio player, with wireless, Bluetooth, WiFi, UWB technology all onto the cell phone.

And digital TV is the next step.

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Anti-abortion bloggers convene in Washington

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 (UPI) — Technology is playing an integral role in delivering the anti-abortion message, say those in the movement, but better communication between bloggers as well as firsthand reporting is needed, agreed prominent anti-abortion bloggers Monday at their first annual conference.

Anti-abortion bloggers convened at the Family Research Council to discuss strategic uses of the blogosphere to communicate Christian anti-abortion messages prior to the 33rd annual March for Life in Washington.

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iPods — or can we call them iPodsicians?

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (UPI) — iPods are no longer just basic MP3 players — now they are portable musicians, or iPodsicians, too.

With portable media devices taking center stage — literally — the transformation of the iPod may slowly erode the landscape of traditional audio and visual stage performances.

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Euro political blogs lagging behind U.S.

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (UPI) — Blogging in America has been transformed into a political watchdog post shaking up today’s political and journalistic worlds; however, the same effect hasn’t made a significant stir in European affairs.

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Digital killed the video store

By STOKELY BAKSH
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (UPI) — The livelihood of video stores and online rentals might be numbered, now that the video-download movement is underway.

The dawn of convenient video downloads of movie and television shows follows in the steps of audio music and music videos, and more companies are jumping on the bandwagon, trying to tap into a chunk of this growing industry.

A number of companies have already introduced video services or new technologies that support video download.

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‘Sirius’ secrets, serious cash

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 (UPI) — Shock Jock Howard Stern kicked off his first satellite radio show Monday morning, satisfying many of his fans with his intended segment and cliff-hanger “Revelations.”

The segment that wasn’t allowed to air by Infinity Broadcasting/CBS Radio would have had listeners’ pair anonymous deep secrets shared by the show’s staff that includes getting caught for adultery, cosmetic surgery, sex with vegetables and spending $10,000 on Internet porn.

Stern also revealed new announcer Star Trek’s George Takei and denied a marriage with long-time girlfriend and model Beth Ostrosky, discrediting rumors that the couple married in Mexico.

Getting a $500 million deal over the next five years for his satellite show, Stern’s paycheck continues to grow as a result of Sirius exceeding its subscription targets.

He received 34 shares worth $220 million for Sirius meeting its target, set in 2004 upon Sirius’ deal with Stern when shares were worth about $110 million.

The four-hour Howard Stern Show airing on weekday mornings on two channels will be joined with controversial Florida-based radio personality Bubba “The Love Sponge” Clem as the weekday afternoon host on Howard 101. The fellow shock jock lost his job with Clear Channel Communications after “he incurred a record $755,000 fine from federal regulators — just before company officials were due to face Congress to talk about broadcast indecency,” St. Petersburg Times Media Critic Eric Deggans reported.

Other shows include Howard 100 News, bedtime stories on Tissue Time with Heidi and Ben and Ray Stern discusses Stern’s childhood on Meet the Sterns.

Stern’s satellite show also ends his feud with Clear Channel Communications Inc. and his 25-year conflict with Federal Communications Commission censors.

“There is no other personality like Howard Stern in the world of entertainment,” said Sirius President Scott Greenstein in a statement, “and he is finally on SIRIUS Satellite Radio where he will be given the freedom and support to create and perform. Today we are seeing just the beginning of this remarkable pioneering force.”

With the addition of Stern in its 2006 line-up, Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. nearly tripled its subscriber base in 2005, ending with 3.3 million subscribers, an increase of 2.1 million from 600,000 in 2004, more than they expected.

Of those subscribers, it gained 1.4 million in the fourth quarter alone prior to Stern’s debut, beating XM Satellite Radio Holdings 900,000 new subscribers in the fourth quarter.

Still, XM leads the two-company-industry closing out the year with more than 6 million subscriptions, with the addition of 2.7 million subscribers in 2005.

Next year will prove to be an interesting year for satellite radio as subscriptions continue to climb and with the addition of more celebrities taking to the airwaves which includes Stern joined by Martha Stewart and Bruce Springsteen on Sirius and Bob Dylan and Snoop Dog on XM.

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Author feature: Counterfeiting

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Technology Correspondent
Published January 9, 2006

WASHINGTON — A booming knockoff community might be the product of evolving technology and inefficient law enforcement, according to one counterfeit expert.

Counterfeiting is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, worth more than $500 billion and accounting for 7 percent of the world’s trade, according to business journalist and broadcaster Tim Phillips in his book “Knockoff: The Deadly Trade in Counterfeit Goods.”

United Press International interviewed Phillips about the growth of this prosperous but illegal global industry.

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ID theft a concern for new year
By Stokely Baksh Jan 3, 2006, 22:54 GMT

WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) — Forget about losing excess pounds — what consumers really should resolve for the New Year is protecting their identity, security experts warn.

Mobile music expected to be a hit

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 (UPI) — The United States has been slow to embrace music on mobile devices compared with 15 other countries, a leading market information provider found, but mobile-music businesses say this trend will soon change.

According to TNS Research, 19 percent of all mobile-phone owners worldwide now listen to music on their phones. Sixteen percent of those surveyed said they listened daily to all their music by phone compared to 15 percent on stereo systems and 10 percent on personal digital music players.

But despite the recent push of mobile-music downloads in the United States, it found only 4 percent of U.S. consumers listen to music on their cell phones on a regular basis attributing the lack of interest to the slow introduction of music-enabled handsets and the cost of devices and downloading.

The study that surveyed 6,800 adults aged 16 to 49 from 15 countries between July and August 2005 ranked the United States last among those whose population used mobile-music devices regularly; 26 percent in South Korea, 23 percent in Hong Kong and 19 percent in the United Kingdom.

In a separate study, TNS found that of 1,976 wireless users, only 10 percent indicated that they were either “extremely or highly likely” to purchase a wireless phone with an integrated digital music player. It also found that nearly half of all users had no interest in having music on their mobiles, and another 25 percent were concerned about the expense associated with an integrated music and mobile device.

However, mobile-music-services companies including Groove Mobile expect the music-mobile business to be booming in the states — reminiscent of the multimillion-dollar profits coming in from real music ringtone sales.

“Music fans are driving technology and technology is enabling what music fans want,” said Adam Sexton, vice president of marketing and product management at Groove Mobile. “They want their music mobile and instantly.”

Groove Mobile recently teamed up with Sprint to introduce the first mobile-music service available in the United States, which was released last week. The Sprint Music Store powered by Groove Mobile allows Sprint users to download full-track songs to their mobile phones or computers using two media-enriched phones, the SANYO MM-9000 and the Samsung MM-A940, that were also introduced.

“The ability to have music everywhere you go, we believe that’s going to be a huge driver,” said Sexton, who also says that the mobile devices and music will develop a new consumption model.

“Mobile music is to ‘hit’ content as the PC is to ‘catalog content,’” said Sexton, saying that mobile music is for consumers who desire hit songs instantly while the PC allows them to search for different variations or unique versions of the same songs.

Comparing the mobile-music business with that of the recent phenomenon of ringtones, he expects the same trend to ensue as more advanced network infrastructures and handheld sets are introduced to American consumers.

Sexton believes that the new trend is likely to become popular as sound quality, user-friendly menus and quicker Internet services like theirs are available as well as the whole industry initiating powerful opportunities and tie-ins for the music and mobile industry themselves.

“Whereas carriers were marketing the large number of minutes on handsets,” he said, “they have now moved to a more complete experience, recognizing the powerful and connecting element of the (mobile) device.”

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Blog Log: What’s holding you back, Judy?

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 (UPI) — What was the point of New York Times reporter Judith Miller’s 85-day stand in refusing to identify her source and staying in an Alexandria, Va., jail?

For some, Miller is a press heroine, while for others, what may have seemed like a noble gesture spiraling Miller to journalism sainthood received a backlash as many of her own colleagues in the news realm are calling her fluff.

On the blogging front, criticism and speculation are center stage for Miller not striking a deal earlier and the New York Times for inadequate reporting.

Press Think’s Jay Rosen’s Oct. 2 piece, “Judith Miller and Her Times,” writes that “when Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan ordered her to jail, he said Miller was wrong to think she was upholding some great principle of a free press. The source she ‘alleges she is protecting’ had released her from her duty to confidentiality, Hogan said. He appears to have been right in that warning: your sacrifice doesn’t say what you think it says.”

Furthermore, Rosen noted, “The Nation’s David Corn, Farhad Manjoo of Salon, and Steve Lovelady of CJR (Columbia Journalism Review) Daily all noticed that the story in the Times about Miller’s release, which should benefit from having the most complete information, was exceedingly hard to understand. “If you want to avoid a headache, stick to the Post piece,” Corn wrote at his weblog. “Over-edited, over-lawyered,” wrote Lovelady, formerly managing editor of the Inquirer. “I found the same thing; I had to read the Times story three times to ‘get’ it.”

Rosen cites Lovelady, who in his Oct. 3 CJR piece, “Spin Buster,” mentioned that he and others were disappointed when no written explanation from Miller was in the New York Times over the weekend.

As the Washington Post’s Howard Kurtz said on the CNN Sunday TV program “Reliable Sources,” “I was hoping I would wake up this morning and see in my “New York Times” and read a 5,000-word piece by Judith Miller telling us everything that was involved. She has no more legal liability here. Matt Cooper did it. No piece in the paper today.”

Many bloggers are frustrated with Times Executive Editor Bill Keller and Publisher Arthur Sulzberger’s handling of the situation, as well as the newspaper’s inadequate reporting of itself.

Jack Shafer of Press Box on Slate.com remarked Sept. 30, “The biggest loser in Judith Miller’s capitulation yesterday to special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald isn’t freedom of the press. And it isn’t Miller, the New York Times reporter whose reporting on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq had previously sullied her reputation. It’s the Times editorial page.”

Perhaps, most bluntly and what makes most sense comes from Shafer.

“You can’t investigate a crime that consists of leaking to the press without getting the press to talk,” Shafer wrote. “Maybe the paper’s publisher and editorial board have figured that out now. They should have grasped it then, before requesting the epic collision of first principles from which Judith Miller has just slunk away.”

But maybe Miller is just the Time’s version of SNL’s challenged-in-the-hearing-department Emily Litella as Jeff Jarvis writes on his blog Buzz Machine.

“Transparency, please. Reporting, please. Honesty, please,” Jarvis wrote. “If you dragged all journalism through the briar patch and didn’t have to, you owe an explanation.”

Much of the big hoopla seems to stem from skeptics of Miller’s heroic deed defending the press’s First Amendment rights as talks about the importance of confidentiality and anonymous sources have become a hot debate.

Jarvis, Rosen and a few others cited Dan Froomkin’s Washingtonpost.com piece, “Miller’s Big Secret,” which illustrates a worthwhile journalism point.

“Note to reporters: There is nothing intrinsically noble about keeping your sources’ secrets. Your job, in fact, is to expose them. And if a very senior government official, after telling you something in confidence, then tells you that you don’t have to keep it secret anymore, the proper response is ‘Hooray, now I can tell the world’ — not ‘Sorry, that’s not good enough for me, I need that in triplicate.’ And if you’re going to go to jail invoking important, time-honored journalistic principles, make sure those principles really apply.”

Still, much speculation is stirring over why Miller waiting so long and who her sources are, especially if you remember that back in 2003 this Pulitzer Prize winner was criticized for her ill-reporting of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, which some say helped the Bush administration win over support for its invasion.

As Shafer wrote back in July 2003 for Salon, “If reporters who live by their sources were obliged to die by their sources, New York Times reporter Judith Miller would be stinking up her family tomb right now. In the 18-month run-up to the war on Iraq, Miller grew incredibly close to numerous Iraqi sources, both named and anonymous, who gave her detailed interviews about Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction. Yet 100 days after the fall of Baghdad, none of the sensational allegations about chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons given to Miller have panned out, despite the furious crisscrossing of Iraq by U.S. weapons hunters.”

Adrianna Huffington asked a number of questions on The Huffington Post on Sept. 30 that would do well to be answered. Among them: Why didn’t Miller accept the waiver a year ago? What prompted Miller finally to testify? Was it fear of staying in jail or being charged with criminal contempt as well as a slew of other questions like what was Miller’s relationship with the Bush administration, and what exactly is Fitzgerald cooking up?

Let’s hope for Miller’s sake that her final answer to the public isn’t a tell-all book, as Huffington writes of a rumor that a $1.2 million book deal might be in the works.

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Brand-name drug prices far outpacing generics

By Stokely Baksh
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (UPI) — A new federal report has found that brand-name drug prices have increased three times as fast as generic-drug prices over the past four years, and healthcare-reform advocates said this information could be used to encourage legislators to insert a pro-generics provision into the new Medicare prescription-drug benefit currently set to begin next January.

The report, from the Government Accountability Office, found the average price for a 30-day supply of 96 drugs frequently used by Medicare and non-Medicare enrollees increased 24.5 percent from January 2000 to December 2004.

Of the 96 drugs, 20 accounted for nearly two-thirds of the increase, and the price increases for 75 prescription drugs frequently used by Medicare beneficiaries closely resembled the increases for 76 drugs needed by non-Medicare consumers.

Pfizer’s Lipitor 10 milligram size and Celebrex topped the list of drug price increases, while only one generic — hydrocodone/acetaminophen — made the top 20, and more than 50 frequently used brand-name drugs cost three times more than their generic counterparts.

Other drugs with significant price increases included:

– Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Plavix;

– TAP Pharmaceutical’s Prevacid;

– Pfizer’s Lipitor 20 mg;

– Sanofi-Aventis’s Ambien, and

– Merck’s Zocor.

The report surveyed both the usual and customary prices covered by prescription-drug insurance and the prices individuals without insurance would pay at retail pharmacies. GAO researchers also used two state pharmacy-assistance programs used by Medicare and non-Medicare enrollees, average prices paid to manufacturers by wholesalers and the average suggested sticker prices that wholesalers charge pharmacies.

The report did not take into account manufacturer discounts, and as Pfizer spokesman Paul Fitzhenry told the Kansas City Star, “The report focuses on prices paid by consumers without insurance and in doing so excludes manufacturer rebates or discounts.”

“Those deficiencies are noted, but at the same time, there is no mention about the Medicare discount cards that were introduced last year,” Fitzhenry said. “These cards provide discounts between 30 and 40 percent or even more for uninsured patients.”

Gail Shearer, director of health policy analysis at Consumers Union, said the rebates and discounts often are discussed behind closed doors and it is difficult to determine their value.

“High prices and no negotiations, the real tragedy are the people who have to do without the drugs,” Shearer told United Press International. “The government should step up to the plate and ensure that we are getting value for our prescription-drug dollar.”

As many as 45.8 million Americans currently are without health insurance, while many more have reduced insurance plans.

Shearer said the GAO study illustrates how drug-price increases remain a problem, and the manufacturers are creating it.

“We’re at a critical juncture right now,” said Shearer, whose organization is pushing for discounts such as those achieved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for its beneficiaries. “High drug prices and high increases of prices have plagued the healthcare system for years. It’s critical for Congress to fix-up policies and rein in drug prices.”

Shearer said Congress should act, rather than relying on the market to do so, because average annual drug expenditures are increasing faster than inflation and consumers are being bombarded with brand-name drug advertising campaigns and drug companies are “educating” doctors in choosing branded products.

She said the GAO report also demonstrates the potential savings of generic drugs, which also are highlighted in Consumer Union’s Best Buy Drugs Report. The CU report surveys generic drugs that are equally effective and safe but are sold at lower prices than their brand-name counterparts.

“The federal government has the Web site (operated by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services) with information on generic drugs, but the question is, is the information getting into the heads of the people who need it?” Shearer asked. “We think it’s time there be information to help consumers and doctors about equally effective drugs.”

She said higher drugs prices affect the insured because employers tend to shift more cost onto their employees when premiums rise. Likewise, she added, those with Medicare benefits must carefully consider their drug-purchase options when the new benefit plan engages in January.

“It is crucial that people understand that not all high-priced drugs will be covered by all drug plans,” Shearer said. “Medicare beneficiaries need to find out which drugs are covered by the plan they are considering and keep in mind that sometimes, equally effective and safe drugs are available at a much lower price.”

Consumers Union is not the only organization looking at drugs prices. AARP, the seniors’ advocacy group, released a study last month that looked at trends in prices of brand-name and generic drugs used by the elderly.

Among AARP’s findings, 110 of 195 brand-name drugs had price increases from Dec. 31, 2004, to March 31, 2005.

“As a result of this and increased prices in recent years, a typical older American (who takes three prescription drugs) is likely to have experienced an increase, on average, in the cost of therapy from the year 2000 through March 31, 2005, of $866.16, if the drugs are brand-name products used to treat chronic conditions, and the full price increases were passed along to the consumer,” the AARP study concluded.

AARP researchers found, however, that manufacturer list prices for 75 selected generic drugs rose by 0.7 percent during the year ending March 31, 2005. That slight increase represents a “substantial slowing” compared to dramatic increases in the past, the study said, and only three drugs out of the 75 generics registered a price increase during the first quarter of 2005.

Moreover, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores reported that in 2004 the average price of a generic drug was $28.74, compared to $96.01 for a brand-name drug.

IMS Health, a leading health-research company, expects U.S. generic-drug sales to top $28 billion this year, nearly 65 percent more than previous estimates. The company released its estimate at the Generic Pharmaceutical Association’s policy conference this month, as reported by the Newark Star-Ledger.

IMS Health also reported that U.S. sales in 2004 of brand-name drugs totaled $217.4 billion, while generic sales topped only about $18 billion.

For these reasons, generic drugs could occupy a more prominent place in the Medicare prescription-drug benefit plan.

Generic-drug companies continue to run into safety concerns and delayed approvals from the Food and Drug Administration, however, particularly involving biologic cancer drugs. Competition also remains a factor, mostly from brand-name companies producing generics themselves. These branded generics, as they are called, account for a significant portion of increased generics use.

The IMS Health report said “sales of cancer treatment are expected to more than double over the next five years to $55 billion, with cancer drugs replacing cholesterol-reducing medicines as the No. 1 pharmaceutical sector.”

The company also said despite generic drugs being filled in half of the nation’s 3.6 billion prescriptions, sales growth should slow down this year to 6.7 percent compared to an annual average of 13.5 percent since 2000, the Star-Ledger reported.

Dr. Alan Sager, director of the health program at the Boston University School of Public Health as well as the university’s healthcare-reform program, said higher brand-name prices might allow generic manufacturers to raise their own prices, because they tend to price their products in the shadow of brand-name competitors.

“As brand-name-drug makers raise prices, generic-drug makers will find room to boost their prices to compete for market share,” Sager told UPI.

He said although generic-drug usage has been increasing steadily as prescription drugs become less affordable every year, he is not surprised about brand-name companies seeking continued profits when their products go off patent.

“Generic drugs are a side show in a circus,” Sager said. “They attract a lot of attention, but the main event is the big tent — the brand-name drug makers.”

He said he thinks the answer to increasing drug prices is controlling them and making drugs affordable to everyone, despite claims that lowering drug prices will slow down the innovation process.

“Rising prescription brand-name drugs are raising insurance premiums to unaffordable heights,” Sager said. “The existing world of multiple prices and multiple discounts, and great amounts of complexity and paper work, harm ordinary American patients, businesses and taxpayers.”

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Author interview: Podcasting biz

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (UPI) — The growing popularity of the Internet-based broadcast medium known as podcasting is finding its way into businesses that are looking for new methods to reach consumers.

In her new e-book, “The Podcasting Ebook: Your Complete Guide to Podcasting,” author Stephanie Ciccarelli writes of how the recent digital phenomenon can help businesses find new customers.

Ciccarelli, vice president of marketing at InteractiveVoices, is the host and producer of the company’s IV Podcast, a weekly show that is available to voice-over customers.

She first researched podcasting in hopes of bringing podcasting jobs to the Web site for the company’s voice-over talents, which prompted her to write the e-book, which can be found at ThePodcastingEbook.com.

The e-book, for $14.95, aims to inform readers of how to create, record, publish, and promote a podcast.

“More businesses should get involved with podcasting for a number of reasons,” Ciccarelli told UPI. “Podcasting is direct, is time-shifting, and is highly targeted, not to mention a cost-effective means to market a product or service to people who are listening on their own accord. Podcasting can also bring attention to electronic materials available at a given site, such as summaries of white papers that can be downloaded, tutorials, support aids, and announcing upcoming events.”

Already many companies and organizations have begun podcasting ranging from IBM to the White House, CNN and FOX News.

Businesses are podcasting to reach their audiences on a more intimate and personally convenient way, Ciccarelli said. As subscribers are more loyal to the podcast of a particular business — becoming a captive audience — the company then has the ability to “influence and convert them from a cold lead to a customer.”

According to Ciccarelli, the most lucrative way to make money from podcasting is to open up airtime to advertisers and sponsors.

“A loyal audience combined with good content is a prime opportunity for advertisers to seize,” she said. “Podcasting is ripe with potential, and advertisers know it.”

Currently, the trend for non-profit podcasts is to accept micro-payments to cover expenses, a trend adopted now by commercial podcasters, Ciccarelli said.

“In time, charging a modest fee for a podcast subscription will become standard, just as a customer pays for a magazine subscription or cable television,” she said. “‘The Podcasting Ebook’ has an entire chapter devoted to making money from podcasting, exploring advertising opportunities and other financial avenues to pursue.”

But business podcasting continues to be on a steady climb, says Ciccarelli.

As she sees it, business podcasting will include series, symposiums, conferences, training sessions and workshops, which will be available for both commercial and internal use.

In addition, companies will also produce commercial podcasts directed at their customers from question-and-answer podcast or “a sales pitch meant to close the deal with an individual or group of customers.”

In fact, the podcast listening base is getting bigger. An estimated 12.3 million U.S. households will use their MP3 players to listen to audio podcasts by the end of the decade (vs. listening on the Internet), according to the April 2005 report “The Future Of Digital Audio” from Forrester Research Inc.

“Podcasting is gaining momentum rapidly,” Ciccarelli said, in due part to the heavy promotion and easy access for iTunes users. “Within the first two days that iTunes offered podcast subscriptions, over 1 million people subscribed through their service to podcasts online. The number of podcasts and listeners continues to grow at an incredible rate as more individuals embrace this new information and entertainment medium.”

But podcasting is also getting a lot easier. Ciccarelli says that the basic tools of podcasting are readily available on the Internet for podcasters to easily publish their podcasts. Moreover, programmers are continuously improving current technology, making it easier for podcasters to publish their RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds.

RSS feeds are created from links to and from other distribution sites, sending material instantaneously, Ciccarelli said. In fact, many sites are already RSS formatted, allowing the average person to podcast without technical expertise.

For Ciccarelli, the future of podcasting will be an extraordinary one, but she doesn’t see it as a threat to mainstream media.

“There is so much potential to consider. Will it overtake traditional media such as television? No, most likely not,” she said. “Podcasting will establish its own role in the media and serve an audience with very specific needs and desires. By virtue that podcasts can be updated instantaneously, listeners will become dependent on their favorite podcasts to bring them the updates that they need, particularly if mainstream media outlets do not cover the information they are seeking.”

Broadcast radio has been adapting to the new podcasting world, and rather than seeing podcasts as a threat to radio, she says it’s more complimentary as some radio stations have already begun to use podcasting.

“I can foresee radio stations licensing podcasts from independent producers in order to diversify their broadcast programming, perhaps even collaborations between radio personalities and podcast hosts,” Ciccarelli said. “Broadcast will not go away, but it will need to adapt and change with the marketplace to remain competitive.”

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Information Suitor Highway goes mobile

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 (UPI) — More online-dating businesses are shifting gears to keep up with the latest technological trend in eDating by going mobile.

Turning to mobile devices as a new source of attracting singles on the go, the Information Suitor Highway has made the leap from PCs to cell phones, allowing singles to view profiles and text message others while keeping the same level of anonymity intact.

In fact, for most singles using Match.com Mobile, using the mobile phone to search for dates and flirt via text messaging will make dating more convenient, said Match.com spokeswoman Kathleen Roldan.

The popular online-dating site, with more than 15 million singles worldwide, launched its mobile service back in February 2003, enabling singles to search photo profiles, make condensed profiles and connect with other eligible singles in their area using basic search criteria.

Since its 2003 launch Match.com Mobile has seen more than 5.5 million chat requests, and more than 7 million messages have been sent as of June 2005.

As Roldan says, mobile dating offers a faster and more immediate way of finding other potential matches as well as enabling singles to become more flirtatious with one another; however, the one drawback is cell phones’ small screens.

Young single people are more attracted to the service, with 42 percent of users under age 25 and 81 percent under age 35, according to Roldan.

“More and more people are using the phone; it only makes sense to connect with singles on it now,” Roldan said, mentioning that their mobile service was recently launched in Japan.

Eventually, Match.com also hopes to enhance the service with a more enhanced location-based technology, so that mobile users could find matches in close proximity based on the location of their phone, she said.

Some companies are already doing this, like SmallPlanet, whose members can “crowdsurf” by using their Bluetooth radio signal as a “radar” to find friends or other members at best within 100 feet or less but still allow for members to control their privacy.

The popularity of mobile dating is a growing trend in Asia and the United Kingdom, unlike the United States, where the mobile-phone experience has been mostly textual, and as The San Francisco Chronicle reported there are fewer than 6 million users in the U.S. participating in mobile dating, compared to the estimated 40 million who use computer-based online dating services.

Moreover, according to analyst Brent Iadarola of Frost & Sullivan in the Chronicle, “subscription revenue for the mobile dating services are expected to rise from $31.4 million this year to $215 million by 2009, which does not include revenue from text-messaging charges, but could double those figures.”

Many in the online dating industry believe that the dating-service move from the computer to the cell phone is inevitable.

TheDateZone CEO Paul Geannopulos says that as newer mobile devices emerge into all-in-one devices with advanced audio, video and Web capabilities, mobile applications of online dating is the next generation.

Recently, TheDateZone.com, an interactive video dating site with 3,000 members that started back in 2004, partnered up with SmartVideo Technologies Inc. enabling members to receive SmartVideo’s basic subscription as part of their $24.95 monthly membership.

Members have the benefit of receiving access to a worldwide database of personal audio and video profiles, free Web camera and headset, live television, and communicating over audio and video conference via Internet and phones.

Geannopulos expects his membership base will increase to 1 million within the next year, noting that people are “sick and tired of phony photos of people misrepresenting themselves.”

“They think they are going to go out on a date with someone who looks like Tom Cruise, instead they look like a 700 pound gorilla,” he said.

Even young online dating companies are jumping on the mobile-device bandwagon, seeing a great potential for business like eDatingPlanet.com, a relatively young Nashville-based company launched in April.

“I always wanted to give people an online service that they could interact, have fun, and look for others,” said eDatingPlanet.com President Erick Shipmon, who likens his service to a “cool, modern nightclub.”

With an average of 500 new members per month, the company is moving towards mobile dating by offering its members free InPhonex Voice over Internet Protocol long-distance service within the $19.99 monthly fee.

As Shipmon says, the broadband long distance would be a good way for people to communicate without the large costs.

“Many eDatingPlanet.com members live in countries outside of North America,” Shipmon said. “As a result, people are having fun communicating with friends all over the world. We feel offering free VoIP long-distance to our members will help them continue to build those relationships.”

A veteran to the mobile dating scene is wireless communications company SMS.ac Inc., which created its version of a members’ interactive service with smsFlirt and smsClubs when the company was launched in December 2001.

SMS.ac, which conducts business with over 400 mobile carriers worldwide, provides a proprietary multimedia messaging service known as MMSBox that enables the exchange of text and multimedia mobile communication across any technology platform and deliverable to any enabled wireless device.

“We were the first ones to do this on a global scale,” SMS.ac Executive Vice President and co-founder Greg Wilfahrt said, mentioning that 6 million phones were registered for the service.

“The beauty of our product is the ease of use and (ability) for people to flirt while retaining their anonymity” he said. “It’s about instant gratification.”

In fact, he never expected to have individuals from Iraq and North Korea become members.

SmsFlirt allows individuals to register under a username, have a profile and search a worldwide database without giving out their phone number, while smsClubs is an online community based on different issues from religion to sports including one club, “Fans of Vanilla Ice,” started in Romania with 20,000 members.

According to Wilfahrt, having a phone that can do everything is the “Holy Grail,” and businesses should understand that.

He expects more online dating businesses will be launching mobile services as well as other businesses in general, as mobile technology advances and multimedia expands.

“Our perspective is that if you didn’t have a Web site, you’ll perish, but now if you don’t have a mobile-phone presence, you’ll be a dinosaur in the tar pits, you won’t be able to compete,” Wilfahrt said.

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Hi-tech laundry services hit colleges

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 (UPI) — At the start of the new academic year, some lucky college students will be able to face the mundane chore of doing their laundry as more high-tech companies compete for their business.

Mac-Gray Corporation and USA Technologies are going online and let students monitor campus laundry equipment, including getting e-mail notices for machine availability and cycle completion.

For many, it’s a service that is long overdue.

“This is a great idea just because the laundry situation right now is chaotic with people always throwing your clothes out the moment it finishes and don’t care,” said Drew Martin, a sophomore at Christopher Newport University in Virginia. “I think that this level of laundry technology would end a lot of frustration and allow more time to be spent doing other things.”

The second largest supplier of card and coin-operated laundry facilities management and catering to just over 500 universities, Mac-Gray Corporation will have installed LaundryView at 51 universities since developing the technology in 2003, according to Mac-Gray Chief Operating Officer Neil MacLellan.

LaundryView allows students to check the availability and status of each machine through any device equipped with a Web browser and Internet connection once the laundry facilities are connected to the Internet and the technology installed.

Students will also have the ability to check the graphical two-week history of equipment so that they could avoid peak times as well as specifying where notifications — by e-mail, cell phone or wireless PDA message — can be sent when their washer or dryer is available or cycle completed.

In addition, LaundryView enables Mac-Gray to be informed if there is a problem with its machines, which will notify the local branch office, and within minutes a service order is delivered to the appropriate service technician.

According to MacLellan, the technology for the system was especially conducive to today’s wireless environment.

“We believe we will more than double with colleges registering for this system by next Labor Day,” MacLellan told United Press International.

In fact, he estimates that the service will be affecting about 75,000 resident students this fall alone with the new service at universities including Gettysburg College, Syracuse University and Northeastern University.

However, LaundryView isn’t the only laundry Internet tool making waves on college campuses.

USA Technologies, which provides networking for distributed assets and wireless non-cash transactions, among other things, estimates that by fall 2005, 120,000 U.S. college students will be able to use their e-Suds online laundry services.

Managed by distribution partners Caldwell and Gregory Inc. and American Sales Inc., e-Suds enables students to not only go online to see availability of washers and dryers and be notified by e-mail, PDA or phone, but also use their student ID/one card system to pay for their wash.

Installed at 10 more colleges by this fall that include Rutgers University, American University and Elizabethtown University, it was only a year ago when USA Tech first installed e-Suds at Carnegie Mellon.

“The schools have really embraced the technology,” USA Tech’s Director of Marketing Wendy Jenkins said, who told UPI that they hope to launch an enhanced laundry online service to multi-housing complexes such as apartments and condominiums in the future. “We’re just trying to make a splash in the industry this fall.”

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Ringtones — and their theft — on the rise

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 (UPI) — The mobile-content industry has become a new distribution source for entertainment companies and celebrities who license their music and faces for ringtones and games, fueling a trend that U.S. consumers can’t get enough of and also creating a new breeding ground for online shoplifters.

A relatively young market in the United States, the mobile-entertainment industry is likely to enjoy this new source of income as the popularity and diversity of ring tones, ring backs and games are likely to increase with newer devices, full-track downloads and video set to be released in the future.

Jonathan Dworkin, vice president of artist and repertoire at Lagardere Active North America, the company that launched BlingTones, told United Press International the mobile industry has the ability to diversify the distribution of industries like the record business that would otherwise continue to watch their retail sales fall.

“Retail is not the only outlet, as digital and mobile are two viable methods of distribution, it’s really going to change the landscape of the record business,” Dworkin said. “People won’t continue to buy CDs for $18 when they can get a favorite ringtone song for $2.50.”

BlingTones, which is carried by mobile carriers Sprint, Nextel and T-Mobile among others, provides original mobile content from artists of the hip-hop, rap and R&B community and has sold over 4 million ringtones since its start in September 2004.

BlingTones’ latest addition includes an exclusive phone-only golf game featuring an animated Lil Jon, known for producing such hits as Usher’s No.1 smash hit “Yeah!” and Ciara’s breakthrough No.1 hit “Goodies.” In the game, the rapper/producer golfs in urban neighborhoods of New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Atlanta on top of rooftops, on the beach between bikini-clad women tanning, and on movie lots and expressways.

“Artists are playing with a medium that isn’t fully formed,” Dworkin said. “Mobile content can be used for retail and promotion. … It’s a powerful promotional tool they built into an actual product. You hear artists’ music on your phones and see their pictures, people want to express themselves, most likely, associating themselves with a celebrity, and (one way is through the phone).”

The mobile-content industry in the United States continues to grow, bringing in $4 billion in revenues last year alone, Forbes reported.

This trend seems unlikely to slow down, as Jupiter Research’s March 2005 report “Wireless Market Forecast, 2004 to 2009″ found that ringtone revenues were $91 million in 2003, which more than doubled to $217 million in 2004 and is forecast to reach $724 million in 2009.

Jupiter also found that mobile-game revenues were $24 million in 2003, tripled to $72 million in 2004 and should reach $430 million in 2009.

But ringtone shoplifters may pose a problem to the mobile and entertainment industry reminiscent of illegal online music downloading if entertainment sites aren’t secured, says Seattle-based digital media and services company Qpass.

According to Qpass’s study of 100 U.S. and European digital-content Web sites that included 42 mobile-carrier portals and 58 online entertainment/music stores, more than one-third of Web sites were unsecured, allowing users to “shoplift” music tracks and download them as free ringtones.

Such behavior may have already cost both industries an estimated $40 million since the beginning of 2004,and $123 million by 2007, Qpass reported. Attributing the security loophole to customers’ access to preview music, they found that two-thirds of Web sites offered 15- to 30-second unsecured music samples that could be converted into ringtones.

Steve Shivers, Qpass’s senior vice president of corporate strategy and development, told UPI the company first heard about this issue after a couple of music companies inquired about the problem.

Qpass decided to look into the problem, first by surveying chatrooms and weblogs as to how people were making free ringtones, and using their methods visited Web sites that enabled them to shoplift ringtones.

As Shivers explained, a person could simply download a preview music file by saving a sample file, if not secured, onto their computer, and then transfer it onto his or her mobile phone using Bluetooth, infrared, chip, and data cable technology.

“It’s not hard. The average mobile and computer user can do this,” he said. “Many of them are in their late teens and 20s; they’re a computer savvy crowd.”

However, Clark Siegel, a lawyer based in Los Angeles who specializes in intellectual property and entertainment law, said this is still a relatively new development and doesn’t think it would be as big of a problem as CD piracy.

“If it’s a problem, the music industry will go after it big time,” Siegel told UPI.

Much of the entertainment industry and mobile content have licensed deals, and many consumers are already paying the small fee required, he said.

“Many consumers have already paid for ringtones,” Siegel said. “The cost isn’t huge, and they are easy, micro-payments.”

Siegel also said he doesn’t think that as mobile phones become endowed with more Internet capabilities and a bigger memory, the addition of another device would make a huge difference in increasing piracy as seen since the introduction of Apple’s iPod.

Although no data could be measured to count how many people are actually ringtone shoplifting, Qpass says using streaming, embedded pre-listening or the use of a DRM-protected file format like Real Player or Macromedia Flash could secure preview content.

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Accessorizing cells phones a growing trend

By Stokely Baksh

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 (UPI) — No longer does accessorizing a cell phone mean leather cases or cartoon covers. Now, individual artists and companies alike are profiting from an environment in which individuals make personal statements by adding flashy wallpaper, animated screen savers, pop-song ring tones and even antenna charms to their handsets.

The charms represent the latest addition to personalized cell phones. Jeweled accessories made into hearts, bears and tiaras with a stretchable ring on the back have been a craze in Asia for the last two years and only now are hitting the U.S. market.

Tiffany Weidman, a resident of Forney, Texas, first ran across Trinkies on the Internet last April and began selling them on eBay. She said customers can slip on a “glam princess” look for today or choose a “hippie chick” ring for tomorrow.

“I’m not really a girly-girl, but as far as accessories go, I think they’re cute,” Weidman told United Press International. “That’s why I started selling them.”

Since then, Weidman began her own Web site, selling the charms for $5 each, and has been seeing sales double each month since April.

She said pink crowns are the most popular and she will soon begin designing her own charms, too. In September she will add slot machines, smiley faces, martini glasses and Eiffel Towers to her offerings.

Cell-phone accessories also are becoming more electronic, with the addition of cameras, ring tones and animated screen savers becoming more popular and cheaper.

Jamster!, a leading provider of mobile content, is capitalizing on this latest trend of making personal statements via cell phones. The company offers more than 1,000 options in popular music ring tones, wallpaper, graphics and games to customers who pay $5.99 for various downloading plans.

“These accessories are a new vehicle for attracting new customers,” Brian O’Shaughnessy, a Jamster! spokesman, told UPI. “There are two functional aspects, one is that more Americans are becoming aware of personalization and second is the combination of mobility and entertainment.”

Most consumers recognize Jamster! by the company’s television commercials for ring tones, animated screensavers and wallpaper that feature pop artists and creations such as Crazy Frog — the same ring tone used in “Crazy Frog Axel F” that took the No.1 spot on the British pop-music charts.

“Artists are also using this environment and their entertainment to attract new fans,” O’Shaughnessy said. “A number of them understand the power of this medium.”

One example is the hip-hop tour, “Scream Tour IV: The Heartthrobs,” which Jamster! is co-sponsoring. The company provides its customers with unique mobile content, especially from artists from the tour, which includes Bow Wow, Omarion, Marques Houston and 3on3.

“We’ve only scratched the surface,” O’Shaughnessy said. “People are going to buy and use more of these (accessories) once they become more available, but most of it is in Japan and the (United Kingdom). This is really going to explode.”

As broadband becomes cheaper in the United States, accessorizing cell phones most likely will be taken to a new level, as enhanced cell-phone technologies continue to come out of Asia and the United Kingdom.

These include the ability to download more advanced games and cameras, .pdf files and MP3 quality music, as well as applications such as “Digital Stadium,” by CratMax in Tokyo, on DoCoMo 3G cell phones that will display cartoon versions of select live professional baseball games.

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Nursing shortage affects long-term care

By Stokely Baksh

WASHINGTON, July 11 (UPI) — As the U.S. retirement population grows, increasing demand for workers providing long-term care will become more of a problem because of the overall shortage of nurses, experts told United Press International.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has estimated that jobs for direct-care workers in long-term care settings will grow by about 800,000 by 2010, or roughly 45 percent, while more than 1 million new and replacement nurses will be needed across the entire medical field by 2012.

At present, nearly 96,000 nursing positions are vacant in long-term care facilities in the United States, with a staff turnover rate that exceeds 50 percent, according to an “Act Now for Your Tomorrow,” issued last April by the National Commission on Nursing Workforce for Long-Term Care.

The current long-term-care nursing workforce exceeds 1.9 million individuals, the commission reported, with over 54 percent of long-term-care employees consisting of nurses and nursing aides.

Vacancy rates in 2002 reached over 15 percent of registered nurses in nursing homes, 13 percent of licensed practical nurses and 8.5 percent of certified nurse’s aides, the report found, while the turnover rate averaged 49 percent for RNs and 71 percent for CNAs in nursing facilities.

“The shortage is costing long-term care facilities an estimated $4 billion a year in recruitment and training expenses,” the report said. “The high rate of turnover of nursing workers decreases the quality of care due to inefficient and inexperienced staff and increases costs because of the need for recruiting and training of new staff.”

Suzanne Weiss, senior vice president for advocacy of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, told United Press International the long-term care industry is not experiencing shortage as acute as it was a few years ago, despite nursing shortages across the medical spectrum.

AAHSA represents 2 million members that serve assisted-living facilities, continuing-care retirement communities, nursing homes, outreach programs and senior housing.

Weiss said the nursing shortage affects who long-term facilities can admit. For instance, the shortage could restrict admittance of patients on ventilators, patients with serious wounds, feeding tubes and conditions that require a lot of nursing attention.

She said the high turnover rate presents a particular difficulty.

“There is a lot of catch-up work for new staffers,” she said. “Change alone can be disruptive.”

In long-term care, Weiss said, the system is rebalancing itself because more people desire home-based care, taking away possible nurses from the nursing homes.

“It’s a challenging situation right now,” she said, adding that the healthcare system is trying to solve the shortage, and more nursing programs need to emphasize the geriatric field for aspiring nurses and nursing aides.

“Nursing homes have been making a lot of progress, especially making sure that the working environment is more positive,” Weiss said.

The nationwide nursing shortage also has been affecting nursing schools, which are struggling against a lack of space, faculty and financial resources to produce enough nurses to address the growing shortage.

To help the shortage in long-term care facilities, Weiss suggested more courses in geriatrics, an improved working environment for nurses and raising public consciousness to respect professionals in geriatric nursing.

Other experts think the growing nursing shortage is degrading standards of long-term care.

In June 2002 the Alliance for Retired Americans released a study entitled “Nursing Home Care: When Will We Get it Right?” blaming the lack of quality care in nursing homes on understaffing.

George J. Kourpias, the ARA’s president, said “a major conclusion of the report is that much of the neglect and abuse suffered by nursing home residents is due to a severe shortage of trained nursing staff.”

If quality of care is to be improved, those in charge must solve the issue of staff shortages, he said.

“Nursing home staff and management cannot produce a decent environment for residents until there are vast improvements in staffing ratios, staff and management training, decent pay, benefits and incentives and safety protections,” Kourpias said in a 2002 statement during the study’s release.

Dianna Porter, director of policy at the alliance, told UPI that quality of care remains a big concern for the ARA’s 3 million members.

“Not much has changed,” Porter said. “We’re still encouraging nursing homes to improve staffing. Overall, there still isn’t good quality of health in nursing homes. When is it going to get better?”

According to Porter, more legislation is needed to solve the nursing shortage and level of quality care in all medical sectors, but particularly in the long-term-care sector.

She said many bills have been attempted at both the federal and state levels to address the issue of understaffing and working conditions in long-term care, but few federal bills have passed, and those in the state legislatures have been too lenient on the nursing-home industry.

“Family members have to be vigilant and be advocates for their family, and you really have to worry about those people who have no one,” Porter said. “There’s a tendency, for people not to pay attention until it happens to someone in their family, there is a certain sense of denial that they aren’t going to be dependent, disable, or in a retirement home.”

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that by 2030 the number of U.S. adults age 65 and older is expected nearly to double, from about 36 million now to 71.5 million. By 2050 that number is expected to grow to 86.7 million.

Many of those older Americans are expected to seek long-term care. Currently, about 12 million people receive formal long-term-care services each year.

As the over-65 population grows, experts said, so too will unbalanced nurse-to-patient ratios, mandatory overtime, emergency-room overcrowding, discontinued patient-care programs, reduced service hours, delayed discharges and canceled surgeries.

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Women’s heart disease still an issue

By Stokely Baksh

WASHINGTON, July 5 (UPI) — Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for women, but among hospitals there remains a significant inadequate response to women’s cardiovascular disease symptoms.

A study by HealthGrades Inc. in Golden, Colo., a healthcare-quality ratings company, reports many medical professionals are unable to diagnosis women with cardiovascular disease in a timely manner because of symptomatic differences in symptoms between men and women — a situation that is dangerous to women.

The company’s third annual study analyzed women’s cardio outcomes from the published data of more than 1,500 hospitals in 17 states — including California, Iowa, New York and Texas — representative of 57.9 percent of the U.S. population. It reviewed outcomes of coronary artery bypass graft surgery, valve-replacement surgery and heart failure from 2001 to 2003.

The researchers found 39 percent lower mortality in best-performing hospitals, leaving many of the poorest-performing hospitals behind. They also found American hospitals improved women’s survival rates by 11 percent for cardiac disease and stroke between 2001 and 2003.

“Treatment is improving in that women are surviving, but we still have a long way to go,” said Dr. Samantha Collier, an author of the study and HealthGrades’ vice president of medical affairs. “More women know that cardiovascular disease is one of the first leading causes of death, but still 50 percent of women do not know that.”

Heart disease and stroke are the first- and third-leading causes of death among women, Collier said, affecting nearly half of women’s death and amounting to almost one death every minute.

“Only a small percentage of women believe that cardiovascular disease is their biggest threat, and only one in five doctors know that CVD kills more women than men each year,” Collier said.

She suggested increased awareness in the medical community, adding that women receiving treatment may be dangerously delayed or not receiving high-risk treatment in a timely fashion because of the difference in symptomology.

“We now know that women’s average outcomes for cardiovascular care can vary by as much as 46 percent between the best-performing and poorest-performing hospitals,” Collier said. “It’s important for women to do the research and seek hospitals for the best treatment possible.”

Dr. Don Nielsen, senior vice president for quality at the American Hospital Association in Washington, said the study demonstrates the need for a greater awareness of the symptoms peculiar to women vs. men, as well as an awareness of the need to begin timely and appropriate treatment for stroke and heart attack.

Nielsen said that, in the past, most doctors and nurses have treated men for cardiovascular disease based on symptoms such as severe chest pains, but women many times experience atypical symptoms such as pain in the arms and shoulders or excess fatigue.

“We are seeing greater awareness from governmental Web sites and the American Heart Association,” he said, about the need to educate women “about risks and symptoms of cardiovascular disease.”

A 2004 study by the American Heart Association found awareness of heart-disease symptoms increased to almost 50 percent among women, and respondents reported obtaining most of their information from the mass media instead of a physician. Only 24 percent of the women who responded cited healthcare providers as an information source, while 45 percent cited magazines, 34 percent cited television and 27 percent cited newspapers.

Among other findings in the HealthGrades’ study:

–The best-performing hospitals improved by about 12.7 percent in treating women cardiovascular disease patients between 2001 and 2003, while there was a 5.7-percent improvement among the poorest-performing hospitals.

– The greatest improvement across the board in women’s mortality was in CABG surgery, while the least improvement was in stroke treatment.

– The widest improvement gap between best-performing and poorest-performing hospitals occurred in heart-failure treatment, with best-performing hospitals showing a 23.7-percent improvement, while the poorest performers improved by 4.28 percent.

– The greatest differences in women’s cardiac and stroke outcomes among the best- and poorest-performing hospitals was seen in percutaneous coronary interventions, such as angioplasties, heart failure and CABG.

– On average, women treated at the best-performing hospitals have a 42.75-percent lower risk of mortality for PCI, a 43.63-percent lower risk of mortality for heart failure and a 46.44-percent lower risk of mortality for CABG.

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Fewer resources, fewer nursing students

By Stokely Baksh

WASHINGTON, July 5 (UPI) — The nursing shortage is likely to escalate as baby boomers age and healthcare needs multiply, but nursing advocates say the problem is not lack of interest in pursuing nursing careers — it is lack of space, financial resources and faculty to train aspiring individuals.

Even federal funding intended to alleviate the nursing shortage is falling short, as nursing organizations — particularly nursing schools — look to other means of easing the problem but find it difficult to expand enrollment for qualified students.

More than 1 million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the American Hospital Association reports 126,000 registered-nurse vacancies and 13,900 staff vacancies in nursing homes.

Also, the BLS reports although RNs are on the list of 10 occupations with the largest projected job growth from 2002 to 2012, nursing shortages continue to increase.

Additional studies reveal the shortage is causing emergency-room overcrowding, discontinued patient-care programs or reduced service hours, delayed discharges and canceled surgeries.

Nursing advocates warn enrollments are not expanding rapidly enough to address the growing shortage.

According to the “2004-2005 Enrollment and Graduations in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in Nursing,” published by the American Association of Colleges of Nurses, U.S. nursing schools turned away 32,797 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate programs in 2004 due to “insufficient number of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, clinical preceptors, and budget constraints.”

Texas is below the national average in its nurse-to-population ratio, with 609 nurses per 100,000 population. (The national average is 782 nurses per 100,000 population.) Texas is expected to need 138,000 more nurses in the next seven to 10 years.

At the University of Texas School of Nursing in Houston, however, Dean Patricia L. Starck said 4,200 qualified applicants were turned away last year — or 10 applicants for every one accepted — because of limited resources.

In 2000, of the 411 applicants there were only 120 slots, and since then the applicant pool has risen 247 percent.

“It’s frustrating,” Starck told United Press International. “We are trying new things to increase the number of students we can educate, including accelerated nursing program, using hospital nurses as on-the-job educators, and many other programs, but there is only so much we can do.”

Starck said the problem became obvious after the 2000 nursing shortage. To meet growing demands, the school has increased the number of nursing students by 56 percent over the last five years, yet the shortage continues to get worse.

“In the state of Texas, we need a double enrollment by 2007,” she said.

Starck said more state funding could solve part of the problem, but the university also needs to attract faculty members willing to be paid less than they would make in the private sector.

“If we don’t see a lot of new money in this effort,” Starck said, “we are going to continue to struggle. Nurses will continue to work overtime, on their days off, for their patients’ needs.”

Many nursing schools, including Starck’s — which recently opened a new $57 million School of Nursing and Student Community Center — are hoping the additional space will accommodate more students, although it will not solve the problem entirely. The UT nursing school shares land with two others — Prairie View A&M University and Texas Women’s University — both of which are currently constructing new buildings.

The University of Miami’s School of Nursing and Health Studies is another institution dealing with nursing shortages.

Florida is projected to experience a shortage of 18,000 nurses by 2010 and from 55,000 to 60,000 by 2020, said Nilda Peragallo, the nursing school’s dean. The Miami-Dade County area has one of the lowest RN ratios of the 15 major U.S. metropolitan areas, with 6 per 1,000 residents — a particular problem in a region with a high number of uninsured adults and children.

Enrollment at the UM nursing school has doubled over the last two years, because the school has enhanced its accelerated program and currently is building a new state-of-the-art nursing school.

Peragallo added, however, that financial need and lack of scholarships limit the number of students.

Last year only 81 students of the 123 who were admitted were able to participate in the baccalaureate accelerated program because of financial limitations, she said, and of the 422 who applied and 234 admitted, only 131 actually attended the school.

Peragallo said the school needs more partnerships between its nursing program and healthcare companies to provide experienced faculty and clinical experience and to reduce the student-faculty ratio — if there are 100 students, there should be 10 faculty members and 10 clinical sites.

Some new initiatives are being set up by the federal and state governments and healthcare organizations to attract potential nursing students and provide job training.

The Nurse Reinvestment Act, for example, signed in August 2002, provides scholarship money and loan-forgiveness grants for faculty. In fiscal year 2004 Congress funded the program at $142 million. In FY 2005 it received $151 million, but under President George W. Bush’s FY 2006 budget it will lose $1 million, according to Carol Cooke, spokeswoman for the American Nurses Association.

“(The act) was a great piece of support,” Cooke said, “but the bad news is that we have to go back every year for funding.”

Cooke said the lack of classroom space and nursing faculty and the rate at which nursing students become nurses will not address the growing number of retiring nurses in the future.

“This situation is going to get worse,” said Cooke, who added there are not enough nurses with Master’s degrees and Ph.D.s who are qualified to teach, so more potential students will be turned away.

She said it is difficult attracting people to the field, particularly with reports of today’s nurses leaving the profession early because they are burned out.

In many cases, nurses are overworked with too many patients to care for, forced to work overtime with limited overtime wages and benefits, and need respect from their healthcare peers, she said

“It’s just not a problem with the nursing programs, but improving the work environment,” Cooke said. “Nurses are bedside caregivers 24/7. They, too, need to have input in patient care.”

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Managed care a growing part of Medicaid

By Stokely Baksh
WASHINGTON, June 29 (UPI) — Medicaid is expected to see 7-percent growth in coming years, and as Congress considers ways to reduce expenditures for the nation’s largest healthcare entitlement program, insurance-industry experts point to managed care as a cost-effective solution.

The Medicaid Health Plans of America, a national association that represents the health plans that have become a bigger part of the Medicaid program in recent years, Wednesday gave a state-of-the-industry update to reporters in Washington.

“The Medicaid health industry is the leading way in reducing the cost for poor families and low-income children while working to improve the quality of their health,” said Joy Wheeler, board chair for Medicaid Health Plans of America. “Improving health and wellness is accomplished through health education activities, aggressive care and management techniques, extensive outreach programs, and the constant goal of producing savings for the state and the government.”

Wheeler, president and chief executive officer of FirstGuard Health Plan, said penetration rates for managed-care programs in Medicaid has gone up every year, from 40 percent in 1996 to 60 percent in 2004. Moreover, as of June 30 all but three states — Alaska, New Hampshire and Wyoming — currently operate a Medicaid managed-care program. In some states managed care is mandated in the Medicaid program.

Margaret Murray, executive director of America’s Community Affiliated Health Plans, said states use managed care to offer more comprehensive Medicaid coverage.

“States are using Medicaid managed care programs to extend care to populations that are in great need, in addition to children and families,” Murray said in a press release. “These actions encourage greater accountability of healthcare dollars and offer the opportunity for preventive care and service not available in traditional fee-for-service programs.”

In Georgia, state officials have announced a plan that would shift Medicaid beneficiaries from fee-for-service to a statewide mandatory managed-care program by the end of 2007. Meanwhile, in Indiana the state hopes to phase in all counties into mandatory managed-care plans by November.

The industry has been successful in improving access to healthcare and being a cost-saving system, said Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans.

A report entitled “Innovations in Medicaid Managed Care” from AHIP found California Medicaid participants enrolled in managed-care plans were up to 38 percent less likely to have been hospitalized for conditions amenable to timely outpatient treatment. In Kentucky, AHIP found that since 1997 the percentage of Medicaid-covered children receiving early and periodic screening, diagnostic and treatment services increased by nearly 250 percent.

Studies by the Lewin Group found Medicaid-managed programs typically yielded a cost savings ranging from 2 percent to 19 percent. The analyses showed Pennsylvania’s managed-care program saved $2.7 billion over the past five years, while Wisconsin’s managed-care programs achieved a cost savings of 7.9 percent in 2001 and 10.7 percent in 2002, compared to traditional fee-for-service programs.

“Medicaid health plans remain eager to continue their work with public and private partnerships,” said Thomas Johnson, executive director of Medicaid Health Plans of America. “As the federal government today contemplates reform efforts, Medicaid managed care must be a part of such efforts.”

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AMA gets facelift to attract new members

By Stokely Baksh
WASHINGTON, June 22 (UPI) — The American Medical Association hopes a more focused agenda, a national advertising campaign and a new logo will reverse a trend of declining membership and strengthen its position with the public.

Despite the AMA’s efforts, however, critics say the organization will continue to deteriorate because of its business ventures, including an embarrassing 1997 endorsement of Sunbeam Corp. health products, a deal it later backed out of.

“This campaign highlights the AMA’s commitment to unify all physicians and shape the future of healthcare,” AMA President Dr. John C. Nelson told reporters during a teleconference at the organization’s annual House of Delegates meeting.

The goal of the marketing strategy is to recruit new members and member organizations, as well as build upon the AMA’s public name recognition. It also hopes to attract 250,000 so-called joiner physicians by identifying their needs.

“AMA membership has been declining since the 1960s,” said Dr. Michael D. Maves, AMA executive vice president and chief executive officer. He attributed the continuing decline to the rise of prominent specialty organizations.

In 2004 there were approximately 244,530 members, and the organization saw a 2.4-percent membership decline compared to 6.4 percent in 2002. Over the years AMA regular membership steadily has declined while memberships have increased among students and retired individuals who get a discounted rate.

Currently, of 800,000 physicians nationwide, the AMA has about a 28-percent market share, Maves said.

This year the AMA expects a 1-percent increase in paying members and, so far, membership is higher than last year, said Maves, who did not give an exact number or makeup of the current membership.

Among the issues that will top the AMA’s expanded agenda, medical-liability reform — already a priority — remains at the top. Other issues member surveys showed were important include Medicare physician payment reform, care for the uninsured and improving public health.

Moreover, the AMA also launched a $60 million, three-year advertising campaign that champions doctors and promotes the organization. To represent the future of medicine, the logo change includes replacing its teal color with purple and introducing a more contemporary-looking staff of Asclepius, the Greek symbol of medicine.

Dr. Mary Frank, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, said the AMA’s decision to expand its agenda will help the organization with membership more than an advertising campaign and logo change.

“By addressing the needs of the public in this country and the physicians who take care of them, they are making themselves more attractive,” said Frank, an AMA member.

Since the 1980s the AAFP, a member organization of the AMA, also has worked on issues of the uninsured and increasing access to healthcare, she said.

Critics, however, said the AMA campaign will not work, especially when the organization depends mainly on business revenues rather than membership dues.

“Unfortunately, the AMA is running a business that doesn’t represent patients and physicians — it represents its own business interests,” said Andrew Schlafly, general counsel for the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons.

Schlafly told United Press International memberships are less than 20 percent of AMA’s revenue, which means more than 80 percent of revenue comes from business ventures.

In 1997 the AMA agreed to endorse Sunbeam products but backed out when members protested the deal, forcing the organization to pay millions of dollars to end the venture.

“Ethics aren’t even in their agenda,” Schlafly said. “They are slowly dying; in 10 years, they are going to be irrelevant, heading for extinction.”

Leana Wen, national president of American Medical Student Association, told UPI the AMA does not represent the idealistic nature of today’s medical students, who are interested in their patients rather than money.

“Young doctors want good healthcare for patients — not getting more money for ourselves like what the AMA wants,” said Wen, who added the No. 1 issue should not be medical liability but advocating universal healthcare.

The AMSA has a membership of 60,000 and boasts a 17-percent increase over the past two years, said Wen, who added she expects it to continue to grow.

“Most medical students are very idealistic,” she said. “Overall, we want another organization that stands for patient advocacy, and that organization doesn’t exist right now.”

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Medical helicopter businesses increasing

By Stokely Baksh

WASHINGTON, June 10 (UPI) — The airborne-ambulance business is likely to grow as more companies find the industry profitable and produce more heliports and enhance airlifts with in-flight paramedics and state-of-the-art equipment for communities wanting quicker access to medical care — but some experts warn that too many competing air-medical companies could be a problem.

A study in the June issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that nearly 81.4 million people in the United States have received access to trauma care within an hour because of medical helicopters.

The study, by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, also found that 46.7 million Americans — many living in rural areas — do not have access to trauma centers within an hour’s travel.

Dr. Charles C. Branas, the lead researcher, and colleagues suggested additional medical-helicopter bases and good geographic placement of centers could improve access for rural residents.

The ongoing study, which will provide recommendations to 13 states to enhance access, also found that 70 percent of Americans had access to Level I trauma centers within 45 minutes, while 84 percent of all residents had access to Level II centers within an hour.

A Level I trauma center offers a full range of specialists and equipment on a 24-hour basis and admits a required minimum volume of severely injured patients each year, according to standards established by the American College of Surgeons.

Medical helicopters bring more people within the one-hour radius, Branas and colleagues wrote, because they are more “movable” than trauma centers.

Emergency medical air transports are undertaken by state or individual hospitals, but within the last 10 years trauma centers have been outsourcing the business and, increasingly, the transport companies themselves are offering memberships.

Air Evac, one of the nation’s largest medical airlift companies and an independent provider model, has been selling its services to paying members in rural areas since 1985. Today the company is flourishing with 56 helicopter bases in nine states, including Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois and Texas.

Seth Meyers, Air Evac’s director of operations, said the company has been growing by 30 percent per year over the past five years. It will be adding as many as eight bases this year, including in Mississippi and Iowa, he said, a first for the company, and there remain many communities still in need of service, particularly in areas where rural hospitals are facing financial difficulties.

Rural-based helicopters make an average of 30 to 35 flights a month, and many of their members are trauma, cardiac and stroke patients, Meyers said.

“We see (a continued increase of medical airlifts in rural areas), but it’s not growing as fast,” Meyers told United Press International, adding that more hospital medical-helicopter programs are recognizing the need to put aircraft in different locations.

He said he thinks most helicopters should be moved from urban areas to rural areas, because urban residents have more emergency-medical-service options.

Despite the increase of independent providers, Judy Kettenstock, program director of Midwest Medflight, a non-profit air medical service for St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich., said the company is fortunate it does not have to compete with them, because the state of Michigan requires a certificate of need.

“(Medical helicopters) enable us to get to a scene as early as possible,” Kettenstock told UPI. It can take 45 to 60 minutes for ambulances to reach the scene of an emergency, while helicopters can get there “within 15 minutes, well within the golden hour.”

About 10 percent of Medflight’s airlifts are emergency-related, but the flights mostly transport cardiac patients from rural facilities to the hospital’s Michigan Heart & Vascular Institute.

At least one expert thinks there are too many competing air ambulances.

“It’s an industry that has not policed itself,” said Dr. Bryan Bledsoe, an emergency physician and EMS author in Midlothian, Texas. “We’ve got more medical helicopters in Dallas, Fort Worth and Phoenix than in Canada or Australia. They need more in rural places, not in Chicago, Dallas or Fort Worth.”

Bledsoe said EMS teams should follow better standards on whether medical helicopters should substitute for ground ambulances.

“The criteria for using medical air transport needs to be based on science, not antidote,” Bledsoe told UPI, explaining that two out of three trauma patients tend to have minor injuries, and one in four is not even admitted to the trauma center.

Bledsoe, a physician for more than 30 years, said he is concerned about the proliferation of medical helicopters because of the dangers crews face and the inexperience of flight paramedics. He said insurance companies provide good reimbursements to medical airlift companies, which only need eight flights a month to break even.

Tom Judge, president of the Association of Air Medical Services, said many people do not get to hospitals or the specialists they need within an hour for treatment of brain injuries or surgical problems.

The AAMS — a voluntary non-profit organization that encourages high standards for operation of medical airlifts and the care they provide — has a membership of 270, which makes up about 85 percent of the industry.

“Leave the urban areas and there are literally millions of people who don’t get the care they need in time,” Judge told UPI. “People who live in rural places are people who run out of time.”

Judge, also executive director of LifeFlight in Bangor, Maine, operates two helicopters for the state’s largest non-profit healthcare organizations. He said the AAMS is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to provide EMS assistance to more geographic locations.

“Air medicine is very visible, highly emotional, and you’re only called in, in the most horrible circumstances when patients are in life-or-limb situations,” Judge said, “(but it) is only one component of the EMS system. We need to make sure everyone has access to healthcare.”

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Author: Home remedies back in style

By Stokely Baksh

WASHINGTON, June 8 (UPI) — The answer to an earache, a grandmother from Italy once suggested, is to pour heated salt into a thick sock and place it against the child’s ear, taking care not to burn the child’s face, said pediatrician Lillian Beard.

“It works,” she added.

Beard collected this homemade remedy, along with hundreds of others that can heal minor injuries — from clearing up acne to ridding warts to easing a headache — during her 30 years of practicing medicine. She now has provided a physician’s take on why they work in her A-to-Z book, “Salt in Your Sock and Other Tried-and-True Home Remedies” (Three Rivers Press).

A practitioner in Silver Spring, Md., Beard also is associate clinical professor at The George Washington University School of Medicine and a contributor to ABC-TV’s “Good Morning Washington.”

She said the salt-and-sock remedy works because heated salt is able to draw out fluid caught in the ear and can decrease air pressure on the eardrum as well as soothe any facial discomfort.

“Complementary and alternative medicine is indeed changing the face of medicine today,” said Beard, adding that more people are returning to this form of therapy.

A 2004 study by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta found, based on a survey of 31,044 adults, as many as 36 percent use some form of CAM, as it is known. It includes acupuncture, naturopath and yoga, and when mega-vitamin therapy and prayer are included, the share rises to 62 percent.

“I’d like to say what is old is new again, and if you stick around long enough, as I did, you will see it,” Beard told United Press International.

Beard said earlier in her career she had been dismissive of homemade remedies suggested by families, but over time, after similar remedies were suggested, she began to wonder whether they actually worked.

She explained how a great-grandmother once recommended urine paste to treat a rash on the face of her great granddaughter. At the time, Beard had dismissed such an idea. It was not until years later, while attending an art-history lecture, that she understood the urine use when she learned that soldiers from Hannibal’s army crossing the Swiss Alps survived by putting urine on their wounds.

Beard explained that urea, a component of urine, has soothing and healing as well as anti-infective properties and can even be found in skin creams.

In another case, a patient’s aunt had suggested cutting an onion and putting it in her child’s socks to reduce a fever. As the onion absorbed the heat, it turned brown, smelling like fried onions.

“The book represents what has been tried and true over generations,” Beard said. “In fact, generations ago, people used what was in their immediate environment” — remedies such as cayenne pepper to stop bleeding, aloe for burns, roasted onion on a potential bruise and ginger tea to treat nausea.

Other traditional remedies Beard recommends:

– To stop a headache, slice strips of potato and place across the forehead to act as a cold compress — as the Irish did.

– A couple of teaspoons of vinegar in water in the morning could help one feel more energized, lower blood pressure and speed up metabolism.

– Use a dry mustard plaster for chest congestion.

– Use a beanbag to stop bleeding, particularly when having a tooth extraction.

Beard noted these remedies are not laboratory-tested, but they are family-tested.

“I’m not sure if the grandmothers and aunties really understood the biology of why certain things worked,” Beard said, but added: “They could pull them out of the yard, they could pluck them from a tree, they canned them, bottled them, saved them from season to season. They can pass this knowledge on to generations. They used them because if they worked, they kept generations of families healthy.”

Beard stressed that homemade remedies should not become substitutes for the family physician. They are quick fixes, she said, offering an easier way for parents and others to cope through the night.

“There is the possibility that there is someone who may react to the allium plant or to an onion,” Beard said, encouraging people to consult their doctor, because overuse of home remedies or their interaction with prescription medications can be dangerous.

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Non-profit hospitals face more questions

By Stokely Baksh

WASHINGTON, May 27 (UPI) — Non-profit hospitals in the United States, which have spent the past year battling lawsuits alleging they failed to provide the charity healthcare required under their tax-exempt status, this week came under scrutiny by House and Senate leaders, who also demanded they explain their business practices.

A day after Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the Finance Committee chairman, asked for an investigation of the financial practices of 10 of the largest U.S. non-profit hospitals, Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Calif., the House Ways and Means chairman, on Thursday asked, “What is the taxpayer getting in return for the tens of billions of dollars per year in tax subsidy?”

Thomas, during a hearing by his committee, suggested lawmakers might consider whether the tax-exemption definition should be changed to serve taxpayers better.

“Tax-exempt status is a privilege. Unfortunately some charities abuse that privilege,” Grassley said. “By gathering information from non-profit hospitals, I hope to learn whether the benefits they provide to the needy justify the tax breaks they receive.”

Non-profit hospitals around the country have enjoyed some success fighting lawsuits filed by a group of law firms led by Mississippi lawyer Richard Scruggs. The suits allege the hospitals did not live up to their tax-exempt responsibilities.

“It’s increasingly difficult to differentiate for-profit from non-profit healthcare providers,” IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson testified before Ways and Means.

During the hearing, the IRS received some of the blame from lawmakers for widening its interpretation of “charitable” from its initial 1956 ruling on tax exemption. In 1969, the IRS adopted the “community benefit standard,” which no longer limited organizations to providing a specific level of relief to the poor, but allowed them to demonstrate they benefited the community sufficiently, Everson testified.

The current federal standard for exemption requires non-profit healthcare organizations to be governed by members of the community, rather than by financially interested individuals. It also requires medical staff privileges in the hospital to be made available to all qualified physicians in the area. It requires hospitals to provide full-time emergency room access to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, and stipulates excess funds be applied to the expansion and replacement of facilities and equipment, as well as training and research.

“It was easy to change the IRS ruling, and that’s why we are here today,” Thomas said.

Stan Jenkins, chairman of the Board of Review for Champaign County, Ill., said more federal oversight is needed for non-profit organizations that receive charitable tax-exemption status, because county officials are intimidated by hospital politics or ill-equipped to deal adequately with such issues.

Jenkins’ group’s research found three central problems with two of the county’s non-profit organizations: overpriced care for the uninsured, improper billing and collection practices and availability of charity care.

In 2001, Provena Covenant and Carle Foundation hospitals in the county were stripped of their charitable tax-exempt status by the Illinois Department of Revenue, Jenkins said. A county investigation found Provena Covenant operated non-profit and for-profit sectors under its umbrella. Provena Hospitals and Senior Services transferred $159.7 million to the parent corporation, Provena Health, which transferred $23.1 million to a for-profit Provena Ventures. Meanwhile, Carle Foundation was found to have overcharged patients and sued patients over medical debt, Jenkins said.

“A hospital has every legal right to pursue collections through the court system, like any other business,” Jenkins testified, “but they can’t have it both ways. They can’t act like any other business, yet expect to enjoy tax-exempt status unlike any other business — especially if they hold themselves out to be charitable organizations under either federal or state law.”

Professor John Colombo, of the University of Illinois College of Law in Urbana-Champaign, testified that “hospitals have enjoyed exemption from the federal income tax virtually since the beginning of the income tax system.”

There is a lack of accountability for legal exemptions, Colombo added.

In Texas, lawmakers adopted specific charity-care standards in the 1993 Nonprofit Hospital Community Benefits Law, which requires non-profit hospitals to provide community benefits equal to 5 percent of net patient revenue. Of that amount, 4 percent must be the cost of charity care and unreimbursed cost of government-sponsored healthcare programs while providing services in relation to the community’s needs.

John T. Thomas, senior vice president of the Baylor Health Care System in Texas, said his organization conducts formal community needs assessments and non-profit hospitals submit annual reports detailing the amount of charity care and community benefits provided.

Baylor files three separate reports for its two major facilities — Baylor University Medical Center and Our Children’s House at Baylor — which satisfy the law requirements because of their heavy Medicaid patient load. Thomas said Baylor Health Care System’s total community benefit was $240 million in 2004.

“Texas charity care law is a fair, objective standard for determining if a hospital is meeting its mission as a nonprofit organization,” Thomas testified.

A recent survey of 100 hospital financial executives by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute showed hospitals provide more free care than the $25 billion they report annually. The survey found the rising number of uninsured Americans forces hospitals to absorb higher levels of charity care and bad debt.

The survey also found it was difficult to report on the value of charity care because of inconsistencies in hospital policies to qualify for charity. Hospitals unable to classify charity cases when patients do not pay for services write off the debt.

“The survey was critical, because not enough data has been collected for legislators, hospitals, insurance companies … for anybody,” said Reatha Clark, a partner in the PricewaterhouseCoopers healthcare industry group. “The real heart of the problem is people’s access to care (and) whether it be charity care, bad debt and billing practices — that should be the second question. Senator Grassley isn’t asking the right question.”

Still, for other non-profit and faith-based organizations, a review of the IRS rulings is necessary so tax-exemptions are awarded appropriately because healthcare systems compete for subsidies.

“Many non-profits have a weak structure,” said Sister Carol Keehan, chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Catholic Health Association of the United States. “We need to strengthen it, rather than tossing the non-profit structure out.”

The CHA, a faith-based organization that provides community health services, began its Social Accountability Budget and its Community Benefit Inventor for Social Accountability programs to plan, monitor, report and evaluate community-benefit activities in which the organization participates. The CHA hopes such standards could help non-profit hospitals better serve their communities.

Lawmakers said more research was needed on the charitable structure, its economic impact in different regions and joint ventures.

“We’re not able to talk honestly about this issue,” said Rep. Nancy Johnson, R-Conn. “We have to be conscious because we don’t know what we’re talking about.”

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Movie-goers, bloggers hit with Sith fever

By Stokely Baksh
WASHINGTON, May 20 (UPI) — Jason Piasecki spent six hours in line at Fairfax Corner 14: Cinema de Lux in Northern Virginia, waiting for the first screening of “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” at 12 a.m. Thursday.

“I’m a big fan of Star Wars,” said Piasecki who plans to see the movie three more times by Monday. “I wouldn’t have stayed out to 3 or 4 in the morning and come out to work the next day at 9 a.m. if I wasn’t a fan.”

The Star Wars community, techies and just fans of the original 1977 movie came out full force Thursday, not only to movie theaters but online as well, to share in the experience of the last installment of the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

Piasecki had ordered tickets two weeks ago for the premiere screening. The seventh one in line, he had been waiting for six hours with his friend, Justin.

“We’re veterans at this,” said Piasecki, who spent 12 hours in line when “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” came out.

“It was awesome,” he said as he described the Sith premiere. “People were playing with Master Replicas, which are light sabers that are like $150 a pop, and people were dressed up as Yoda and Darth Vader. There were three Princess Leilas there, too… I would have dressed up too if I had a costume.”

For Piasecki, the latest Star Wars edition was more than just a movie even as he admitted the acting wasn’t all that great.

“This marks the end of an era, there are no more epic films coming out,” he said. “There aren’t any more new epics to wait for … Sith was one of the turning points for the movie-going generation.”

Piasecki and others might scare some employers, who could lose as much as $627 million in lost productivity for Thursday and Friday because employees either skip work or take the day off to see “Revenge of the Sith,” said a study from the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.

Challenger researchers had calculated the loss from workplace absenteeism by assuming attendance on the first two days of Sith will at least match that of the previous Star Wars movie “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones,” for which about 9.4 million people bought tickets over two days, making for a box revenue of some $54.5 million.

Among the fans expected to see the movie this weekend, Challenger figured about 51 percent are full-time workers.

“I’ve been a fan since the first Star Wars came out in 1977,” said Corey, who did not want his last name used as he was on his way to work Thursday after the movie. “They story is magnificent and as a young boy science fiction is the ultimate thing, and this was the ultimate story.”

Mark Fourniel of Northern Virginia, heading into the movie Thursday, said he was going into work late. Fourniel said he believes employers could lose $627 million.

“I believe it, but it’s funny,” Fourniel said. “It’s definitely possible, but I think there will be gains in other areas in terms of the entertainment industry. So, there probably won’t be a total loss in the grand scheme of things.”

Challenger said the movie industry will get a boost with “increased consumer spending on movie tickets and refreshments, increases in foreign and domestic tourism, and increased business in shops and restaurants near the movie theaters,” which may outweigh the loss of productivity.

Fandango, a popular online movie ticket vendor, found in an April online poll 79 percent of its film fans were planning to see Sith on opening weekend.

“Tickets are selling at light-speed,” Fandango President Art Levitt said in April. “Sales for Sith have surpassed anything we’ve seen before for a movie four weeks away from opening day. The enthusiasm of moviegoers and sales are tremendous, signaling a very busy start to the summer blockbuster season.”

Sith also ranked as Fandango’s fastest-selling movie to-date, currently selling five times as many tickets as the company’s next best-selling movie Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.”

Meanwhile, the Geek Squad, which provides tech help in homes and businesses, took advantage of the occasion and auctioned Geek Squad Agents through eBay as emergency replacements for fans standing in ticket line, along with a 40-foot operational workstation with Internet so fans could check their e-mail.

The Geek Squad also provided excuse notes for moviegoers in school or work. They read: “Please excuse (insert name) from work on Thursday, May 19. (He/she) is not felling well. (First name) is at home in bed for the entire day, nursing what appears to be a serious (stomach bug/ flu/fever/dismemberment/loss of mitochondria/hamster attack). (First name)’s illness is in no way, shape or form related to the premier of (a long awaited/ the final installment of the greatest story ever/ the #$%%!! BEST THING EVER), which, coincidentally, premieres on the same date…”

“This shows that the Puritan work ethic may not be as strong as it used to be,” said Bernard Mergen, a professor of American Studies at George Washington University for 35 years. “For employers, it may add up but I don’t think individual employers are going to get too angry.”

Mergen also said people see this as a break in their work routine and that most employers could benefit from their employees, who may be happier as a result of taking off time to see the movie.

Many die-hard Star Wars fans have taken to the Internet to voice their opinions and anticipation through blogs and online chats.

Intelliseek’s BlogPulse.com, which tracks trends within the 11 million strong blog community, found from November 2004 to March 2005, “Revenge of the Sith” had been a hotter topic than any other big blockbuster movie, including “War of the Worlds,” “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

It reported the movie’s buzz maintained a near-steady level of discussion each day and that Darth Vader received more talk than another other character in the movie.

As one blog, “Darth Vader’s Meditation Chamber” (part of Starwars.com blogs) noted in its entry: “Thank you George,” “ROTS surely surpassed my own expectations. I loved it and I must watch it like 10 or 20 times more to catch every little detail. Emotional, fast, strong. One of the best, if not the very best of the saga!”

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DNA gives gender news for Buddha

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Science News

WASHINGTON, May 16 (UPI) — A month-old prehensile-tailed porcupine — the first of its kind born at the National Zoo — was both a delight and a mystery for veterinarians who couldn’t quite tell if Buddha was a girl or a boy.

It could have taken six months for nature to take its course and announce an answer — but curiosity won out and the researchers turned to DNA science to fill in the blank in just four weeks.

DNA extracted from her quills, another National Zoo first, showed quite plainly that Buddha was a girl.

“(When babies are born) we try to determine that eyes, ears, nose, throat is fine … and determine the gender,” said head veterinarian Dr. Suzan Murray. “This is our first prehensile-tailed porcupine and we weren’t really able to tell what gender she was by just looking.”

Baby porcupines are born with coarse red hair, but as they grow to adult size over the next year they lose the hair and grow sharp spines. Buddha was born with soft fur and eventually grew tiny quills that would later stiffen.

Animal keeper Dell Guglielmo, who cares for Buddha and her parents, said sex organs are not visible in babies and could take six months to be clearly discerned, since externally they look alike.

Palpating the area between the anus and the organ did not provide a gender answer so zoo researchers recruited the help of geneticist Dr. Jesus Maldonado to lead the DNA project that would determine Buddha’s sex.

“We pulled all our resources together in managing the animals, both those in captivity and the wild,” Murray said.

Collecting DNA from quills was a first for Maldonado, who had worked on other projects extracting DNA from wolves and wild African elephants.

Maldonado first performed a blind test with Buddha’s parents to figure out their gender, to see if the procedure was possible.

“This genetic procedure is relatively new and I had never worked with a porcupine,” Maldonado said. “It was exciting to test them blindly.”

Maldonado said the process wasn’t as simple as looking at DNA from a human — so far no genome map has been made for porcupines. It took only four days, however, to arrive at the answer.

“The closest sequence we found was a pig,” said Andrew Rivara, an intern in the genetics program.

Rivara was the technician who extracted DNA from the follicle or the white tip of the quill. Enzymes were used to expose the DNA before studying it further, he said. “It was really cool to do this in a noninvasive way,” Rivara said.

Murray said Buddha’s case is just one of many examples of the zoo’s commitment to using noninvasive measures in handling its animals.

“We do noninvasive procedures such as crate training, which we train an animal to go into a crate and all we do is close the door and take it to the hospital,” Murray said, “as opposed to the past, running around and chasing animals with nets or into holding. It’s much calmer for the animals and humans and you lose the risk of people getting hurt and the animals, too.”

Native to South America, prehensile-trailed porcupines are part of the rodent family. These tree-dwellers are nocturnal animals that use their quills and keen sense of smell to survive in the wild. Contrary to what some believe, their spikes do not shoot out, but rather get stuck to predators that directly approach them.

Guglielmo said Buddha will be part of a training program that will help provide researchers with information on genetics, ecological data, virus information and reproductive production.

Congratulations could also be in order again, as Guglielmo suspects Buddha’s 2-year-old mother could be pregnant with her second offspring. This could mean a new opportunity for Maldonado and his team.

Guglielmo said prehensile-tailed porcupines can get pregnant hours after giving birth but their gestation period is more than 200 days. Usually, they carry just one baby at a time.

“The results have been successful,” Guglielmo said. “It’s great to have this really proud feeling when I see kids come by and enjoy them. They’ll be a big hit and people do love babies.”

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U.S. race tests transplant cyclist

By Stokely Baksh
WASHINGTON, March 7 (UPI) — Mental fatigue and hallucinations, lack of sleep, weather and terrain changes and “psychological warfare” — this is what cyclists in this summer’s Race Across America are facing.

One expert said, “How much you can hurt yourself, how much pain you can take, how long you can handle the pain … that all depends on how successful you will be.”

Among the hundreds of riders who will be answering these questions is kidney-transplant recipient Lou Lamoureux, 33, the first organ transplant recipient to enter the Race Across America — a non-stop 3,000-mile ultra-racing marathon from San Diego to Atlantic City, N.J., in seven days.

The Virginian resident, part of the four-man Team Give Life, is cycling on behalf of the Give Life Foundation to raise at least $100,000 and public awareness for blood, tissue and organ donations.

By competing in the RAAM, the team hopes it can race against time for those who run a more profound race — “the race to find a donor in time for a critical organ transplant or blood transfusion that will save their lives,” according to the group’s Web site.

“People with two kidneys have trouble riding,” said Lamoureux who has to consider the health risks, including kidney failure and dehydration.

An experienced cyclist, Lamoureux became interested in the RAAM as a recovery patient from a 2000 transplant operation when he received a kidney from his mother, Donna, some 14 years after he found out that he had glomerulonephritishis, a type of disease resulting in eventual kidney failure.

“I tell people I traded a kidney for two grandchildren,” says his mother who remembers her son walking around and waving to her the first day after his transplant surgery. “Now he’s able to function, (and) he functions a lot more than other people.”

Lamoureux, who has a wife and two children, explained he felt like Superman after the transplant and was back to cycling before doctors could say otherwise. Nine months later he rode in the PACtour and did hours of collegiate racing.

Now, an advocate for organ donations and transplants, Lamoureux has kept a Web log “Transplant Athlete” on cycling-videos.com since 2004 detailing his cycling routines, various diagnosis and doctor visits, transplant concerns and his fascination with the RAAM.

A member of the National Kidney Foundation’s “Transplant Team” and several-time gold medalist recipient in the U.S. Transplant Games among his accomplishments, Lamoureux has come a long way and is the most experienced of his teammates in ultra-racing.

He hopes that this experience will help him as he attempts again to qualify for the RAAM race as a soloist in 2006, in which he must ride 425 miles in 24 hours in order to qualify.

Lamoureux, with fellow cyclists Bruce Deming, 48, and Bill Vosseller, 37, are looking for a fourth rider who will have to withstand one of the toughest ultra-racing competitions in the United States. Armed with three vehicles including an RV and no physician, they will pursue riding in some of the most difficult of U.S. weather and terrains.

It was Deming’s idea to put together the team for the Give Life Foundation since he knew founders, Bart S. Fisher and Patrick Hughes, and their cause.

“It’s an interesting cause,” Deming said. “The problem is awareness and education … it’s about raising national consciousness and registering more people for organ and blood donations.”

Deming played around with the idea of entering solo but decided on a four-person team to reduce the stress despite the still tremendous undertaken of riding for seven consecutive days and about six hours of riding for each cyclist.

“We won’t be gaining weight that’s for sure,” joked Deming about the race. Lamoureux says that when the race is over, he thinks he’ll have a big cheeseburger and lots of food.

All three have been training rigorous hours to increase their endurance and stamina, and plan to start training together as the race draws near.

“We’re hoping to finish the race safely … just finishing the race alone is an achievement in itself, but it’ll be terrific if we finish strong,” Deming said.

This year’s RAAM kicks off June 9 marking its 24th year of tradition in ultra-racing, likening itself to the Tour de France. Solo racers start on June 19 while two- and four-person teams race three days later. However, unlike the Tour de France that goes on for 21 days, the RAAM is a continuous ride that tests cyclists’ mental and physical capacities.

“The RAAM is America’s answer to the Tour de France,” said Deming. “It’s the Super Bowl of cycling.”

So far, 120 racers will ride through 14 states climbing mountains while battling tailwinds, heat and frigid weather.

Originally, started by four men who decided to take a trans-continental ride to see who would be the fastest to cross the country, the race has expanded in various categories, routes and procedures to attract potential riders as the race’s popularity continues to grow.

“It’s one of those races you enter and you want to stop or give up, but when you finish, you have this incredible … tremendous sense of unity,” said RAAM spokesperson and longtime cycle journalist Paul Skilbeck. “It’s about a group of powerful human beings seeing what their capabilities are and seeing what they are capable of doing.”

He added, “How much you can hurt yourself, how much pain you can take, how long you can handle the pain … that all depends on how successful you will be.”

About 50 percent of solo riders dropout while about 5 percent drop out in team categories, he said.

According to Race Director Jim Pitre, who has been involved with the race for seven years and directed the race for about four years, the RAAM is for experienced riders who have multiple years of serious cycling. Formerly having ridden the race, Pitre has been a key player in the RAAM’s increasing popularity since the ’80s.

Pitre said cyclists must face the race as a super-ultra-endurance exercise and must have be ready to train for the nutrition issues, varying weather conditions and sleep deprivation that comes along with it. He says that in Lamoureux’s situation and the right training, that he could finish the race in a four-person team but the odds are greatest if he were to do it as a solo racer.

Still, Skilbeck points out cases like that of Lamoureux are inspirational and obtainable. He cites the case of another rider who was a Vietnam veteran whom lost his leg and finished the race as a soloist.

But Team Give Life isn’t the only team raising awareness on a health issue or organ donations. Within the Corporate Challenge division, Team Donate Life consists of health care providers from the University of California-Davis Medical Center and a kidney donor who are also raising awareness for organ donations.

“The Tour de France had cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, well we have our transplant survivor,” said Give Life Foundation’s Bart Fisher.

For Fisher, Lamoureux’s story is a case study that one can lead a great life after a transplant. But this isn’t Give Life Foundation’s first attempt to get the word out especially after the fact that no appropriations were made this fiscal year to the federal-based national donor registry organization created by the 1984 National Organ Transplant Act.

For Fisher, it’s been a struggle of raising awareness since losing his son, Ivan, in the early 1980s to aplastic anemia, a once-life threatening disease that occurs when bone marrow stops making blood cells resulting in infections, bleeding and anemia. Channeling his grief into action, Fisher played a key role into the passage of the act.

However, Fisher said he believes that many people in the United States are uneducated about organ and marrow transplant and hopes that the team will bring attention to the topic.

“It’s not so much a money issue, it’s an awareness issue,” Fisher said.

In the United States, more than 87,000 names reside on a waiting list for organ transplants.

Each day 70 people will have received an organ transplant but 16 will die waiting for transplant because of the shortage of donated organs, according to The United Network for Organ Sharing.

While approximately 900,000 people in the United States will receive tissue transplants and nearly 25,000 receive organ transplants each year, the waiting list for organ transplants grows at the rate of 1,000 per month while another name is added to the waiting list every 15 minutes.

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For more information on the RAAM, Team Give Life, or the Give Life Foundation: raceacrossamerica.org, teamgivelife.org,give-life.org

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Valentine’s: From cards to carwashing

By Stokely Baksh
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 (UPI) — Many couples are spending more on loved ones this Valentines, giving the phrase “love don’t cost a thing” a whole new meaning. This also means good news for business.

Shoppers plan to splurge about the same or more than they did last year, spending an average of $178.39 on Valentine’s Day-related purchases, says the national survey “Shopping in America: 2005 Valentine’s Day.”

The figure includes an average of $100.63 on gifts for 2.3 recipients, and an additional $77.76 on events such as dinner, movies and theater.

However, greeting cards topped the wish list of Valentine gifts for both men and women among other items like candy, flowers and jewelry. The survey found that about 23 percent of men preferred cards compared to 22.2 percent of women.

Of the 74 percent celebrating the day of lovers itself, about 55 percent will celebrate it with a card, says Hallmark spokesperson Rachel Bolton.

Hallmark, one of the largest card companies, expects to sell about 200 million Valentine cards this year with an excess of 50 percent in market shares. The greeting-card industry accounts for 7 percent of the entire market.

About 1,500 different cards will be offered to consumers for the holiday among the company’s other card brands such as Shoebox cards, Mahogany and Sinceramente.

The cards are particularly useful for people who aren’t able to express their emotions, Bolton said.

She also says that much research analysis has gone into the type of cards that are produced. The company’s greeting staff includes about 50 writers and over 700 staffed on a creative team.

One of the key emphasis is on language, according to Bolton who says that the words written have become increasingly more casual, open and honest compared to formal greetings in cards a couple of decades ago.

She also mentions that cards today are reflecting the lifestyles of busy career-focused couples with children who are under pressure or have less time to see each other.

In fact, according to years of research conducted by Hallmark, the company came up with the four R’s as requirements for a successful romantic Valentine Day card: recognition, romance, reflection and reconnection.

“Monday, in a sense, is an opportunity to get ready or an opportunity to forget,” said Bolton reminding people that the holiday falls on a Monday. “It’s preferred to start your day out with a Valentine Day card… then it’s a good day at the end of the day. It’s like… ‘GoodMorning, Darling. It’s Valentine’s Day. Here’s your card.’”

More than 175 million roses were purchased last Valentine’s Day and about 154 million the year before, said Jenny Stromann from the Society of American Florists.

The flower industry is a $19 billion dollar industry and Valentine’s Day is the largest holiday for florists and cut flower purchases. Florists make eight to 10 times more than they do normally, she said.

Roses remain the favorite among sweethearts, says Ken Young, spokesperson for 1-800-Flowers. The flower delivery company expects to sell as many as five million for the holiday.

Young, on Thursday, said that they were “busy, busy, busy…it’s the second largest holiday for us behind Mother’s Day.”

However, he says the surprise contender and new trend they have noticed are tulips. In 2004, they sold about one million up from 300,000 from the year before.”[Tulips] are the surprise hit of the season.”

The company has also already sold out of its six limited luxury gift baskets that included silk pajamas, chocolates, jewelry, fragrances as well as flowers that ran for $1,000 each.

Since the company began almost 25 years ago, Valentine purchases have repeatedly increased every year, according to Young.

The major trends the company has seen have included gift baskets, combination gifts and delivering flowers to the office.

Yet for others, cards, candy and flowers doesn’t quite say “I love you” to their sweetie.

For instance, the International Carwash Association encourages people who love their cars to spend time with their loved ones amidst a background of soapy water and hot wax.

“Flowers die and candy adds inches to the waist line,” said “Mr. CarLove,” a.k.a. Mark Thorsby, executive director of the International Carwash Association. “Car washing is really protecting what you love. If you love your car, treat it like you do.”

According to the organization, its recent “Car Love Survey” found that one in 10 car owners said they’ve kissed or made-out in a car wash and most Americans with children were more likely to have a smooch at the car wash than those without. Meanwhile, about six percent have taken a date to the car wash.

Moreover, 26 percent said they loved in a car or knew someone who did and 38 percent said that their car has played a significant role in a wedding or honeymoon or knew someone where it did.

Not to forget that 84 percent reported they had an emotional attachment to their car while 16 percent said that they loved their car more than their significant other.

“It really enforces that Americans really do love their cars,” Thorsby said. “It’s the second more valuable investment to their home.”

But for singles still looking for love – and who have a Sprint plan there’s an alternative way to spend some of that would-be Valentine’s cash. This month, the company is capitalizing on the “love is in the air” month by releasing its newest feature — helping their single customers by hooking up with Match.com to create Match.com Mobile along with two other mobile dating services SMS.ac and Lavalife.

According to Yankee Group research, active users of mobile interactive, entertainment and community applications, are forecasted to grow from 960,000 in 2003 to 16.3 million in 2008.

Sprint hopes the new feature will be a great way for people to “flirt,chat and possibly fall in love.” The mobile dating services works like an online dating services without all the heavy equipment. Customers will be able to create a profile, search profiles and communicate through text messaging.

Laura Tiggs, spokeswoman for Sprint, expects the new feature to be very popular especially around Valentine’s.

She also mentions the company decided to act on this because of the popularity of online dating and text messenging.

Subscribers considering Match.com Mobil can pay $4.99 a month for unlimited usage and for the month of February only they can sign up and communicate with matches free. Those signing up with SMS.ac can pay $0.25 to send or receive text message for their three services: search profiles to find a date to flirt with, join mobile communities to chat for the same price per text, and choose to receive a text from their feature channels like celebrity gossip or latest news.

Lavalife Mobile is to debut later this month will allow users to dial a number to listen to voice greetings, trade instant voice messages to connect live for $0.79 per minute plus airtime, browse picture profiles and send messages to each other for $4.99 per month.

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National Zoo debuts cheetahs

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 (UPI) — Anything but camera shy, the frisky cheetah cubs at the National Zoo, who are already playing follow-the-leader and romping around in the snow, will be making their formal debut to the public on Saturday.

The cubs, two boys and two girls, were born two weeks ago. This is the first litter for four-year-old mother Tumai who has been bonding with her cubs off-exhibit for the last month.

“I think people are going to say these are the cutest cubs they’ve ever seen no matter if their playing or sleeping,” said animal keeper Craig Saffoe, who hopes visitors will also take the time to learn more about the cats.

Saffoe, who has worked at the National Zoo for the last 11 years as a cheetah keeper, was on duty monitoring the cubs the night they were born.

On a daily basis, Saffoe takes care of both mother and her cubs. He says that since he has been at the zoo, there have been 15 cats and currently there are nine including the cubs.

“[The experience] has been phenomenal,” he said. “I can’t even put it into words. The best thing is that [Tumai] has been such a great mom. It’s been effortless for us because we were worried that she would neglect her cubs and we’d have to come in and hand-rear them.”

According to veterinarian Carlos Sanchez, who has been at the zoo for the last four years, says that both the mother and cubs are healthy. Sanchez has been looking after the cats since the birth.

As of Monday, the cubs weigh about 10 pounds and are examined every two weeks since they were born, and already one of the females is feisty when we examine her, says Sanchez. This includes taking blood samples to monitor immunologic response to vaccination. These studies, conducted on other cheetahs at the zoo, are among a number studies used to clarify cheetah biology as well as physiology.

The small cubs still have their baby teeth and fuzzy baby hair and Sanchez says it will take them seven months to a year before they are fully grown.

According to Sanchez, the staff are able to determine the different of the gender because of a patch of clipped hair on the left or right front or back leg of the cubs. Males had a patch on the back of one of their legs while females had a patch on one of the front legs.

What makes these cheetah cubs interesting to research experts are that their mother’s conception was of importance for reproductive scientists studying the cheetah species. These are the first ever cheetah cubs, naturally born, right at the zoo.

Tumai was found to be pregnant 93 days after mating with a male cheetah from another zoo. Her conception was natural instead of other methods such as artificial insemination.

“This really exemplifies what 25 years of research can accomplish,” said Dr. Jo Gayle Howard who has been involved in reproductive research primarily with endangered animals. She is a leading figure in developing successful sperm processing and artificial insemination protocols for rare carnivore species. Howard has been at the zoo for the last 25 years as well, since the time the zoo became committed to cheetah conversation.

The zoo’s researchers along with the National Cancer Institute first reported 25 years ago that the lack of genetic variation in the cheetahs contributed to reproductive problems and disease.

The zoo first successful developed a successful method of freezing and preserving cheetah sperm, which resulted in the first surviving litter of cheetah cubs caused by artificial insemination. One of those cubs from the litter stills remains at the zoo. So far, they’ve had 10 successful artificial inseminations cases.

Moreover, zoo researchers also have successfully transported and used frozen semen from wild cheetahs in Africa, said Howard who mentioned that there have been 3 litters to have resulted from this method.

She also says that they have made strides in understanding methods of mating such as studying hormones extracted from feces. She mentioned that some key elements should be some competition between two males for a female. But she says, that they have also learned over time what not to do, like sticking two cheetahs together and expecting them to mate.

In addition, Howard says that although cheetahs live from 12 to 15 years, infertility is greater within eight years, so younger animals are needed to breed.

The zoo also has a partnership with the organization Cheetah Conservation Fund that collaborates with African farmers in ways to deal with cheetahs without killing them. This includes using guard dogs or donkeys to scare off a cheetah from their livestock. Both organizations work together to record data and collect sperm from wild cheetahs, to diversify the gene pool. So far, there is an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 cheetahs in the wild today.

The zoo has also developed the Global Cheetah Forum, an African-based network that ensures the survival of the cheetah species. It is currently working with several organizations to implement the first cheetah census in Africa in 30 years.

The cubs will not stay long term at the zoo, but placement will be determined by the Species Survival Plan — a breeding and conservative program with zoos throughout North America.

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Iraqis head to vote in the United States

By Stokely Baksh
NEW CARROLLTON, Md., Jan. 30 (UPI) — Nada Al-Hussaini hasn’t seen her country for 12 years but she made sure she was going to have a say in its future — a one recorded by more than a vote.

Hussaini entrusted her son with the duties to videotape her family’s experience from the moment they arrived at the polling station in suburban Washington to the time they cast their ballots to elect a party for the Iraqi National Assembly.

“I want to see Iraq better,” said Al-Hussaini, 43, who migrated from the southern Iraqi city of Diwaniyeh and traveled with her family of 12 from Lancaster, Pa. — about 100 miles — to vote. “I want to see it better than America. I wish that … I think democracy will make something good of Iraq.”

The Iraq elections were called to select an interim government beginning with a 275-member National Assembly, which will name the country’s leaders and draft a constitution. That framework of government will be used in later elections — set for the end of 2005 — to seat a permanent government that will replace the regime of deposed President Saddam Hussein.

U.S. President George Bush, who ordered the military action that drove Saddam’s government from power, has called the Iraqi elections “historic.” “I anticipate a grand moment in Iraqi history,” Bush said of the elections during a news conference last Wednesday.

The run-up to the election was marked by increasing numbers of attacks on polling places and election workers in Iraq, as some elements in the country tried to short-circuit the process. Many of the attacks were said to be the responsibility of a group headed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, which has links to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida. Zarqawi has often threatened to disrupt the voting process.

Still, people there showed up to vote and, while the Iraq elections are certainly centered in that country, more than 280,000 Iraqi expatriates registered to vote outside Iraq and, like the Al-Hussainis, turned the opportunity to cast a ballot into a time of family, celebration and hope.

“I see a good future for Iraq, the way I see the sun,” says Eshan Al-Hussaini, 44, Nada Al-Hussaini’s husband. “We missed that for all our lives. All the years passed, years of suffering, years of no freedom, now we get it. We can say yes or no.”

Nada Al-Hussaini, like others, hopes of visiting the country again someday, perhaps this summer. She told of seeing her mother four years ago but she was not able to return to Iraq when her mother died two months ago. The couple hopes by June that Iraq would be safe enough to travel to.

“My children … ‘Mom, they tell me … we want to go to Iraq,’” Al-Hussaini said. “They’re excited.”

About 85,000 expatriate Iraqis voted Friday around the world and about 5,600 of those were from the United States. At the Ramada Inn on Friday about 500 Iraqi immigrants of the approximately 2,000 who had registered, had voted, according to spokesman Jeremy Copeland from the International Organization for Migration’s Iraq Out-Of-Country Voting Program.

The program, setup by the IOM, was allocated $92 million by the United Nations to facilitate the voting process in 14 countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Iran, Britain and the United States. In the United States, the Washington suburb of New Carrollton, Md., Detroit, Chicago, Nashville and Los Angeles became polling grounds as well.

“It’s amazing to see people’s faces when they drop the ballots in the box … Many have waited their whole lives to vote,” said Copeland, who also described Iraqis dancing and singing in the Maryland hotel parking lot. “People were clapping when their families voted.”

Unlike the high-tech electronic voting and short paper ballots seen in November’s U.S. election, Iraqi ballots were four 8-inch-by-11inch pages that listed 111 political entities and more than 7,000 candidates, Copeland said.

The ballots will be counted by Thursday and totals sent electronically to the Independent Election Commission of Iraq, which will tabulate all the votes and announce the results of the election.

While some Iraqis have complained about the lack of voting stations, the distance they had to travel and had concern over whether their vote counts, Copeland said that another problem has been that some people were “overwhelmed” to vote because of the many political entities and lack of resources and education on each entity.

But for others, they already knew who would have their vote.

“I hope Iraq (becomes like) America, where there is democracy,” said Raz Abdulqadir, 19, translating for her mother Saadia. “No more rulers, kingship and dictators. We don’t want that anymore. We want the ‘people’ in government.”

The two women, both Kurds who emigrated from northern Iraq to the United States five years ago, came with their family to vote. Although they are voting for Kurds, they say that all Iraqi people need to be like the United States and come together.

“All of them have to be involved,” said Raz, who said she was proud of voting and about the elections in general especially because her 20th birthday falls on the last day of elections.

For Hardi and Shaelair Nuri, the chance to vote meant bringing their 9-year-old son to the polling station. All were dressed in traditional Kurdish wear.

“He says ‘Mummy, I want to go to see what you’re doing over there,’” said Shaelair Nuri, mentioning that she doesn’t remember voting in her homeland.

“I don’t remember ever doing like today,” Shaelair Nuri said. “I’m very happy.”

Meanwhile, Mark Hanna, 29, an Iraqi immigrant who moved to the United States almost 20 years, said that the voting station reminded him of Iraq. Hanna, a labor lawyer, was part of a labor delegation that went to Iraq last year.

“This feels like Iraq … They even made a little entrance for (a checkpoint) like that in the Green Zone,” he said, adding that he hopes to go back to the war-torn country again.

Hanna, planning to vote for a progressive party in Iraq in hopes of allowing progressives like himself to return to the country, said he has family members in Iraq who are scared to vote.

“It’s a very courageous thing over there to vote … over here it’s not so bad,” he said. “I’m voting today to end the occupation and (create) a whole new Iraq.”

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Subsidy request shadows Airbus jet debut

By Stokely Baksh

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 (UPI) — French aircraft maker Airbus SAS will unveil its new 555-seat A380 jumbo jet in Toulouse, France on Tuesday, only a few days after yet another Airbus request for development funding, which might well restart the long U.S.-E.U. feud over alleged illegal government aid to the aircraft-manufacturing giants.

Airbus overtook U.S. rival Boeing Co. in 2003, when Airbus delivered more planes than Boeing for the first time ever. Airbus did it again this year, delivering 320 planes to Boeing’s 285. Airbus describes the new A380 as the world’s only twin-deck, four-aisle airliner, the most fuel-efficient in the world, and outfitted with amenities like full-sized beds.

The new aid request is another blow to Chicago-based competitor Boeing, as this round of subsidies if granted would fund Airbus’ A350, designed to be a direct competitor to Boeing’s upcoming 7E7 Dreamliner.

Airbus has requested about $1.34 billion in new aid from France, Britain, Germany and Spain, countries that funded the development of the A380.

Those onsite for the unveiling will include E.U. leaders French President Jacques Chirac, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who are expected to be among as many as 4,500 guests that will be attending.

Since June 2004, the United States has been urging European trade officials to end their subsidies to Airbus, which is jointly owned by European Aerospace and Defense Company EADS and BAE Systems of Britain.

The dispute first arose when Airbus outsold Boeing last year by 305 to 281 aircraft. Airbus now controls more than 50 percent of the aircraft market, up from 30 percent when the U.S.-E.U. Agreement on Large Civil Aircraft was signed in 1992. The agreement limits state financial support and limits grants to up to 33 percent for aircraft manufacturers’ research and development costs per new aircraft. In October 2004, the United States terminated the 1992 agreement late last year when it filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization about Airbus’ subsidies.

Also under the agreement, loans are repayable over a 17-year period, and Airbus will not have to repay the loans if the company does not meet its sales goals.

Boeing complained that Airbus had received as much as $15 billion in aid from European governments without the constraints of raising money at commercial rates and paying it back under traditional terms. But Europeans argued that those are loans on which Airbus has already repaid $6.5 billion.

Furthermore, tensions grew when EADS tried to compete with Boeing who was struggling to gain approval over the summer for a $23 billion deal for aerial-refueling tankers from its long-time customer the U.S. Air Force.

But both the E.U. and Airbus pointed out that Boeing received billions in what amounted to aid from its U.S. defense, space and transportation contracts. As general bilateral talks between the two nations deteriorated, the E.U. continually cautioned the United States from filing a WTO case against Airbus, as some E.U. officials have reported that the case was politically motivated to help President Bush in states where Airbus rival Boeing.

Former E.U. trade commissioner Pascal Lamy warned the U.S. Congress of a possible WTO case against U.S. tax subsidies to Boeing in September 2004. Moreover, Peter Mandelson, now E.U. trade commissioner, had threatened in October of last year that a WTO case would harm both aircraft makers which both enjoy subsidies. Mandelson even claimed that the E.U. would link the subsidy dispute to another transatlantic disagreement over Washington’s Foreign Sales Corporation (FSC) scheme that benefits Boeing.

Still U.S. trade officials warned against the FSC claim and soon filed a lawsuit with the WTO, causing an E.U. countersuit charging illegal subsidies to Boeing in October. It was not the first time the United States had taken action regarding Airbus; it had already challenged Airbus subsidies in 1989 and 1991.

“Since its creation thirty-five years ago, some Europeans have justified subsidies to Airbus as necessary to support an ‘infant’ industry. If that rationalization were ever valid, its time has long passed. Airbus now sells more large civil aircraft than Boeing,” said U.S. Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick in October 2004.

The resulting bickering led to a tit-for-tat in Brussels, Belgium two months later when the E.U. said it would include the FSC in their WTO case about the U.S. export tax subsidy “extraterritorial income exclusion” that was deemed illegal by the WTO in 2002.

Congress, again objecting to the inclusion, repealed the export subsidy first and complied with the WTO achieving some praise from the international community. Worried E.U. officials though, expressed concerned that Boeing would benefit greatly with the two-year phase out period of the policy since the company will get a two-year, $300-million phase-out for the subsidy. The subsidy will be replaced with $137 billion in new corporate tax breaks.

The repeal of the tax break policy may prompt the E.U. to lift trade sanctions on some $4 billion in U.S. imports this month. The sanctions were scheduled to be eliminated on Jan. 1, but it was delayed after several E.U. member states objected to a proposal in December that would allow the European Commission to reimpose sanctions.

“For the first time in this long-standing dispute, the U.S. and the E.U. have agreed that the goal should be to end subsidies,” said Zoellick. “We have further agreed to use the definitions and framework of the WTO subsidies rules as the basis for an agreement.”

U.S. officials are saying that the framework for the agreement should take about three months, in which time the goal is to the end subsidies. During this time, neither country will be allowed to engage in any other WTO dispute proceedings or cases involving large aircraft development.

However, Airbus’s call for aid for the proposed A350, tentatively set for 2010 delivery, might disrupt the impending bilateral agreement talks.

“The objective on which we agreed is to secure a comprehensive agreement to end subsidies — and I repeat, end,” said Richard Mills, spokesman for Zoellick. “The U.S. will not agree to permit new aircraft subsidies that are illegal under World Trade Organization rules, and that certainly covers launch aid.”

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Hotel workers picket as inaguration looms

By Stokely Baksh
UPI Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 (UPI) — Visitors planning to stay in some of Washington, D.C.’s most expensive hotels for the presidential inauguration this Jan. 20 may have to do so without the assistance of more than 3,500 hotel employees, according to UNITE HERE! Local 25, the union organizing these workers.

In an informational picket outside of the Mayflower Hotel on Monday, representatives for area hotel employees said that if a new contract is not signed by Jan. 15, workers from 14 of the city’s hotels, including the Hilton, Starwood, Loews and Marriott, will go on strike for the presidential inauguration.

Donald Gomas has worked as a hotel housekeeper for the past 17 years, but the 72-year-old now faces the possibility of a strike if employees cannot negotiate a new contract by Jan. 15.

“We are looking for a contract to be signed,” Gomas said. “On Inauguration Day we are going to go right away to strike.”

Gomas says his biggest concern is health care, since he and his wife are in jeopardy of living without any insurance.

Other issues of concern to area hotel workers include wage and pension increases.

John Boardman, executive secretary-treasurer of Local 25, said the contract negotiations were about ensuring “dignity and respect” for all hotel employees. Boardman said the hotel workers want higher wages, health insurance for themselves and their families, and “a pension plan that allows these workers to retire with dignity, not poverty.”

Boardman said Washington, D.C. hotel employees are irreplaceable because of their experience working with politicians and members of state, as well as the security clearance they have gained. But Boardman worries that hotel management could exploit that experience by locking workers out after the inauguration.

“They’d use us in the inauguration and then throw us out on the street,” Boardman said.

The deadline for contract negotiations was set for Jan. 15 in order to prevent the hotels from utilizing workers’ skills during the busy inauguration period and then dismissing them when the festivities ended, Boardman said.

Hotel workers are keenly aware of the effect a strike may have on the inaugural festivities.

“No one wants to go on strike,” Boardman said, a sentiment echoed by many of the picketing workers outside the Mayflower. But the union employees are willing to do so in order to secure their contract demands.

Although occupancy at Washington D.C. hotels have risen to pre-9/11 rates, UNITE HERE! Local 25, which represents over 3,500 hotel workers, says that current negotiations between hotel workers and management do not reflect a fair wage increase. Hotels are proposing a 30-cent wage increase for each of the next three years, while workers say they need wage increases of 70 cents.

“We still don’t have a viable economic package on the table,” says Amanda Cooper, spokeswoman for UNITE HERE!

Under current negotiations, retirees in the hotel industry would receive a pension plan of $635 a month after 30 years of service. Cooper says that no one could retire on such a meager pension in a city as expensive as D.C.

“Our staffs are professionals,” says Cooper. “There is no way these hotels would be able to replace our workers.”

In the event of a strike, UNITE HERE claims that guests paying upwards of $1000 a weekend in posh downtown hotels could be faced with no room service, no clean towels, and no housekeeping services.

“We made a lot of progress in terms of respect and dignity issues,” said Cooper in reference to negotiations held on Jan. 6. But Cooper also mentioned a rift remained between hotel workers and management over the issues of wages, health insurance and pensions.

Still, hotel officials are not concerned that the strike will effect business.

One of the hotels not concerned about the strike is the Marriott Wardman Park in N.W., one of the largest hotels in the District, which employs about 900 associates.

The hotel’s Director of Marketing, Bill Wallace, does not anticipate any customer-service interruptions to occur if there was a strike. The hotel, said Wallace, has a business contingency plan which it implemented since the expiration of the workers’ contract over the summer, and the warning of a possible strike two days before the contract expired on Sept. 15.

Wallace expects that the hotel will be close to filling its 1,334 rooms for the event. A hotel room for the event will cost almost $400 and requires a minimum stay of three days and three nights. The hotel will also host one of the biggest inaugural balls, the Black Tie and Boots Ball, hosted by the Texas State Society of Washington D.C., which will see about 12,000 attendees, according to Wallace.

“Our hotel will be fully staffed and provide the services that [guests staying at our hotel] are accustomed to,” said Wallace, in terms of workers were to strike during the inauguration.

Lynn Lawson, spokesperson for the Hotel Association for Washington D.C. which represents the 14 hotels, says that general managers are prepared to continue providing the same quality of service.

“I think union leadership (needs to take into consideration) what the impact of the strike would be on employees,” Lawson said. “More progress can be made on the negotiation table, not on the city walk.”

A strike during inauguration would not help protesting employees, because they would lose out from attaining financial gains such as overtime and extra tips, she said.

Already some progress has been made as both sides have come to some compromises.

At last week’s meeting, more progress was made than in the five months that both sides have been in negotiation, says Lawson. Agreements at that meeting included language pertaining to workplace dignity, as well as some non-economical proposals of the contract, such as employees assigned to other jobs otherwise not part of their job description.

The challenge that remains is economical, including health insurance and wages.

However, Lawson, like Cooper and many hotel management staff and employees, hope that a contract will be signed by end of the week.

“I hope they are going to sign a contract this week (with the city) being busy with the inauguration,” said Mike Franz, an employee of the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, who looked on at his peers on Monday’s informational picket. “We don’t try to enforce the strike, but if we have to, then we will.”

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(With reporting by Jackie Franzil and Carrie Moskal.)

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Feature: Election distortion at the Black Cat

By Stokely Baksh

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 (UPI) — Distorted images of live feeds of election results and news anchors was the backdrop of election night at the Black Cat as patrons of the left spectrum from anarchists to moderates and supporters of Sen. John Kerry were exposed to techno music and election talk.

“Election Night Remix” showcased the local talents of DJ Spooky That Subluminal Kid, videographer and producer Robin Bell and a Media Deconstruction Kit created by Randall Packer from the U.S. Department of Art and Technology.

“We’re here to dance, we’re here to party in a totally non-Washingtonian fashion,” said Washington resident Melissa Ballowe. “Sure we’re going to watch the election results, but we’re going to have fun.”

Ballowe soon found herself torn between the music and watching the results of the election from a nearby television, eagerly hoping that President Bush would not win another state and the Democratic Party candidate Sen. John Kerry would emerge victorious. “I’m a nervous wreck,” Ballowe said.

During the show, many revealed their political ideologies and discussed the election. They included Laura Harris, 22, who works the door at the nightclub. Harris was watching the election results during her break.

She says that shows like these aren’t unusual for her since employees are politically active and the nightclub has been the host for many politically inspired shows.

“We try to be involved,” said Harris, who mentioned that they have worked on the Kerry campaign.

Harris also shared her feelings about the current election, the Republican voter, uninformed voters who are voting and her views of young people as well as the media.

“Hollywood media is crap, no one knows what’s going on,” Harris said. “They just need to speak in layman’s terms and explain everything.”

However, while many came out to see the elections, others came to see the musical performances, especially that of DJ Spooky.

Patrick Tuffy, who just moved from Boston, came out to the show not only to see the DJ but also to watch some of the election, which he could not see at home.

“(DJ Spooky) actually puts on a good show and I don’t have a TV at home, so at least I’ll be able to see the preliminary election results,” Tuffy said.

Although the crowd was mostly made up of young people, many older adults were seen hanging out in the same crowd talking politics and learning about a new subculture.

“(We’re) actually celebrating a birthday for my son and we wanted to see the elections,” said Maryland resident Cameron Niakan, who stands looking out over the crowd, which was still trickling in.

Niakan, who is originally from Iran, said that this was the first time he had visited the nightclub and did not know what to expect.

“I am a little too old for this music, but I can tolerate it,” said Niakon, who said he had recently turned 40.

For Randall Packer, the creator of the Media Deconstruction Kit, the experience was new. Packer, who began work on the kit in January, collected news coverage of the campaign trail. During the show, live feeds from news stations were shown in which they were manipulated and distorted by software he developed.

“I really want to have an impact on young people who come to these clubs and activate them,” said Packer, who hopes his artwork will inspire people. “We mix a few things that are not from tonight’s coverage, to show the confusion and the manipulation of broadcast.”

Packer, whose artwork has been shown in museums all over the world, said that he started the project because of the increase of media bias and polarization.

“The media articulates and calculates the perception of the government and whether it is right or wrong, it lies or tells the truth,” Packer said. “A lot of people feel helpless — they have no control over the media and the media is controlling their reality.”

Packer called tonight’s experience an anthropological experiment bringing experimental, radical art to the nightclub and providing people with a “purely artistic experience.”

However, videographer Robin Bell just hopes the event will bring people together and make them dance.

“Most Americans will sit isolated at home getting either ready to be angry or passive,” Bell said. “We’re hoping that no matter what the result is, people come out.”