NEW NET Issues List for 30 October 2007

Below is the final list of issues for the TUESDAY, 30 October 2007, NEW NET (Northeast Wisconsin Network for Economy and Technology) 7:00 - 9:00 pm weekly gathering upstairs at Tom's Drive In, 501 N Westhill Blvd, Appleton, Wisconsin, USA.

The ‘net

1. ProQuo aims to stop junk snail mail http://venturebeat.com/2007/10/22/proquo-aims-to-benefit-from-stopping-junk-mail/
2. Insider Domain Name Snatching Probed http://tinyurl.com/247q3v (Washington Post)
3. Google Maps And Twitter Essential Resources For California Fires http://tinyurl.com/2smate (InformationWeek)
4. Viral videos online start an epidemic http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2007-10-24-viral-videos-main_N.htm
5. 5 things to tell journalism students http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2007/5-things-to-tell-the-students/
6. Attention to Intention to VRM http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/attention_to_intention_to_vrm.php
7. Verizon Launches '20/20' FiOS Plan for $65/Month http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2205370,00.asp
8. Stars of the New Web http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20071030/tc_pcworld/138895
9. Prof replaces term papers with Wikipedia contributions, suffering ensues http://tinyurl.com/2hjnmm (Ars technica)
10. Prism http://labs.mozilla.com/2007/10/prism/
11. 1-Man Company May Be Worth $1Billion http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/plentyoffish_one_billion.php
12. Whois May Be Scrapped to Break Deadlock http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8SJ3TC80&show_article=1
13. Yahoo adds media playing, languages to Messenger 9.0 http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071030/wr_nm/yahoo_messenger_dc

Security, Privacy & Digital Controls

1. UBC tracked 'theft of time' http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=a7dc308c-65ca-42e2-b3ef-c0a7c67869a4
2. Microsoft rebuts rogue WSUS reports http://tinyurl.com/33grny (Computerworld)
3. Comcast to employees: talking about blocking P2P can get you fired http://tinyurl.com/2xwge9 (Ars technica)

Mobile Computing & Communicating

1. Apples Estimates 250K IPhones Sold to Unlockers http://blog.wired.com/business/2007/10/apples-estimate.html
2. Credit Card Only For Apple iPhones, Max Two Per Customer http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071027/ap_on_hi_te/apple_iphone
3. Asus Eee PC 701 Review http://laptopmag.com/Review/Exclusive-First-Review-Asus-Eee-PC-701.htm
4. T-Mobile's Shadow Stands Out as Ray of Light http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,139001-c,cellphones/article.html
5. Skypephone Set To Disrupt Wireless Market http://news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20071029/tc_nf/56339

Open Source

1. Asian Governments Promote Open Source Development http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,139003-c,opensource/article.html
2. San Diego's ToorCon keeps hackers current http://www.linux.com/feature/120046
3. Ubuntu 7.10 is outstanding http://www.linux.com/feature/120112

SkyNet

1. Sync Gmail inbox across devices with IMAP http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/sync-your-inbox-across-devices-with.html
2. Google & Vint Cerf: Internet Trends http://tinyurl.com/2z8nz4 (Barrons)
3. 'Gray Googlers' strike gold http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2007-10-25-retirees-google-adsense_N.htm
4. Code changes to prepare Gmail for the future http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/code-changes-to-prepare-gmail-for.html
5. Can a Google Phone Connect With Carriers? http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119369951717475558.html

General Technology

1. Apple Offers New Goodies in Leopard System http://tinyurl.com/3xpwcy (NY Times)
2. Giant factory to make super-tiny chips http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/biz-topheadlines/208272.php
3. Terabyte Thumb Drives http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/news/2007/10/ion_memory
4. Evidence Based Scheduling for Programming Projects http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2007/10/26.html
5. Seagate's whopper of a drive -- the 1TB Barracuda http://tinyurl.com/yqhxsy (Computerworld)

Leisure & Entertainment

1. Will Wright: Interview and Spore on the Wii http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/oct/26/willwright
2. 'Consumer VPN' Allows Content Sharing Among Friends http://news.yahoo.com/s/zd/20071026/tc_zd/218211
3. "Mass Effect" space epic to evoke emotion http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071025/wr_nm/videogames_masseffect_life_tech_dc
4. No clown, Hulu looks great http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9806950-7.html
5. Making Games Physical with 3^rd Space Vest http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/19637/?a=f

Economy and Technology

1. Apple's Profit Jumps 67% On New Products http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119282260914965121.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
2. Apple Now Worth more than IBM http://www.9to5mac.com/apple-passes-ibm-in-market-cap-24353434
3. More to Mac sales than a halo http://www.news.com/8301-13579_3-9802156-37.html
4. Microsoft Bets $240M On Facebook Stake And Web Ad Boom http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119323518308669856.html
5. Facebook Takes the Money And Runs http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/10/24/facebook-takes-the-microsoft-money-and-runs/
6. It's not as hard to build a startup in NYC as you've heard http://www.thisisgoingtobebig.com/2007/10/poking-the-bear.html

Civilian Aerospace

1. Lunar rover flies, then falls http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9805888-7.html
2. Lunar Lander Challenge Ends in Fire, Disappoinment http://www.space.com/news/071028-armadillo-aerospace-failure.html
3. X Prize Cup rocket challenge flames out http://www.news.com/X-Prize-Cup-rocket-competition-flames-out/2100-11397_3-6215706.html
4. Crews Wanted for Mock Missions to Mars http://www.space.com/adastra/071018-adastra-marsvolunteers.html
5. First Commercial Spacesuit Debuts at X Prize Cup http://www.space.com/news/071028-orbital-outfitters.html
6. X Prize Cup Exec Summit Connects Adventurers & VCs http://www.space.com/news/071027_x-prize-executive-summit.html
7. Space Angels Network http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,207452.shtml

Supercomputing & GPUs

1. Hardware Assisted Brute Force Attacks: Still For Dummies http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000986.html
2. GPU Computing Gets Ready for Act II http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1856011.html
3. High Performance 3D Image Reconstruction Platforms http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1848768.html
4. ClearSpeed Announces Resources for HPC Software Developers http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1851020.html

*****

Questions About Innovation for Potential Employers

Here are a few questions to consider asking your potential employers when evaluating their level of and commitment to innovation.

As mentioned in a previous post, you are more likely to enjoy your job if you work at a company which is truly innovative. Prior to asking these questions of a potential employer, you should do as much research as possible about these questions. After doing this research, you'll be able to more intelligently phrase your questions. You'll also have a good feel for what some of the answers should be, so you can see how well their replies match up with what your research has shown.

Different questions about innovation may be more appropriate for various organizations, and there are many other questions you can ask to better understand innovation at a given company. However, here are eight to use as a starting point.

1. Who is the company innovation leader, and what people at the company are involved in innovation?
2. Which four or five innovations does the organization feel are the most valuable ones it introduced in the past two years?
3. What innovations are expected in the next year? In the next three years? (The person you're talking to will likely answer in very general terms or decline to answer this question. The purpose of the question is to understand what expectations you should have for being involved in innovation if you take a job with the organization.)
4. What is the company's budget for innovation, or how does the company allocate resources to innovation?
5. What innovation collaborators and resources outside the organization are available to employees of the organization?
6. How does the company enable and encourage innovation networking and collaboration both within and outside the organization?
7. How does the organization balance resources focused on the two conflicting goals of evolutionary innovation vs incremental innovation? (Related to The Innovator's Dilemma)
8. A highly innovative environment will generate innovation opportunities either tangential to or irrelevant to the organization's business. How does the organization deal with those innovation opportunities, in terms of either spinning them off as a separate business entity, allowing the people involved with that opportunity to pursue it independently, or preventing anyone from taking the innovation idea to market?

There are many other facets of an organization to consider when evaluating if that organization is a good fit for you. However, your enjoyment of a position at the organization depends quite a bit on whether their innovation culture is one which meets your needs.

*****

Overlooked Benefits of Innovation

This post came out of today’s roadtrip ruminations on the topic, “If I had to chose a company to work for, how would I choose?”

Because of a current interest in and exposure to innovation, one criteria high on the list for selecting the best company is how successfully a company uses innovation to strengthen and expand their markets. Although innovation is an overused buzz word, there are benefits of innovation which are often overlooked.

Since graduating from college, I’ve worked in six different companies. Based on observations in those companies and discussions with people who worked in other companies, it seems less than half the people in American companies truly enjoy their jobs. Another way to state the above question is, “What company/job would I truly enjoy?”

There are many reasons why someone might not enjoy their job. A certain percentage of people are probably in either the wrong company or in the wrong job at their current company. Other people may not have had adequate training or been given the right resources to do their job. Some people find themselves in a bad situation with very difficult co-workers or managers. A few people can find things to complain about regardless of the situation, and they will never truly enjoy their job no matter what company they work for.

Another reason people may not enjoy their job is because the company doesn’t have a strong focus on innovation or does not have a culture or history of successful innovation. If a US company does not innovate in today’s global economy, it is likely to gradually or quickly lose sales and market share, resulting in decreased profits. Those decreased profits will be quickly followed by reduced employee benefits and job losses, as well as reduced employee morale and job enjoyment. The most innovative, capable and motivated employees are likely to seek better jobs at a different company, further reducing the company’s innovation and creativity resources.

Thinking about this situation caused me to consider some overlooked benefits of innovation. Below are a few of those overlooked benefits:

• Innovation products have higher profit margins which allow the company to provide attractive employee benefits (a la Google's healthy free lunches and interesting Tech Talks).
• Innovation attracts smart, motivated employees -- people who are interested in and able to effectively deal with change.
• Innovation provides an outlet for creativity and employees' desire to make a difference.
• Innovation successes reinforce the innovation process.
• Innovation provides the opportunity to do new things whilst remaining at one's current company.

When working on making your company more successful, pursue both evolutionary and revolutionary innovation. If a company focuses only on evolutionary, or incremental, innovation the company will tend to stagnate. Dedicate 20% of your innovation effort toward totally new products or significant brand extensions. Companies in less mature markets will, of course, need to dedicate more than 20% of their resources to revolutionary products.

Job seekers choosing a company to work for should identify ones with a track record of innovation. A good company will also have the products, people and processes in place for future innovation. Learn as much as possible about a company before considering working for them. Tomorrow's blog post will discuss a few innovation questions to ask employees and management at your prospective future employer.

*****

PPNB Supercluster Innovation Center

An intriguing concept full of possibilities for Wisconsin innovation is a PPNB supercluster Innovation Center.

PPNB is a complementary group of industry sectors including pulp and paper, printing, nonwovens and biorefinery. The concept behind this supercluster is that each cluster has technology, product, raw material and infrastructure ideas and knowledge to share with the other three clusters. A commonly-held view is that significant opportunities for innovation occur at the intersections between the sectors in an industry supercluster.

The PPNB supercluster was identified by the 2003 Northeast Wisconsin Economic Opportunity Study (NEW EOS) as a strength or resource of the region. Ever since reading that report, I've been intrigued by the possibilities that innovation in that supercluster holds for improving the economy of Wisconsin. A PPNB Innovation Center would be an effective focal point for capitalizing on the strengths identified in the NEW EOS.

The ideal PPNB Innovation Center (PIC) will have full-scale production facilities for at least one of the four sectors and at least lab and pilot-scale facilities for the other three sectors. One variation of this is an integrated pulp and paper mill which has a biorefinery unit to convert waste streams into fuel or energy and other biorefinery processes converting biomass into bio-polymers which can be used for coating papers, can be converted into nonwovens raw materials, or can make value added end use bio-products. The printing area of the PPNB Innovation Center will be able to print on paper produced in the paper mill, have equipment to do printing research, print on specialty nonwovens, and have an area to install new printing equipment supplied by an entrepreneur or a printing equipment company. The nonwovens area will have several pilot lines to run trials for raw material companies and for converters and will be able to run both standard nonwovens polymers such as polypropylene and polyethylene, as well as machines to run new biopolymers developed in the facility's biorefinery or ones developed elsewhere. This PIC will be an innovator's dream lab and workshop and will lead the way in spinning out startups and new products.

Most people involved with any of the four PPNB sectors would agree a facility like this will be valuable for northeast Wisconsin. The primary challenge to making the PIC a reality is structuring the business model for such a center and bringing together the necessary investors and industry players.

Attending the Insight Nonwovens Technical Conference in Florida this week convinced me that innovation is happening in the nonwovens world. The scary thing is that too little of the nonwovens innovation is being done in the US. Because of labor costs and the global economy, if the US nonwovens industry wants to remain an import part of the sector, it had better stop being complacent and stop thinking that other areas of the world look to the US as the primary source of innovation. From Carlos Richer and others at the conference, I heard many examples of areas other than the US bringing innovations to the nonwovens market. The US nonwovens sector needs to collaborate, innovate, learn from other sectors and be the first to market with many new technologies and products. The paper industry has not yet learned that lesson -- can the nonwovens industry learn it before it's too late?

If you have ideas about the PIC or want to work with me to move the project ahead, send me an email.

Biorefineries, Biofuels and Biochemicals

Biorefineries is currently a hot topic because biofuels are seen as a potential partial solution to national energy security and because of an interest in sustainable or 'green' products and businesses.

However, the issues related to maximum agricultural or forestry conversion of sunlight into energy leads me to conclude the most effective use of biorefineries in higher latitudes (above 35 or 40 degrees) will be for bio-products other than fuels or energy and for treatment of organic wastes. Significant amounts of biofuels will most cost-effectively be produced in climates with a maximum amount of annual sunlight using crops with a high conversion rate of solar energy into an energy form usable by industrial, commercial or consumer customers.

Because of concerns about oil supplies and prices related to energy or fuel, most biorefinery research, investment, government grants and government subsidies have been focused on biofuels or bioenergy. The true benefit for high latitude regions of all those bioenergy research and investment dollars put into biofuels is that they will pay for coincidentally developing bio-products other than biofuels.

Many chemicals and products people currently use and consider a normal part of everyday life were not available prior to the advent of the petroleum industry. All those products had to be invented and innovated (new products brought to the market in a profitable way) as part of the developing petrochemical industry sector. Although oil in various forms has been used by people for thousands of years, the first oil well in the US was not drilled until the 1850s. Until the 1950s, coal was the world's most common fuel. In 2007, the largest use of oil is for vehicle fuel, with combined fuel and energy consuming roughly 80% of the oil produced. All the chemicals listed in the Wikipedia article about petrochemicals had to be developed and brought to market by scientists, engineers and companies. Twenty-five or fifty years from now, a Wikipedia (or its successor) entry for "biochemicals industry sector" may well be amazingly similar to the one for petrochemicals.

The petrochemical sector is really a segment of the hydrocarbon chemical industry, as will be the biorefinery sector. Knowing the chemical reactions used in the petrochemical industry will give the biochemical companies a jump-start. Similarly, having 100 additional years of physics, chemistry, engineering and other types of knowledge the early petrochemical pioneers lacked will make the start-up curve much shorter for biochemical compared to petrochemical. Nanotechnology may also play a significant role in quick advances in the biochemical field.

The emerging biochemical industry brings opportunities for chemical engineers, chemists, biologists and botanists that have not been seen for many years. A huge question, though, is what role US scientists, engineers and companies will chose to take in shaping this emerging industry. Will they deny its importance and chose to either block its advance or ignore it, or will they whole-heartedly participate in developing sustainable biochemical products, processes and companies?

*****

Mobile Computing: Road Warrior Wannabe

The cloud is not yet a cloud -- or at best, it's only partly cloudy.

The cloud to which I'm referring is the internet 'cloud.' The term 'cloud' has not yet reached total acceptance in terms of referring to omnipresent 24/7 access to the internet (often through a wireless connection), but an increasing number of people who go online away from their home or 'office' know what the internet cloud is. Alternate terms are the 'net, SkyNet or the matrix.

The term 'road warrior', for the purposes of this blog post, refers to people who connect to the internet frequently and in a variety of ways when away from their home or primary workplace. They might connect with a laptop, an iPhone or other smart phone, a wireless PDA or UMPC (ultra-mobile personal computer), a library computer, a hotel lobby computer, an internet cafe computer or some other mobile computing device. A road warrior will have figured out tricks of the trade and will know many ways of convincing reluctant hunks of hardware or balky internet service providers to conjure up a usable connection to the 'net. However, in spite of those tricks of the trade, road warriors are occasionally thwarted in their quest for Google-goodness.

Some problems are related to the warrior's equipment. The computing device might not be suitable -- if using someone else's hardware, it may not have enough RAM or cpu-power, it might not be able to connect to the available internet signal, they might not have adequate electrical juice or the correct power connectors, or the software might be set-up wrong, out-dated or compromised by malware. The internet connection might be the main issue -- the warrior may not have an account with the ISP (or might not want to pay high access costs), encryption on the signal may prevent a connection, the wireless router may need to be reset or might be a signal incompatible with the warrior's hardware (use of 802.11 b or g equipment should prevent this problem), the DNS (domain name system) connection being used might not be working properly or a number of other issues may be the problem.

People dedicated to mobile computing can figure out many of the roadblocks, but there are still all too many times when one has no choice but to give up on their preferred method of connecting and try to find an alternate way to access the net.

The closest thing to a ubiquitous cloud in the US at this time seems to be an iPhone. The iPhone has raised the bar for smart phone providers, and many hardware and cell service providers are coming out with 'iPhone killers.'

With a bit of luck, early 2008 will see the emergence of the Gphone. And with even more luck, the Gphone will provide low-cost widespread connections to the cloud in a device with an open full-fledged computing operating system, a GPS, a cell connection and an 802.11 wireless connection.

When that type of device appears, a new era of innovation will be launched.

And road warriors everywhere will smile.

*****

Industry Seminars

On 18 October 2007 I attended a pulp and paper industry professional seminar hosted by two industry product manufacturers.

Participating in barcamps has resulted in my viewing typical industry professional seminars in a different light than I did previously. When sitting in the same seat for the entire day in a classroom-type row of tables with information being presented to the attendees by the manufacturers reps, the urge arises to get up and move to a different "session." Then I remember I'm not at a barcamp, and there are no sessions. I remember attendees are mainly at the event to hear what the manufacturers reps want to tell us.

The old-style seminar is less appealing to me than unconferences for several reasons. First, the agenda and format of the event convey the impression that the objectives of the seminar sponsor are the only reason for the attendees to be there. Because the sponsor is paying for the event, it makes perfect sense that they design the agenda and format to benefit them. What sponsors sometimes fail to understand, however, is that they'll more likely achieve their objectives when attendees also feel they'll gain significant value from time spent in the seminar.

Second, designing and delivering a seminar which is engaging and enjoyable for all those involved will create a conversation between the sponsor and the event attendee/participants. A primarily one-way presentation implies that people who come to the event are attendees. One-way presentations also says the presenters know all they need to know about opinions or issues of the attendees. Conversely, the two-way conversation recognizes people attending the seminar as participants. A two-way conversation is more likely to make participants willing to share information about their needs and concerns relative to the sponsor's products, services or other reasons for hosting the seminar. People who are participants are more likely to take an active interest in whatever the sponsor is 'selling'. The two-way conversation will allow participants to better understand the value of the sponsor's organization or products to them. The goal of the seminar is no longer to just give the sponsor an opportunity to present their message. The goal is now to allow a discussion about participants' needs and the ways in which the sponsor can best address those needs. If the sponsor determines they can't effectively address a participant's needs, an introduction can be made to other organizations with whom the sponsor collaborates (not competes) who can best solve the participant's problems. In those cases where the conversation shows a sponsor's competitors can better address the needs of seminar participants, the sponsor has learned about a market opportunity and can then decide if it's worthwhile to develop a competitive solution. It's better to have a potential future customer or referral who appreciates your honesty and assistance than a dissatisfied ex-customer who realized too late your products or services didn't effectively address their needs.

In today's world of ADD, short attention spans, downsized companies, overloaded and overscheduled American lifestyles and competitors willing to adapt to the global economy and new world of work, truly understanding your customers or target market is critical to both surviving and growing as an organization. When you were the only game in town, it was easy to prosper even if you didn't understand or cater to your customers. Customer loyalty, limited mobility, lack of Wal-mart mentality, a slower pace of change and the absence of an internet bringing world-wide information to customers' homes meant customers would often buy your products or services just because you existed. However, the world has changed. Having two-way conversations with customers is an essential way to understand your market and to remain a preferred supplier for your products or services.

The third reason to bring an 'unconference' approach to industry seminars is because of networking. Most information presented by an industry supplier can be gotten via the internet these days. A primary value of participating in industry seminars is the networking opportunities. When people at a seminar feel they are participants, they are more likely to speak up, to volunteer useful information relevant to the topic of the seminar. Voicing their concerns or talking about their work situation invites others to network with them about related issues. If the seminar is structured to encourage and facilitate networking, people are more likely to come to the event, they are more likely to benefit from attending, and they will view seminars sponsored by that organization as more valuable.

For these reasons and more, industry seminar sponsors would do well to read the 'unconference' entry in Wikipedia and consider how to incorporate appropriate aspects of unconferences in their seminar. They are guaranteed to have more worthwhile seminars...

*****

1st Fox Valley Geek Dinner

A gaggle of geeks gathered for a good time on 16 October 2007 at Fratellos Riverfront Restaurant in Appleton under the mantle of the first Fox Valley Geek Dinner.

The dinner was a good start to what I hope will be a tradition of memorable geek dinners in the Fox Valley, northeast Wisconsin and other parts of Wisconsin. As mentioned in a post a month ago, the idea of starting the geek dinners in this region sprang for reading a blog post and from having read "Never Eat Alone" by Keith Ferrazzi.

The conversations in which I took part or which I overheard on Tueday evening were interesting and fun. They also held the seed of future conversations and collaborations. Those future interactions between people who met at the dinner will be fun to follow and hear about in years to come.

The geek dinner started at 6 PM, although several of us arrived at 5:30 to get the lay of the land and relax with quiet chit-chat before the actual event. Not too long after 6 PM, the group wandered from the bar area to our table. There were ten of us for dinner, although next time I might set it up for eight if most participants don't know each other. Ten or twelve people will be a nice size if most of the dinner participants have met at least once or twice so they know names and a bit about each other. But when a majority of the people don't know each other, eight is likely the maximum number which will allow everyone to talk for at least a short while to every person at dinner.

The food and atmosphere at Fratellos was generally good, but a Fox Valley search to find a quieter setting with a round or oval table is needed. A quieter setting would have allowed people to more easily talk in groups of three to five. At Fratellos, it was difficult to have more than two or three people included in a conversation. Having a round or oval table would also connect the group better than a long narrow rectangular table.

Digital pictures of the event to include with this blog post were in the master plan, but with everything else I was doing on the afternoon of the 16th, I forgot to bring the camera. It would be nice if I had a thin pocket-style camera like Justin K's Canon Elph, although Canon primarily calls them PowerShots these days. Maybe Santa will bring me the PowerShot 850, which is 3.6" x 2.2" x 1.0" -- it fits nicely into a pocket whilst still feeling like it's not a toy. With a 4X optical zoom, 8 mp, image stabilization and all the typical modern digital camera features, the 850 would be much more fun to put in my pocket than my older Canon PowerShot A610.

The dinner lasted longer than I expected, with the first person trying to exit about 9:40 PM, although I think it was actually 10:20 when he left. Some of the people had long drives, including the far side of Lake Winnebago, Milwaukee and Wausau. The last four of us to leave decided to get a cup of coffee or something else to sip on while we chatted. Turned out that Starbucks and Copper Rock had already closed, so we ended up at Basil's. By the time I got home, midnight had already passed by...

We'll set up the next Fox Valley Geek Dinner soon. I'm sure there are other tech-inclined people in northeast Wisconsin who will enjoy spending a few hours over dinner with other like-minded inhabitants of this region. Building the tech community will unquestionably lead to worthwhile and enjoyable new relationships. With a bit of luck those new relationships will also lead to some great new ventures or adventures.

Here are websites of the people at our first Geek Dinner (if I missed some, let me know and I'll add them) :

Appleton Products USA
Technosis
Abba Makolin Waldron & Associates, LLC
myDigitechnician
Kelpinc
Fireseed
SuperStarch
CitizenDesk

I always look at events and projects with a critical eye and try to figure out what I could have done differently to help things turn out better. Not everything went the way I had envisioned for the geek dinner, but I've got some ideas for making the next one even more 'successful.' In spite of there being a few things I wasn't satisfied with, however, all the feedback I've gotten so far was that people enjoyed themselves and will show up for future Geek Dinners. In the end I guess that's the real test of whether it was worth pulling the event together.

*****

NEW NET Issues List for 17 Oct 2007

NEW NET will once again convene at a quite new meeting location -- the Cambria Suites Hotel on the north side of Appleton. They have free wireless, high quality and out-of-the-ordinary food for those who don't have time to eat supper before coming to the meeting, and interesting beverages, including Wolfgang Puck concoctions and bottled soda with pure cane sugar. Below is the final list of issues for the WEDNESDAY, 17 October 2007, NEW NET (Northeast Wisconsin Network for Economy and Technology) 7:00 - 9:00 pm weekly gathering at Cambria Suites Hotel, 3940 N. Gateway Drive, Appleton Wisconsin, USA.

The ‘net

1. Interoperability in Virtual Worlds http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/interoperability_in_virtual_wo.php
2. Blazingly fast Internet2 gets 10x boost http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071010/ap_on_hi_te/faster_internet
3. The Structured Web - A Primer http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/structured_web_primer.php
4. Microsoft Adds Event Planning to MS Live http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=202402042
5. Judge orders firm to stop making software that aids scalpers http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_7185051

Security, Privacy & Digital Controls

1. Biometrics wing their way into Gatwick http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39168746,00.htm?r=1
2. Phoenix airport to test body-scan machines http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2007-10-11-body-scan_N.htm
3. When politicians invoke the do-this-or-Americans-will-die argument http://www.news.com/8301-13578_3-9795316-38.html

Mobile Computing & Communicating

1. Palm Centro Review http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/11/technology/circuits/11pogue.html
2. Teenager claims to have easy iPod Touch jailbreak http://www.news.com/8301-13579_3-9797067-37.html?tag=nefd.blgs
3. Broadcom introduces 3G on chip http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9797486-7.html
4. BBC online to go free over wi-fi http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7045123.stm
5. Debating the morality behind software development http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6213376.html
6. Hyundai W-100 Wrist Phone http://tinyurl.com/3dkfbj (Gizmodo)
7. Microsoft's Phone Ambitions Face A Winding Road http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=202403451
8. Sprint, HTC Unveil Touch, The Latest IPhone Rival http://tinyurl.com/2h42uq (CNN Money)

Open Source

1. Russian schools move to Linux http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7034828.stm
2. Zend Brings Microsoft Into the PHP Fold http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/3704156
3. Ballmer Claims Red Hat Violates Microsoft IP http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,138266-c,redhat/article.html
4. Red Hat, Novell sued for patent infringement http://www.news.com/8301-13580_3-9796868-39.html
5. Open-Source Eclipse Launches Ajax Platform http://blogs.zdnet.com/Burnette/?p=412
6. Ubuntu founder: Ubuntu replacing Windows http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/34388/118/

SkyNet

1. Google patents datacenter-in-a-shipping-container, ignores Sun's BlackBox http://tinyurl.com/29w8vv (Ars technica)
2. Google unveils YouTube antipiracy tool http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9797622-7.html
3. Does payback on email alone make Google Apps worth $50/yr.? http://blogs.zdnet.com/Berlind/?p=838
4. Google Both Yin And Yang For Islam http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2007/10/15/google-both-yin-and-yang-for-islam
5. Google Offers Advertisers $2000... http://tinyurl.com/26tdyu (Internet Financial News)
6. Is Google Backing Off From Universal Search? http://blogs.mediapost.com/search_insider/?p=637
7. Google increases Gmail storage http://tinyurl.com/yuamyh (Pocket-Lint News)

General Technology

1. Qinetiq touts 'Transformer-like' mobility-scooter killbot http://tinyurl.com/24lwjj (The Register)
2. Windows XP SP3 to Include Some Vista Features http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,138251-pg,1/article.html
3. Night of the Living Vista http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2190228,00.asp
4. Hitachi to make multi-TB CPP-GMR drives by 2009 http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,138434-c,harddrives/article.html
5. Santa Clara University team's sun house http://www.mercurynews.com/bizreports/ci_7156658
6. Apple to Ship Mac OS X Leopard on October 26 http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/10/16leopard.html
7. The Future of Software Development http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_future_of_software_development.php
8. Hassle-Free PC http://www.forbes.com/technology/free_forbes/2007/1015/056.html

Leisure & Entertainment

1. Publishers Flock to Wii, But Will it Be Enough? http://blogs.pcworld.com/gameon/archives/005640.html
2. CSI Creator Announces Details of Oct. 24 Second Life Episode http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/005649.html
3. And The Walls Came Tumbling Down: Madonna Dumps Record Industry http://tinyurl.com/376brr (TechCrunch)
4. Universal Wants To Unite Labels To Destroy iTunes http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/005678.html

Economy and Technology

1. Texas criticized for removing biofuel incentives http://tinyurl.com/2zda24 (Dallas News)
2. Skype and Vonage must die http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9042358
3. Caterpillar: Web 2.0 giant http://www.roughtype.com/archives/2007/10/caterpillar_web.php
4. ‘No Yelpers’ Says One Local Café http://gesterling.wordpress.com/2007/10/16/no-yelpers-says-one-local-cafe/
5. Silicon Valley Start-Ups Awash in Dollars, Again http://tinyurl.com/26u9ek (NY Times)

Civilian Aerospace

1. Taking the Pulse of Personal Spaceflight http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/071011-xprizecup-symposium.html
2. X-Wing rocket interview and in-flight disintegration http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/34230/113/
3. TEENAGE ASTEROID HUNTERS http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/10/09/404377.aspx
4. Africans To Deploy Microsats http://tinyurl.com/2ymh34 (Aviation Week)
5. Space museum needs boost http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071007/LIFE/710070306/1005
6. Download ‘The Space Report 2007 Update’ http://www.thespacereport.org/
7. Make Your Own (paper) X-15 http://www.airspacemag.com/issues/2007/october-november/paper_X15.php

Supercomputing & GPUs

1. G92 and RV670 are GPGPU monsters http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/10/11/g92-rv670-gpgpu-monsters
2. HPC User Forum Wrap-Up http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1825077.html
3. Q&A: Dr. Valentina Salapura http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1829825.html
4. Donation Helps Butler University Get First Supercomputer http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1822541.html
5. New Nationwide Internet2 Network Complete http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1825305.html
6. Internet2, Brazilian R&E Network Team on Health Sciences http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1831569.html
7. SC07 Panels: From Quantum Computing to Exotic Architectures http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1828030.html
8. Astrophysicist replaces supercomputer with 8 PlayStation3s http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/news/2007/10/ps3_supercomputer

*****

BarCampMilwaukee2: The Aftermath

BarCampMilwaukee2 occupied the October 12 - 14 weekend from 1 PM on the 12th (left Appleton) through 6 PM on the 14th (arrived back in Big-A town).

Most of those hours were occupied by listening to tech, discussing tech and thinking about tech, with a wee bit of time used for eating and sleeping (both on-site at Schlitz Park, site of BarCampMilwaukee2). If you want immersion in tech, put barcamps on your to-do list. For those interested in Midwest barcamps, the BarCampMadison2 event will most likely be the next opportunity for you.

If you reeeeally like the sound of barcamps, get involved with the organizing of BarCampMadison2. The organizing teams can always use more help and more ideas. Sign up for the MadCity barcamp Google Group and join in on the fun.

Some of my favorite sessions from BarCampMilwaukee2 were Co-working, Elevator Entertainment Project, LED Throwies and Techno-Utopia (and Dystopia). There were other sessions I enjoyed, and quite a few I felt badly about missing. Just too many fun things happening at the event and too many interesting people to talk with. Many of the sessions I planned to participate in were missed simply because I got carried away talking with all the new people I met who are passionate about some aspect of technology, either making it or using it.

Activities are already planned with a couple people I met this past weekend at BarCampMilwaukee. As I've said before, post-event interactions are the best aspect of barcamps for many people.

If this sounds like a worthwhile and enjoyable use of your time, make sure to reserve a spot on your calendar for BarCampMadison or another barcamp near you. Or organize your own barcamp or other unconference!

*****

NEW NET Issues List for 09 Oct 2007

The NEW NET group of tech enthusiasts will try out a new meeting location -- the Cambria Suites Hotel on the north side of Appleton. They have free wireless, food for those who don't have time to eat supper before coming to the meeting, and some interesting beverages, including Wolfgang Puck concoctions and bottled soda with pure cane sugar. Below is the final list of issues for the TUESDAY, 09 October 2007, NEW NET (Northeast Wisconsin Network for Economy and Technology) 7:00 - 9:00 pm weekly gathering at Cambria Suites Hotel, 3940 N. Gateway Drive, Appleton Wisconsin, USA.

The ‘net

1. Women, Health & the Net http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/28/AR2007092801718.html
2. Introducing the BT FON Community http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/fon/introducing-the-bt-fon-community.html http://tinyurl.com/ypwskn
3. New Microsoft Service Stores Health Records Online http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,138082-c,sites/article.html http://tinyurl.com/28umgj (LA Times) http://tinyurl.com/yv4xef (Ars technica)
4. Microsoft Offers IE7 to all, Pirates Included http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,138125-c,internetexplorer/article.html
5. The Fakebook Generation http://tinyurl.com/2n2qwc (NY Times)
6. Black Friday ads already popping up online http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071004/wr_nm/blackfriday_ads_dc
7. Berkeley university puts courses on YouTube http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071004/tc_afp/lifestyleitinternetuniversityyoutube
8. The brains behind Bugmenot http://tinyurl.com/2aeybr (Sydney Morning Herald)
9. IBM updates mash-up builder for businesspeople http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9793569-7.html

Security, Privacy & Digital Controls

1. Sony BMG's chief anti-piracy lawyer: "Copying" music you own is "stealing" http://tinyurl.com/2cln52 (Ars technica)
2. 24 illegal downloads cost woman $220,000 http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071005/tc_afp/entertainmentusinternetmusicjustice
3. Danger Lurks on Government Web Sites http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20071006/tc_pcworld/138151
4. Yahoo, eBay, and PayPal Join on E-Mail Authentication http://news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20071005/tc_nf/55804
5. GM Lets Police Kill Engines of Stolen Cars http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/10/onstar_stolen.html

Mobile Computing & Communicating

1. McDonald's launches free Wi-Fi in UK restaurants http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071005/wr_nm/mcdonalds_wifi_dc
2. Japanese phone features outshine the iPhone http://news.yahoo.com/s/infoworld/20071005/tc_infoworld/92387
3. Why Google GPhone Won't Kill Apple iPhone http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/138226/why_google_gphone_wont_kill_apple_iphone.html

Open Source

1. MontaVista, Arm, others to Build Linux UMPC Platform http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20071005/tc_pcworld/138038
2. Tiny Linux Hits the Streets http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20071003/tc_pcworld/138030
3. Novell Sparkles in OpenSUSE Update http://news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20071005/bs_nf/55803
4. Phishers getting better organized, using Linux http://news.yahoo.com/s/infoworld/20071004/tc_infoworld/92338
5. Thunderbird Developers Quit Mozilla http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,138240-c,email/article.html

SkyNet

1. Google and IBM build 'cloud computing' data centers online http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/08/business/cloud.php
2. Google: International Cleanup Weekend http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/NYF05905102007-1.htm
3. Google to buy Twitter rival Jaiku http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9793722-7.html
4. Google tools to power virtual worlds http://www.news.com/2100-1043_3-6212325.html

General Technology

1. On-campus Mac users quadruple http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2007/10/05/news/18871.shtml
2. Toshiba gadget reads hand as remote http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071002/ap_on_hi_te/japan_toshiba_hand_remote
3. IVDR devices: Like flash cards, but with hard drives http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9789453-7.html
4. Sharp integrates scanner into LCD http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/10/02/Sharp-integrates-scanner-into-LCD-panel_1.html
5. New Anesthetic Avoids Common Side Effects http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/85/i41/8541notw3.html
6. Senate votes more money for NASA space shuttle http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN0435902420071004
7. Bjorn Lomborg: environmental skeptic http://tinyurl.com/yv77sn http://tinyurl.com/2yhlm2 (TimesOnline, Telegraph)
8. Disposable PCs http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=304553&source=rss_topic85
9. New Hybrid Hard Drives From Samsung and Seagate http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,138102-c,harddrives/article.html

Leisure & Entertainment

1. Video game players battle for cyber supremacy http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071006/tc_afp/entertainmentusitgame
2. Nintendo gets touchy with new "Zelda" http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071004/tc_nm/videogames_zelda_life_dc
3. Japanese civil servants editing Gundam at work http://www.buzzle.com/articles/155145.html

Economy and Technology

1. Web Startups Are A Commodity http://avc.blogs.com/a_vc/2007/10/web-startups-ar.html
2. VoIP Vendor Jajah Protests eBay's Ban http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,138078-c,auctionsites/article.html

Civilian Aerospace

1. Air and Space Expo: A Sightseer's Paradise http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/071004-xprizecup-sightseeing.html
2. Spaceflight Technology's Next 50 Years http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/071003-tw-spaceflight-technology.html
3. How NASA helped invent Silicon Valley http://tinyurl.com/yq4m75 (News.com)
4. Do we need NASA? http://www.news.com/Do-we-need-NASA/2009-11397_3-6211308.html
5. Rocket payload contest for NDSU students http://www.ndsuspectrum.com/news/07Fall/08_Aug/10_5_07_news_rocket.html
6. Moon 2.0 - Your Chance to Ride Along http://www.xprize.org/blogs/wpomerantz/moon-2-0-your-chance-to-ride-along
7. Texas Investor Eyes Space Station as Orbiting Pharma Lab http://www.wired.com/science/space/news/2007/10/pharma_iss
8. Major players in private space travel http://www.news.com/2300-11397_3-6211252-1.html
9. Carnegie Mellon Sets Sights on Google's Lunar X Prize http://www.space.com/spacenews/071001_businessmonday_lunarprize.html
10. TRAVELEX LAUNCHES QUIDs IN SPACE http://www.travelex.co.uk/press/ENG/DOC_QUID_10042007.asp

Supercomputing & GPUs

1. Boy, 8, evaluates software for Silicon Valley http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/10/04/1004whiz.html
2. Cyber-enabled Discovery and Innovation http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/cdi/index.jsp
3. NSF Solicits Proposals for Computational Innovation http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1813430.html
4. UC San Diego Opens Doors to Internet2 Participants http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1815788.html
5. Computational Matchmaking for Proteins http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1813778.html

*****

Y Combinator in Wisconsin

An idea recently suggested to me by Justin K., of the Fireseed group, for improving the Wisconsin economy, and specifically for building the culture of entrepreneurship and innovation in the state, is to bring the concept of Y Combinator to Wisconsin.

Justin is in the early stages of formulating details of how the venture will work, but the concept is to build a fund to support early stage start-ups, especially ones focused on high tech and the internet. We discussed possibilities a couple weeks ago when I was in Milwaukee for the Adobe Tech Cafe.

The idea has been mentioned several times since then by Justin and myself to people involved with entrepreneurism and economic development in the state. Those people were intrigued by the idea and wanted to know more about it.

Justin's plan requires roughly a million dollars for the first year to fund three 'semesters' of three to four months with each semester involving four to six start-ups. The start-ups who take part in this program will spend their three to four months working on their business, learning more about what's needed to be successful in a start-up company, and being mentored by those investors to whom they will pitch their company for investment at the end of their time in the program.

Bringing a program like this to Wisconsin will help build the state's reputation for high tech business opportunities, will help the state reverse its brain drain and hopefully bring a few out-of-state entrepreneurs into the area. It will also focus a spotlight on the tech community in the Midwest.

Ideally the program will be funded by a consortium including venture capitalists, angel and early-stage investors, a few large corporations whose management understand the need to provide these types of start-up opportunities in Wisconsin, a wealthy benefactor or two who is passionately interested in promoting high tech companies in Wisconsin, and maybe the Department of Commerce and the Wisconsin Technology Council. If we can connect with the right twenty people in the state, launching this program would only require them to commit $50,000 from the organization they represent.

I have no doubt those twenty people would agree $50,000 is a reasonable amount for each of those organizations to put forward to generate the potential improvements a program like Y Combinator would bring to the Wisconsin economy and culture.

For more info about Justin's idea, to discuss the idea, or to provide seed money to turn this idea into a reality, contact either Justin or me (bob att gmail [dott] com).

*****

NEW NET Issues List for 02 October 2007

Below is the final list of issues for the TUESDAY, 02 October 2007, NEW NET (Northeast Wisconsin Network for Economy and Technology) 7:00 - 9:00 pm weekly gathering upstairs at Tom's Drive In, 501 N Westhill Blvd, Appleton, Wisconsin, USA.

The ‘net

1. Growth of web applications in the US http://tinyurl.com/ytm3cu (Rubicon Consulting)
2. Meeting up made easier http://www.webware.com/8301-1_109-9785326-2.html
3. IBM CoScripter Simplifies Web Experience http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2188979,00.asp
4. Microsoft retools Live Search to catch Google http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/333316_msftsearch27.html
5. Microsoft shares Office Live Workspace http://www.computerworld.com/blogs/node/6280
6. Microsoft Moves To Protect Office Revenues http://tinyurl.com/3x73qq (TechCrunch)
7. Adobe challenges word on the web http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7021630.stm
8. Adobe Raises The Stakes For Web Documents With Buzzword and Share http://tinyurl.com/yr9a8a (TechCrunch)
9. eBay's Desktop App Enters Public Beta http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,137910-c,auctionsites/article.html
10. It's Finally Official: eBay's Skype Has Bombed http://www.alleyinsider.com/2007/10/its-finally-off.html

Security, Privacy & Digital Controls

1. Myanmar Locks Down Monasteries, Cuts Internet http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14793352
2. Big brother may be watching you in Chicago http://tinyurl.com/24a5yb (Ars technica)
3. Unisys said to cover up DHS network breach http://government.zdnet.com/?p=3416
4. EFF sues the DOJ for withholding records of telecom immunity lobbying http://tinyurl.com/2yfuqn (Ars technica)
5. UK can now demand data decryption on penalty of jail time http://tinyurl.com/3btatf (Ars technica)
6. Domestic Spy Satellite Program Put On Hold http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=202200257

Mobile Computing & Communicating

1. WiMAX on the Chicago River http://tinyurl.com/ysbj2y (Ars technica)
2. Five Reasons Why The Mobile Web is Lousy http://publishing2.com/2007/09/26/five-reasons-why-the-mobile-web-sucks/
3. Palm's New Centro Phone: Treo Lite http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,137659-c,pdacellphonehybrids/article.html
4. Disney Will Shut Down Cellphone Service http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119094140401842103.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
5. Firmware Update Breaks Hacked iPhones http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,137872-c,consumeradvice/article.html
6. Gizmodo says Don't buy iPhone http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/09/29/gizmodo_says_dont_buy_an_iphone.html
7. If you care about your rights, don't buy an iPhone http://machinist.salon.com/blog/2007/09/28/unlock_iphone/
8. other headlines: HTC Touch Dual: iClone or Genius?; Samsung Unveils iPhone Rival; gPhone Or Not, Google's Going Mobile
9. The Coming Smartphone Operating-System Wars http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,298812,00.html

Open Source

1. Novell credits Microsoft for soaring Linux sales http://tinyurl.com/yrkjs2 (News.com)
2. Making a backup reminder script http://www.linux.com/feature/119341
3. Export Writer documents into any wiki format http://www.linux.com/feature/119363

SkyNet

1. New ways to dig into Google Book Search http://booksearch.blogspot.com/2007/09/new-ways-to-dig-into-book-search.html
2. Google Buys Mobile Social Network http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/09/google-buys-zingku-mobile-social.html
3. Activists use Google to help scuttle Santa Clara County logging plan http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_7039506
4. Google's Friends And Family Plan http://www.forbes.com/technology/2007/09/30/nokia-google-samsung-tech-cx_bc_1001google.html

General Technology

1. Why Microsoft must abandon Vista to save itself http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9785337-7.html
2. Microsoft Extends Sales of Windows XP http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2007/sep07/09-27xpsalescycle.mspx
3. IRobot develops gutter cleaner, mobile phone http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2742271220070927
4. Asustek delays Eee PC shipments http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20070926PD210.html

Leisure & Entertainment

1. Dell XPS m1730--A Serious Gaming Laptop http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/005543.html
2. Amazon's MP3 store: Better than iTunes http://machinist.salon.com/blog/2007/09/26/amazon_store/
3. Activision Buys Bizarre Creations http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2007/09/26/activision-gets-bizarre.aspx
4. 'Halo 3' Breaks U.S Sales Record, Brings in $170M http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,298242,00.html

Economy and Technology

1. Unsung Heroes Who Move Products Forward http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/technology/30ping.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
2. The (Sleepy) Attack of the Yahoo Vice Presidents http://tinyurl.com/ypmom3 (Boom Town)
3. 3Com sold? You're joking, right? http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9787606-7.html?tag=nefd.blgs
4. Ready or (mostly) not: here come more contactless payment devices http://tinyurl.com/ypachx (Ars technica)
5. Microsoft Buys Jellyfish.com Shopping Site http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20071002/tc_pcworld/137933

Civilian Aerospace

1. Former Astronaut's Son Signs on as Next Space Tourist http://www.space.com/news/070928_garriott_spacetourist.html
2. Holloman Air Force Base: Space History http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/070926_wirefly2007_holloman_base.html
3. SpaceDev: Focus on Core Space Technologies http://www.space.com/spacenews/070924_businessmonday_spacedev.html
4. Students From Nine Countries Will Fly on Zero-G Flight http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=773806
5. Space Diving: ultimate extreme sport? http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=3659189&page=1
6. Shuttle replica brings the space travel experience closer to home http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/295806.html
7. Space tether experiment hits major snag http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0709/25yes2tether/
8. Bigelow Space Modules Transportation Concerns http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/070928_bigelow_sundancer_concerns.html

Supercomputing & GPUs

1. Parallel Thoughts http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1805039.html
2. Programming Models for Scalable Multicore Programming http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1798054.html
3. IBM Announces Winners of Cell Processor Challenge http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1805391.html
4. Supercharging Seismic Processing with GPUs http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1803161.html
5. Using Video Game Technology to Find Oil & Gas http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1793669.html
6. IBM Announces Technology Center for Cell-Based Products http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1804627.html
7. Language Design for an Uncertain Hardware Future http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1796964.html
8. ESnet4 Rolls Out New Cross-Country 10 Gbps Network http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1803240.html

*****