Control The TV With Your Mind

“Hitachi Working On Technology That Uses Brain Activity To Operate Electronic Devices

Hitachi researcher Akiko Obata takes off head gear following a demonstration of a new technology that reads brain activity and lets you control everyday objects without lifting a finger at Hitachi's research lab in Hatoyama, near Tokyo, Wednesday, June 20, 2007. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

(AP) The technology could one day replace remote controls and keyboards and perhaps help disabled people operate electric wheelchairs, beds or artificial limbs.

Initial uses would be helping people with paralyzing diseases communicate even after they have lost all control of their muscles.

Since 2005, Hitachi has sold a device based on optical topography that monitors brain activity in paralyzed patients so they can answer simple questions; for example, by doing mental calculations to indicate "yes" or thinking of nothing in particular to indicate "no."

Click Here

”

We're one step away from a virtual economy.

Just found this one in my history. It's roughly one year old. I'll let you calculate its relevance:

“

'Dirty bomb' shipment to Iran siezed
Published: July 25, 2006 at 8:42 AM

LONDON, July 25 (UPI) -- The truck, owned by Kent-based shipping firm Orient Transport Services, was carrying 10 soil-testing devices containing radioactive caesium 137 and americium-beryllium, Britain's Daily Mail reported at the weekend. The paper said it was stopped at a checkpoint on Bulgaria's northern border with Romania after a scanner detected abnormal radiation levels. The Mail quoted a Bulgarian customs official as saying that although documentation listed the shipment as destined for the Ministry of Transport in Tehran, the lead-lined boxes containing the devices were addressed to Iran's Ministry of Defense. Andrew Maclean, a director of Orient Transport Services told the paper the shipment was perfectly legal. "We had a letter from the (British Department of Trade and Industry) confirming that no export license was needed to send these items to the Iranians," he said. "We also alerted customs officials about the goods we were transporting before they left the U.K. and the truck carried all the appropriate warning symbols to alert officials and the emergency services of what it was carrying." The paper said a spokesman for the department confirmed that "This sort of material ... is not covered by our export controls." Bulgarian border guards seized a British truck bound for Iran after discovering it contained radioactive material that could be used to build a dirty bomb.

”

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What comes after globalization?


“
...Experts consider opportunities of mining helium-3, the key mineral which can be found on the Moon. The Rocket and Space Corporation Energia states that this new fuel may be even more effective than traditional ones. A few kilograms of the lunar substance will be enough to start a thermonuclear electric power station. Delivery of helium-3 from the Moon to the surface will return great profits. To begin the mining of helium-3 on the Moon, astronauts must first of all build a base for miners to live and work in. Experts already know the exact location of helium-3 fields on the Moon. A special machine will be going about the lunar surface; it will dig, warm the lunar soil, regolith, and then extract helium-3. It is planned to build such a base in one of the lunar seas.

Europeans, Americans and even Chinese also want to participate in the project. November 1, head of Russia`s Roskosmos, Anatoly Perminov, came to China to conduct talks about the future of Russian-Chinese space cooperation.

”

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Russia Draws in the Fishnet

Most folks know about the U.S. and NATO ambitions to construct an anti-missile defense system in eastern Europe. I thought that the move would warrant them to aim their missiles right back at high-profiled targets in eastern Europe, yet, even that would not work to their advantage. Russia and the western powers seem to be "in a check". Yet, behind the scenes Russia hopes to tilt the status quo between the missile standoff and, slowly but surely, turn the geopolitical situation in their favor, whether Europeans like it or not.


“
"As you know, yesterday [June 23] Gazprom and the Italian [energy] company Eni signed a memorandum on the possible construction of a gas pipeline under the Black Sea," Putin told 10 heads of state from the Balkan region.

Putin also said Russia wants to build "underground storage facilities in several Balkan states, which will not only improve energy supplies to the region, but will make it more attractive and more important from the perspective of solving energy problems in Europe as a whole." "Actually, if we see the whole thing in a broader perspective, this kind of strategy that wants to decisively reduce Russian influence is not working so well. I think that Russia reacted with an intelligent strategy," Federico Bordonaro says. Like many analysts, Marshall Goldman, a professor emeritus of Russian economics at Wellesley College and the author of a forthcoming book on Putin's energy policy, compares Putin's energy policy to a game of chess. "The end game is to make sure that Russia maintains its monopoly control and to prevent anything from undercutting that kind of activity," Goldman says. "Gazprom's next step now is to pressure to gain control of the distribution lines within Europe, both Central and Western Europe." "This energy game in the western Balkans is actually linked to geopolitical moves and to Russia's desire to become once again an influential player in the region, so that it will balance the EU and United States combined and the European Union's enlargement," Bordonaro says.
"We cannot talk about a bloc," Bordonaro says. "What we can talk about is Russia's attempt to undermine the Washington-backed vision of a very homogenous wider Black Sea area, which is secured for NATO and Western security," he added.

”

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Solar Modulation

My reflection on the matter is that we, as humans, are reaching a proverbial Hubbert's Peak in thought pertaining to the fact that CO2 emissions are the most detrimental factors contributing to global warming. It'll be interesting to see those that rode the wave of that prevailing groupthink, assimilate the very notion of what they promote as checks and balances of reason. An excerpt by one of the greatest physicists helps to describe the issue more clearly:


“
The axiomatization of theories has, however also had some negative effects in the development of modern science. What has happened is that when a theory has been given a more or less axiomatic form, the resulting appearance of precision, fixity, and perfect logical order has often given rise to the impression that knowledge has finally arrived at a kind of ultimate truth. And so the axiomatic form can act as a set of “blinkers” preventing people from looking in new directions, rather than as a set of hints and clues pointing to contradictions and inadequacies in existing lines of thought.

-David Bohm

”

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The Future of Fashion

“
By Andrew Gray - WASHINGTON (Reuters) -

The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Army Gen. David Petraeus, is due to present a progress report in September which will be a major factor in any decision on troop levels.

Odierno said he believed Iran's Quds force had decided to increase support in recent months for Shi'ite extremist groups in Iraq as the United States built up its forces.

"I think they are trying to surge their support to Shia extremists," he said. "We've seen an increased flow of training to mortar teams and rocket teams. We've seen an increase in some flow of weapons and munitions into Iraq."

”

Click Here

From the likes of it, I would say this looks a bit like a tango. A significant reaction may come as a result of this proposed plan (and its final implementation):

• A surge may (intentionally or unintentionally) bring about a provocation. Iranian Quds force may take this as an opportunity. Therefore, it may be in their interest to tone down the repercussions of their attacks until a little after next spring through the actual presidential elections.
  

Now remember, when considering the escalation of affairs between the U.S. and Iran, I operate off of a safe assumption that conflict is inevitable (for ideological reasons and other details I'll dive into some other time). This reduction of U.S. forces (if finalized) in Iraq presents an ironic situation. I think that the result in this retreat may increase Iran's ambitions to influence politics in Iraq, which in turn, becomes an opportunity for the U.S. to justify escalation, thereby, consolidating an apex of Iranian defiances.

Oxford Analytica Global Stress Points Matrix™

The Global Stress Point Matrix™ (patent applied for) provides a methodology for identifying and measuring events (stress points). It monitors the drivers and restrainers tending towards or against the event occurring. Clients may also commission tailored stress points. Find out why you need the GSPM.

Rank	Global Stress Point
1	CHINA/TAIWAN: Armed hostilities (x)
2	UNITED STATES/IRAN: US strike on Iran (x)
3	UNITED STATES: Deep recession (x)
4	INTERNATIONAL: Human avian flu pandemic (x)
5	PAKISTAN: State collapse (x)
6	INTERNATIONAL: Return to protectionism (x)
7	INTERNATIONAL: Terrorist dirty bomb (x)
8	INTERNATIONAL: Oil price shock (x)
9	IRAQ: Collapse of state institutions (x)
10	INTERNATIONAL: Chemical/biological attack (x)
11	INDIA/PAKISTAN: Armed hostilities (x)
12	RUSSIA: Rise of assertive nationalism (x)
13	LATIN AMERICA: Disruption to hydrocarbons sector (x)
14	LEBANON: Civil war (x)
15	ARGENTINA: New sovereign default (x)
16	NORTH KOREA: Military conflict (x)
17	NIGERIA: Large-scale disorder in the Delta (x)
18	HORN OF AFRICA: Regional conflagration (x)
19	CENTRAL ASIA: Risk of major disorder (x)
20	BALKANS: Return to serious disruption (x)

Link

New age town embraces dollar alternative

“

By Scott Malone

GREAT BARRINGTON, Massachusetts (Reuters) - A walk down Main Street in this New England town calls to mind the pictures of Norman Rockwell, who lived nearby and chronicled small-town American life in the mid-20th Century.

So it is fitting that the artist's face adorns the 50 BerkShares note, one of five denominations in a currency adopted by towns in western Massachusetts to support locally owned businesses over national chains.

”

Full Article

We shall fight against them, throw them in prisons and destroy them.
Vladimir Putin

Rockets from Lebanon hit Israel

The rockets came from the Lebanese village of Taibeh, 4km (2.5 miles) from the border with Israel, Lebanese television station LBC reported. One hit a factory, the other hit a car.

A Hezbollah spokesman in Beirut told Reuters news agency his group was not involved in the attack, saying: "We had nothing to do with this."

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the attack was probably carried out by "a small Palestinian movement".

"We are still clarifying the circumstances," he said, during a visit to New York.

Full Article

We'll see if Hassan Nasrallah will live up to his claims of wanting another war with Israel this summer.

Small Change Indicative of a Greater?

Saudi Arabia looks poised to become the latest U.S. ally to favor EADS's A330 tanker aircraft over Boeing's embattled KC-767 program

by Stanley Holmes

Saudi Arabia appears ready to officially confirm a purchase of up to four refueling tanker planes from European Aeronautic Defense & Space (EADS) at the Paris Airshow, according to people familiar with the matter. The announcement, which could come this week, would raise further doubt about Boeing's (BA) ability to compete against a team from Northrop Grumman (NOC) and EADS North America to replace 179 aging U.S. Air Force refueling tankers.




Thanks to ex-CIA Robert Baer, business relationships with the House of Saud has been very easy decipher. The Saudi's, have for some time, been very enthusiastic as to rely on the U.S. for purchasing sensitive aircrafts. For now, it just seems like EAD's aircrafts are all-out cheaper. Even still, is this indicative of a flattening reliance between the House of Saud and the U.S.? And why are prices becoming more of a priority than relationships between D.C. and Riyadh? I'll keep watching.

Full Article

The Pentagon vs. Peak Oil

Full Article

By Michael T. Klare

"Sixteen gallons of oil. That’s how much the average American soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan consumes on a daily basis—either directly, through the use of Humvees, tanks, trucks and helicopters, or indirectly, by calling in air strikes. Multiply this figure by 162,000 soldiers in Iraq, 24,000 in Afghanistan and 30,000 in the surrounding region (including sailors aboard U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf) and you arrive at approximately 3.5 million gallons of oil: the daily petroleum tab for U.S. combat operations in the Middle East war zone.

Multiply that daily tab by 365 and you get 1.3 billion gallons: the estimated annual oil expenditure for U.S. combat operations in Southwest Asia. That’s greater than the total annual oil usage of Bangladesh, population 150 million—and yet it’s a gross underestimate of the Pentagon’s wartime consumption."

In my opinion, such a large consumption of oil was expected by central government officials. Many elites within the National Security circle are well aware of their ability to create artificial economies throughout the globe to provide rapid consumption(oil consumption similar to that of Bangladesh is more than enough to understand this strategy).

What are the gains?

• Executive decision-making in the hands of elites to curb peak oil before it actually occurs or occurs so abruptly that it brings consumers to stop spending (smooth transition).
• A by product of above; combat operations are proverbial catalysis to stimulate internal investments to bring about alternative fuel technology.

What are the risks?

• Military casualties.
• Stimulating the rise of protectionism throughout the globe.
• The credibility of our foreign policy.

Dutch Scientists Attempt to Grow Meat

POSTED Monday, June 04, 2007

Related Entries: Future Tech

What do you think — meat grows on trees? Maybe not, but how about in Petri dishes? Scientists in the Netherlands and the United States are working (separately) to create edible meat in the lab from animal stem cells. The U.S. is focusing on developing the technology for astronauts, while the Dutch are more ambitious: They'd like to replace the animals raised in farms with flesh that can be grown without any of the environmental downsides and ethical dilemmas that arise from keeping livestock. Think of all the vegans who could start eating meat again without any guilt! True, if we stop raising cows and pigs, Vermonters won't be able to power their homes on cow dung, but that seems a small price to pay if the synthetic meat can benefit the environment on a larger scale.

The scientists working on the project have grown only thin layers of meat cells so far, so Easter hams will be some years away. But the success of the project would bring up a thornier question: Which would you rather eat — meat grown in a lab, or Spam? — S.E. Kramer

SCIFI.COM

Flexible, full-color OLED

Putin wants new economic "architecture"

By Andrew E. Kramer

Published: June 10, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG: President Vladimir Putin sought to reassure investors and foreign leaders that Russia remained committed to free trade and investment for businesses that work here, in spite of a chill in political relations with the West.

But Putin said Russia would integrate with the world economy on its own terms - and possibly not by embracing the current rules of the global economic order.

Speaking at a business forum here Sunday, Putin called for a new world economic framework based on regional alliances rather than global institutions like the International Monetary Fund.

The new system, he said, would reflect the rising power of emerging market economies like Russia, China, India and Brazil, and the decline of the old heavyweights of the United States, Japan and many European countries.

The developed countries, Putin said, were dominating the institutions of world trade in an "inflexible" manner, even as their own share of the global wealth is diminishing. He said the world needed a "new architecture of international economic relations based on trust and mutually beneficial integration."

Full article:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/06/10/business/forum.php

Man of the Year

Arrested (TIME Magazine)
In 1977, Bill Gates was arrested by New Mexico police for speeding.

"I was out driving Paul [Allen]'s car," Gates says, flashing that same smile 30 years later. "They pulled me over, and I didn't have my license, and they put me in with all the drunks all night long. And that's why the rest of my life, I've always tried to have a fair amount of cash with me. I like the idea of being able to bail myself out."

...He's got that face that even the law can't shake.

Nikola-MIT Connection

It twas not the first time that scientists stumbled upon "WiTricity". As a matter of fact, Mr. JP Morgan might not have thought it sound to provide financial support for this Eastern European's inventions that were deemed way ahead of their time. Over shadowed much of his career by the likes of popular investors that withdrew their funding or other inventors that demanded patents be shared. A little more research on the issue and it might begin to dawn on you that our modern energy infrastructure is unethically monopolized. Some other examples of energy are listed below, thanks to-

"New Energy Sources and Inventions"
By Peter Lindemann, D. Sc. (Summarized and edited by Fred Burks)

• Radiant Energy. Nikola Tesla's Magnifying Transmitter, T. Henry Moray's Radiant Energy Device, Edwin Gray's EMA Motor, and Paul Baumann's Testatika Machine all run on Radiant Energy. This natural energy can perform the same wonders as ordinary electricity at less than 1% of the cost. It does not behave exactly like electricity, however, which has contributed to the scientific community's misunderstanding of it. The Methernitha Community in Switzerland currently has 5 or 6 working models of fuelless, self-running devices that tap this energy.
• Permanent Magnets. Dr. Tom Bearden has two working models of a permanent magnet powered electrical transformer. It uses a 6-watt electrical input to control the path of a magnetic field coming out of a permanent magnet. By channeling the magnetic field, first to one output coil and then a second repeatedly and rapidly, the device can produce a 96-watt electrical output with no moving parts. Multiple inventors have working mechanisms that produce torque from permanent magnets alone.
• Super-Efficient Electrolysis. Water can be broken into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity. When water is hit with its own molecular resonant frequency, it collapses into hydrogen and oxygen gas with little electrical input. Hydrogen fuel can drive engines (like in your car) for the cost of water.
• Cold Fusion. Though initial claims were debunked, cold fusion is very real. Not only has excess heat production been repeatedly documented, but also low energy atomic element transmutation has been cataloged, involving dozens of different reactions!

(Note* Research the concepts to verify the facts yourself.)

US loath to give up gas guzzler

NewScientist.com news service

It is no secret that American drivers are fond of their gas guzzlers. But it may prove tougher than anyone thought to persuade them to switch to greener vehicles.

Jeroen Struben and John Sterman of MIT developed a computer model to study the impact of government policy, economics and consumer behaviour on the adoption of hydrogen-powered and hybrid cars in the US. They found that even with new laws and funding to help educate the public on the merits of alternative fuels and build fuel stations it could still take 20 years before half of the US fleet is converted.

"Even the current hybrid cars will take a while, maybe 15 to 20 years, before they make any significant impact on fuel consumption," says Struben.

Patent sought on 'synthetic life'

Craig Venter has been working for years on a man-made organism

Scientists working to build a life form from scratch have applied to patent the broad method they plan to use to create their "synthetic organism". Dr Craig Venter, the man who led the private sector effort to sequence the human genome, has been working for years to create a man-made organism.

Full Article

The U.S. government will definitely be involved in this one.

After Musharraf

Posted May 2007

Pervez Musharraf has a crisis on his hands. Since sacking Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in March, opposition to Pakistan’s military president has flared out of control. With protests turning ugly, dozens dead in Karachi, and strikes convulsing the country, many wonder if Musharraf can maintain his grip on power. For this week’s List, FP takes a look at the candidates gunning for control of Pakistan. MARK WILSON/Getty Images News Benazir Bhutto Who is she? Exiled leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and prime minister from 1988 to 1990 and 1993 to 1996. Why she’ll get the job: She’s the face of civilian politics. Even from exile, Bhutto has been the fiercest critic of Musharraf’s clumsy military rule. More importantly, she remains the vital figure in civilian politics despite years out of the country. If the people of Pakistan decide that now is the time for the government to return to civilian hands, they will turn to Bhutto and the PPP. Why she won’t: She’s hated by the right people. Bhutto’s two stints as prime minister both ended in acrimony and accusations of all-pervasive corruption. Moreover, conservative forces within the religious establishment and the powerful intelligence services are horrified by the idea of any woman, let alone one as controversial as Bhutto, leading the country. They will go to any lengths—including, but not limited to, throwing the elections—to keep her out of power. The odds: She’s the top contender. For all her demonstrated failings and unique ability to divide, she has countrywide support and is poised to ride the wave of antimilitary sentiment. SPENCER PLATT/Getty Images News Nawaz Sharif Who is he? Along with Bhutto, one of the two figures who have monopolized civilian politics for the last decade. As leader of his Pakistan Muslim League party, he served as prime minister between 1990 and 1993 and again from 1997 to 1999. His last term ended miserably, with a forced departure for Saudi Arabia. Why he’ll get the job: He’s the palatable civilian politician. With bloody protests against military rule, the Army may reconsider its tactics and withdraw to behind-the-scenes power. If so, they’ll want a stooge to handle the day-to-day business of government, freeing up the generals to focus on their core issues of national security, foreign policy, and atomic weapons. Sharif fits the bill perfectly: experienced, inoffensive, and an undemanding ally. Why he won’t: Tepid support. Sharif’s reputation is no more pristine than that of his rival Bhutto. But where she has fiery charisma and countrywide backing, Sharif’s following is limited to the Punjab region, and he has never been anything more than a competent administrator. Before he made his exit for Saudi Arabia, the Army dragged his reputation through the mud, and his Pakistan Muslim League party tore itself apart. The odds: Slim. In such turbulent times, it’s unlikely that the high passions ripping through Pakistan will settle on everyone’s second choice. His promotion would lead to further protests and prolong instability. AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images General Ahsan Saleem Hayat Who is he? Vice chief of staff of the Army. After President Musharraf, he is Pakistan’s top military official: an important man in a nation where the military is crucial to all things political. Why he’ll get the job: The chain of command. If the situation in Pakistan escalates, with more deaths and protests, the military will feel obliged to restore order, even if that means moving against Musharraf, one of their own. In that case, the man on point to take over as president will have to come from within the armed forces. Hayat will have no choice but to assume power and take steps to suppress the opposition. Why he won’t: He’s on his way out. The vice chiefs of staff serve three-year terms, and Hayat began his over 2½ years ago. Musharraf originally scheduled elections for October. They’ve since been indefinitely postponed, and the outgoing parliament will likely elect the next president in any case. And by the time the moment of truth comes around, Hayat’s chance may well have passed. The odds: Negligible. Assuming he plays by the rules—always questionable in a country where political promises are routinely broken—Hayat will not be able to get within touching distance of the top job. CHIP SOMODEVILLA/Getty Images News Pervez Musharraf Who is he? Army chief of staff and president of Pakistan. Musharraf seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999 and has survived protests about his dual roles ever since. Why he’ll get the job: Canny politics and foreign support. Musharraf has never been overly concerned by popular opinion, and he knows how to manipulate the political process. He is more than capable of staging elections to defuse tension, and rigging the results to ensure he comes out on top. And with the United States heavily invested in the anti-Taliban campaign raging in Pakistan’s tribal territories, Musharraf will have few problems getting international blessing. Why he won’t: Military concerns. Musharraf serves at the pleasure of the military. If they decide that Musharraf now creates more security problems than he solves, the armed forces won’t hesitate to oust him as their chief of staff. Theoretically, he would remain as president of the nation. But a president that has been rejected by the military would have decidedly bleak prospects—and Musharraf knows it. The odds: Very good. Musharraf is in a tight spot—he’s never faced such bitter and determined opposition despite years of domestic and international criticism. Even so, as long as he still dominates civilian and military politics, he’s the man holding the cards.

Diplomatic Nightmare for U.S. if Turkey Invades Iraq

• A website report that 50,000 Turkish troops poured into northern Iraq to fight Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerillas set off alarms in Washington, where US officials scurried to try to find out what, if anything, had happened. (Sydney Morning Herald)

Reports of the invasion haven't been confirmed just yet.

Jim Young / Reuters

Presidents Vladimir Putin and George W. Bush emerging from one-on-one talks at the Group of Eight summit on Thursday in Heiligendamm, Germany.

Yours Truly, the GURU

Venturevoice.com
The battery is an afterthought for most inventors. All the fun seems to be in developing a device, not in powering it. But when was the last time you cursed your phone, camera or podcast player because it ran out of batteries? Simon Daniel got fed up with his batteries, and decided to do something about it. He invented the USBcell, a standard sized battery (yes, it comes in AA) that can recharge using any USB port. This isn't his first invention. Previously, he invented the folding keyboard and licensed the technology. This time he's bringing the USBcell to market himself through the company he founded called Moixa (axiom spelled backwards). Though this might force you to think differently, don't worry, we won't play the podcast backwards.

...to future self; "You're Going to Love This Dan"

Numbers Tell the Story

Source: Autodata Corp. as reported by AP/Rich Clabaugh – Staff
Vehicle Sales

NPR News Morning Edition

"Auto Execs Oppose Raising Fuel Economy Standards"

June 6, 2007 · Auto executives are pressing congressional leaders to revisit a plan to increase fuel efficiency standards that the automakers say could hurt their industry.

The Senate is expected to vote next week on a proposal to raise the standard to an average of 35 mpg for cars and trucks by 2020, an increase of about 10 mpg over current levels: A manufacturer's fleet of passenger cars now is required to get an average of 27.5 mpg for any given model year, while SUVs, pickups and vans must get 22.2 mpg.

Personally, I sense an economic slow down.

Look at those gullible faces

Yeah, It's Russian

Russian Floating Power Plants for As Much As Your House On Wheels

Deleted Source: www.mo<b>s</b>new<b>s.com/money/

My copy: Full Article

Russia’s Federal Nuclear Energy Agency has made a decision to build a low capacity floating nuclear power plant (FNPP), the first project of its kind in the world. The plant will be small and will produce roughly 1/150th of the power produced by a standard Russian nuclear power plant. The small nuclear power station will cost about $200,000.

Kuzin says that it will be hard to secure the necessary money. Russian businessmen have become used to making quick returns on their investments, and few are prepared to wait
for long-term returns. Yet there are still some businessmen who break the mold and are aware of the benefits of taking a longer-term perspective. The plant will save up to 200,000 metric tons of coal and 100,000 tons of fuel oil a year. It will be fully supported by the infrastructure of
the Russian nuclear industry, and will be serviced by rotating teams. The reactors will be loaded with nuclear fuel once every three years and will have a lifespan of 40 years. Every 12 years the plant will be sent home and overhauled.

Insight about the Google Borg

Portion of the article below:

Online stores, he notes, find that a quarter to a half of their visitors, and most of their new customers, come from search engines. And media sites are discovering that many people are ignoring their home pages — where ad rates are typically highest — and using Google to jump to the specific pages they want.

“Google has become the lifeblood of the Internet,” Mr. Battelle says. “You have to be in it.”

Best line: "Google is the lifeblood of the Internet".
Google Tweaks Its Search Engine

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Russian Arms Trade Summary:

• Last week Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov unveiled a $189 billion rearmament program that will replace about half of Russia's current military equipment by 2015. Among the armed forces' acquisitions will be a completely revamped early-warning radar network, new intercontinental missiles, a fleet of supersonic Tu-160 strategic bombers, and 31 new warships, including aircraft carriers.

• Last month Mr. Putin offered to partner with India to build a futuristic "fifth generation" fighter plane, which Russian designers is already under development and could be flying as early as 2009. Only the US has so far managed to field one of these new era combat jets – which have breakthrough capabilities of stealthiness, supersonic cruising, ultramaneuverability and over-the-horizon electronic visibility. And at $260 million per model, the new F/A-22 Raptor is by far the world's most expensive warplane.

• Russia is already supplying India with the Sukhoi-30MKI, an advanced "fourth generation" warplane that consistently defeats its Western counterparts, such as the frontline US fighters, the F-15C and F-16. Versions of the Su-30 are also being sold to China, Venezuela, and Malaysia.

• At a recent press conference, Putin said that Russia has nothing to fear from US missile defense systems because the new Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile has stealth characteristics that enable it to penetrate the American shield. "But this is not all," he added, mentioning a "new generation ... of strategic weapons systems," against which missile defense systems would be "powerless."

• In January, Moscow announced it had completed deliveries of 29 sophisticated Tor-M1 mobile antiaircraft batteries to Iran, and Mr. Ivanov hinted that Russia might also supply S-300 long-range air defense weapons. Experts believe that the Tor-M1, which can track 48 targets simultaneously, could seriously complicate any potential air strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.
"The Tor, in combination with the S-300, would provide a large envelope of protection to the Iranian nuclear complex," says Ariel Cohen, an analyst with the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington.

• According to Russian media reports, last year Israel complained to Moscow over Hizbullah's use of Russian-made antitank missiles, which inflicted serious casualties and inhibited Israel's armored mobility, during last summer's war in Lebanon. The Israeli media pointed to the Kornet-E, a new laser-guided rocket that can punch through meter-thick armor at a range of five kilometers, which Russia has officially provided to Syria. Russia denied that the weapons might have been diverted to Hizbullah, however.

'Dirty Bomb' materials past US border checkpoints

GAO investigators get 'dirty bomb' materials past US border checkpoints Enough material to 'make two bombs' gets through customs in Texas and Washington State.
By Tom Regan | csmonitor.com

In December 2005, small undercover teams of investigators from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) were able to carry small amounts of cesium-137, a radioactive material used for a variety of medical and industrial purposes, in the trunks of their rental cars past border checkpoints in the states of Washington and Texas. The Washington Post reports that the radioactive materials did set off alarms, but that the GAO agents were able to use phony documents to persuade US border guards and US Customs officers to let them pass into the US. GAO officials revealed their successful smuggling attempts at a hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. "These are documents my 20-year-old son could easily develop with a simple Internet search," said Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), who chaired the hearing into covert nuclear threats before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee yesterday. "It is a problem when it is tougher to buy cold medicine than it is to acquire enough material to construct a dirty bomb." Customs and Border Protection officials said a new system to confirm the validity of counterfeit Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licenses would be in place within 30 days. But the BBC reported that NRC spokesman David McIntyre disputed the claim that there was enough radioactive material to make two 'dirty bombs.' "It was basically the radioactive equivalent of what's in a smoke detector," Mr. McIntyre said. [Photo]

GovExec.com, a news website for federal managers, writes that another GAO report says efforts to prevent radioactive materials from being smuggled into the US overland or through seaports "are plagued by major flaws, schedule delays and cost overruns in the hundreds of millions of dollars ..." Overall, the government's effort to deploy more than 3,000 radiation portal monitors to all ports of entry by 2009 is "unrealistic" and will likely experience a cost overrun of $342 million, the GAO concluded in a report released Tuesday. The situation is particularly bleak at seaports because the Homeland Security Department's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency has not been able to get port operators to agree to install radiation portal monitors, especially for screening cargo being put on railroad cars and shipped to the interior of the country, GAO said. The GAO report also said the resistance of port operators to installing radioactive detection devices has put CBP plans two years behind schedule and "seaports continue to be vulnerable to nuclear smuggling." The officials say there is no reason to be optimistic that the situation will be resolved soon. CBS News reports that the government estimates it will spend $342 million more than it expects to complete the job, taking into account current costs and slowdowns. Between 2000 and 2005, the government spent about $286 million installing radiation monitors. USA Today reports that the news about problems with security at ports and border crossings comes at a hard time for the Department of Homeland Security. Labor leaders and members of Congress say the department is suffering a "brain drain that could affect morale and the nation's safety." Vacancies include top leaders in the department's cybersecurity, technology, and disaster response divisions. This month, operations chief Matthew Broderick resigned. Last month, Science and Technology Undersecretary Charles McQueary resigned. And in January, Chief Financial Officer Andy Maner quit. Meanwhile, the job of cyber-security chief has been vacant since last summer. David Paulison has been the acting chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency since Michael Brown resigned the $148,000 post in September; no permanent replacement has been found. FEMA is part of Homeland Security. USA Today also quotes Randall Larsen of the Institute for Homeland Security, who says it's going to be difficult to attract good people to the department. While the vacant jobs often have six-figure salaries, "Who's going to give up a good job in the private sector to go into an organization that is criticized by the press and Congress and the American people?" Mr. Larsen asked. In an editorial in early March, GovExec.com wrote that it has not been the best of years for the department, which is "still a mess." The department did have some successes, like the US Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology program. But GovExec.com says the list of failures is much longer, and often the failures took place in full view of the American public. Problems include an uneasy first year for Secretary Michael Chertoff, the very public problems with the response to the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, the lack of integration of key organizations under its jurisdiction, and the inability to secure "high-profile targets such as mass transit systems, cargo shipments and chemical plants."