CQ Politics | Innovations - CQ Staff: July 2008 Archives

Social Networking May Stimulate Science

July 31, 2008 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new social network site, Labmeeting, is designed to let scientists easily upload their papers and lab notes to be shared with other members of their research team. TechCrunch tells us the site was started by Harvard graduate Mark Kaganovich with a $500,000 in seed round funding and opened last week to anyone with a college email account. His hope is to spur researchers to talk with each other more.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

California Opts for Paper Ballot System

July 31, 2008 5:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Given the fears about possible flaws and abuses with electronic voting machines, the California Secretary of State has announced the state will be relying on paper ballots that will be optically scanned but can be recounted by hand this election season. Debra Bowen says she opted for the paper ballots because they preserve the original vote, CNET News reports. Bowen commissioned a study last year that showed that electronic voting can be tampered with or have programming mistakes that alter the results.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Shaping the Next Generation Internet

July 31, 2008 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A project to re-think the Internet from the ground up has received $12 million in funding from the National Science Foundation. The Associated Press reports that the money will go toward developing prototypes for the Global Environment for Network Innovations, a testbed to try out new networking ideas. Actual construction of GENI would cost about $350 million.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Study: Enforcement Is Lowering the Number of Illegal Immigrants

July 31, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Caitlin Webber, CQ Staff

The Hispanic illegal immigrant population has significantly declined in the previous year because of stepped-up enforcement efforts and, secondarily, a slower economy, says a report released Wednesday by the Center for Immigration Studies.

CIS, which favors reduced immigration levels, used Census Bureau data to report that the population of young, uneducated Hispanic illegal immigrants might have decreased by 11 percent from its peak in August 2007 to May 2008.

Continue reading Study: Enforcement Is Lowering the Number of Illegal Immigrants.

EPA Studies Nanotech Safety

July 31, 2008 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A number of chemical companies are supplying data to the Environmental Protection Agency so it can assess whether nanoscale materials used in their products may pose health risks. Scientific American reports that 13 companies, including BASF and General Electric, have provided data to the EPA, and another 17 are expected to do so. Some scientists worry that the tiny nanoparticles or carbon nanotubes could interact with human tissue, perhaps having an asbestos-like effect on the lungs.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

HHS Secretary Leavitt: Blogging Has Growing Influence on Health Policy

July 30, 2008 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Danielle Parnass, CQ Staff

The ever-evolving blogosphere is now helping to shape the health policy debate by allowing more interaction between the public and policy makers, said Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Michael O. Leavitt, a blogger himself.

Leavitt, who launched his blog on the HHS Web site in August 2007, said his entries follow a range of topics, from day-to-day experiences, to his thoughts and decisions surrounding health care issues and policies.

Continue reading HHS Secretary Leavitt: Blogging Has Growing Influence on Health Policy.

Cars Have Each Other's Backs in Anti-Theft Network

July 30, 2008 5:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Car thefts could be reduced by having the cars in a parking lot keep tabs on each other, according to a plan by Sencun Zhu, a professor at Penn State University. MSNBC reports that Zhu would equip cars with small sensors that would wirelessly communicate with nearby parked cars, forming a mesh network. When the owner used his key to drive away, the car would send a goodbye signal, but if it stopped responding the other cars would send an alert to the parking lot owner.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Cabinet Secretary Blogs His Way Around the Press

July 30, 2008 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

US Department of Health and Human Services head Michael Leavitt spoke at a panel in Washington DC about being the first cabinet secretary to have his own blog. He says he finds it a useful way to communicate about policy without the formality of a press conference, where reporters choose the topic. Ars Technica says a follow-up panel discussed blogging, and agreed that a lack of editors can cause some bloggers to "go off half-cocked." (Not a problem here---Ed.)

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

"Super Blimp" Aims For Canadian Resources

July 30, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The JHL-40 "superaircraft" was designed by SkyHook and will be manufactured by Boeing. JHL stands for "Jess Heavy Lifter." (SkyHook International)

Natural resources in the far north of Canada - such as oil, natural gas, timber and rare metals - are difficult to reach. But one company has developed a neutrally buoyant aircraft, heavier than a blimp but lighter than an airplane, designed to operate in temperatures down to -40 degrees Fahrenheit. The Discovery Channel reports that Boeing has contracted to build the craft, which will be able to lift 80,000 pounds and should be available in 2012.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

NASA Looking for a Few Good....Astronauts

July 30, 2008 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Mark Stencel, Governing.com

If you ever dreamed of a career hauling freight into orbit or perhaps to the Moon, hopefully you got your resume to NASA earlier this month. That was the deadline to apply for 10 to 15 new astronaut slots. The agency's human resources staff estimates at least 3,000 people have asked to be considered.

The job requirements for space work are as steep as an orbital ascent. The agency is looking for U.S. citizens with engineering or science backgrounds to join the ranks of its 92 active astronauts. "Extensive experience flying high-performance jet aircraft" is a plus, one job posting said, although teachers with the right educational credentials also were welcome to apply. But be warned: "Frequent travel may be required."

Continue reading NASA Looking for a Few Good....Astronauts.

Internet Can Be Upgraded Privately, FCC Member Says

July 29, 2008 7:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Federal Communications Commission has been looking for ways to deal with the problem of peer-to-peer file sharing eating up much of the Internet's bandwidth. But Robert McDowell, a member of the FCC, argues in an essay in the Washington Post that the government should leave the issue to unregulated groups of engineers. Those groups, such as the Internet Engineering Task Force, have done a good job of solving previous issues that threatened the viability of the Net, he says.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Scientists Worry that Back-and-Forth Confuses Public About Climate Change

July 29, 2008 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Some climatologists are concerned that the natural progress of science, in which studies report new results, then are challenged by even newer studies, could be confusing the public about global warming. Part of the problem, according to The New York Times, is that it's difficult to clearly communicate scientific uncertainty through the media. Some experts say scientists have to be more careful about what they say to the public.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Continue reading Scientists Worry that Back-and-Forth Confuses Public About Climate Change.

Tracking Parolees Lowers Recidivism

July 29, 2008 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

from Governing.com Idea Center

CompStat famously cut New York City's crime rate in the 1990s by allowing police officers to map crime and create crime-intervention strategies.

Using CompStat as a guide, Washington, D.C.'s Court Services and Offenders Supervision Agency, which oversees 15,000 parolees, supervised releases and probationers, created a similar system to cut the District's recidivism rate.

Continue reading Tracking Parolees Lowers Recidivism.

Report: Private Sector Can Control High-Tech Medical Imaging Costs

July 29, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By John Reichard, CQ HealthBeat Editor

Democrats in the health overhaul debate have been hammering private health plans for charging high administrative costs compared with government-run health insurance programs, but that argument overlooks pioneering work done by private insurers in controlling certain costs such as that of high-tech imaging, an industry briefing suggested Monday.

The briefing by America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the nation's largest health insurance lobby, focused on the successes of certain private sector insurance plans in restraining growth in the costs of imaging procedures such as MRI and CT scans, a fast-growing area of health spending that critics often identify as a place to go to reduce unnecessary health care spending.

Continue reading Report: Private Sector Can Control High-Tech Medical Imaging Costs .

Deal Reached on Product Safety Legislation

July 28, 2008 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Aliya Sternstein, CQ Staff

House and Senate conferees say they have reached a deal on product safety legislation, and they hope to clear the measure this week.

Conferees said Monday they have resolved the last outstanding issues that had mired negotiations, including tighter regulations on certain plastic-softeners.

The House may take up the bill overhauling the Consumer Product Safety Commission as early as Wednesday, according to a House leadership aide.

Continue reading Deal Reached on Product Safety Legislation.

Worried About Patriot Act, Librarians Launch Info Privacy Campaign

July 28, 2008 6:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With the Patriot Act allowing the government to seize library records and lawmakers trying to regulate the use of library computers, the American Library Association is launching a campaign to promote information privacy. Ars Technica reports that the ALA is raising more than a million dollars to fund its campaign. The group worries that law enforcement agencies are using concerns about terrorism and child safety to strip away privacy protections.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

New Homes Getting Greener

July 28, 2008 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The market for "green" housing that's more environmentally friendly than traditional homes is growing, even during the housing slump, CNN reports. According to McGraw-Hill Construction Research and Analytics, about 6 percent of new homes will be built to green standards in 2008. That's up from 2 percent in 2005.

Web picks posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Scientists Closing in on Earthquake Detector

July 28, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fenglin Niu of Rice University, Paul Silver of the Carnegie Institution and Tom Daley of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory gathered measurements from sensors in deep wells at the San Andreas fault In California.

by Zack Beauchamp

We have satellites to detect hurricanes, rainfall projections to predict floods and even tsunami detectors. All provide precious time to evacuate before the worst happens.

But despite more than 30 years of research, there is still no accurate earthquake detector, as China heartbreakingly found out earlier this year. The Sichuan Basin quake killed over 60,000 people.

But there is new hope: a team of researchers working in the Parkfield region of the San Andreas Fault in California believe that a novel approach for measuring seismic waves may hold the key to developing a practical, early-warning earthquake detector.

Continue reading Scientists Closing in on Earthquake Detector.

New Material Could Turn Waste Heat into Power

July 26, 2008 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Researchers at Ohio State University have created a new alloy with double the ability of previous materials to turn waste heat from power plants or car engines into electricity. Technology Review reports that the researchers added trace amounts of thallium to lead telluride, changing the material's electrical properties. The material could potentially convert 10 percent of the energy in heat into electricity.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Military Seeks Inspiration From High-Tech Companies

July 25, 2008 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In an effort to streamline adoption of useful software applications, the Defense Information Systems Agency is visiting tech companies large and small to find inspiration. The Wall Street Journal reports that traditional big projects working their way through the military bureaucracy would take five years to produce software on four-and-a-half-year-old technology. Chief Information Officer John Garing has been impressed by concepts like social networking at LinkedIn and mashups, and would like to see them adapted for military use.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Republicans Tap Web for "Micro" Donations

July 25, 2008 4:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Republican National Committee has come up with a new way to raise funds on the Internet. Working with the Boston-based company FreeCause, they've developed a toolbar for the Yahoo browser that lets users donate two or three cents to the committee each time they do an Internet search. The New York Times reports that the money actually comes from advertisers, and will be tracked to make sure no one donor exceeds federal donation limits.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Google Enters the Green Car Business

July 25, 2008 7:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Aptera's three-wheeled electric vehicle, Typ-1, which reportedly gets 231 miles per gallon. It is actually classified as a motorcycle.

Google has begun investing in green-car startups, announcing $2.75 million in funding split between green-car maker Aptera Motors and ActaCell, which develops rechargeable batteries for the cars. Earth2Tech calls the move "significant" as it starts to position Google as an incubator for the next generation of electric vehicles.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy. com

There's Gold in That Thar Cow Plop

July 25, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Converting cow manure into methane and burning that instead of coal could cut greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. by about 4 percent, according to scientists at the University of Texas at Austin. The researchers tell Discovery News that the plan is a two-for-one win. Switching from coal to cow patties not only cuts the use of fossil fuel, it also keeps methane and nitrous oxide -- two very powerful greenhouse gases produced by the decay of manure -- from entering the atmosphere. Get out the shovels.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Changes Await Health Technology Bill

July 25, 2008 6:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Alex Wayne, CQ Staff

A bill to encourage health providers to adopt electronic medical records could see substantial changes in the Ways and Means Committee before it goes to the House floor, panel members indicated Thursday.

The bill was approved Wednesday by the Energy and Commerce Committee. It would authorize $560 million in grants and loans over five years to encourage hospitals and doctors to buy and install electronic systems for collecting and transmitting health records.

Continue reading Changes Await Health Technology Bill.

Could Expiring Subsidies Push Solar Investment?

July 24, 2008 7:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The renewable energy industry wants the U.S. government to make tax credits for clean energy more permanent, saying it's hard to build an industry on two-year subsidies. But a writer at the Wall Street Journal argues that short-term subsidies may actually boost the industry, as consumers rush to install solar panels before the tax credit expires.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Garbage-to-Fuel Making Gains

July 24, 2008 3:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Scientists have long considered converting garbage and crop waste into biofuels, but until gasoline hit record high prices it didn't make economic sense. Now, the New York Times reports, several companies are building plants to convert waste into fuel, and their products could be on the market within months. Big-name companies such as Honeywell, DuPont, and General Motors are starting to invest.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

You Put De Lime in De Ocean and It Eats Up All De Carbon

July 24, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Shell is exploring an idea from the 1990s that would dump quicklime into the ocean, where it would absorb carbon dioxide and store it on the ocean floor. Wired says that Shell is providing seed funding to a British start-up, Cquestrate, to explore the idea. Proponents say the plan would also combat acidification of the ocean, which could destroy coral reefs. But it could take 300 billion cubic feet of limestone to capture one year's worth of carbon emissions.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Former Surgeon Generals Press to Bolster Cancer Resources

July 24, 2008 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Reed Cooley, CQ Staff

Four former surgeon generals joined with cancer patients and physicians Wednesday to call for congressional support of any and all legislation that would boost funding levels and quality of care for cancer patients.

One such bill could be the high-profile Kennedy-Hutchison measure, sponsored by Sens. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, that's currently in the works and aimed at increasing funding and resources for cancer research and care.

Continue reading Former Surgeon Generals Press to Bolster Cancer Resources .

Brushing Aside Veto Threat, House Passes Industry-Endorsed Highway Funding Bill

July 23, 2008 10:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Colby Itkowitz, CQ Staff

Hoping to press the Senate for quick passage, the transportation and manufacturing industries have thrown their weight behind a bill the House passed Wednesday that would shore up federal highway funding.

A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the bill, which is aimed at covering an expected shortfall in federal highway accounts, could be taken up before the end of the year. But chances for its enactment before the August recess are nil.

Continue reading Brushing Aside Veto Threat, House Passes Industry-Endorsed Highway Funding Bill.

India Can Teach the U.S. about Competitiveness

July 23, 2008 7:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Businesses are worried that the U.S. will lose its competitive edge to China and India if it doesn't produce significantly more engineering and science graduates. But a writer at Business Week argues that companies have a role to play, too. He suggests that they can learn from the way Indian companies have dealt with their own shortage of high-tech workers: through more extensive employee training and development.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Poll: Support for California Renewable Energy Proposal

July 23, 2008 3:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new poll finds that a majority of California voters support a proposal on the state's November ballot to require the state to move toward renewable energy, when they hear about it. Reuters reports on a Field poll that found 63 percent support for Proposition 7, although 82 percent of people interviewed said they were not aware of the measure. If passed, the proposition would require that half of California's electricity come from renewable sources by 2025.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

New Medicare Law May Spark System Improvements

July 23, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By John Reichard, CQ Staff

Health policy analysts see many opportunities for eliminating wasteful spending on health care and improving quality at the same time, but lament a lack of funding for organizing these efforts.

Now under a little-noticed provision of the new Medicare law blocking physician payment cuts, efforts to set national priorities for quality and efficiency gains will accelerate, those analysts say.

Continue reading New Medicare Law May Spark System Improvements .

UN Soil Map Tracks Food and Carbon

July 23, 2008 12:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new database of soils around the world, created by the United Nations, can help track both agricultural output and carbon storage, the UN claims. The UN Food and Agricultural Organization is also producing a Global Carbon Gap Map, according to Reuters. The map will show degraded soils where billions of tons of carbon dioxide could be stored.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

House Scheduled to Consider Bridge Repair Work Measure

July 22, 2008 9:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Colby Itkowitz, CQ Staff

The House will begin debate Wednesday on a bill intended to boost repair work on the nation's bridges, restructure how the federal government monitors them and thwart catastrophes.

The bill was delayed last week, which pushed its expected passage date even closer to the one-year anniversary of Minnesota's Interstate 35 bridge collapse that left 13 dead and more than 100 injured. The bill was introduced by House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., shortly after the Aug.1, 2007, tragedy.

Continue reading House Scheduled to Consider Bridge Repair Work Measure.

Wind Power May be Too Much for Northwest

July 22, 2008 3:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Utilities are getting ready to more than quadruple the amount of power they produce from wind in the Northwest part of the country, according to the Oregonian. The paper warns that the power transmission network in the area isn't ready for that much input. Right now, it says, the grid can handle only about a third of the 4,716 megawatts expected to be produced by wind turbines.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Obama Outperforms McCain in Cyberspace, Survey Says

July 22, 2008 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The number of visitors to Republican presidential candidate John McCain's web site surged by more than 90 percent in June, but didn't come close to what his Democratic rival got, according to the online tracking service Compete. Wired reports that McCain got 807,518 unique visitors in June, but Barack Obama got 2.5 million in the same month. What's more, the survey found, visitors spent nine minutes on Obama's pages for every minute they spent on McCain's.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Aging Icebreaker Fleet May Mean U.S. Loses Arctic Opportunities

July 22, 2008 6:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

by Caitlin Webber, CQ Staff

ice breaker.jpg

As sea ice continues its retreat from the North Pole this summer, many see America's stake in contested and resource-rich region growing. But the head of the U.S. Coast Guard says access to new polar opportunities is threatened by an aging and inadequate Arctic fleet.

Coast Guard photo of the Cutter Healy
in the Arctic Circle, July, 2000

"While U.S. strategic interests in the Arctic region expand, both domestically and internationally, our polar icebreaking capability is at risk." Thad W. Allen, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, told lawmakers on July 16. "I am concerned that we are watching our nation's domestic and international ice breaking capability decline as reliance on foreign icebreakers grows."

Continue reading Aging Icebreaker Fleet May Mean U.S. Loses Arctic Opportunities .

Scientists Want Place in U.S. Foreign Policy

July 22, 2008 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Prominent scientists believe there should be an emphasis on science when the United States makes foreign policy, whether the discussion is about energy and global warming or fighting diseases such as AIDS and malaria. Nobel laureates Harold Varmus and David Baltimore, and Nina Fedoroff, science advisor to Condoleezza Rice, voiced their opinions at the World Science Summit in New York City in May. It's a long time in coming, but Science News offers excerpts of their comments in the current issue.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Little Known Program Takes Big Chunk of U.S. Budget

July 21, 2008 5:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Comprehensive National Security Initiative is President Bush's single largest funding request in the fiscal 2009 intelligence budget. The program is designed to develop a plan to protect government computers against both foreign and domestic threats. But the Washington Post reports that the highly classified, multi-year, multimillion dollar program is described only vaguely, leaving questions as to what it will actually entail.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Texas Harnessing Wind Power

July 21, 2008 2:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The wind-power industry in Texas received a big boost when state regulators approved a $4.93 billion wind-power transmission project. The head of the West Texas Wind Energy Consortium told the New York Times that the project will put Texas close to Germany in the amount of installed wind power. The project entails installing transmission lines to carry electricity from turbines in West Texas to large cities such as Dallas and Houston.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Government Considers X Prizes for Nanotech

July 21, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Big prizes for technological innovation are becoming all the rage in Washington. Ars Technica tells us that Republican Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine and Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon have introduced a bill to fund prizes for advancements in nanotechnology. They're hoping the fund will attract money from private investors as well.

Nanotechnology is a bit of a catch-all phrase for the study of materials that can be manufactured in bulk on the extremely tiny nanometer scale. The field as such didn't exist until recent years, when the technology for creating materials at this fine scale became more widespread.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Atlanta: Planning for a New Demographic Future

July 21, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A sketch of proposed improvements in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward

By Rob Gurwitt, Governing.com

There is going to be a hard-fought campaign for mayor of Atlanta next year, and to understand it better, you might pay a visit to the Lighting Loft on Edgewood Avenue, in the city's Old Fourth Ward. Not for any whispered political tips, but to look over the sleek and coolly sophisticated fixtures it sells: brushed-steel sconces, lamps in glass of the richest amber, cobalt blue pendants that could light a goat stall with hip urbanity.

What's arresting about all this high-end domicile candy is where it's located.

Continue reading Atlanta: Planning for a New Demographic Future.

Study Predicts Few Hydrogen Cars Before 2023

July 18, 2008 5:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It will be at least 15 years until hydrogen becomes a competitive fuel, and then only with substantial government and private investment, says a study from the National Research Council. According to Science News, the study found that cars driven by hydrogen fuel cells could be commercially available in a decade, but will be very expensive. At that point, the government would have to step in with subsidies to help build an infrastructure for distributing hydrogen.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

California Requiring Greener Buildings

July 18, 2008 2:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

California issued new building standards this week that would reduce the energy used in buildings by 15 percent and cut the water used for landscaping by half. The Los Angeles Times reports that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger praised the new standards. But environmentalists complained that the standards were heavily influenced by the construction industry and not as stringent as they could be.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy, com

Fake Speed Bump Works to Slow Traffic

July 18, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

To reduce excessive speeding and aggressive driving in its residential neighborhoods, Philadelphia has resorted to tricking drivers. As part of its "Drive CarePhilly" campaign, the city's Department of Streets laid down a fake speed bump in a Northeast neighborhood.

The fake speed bump is a flat piece of plastic burned into the street with blue, white and orange triangles designed to look like three-dimensional pyramids from afar, conveying the illusion that a driver is about to go over a real speed bump. At $60 to $80 a pop, the 3-D markings, which contain glass beads for nighttime visibility, are a fraction of the cost of real speed bumps, which cost $1,500 and up.
First tested in Phoenix in 2006 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, officials found the marking's effectiveness wore off over time.
But Philadelphia, which has already seen a 13-mile-per-hour drop in speeds around the fake bump, maintains it will act like flashing lights in a school zone, reminding drivers to slow down. The city plans to add the virtual humps to between 60 and 100 streets. The NHTSA is partially funding the Drive CarePhilly safety project to learn if the 3-D markers can also reduce pedestrian accidents.
From Governing.com "Idea Center"

Obama Pushes Cyber Security

July 17, 2008 7:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Bush administration hasn't done enough to combat cyber-espionage and other online crime, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says. In a speech at Purdue University, Obama said he'll make network security a top priority, and appoint a National Cyber Advisor, according to Wired.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Budget Chief Orszag: Threats Will Hasten Health IT Adoption

July 17, 2008 6:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Reed Cooley, CQ Staff

The threat of financial penalties rather than the promise of incentives -- or more simply, the stick, not the carrot -- will spur providers to adopt health information technologies on the widest scale, Congressional Budget Office Director Peter R. Orszag told Congress on Thursday.

"If you want to get to near universal health IT in the near future, meaning the next five years, it's got to be the stick," Orszag said at a Senate Finance Committee hearing to examine possible improvements to quality in the U.S. health care system.

Continue reading Budget Chief Orszag: Threats Will Hasten Health IT Adoption .

In Shaky Economy, Bartering on the Web Grows

July 17, 2008 2:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With credit markets tight and consumers having less cash to spend, a number of companies are turning to the Internet for a different way to do business--bartering goods and services. The New York Times reports that about 450,000 companies are involved in barter networks, and companies are popping up to handle the transactions. One barter company executive tells the paper that bartering is a good way to conserve cash.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Huge Physics Project Leads to Super-Speed Network

July 17, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today's Internet capacity will seem incredibly limited in a decade or two, but some of the steps needed to increase bandwidth are being previewed in a large-scale physics project in Switzerland. As CNET News reports, CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, has built an ultra-high-speed network so scientists can share massive amounts of data collected from the world's largest particle accelerator, scheduled to go online next month. The people who built the network are learning how to handle data moving at speeds about 1000 times as fast as the average home broadband connection.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Senate Votes To Boost Childhood Cancer Research

July 16, 2008 6:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By CQ Staff

The Senate cleared Wednesday a bill that would increase research into childhood cancers after a key GOP senator decided not to object.

The bill (HR 1553) was cleared by voice vote and will head to the president for his signature. The House passed its bill on June 12.

The bill would authorize $30 million per year from fiscal 2009 to 2013 to support pediatric cancer research institutes, establish a childhood cancer database and provide information about the diseases to affected families.

Continue reading Senate Votes To Boost Childhood Cancer Research .

EPA Considering Rules for Storing Carbon

July 16, 2008 5:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One proposal for limiting greenhouse gas emissions is to capture carbon as it is produced at power plants and store it underground, perhaps in exhausted oil wells. The Environmental Protection Agency is taking a step toward making that possible by publishing a draft of a rule governing such underground storage. The New York Times quotes a carbon storage expert as saying the rule is an important step, but not the only one needed to make carbon storage a reality.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Vote Likely on Bill to Help Repair Nation's Bridges

July 16, 2008 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Colby Itkowitz, CQ Staff

The House on Thursday is set to consider a bill aimed at repairing the nation's debilitated bridges.

Consideration comes almost a year after the I-35 West bridge in Minneapolis collapsed, killing 13 people and injuring hundreds.

The bill would authorize $1billion for fiscal 2009 to repair, reconstruct or replace tens of thousands of structurally deficient bridges across the country. Those funds could not be earmarked.

Continue reading Vote Likely on Bill to Help Repair Nation's Bridges.

NASA Helps Fight California Wildfires

July 16, 2008 3:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(NASA photo)

Aerial sensing drones designed by NASA for research on global warming and general Earth science turn out to be great volunteer firefighters. As the San Jose Mercury News reports, the drones, equipped with infrared sensors, are able to identify trouble spots that firefighters don't know about, allowing them to successfully adjust their strategy in combating the blazes.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Clinical Trial of Cancer Drug is a First

July 16, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Meghan McCarthy, CQ Staff

Despite the lack of an established Food and Drug Administration approval pathway for follow-on biologics, biotech company Insmed says it intends to begin a clinical trial of its new follow-on biologic that is similar to Neupogen, a cancer drug produced by Amgen.

(Follow-on biologics are generic versions of complex biotech medicines. The biotech industry says that truly identical, generic versions of its drugs are impossible; generic manufacturers can only hope to produce similar products.)

Continue reading Clinical Trial of Cancer Drug is a First.

Scientists Propose Burial at Sea for Carbon

July 15, 2008 7:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One way to counter global warming may be to inject carbon dioxide into porous volcanic rock on the ocean floor, thus keeping it out of the atmosphere permanently. Science Now reports that scientists at Columbia University have surveyed deep-sea basalt formations for their potential to store carbon. The researchers say there's an area off the Oregon coast that could hold more than 120 years' worth of U.S. carbon emissions.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Traffic Cameras Link to Cell Phones

July 15, 2008 4:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One way to cut down on energy use and pollution is to reduce the hours commuters spend stuck in traffic jams. The Washington Post's Post I.T. section reports that a new service is coming to the D.C. area to let drivers receive live video and photos of traffic on their cell phones. The service, which relies on cameras owned by various highway departments, is also available in New York, Houston, Detroit, and Los Angeles, among other cities. No word on what this says about the danger of driving while watching your cell phone. Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Saltwater Crops For Food, Fuel?

July 15, 2008 2:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One concern with the increased use of biofuels (such as corn-based ethanol) is that they use up arable land and drive up the price of food crops. The Los Angeles Times brings us the story of a researcher who's looking for ways to grow crops for both food and fuel in areas with poor soil and a lack of fresh water. The scientist, Carl Hodges, grows a crop called salicornia, which he nourishes with seawater from a manmade canal. The paper says Salicornia seeds can be squeezed into cooking oil, ground into high-protein meal or even converted into biofuel.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Testing Genes to Find New Treatments

July 15, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Five Questions for Kathy Hudson, Director, Genetics and Public Policy Center

Kathy Hudson is the former Assistant Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, the 13-year effort coordinated by the federal government to map human DNA. In 2002, she founded the center, which is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and located at Johns Hopkins University, to focus on public policy issues raised by genetic research.

Q: What's your hope when the new law against genetic-based discrimination takes effect (1- 1 ½ years from now)?

A. My hope is that patients and prospective research participants will be able to make informed decisions about whether to participate in research or whether to have a genetic test unencumbered by concerns that their genetic test results or their participation in research could come back and bite them.

Continue reading Testing Genes to Find New Treatments.

Reclaiming Abandoned Housing

July 15, 2008 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

from Governing.com's Idea Center

The last time Indianapolis surveyed abandoned properties under its jurisdiction, the number came to 7,913. That was in 2003, before recent job losses, bankruptcies and foreclosures worsened the city's abandoned-housing problem. To speed up the process of turning abandoned houses back into residences, the city's land bank has launched an online listing of abandoned homes.

Continue reading Reclaiming Abandoned Housing.

Internet Security Problem Secretly Fixed

July 14, 2008 4:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last week several companies, such as Microsoft and Cisco Systems, simultaneously released a set of "patches" designed to correct a security flaw in the Domain Name Server system, which controls Internet addresses. CNET News talks with Dan Kaminsky, the security researcher who found the flaw and kept it secret from the public while steps were taken to correct it. CNET Columnist Robert Vamosi believes the decisions Kaminsky made are a model for dealing with such potentially high-risk security problems.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

New Technologies Raise Medical Costs

July 14, 2008 1:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

High-tech health care devices, such as the da Vinci robot that allows surgeons to operate in tight spaces with minimal incisions, can add a lot to hospital costs. But, as Business Week reports, healthcare experts are beginning to question whether the benefits of such devices are worth the added costs.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Use Your Cell Phone to Find Parking

July 14, 2008 1:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The City of San Francisco plans a test this fall of a system that monitors parking spaces and allows drivers with smart phones to find empty spots, and even use their phone to pay the meter. The New York Times reports that the system will be tested in a quarter of the city's 24,000 metered spaces. The hope is that the system will cut down on traffic congestion and air pollution while making it easier for people to get to local businesses.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Where to Get "Grande" Ideas for Government

July 14, 2008 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

by Mark Stencel, Governing.com

I have a big idea for Starbucks. OK, it's at least a "tall" idea: a drink-to-own policy. Instead of the frequent-drinker cards offered by some coffee shops (10 cups and your next drink is on the house), Starbucks could offer up stock instead. Perhaps one share for every thousandth latte?

With the company's stock price down and plans announced to close hundreds of stores, Starbucks' marketing gurus are thirsty for good ideas. So a few months ago, the Seattle-based caffeine pusher unveiled a new Web site -- MyStarbucksIdea.com -- to collect customer input. Registered users not only can post suggestions but vote and comment on other people's ideas too. In fact, several customers had already posted their own variations of my sip-for-stock concept before I tried it out.

Continue reading Where to Get "Grande" Ideas for Government.

High-Tech Home Health Help

July 13, 2008 4:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Microprocessor-maker Intel is getting into the high-tech health business: its Health Guide has won approval from the Food and Drug Administration. The device records vital signs and allows for videoconferencing with doctors or nurses in remote locations. Daily Tech says Intel is marketing the device to nursing homes and care centers, and also expects that chronically ill people who live in their own homes might purchase the Guide.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Working to Avoid Domestic Bombings

July 13, 2008 4:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Rob Margetta, CQ Staff

Homeland Security Protective Security Coordination Division Director Bill Flynn said the type of scenario that costs him sleep played out just before the Fourth of July weekend.

On July 3, New York police found a van that contained an explosive device wired for remote detonation, just as people across the country were preparing for the holiday.

Continue reading Working to Avoid Domestic Bombings.

Using Unused TV Airwaves

July 11, 2008 1:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

High-tech companies would love to use portions of the electromagnetic spectrum that are set aside for television broadcasts (but not being used) for various mobile communication devices. The Federal Communications Commission has yet to issue regulations for this so-called "white space." But according to CNN, the FCC says it will begin testing prototype devices from Microsoft, Motorola, and Philips next week.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

NASA Maps Offshore Wind Energy

July 11, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Red and white colors indicate high wind energy is available while blue color reflects lower energy (credit: NASA Jet Propulsion Lab).
CNET News reports that 10 years of satellite data led to a map showing the sites where wind is steady and strong for most of the year.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

LEDs - The Next Big Thing in Lighting

July 11, 2008 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Venture capitalists are flocking toward LEDs, seeing a "growing potential for these semiconductor-based light sources" in public places, according to a San Francisco research company. The San Jose Mercury News reports that the Cleantech Group noted $100 million of investment into LED lighting technologies in the first quarter of 2008. That puts LEDs third in cleantech investments, behind biofuel and solar energy.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Recycling Carbon From Mining Operations

July 10, 2008 2:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Carbon Sciences, a startup in Santa Barbara, CA, says it has developed a relatively simple method to take the carbon dioxide emitted during mining operations and turn it into precipitated calcium carbonate, or PCC. The Environmental News Network reports that the company hopes to keep the carbon out of the atmosphere by turning it into useful products, at the same time earning money from what used to be waste. PCC is a component of many everyday products, including paper, wallboard, and fertilizer.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Big Pharma Collaborates on New Research Technology

July 10, 2008 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

by Luke Timmerman, Xconomy.com

Three of the world's biggest drugmakers can agree on this--the research and development model for creating new drugs needs a serious kick in the rear. Pfizer, Merck, and Eli Lilly, through a collaboration hatched by Boston-based PureTech Ventures, have agreed to put $39 million into a new Boston company called Enlight Biosciences, whose job will be to create technologies that can enable researchers to make breakthrough drugs.

The venture has attracted very big names.

Continue reading Big Pharma Collaborates on New Research Technology.

Telecoms Sue Cities Over High-Speed Links

July 10, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Telecommunications companies are suing cities to stop them from building publicly owned fiber-optic systems, Law.com reports. The companies say that, because cities can borrow money cheaply through municipal bonds, they're gaining an unfair advantage over private companies. The cities say the telecommunications suits are veiled attempts to stop construction of competing public systems providing an essential utility in the digital age.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

How to Lower Obesity Rates

July 9, 2008 6:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Whitney Blair Wyckoff, CQ Staff

Taxing snack foods or providing a subsidy for fruits and vegetables could be some of the best means of hedging off growing obesity rates in the United States, according to a new report from the American Heart Association.

"People haven't just made the decision to eat more and move less," said Shiriki Kumanyika, chairwoman of the American Heart Association working group that wrote the report, in a release. "The social structure has played into people's tendencies to go for convenience foods and labor-saving devices."

Continue reading How to Lower Obesity Rates.

The Buzz about 311

July 9, 2008 6:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

by Ellen Perlman, Governing.com

When a dozen peacocks turned up in Judi Zito's fenced backyard in Pinecrest, Florida, one of 28 small municipalities that are part of Miami-Dade County, she knew just what to do. As director of the Miami-Dade Government Information Center, she tested the very service she oversees. She dialed 311.

The call center specialist who answered knew the county Animal Services Department didn't handle peacocks or any other exotic bird, for that matter. But the specialist pulled up information on the "ornamental" birds native to East Asia and gave Zito phone numbers for organizations that could come by to help.

Continue reading The Buzz about 311.

Beer Popsicles Run Into the Law

July 9, 2008 6:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

posted by Zach Patton, Governing.com

Thanks to a couple of Virginia state legislators, residents of the Old Dominion state can once again enjoy a fantastical summer treat -- frozen beer on a stick.

See, this restaurant in Arlington had an amazing idea last summer: Brew Pops -- frozen beersicles.

But then it turned out that it's illegal to serve frozen beer in Virginia for some reason, because freezing beer turns it into a food. And it becomes illegal. Or something.

Anyway, now the state has changed its liquor laws to make room for Brew Pops.

Viva Summer!

New York City to Spend Billions Fighting Greenhouse Effect

July 9, 2008 5:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced his intention to spend $2.3 billion to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the city by 30 percent over the next 30 years. Reuters reports that the city wants to make its buildings and operations more efficient. Bloomberg predicts that by using less energy, the city should break even on its spending by 2013.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

A Wind Corridor?

July 9, 2008 4:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oil mogul T. Boone Pickens is proposing a plan to produce 20 percent of the country's electricity by building wind turbines in a corridor from the Canadian border to West Texas. The Business Journal reports that Pickens' plan calls for taking the natural gas now used to fuel electrical plants and using it instead for transportation fuel, reducing dependence on the Middle East for oil. Pickens believes his goals could be accomplished within a decade.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Cancer Nanotech a "Good Example" of Government Spending

July 9, 2008 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The development of nanotechnology as a tool to fight cancer is leading to promising treatments, showing that government spending in a focused area of research can be good for business and for the public, argues a writer at Wired. Looking at the field of nanotechnology developed to treat cancer, the author says funding from the National Cancer Institute has led to promising developments in the field. So far, there are at least 48 clinical trials going on, many of them in Phase II, the intermediate phase in testing new medicines.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Measuring Air Quality, Block by Block

July 8, 2008 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Intel's Berkeley Labs team is working with the City of San Francisco to attach mobile phone prototype sensors to a fleet of street sweepers zooming around the city in the early morning hours. (Intel photo)

by Zack Beauchamp, CQ staff

For the roughly 75 million Americans afflicted with asthma or allergies , air quality can be a deadly serious issue. Air pollution can set off sometimes-fatal asthma attacks, and can cause otherwise healthy people to get the disease. To help the most vulnerable people limit exposure, the federal government issues a daily air quality report, which includes cities with "action alert" days. http://www.airnow.gov/. But there's not much detail there.

Enter San Francisco and the Intel Corporation. They're piloting a new technique of measuring hyper-local air quality with sensors on the city's street sweepers.

Continue reading Measuring Air Quality, Block by Block.

Scientists Promote Six Degrees of Vaccination

July 8, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A popular cocktail party game may be the key to stopping flu pandemics, according to Science News. The magazine reports that targeting vaccinations to the right people could be a quick and inexpensive way of stopping a disease's spread in its tracks.

The idea is based on the notion of social networks - popularly known as six degrees of separation, the phenomenon that allows you to connect any actor to Kevin Bacon in only a few steps - and relies on vaccinating people who act as "nodes," who connect one circle of people to another.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Fuel Costs Too High? Try a Zeppelin

July 7, 2008 2:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As airlines struggle to find ways to cover the soaring cost of jet fuel, several companies and governments are looking into creating a new generation of airships. The New York Times reports that a number of companies, mostly in Europe, are working on new designs for dirigibles. In the U.S., the Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency has funded research into airships, mainly for military communications.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Biotech Startups Scramble for Tax Credits

July 7, 2008 1:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Maryland has been trying to encourage the development of new medical devices and treatments by offering $6 million in tax credits to biotech startups. Now in its third year, the program - for the first time - saw company officials camping out on the sidewalk, hoping to get their share of a limited pot, The Washington Post reports. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley says he hopes to raise the tax credits to $24 million by 2013.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Defense Dept. Seeking 'Fracture Putty,' Other Battlefield Inventions

July 7, 2008 7:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Rob Margetta, CQ Staff

From faster circuitry to miniaturized atomic clocks that could be used in navigation and communications systems, DARPA, the Defense Department's research and development wing, is seeking a number of technological solutions with potential homeland security applications. Here are two of its current solicitations to industry: a putty that can tack broken bones back together and a way to instantly put out fires or "bend" them to create escape tunnels:

• According to DARPA, about 30 percent of battlefield trauma cases involve bone fractures, usually caused by blasts or gunshots. Those injuries include open fractures with a large loss of bone and soft tissue, which can take up to two years of surgeries and rehabilitation.

Continue reading Defense Dept. Seeking 'Fracture Putty,' Other Battlefield Inventions.

Japan vs Detroit on Green Cars

July 4, 2008 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

General Motors is working hard at putting its electric car, the Volt, on the streets by 2010. But Business Week wonders if Detroit will be able to catch up to Japan's lead on green cars. Toyota, for instance, is planning to more than double its sale of hybrids by the early part of the next decade.

Business Week says that, to meet its targets, "Next year, Toyota is expected to add two new cars that it will sell only as hybrids, one badged as a Toyota, the other a Lexus."

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Will Hydrogen Push Aside Gasoline?

July 4, 2008 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hydrogen is being touted as the transportation fuel of the future, powering cars without polluting the atmosphere or relying on foreign sources of energy.

But Scientific American, reviewing the issues surrounding hydrogen, says the jury is still out on whether hydrogen can actually replace gasoline. The big questions: Can hydrogen be generated and stored on a practical scale? How can the high cost of manufacturing hydrogen vehicles be reined in? How can a hydrogen refueling network be built?

Web pick by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Solar Moratorium Reversed

July 3, 2008 2:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After an outcry from the solar power industry, the federal Bureau of Land Management has lifted its recently announced ban on new solar energy projects on public lands. The BLM had placed a two-year moratorium on such projects so it could study their impact. CNET News says the bureau reversed course on Wednesday.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

The Information Superhighway Comes to a Highway Near You

July 3, 2008 7:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A recent announcement by Chrysler that it will begin installing wireless connections in all Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge models signals that the Web is truly going worldwide, argues the Christian Science Monitor. The cost? About $600 to start and then a $29 monthly fee.

Meahwhile, several airlines hope to make money by providing wireless access on flights(from satellite signals, air-to-ground connections or cellphone towers). And, at least one Boston-to-New York bus service lets riders log on.

Web picks posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

High-Risk, High-Reward Tech Investor - in the Government?

July 3, 2008 7:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

by Will Wilson, Governing.com

Aneesh Chopra has entered the nail-biting phase of the venture capital investing cycle. He has scoured his market carefully for new uses of technology. And he's made his bets, pumping more than $2 million over the past year into 11 promising but unproven ideas. All that's left for Chopra to do now is wait and see which of his investments pay off and which ones go bust.

Chopra is not a true venture capitalist in a get-rich, Silicon Valley sort of way. Rather, he's the mastermind of a small but intriguing experiment in Virginia that aims to bring the high-risk, high-reward ethic of venture investing to state government.

Continue reading High-Risk, High-Reward Tech Investor - in the Government?.

Comparing McCain to Obama on Climate Change

July 3, 2008 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a change from previous elections, both the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates agree that global warming is a real problem. This time, the Environmental News Network points out, the debate is over what to do about it. The site offers a comparison between John McCain's and Barack Obama's stances on issues including cap and trade, nuclear power, and renewable energy.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

The Four Day Work Week

July 3, 2008 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With gas prices soaring, air pollution growing and traffic congestion worsening, a lot of state and local governments are considering four-day work weeks.

Starting in August, Utah will become one of the first states to implement a 10-hour, four-day week for most of its state agencies -- Birmingham, Ala., is implementing a four-day week for some 4,000 municipal employees, and Houston tested a similar initiative last summer.

Continue reading The Four Day Work Week.

Company Aims to Sum Up the Web

July 2, 2008 6:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A startup company is trying to cut through the vast fields of information on the Internet by producing easy-to-use summaries. Pluribo has developed an add-on for the Firefox browser that summarizes user reviews on Amazon.com. It looks for similar words in different reviews and picks out bits it thinks are important, Webware reports. The company hopes to expand its technology to other areas soon.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

MIT Students Build Solar Concentrator

July 2, 2008 7:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This parabolic mirror designed by students at MIT focuses the sun's light to a single point, potentially generating temperatures upwards of 1,300 degrees Celsius. (MIT photo)

One relatively cheap method for harnessing solar power is to focus a wide swath of sunlight down to a small area, thus concentrating its heat. Students at MIT have made a 12 x 12 foot mirror that can focus sunlight onto a small point, boiling water to create steam energy. The Discovery Channel says that the students, who aimed to make the mirror as inexpensively as possible, are forming a company to market their technology.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com.

Five Questions for Bob Wise, Alliance for Excellent Education

July 2, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Libby George, CQ Staff

After 18 years as a Democratic House member and then four as West Virginia's governor, ending in 2004, Wise now campaigns for better high schools as the President of a nonprofit started by Gerard and Lilo Leeds, the couple who founded the tech company CMP Media Inc. Wise warns that the nation neglects high schools at its peril, and in his new book, "Raising the Grade," he argues for more spending and attention to raising graduation rates.

Q. With Congress and the country focused on the No Child Left Behind law, which covers elementary school education, why move on to high school reform?

A. Schools are held accountable for how well they do on the tests, not whether the kids actually graduate. It's like you're running in a mile race, and assessing rigorously every 10th of a mile, but nobody counts whether you cross the finish line.

Continue reading Five Questions for Bob Wise, Alliance for Excellent Education.

Government Searches for New Ways to Protect the Borders

July 1, 2008 6:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Caitlin Webber, CQ Staff

The Homeland Security Department is looking for creative ways to collect foreign visitors' biometric information upon exiting from land borders in the United States.

The head of U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program says that methods used at airports to collect fingerprints, photographs and other biometric identifiers might not necessarily be the best approaches on the land border.

Continue reading Government Searches for New Ways to Protect the Borders .

Internet Bandwidth Market Proposed

July 1, 2008 4:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An exchange market, on which companies could buy and sell unused bandwidth, could improve the efficiency of Web use and lower prices, a United Nations proposal says. Hamadoun Toure, the Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union, the UN body responsible for communications standards, tells the New York Times that such an exchange is his dream. He hopes the exchange could help bridge the digital divide in developing countries.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Unsafe Browsers Widespread on Internet

July 1, 2008 2:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A full 40 percent of people surfing the Internet are doing so with outdated versions of Web browsers that are vulnerable to attack, a study shows. The study, conducted by Google, IBM, and the Communications Systems Group in Switzerland, found 576 million people using unsafe browsers, the Washington Post reports. More than half of all Internet Explorer users had outdated versions, the report found.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

More Productive Cows Means Less Gas?

July 1, 2008 2:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The worldwide dairy industry is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than vehicle traffic, thanks to the land, water, and feed that go into milk production, as well as the methane produced by cows' digestive systems. Agence France Presse reports that a researcher at Cornell University found that giving one million cows a controversial growth hormone would allow dairies to produce the same amount of milk with far fewer cows. Researcher Judith Capper says the result would be the same as removing 400,000 cars from the roads.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Hawaii Requires Solar Water Heaters

July 1, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

All new single family homes in Hawaii will soon have to have solar water heaters to get a building permit. The law, signed by Republican Governor Linda Lingle, goes into effect in 2010. The website Metaefficient.com says the law is meant to address the fact that the island relies on foreign countries for 90 percent of its energy. The new law stems from a proposal made five years ago, when oil was $40/barrel. It has since more than tripled.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xcomony.com

Southwestern Cities Leaping into Light Rail

July 1, 2008 6:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Zach Patton, Governing.com

Hey! What do you know? It's cold!"

Rick Simonetta isn't talking about the temperature in downtown Phoenix, which today is 92 degrees in the shade. What's cold is the water he's sipping from a fountain on the platform of an outdoor train station. Right now, the platform is eerily devoid of passengers, its modern, sage-colored ironwork glinting in the Southwestern sun. But come December, when Phoenix opens its first light-rail line, this station will anchor a huge regional transit system that will stretch north to Glendale and east to Mesa and Tempe.

It's a $1.4 billion, 20-mile catapult into transit -- no other light-rail system in the country has been so large right from its inception.

Continue reading Southwestern Cities Leaping into Light Rail.