The Research to Aid Persons with Disabilities (RAPD) program supports research that will lead to the development of new technologies, devices, or software for persons with disabilities. Research may be supported that is directed to the characterization, restoration, and/or substitution of human functional ability or cognition, or to the interaction of persons with disabilities and their environment.
Areas of particular recent interest are disability-related research in neuroscience/neuroengineering and rehabilitation robotics. Emphasis is placed on significant advancement of fundamental engineering and scientific knowledge and not on incremental improvements. Proposals should advance discovery or innovation beyond the frontiers of current knowledge in disability-related research. Applicants are encouraged to contact a program director prior to submitting a proposal.
Undergraduate Engineering Design Projects are also supported, especially those that provide prototype "custom-designed" devices or software for persons with disabilities. The education of undergraduate engineering students is enhanced through Undergraduate Engineering Design Projects' awards supported by the RAPD program.
Characteristics of undergraduate engineering design projects to aid persons with disabilities include:
* The primary goal of this activity is to provide a meaningful design experience for the engineering student that will directly aid a specific individual with a disability. Undergraduate student engineers or engineering technology students develop prototype "custom-designed" devices and software in this regard.
* The PI and the students work with institutions providing care or education for individuals with disabilities.
* The proposal must include a short description of ten possible design projects. These projects should be suitable for an undergraduate student, or a small team of students, to complete in about one year. The proposal should include a letter of support from an appropriate administrator of an institution providing care or education to individuals with disabilities. The letter should certify that the institution and the university will work cooperatively on the design projects.
* The PI provides an annual report that includes a description of the successfully completed design projects during the previous academic year. Each PI is expected to implement a high percentage of projects each year. It is also expected that the projects will contain appropriate levels of quantitative engineering analysis.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The Glory Mission
The Glory Mission Will Increase Our Understanding of the Earth's Energy Balance
Twenty years ago, Brent Holben was part of a NASA team studying vegetation from space. In an unlikely career twist, his research morphed into the study of a critical, if overlooked, subplot in the story of climate change.
Twenty years ago, Brent Holben was part of a NASA team studying vegetation from space. In an unlikely career twist, his research morphed into the study of a critical, if overlooked, subplot in the story of climate change.
From his office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., Holben helps manage the world’s largest network of ground-based sensors for aerosols -- tiny specks of solids and liquids that waft about in the atmosphere. These particles come from both human and natural sources and can be observed everywhere in the world.
Scientists know that some of them play an outsized role in Earth’s climate. And much of that knowledge has come from the Aerosol Robotic Network, or AERONET, the collaborative, international sensor network which Holben leads.
"Aerosols play a key role in climate, and pretty much everybody who studies aerosols uses data from AERONET," said William Lau, director of the Atmospheric Sciences Division at Goddard. "Without AERONET, our understanding of the climate system simply wouldn’t be where it is today."
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Underwater Submersibles
Over the last few decades, engineers have urbanized submersible technologies capable of meeting the several challenges that the deep sea imposes ahead explorers. Using advanced submersible technologies, amazing new deep-water ecosystems have been discovered. Many of these communities were supposed not to exist in harsh environments devoid of light and under severe pressure. One such community was found in an area surrounding a hydrothermal vent, where water temperatures reach hundreds of degrees Centigrade and the water is covered in caustic sulfur. After preliminary studies, which discovered many new species and raised even more questions about these organisms, researchers declared these communities to be as complex as many found on land.
As much as we may learn about our planet's underwater habitats through the use of satellites, shipboard sensors and divers, these technologies scratch only the surface of the oceans. Submersibles alone allow us to explore the abyssal depths. This section of the Ocean Explorer Web site highlights more than a few of the major advancements in submersible equipment. These submersibles allow us to travel deeper and with a greater degree of freedom than ever before, so that we can observe, describe and ultimately explain the phenomena of life in the deep ocean kingdom.
Monday, June 15, 2009
The oldest mummies
Archaeologist’s digging out a 5 000-year-old burial site exterior Cairo has opened a tomb containing the little of the earliest evidence of mummification. They say hat this is the oldest mummies ever found.
Archaeologists opened a number of unbroken wooden coffins found in a previously ignored committal shaft in the Sakkara area, about 25km south of Cairo. One of the skeletons, lying in the fetal position and facing east, had linen wrapped around parts of the body.
Burial place opened in past backed up that dating. It enclosed with the body of 35-year-old women with proof of blood around her. X-rays exposed that she had a broken skull, and sign that she might have been assassinated for a sacrifice.
The partially mummified skeleton will be X-rayed and studied to resolve its sexual characteristics and age at death. Each and every one wooden coffer would also be inspected closely and treated with natural substances to help protect its condition.
As the area is only partly cleared, it is not well-known yet how large it is or how many tombs it contains.
Archaeologists opened a number of unbroken wooden coffins found in a previously ignored committal shaft in the Sakkara area, about 25km south of Cairo. One of the skeletons, lying in the fetal position and facing east, had linen wrapped around parts of the body.
Burial place opened in past backed up that dating. It enclosed with the body of 35-year-old women with proof of blood around her. X-rays exposed that she had a broken skull, and sign that she might have been assassinated for a sacrifice.
The partially mummified skeleton will be X-rayed and studied to resolve its sexual characteristics and age at death. Each and every one wooden coffer would also be inspected closely and treated with natural substances to help protect its condition.
As the area is only partly cleared, it is not well-known yet how large it is or how many tombs it contains.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
IT sector sees hope in BJP's vision
Most IT firms opine that the IT Vision of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is a good omen for the domestic IT industry which is buckling under the pressure of the global meltdown for the last couple of quarters. The BJP created a flutter in the industry circle when its announced a 30-page IT vision document which includes creation of 12 million IT-enabled jobs for rural India; providing of laptops to 10 million students at Rs 10,000 per piece; immediate implementation of VoIP; protection of domestic hardware manufacturers against imports and promotion in the usage of open source software. The party reportedly consulted the heads of at least 10 top IT companies before finalising the document.
Vinnie Meheta, executive director of MAIT, the body that represents the hardware industry in India, said: “We are glad that somebody has defined their IT agenda very clearly. It’s more gladdening to see that they have touched the hardware sector which has untapped potential to create lot more job opportunities. The announcement is very timely and pertinent as the IT industry needs some succour due to the current economic situation.” “I think the BJP has really done well by including IT in their vision document. Many people feel that the government is facing a huge loss of tax by promoting the IT sector. However, many IT-rich southern states including Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have experienced tax growth of over 40 per cent during the last four years, mainly because of IT. The IT vision of BJP will really come handy for creation of new job opportunities in the IT and ITeS sector in India where we still have a large percentage of unemployed graduates struggling to provide their services for the growth of the country,” said Vivek Kulkarni, the former IT secretary of Karnataka who is now the chairman and CEO of BrickWork India.
Industry body Nasscom also is quite enthusiastic about the inclusion of IT in the manifesto of political parties. “The potential of IT in the creation of job opportunities in India is still enormous and I am delighted that the BJP has come out with a strong vision statement for the IT industry. I won’t be able to comment how it will help them in capturing votes,” Ganesh Natarajan, chairman of Nasscom said. The idustry feels the IT vision document by BJP is ‘very practical’ and can be implemented. “The proposals laid down by BJP in their vision document are very practical, and I see no reason why these can’t be implemented,” says Natarajan who is also the chairman of Pune-based Zensar Technologies. “A great degree of this is achievable provided they implement this in the first year of the new government, if come to power,” says T V Mohandas Pai, Head of Administration and HR, Infosys Technolgies.
Analysts also feel that political parties in India are slowly realising the importance of IT not only for the economy, but also for their poll campaigns. The Congress party which is now heading the UPA government at the Centre had been an active supporter of the IT industry in the past.
Industry body Nasscom has found very good supporters within the Congress party from leaders like Jairam Ramesh, Kamalnath and Jyotiraditya Scindia.
The fact that every year millions of youths are coming upto the voting age is driving political parties to show a tech-savvy face to such electorate base. Besides, political parties are also realising that technology will play a vital role in delivering good governance to common people and reaching out to the electorate.
Despite the growth in the IT sector, however, political parties in India lag their counterparts in Americas and Europe in the use of IT in election management.
Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/it-sector-sees-hope-in-bjp%5Cs-vision/352081/
Vinnie Meheta, executive director of MAIT, the body that represents the hardware industry in India, said: “We are glad that somebody has defined their IT agenda very clearly. It’s more gladdening to see that they have touched the hardware sector which has untapped potential to create lot more job opportunities. The announcement is very timely and pertinent as the IT industry needs some succour due to the current economic situation.” “I think the BJP has really done well by including IT in their vision document. Many people feel that the government is facing a huge loss of tax by promoting the IT sector. However, many IT-rich southern states including Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have experienced tax growth of over 40 per cent during the last four years, mainly because of IT. The IT vision of BJP will really come handy for creation of new job opportunities in the IT and ITeS sector in India where we still have a large percentage of unemployed graduates struggling to provide their services for the growth of the country,” said Vivek Kulkarni, the former IT secretary of Karnataka who is now the chairman and CEO of BrickWork India.
Industry body Nasscom also is quite enthusiastic about the inclusion of IT in the manifesto of political parties. “The potential of IT in the creation of job opportunities in India is still enormous and I am delighted that the BJP has come out with a strong vision statement for the IT industry. I won’t be able to comment how it will help them in capturing votes,” Ganesh Natarajan, chairman of Nasscom said. The idustry feels the IT vision document by BJP is ‘very practical’ and can be implemented. “The proposals laid down by BJP in their vision document are very practical, and I see no reason why these can’t be implemented,” says Natarajan who is also the chairman of Pune-based Zensar Technologies. “A great degree of this is achievable provided they implement this in the first year of the new government, if come to power,” says T V Mohandas Pai, Head of Administration and HR, Infosys Technolgies.
Analysts also feel that political parties in India are slowly realising the importance of IT not only for the economy, but also for their poll campaigns. The Congress party which is now heading the UPA government at the Centre had been an active supporter of the IT industry in the past.
Industry body Nasscom has found very good supporters within the Congress party from leaders like Jairam Ramesh, Kamalnath and Jyotiraditya Scindia.
The fact that every year millions of youths are coming upto the voting age is driving political parties to show a tech-savvy face to such electorate base. Besides, political parties are also realising that technology will play a vital role in delivering good governance to common people and reaching out to the electorate.
Despite the growth in the IT sector, however, political parties in India lag their counterparts in Americas and Europe in the use of IT in election management.
Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/it-sector-sees-hope-in-bjp%5Cs-vision/352081/
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Mobile Number Portability in August
Come August and mobile phone subscribers will not have to go through the troublesome routine of informing everyone about a number change in case they decide to switch to another service provider.
Union Communications and IT Minister A Raja said that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) plans to introduce Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in major cities, followed by other cities by the end of this year. He made the announcement at the launch of BSNL's 3G services in Chennai.
The MNP system will allow subscribers to retain their number when they shift their telecom service provider.
The DoT had approved MNP in November 2008, saying the system would initially be introduced in the metros.
source:http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Mobile_Number_Portability_in_August/551-99277-613.html
Union Communications and IT Minister A Raja said that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) plans to introduce Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in major cities, followed by other cities by the end of this year. He made the announcement at the launch of BSNL's 3G services in Chennai.
The MNP system will allow subscribers to retain their number when they shift their telecom service provider.
The DoT had approved MNP in November 2008, saying the system would initially be introduced in the metros.
source:http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Mobile_Number_Portability_in_August/551-99277-613.html
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Killzone 2, Afro Samurai
When Sony showed off the capabilities of its newest system -- the PlayStation 3 -- at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in 2005, one game had nearly everyone talking.
The short video, presented without explanation, was an amazing futuristic war game with visuals that exceeded anything that could be done at the time. Quite simply, we couldn't believe our eyes; there was no way a game could look that good. Surely the footage had to be some kind of pre-rendered clip, not actual in-game footage.
When it is finally released on Feb. 27, will Killzone 2 be that great, once-in-a-lifetime game everyone is expecting it to be?
Sadly, the answer is no.
Don't get us wrong. K2 is still an amazing war game that belongs alongside the other big boys in the future war category, such as the Resistance and Gears of War franchises. It is technologically flawless and a sight to behold.
Unfortunately, it's really not much different from the rest of the aforementioned titles that came out last holiday season, save for the frustratingly different default control setup (which can be changed to a more standard setup without much trouble). Fight the bad guys, drive 'em back, blah, blah, blah. We've played this a thousand times before.
Though Killzone 2 does look better than most, it ultimately fails to live up to the insanely high expectations that had been created for it -- and that's a shame.
Grade: A (The same high level as its predecessors, but little else)
Details: PlayStation 3 platform; $59.99; rated Mature (blood and gore, intense violence, strong language)
Wasting such great potential
All the elements are there to make Afro Samurai one of the best games ever: a fresh, comic-inspired visual style; funky, original characters; good controls; a great soundtrack supervised by RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan; even the voice of Samuel L. Jackson in all his uncensored glory.
As if to prove that even the best ingredients still require a great chef, Samurai is so horribly assembled it quickly becomes apparent that the game is flawed to the core (and not just because you can slice people in half in a big, bloody mess).
Besides the atrociously confusing level design that seems as if it was created to force you to walk in circles, and the miserable sound mixing that sets some of the characters' voices at full scream while others are at whisper levels, when we tested it out, Samurai suffered from a giant glitch near the conclusion of the first battle that ended the fight abruptly and caused the game to inexplicably skip ahead.
All the money spent on those billions and billions of billboards advertising the game and the animated film on DVD would have been better spent on some quality control.
Grade: A (for visuals and story), D-minus (for level design and sound mixing)
Details: Xbox 360 and Play- Station 3 platforms; $59.99; rated Mature (blood and gore, drug reference, intense violence, partial nudity, sexual themes, strong language)
Killing zombies and looking good
Another recently released gory samurai game is the Japanese import Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad.
Here's the setup: Two shapely sisters have to fight off wave after wave of angry zombies, determined to eat brains or whatever it is zombies do. By swinging their mighty samurai swords, the sisters can slice the zombies in two. And, as in most cheesy horror films, even that won't stop the zombies; their legs and waists attack on their own.
Oh, and did we mention that the older sister wears a skimpy bathing suit that would fit right in with the ones in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and that the younger sister is dressed in full Japanese schoolgirl attire, pleated skirt and all?
source:http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-gameday18-2009feb18,0,556642.story
The short video, presented without explanation, was an amazing futuristic war game with visuals that exceeded anything that could be done at the time. Quite simply, we couldn't believe our eyes; there was no way a game could look that good. Surely the footage had to be some kind of pre-rendered clip, not actual in-game footage.
When it is finally released on Feb. 27, will Killzone 2 be that great, once-in-a-lifetime game everyone is expecting it to be?
Sadly, the answer is no.
Don't get us wrong. K2 is still an amazing war game that belongs alongside the other big boys in the future war category, such as the Resistance and Gears of War franchises. It is technologically flawless and a sight to behold.
Unfortunately, it's really not much different from the rest of the aforementioned titles that came out last holiday season, save for the frustratingly different default control setup (which can be changed to a more standard setup without much trouble). Fight the bad guys, drive 'em back, blah, blah, blah. We've played this a thousand times before.
Though Killzone 2 does look better than most, it ultimately fails to live up to the insanely high expectations that had been created for it -- and that's a shame.
Grade: A (The same high level as its predecessors, but little else)
Details: PlayStation 3 platform; $59.99; rated Mature (blood and gore, intense violence, strong language)
Wasting such great potential
All the elements are there to make Afro Samurai one of the best games ever: a fresh, comic-inspired visual style; funky, original characters; good controls; a great soundtrack supervised by RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan; even the voice of Samuel L. Jackson in all his uncensored glory.
As if to prove that even the best ingredients still require a great chef, Samurai is so horribly assembled it quickly becomes apparent that the game is flawed to the core (and not just because you can slice people in half in a big, bloody mess).
Besides the atrociously confusing level design that seems as if it was created to force you to walk in circles, and the miserable sound mixing that sets some of the characters' voices at full scream while others are at whisper levels, when we tested it out, Samurai suffered from a giant glitch near the conclusion of the first battle that ended the fight abruptly and caused the game to inexplicably skip ahead.
All the money spent on those billions and billions of billboards advertising the game and the animated film on DVD would have been better spent on some quality control.
Grade: A (for visuals and story), D-minus (for level design and sound mixing)
Details: Xbox 360 and Play- Station 3 platforms; $59.99; rated Mature (blood and gore, drug reference, intense violence, partial nudity, sexual themes, strong language)
Killing zombies and looking good
Another recently released gory samurai game is the Japanese import Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad.
Here's the setup: Two shapely sisters have to fight off wave after wave of angry zombies, determined to eat brains or whatever it is zombies do. By swinging their mighty samurai swords, the sisters can slice the zombies in two. And, as in most cheesy horror films, even that won't stop the zombies; their legs and waists attack on their own.
Oh, and did we mention that the older sister wears a skimpy bathing suit that would fit right in with the ones in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and that the younger sister is dressed in full Japanese schoolgirl attire, pleated skirt and all?
source:http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-gameday18-2009feb18,0,556642.story
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Trend Micro offers parental control s/w
BANGALORE, INDIA: Is your computer safe from viruses? How many spam mails do you delete daily? Is your child aware of the viruses that disguise as credible sites? These common questions apply not only to professionals and computer users in office, but also a PC user at home.
If you thought only computers at work place are prone to virus attacks, then your are wrong. A single PC at home, with an Internet connection, is made use of adults as well as the modern day 'tech-savvy' children for homework, to play games, chat with friends and watch animations. Youngsters are seldom aware of the potential threats when they are using the Internet. Predators in the world wide web appear in various forms, and employ various methods by asking you questions and gathering your personal information to engage in all sorts of illegal activities. Now, you can easily fight such threats and control your child's activities with the 'Advanced Parental Control Software' embedded in the Trend Micro Internet Security 2009.
The Parental Control solution comes along with the Trend Micro Internet Security package 'TM Internet Security'. Today, Trend Micro enjoys the credit of being the only company which offers this Internet Security Software that provides end-to-end, detailed and intuitive advanced parental control.
Giving more details about Trend Micro Internet Security 2009 package, Amith Nath, country head, Trend Micro says: " With Trend Micro Internet Security 2009 (TIS), we enter the commercial vertical in the country. TIS has been built around Smart Protection network which means the user is protected from malicious web, email and document attacks. TIS is a robust security suite which also has goods like mobile security, PC optimization and advanced parental control embedded in one software package. "
"The software also prevents accidental leakage of private information, which means, it prevents children from revealing personal information via the web, inter messaging tool and the email. The child may enter the phone number or address or credit card number which in turn would be all garbled and not understood by the receiver," he explains.
The parental control feature allows -
- Limited Internet access by time of day and day of week, that would show a reminding pop up five minutes before the Internet access time is up. This way, the parents can control the timing when the child sits before the PC
- Blocks the sites parents do not want the child to access. Further, this can be done by age level of the child. TIS software solution comes with four pre-set categories - Child, Teenager, Adult, and None. Parents can choose from these categories or customize it to their desire which could mean blocking gaming, gambling, social networking or any sites they would want to
- Prevents accidental leakage of private information by the child using the PC
The software is available in both single and three license packages which are valid for a year. TIS can be bought online as well from Trend Micro authorized distributors/sub distributors. From January end it will also be available in retail stores.
sources:http://www.ciol.com/SMB/SMB-Featured-Articles/Feature/Trend-Micro-Internet-Security-2009-offers-parental-control-s/w/4209115545/0/
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Even I’d use Windows 7 if it was free!
Fellow ZDNet blogger, Andrew Nusca, asked a great question today: “Should Microsoft give Windows 7 away for free?” He answers his own question, with a pretty big yes (at least under certain conditions), but I think his question is even more relevant here in the land of Ed Tech than it might be for businesses or consumers.
In the educational field, there are a few very important considerations that make a free Windows 7 far more appealing than yet another upgrade to yet another Microsoft product. The first is the bottom line. While businesses obviously need to focus on costs, educational technology usually makes its way into the first round of budget cuts, along with art and music programs. When it comes down to it, as Linux distributions become easier to administer, free software starts looking mighty attractive.
As Andrew points out, an upgrade to a new Microsoft OS will be a hard sell for those of us still running XP. Anyone who has migrated to Vista, whether as part of a planned rollout or through new hardware acquisitions will also have a tough time justifying the cost of an upgrade any time soon, even if Windows 7 is chock full of fixes.
In K-12 education, our job is, obviously, to teach. In most cases, there is little difference between the ways we can support learning and student achievement on Windows, Mac, or Linux computers. While plenty of proprietary applications exist, if it comes time to shave costs from a budget and we can still achieve our mission using free software, the choice should be pretty easy.
Even at the college level, students are curious, motivated, and community-minded. Have a question about that new Ubuntu netbook you just snagged? Chances are your roommate (or your neighbor or your RA) has been tinkering with Linux since she was 12. When you were in college, what would you have chosen? A $60 upgrade from Vista to 7 (assuming academic standard pricing and the existence of Vista when you were a college student) or a week’s worth of pizza?
I’m not even suggesting that every college kid or school should choose Linux over moving to Windows 7. I’m saying that there is no incentive in tight financial times and institutions accustomed to exploring a variety of solutions for moving to Windows 7.
Unless, of course, it’s free. Then, given that Windows 7 actually seems to be a pretty solid OS, even in beta, with the wide variety of compatible software, 7 starts looking pretty attractive. As I noted in my title, I’d certainly consider it if it was free. Charge me for it, though, and chances are, I’ll find a way to satisfy computing requirements some other way, whether that means FOSS, XP, or even Vista.
sources:http://education.zdnet.com/?p=2102
In the educational field, there are a few very important considerations that make a free Windows 7 far more appealing than yet another upgrade to yet another Microsoft product. The first is the bottom line. While businesses obviously need to focus on costs, educational technology usually makes its way into the first round of budget cuts, along with art and music programs. When it comes down to it, as Linux distributions become easier to administer, free software starts looking mighty attractive.
As Andrew points out, an upgrade to a new Microsoft OS will be a hard sell for those of us still running XP. Anyone who has migrated to Vista, whether as part of a planned rollout or through new hardware acquisitions will also have a tough time justifying the cost of an upgrade any time soon, even if Windows 7 is chock full of fixes.
In K-12 education, our job is, obviously, to teach. In most cases, there is little difference between the ways we can support learning and student achievement on Windows, Mac, or Linux computers. While plenty of proprietary applications exist, if it comes time to shave costs from a budget and we can still achieve our mission using free software, the choice should be pretty easy.
Even at the college level, students are curious, motivated, and community-minded. Have a question about that new Ubuntu netbook you just snagged? Chances are your roommate (or your neighbor or your RA) has been tinkering with Linux since she was 12. When you were in college, what would you have chosen? A $60 upgrade from Vista to 7 (assuming academic standard pricing and the existence of Vista when you were a college student) or a week’s worth of pizza?
I’m not even suggesting that every college kid or school should choose Linux over moving to Windows 7. I’m saying that there is no incentive in tight financial times and institutions accustomed to exploring a variety of solutions for moving to Windows 7.
Unless, of course, it’s free. Then, given that Windows 7 actually seems to be a pretty solid OS, even in beta, with the wide variety of compatible software, 7 starts looking pretty attractive. As I noted in my title, I’d certainly consider it if it was free. Charge me for it, though, and chances are, I’ll find a way to satisfy computing requirements some other way, whether that means FOSS, XP, or even Vista.
sources:http://education.zdnet.com/?p=2102
Saturday, January 24, 2009
The Threat of Climate Change
By: Former Foreign Secretary, Margaret Beckett
For a long time, the world has seen climate change as an environmental problem: a 'green' issue. That is understandable: the potential effects on our biodiversity from climate change range, under differing scenarios, from serious to catastrophic.
But the, perhaps rather sad, truth is that the international community will not move with the necessary urgency or ambition if climate change is seen as primarily something that effects insects, animals and plants: although they may in turn hold the key to our own survival. We have to show that this is a problem for humans too; that it will affect our basic security.That is precisely what the science is telling us. The recent report of the Second Working Group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change paints a stark picture. It predicts, for example, that by 2020 crop yields in some African countries, could have halved. A separate study the UK did with the Chinese government estimated that climate change could reduce China’s grain production by 30 to 40 per cent.
Physical impacts of this scale and severity in some cases can give us very specific reason to be worried. Countries throughout Asia (not least here in Burma/Cambodia), and indeed globally, should be concerned at the possibility of rising food prices and growing instability in China. Rising sea-levels could displace millions in Bangladesh alone and add a dangerous new dynamic to an already tense region. The Middle East – where five per cent of the world's population share one per cent of the world's water – will have even less of that water to go round.
Worrying though any of the scenarios would be, they are only a glimpse of a much wider picture. The implications of climate change for our security are more fundamental and comprehensive than any single conflict.
For a start, there is that potential devastating effect on the global economy. If there is one resounding thing we have learnt in the past 150 years it is that there is a deadly and complex link between the global economy, economic nationalism and increased global tensions.
The former Chief Economist at the World Bank, Nick Stern, estimated that the dangers of unabated climate change – based on the science available in 2001 and on a narrow range of effects – would be at least five per cent of global GDP. Taking on board more recent scientific evidence and the economic effects on human life and the environment, he estimates that the global economy could take a hit equivalent to 20 per cent of GDP or more.
The implications of that for developed and developing countries alike are, of course, huge. And that same report shows that the costs of avoiding the worst impacts of climate change can be limited to around one per cent of GDP each year. In other words, it won't cost the earth to tackle climate change, but it will – literally and figuratively – if we do not.
Add to that mixture the sense in certain parts of the world that climate change is a developed world problem for which the developing world will pay the price and you can see how easily it could serve to exacerbate an existing sense of grievance. President Museveni of Uganda was the first African leader to describe climate change as an act of aggression by the rich against the poor: he won’t be the last.
But there's more to it even than that. There are some fairly basic needs that underpin our collective security – as much within communities and societies as between states. Take them away, fail to prepare adequately and you raise the chances of conflict and instability. If people don't have enough food to eat it can lead to instability. If – perhaps even more so – they can't get the water they need for themselves and their families: again, the risk of heightened tension. Make it more difficult for them to secure the energy they need to power their homes and their businesses – in any or all of these instances they might decide to go out and take what they need for themselves.
And here's the problem. All of those pressures are already evident, and evidently growing. Rapid population growth means we are living on a planet bursting at the seams. We use double the amount of water we did in 1960. The International Energy Agency predicts a rise of more than 50 per cent in primary energy demand over the next 25 years. There are millions of people going hungry; millions are moving off agricultural land into overcrowded cities.
Everything in the history and pre-history of the human race demonstrates how physical change drives change in societies and communities. The abandoned cities
and even civilisations which litter our planet are evidence of that. Think of the world today then, as a dangerously simmering pot. An unstable climate risks that pot boiling over. And we ignore that risk – literally – at our peril.
That is the reason why last Tuesday the UK tabled a debate on climate change at the UN Security Council. The debate marked the recognition by the vast majority of the international community of climate change as a core security issue: and one that we must do much more, together, to address. If we succeed in that shared endeavour, we will all enjoy a better prospect of security. Climate change is a threat that can bring us together if we are wise enough to stop it from driving us apart.
For a long time, the world has seen climate change as an environmental problem: a 'green' issue. That is understandable: the potential effects on our biodiversity from climate change range, under differing scenarios, from serious to catastrophic.
But the, perhaps rather sad, truth is that the international community will not move with the necessary urgency or ambition if climate change is seen as primarily something that effects insects, animals and plants: although they may in turn hold the key to our own survival. We have to show that this is a problem for humans too; that it will affect our basic security.That is precisely what the science is telling us. The recent report of the Second Working Group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change paints a stark picture. It predicts, for example, that by 2020 crop yields in some African countries, could have halved. A separate study the UK did with the Chinese government estimated that climate change could reduce China’s grain production by 30 to 40 per cent.
Physical impacts of this scale and severity in some cases can give us very specific reason to be worried. Countries throughout Asia (not least here in Burma/Cambodia), and indeed globally, should be concerned at the possibility of rising food prices and growing instability in China. Rising sea-levels could displace millions in Bangladesh alone and add a dangerous new dynamic to an already tense region. The Middle East – where five per cent of the world's population share one per cent of the world's water – will have even less of that water to go round.
Worrying though any of the scenarios would be, they are only a glimpse of a much wider picture. The implications of climate change for our security are more fundamental and comprehensive than any single conflict.
For a start, there is that potential devastating effect on the global economy. If there is one resounding thing we have learnt in the past 150 years it is that there is a deadly and complex link between the global economy, economic nationalism and increased global tensions.
The former Chief Economist at the World Bank, Nick Stern, estimated that the dangers of unabated climate change – based on the science available in 2001 and on a narrow range of effects – would be at least five per cent of global GDP. Taking on board more recent scientific evidence and the economic effects on human life and the environment, he estimates that the global economy could take a hit equivalent to 20 per cent of GDP or more.
The implications of that for developed and developing countries alike are, of course, huge. And that same report shows that the costs of avoiding the worst impacts of climate change can be limited to around one per cent of GDP each year. In other words, it won't cost the earth to tackle climate change, but it will – literally and figuratively – if we do not.
Add to that mixture the sense in certain parts of the world that climate change is a developed world problem for which the developing world will pay the price and you can see how easily it could serve to exacerbate an existing sense of grievance. President Museveni of Uganda was the first African leader to describe climate change as an act of aggression by the rich against the poor: he won’t be the last.
But there's more to it even than that. There are some fairly basic needs that underpin our collective security – as much within communities and societies as between states. Take them away, fail to prepare adequately and you raise the chances of conflict and instability. If people don't have enough food to eat it can lead to instability. If – perhaps even more so – they can't get the water they need for themselves and their families: again, the risk of heightened tension. Make it more difficult for them to secure the energy they need to power their homes and their businesses – in any or all of these instances they might decide to go out and take what they need for themselves.
And here's the problem. All of those pressures are already evident, and evidently growing. Rapid population growth means we are living on a planet bursting at the seams. We use double the amount of water we did in 1960. The International Energy Agency predicts a rise of more than 50 per cent in primary energy demand over the next 25 years. There are millions of people going hungry; millions are moving off agricultural land into overcrowded cities.
Everything in the history and pre-history of the human race demonstrates how physical change drives change in societies and communities. The abandoned cities
and even civilisations which litter our planet are evidence of that. Think of the world today then, as a dangerously simmering pot. An unstable climate risks that pot boiling over. And we ignore that risk – literally – at our peril.
That is the reason why last Tuesday the UK tabled a debate on climate change at the UN Security Council. The debate marked the recognition by the vast majority of the international community of climate change as a core security issue: and one that we must do much more, together, to address. If we succeed in that shared endeavour, we will all enjoy a better prospect of security. Climate change is a threat that can bring us together if we are wise enough to stop it from driving us apart.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Motorola Shears 4,000 More Jobs as Recession Withers Demand
Jan. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Motorola Inc., the second-biggest U.S. seller of mobile phones, cut an additional 4,000 jobs as consumer demand languishes under the strain of the recession.
The mobile devices unit will account for about 3,000 of the job losses, Schaumburg, Illinois-based Motorola said yesterday in a statement. The reductions, which begin immediately, follow 3,000 cuts disclosed in October as the faltering phone business eroded the company’s profitability.
Since 2007, Motorola has reduced its workforce by about 16,000, joining AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and Sprint Nextel Corp. in slashing jobs. Motorola shipped half as many phones in the fourth quarter as a year earlier. The company expects to save about $1.5 billion this year from yesterday’s cuts and those announced last quarter.
“It’s tough to turn something around in a good environment, it’s a lot tougher in a tough environment,” said Mark McKechnie, an analyst at Broadpoint AmTech Inc. in San Francisco, who has a “neutral” rating on the shares. “The turnaround can hopefully start after this round of layoffs.”
Motorola was unchanged in late trading yesterday after dropping 21 cents to $4.11 on the New York Stock Exchange. The shares slid 72 percent last year.
AT&T said last month it would cut 12,000 jobs, or 4 percent of the workforce, as the economy falters. A few days later, Sprint said it would cut jobs throughout its units to bolster profit margins. Verizon is nearing the end of a three-year plan to eliminate 7,000 jobs from its business division.
The slumping economy led analysts at Citigroup Inc. to predict last month that global mobile-phone sales will fall 13 percent this year, the first drop since 2001.
Pension Freeze
Co-Chief Executive Officers Greg Brown and Sanjay Jha have frozen U.S. pension plans and cut executive pay to lower costs. Jha has said he’ll use Google Inc.’s Android software to create more advanced devices to challenge Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., which took the market lead in the third quarter.
Revenue in the fourth period fell to between $7 billion and $7.2 billion, Motorola said in yesterday’s statement. That missed the average $7.47 billion estimate of 22 analysts in a Bloomberg survey. Sales of $7 billion would represent a 27 percent drop from a year earlier.
The company had a net loss of 7 cents to 8 cents, excluding some items. Analysts had estimated a loss of 1 cent. Full results will be reported on Feb. 3, Motorola said.
Motorola shipped about 19 million handsets in the fourth quarter, less than half the amount of the year-earlier period.
Holiday 2009 Release
The company introduced its first touch-screen device, the Krave, in October to compete with Apple’s iPhone. Later that month, Jha said the company had been too focused on “bright, shiny objects.” Motorola would trim the number of operating systems to three and release an Android-based phone in time for the 2009 holidays, he said.
“If the environment’s still weak in the second half of ‘09, then this could be a ‘10 story,” Broadpoint’s McKechnie said.
Motorola lost its top ranking in the U.S. mobile-phone market in the third quarter as the company’s share of sales slid to 21.1 percent from 32.7 percent a year earlier, according to researcher Strategy Analytics in Newton, Massachusetts. Sales at Samsung, based in Suwon, South Korea, rose to 22.4 percent of the market from 17.9 percent.
sources:http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aHT.M.kxzbvo&refer=us
The mobile devices unit will account for about 3,000 of the job losses, Schaumburg, Illinois-based Motorola said yesterday in a statement. The reductions, which begin immediately, follow 3,000 cuts disclosed in October as the faltering phone business eroded the company’s profitability.
Since 2007, Motorola has reduced its workforce by about 16,000, joining AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and Sprint Nextel Corp. in slashing jobs. Motorola shipped half as many phones in the fourth quarter as a year earlier. The company expects to save about $1.5 billion this year from yesterday’s cuts and those announced last quarter.
“It’s tough to turn something around in a good environment, it’s a lot tougher in a tough environment,” said Mark McKechnie, an analyst at Broadpoint AmTech Inc. in San Francisco, who has a “neutral” rating on the shares. “The turnaround can hopefully start after this round of layoffs.”
Motorola was unchanged in late trading yesterday after dropping 21 cents to $4.11 on the New York Stock Exchange. The shares slid 72 percent last year.
AT&T said last month it would cut 12,000 jobs, or 4 percent of the workforce, as the economy falters. A few days later, Sprint said it would cut jobs throughout its units to bolster profit margins. Verizon is nearing the end of a three-year plan to eliminate 7,000 jobs from its business division.
The slumping economy led analysts at Citigroup Inc. to predict last month that global mobile-phone sales will fall 13 percent this year, the first drop since 2001.
Pension Freeze
Co-Chief Executive Officers Greg Brown and Sanjay Jha have frozen U.S. pension plans and cut executive pay to lower costs. Jha has said he’ll use Google Inc.’s Android software to create more advanced devices to challenge Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., which took the market lead in the third quarter.
Revenue in the fourth period fell to between $7 billion and $7.2 billion, Motorola said in yesterday’s statement. That missed the average $7.47 billion estimate of 22 analysts in a Bloomberg survey. Sales of $7 billion would represent a 27 percent drop from a year earlier.
The company had a net loss of 7 cents to 8 cents, excluding some items. Analysts had estimated a loss of 1 cent. Full results will be reported on Feb. 3, Motorola said.
Motorola shipped about 19 million handsets in the fourth quarter, less than half the amount of the year-earlier period.
Holiday 2009 Release
The company introduced its first touch-screen device, the Krave, in October to compete with Apple’s iPhone. Later that month, Jha said the company had been too focused on “bright, shiny objects.” Motorola would trim the number of operating systems to three and release an Android-based phone in time for the 2009 holidays, he said.
“If the environment’s still weak in the second half of ‘09, then this could be a ‘10 story,” Broadpoint’s McKechnie said.
Motorola lost its top ranking in the U.S. mobile-phone market in the third quarter as the company’s share of sales slid to 21.1 percent from 32.7 percent a year earlier, according to researcher Strategy Analytics in Newton, Massachusetts. Sales at Samsung, based in Suwon, South Korea, rose to 22.4 percent of the market from 17.9 percent.
sources:http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aHT.M.kxzbvo&refer=us
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
TAKE A LOOK-Russia, Ukraine sign deal on gas flows
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has ordered the
resumption of gas supplies via Ukraine to Europe on Tuesday, six
days after a Russian- Ukrainian price row cut deliveries in
freezing temperatures.
Following are key stories about the dispute. Double click on
the square brackets below:
TOP STORIES
> Russia says starts gas flows via Ukraine [nLD708539]
> All parties sign Russia-Ukraine gas deal--source [nLC376325]
> Bulgaria seeks EU aid to ease Russia gas dependence[nLC229577]
> Yushchenko aide: low Russian gas stocks delay deal [nLC254302]
> No reason for Russia not to resume gas - EU [nBRU007160]
OTHER STORIES
> TIMELINE-Gas crises between Russia and Ukraine [nLC323043]
> Ukraine president calls for gas talks with Russia [nLC336966]
> Slovakia awaits gas talks outcome before nuke resta[nLC332967]
> EU to hear Slovakia on nuclear plant restart [nBRU007164]
> Hungary says has gas for own needs [nLC163177]
> Ukraine faces gas price battle despite EU deal [nLB19916]
> Energy ministers to meet amid Europe's gas crisis [nLB727930]
> Naftogaz financial future in doubt - auditors [nLB33061]
> Ukrainian despair at politicians in gas row [ID:nLA196509]
REACTION
> Russian gas to Balkans will take 3-7 days-Greece[ID:nLB702970]
> Hungary to continue gas supply to Balkans [ID:nLB665632]
> Croatia secures gas imports from Germany [ID:nLA252667]
ANALYSIS/INTERVIEWS
> European fuel oil market unmoved by Russian gas cut [LC69626]
> Gas crisis, a PR coup for French nuclear industry [nL8349259]
> Russia, Ukraine need oil-linked gas deal [nLC418993]
> Q+A-What next in Russia-Ukraine gas dispute? [nLB67371]
> COLUMN-Ukraine gas crisis spurs EU energy policy [nLA494113]
> Gas row exposes east Europe's Achilles heel [ID:nL8408013]
> Gas row risks long damage to Russia's reputation[ID:nL9192050]
> Russia-Ukraine middleman may hold key [ID:nL8351791]
> Gazprom chief does business in Kremlin shadow [ID:nLA180771]
> EU needs to invest in Nabucco, act jointly [ID:nL9376154]
FACTBOXES
> Q&A: What next in Russia-Ukraine gas dispute? [ID:nLB67371]
> FACTBOX-Russia rejects Kiev additions to deal ID:nLB90948]
> FACTBOX-Impact in Ukraine of gas cut [ID:nL9320185]
> FACTBOX-Europe gas stocks and how long they last[ID:nL0596237]
> FACTBOX-Major disputes between Russia, Ukraine [ID:nL3514397]
> FACTBOX-Top Russian gas customers in Europe [ID:nLV90716]
> TIMELINE of Russian energy disputes [ID:nLV194881]
sources:http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKLV63476520090113
resumption of gas supplies via Ukraine to Europe on Tuesday, six
days after a Russian- Ukrainian price row cut deliveries in
freezing temperatures.
Following are key stories about the dispute. Double click on
the square brackets below:
TOP STORIES
> Russia says starts gas flows via Ukraine [nLD708539]
> All parties sign Russia-Ukraine gas deal--source [nLC376325]
> Bulgaria seeks EU aid to ease Russia gas dependence[nLC229577]
> Yushchenko aide: low Russian gas stocks delay deal [nLC254302]
> No reason for Russia not to resume gas - EU [nBRU007160]
OTHER STORIES
> TIMELINE-Gas crises between Russia and Ukraine [nLC323043]
> Ukraine president calls for gas talks with Russia [nLC336966]
> Slovakia awaits gas talks outcome before nuke resta[nLC332967]
> EU to hear Slovakia on nuclear plant restart [nBRU007164]
> Hungary says has gas for own needs [nLC163177]
> Ukraine faces gas price battle despite EU deal [nLB19916]
> Energy ministers to meet amid Europe's gas crisis [nLB727930]
> Naftogaz financial future in doubt - auditors [nLB33061]
> Ukrainian despair at politicians in gas row [ID:nLA196509]
REACTION
> Russian gas to Balkans will take 3-7 days-Greece[ID:nLB702970]
> Hungary to continue gas supply to Balkans [ID:nLB665632]
> Croatia secures gas imports from Germany [ID:nLA252667]
ANALYSIS/INTERVIEWS
> European fuel oil market unmoved by Russian gas cut [LC69626]
> Gas crisis, a PR coup for French nuclear industry [nL8349259]
> Russia, Ukraine need oil-linked gas deal [nLC418993]
> Q+A-What next in Russia-Ukraine gas dispute? [nLB67371]
> COLUMN-Ukraine gas crisis spurs EU energy policy [nLA494113]
> Gas row exposes east Europe's Achilles heel [ID:nL8408013]
> Gas row risks long damage to Russia's reputation[ID:nL9192050]
> Russia-Ukraine middleman may hold key [ID:nL8351791]
> Gazprom chief does business in Kremlin shadow [ID:nLA180771]
> EU needs to invest in Nabucco, act jointly [ID:nL9376154]
FACTBOXES
> Q&A: What next in Russia-Ukraine gas dispute? [ID:nLB67371]
> FACTBOX-Russia rejects Kiev additions to deal ID:nLB90948]
> FACTBOX-Impact in Ukraine of gas cut [ID:nL9320185]
> FACTBOX-Europe gas stocks and how long they last[ID:nL0596237]
> FACTBOX-Major disputes between Russia, Ukraine [ID:nL3514397]
> FACTBOX-Top Russian gas customers in Europe [ID:nLV90716]
> TIMELINE of Russian energy disputes [ID:nLV194881]
sources:http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKLV63476520090113
Friday, January 09, 2009
Disgraced pastor Haggard says his faith now stronger
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ted Haggard, the powerful U.S. evangelist who fell from grace in 2006 amid a gay sex scandal, returned to the spotlight Friday saying his faith was stronger but he wished people had been more forgiving.
Haggard, 52, was exiled from the New Life mega-church he founded and told by church elders to leave Colorado after admitting "sexual immorality" and buying methamphetamines from a male prostitute.
It was a stunning admission for the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, a formidable force among U.S. conservative Christians and a group that had the ear of the White House.
An HBO documentary about Haggard's year in exile, his struggle with his sexuality in the face of his past condemnation of gays, and his attempts to make a living outside the church, will air on the cable TV network on January 29.
Haggard, his wife Gayle and two of his five children appeared on a panel for U.S. television critics Friday to promote the documentary, "The Trials of Ted Haggard." He had previously been barred by evangelical leaders from speaking to the media.
"I don't think it is a flattering piece. I think it is even-handed," Haggard told Reuters in an interview. "It is embarrassing for me for people to see it, but it does answer their questions."
Haggard refers to himself in the documentary as a sinner who deserved the punishment meted out to him. He says he came close to suicide.
for more information:http://uk.reuters.com/article/peopleNews/idUKTRE5090EG20090110
Haggard, 52, was exiled from the New Life mega-church he founded and told by church elders to leave Colorado after admitting "sexual immorality" and buying methamphetamines from a male prostitute.
It was a stunning admission for the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, a formidable force among U.S. conservative Christians and a group that had the ear of the White House.
An HBO documentary about Haggard's year in exile, his struggle with his sexuality in the face of his past condemnation of gays, and his attempts to make a living outside the church, will air on the cable TV network on January 29.
Haggard, his wife Gayle and two of his five children appeared on a panel for U.S. television critics Friday to promote the documentary, "The Trials of Ted Haggard." He had previously been barred by evangelical leaders from speaking to the media.
"I don't think it is a flattering piece. I think it is even-handed," Haggard told Reuters in an interview. "It is embarrassing for me for people to see it, but it does answer their questions."
Haggard refers to himself in the documentary as a sinner who deserved the punishment meted out to him. He says he came close to suicide.
for more information:http://uk.reuters.com/article/peopleNews/idUKTRE5090EG20090110
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
The amazing vanishing Mac desktop machine
A couple years back, after the introduction of the iPhone at the January 2007 Macworld Expo, I penned a little reaction peace entitled iDisappointed, expressing my dismay at the lack of Mac hardware updates—it is, in fact, called Macworld Expo. (I should also point out that I was also amazingly prescient with that piece, when I wrote “My gut reaction is that Apple has hit a huge home run with the iPhone.” I love it when I luck into being right!)
I learned my lesson that year—don’t expect anything from the keynote, and you won’t be disappointed by whatever you hear. The following year, my newly-lowered expectations meshed well with the message that was delivered, leading me to discuss the overall cohesiveness of the products covered in the keynote speech.
Fast-forward to 2009, and the Phil Schiller-delivered keynote address. In the lead-up to the Expo, I’d read the various new product rumors, discounting most of them in line with my ‘low expectations’ approach. I entered the keynote in good spirits, not expecting much at all in the way of new stuff.
Then, in the course of one slide and a couple of sentences, I allowed myself to be sucked into the reality distortion field once again—even when Steve Jobs isn’t present, it seems that some of the distortion field remains in Moscone West. The slide that hooked me was the simplest of slides—it said only “Mac.”
The words were equally simple, with Schiller saying “what I’m going to talk to you about is all about the Mac. I think that’s appropriate at Macworld that we talk about the Mac.” When I heard “the Mac,” the “cool new hardware” synapses in my brain
took over all normal, rational thought, and my low expectations went right out the window. “All about the Mac?”—wow, maybe all the rumors were correct. New Mac mini; new Mac Pros, perhaps; new iMacs; and a new 17-inch MacBook Pro! Excellent!
You see, when you get right down to it, I’m a hardware junkie. Sure, I love the Mac’s software (both Apple and third-party created), but what really piques my interest is a new machine from Apple, pusing the limits of design and technology. So while Schiller was providing more details on the Mac stuff he was going to talk about, my mind was already wandering off, thinking about all the cool new hardware that was soon to be announced.
Then, just about the time my imagination was ramping up to full speed (perhaps even a Mac NetBook or Mac Tablet!?), reality came crashing back into the picture when Schiller said he was going to talk about three things, and that the first of those things was the new iLife ’09. OK, I thought, well, that still leaves two pieces of new hardware, that’s not bad.
But as time marched on and we were still watching slides and demonstrations of the new iPhoto and iMovie, it seemed that perhaps even two new pieces of hardware was optimistic. Indeed, item two on Phil’s list was iWork ’09, also not a new piece of hardware. OK, down to one piece of new hardware…but which ultra-cool machine would it be? Maybe the Netbook, perhaps, saving the best for last? But no, as you all know by now, the third thing was the new unibody 17-inch MacBook Pro with its eight-hour battery-for-life.
A fine machine, to be sure, but beyond the tech in the battery, there’s nothing really new to see here—the 17-inch MacBook Pro is a larger version of its 15-inch counterparts, which have been dissected in great detail over the initial months of their existence. So yes, it was interesting, but not all that exciting.
Now, don’t get me wrong—today’s keynote didn’t even hit the bottom of my “iDisappointed” scale—I’m more disappointed at myself for allowing the “new hardware!” thoughts to creep into my brain. The stuff we were shown was generally impressive, save the clearly nowhere-near-done iWork.com iWork-web integration. The new facial recognition and geotagging features in iPhoto look simply amazing, the features added back to iMovie ’08 may very well be enough to get me to try it again (though I’m not a fan of “scrub to select”), and iWork appears to have received a solid update with some compelling new features. I thought Schiller did an admirable job of stepping into a really large pair of shoes, and his delivery was as good as I’ve ever seen.
But when I look at the keynote in total, it was sort of a “yawn” event, and the lack of new Mac hardware—desktops, specifically—is disconcerting. It’s now been about 17 months since the Mac mini was updated; a full year since the last Mac Pro update; and more than eight months since the iMac was updated (which is lengthy, given its historical update rate).
In the fast-paced world of computing, these are long periods of time for a model to go unchanged, and it’s obvious that updates must be coming soon…just not quite yet.
Source:http://www.macworld.com/article/137985/nohwexpo.html
I learned my lesson that year—don’t expect anything from the keynote, and you won’t be disappointed by whatever you hear. The following year, my newly-lowered expectations meshed well with the message that was delivered, leading me to discuss the overall cohesiveness of the products covered in the keynote speech.
Fast-forward to 2009, and the Phil Schiller-delivered keynote address. In the lead-up to the Expo, I’d read the various new product rumors, discounting most of them in line with my ‘low expectations’ approach. I entered the keynote in good spirits, not expecting much at all in the way of new stuff.
Then, in the course of one slide and a couple of sentences, I allowed myself to be sucked into the reality distortion field once again—even when Steve Jobs isn’t present, it seems that some of the distortion field remains in Moscone West. The slide that hooked me was the simplest of slides—it said only “Mac.”
The words were equally simple, with Schiller saying “what I’m going to talk to you about is all about the Mac. I think that’s appropriate at Macworld that we talk about the Mac.” When I heard “the Mac,” the “cool new hardware” synapses in my brain
took over all normal, rational thought, and my low expectations went right out the window. “All about the Mac?”—wow, maybe all the rumors were correct. New Mac mini; new Mac Pros, perhaps; new iMacs; and a new 17-inch MacBook Pro! Excellent!
You see, when you get right down to it, I’m a hardware junkie. Sure, I love the Mac’s software (both Apple and third-party created), but what really piques my interest is a new machine from Apple, pusing the limits of design and technology. So while Schiller was providing more details on the Mac stuff he was going to talk about, my mind was already wandering off, thinking about all the cool new hardware that was soon to be announced.
Then, just about the time my imagination was ramping up to full speed (perhaps even a Mac NetBook or Mac Tablet!?), reality came crashing back into the picture when Schiller said he was going to talk about three things, and that the first of those things was the new iLife ’09. OK, I thought, well, that still leaves two pieces of new hardware, that’s not bad.
But as time marched on and we were still watching slides and demonstrations of the new iPhoto and iMovie, it seemed that perhaps even two new pieces of hardware was optimistic. Indeed, item two on Phil’s list was iWork ’09, also not a new piece of hardware. OK, down to one piece of new hardware…but which ultra-cool machine would it be? Maybe the Netbook, perhaps, saving the best for last? But no, as you all know by now, the third thing was the new unibody 17-inch MacBook Pro with its eight-hour battery-for-life.
A fine machine, to be sure, but beyond the tech in the battery, there’s nothing really new to see here—the 17-inch MacBook Pro is a larger version of its 15-inch counterparts, which have been dissected in great detail over the initial months of their existence. So yes, it was interesting, but not all that exciting.
Now, don’t get me wrong—today’s keynote didn’t even hit the bottom of my “iDisappointed” scale—I’m more disappointed at myself for allowing the “new hardware!” thoughts to creep into my brain. The stuff we were shown was generally impressive, save the clearly nowhere-near-done iWork.com iWork-web integration. The new facial recognition and geotagging features in iPhoto look simply amazing, the features added back to iMovie ’08 may very well be enough to get me to try it again (though I’m not a fan of “scrub to select”), and iWork appears to have received a solid update with some compelling new features. I thought Schiller did an admirable job of stepping into a really large pair of shoes, and his delivery was as good as I’ve ever seen.
But when I look at the keynote in total, it was sort of a “yawn” event, and the lack of new Mac hardware—desktops, specifically—is disconcerting. It’s now been about 17 months since the Mac mini was updated; a full year since the last Mac Pro update; and more than eight months since the iMac was updated (which is lengthy, given its historical update rate).
In the fast-paced world of computing, these are long periods of time for a model to go unchanged, and it’s obvious that updates must be coming soon…just not quite yet.
Source:http://www.macworld.com/article/137985/nohwexpo.html
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