The Air Force has put out a call for metamaterial antennas, another example of defense interest in metamaterials:
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/06/air-force-seeks.html
For years environmental groups have been warning that global warming could make global tensions worse and possibly result in new armed conflicts. Now the US Intelligence community appears to agree with them, as they have concluded that the changing weather patterns contributes to the creation of terrorist safe havens and could lead to conflicts between countries;
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/06/environmental-g.html
South Florida has figured out to have the iPhone to control one of the military’s most popular ground robots. All that is needed is a WiFi connection!
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/06/video-iphone-se.html
Ousted Air Force Secretary Wynne talked about how his conflicts with Defense Secretary Gates led to his firing:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/presidentbush/2008/06/ousted-air-forc.html
It is interesting how the Defense Threat Reduction Agency has been monitoring the webcam of a distillery in a remote Scottish location, and how they reacted when they found out:
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing-business/analysis/2219327/barrel-4025844
Article about how AT&T is the biggest beneficiary of the 3G iPhone price cut…but the article fails to mention that the iPhone price cut is due to the large subsidy that AT&T is paying on the iPhone!
http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/technology-finance/e3i76a689103c1b2ad6591b1b41a69bc3bb
Looks like it costs AT&T $425 for every 3G iPhone sold–AT&T is subsidizing $325 of the price of the 3G iPhone *and* it is paying Apple a $100 royalty for each 3G iPhone sold. AT&T says that these subsidies mean that the deal will reduce earnings by 10 to 12 cents per share for the next 2 years but they hope to make a profit in 2010…but isn’t that when the customers will be finished with their contract and might be looking for another subsidized phone?
http://web20.telecomtv.com/pages/?newsid=43357&id=e9381817-0593-417a-8639-c4c53e2a2a10&view=news
Web searches for porn by iPhone users has increased 5x in the past 6 months! A third of all iPhone users watch porn on their phones, for more than any other phone. The porn industry is now targeting iPhone users, with hundreds of porn websites created for iPhone users:
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2219744/iphone-porn
The 3G iPhone is expected to present a huge opportunity for the porn industry. I didn’t realize that in Europe customers pay $50 per month to send text messages to actresses! With the 3G iPhone termed the “porn-friendliest phone” and with its ability to show video, that market opportunity is not being ignored by the porn industry:
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1815933,00.html
Google’s Android platform is having some trouble and the Android phone releases are being delayed:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121418837707895947.html
The FCC detailed their plans for free nationwide wireless broadband:
http://rcrnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080620/FREE/842439156/1007
Portland, Riverside, Cuptertino, San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, and many other cities are losing the WiFi networks they had that were provided by the struggling MetroFi:
http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/muni/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=208800014
Amazing that the Pentagon plans to spend $4 bil on robots by 2010:
http://hsdailywire.com/single.php?id=6364
Pretty weird that environmentally-conscious Canada refuses to allow electric cars on their roads:
http://motoring.iafrica.com/newsbriefs/888793.htm
Researchers are looking at making plane wings out of glass instead of metal, avoiding metal fatigue:
http://hsdailywire.com/single.php?id=6360
Delta Airlines is experimenting with a cell phone boarding pass:
http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/messaging/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=208800035
High gas prices have resulted in a weak market for muscle cars:
http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/automotive-travel/e3i76a689103c1b2ad633d936c3a21327ff
It is hard for me to imagine Microsoft without Bill Gates–but everybody has to retire eventually I guess:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25144466/
Amazing that the broadcast networks took in a record $9.23 bil during the upfronts, despite falling ratings and a tough economy:
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/cable-tv/e3i789a49b060419d46f0594368ddbaf85f
Looks like the syndicated TV programs also did really well in their advertising sales. I didn’t realize that CBS controlled about half of all syndicated programming:
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/special-reports/upfront-special-reports/e3i76a689103c1b2ad6a9eae8f5bb25499a
Amazing how Speedo’s new swimsuit has changed the swimming world:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080623/sp_nm/olympics_swimsuits_dc_2
Article about how Google/Yahoo/Microsoft/AOL should get together to buy the Associated Press:
http://blog.wired.com/business/2008/06/forget-the-new.html
An NBC employee updated Tim Russert’s Wikipedia page with the news of his death before Russert’s family could be notified and before NBC could release the information themselves. That employee was fired:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/23/business/media/23link.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Man was sentenced to 6 months in jail for having sex with a metal table:
http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080621/NEWS01/806210304/1002
