Students assigned hundreds of pages to read a week are finding ways to lessen the workload. But are resources like SparkNotes preventing students from actually learning the material?


By Madeline Anderson
Published: February 1, 2009

This past summer UW-Madison sophomore Clint received a letter in the mail detailing his removal from the university.

Originally enrolled in the nursing program, Clint had failed one class and barely passed his other three the second semester of his freshman year.

“I had tunnel vision at the time,” he said. “I thought other things were more important than school.” Instead, Clint put hanging out with friends, video games and his girlfriend at the top of his priority list.

But when Clint received his grades for the spring semester, he knew he had to change his approach to college life.

“There’s that balance that every college student faces,” Clint said. “I had to learn that the hard way.”

UW-Madison senior Kevin Clutson said SparkNotes helped him get through all the reading material in his English classes.

“With two jobs and an internship, I just don’t have time to read the books thoroughly,” he said.

SparkNotes is a series of books and a website that provides free study guides for works of literature.

Though an easy alternative to reading countless pages, this timesaving tool could be hurting students’ writing and reading abilities in the long run.

The harm in using SparkNotes

Associate English professor Sherry Reames has noticed an alarming trend throughout her thirty years of teaching that may be attributed in part to websites like SparkNotes.

“Students’ vocabularies are much smaller in general than they used to be,” Reames said, “and their ability to make sense of long, complicated sentences has also declined.” --NewsHammer 2/10/2009

Continue reading the Feb 1, 2009 article from the University of Wisconsin-Madison's The Daily Cardinal.

Students assigned hundreds of pages to read a week are finding ways to lessen the workload. But are resources like SparkNotes preventing students from actually learning the material?


By Madeline Anderson
Published: February 1, 2009

This past summer UW-Madison sophomore Clint received a letter in the mail detailing his removal from the university.

Originally enrolled in the nursing program, Clint had failed one class and barely passed his other three the second semester of his freshman year.

“I had tunnel vision at the time,” he said. “I thought other things were more important than school.” Instead, Clint put hanging out with friends, video games and his girlfriend at the top of his priority list.

But when Clint received his grades for the spring semester, he knew he had to change his approach to college life.

“There’s that balance that every college student faces,” Clint said. “I had to learn that the hard way.”

UW-Madison senior Kevin Clutson said SparkNotes helped him get through all the reading material in his English classes.

“With two jobs and an internship, I just don’t have time to read the books thoroughly,” he said.

SparkNotes is a series of books and a website that provides free study guides for works of literature.

Though an easy alternative to reading countless pages, this timesaving tool could be hurting students’ writing and reading abilities in the long run.

The harm in using SparkNotes

Associate English professor Sherry Reames has noticed an alarming trend throughout her thirty years of teaching that may be attributed in part to websites like SparkNotes.

“Students’ vocabularies are much smaller in general than they used to be,” Reames said, “and their ability to make sense of long, complicated sentences has also declined.” --NewsHammer 2/10/2009

Continue reading the Feb 1, 2009 article from the University of Wisconsin-Madison's The Daily Cardinal.

The idea that the stimulus package is akin to the New Deal is bad logic and bad history

By Tim Murphy
Published: February 6, 2009


If Sunday was any indication, the United States will be completely out of money—and cufflinks—sometime in the next six months. Employment agencies broke open their piggy banks to buy prime Super Bowl air time, where they spoke directly to America’s fastest growing demographic: the unemployed. Meanwhile, a previously unknown company called “Cash 4 Gold” (which in addition to being a great name for a rap album, hired MC Hammer to pitch its wares), invited viewers to send in their favorite family heirlooms for a quick cash payout.

But as the economy continues its steady decline toward bartering and petty theft, the last few months have brought about a bull market in the oddest of fields: historical revisionism.

First, in Virginia, curators at Mount Vernon have put a new painting of a younger, less frumpy Martha Washington on display, after forensic analysis revealed that, in her earlier years at least, Martha was actually kind of smoking. While there’s of course nothing wrong with a First Lady who bears a striking resemblance to the Michelin man—as the old portraits depicted her—the new image suggests that General Washington didn’t just marry her for her needlework. --NewsHammer 2/06/2009

Continue reading the Feb 6, 2009 article from the University of Chicago's Chicago Maroon

The idea that the stimulus package is akin to the New Deal is bad logic and bad history

By Tim Murphy
Published: February 6, 2009


If Sunday was any indication, the United States will be completely out of money—and cufflinks—sometime in the next six months. Employment agencies broke open their piggy banks to buy prime Super Bowl air time, where they spoke directly to America’s fastest growing demographic: the unemployed. Meanwhile, a previously unknown company called “Cash 4 Gold” (which in addition to being a great name for a rap album, hired MC Hammer to pitch its wares), invited viewers to send in their favorite family heirlooms for a quick cash payout.

But as the economy continues its steady decline toward bartering and petty theft, the last few months have brought about a bull market in the oddest of fields: historical revisionism.

First, in Virginia, curators at Mount Vernon have put a new painting of a younger, less frumpy Martha Washington on display, after forensic analysis revealed that, in her earlier years at least, Martha was actually kind of smoking. While there’s of course nothing wrong with a First Lady who bears a striking resemblance to the Michelin man—as the old portraits depicted her—the new image suggests that General Washington didn’t just marry her for her needlework. --NewsHammer 2/06/2009

Continue reading the Feb 6, 2009 article from the University of Chicago's Chicago Maroon

SF Chron plan: Web fees, job cuts, givebacks

Higher subscription prices for the print product, pay-per-view sections on the website, scores of job cuts and sweeping union givebacks are included in management’s plan to eliminate the operating loss threatening the San Francisco Chronicle.These steps – and others – were discussed in emergency meetings today between management and union representatives after Hearst Corp. threatened on Tuesday

Looks like Tierney is in the ejection seat

Brian Tierney’s days appear to be numbered as the chief executive of Philadelphia’s Inquirer and Daily News.If and when he departs, drastic cost cutting is sure to follow as Tierney’s beloved dailies come under the control of the evidently frustrated creditors who are on the hook for $412 million in debt and additional accumulated interest payments.“This is a company in need of parental

SF Chron cost-cut target equals 47% of staff

If the San Francisco Chronicle had to slash enough payroll to offset the more than $50 million operating loss threatening its future, nearly half of its 1,500 employees would be dismissed.That’s the magnitude of the challenge facing the managers and union representatives who were tasked today by Hearst Corp. to find a way to cut the paper’s mushrooming deficit – or else.After losing more than $1

U.S. consumers are already watching broadcast TV shows on free websites such as Hulu.com,

"OnDemand Online" will be available free to Comcast cable TV subscribers, Business Insider reports. That means only customers inside Comcast's cable zone can sign up, but the service itself is available anywhere. For example, a user could still watch on demand videos away from home (the company is working on a way to verify subscriptions). Also of note, the service would count against Comcast's 250 GB monthly bandwidth cap.

The major difference between this service and Hulu is content. While Hulu's videos come from NBC, Fox and their cable channels like FX, Comcast is inking deals with other cable networks, possibly providing a streaming opportunity for channels like the Food Network and Discovery. In other words, Comcast is going to focus on content that isn't already online.
Because Comcast and other cable providers pay fees that account for roughly half of cable channels' revenue, it's in the channels' best interests to keep providers healthy, Business Insider notes. By comparison, hardly any money comes in through online viewing, so its more likely for a channel to give its content to Comcast than to an online-only service like Hulu.
U.S. cable, programmers set for Web TV by summer,,,
Cable and satellite TV providers are working on a free online video service to deliver up-to-date cable shows to computers and mobile phones, but the industry is worried the project could cannibalize pay-TV's long-standing revenue model.
cable network programing is available primarily on cable and satellite TV services, such as Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O) and DirecTV Group Inc (DTV.O), or nascent video services from phone companies.
This is about bringing new amounts of content to the Internet in a business model that continues to support the creation of that content," said Sam Schwartz, executive vice president of Comcast Interactive Media.

Comcast is leading talks with programmers like Viacom Inc (VIAb.N) and Discovery Communications Inc (DISCA.O), with Time Warner Cable (TWC.N), DirecTV and others involved. Their plans are at different stages, and cable operators will likely discuss putting cable programing online at an industry meeting this week according to people familiar with the plans.

The project would let cable and satellite TV subscribers watch up-to-date cable shows on the Web, and possibly on mobile phones, for free possibly as soon as this summer, the sources said.

The idea is to give customers added flexibility to view their favorite shows. It is also seen as a preemptive strike against possible 'cord-cutting' of video services, particularly by younger subscribers used to watching other programs online.

But the project presents a number of business and technology challenges to both operators and programmers.

Cable programmers like Viacom's MTV Networks make money from advertising sales, as well as affiliate fees that cable and satellite TV service providers pay.

TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES

Whatever business models are agreed upon will depend to some extent on overcoming technological challenges.

One involves identifying which customers have the right to view a show, and managing digital rights to avoid over-wide distribution. There is also the need to accurately 'time' the content so it is available to users for a restricted period -- so as not to jeopardize other media content distribution systems such as video on demand and DVD releases.

Yet executives also acknowledge the risk of ignoring the Web, as seen by the music and newspaper industries that have suffered as consumers change their media consumption habits.

Comcast sees the project, which it calls On Demand Online, as a natural progression from digital video recorders and video-on-demand channels.

It is working on technology to authenticate subscribers who go to Comcast's Fancast and Comcast.net websites for video. This would effectively create a "wall" behind which programmers might feel comfortable keeping some of their premium shows.

Bankruptcy could kill Philly Daily News

The bankruptcy filing of Philadelphia Media Holdings could deliver the deathblow to the Philadelphia Daily News.The gritty and colorful tabloid – whose circulation is about a third of its sibling, the Philadelphia Inquirer – is the most logical place for publisher Brian Tierney to find the significant operating savings that will enable him to restructure the debt that has overwhelmed his young

JRCO cut 50% of papers, 15% of jobs

Journal Register Co. radically slimmed down its operations in the year leading up to its bankruptcy filing, shedding half of its non-daily newspapers and 15.5% of its work force.Details of the unsuccessful effort to avoid default on the company’s debt are contained in the documents supporting the bankruptcy petition filed Friday in Manhattan. The petition seeks to reorganize JRCO as a privately

Offline web applications allow people to store data on their own computer

Working offline can come with an unexpected risk
A security expert has sounded a warning on features that allow offline access to websites. so that they can use services like web-based e-mail when not online.
Be cautious when you get an email that says "there's a problem with your password, click on this link and we'll fix it"
But sites with poor security that use the feature put their visitors at risk of being robbed of their data.

Michael Sutton disclosed the threat at the Black Hat security conference in Washington, DC.

Offline web applications are taking off because of services such as Gears, developed by Google, and HTML 5, a new HTML specification that is still in draft form.

It was introduced to many web users in January, when Gmail introduced a Gears-powered offline mode. Offline Gmail lets users read and write e-mail when they're not connected to the internet.

Mr Sutton stressed that Gmail, Gears and HTML 5 are considered secure, but websites that implement offline features without proper security could put users at risk.

"You can take this great, cool secure technology, but if you implement it on an insecure website, you're exposing it. And then all that security is for naught."

Mr Sutton found that websites which suffer from a well-known security vulnerability known as cross-site scripting are at risk.

A hacker could direct a victim to a vulnerable website and then cause the user's own browser to grab data from their offline database.
Unlike phishing, the whole attack could take place on a reputable site, which makes it harder to detect.

As a proof of concept, Mr Sutton was able to swipe information from the offline version of a time-tracking website called Paymo. Mr Sutton alerted Paymo and it fixed the vulnerability immediately.

Web developers must ensure that their sites are secure before implementing offline applications, said Mr Sutton.

"Gears is fantastic and Google has done a great job of making it a secure technology. But if you slap that technology into an already vulnerable site, you're leaving your customers at risk," he explained.

Security expert Craig Balding agreed that it was up to developers to secure their sites, as the line between desktop applications and web applications becomes more blurred.

"Every website wants to keep up in terms of features, but when developers turn to technologies like this they need to understand the pros and cons," he told BBC News.

Journal Register files for Chapter 11

UPDATED at 4:15 p.m. PST on Feb. 21, 2009The Journal Register Co. quietly filed Friday for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, becoming the third publisher in as many months to succumb to an overwhelming debt load.Journal Register, whose stock closed Friday at a third of a cent per share, had shut dozens of its non-daily newspapers since the first of the year in an effort to raise enough cash to

Hackers have been exploiting a critical bug in Adobe Reader Acrobat

Hackers are exploiting an unpatched security hole in current versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat to install malicious software when users open a booby-trapped PDF file, security experts warn.

These types of attacks are frequently the most damaging and it is only a matter of time before this exploit ends up in every exploit pack on the Internet," Shadowserver volunteer Steven Adair wrote on the group's blog.

Adobe's advisory lacks any advice users can follow to mitigate the threat from this flaw. But those at Shadowserver say Adobe Reader and Acrobat users can significantly reduce their exposure to such attacks by disabling Javascript within the application. To nix Javascript, select "Edit," "Preferences," "Javascript," and uncheck the box next to "Enable Acrobat Javascript."

Why does Reader even need Javascript?

With Reader, you can sometimes fill out forms. Those forms might use JavaScript. For example, you might a form asking your height: You plug in 6'1".

Then the form will also calculate your height as 185 cm (centimeters) for those using metric.

A better example is an order form. You indicate which things you want to purchase, and the form automatically sums the total amount of the purchases.

Some forms are dynamic in the sense that they don't have a fixed length. If you add more items to purchase, add more beneficiaries to an insurance policy, or add more text to a survey, the form add another page. The page numbering might be driven by JavaScript.

Adobe said that users should expect to see a fix for the vulnerability by March 11. In the meantime, researchers at both Shadowserver and the US Computer Emergency Response Team recommend that users disable the ability for documents to execute Javascript code in both Acrobat and Reader through the application's preference panel.

It all started with one bad question (that really wasn’t that bad at all) asked by one ESPN sideline reporter during a game in which UK shouldn’t have been struggling like they were.

By Kenny Colston
Published: February 4, 2009

Then it moved into boos, another loss and a cry for toughness.

And now, the UK men’s basketball team stands just seconds away from total implosion with a coach the fan base is leery of, a team that struggles to maintain any consistency and a wicked cocktail of everything that can destroy a team.

This is way past 2002’s Team Turmoil.

After a honeymoon season in which UK head coach Billy Gillispie managed to sneak into the NCAA tournament, the expectations skyrocketed for the Cats this season. It was win, and win now. Star recruits like DeAndre Liggins and Darius Miller would partner with Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson to perch the Cats at the top of the Southeastern Conference.

It even looked that way for a while, with the Tennessee trashing and a five-game winning streak. That was three losses ago.

Now, you have popular CatsPause.com quoting Patterson that the UK locker room erupted with a verbal no-holds-barred brawl after losing to Mississippi State on Tuesday. UK spokesman John Hayden denied the claim, but whether the story is true or false isn’t the real issue. --2/06/2009 NewsHammer

Continue reading this article from the University of Kentucky's Kentucky Kernel.

More on the last game in 'Dogs make it rain on Cats' by James Pennington, Feb 3, 2009, in the Kentucky Kernel.

It all started with one bad question (that really wasn’t that bad at all) asked by one ESPN sideline reporter during a game in which UK shouldn’t have been struggling like they were.

By Kenny Colston
Published: February 4, 2009

Then it moved into boos, another loss and a cry for toughness.

And now, the UK men’s basketball team stands just seconds away from total implosion with a coach the fan base is leery of, a team that struggles to maintain any consistency and a wicked cocktail of everything that can destroy a team.

This is way past 2002’s Team Turmoil.

After a honeymoon season in which UK head coach Billy Gillispie managed to sneak into the NCAA tournament, the expectations skyrocketed for the Cats this season. It was win, and win now. Star recruits like DeAndre Liggins and Darius Miller would partner with Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson to perch the Cats at the top of the Southeastern Conference.

It even looked that way for a while, with the Tennessee trashing and a five-game winning streak. That was three losses ago.

Now, you have popular CatsPause.com quoting Patterson that the UK locker room erupted with a verbal no-holds-barred brawl after losing to Mississippi State on Tuesday. UK spokesman John Hayden denied the claim, but whether the story is true or false isn’t the real issue. --2/06/2009 NewsHammer

Continue reading this article from the University of Kentucky's Kentucky Kernel.

More on the last game in 'Dogs make it rain on Cats' by James Pennington, Feb 3, 2009, in the Kentucky Kernel.

Is it possible to earn a degree from MIT in a single afternoon?

By Robert McQueen
Published: February 3, 2009

On Friday, close to 100 students, faculty, and alumni did just that during the 16th annual Charm School, held at the Stratton Student Center. And unlike MIT’s School of Engineering, Charm School boasted an admissions acceptance rate of 100 percent.

Charm School’s 20 classes covered topics ranging from “Flirting 101” to “How to Engineer Your Workout” and “Ballroom Dancing.”

The school marked its class-changing times the old fashioned way: Assistant Dean of Student Activities Jed Wartman rang a rusty bell atop the second floor stairwell.

Jeffrey Quinlan, friend of Stever Robbins ’86, taught a class called “How to Throw a Party” in the Coffeehouse Lounge. There, students learned how to be successful hosts, make conversation, and organize parties. Quinlan also offered tips on how to stay socially engaged at a party: “In order to keep any conversation going,” he advised, “just repeat the last two words someone says to you in the form of a question.” When making small-talk, Quinlan outlined allowed and forbidden conversation topics: while current events, the weather, and hobbies are all allowed, potentially controversial topics like religion are forbidden. --2/04/2009 NewsHammer

Continue reading the Feb 3, 2009 article from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's The Tech.

Is it possible to earn a degree from MIT in a single afternoon?

By Robert McQueen
Published: February 3, 2009

On Friday, close to 100 students, faculty, and alumni did just that during the 16th annual Charm School, held at the Stratton Student Center. And unlike MIT’s School of Engineering, Charm School boasted an admissions acceptance rate of 100 percent.

Charm School’s 20 classes covered topics ranging from “Flirting 101” to “How to Engineer Your Workout” and “Ballroom Dancing.”

The school marked its class-changing times the old fashioned way: Assistant Dean of Student Activities Jed Wartman rang a rusty bell atop the second floor stairwell.

Jeffrey Quinlan, friend of Stever Robbins ’86, taught a class called “How to Throw a Party” in the Coffeehouse Lounge. There, students learned how to be successful hosts, make conversation, and organize parties. Quinlan also offered tips on how to stay socially engaged at a party: “In order to keep any conversation going,” he advised, “just repeat the last two words someone says to you in the form of a question.” When making small-talk, Quinlan outlined allowed and forbidden conversation topics: while current events, the weather, and hobbies are all allowed, potentially controversial topics like religion are forbidden. --2/04/2009 NewsHammer

Continue reading the Feb 3, 2009 article from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's The Tech.

Engineers caught by Police, five students arrested at Ironworkers Memorial Bridge

By Samantha Jung
Published: February 2nd, 2009

February 2, 2009—9:12pm: Five UBC Civil Engineering students were arrested early Monday morning when their faculty’s annual prank failed.

Vancouver police officers responded to a call at 4:15am from concerned citizens, who spotted the students attempting to hang the shell of a Volkswagon Beetle off the side of the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing. The students were caught red handed and arrested. Later that morning, the cables the engineers were attempting to use snapped, and the shell fell into the Burrard Inlet.

This the first time engineering students have been caught performing their annual prank, says Chris McCann, president of the Engineering Undergraduate Society (EUS). Engineering pranks are annual traditions, performed to commemorate Engineering Week, which runs February 1 to 7 this year.

The first prank, or “STUdeNt projecT,” involving a Volkswagen beetle was in 1980, when students placed it on top of the Ladner Clock Tower. Past pranks include the theft of the 9 O’Clock Gun at Stanley Park in 1969 and of the Rose Bowl trophy from the University of Washington in 1992. Previous pranks involving the Volkswagen beetle hung from a bridge include the Lion’s Gate Bridge last year, and more famously, from the Golden Gate Bridge in 2001. --NewsHammer 2/04/2009

Continue reading the Feb 2, 2009 article from the University Of British Columbia's The Ubyssey.

Engineers caught by Police, five students arrested at Ironworkers Memorial Bridge

By Samantha Jung
Published: February 2nd, 2009

February 2, 2009—9:12pm: Five UBC Civil Engineering students were arrested early Monday morning when their faculty’s annual prank failed.

Vancouver police officers responded to a call at 4:15am from concerned citizens, who spotted the students attempting to hang the shell of a Volkswagon Beetle off the side of the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing. The students were caught red handed and arrested. Later that morning, the cables the engineers were attempting to use snapped, and the shell fell into the Burrard Inlet.

This the first time engineering students have been caught performing their annual prank, says Chris McCann, president of the Engineering Undergraduate Society (EUS). Engineering pranks are annual traditions, performed to commemorate Engineering Week, which runs February 1 to 7 this year.

The first prank, or “STUdeNt projecT,” involving a Volkswagen beetle was in 1980, when students placed it on top of the Ladner Clock Tower. Past pranks include the theft of the 9 O’Clock Gun at Stanley Park in 1969 and of the Rose Bowl trophy from the University of Washington in 1992. Previous pranks involving the Volkswagen beetle hung from a bridge include the Lion’s Gate Bridge last year, and more famously, from the Golden Gate Bridge in 2001. --NewsHammer 2/04/2009

Continue reading the Feb 2, 2009 article from the University Of British Columbia's The Ubyssey.

Lee dodges bankruptcy

It may be “good news” for the lenders and management of Lee Enterprises that the company was able to renegotiate the loans that threatened to plunge the publisher into bankruptcy this spring.But the strict new terms of the loans will step up the pressure on the company – and, therefore, its employees – to achieve the stringent profit targets established in the new financings. Failure to stay on

Xbox Live is being targeted by malicious hackers

Halo 3 players are a popular target for the Xbox attacks
Hackers target Xbox Live players.The booting services are proving popular with players who want a way to get revenge on those who beat them in an Xbox Live game.

The attackers are employing data flooding tools that have been used against websites for many years.

Microsoft is "investigating" the use of the tools and said those caught using them would be banned from Xbox Live.

"There's been a definite increase in the amount of people talking about and distributing these things over the last three to four weeks," said Chris Boyd, director of malware research at Facetime Communications.

Attack tool
"The smart thing about these Xbox tools is that they do not attack the Xbox Live network itself," he said.

He said the tools work by exploiting the way that the Xbox Live network is set up. Game consoles connecting to the Xbox network send data via the net, and for that it needs an IP address.

Even better, said Mr Boyd, games played via Xbox Live are not hosted on private servers.
"Instead," he said, "a lot of games on Xbox Live are hosted by players."

If hackers can discover the IP address of whoever is hosting a game they can employ many of the attacks that have been used for years against websites, said Mr Boyd.

One of the most popular for the Xbox Live specialists is the Denial of Service attack which floods an IP address with vast amounts of data.

The flood of data is generated by a group of hijacked home computers, a botnet, that have fallen under the control of a malicious hacking group.

When turned against a website this flood of traffic can overwhelm it or make it unresponsive to legitimate visitors.

When turned against an Xbox owner, it can mean they cannot connect to the Live network and effectively throws them out of the game.

"They get your IP address, put it in the booter tool and they attempt to flood the port that uses Xbox traffic," said Mr Boyd. "Flooding that port prevents any traffic getting out."

Skill set
The hard part, he said, was discovering a particular gamer's IP address but many malicious hackers had honed the skills needed to find them.

Some interconnect their PC and Xbox and use packet sniffing software to hunt through the traffic flowing in and out of the console for IP addresses.
Others simply use con tricks to get the target to reveal their net address.

The technical knowledge needed to hunt down IP addresses was quite high, said Mr Boyd, but many of those who had the skills were selling their expertise to those keen to hit back at their rivals on the Xbox Live network.

For $20 (£13) some Xbox Live hackers will remotely access a customer's PC and set up the whole system so it can be run any time they need it.

Some offer low rates to add compromised machines to a botnet and increase the amount of data flooding a particular IP address.

Defending against the attack could be tricky, said Mr Boyd: "There's no real easy solution to this one."

Although IP addresses regularly change, people could find it takes hours or days for their ISP to move them on to a new one.

In response to the rise in attacks, Microsoft said: "We are investigating reports involving the use of malicious software tools that an attacker could use to try and disrupt an Xbox LIVE player's internet connection."

It added: "This problem is not related to the Xbox Live service, but to the player's internet connection. The attacker could also attempt [to] disrupt other internet activities, such as streaming video or web browsing, using the same tools.

In its statement Microsoft warned: "This malicious activity violates the Xbox Live Terms of Use, and will result in a ban from Xbox Live and other appropriate action.

It urged anyone falling victim to such an attack to contact their ISP to report it and get help fixing it.



In January 2009 Microsoft announced that Xbox Live had more than 17m members.

Updates for Windows 7 Beta Users

5 test updates to PCs running the Windows 7 Beta (Build 7000) via Windows Update. These updates allow us to test and verify our ability to deliver and manage the updating of Windows 7. We typically verify servicing scenarios during a beta.
Next week Windows 7 beta users will get a variety of updates, only they aren't really updates.

Instead, Microsoft said in will sending the patches to test the operating system's updating mechanism.

The company stressed the updates won't actually add new features or update anything.

Brandon LeBlanc explained the nature of the updates in a blog posting .
This is not something we will support in Windows 7. We've talked about and shown a great many "personalization" elements of Windows 7 already, such as the new themepacks which you can try out in the beta. The reasons for this should be pretty clear, which is that we cannot guarantee the security of the system to allow for arbitrary elements to be loaded into memory at boot time. In the early stages of starting Windows, the system needs to be locked down and execute along a very carefully monitored and known state as tools such as firewalls and anti-virus checking are not yet available to secure the system. And of course, even though we're sure everyone would follow the requirements around image size, content, etc. due to performance we would not want to build in all the code necessary to guarantee that all third parties would be doing so.
Most should not be surprised about this decision, not only because of the security and performance concerns, but because Microsoft has not supported customizing boot screens on its previous Windows operating systems.
Personalization
Many of you might be asking if you could include your own animation or customize this sequence. This is not something we will support in Windows 7. We’ve talked about and shown a great many “personalization” elements of Windows 7 already, such as the new themepacks which you can try out in the beta. The reasons for this should be pretty clear, which is that we cannot guarantee the security of the system to allow for arbitrary elements to be loaded into memory at boot time. In the early stages of starting Windows, the system needs to be locked down and execute along a very carefully monitored and known state as tools such as firewalls and anti-virus checking are not yet available to secure the system. And of course, even though we’re sure everyone would follow the requirements around image size, content, etc. due to performance we would not want to build in all the code necessary to guarantee that all third parties would be doing so. One of our design goals of Windows 7 was around making sure there are ample opportunities to express yourself and to make sure your PC is really your PC and so we hope that you’ll understand why this element is one we need to maintain consistently.

This was a quick behind the scenes look at something that we hope you enjoy. With Windows 7 we set out to make the experience of starting a Windows PC a little more enjoyable, and from the feedback we’ve seen here and in other forums, we think we’re heading in the right direction. In addition to our efforts to make boot fast, we also have a goal to make the system robust enough, such that most of you will not see this new boot animation that often and when you do it will be both enjoyable and fast!

Complicated Nano-structures Assembled With Magnets

Duke University and the University of Massachusetts have created a unique set of conditions in which tiny particles within a solution will consistently assemble themselves into these and other complex shapes.
By manipulating the magnetization of a liquid solution, the researchers have for the first time coaxed magnetic and non-magnetic materials to form intricate nano-structures. The resulting structures can be "fixed," meaning they can be permanently linked together. This raises the possibility of using these structures as basic building blocks for such diverse applications as advanced optics, cloaking devices, data storage and bioengineering.

Changing the levels of magnetization of the fluid controls how the particles are attracted to or repelled by each other. By appropriately tuning these interactions, the magnetic and non-magnetic particles form around each other much like a snowflake forms around a microscopic dust particle.

"We have demonstrated that subtle changes in the magnetization of a fluid can create an environment where a mixture of different particles will self-assemble into complex superstructures," said Randall Erb, fourth-year graduate student. He performed these experiments in conjunction with another graduate student Hui Son, in the laboratory of Benjamin Yellen, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and lead member of the research team.

The results of the Duke experiments appear in Feb. 19 issue of the journal Nature.

The nano-structures are formed inside a liquid known as a ferrofluid, which is a solution consisting of suspensions of nanoparticles composed of iron-containing compounds. One of the unique properties of these fluids is that they become highly magnetized in the presence of external magnetic fields. The unique ferrofluids used in these experiments were developed with colleagues Bappaditya Samanta and Vincent Rotello at the University of Massachusetts.

"The key to the assembly of these nano-structures is to fine-tune the interactions between positively and negatively magnetized particles," Erb said. "This is achieved through varying the concentration of ferrofluid particles in the solution. The Saturn and flower shapes are just the first published examples of a range of potential structures that can be formed using this technique."

According to Yellen, researchers have long been able to create tiny structures made up of a single particle type, but the demonstration of sophisticated structures assembling in solutions containing multiple types of particles has never before been achieved. The complexity of these nano-structures determines how they can ultimately be used.

"It appears that a rich variety of different particle structures are possible by changing the size, type and or degree of magnetism of the particles," Yellen said.

Yellen foresees the use of these nano-structures in advanced optical devices, such as sensors, where different nano-structures could be designed to possess custom-made optical properties. Yellen also envisions that rings composed of metal particles could be used for antenna designs, and perhaps as one of the key components in the construction of materials that display artificial "optical magnetism" and negative magnetic permeability.

In the Duke experiments, the nano-structures were created by applying a uniform magnetic field to a liquid containing various types of magnetic and non-magnetic colloidal particles contained between transparent glass slides to enable real-time microscopic observations of the assembly process. Because of the unique nature of this "bulk" assembly technique, Yellen believes that the process could easily be scaled up to create large quantities of custom-designed nano-structures in high-volume reaction vessels. However, the trick is to also be able to glue the structures together, because they will fall apart when the external field is turned off, he said.

"The magnetic forces assembling these particles are reversible," Yellen said. "We were able to lock these nano-structures in their intended shapes both by using chemical glues and by simple heating."

The Duke team plans to test different combinations of particles and ferrofluids developed by the University of Massachusetts team to create new types of nano-structures. They also want to try to make even smaller nano-structures to find the limitations of the assembly process, and study the interesting optical properties which are expected from these structures.



The Ethics of Nanotechnology
What kind of world do we wish to inhabit and leave for following generations? Our planet is in trouble if current trends continue into the future: environmental degradation, extinction of species, rampant diseases, chronic warfare, poverty, starvation and social injustice.

Are suffering and despair humanity's fate? Not necessarily. We have within our grasp the technology to help bring about great progress in elevating humanity. Or we can use our evolving knowledge for destructive ends. We are already immersed in fiery debates on genetic engineering, cloning, nuclear physics and the science of warfare. Nanotechnology, with its staggering implications, will create a whole new set of ethical quandaries. A strong set of operating principles is needed -- standards by which we can guide ourselves to a healthier destiny.

The following are some ethical guidelines gleaned from both Foresight and our own philosophy and experience in this field:

* Nanotechnology's highest and best use should be to create a world of abundance where no one is lacking for their basic needs. Those needs include adequate food, safe water, a clean environment, housing, medical care, education, public safety, fair labor, unrestricted travel, artistic expression and freedom from fear and oppression.

* High priority must be given to the efficient and economical global distribution of the products and services created by nanotechnology. We recognize the need for reasonable return on investment, but we must also recognize that our planet is small and we all depend upon each other for safety, stability, even survival.

* Military research and applications of nanotechnology must be limited to defense and security systems, and not for political purposes or aggression. And any government-funded research that generates useful non-military technological advances must be made available to the public.

* Scientists developing and experimenting with nanotechnology must have a solid grounding in ecology and public safety, or have someone on their team who does. Scientists and their organizations must also be held accountable for the willful, fraudulent or irresponsible misuse of the science.

* All published research and discussion of nanotechnology should be accurate as possible, adhere to the scientific method, and give due credit to sources. Labeling of products should be clear and accurate, and promotion of services, including consulting, should disclose any conflicts of interest.

* Published debates over nanotechnology, including chat room discussions, should focus on advancing the merits of the arguments rather than personal attacks, such as questioning the motives of opponents.

* Business models in the field should incorporate long-term, sustainable practices, such as the efficient use of resources, recycling of toxic materials, adequate compensation for workers and other fair labor practices.

* Industry leaders should be collaborative and self-regulating, but also support public education in the sciences and reasonable legislation to deal with legal and social issues associated with nanotechnology.

A proposed talk by Colonel Geva Rapp, head of ground operations for the Israeli military in Gaza at the Union of Jewish Student’s London Student Centre yesterday was met by a large protest including student activists from University of London colleges

By Joe Rennison
Published: January 30th, 2009


An e-mail, circulated by the organisers, described Rapp as: “deputy commander of ground forces in Operation Cast Lead in Gaza this month. Geva is the Founder and Director of Panim el Panim - an organisation committed to unity in Israel and the teaching of Jewish values amongst young Israelis in preparation for their army service.”. . .

But a source told London Student: “No, he didn’t speak. As far as I know he wasn’t going to be able to make it from quite early in the evening and that this was not to do with the protests.”. . .

With the number of protesters increasing, police called for the south side of Euston Road to be blocked off. . . .

Jen Jones, Goldsmiths College SU Campaigns and Communications officer, said: “A group of Goldsmiths students tried to get inside the building and when this happened the police began not simply stopping them or standing in their way but attacking the group trying to enter and also the entire crowd behind. The police were incredibly violent, I had my hair pulled, my ribs bruised and another student next to me was kneed in the face.” --NewsHammer 2/02/2009

Continue reading the Jan 30, 2009 article from London University's London Student

More on Gaza from London Student (online edition)


Allegations of anti-semitism at LSE

By Joseph Tandy (Jan 23) The London School of Economics (LSE) campus has been the scene of a number of anti-semitic incidents, students have alleged, as tensions surrounding protests at the conflict in Gaza ran high. Continue reading


King's occupation now in progress

By Kat Lay (Jan 20) King’s students have occupied a lecture theatre in the Strand campus, calling for the university to revoke the honorary doctorate awarded to Shimon Peres last term. Continue reading


Gaza seen through Israel's eyes

By Rebecca Benhamou (Jan 20) In 2006, over a thousand people died in Lebanon - mostly civilians. The Gaza strip being the sixth most densely populated region on the planet, Israel was aware that there were going to be mass casualties if it invaded. Continue reading


More on Gaza from London Student (print edition) Volume 29 Issue 7 Jan 19, 2009


London's students divided over Israel-Palestine conflict

Students around UL demonstrate on both sides of the political divide

By Joe Rennison, News Editor Protests against the ongoing conflict in Gaza have spread throughout University of London colleges over the past few weeks. Continue reading


LSE students occupy Old Theatre

By William Wilkes A group of about forty LSE students are occupying the university's Old Lecture Theatre, demanding action from the school over the conflict in Gaza. Continue reading


Who's at fault in the Gaza conflict?

Israel is acting in self-defence against Hamas

By Aaron Kienwald There is no shadow of doubt that the one thing emerging from the conflict in Gaza is the terrible loss of innocent civilians on both sides. Continue reading


Palestine is the victim in a long series of wrongs

By Hilary Aked Last weekend, hordes of students joined up to 100,000 people marching in London to demand an end to Israel's barbaric onslought in Gaza, the latest in a long line of wrongs inflicted on Palestinians. Continue reading

A proposed talk by Colonel Geva Rapp, head of ground operations for the Israeli military in Gaza at the Union of Jewish Student’s London Student Centre yesterday was met by a large protest including student activists from University of London colleges

By Joe Rennison
Published: January 30th, 2009


An e-mail, circulated by the organisers, described Rapp as: “deputy commander of ground forces in Operation Cast Lead in Gaza this month. Geva is the Founder and Director of Panim el Panim - an organisation committed to unity in Israel and the teaching of Jewish values amongst young Israelis in preparation for their army service.”. . .

But a source told London Student: “No, he didn’t speak. As far as I know he wasn’t going to be able to make it from quite early in the evening and that this was not to do with the protests.”. . .

With the number of protesters increasing, police called for the south side of Euston Road to be blocked off. . . .

Jen Jones, Goldsmiths College SU Campaigns and Communications officer, said: “A group of Goldsmiths students tried to get inside the building and when this happened the police began not simply stopping them or standing in their way but attacking the group trying to enter and also the entire crowd behind. The police were incredibly violent, I had my hair pulled, my ribs bruised and another student next to me was kneed in the face.” --NewsHammer 2/02/2009

Continue reading the Jan 30, 2009 article from London University's London Student

More on Gaza from London Student (online edition)


Allegations of anti-semitism at LSE

By Joseph Tandy (Jan 23) The London School of Economics (LSE) campus has been the scene of a number of anti-semitic incidents, students have alleged, as tensions surrounding protests at the conflict in Gaza ran high. Continue reading


King's occupation now in progress

By Kat Lay (Jan 20) King’s students have occupied a lecture theatre in the Strand campus, calling for the university to revoke the honorary doctorate awarded to Shimon Peres last term. Continue reading


Gaza seen through Israel's eyes

By Rebecca Benhamou (Jan 20) In 2006, over a thousand people died in Lebanon - mostly civilians. The Gaza strip being the sixth most densely populated region on the planet, Israel was aware that there were going to be mass casualties if it invaded. Continue reading


More on Gaza from London Student (print edition) Volume 29 Issue 7 Jan 19, 2009


London's students divided over Israel-Palestine conflict

Students around UL demonstrate on both sides of the political divide

By Joe Rennison, News Editor Protests against the ongoing conflict in Gaza have spread throughout University of London colleges over the past few weeks. Continue reading


LSE students occupy Old Theatre

By William Wilkes A group of about forty LSE students are occupying the university's Old Lecture Theatre, demanding action from the school over the conflict in Gaza. Continue reading


Who's at fault in the Gaza conflict?

Israel is acting in self-defence against Hamas

By Aaron Kienwald There is no shadow of doubt that the one thing emerging from the conflict in Gaza is the terrible loss of innocent civilians on both sides. Continue reading


Palestine is the victim in a long series of wrongs

By Hilary Aked Last weekend, hordes of students joined up to 100,000 people marching in London to demand an end to Israel's barbaric onslought in Gaza, the latest in a long line of wrongs inflicted on Palestinians. Continue reading

The U.S. Treasury has decided to go all “1984” in its latest attempt to rescue the financial system

By Kunal Khann
Published: January 30, 2009

In what can only be described as an episode of Orwellian modus operandi, the “Bad Bank” plan will save, not exterminate, flailing banks.

The financial chicanery works like so: The Treasury will form a holding company that will purchase troubled assets from banks. These include a variety of securities, from those linked simply to residential mortgages, to complex derivatives conjured by the minds of financial Frankensteins.

Banks will supposedly benefit from all this by having their balance sheets purged of nasty and unwanted assets. With their balance sheets freed up, banks can go back to making loans to consumers and facilitating the flow of money in the economy. Birds will sing, rainbows will spontaneously appear in the sky and Ben Bernanke will shave his beard. Or so the story goes… --NewsHammer 2/02/2009

Continue reading the Jan 30, 2009 article from Stanford University's The Stanford Daily.

The U.S. Treasury has decided to go all “1984” in its latest attempt to rescue the financial system

By Kunal Khann
Published: January 30, 2009

In what can only be described as an episode of Orwellian modus operandi, the “Bad Bank” plan will save, not exterminate, flailing banks.

The financial chicanery works like so: The Treasury will form a holding company that will purchase troubled assets from banks. These include a variety of securities, from those linked simply to residential mortgages, to complex derivatives conjured by the minds of financial Frankensteins.

Banks will supposedly benefit from all this by having their balance sheets purged of nasty and unwanted assets. With their balance sheets freed up, banks can go back to making loans to consumers and facilitating the flow of money in the economy. Birds will sing, rainbows will spontaneously appear in the sky and Ben Bernanke will shave his beard. Or so the story goes… --NewsHammer 2/02/2009

Continue reading the Jan 30, 2009 article from Stanford University's The Stanford Daily.

Nearly 2,000 march at state capitol to protest proposed university budget cuts

By Adam Sneed
Published: January 29, 2009

Nearly 2,000 community members and students from Arizona’s universities packed Wesley Bolin Memorial Park outside the state capitol building Wednesday to protest proposed budget cuts that could strip the universities’ budgets by up to 40 percent next year.

Wearing black clothes and carrying signs saying “40% = death” and“Don’t abandon us,” students rallied for several hours to oppose budget cuts that could be approved by legislative committees on Thursday.Mark Appleton, ASU Undergraduate Student Government president, said he was pleased with the number of students who showed up for the demonstration, which was organized in just one week by the Arizona Students’ Association.

“I think this turnout is phenomenal,” he said.

About 1,800 students attended the rally. Several buses picked students up from each university and drove them to the capitol.

Appleton said the protest was necessary for students to make the Legislature hear their concerns on the budget issue.

“I think it’s a catch-22,” he said. “If you don’t bring them here,
[legislators] will say, ‘Oh we never heard from anybody, so it wasn’t a
problem.’ [But] when you bring them here, it’s ‘whining.’” --NewsHammer 2/01/2009

Continue reading the Jan 29, 2009 article from Arizona State's asuwebdevil.

Nearly 2,000 march at state capitol to protest proposed university budget cuts

By Adam Sneed
Published: January 29, 2009

Nearly 2,000 community members and students from Arizona’s universities packed Wesley Bolin Memorial Park outside the state capitol building Wednesday to protest proposed budget cuts that could strip the universities’ budgets by up to 40 percent next year.

Wearing black clothes and carrying signs saying “40% = death” and“Don’t abandon us,” students rallied for several hours to oppose budget cuts that could be approved by legislative committees on Thursday.Mark Appleton, ASU Undergraduate Student Government president, said he was pleased with the number of students who showed up for the demonstration, which was organized in just one week by the Arizona Students’ Association.

“I think this turnout is phenomenal,” he said.

About 1,800 students attended the rally. Several buses picked students up from each university and drove them to the capitol.

Appleton said the protest was necessary for students to make the Legislature hear their concerns on the budget issue.

“I think it’s a catch-22,” he said. “If you don’t bring them here,
[legislators] will say, ‘Oh we never heard from anybody, so it wasn’t a
problem.’ [But] when you bring them here, it’s ‘whining.’” --NewsHammer 2/01/2009

Continue reading the Jan 29, 2009 article from Arizona State's asuwebdevil.

Microsoft unveiled a new mobile phone strategy.

The software giant announced that at the Mobile World Congress being held in Barcelona, Spain, the company and its key mobile partners were unveiling new smartphones with upgraded Microsoft software.
The next generation of phones will be based on Windows Mobile 6.5, Microsoft's new version of operating system for handsets, which is expected to be available in the later half this year

Microsoft wants to create software buzz on mobiles
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's mobile phone strategy: sell a lot of devices.

Even Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer knows that it's the hardware that gets people to buy a mobile phone.

"The thing that people buzz about is the actual thing they go and buy, which is the phone, which comes from one of our partners," Ballmer said in an interview Monday.

Microsoft aims to change that with its new effort unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona: to persuade consumers to buy smart phones - the fastest-growing segment of the handset market - because they are running Microsoft operating system.

The new software will be Microsoft 6.5 in the series _ but will be marketed to consumers simply as Microsoft Phone, with a new user interface and a new browser. Windows also is launching two new services, one that allows users to synch their text messages, photos, video, contacts and more to the Web and an on-line applications store that will bring together the 20,000 applications developed for Microsoft-based phones.

"It is important for us that we have a strong presence and position on the phone," Ballmer said.

More than 20 million devices carrying Microsoft's operating system were sold in 2008. Ballmer said he expects to grow the market share, but he declined to make forecasts.

"The most important thing we'll do is we're going to work with the guys who build phones that are exciting ... that are hot and tell the story of their Windows phone," Ballmer said. "The Windows phone from HTC, the line of Windows phones from Samsung, from LG, really getting with the partner and telling the story of the partner and their device."

To that end, key partners HTC, LG Electronics and Orange also unveiled new Windows phones based on the new Windows operating system in Barcelona. LG said it will dramatically increase the number of phones it offers running Windows, making it the primary operating system for its smart phones. LG said its volume of Windows phones would increase 10 times this year.

Telecoms operators _ notably Vodafone _ have signaled that they want fewer, not more operating platforms.

But Ballmer thinks Windows Mobile is better positioned than the other operating systems because it can run on phones for a range of prices _ from the $600 smart phone to the $250 model.

"Many phones times a small amount of money, hopefully is enough to make this all make sense," Ballmer said in an interview on the sidelines of the four-day GSMA's World Mobile Congress, where Microsoft unveiled a new mobile phone strategy.

The company that best-known for its PC software, but which has been playing in the mobile field for the last seven years, wants to persuade consumers to buy smart phones — the fastest-growing segment of the handset market — because they are running Microsoft operating system.

That may seem counterintuitive. Even Ballmer knows that hardware — not software — is what creates consumer excitement, something in shorter supply as the world economic downturn has dramatically cut consumer confidence.

"The thing that people buzz about is the actual thing they go and buy, which is the phone, which comes from one of our partners," Ballmer said in an interview Monday.

The new software will be Windows Mobile 6.5 in the series — but will be marketed to consumers simply as Windows Phone — will include a new user interface and a new browser. Windows also is launching two new services, one that allows users to synch their text messages, photos, video, contacts and more to the Web and an applications store that will bring together the 20,000 applications that have been developed for Microsoft-based phones.

"It is important for us that we have a strong presence and position on the phone," Ballmer said. While the mobile business is relatively small part of Microsoft's business, it

More than 20 million devices carrying Microsoft's operating system were sold in 2008. Ballmer said he expects to grow the market share, but he declined to make forecasts. Microsoft doesn't say how much it sells the software for, but analysts at the GSMA put it in the ballpark of $5 to $7 per handset.

"The most important thing we'll do is we're going to work with the guys who build phones that are exciting ... that are hot and tell the story of their Windows phone," Ballmer said. "The windows phone from HTC, the line of Windows phones from Samsung, from LG, really getting with the partner and telling the story of the partner and their device."

To that end, key partners HTC, LG Electronics and Orange also unveiled new Windows phones based on the new Windows operating system in Barcelona. LG said it will dramatically increase the number of phones it offers running Windows, making it the primary operating system for its smart phones. LG said its volume of windows phones would increase 10 times this year.

Telecoms operators — notably Vodafone — have signaled that they want fewer not more operating platforms.

But Ballmer thinks Windows Mobile is better positioned than the other operating systems because it can run on phones for a range of prices — from the upper $600 smart phone to the $250 model.

IDC Analyst Francisco Jeronimo said while Microsoft's numbers are pretty good, the battle for operating system (OS) dominance is still wide hope. The big industry players in the increasingly key smart phone market are Google's Android, Nokia's Symbian — which has opened up to outsiders through the Symbian Foundation — the Linux-based open-source software being developed by the LiMo consortium and Palm OS.

"Definitely, Android, Symbian and Windows Mobile will be top OS in terms of smart phones. The challenge now for Microsoft is: No one wants to pay for an OS when they have Symbian and Android for free. What is the point?"

While 20 million devices last year shipped with Microsoft's OS, Nokia shipped 17 million smart phones to western Europe alone, along with 59 million traditional devices. While the big manufacturers seem to be waiting to make their Android announcements during the second half of the year, Jeronimo said Google's open-source software is sure to be a big player in two or three years.

"Microsoft are the ones challenged now," Jeronimo said. "My question is how long will they continue with a proprietary system?"

Michael Gartenberg, vice president of strategy and analysis for Los Angeles-based market research group Interpret LLC, didn't discount the importance of actual sales. But he said the software maker still needs to build buzz among consumers, rather than relying on the device's reputation as a workhorse that synchs up well with Microsoft's Exchange server.

"I think what they're doing now is reminding the market that these devices are the intersection between business and consumer, personal and work life," Gartenberg said.

mobile technology to provide better healthcare worldwide

A resource for activists using mobile technology worldwide.

Using mobile phones has enormous potential for increasing access to healthcare for poor people aroundd the world, and for improving clinical outcomes. Now a new association, the mHealth Alliance, has been launched to support this emerging field and increase the scale and impact of the many small prokects around the world.

So new, the Alliance has so far no website, press release, or organizaton yet, it was announced to the BBC as part of the GSMA World Congress in Barcelona. The mHealth Alliance is currently under the auspices of three foundations, the UN and Rockefeller Foundations in the United States, and the UK-based Vodafone Group Foundation.

Deploying mobiles in health care in developing countries is not only promising for health outcomes, it is also a hot and potentially lucrative business area. There is enormous interest by NGOs, donors, telcoms, mobile vendors, researchers, and governments in the the use of mobile phones for increasing healthcare for the poorest people in the world.

Three foundations have announced their intention to join in a "mobile health" effort to use mobile technology to provide better healthcare worldwide.
The UN, Vodafone, and the Rockefeller Foundation's mHealth Alliance aims to unite existing projects to improve healthcare using mobile technology.

The alliance will guide governments, NGOs, and mobile firms on how they can save lives in the developing world.

The partnership is now calling for more members to help in mHealth initiatives.

The groundbreaking "mHealth for Development" study produced by the UN/Vodafone Foundation Partnership lists more than 50 mHealth programmes from around the world, showing the benefits that mobile technology can bring to healthcare provision.

The report also outlines how such programmes offer value to the mobile industry.

That, said UN/Vodafone Foundation Partnership head Claire Thwaites, is a crucial step in an industry that like so many others stands at the edge of a downturn.

"I think there's a real need to have an alliance," Ms Thwaites told the BBC at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.

"It's looking at scaling up and bringing governments together with NGOs and corporations, and it will commission pretty rigorous research on what the market opportunity is for mHealth, answering the question: why should a business get involved in this area?"

Bringing a "value proposition" to network operators is what could bring together the individual, small-scale efforts that so far have existed as purely humanitarian endeavours.

Andrew Gilbert, European president of Qualcomm, says that his firm has launched 29 different programmes across 19 countries, involving some 200,000 people, as part of its Wireless Reach campaign.

"It's not a charitable thing, it's very much aimed at allowing these solutions to become self-sustaining," he said.

Connecting areas
Because 3G mobile technology is cheap and easily made widespread, Mr Gilbert added, comparatively small amounts of investment can wreak great change in these so-called emerging markets.

Connecting areas
Because 3G mobile technology is cheap and easily made widespread, Mr Gilbert added, comparatively small amounts of investment can wreak great change in these so-called emerging markets.

In India, there are 1m people that die each year purely because they can't get access to basic healthcare," said Dan Warren, director of technology for the GSM Association, the umbrella organisation that hosts the MWC.

"The converse angle to that is that 80% of doctors live in cities, not serving the broader rural communities where 800 million people live."

Simply connecting rural areas with city doctors using mobile broadband would allow the provision of better healthcare to more people, and many of the initiatives to date have focused on that kind of connection.

In 2007, the GSMA supported Ericsson in its Gramjyoti project, providing broadband to the remote Indian villages in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

A band of paramedics in a mobile broadband-equipped van visited the villages and were able to cover vast areas, referring many queries back to doctors in major cities.

Fragmented market
Yet mobile technology, as much as it can multiply the efforts of city-dwelling doctors and bring diagnoses to far-flung villages, cannot make up for some shortfalls.

"There's 4 billion mobile phones now in the world, 2.2 billion of those in the developing world," said Ms Thwaites. "Compare that to 305 million PCs and then look at hospital bed numbers: there's 11 million of them in the developing world."
As a result, mHealth projects must also be able to provide an ounce of prevention, and the report sheds light on some particularly successful initiatives.

In South Africa, the SIMpill project integrated a sensor-equipped medicine bottle with a SIM card, ensuring that healthcare workers were advised if patients were not taking their tuberculosis medicine.

The percentages of people keeping up with their medicine rocketed from 22% to 90%.

The medium of text message can overcome sociological barriers as well.

The Project Masiluleke SMS message campaign provided people with free text messages, with the remainder of the 160 characters used to provide HIV and Aids education.

In Uganda, the Text to Change text-based HIV quiz campaign resulted in a 33% increase in calls to an HIV information hotline.

"There are a couple of interesting benefits that the project brought to light," says UN Foundation spokesperson Adele Waugaman. "One of them is the benefit of talking to people in their local language.

"Also, HIV is very stigmatised in South Africa, so people don't like to discuss it publicly. The benefit of getting these private text messages is it's a new form of access that addresses these stigmatisation and privacy concerns."

Healthcare includes improving quality of life as well. One case study from Qualcomm's Wireless Reach programme, - 3G for All Generations - shows how mobile broadband has brought the company together with the Spanish Red Cross and Vodafone Spain to provide a custom software solution for Spain's elderly.

They can have video calls with care providers, call for help, or simply have a chat, providing real social interaction without anyone needing to travel.

Each of these and the many more in the new report showcases the potential of the technology but underlines the significant stumbling block of mHealth so far.

"The biggest problem is fragmentation of small projects," says Ms Thwaites.

"A lot of the work being done on the ground is NGO- and foundation-led, but let's join those efforts with the Microsofts and the Qualcomms and the Intels and the Vodafones.

"There's a business case for it now; you have to have the experience of the NGOs on the ground talking to the big corporates out there and creating real business models, and that's why I think the mHealth Alliance can tackle that."