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Issue no. 34, 2005 Published: Nov 11, 2005
Study shows Europe's digital divide
Morocco becomes first African country to join Galileo
Dutch trial SMS disaster alert system
'Gravity tractor' to deflect Earth-bound asteroids
Mini windmills power wireless networks
US unveils laser rifle
Sounds pain-free

Study shows Europe's digital divide
A digital divide has appeared among Europeans, with age, income and education determining whether the continent's citizens use the internet, according to a new European Union study released Thursday. Eurostat, the EU's statistics agency, said its survey found that 85 per cent of school or university students aged 16 to 24 used the internet, while only 13 per cent of people aged between 55 and 74 went online during the survey. The poll was conducted across the 25-nation EU between April and June 2004, questioning 204,029 people. Only 25 per cent of those who had not completed high school used the internet, with the figure rising to 52 per cent for those who attained a secondary school diploma and to 77 per cent for college or university graduates. In total, average internet use across the EU stood at 47 per cent. A similar US survey found internet use in the US in 2003 stood at 55 per cent. Computer and internet use was highest in the Nordic countries of Denmark (76 per cent), Finland (70 per cent), and Sweden (82 per cent), while the lowest rates were found in Greece (20 per cent).
ABC News / AP Nov 10, 2005	back to top

Morocco becomes first African country to join Galileo
Negotiations on Moroccan participation in the EU's satellite navigation programme - Galileo - were successfully concluded on 8 November with the initialling of an agreement by senior representatives from each party. The agreement covers industrial and scientific cooperation and the development of specific Galileo applications for Morocco and its region - the western Mediterranean and West Africa. After intensive exchanges since formal negotiations started on 21 April 2005, an agreement was reached laying the basis for Morocco's active participation in the programme and creating a framework for cooperation. Morocco is the fifth non-EU country to join the Galileo programme, after the conclusion of the agreements with China, Israel, Ukraine and India. Discussions are also under way with Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Norway, Chile, South Korea, Malaysia, Canada and Australia. The agreement will now be submitted to the EU Transport Council meeting in December 2005 for formal approval by Member States.
EUbusiness Nov 09, 2005	back to top

Dutch trial SMS disaster alert system
The Dutch government is testing a mobile phone danger alert system that sends text messages to people who could be affected by natural disasters or terrorist attacks. The system, called Cell Broadcast, uses GSM technology to identify cell phone users in a particular area. If a disaster occurs, a message is sent to all phones in the area, warning of the danger. If successful, the two-year pilot will become common policy throughout the country. The Cell Broadcast system will be used in addition to the other warning systems which are currently used if disaster strikes, such as sirens and special emergency broadcasts on radio and television. The government is working with mobile phone operators KPN, Vodafone and Telfort, which cover some 85 percent of all Dutch cell phone owners.
CNN Nov 10, 2005	back to top

'Gravity tractor' to deflect Earth-bound asteroids
NASA scientists have come up with a surprisingly simple yet effective way to deflect an Earth-bound asteroid – park a large spacecraft close by and let gravity do the work. Previous suggestions have focused on deflecting an incoming asteroid with nuclear explosions. But NASA experts believe a 'gravity tractor' should be able to perform the same feat by creating an invisible towline to tug the rock off its deadly course. For a 200-metre-wide asteroid, the spacecraft would need to weigh about 20 tonnes and lurk 50 metres from its target for about a year to change its velocity enough to knock it off course. Such large spacecraft are perfectly feasible, according to the scientist. The strategy crucially relies on our ability to detect an asteroid threat about 20 years in advance. For larger asteroids this is realistic. But many smaller asteroids – less than about 500 metres across – may go unnoticed until only a few years before impact.
New Scientist Space / Nature (vol 438, p 177) Nov 09, 2005	back to top

Mini windmills power wireless networks
Tapping the power of the wind doesn't have to mean peppering the skyline with vast turbines. An electrical engineer from the University of Texas invented a pocket-sized windmill that could power wireless networks of sensors in remote locations. The windmill is about 10 centimetres across, and is attached to a rotating cam that flexes a series of piezoelectric crystals as it rotates. Piezoelectric materials generate a current when they are squeezed or stretched, and are commonly used to make a spark in gas lighters. A gentle breeze of 16 kilometres per hour can generate a constant power of 7.5 milliwatts, which is more than enough to keep an electronic sensor running.
Nature / Applied Physics Letters Nov 08, 2005	back to top

US unveils laser rifle
The US government has unveiled a laser rifle designed to dazzle enemy soldiers without causing them permanent harm. The Personnel Halting and Stimulation Response (PHASR) rifle was developed at the Air Force Research Laboratory in New Mexico, US. Two prototypes have been delivered to military bases in Texas and Virginia for further testing, reports New Scientist. Laser weapons capable of blinding enemies have been developed in the past but were banned under a 1995 UN convention called the Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons. The wording of this protocol, however, does not prohibit lasers that temporarily dazzle a foe.
Ananova Nov 08, 2005	back to top

Sounds pain-free
A controlled dose of ultrasound can temporarily stun a nerve, killing pain without the need for drug injections. The technique is being developed for the US army by the University of Washington in Seattle. Low power ultrasound is routinely used for imaging the insides of patients, instead of X-rays. Much more highly powered beams can even destroy tumours, delivering 10,000 watts per square centimetre. The new treatment uses a weak but focussed beam of sound at 3 megahertz to image a nerve. A short burst at slightly higher power is then used trigger a nerve twitch that confirms the beam is in the correct position. Finally, the sound beam power is increased to around 1,000 watts per square centimetre for a few seconds. This stops the nerve conducting pain to the brain for a few hours, or even days. Treating a sciatic nerve in this way could relieve body pain, while using the technique on a spastic patient could suppress involuntary muscle actions. Hitting nerves in the face – the forehead, for example – will cause temporary paralysis, reducing wrinkles and making the patient look younger for a while without the need to inject a toxin.
New Scientist Nov 08, 2005	back to top