Nexus - 0802 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

... GLOBAL NEWS ... NEWS thing of the past," said Low Siang Kok, currency director at Singapore's Board of Commissioners of Currency. "There's no point in fighting technology." "If you want to give your kids pocket money, you pass it to them by phone. They can use it for bus fares, in the school cafe- teria, or whatever. E-money will differ from credit or debit cards, which are com- mercial products issued by banks," he said, arguing that it would also be safer to carry around and could be protected by pass- words, codes and other security features. Singapore's government is a strong believer in e-commerce and is setting up a high-speed broadband Internet network to link all homes, schools, businesses and government offices electronically. (Source: Metro, UK, 20 December 2000) thing of the past," said Low Siang Kok, _ that have very limited benefits," said Jane sions about their children's medical care— currency director at Singapore's Board of | M. Orient, MD, the Executive Director of not government bureaucrats. This resolu- Commissioners of Currency. "There'sno AAPS. tion affirms that position." point in fighting technology." "This is not a vote against vaccines," said (Source: www.healthmall.com/ "If you want to give your kids pocket Dr Orient. "This resolution only attempts newsletter.cfm, 2 November 2000) money, you pass it to them by phone. They _ to halt blanket vaccine mandates by gov- can use it for bus fares, in the school cafe- ernment agencies and school districts that VIRTUALLY REAL 3D IMAGING teria, or whatever. E-money will differ give no consideration for the rights of the urgeons and designers could soon be from credit or debit cards, which are com- _ parents or the individual medical condition manipulating 3D moving images float- mercial products issued by banks," he said, _ of the child." ing in mid-air rather than on computer arguing that it would also be safer to carry Forty-two US states have mandatory _ screens, say engineers at DERA, Britain's around and could be protected by pass- vaccine policies, and many children are _ soon-to-be-privatised defence research lab- words, codes and other security features. required to have 22 shots before first grade. oratory. They say designers will be able to Singapore's government is a strong On top of that, as a condition for school extend a car's bodywork just by waving a believer in e-commerce and is setting up a attendance, many school districts require stylus, and almost instantly see what it high-speed broadband Internet network to vaccination for diseases such as hepatitis B, looks like; or surgeons could twist a brain- link all homes, schools, businesses and _ primarily an adult disease, yet children scan around to locate an injury. government offices electronically. under 14 are three times more likely to suf- "We can create a real image floating in (Source: Metro, UK, 20 December 2000) _ fer adverse effects (including death) fol- 3D space," says Chris Slinger, head of lowing the hepatitis B vaccine than to catch holography at the Defence Evaluation and DOCTOR'S GROUP OPPOSES the disease itself. Research Agency in Malvern, MANDATORY VACCINATIONS In late October, students in Utica, New Worcestershire. embers of the Association of York, were sent home from school and told Working in a joint venture with the Ford American Physicians and Surgeons _ they could not return until they'd received Motor Company, DERA says it plans to (AAPS) passed a resolution at their 57th hepatitis B vaccinations. Further, parents have its first products based on advanced Annual Meeting in St Louis, calling for an were threatened by Child Protective computer-generated holography (CGH) on end to government-mandated childhood Services with possible seizure of their chil- the market in 2003. vaccinations. It was passed without a sin- dren, based on "education neglect". Unlike other techniques, such as stereog- gle "no" vote. (The fact sheet outlining the "It's obscene to threaten to seize a child raphy or virtual reality, CGH doesn't resolution on mandated vaccines is posted just because his parents refuse medical require people to wear cumbersome head- at www.aapsonline.org.) treatment that is obviously unnecessary and gear to see the image, and prolonged use "Our children face the possibility of death perhaps even dangerous," said Dr Orient. doesn't lead to any ill effects. Users manip- or serious long-term adverse effects from "AAPS believes that parents, with the ulate images using tools which exist partly mandated vaccines that aren't necessary or advice of their doctors, should make deci- as real objects and partly irtual tools. It ie Hib nathin VIRTUALLY REAL 3D IMAGING urgeons and designers could soon be manipulating 3D moving images float- ing in mid-air rather than on computer screens, say engineers at DERA, Britain's soon-to-be-privatised defence research lab- oratory. They say designers will be able to extend a car's bodywork just by waving a stylus, and almost instantly see what it looks like; or surgeons could twist a brain- scan around to locate an injury. "We can create a real image floating in 3D space," says Chris Slinger, head of holography at the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency in Malvern, Worcestershire. Working in a joint venture with the Ford Motor Company, DERA says it plans to have its first products based on advanced computer-generated holography (CGH) on the market in 2003. Unlike other techniques, such as stereog- raphy or virtual reality, CGH doesn't require people to wear cumbersome head- gear to see the image, and prolonged use doesn't lead to any ill effects. Users manip- ulate images using tools which exist partly as real objects and partly as virtual tools. It is like nothing else we have seen before, claims Slinger. (Source: New Scientist, 16 December 2000, www.newscientist.com) DNA-POWERED COMPUTERS TO REVOLUTIONISE INTERNET ell Laboratories says that artificial DNA, operating tiny computer proces- sors 100,000 times smaller than the head of a pin, could revolutionise the Internet and e-commerce. The technology, still in its infancy, has the potential to speed up Internet processing and offer encryption devices so complex that they cannot be penetrated by hackers. Speaking at Gitex, Hari Haran, vice-pres- ident and chief technical officer for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Lucent Technologies and Bell Labs Innovations, said the new research had the potential to revolutionise computer technology. "The artificial DNA is chemically creat- ed in a lab to mirror human DNA. The idea is to make the processors work more 8 = NEXUS FEBRUARY — MARCH 2001