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  1 => [
    'id' => '1',
    'title' => 'How printers could boost clean tech',
    'head_text' => 'Researchers at PARC, famed for its computing innovations, say printers and copiers have a lot to offer on the eco-tech front.',
    'full_text' => 'Dust, heat, bright light, chaos. The inside of copiers share a lot of characteristics with the outside world. 

The Palo Alto Research Center--the heralded research labs that Xerox spun out as a separate company in 2002--is examining ways of taking technology and ideas originally devised for copiers and printers into the clean-tech market. The idea, from a conceptual level, is fairly intriguing. A lot of the components and ideas at work inside printers exist to control physical forces and objects in a constantly changing environment. Thus, they should be useful in channeling sunlight or other phenomena on a larger scale. 

PARC scientists, for instance, are tinkering with a water purification system in which particles--and even microorganisms--are eliminated through rotational force. 

"The liquid passes through a spiral channel. The particles get formed into a beam and then sucked out," said Scott Elrod, manager of the hardware systems laboratory at PARC. 

The mathematics behind the device come from earlier research conducted for Xerox on how toner powder moves in waves when ejected above a charged surface. 

In another project, PARC has come up with a way to print grid lines--the thin black strips in solar cells that transfer electricity from the silicon to a wire--with inkjet nozzles. Grid lines on existing solar cells are somewhat wide and cast shadows onto the surface of a solar cell. The shadows in turn reduce the efficiency of the cell. 

By exploiting its inkjet know-how, PARC can print grid lines measuring a thin 60 microns. The reduction in the shadow from the grid lines leads to a 6 percent improvement in relative efficiency in experimental solar panels, he said. Thus, if a solar cell can convert 15 percent of the light that strikes it into electricity, one printed with PARC\'s grid lines can convert 15.9 percent of the light (15 percent times 1.06 improvement in relative efficiency). 

The company is currently working with a partner on possibly commercializing the idea and may spin out the grid lines concept into a separate company. 

Energy efficiency started relatively informally at the lab. It started inviting guest speakers such as California Institute of Technology\'s Nate Lewis to speak. People got interested, and management decided to pursue it. 

PARC is one of the older--and more productive--industrial incubators. Xerox founded it in 1970, and 30 companies have been spun out of it. Inventions from the lab include the mouse, Ethernet, the Alto (the archetype of the PC), the laser printer, and, ignominiously, the computer worm. It was also one of the first industrial organizations to employ anthropologists and ethnographers. Xerox wanted to know how people actually interacted with copiers (besides hitting them and swearing at them). 

Xerox didn\'t always profit from its inventions. Although some of the major concepts and scientists of the IT revolution came out of its labs, Xerox played a minor role in the market. 

As a separate company, PARC is trying to avoid repeating history by focusing on research projects with a potential to pay off. Last year, for instance, it spun out the search company Powerset. It also aggressively courts long-term relationships to assist large, established companies with their research agendas. The company pulls in around $55 million a year and gets about 100 patents per year. 

In one ongoing project, PARC is trying to take the adaptive control systems that effectively manage the inside operations of printers and apply it to controlling data centers. Instead of slowing down the paper feed, for example, the adaptive system might shut down a bank of servers to cool off part of a data center, according to Nitin Parekh, director of business development in the hardware systems group. 

The company will also team with start-ups. Solar concentrator maker SolFocus, for instance, is working with PARC on a second generation of products. SolFocus\' current concentrator is a curved mirror measuring 6 inches in diameter. Several of these mirrors are then joined together to produce a panel. (Contrary to many reports, SolFocus is not a spinout of PARC. SolFocus came to PARC to discuss a research project after it had started, Elrod said.) 

PARC has found a way to reduce the concentrator mirror to 1 inch in diameter. Several of the smaller concentrators, moreover, can be produced on a single substrate, thereby reducing manufacturing and assembly costs. 

But the lab is also looking long-term, too. One of the more novel ideas is for a series of membranes that could convert carbon dioxide into fuel. Carbon dioxide from a power plant would be funneled through the membranes, and then mixed with hydrogen to make methane or other hydrocarbons. 

You couldn\'t put something like this in your backyard, though, Elrod said. The membranes probably would have to be 30 feet high and take up 7 acres. "This is a 10-year project," he said. 

And naturally, it has a copier legacy. The hope is that the membranes could be produced on roll-to-roll printing machines.',
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  2 => [
    'id' => '2',
    'title' => 'It\'s gadgets galore   at CTIA Wireless',
    'head_text' => 'Wireless companies are using the trade show to launch new phones and services. Sprint is adding the BlackBerry Curve 8330 to its lineup.',
    'full_text' => 'Phew! Day 1 of CTIA 2008 is in the bag and as usual, the opening day provided plenty of action. Here are some of the highlights of the day.

Samsung was certainly a show stopper as it revealed its Samsung Instinct, an iPhone competitor that features a sleek touch screen interface and a boatload of features. Senior Editor Kent German has all the details for you and says it look promising. Kent also got some hands-on time with AT&T\'s new Motorola Z9, which left him with some mixed feelings. And Kyocera kept busy as it announced a whole fleet of new cell phones, including the very sexy Neo E1100. Check out our Kyocera slide show to see all the new handsets. 



LG Vu
(Credit: LG)

Meanwhile, Associate Editor Nicole Lee found plenty to look at the LG booth as the company announced the LG EnV(2) for Verizon Wireless and the LG Vu for AT&T. The latter is particularly noteworthy, not only for its stunning design and touchscreen interface, but also because it supports the new AT&T Mobile TV service. Being our resident Bluetooth headset goddess, Nicole also got a chance to out some of the latest models, including the Motorola H690, Sound ID H300, and the "fashionable" Plantronics Discover 925.



Windows Mobile 6.1
(Credit: Microsoft)

Last but not least, in the land of smartphones, there were several key announcements. First, Microsoft announced the latest version of its mobile operating system, Windows Mobile 6.1, which features a number of enhancements to make Windows Mobile smartphones easier to set up and navigate. You can expect carriers and device manufacturers to roll out upgrades pretty soon. In fact, HTC revealed at the show that it will offer the GSM HTC Touch Dual in the United States with Windows Mobile 6.1 and 3G support. Verizon Wireless also snagged its own HTC Touch, dubbed the Verizon Wireless XV6900. Research in Motion shared the love with carriers as it released the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120 for T-Mobile and RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 for Verizon Wireless and Sprint.

Now, these were just some of the highlights and as you can tell, there\'s plenty to see here at CTIA 2008. We\'ll be back at it on Day 2, bringing you all the latest news and products via blogs, photos, and videos so keep it dialed in here--same bat channel, same bat place.',
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  3 => [
    'id' => '3',
    'title' => 'Zimbabwe rivals to attend summit',
    'head_text' => 'Zimbabwe\'s Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will attend an emergency regional summit.',
    'full_text' => 'President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai are to attend an emergency summit of regional leaders to discuss Zimbabwe\'s recent election. 

Saturday\'s Zambia summit was called amid the failure of Zimbabwe\'s election commission to publish results of the presidential election held 12 days ago. 

Mr Tsvangirai is in Botswana, where a minister quoted him as saying he had left a tense Zimbabwe to ask for help. 

He accuses Mr Mugabe of delaying tactics in releasing the poll results. 

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change claims the government is trying to engineer victory for Mr Mugabe at a second-round vote. 

Run-off refusal 

But at a news conference on Thursday, MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti said: "We won the presidential election hands down, without the need for a run-off, so we will not participate in a run-off." 

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, who chairs the 14-nation Sadc grouping, has called the weekend\'s emergency meeting. 

Zambian Information Minister Mike Mulongoti told the BBC that Mr Mugabe\'s presence would not necessarily be helpful. 
     There is no crisis in Zimbabwe that warrants a special meeting on Zimbabwe 
Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu

Harare diary: seeking good omens


"I think the Sadc heads would rather meet to consult on their own without the presence of the people involved in Zimbabwe itself," he said. 

Mr Tsvangirai wants others southern Africa leaders to put pressure on the Zimbabwean government to announce the results of the presidential election. 

Meanwhile, the state-run Herald newspaper reports that the ruling Zanu-PF has increased the number of constituency results it is contesting from 16 to 21. 

In the House of Assembly, Zanu-PF has lost its majority for the first time since independence, with 97 seats against the MDC\'s 99 in the 210-seat chamber. A smaller MDC faction has 10 seats. 

Predicament 

Zimbabwe was prepared to brief Sadc on political developments on the ground, Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu said, the Herald reports. 
    ELECTION RESULTS SO FAR 
 
Presidential results:
None so far
Winner needs more than 50% to avoid run-off 
Senate results: 
Zanu-PF: 30
MDC: 24
MDC breakaway: 6


However, he told AP news agency that he felt Saturday\'s meeting was not necessary. 

"There is no crisis in Zimbabwe that warrants a special meeting on Zimbabwe," he said. 

The MDC\'s spokesman in London, Hebson Makuvise, said he believed Sadc would ask Mr Mugabe to give up any claim to the presidency "and allow the country to move on". 

But South Africa\'s Deputy Foreign Minister told AFP news agency in Pretoria: "We are not a government who can ask other presidents to step down." 

\'Puzzled\' 

The MDC is still hoping that legal action in the High Court will lead to the immediate release of the presidential results. A ruling is due on Monday. 
 
The MDC says there is no need for a presidential run-off


Independent and ruling party projections say Mr Tsvangirai gained most votes but not the 50% needed to win outright. 

The MDC says he gained 50.3% of the vote, but Zanu-PF has demanded a recount. 

Independent presidential candidate Simba Makoni, placed third by the official results, said he was "puzzled" by the poll results delay. 

Speaking for the first time since the poll, he said: "The reason I offered to run for president is because I didn\'t believe President Mugabe was still suitable for that office." 

Meanwhile, the Food and Agriculture Organisation warned food security in Zimbabwe was "critical" and drought was threatening this year\'s maize harvest.',
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  4 => [
    'id' => '4',
    'title' => 'Olympics to \'rebound from crisis\'',
    'head_text' => 'The head of the International Olympic Committee has said anti-China protests had created a "crisis" but that the Games in Beijing would "rebound".',
    'full_text' => 'Jacques Rogge told a meeting of national Olympic committees in Beijing that the Games would succeed. 

But Mr Rogge urged China to respect its "moral engagement" to improve human rights ahead of the Games. 

China said it hoped the IOC would steer clear of what it called "irrelevant political factors". 

"I hope IOC officials can eliminate all kinds of disturbance and continue to adhere to principles of the Olympic charter," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said. 

Political pressure 

Demonstrators critical of China\'s rights record and the recent crackdown on protests in Tibet have disrupted the UK, French and US stages of the Olympic torch relay. 

The Dalai Lama - who many Tibetans regard as their spiritual leader - said on Thursday that China deserved to host the Games, but that protesters had the right to express themselves in non-violent ways. 

Also on Thursday, members of the European Parliament called on EU leaders to boycott the games if there was no resumption of dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama. 

Map of planned world torch relay route

Speaking in Beijing, Mr Rogge said: "It is a crisis. There is no doubt about that. But the IOC has weathered many bigger storms." 

He said Chinese officials had said that awarding the Games to Beijing would help advance social change in China, including human rights. 

Mr Rogge said he considered that "a moral engagement... and we definitely ask China to respect this moral engagement". 

However, addressing a joint meeting between the Association of National Olympic Committees and the IOC executive board, he said officials should reassure athletes. 
     

\'Houdini torch\' relay disappoints
In pictures: San Francisco relay
Mihir Bose blog: Balancing act


"Tell them that they are going to set an example and that the world will be watching them. We have 120 days to achieve that and I am sure it is going to be successful." 

In the US, both Democratic presidential hopefuls have called on President George W Bush to consider boycotting the Beijing opening ceremony if China does not improve its human rights record. 

"A boycott of the opening ceremonies should be firmly on the table but this decision should be made closer to the Games [in August]," Senator Barack Obama said a day after a similar call by Senator Hillary Clinton. 

The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a motion condemning China\'s "extreme" response to recent protests in Tibet. 

A spokeswoman for UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he would not be attending the opening ceremonies, but had never intended to do so and would be at the closing ceremony. 

\'Saddened\' 

The Olympic flame was lit in Greece on 24 March and is being relayed through 20 countries before being carried into the opening ceremony in Beijing on 8 August. 

HAVE YOUR SAY The Olympics have always been politically motivated so protests should be accepted 
Thomas, Guilford, UK
Send us your comments
The Olympics have always been politically motivated so protests should be accepted 
Thomas, Guilford, UK
Send us your comments

The threat of protests has meant that torch-bearers have been immersed in a cocoon of security, surrounded by dozens of police officers and Chinese guards in track-suits. 

In Paris, the torch had to be extinguished three times because of safety concerns, while in London there were 37 arrests. 

The US stage of the torch relay in San Francisco on Wednesday passed off amid confusion and tight security. 

Mr Rogge said he had been "saddened\' by violent protests in Europe but he believed the San Francisco relay had been an improvement. 

"It was, however, not the joyous party that we had wished it to be," he added. 

Demonstrators also sought to disrupt the torch relay in Athens and Istanbul, while it passed successfully through Almaty, in Kazakhstan, and St Petersburg, in Russia. 

It is due to arrive in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, later this week.',
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