Source: http://www.economist.com/daily/chartgallery/displayStory.cfm?story_id=12031918&source=features_box_main

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Climate change

Of ice and men

Aug 29th 2008
From Economist.com

Arctic sea ice is shrinking at an alarming rate

THIS week scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Centre gave warning that Arctic sea ice has receded to its second-smallest area since satellite records began in 1979. The rate of shrinkage this year is the fastest ever and, with around a month still left of summer, the current ice coverage of 5.3m square km could fall to less than the record low seen last September of 4.1m square km. This is bad news for the environment: Arctic ice reflects sunlight, keeping the region cool, and polar bear populations are predicted to fall by a third over the next 50 years as the creatures’ habitat disappears.

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Source: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_30/b4093062857546.htm?campaign_id=rss_daily

July 17, 2008, 5:00PM EST

Honda Goes Whole Hog for Hybrids

To make up for lost time, the carmaker plans to sell 500,000 a year by early next decade

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Source: http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jul2008/gb20080717_191924.htm?campaign_id=rss_daily

July 17, 2008, 9:24AM EST

China’s Geely Has Global Auto Ambitions

With the automaker’s winning affordable-car formula under pressure at home, Chairman Li is pushing hard for a breakthrough on the world stage

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Source: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car.htm

Blogs

Social Networks

Source: http://thedigitalmass.com/digital/

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Social Network List

Source: http://www.adrants.com/2007/09/quechup-spams-members-contacts-with.php#more

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Save time managing your social networks-Social Network Aggregation

president

Source: http://www.economist.com/daily/chartgallery/displayStory.cfm?story_id=11693363&source=features_box4

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US campaign funding

Big bucks

Jul 7th 2008
From Economist.com

Presidential candidates are raising and spending more money than ever

WITH four months still to go, the 2008 presidential race is set to be the most expensive in history. Spending by all candidates has already surpassed the previous high of $823m (at 2008 prices). One notable development in the campaign is Barack Obama’s ability to raise money from small individual contributions of under $200. Of the $287.4m in his coffers, $135.7m has come from donations under $200. John McCain has raised just $32.3m of his smaller $104.6m war chest from such contributions. With an eye on this considerable gap, Mr McCain has accepted public funding and will be restricted to a spending limit of $85m. By contrast, Mr Obama’s controversial rejection of public cash means he is free to spend as much as he likes.

Source: http://www.devinfo.org/facts_you_decide/8002.htm?IDX=13%27

Source: http://lirneasia.net/2007/04/telecom-sector-contributes-to-lk-economic-growth-while-prices-decline?cp=1

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Mobile Telecommunications and Economic Growth

…the economic impact of communications systems by highlighting its contribution to the organisation of business life, organisation of household and community life, and productivity of firms and workers. Communications systems – particularly those that are two-way (telecoms) rather than one-way (broadcasting) – lower transaction costs and widen buyer and supplier networks. Thus, the authors claim that a solid communications network is a key contributor to social overhead capital (SOC) – roads, telephones, electricity grids, etc. – which is, in turn, crucial for economic growth…

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Macro Environment and Telecommunications

Source: http://cbdd.wsu.edu/kewlcontent/cdoutput/TR501/index.htm

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Telecommunications: The Engine for Economic Development in the New Century

Source: http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/ERC/economics/statements/970130.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/business/yourmoney/22rwanda.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ei=5070&em&en=09011bc3623d42f2&ex=1185249600

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Africa, Offline: Waiting for the Web

Satellite phone:is a type of mobile phone that connects to orbiting satellites instead of terrestrial cell sites

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_phone

Could this be the decade that the U.S. will get satellite media broadcasts to our phones? DMB, which is a method to send audio and video through satellites straight into small devices like phones and PMPs, may be touching us sooner than we think and Samsung is ready.

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/smartphones/samsung-launches-sch+b200sph+b2000-dmb-phone-114606.php

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Mobile phone (also called a wireless phone, or cellular phone)^[1] is a short-range, portable electronic device used for mobile voice or data communication over a network of specialized base stations known as cell sites

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone

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Intelsat, Ltd. is the world’s largest commercial satellite communications services provider. http://www.intelsat.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelsat

Globalstar is a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation for satellite phone and low-speed data communications, somewhat similar to the Iridium and Orbcomm satellite systems. http://www.globalstar.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalstar

List of satellite service providers:

http://www.satellite-links.co.uk/links/ssp.html#I

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Global Positioning System (GPS) is the only fully functional Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Utilizing a constellation of at least 24 Medium Earth Orbit satellites that transmit precise microwave signals, the system enables a GPS receiver to determine its location, speed, direction, and time

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Positioning_System

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Global System for Mobile communications (GSM: originally from Groupe Spécial Mobile) is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM

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How does satellite internet operate?

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question606.htm

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Satellite Internet does not use telephone lines or cable systems, but instead uses a satellite dish for two-way (upload and download) data communications. Upload speed is about one-tenth of the 500 kbps download speed. Cable and DSL have higher download speeds, but satellite systems are about 10 times faster than a normal modem.

http://www.telegeography.com/products/map_internet/index.php

http://www.ripe.net/projects/reports/2008cable-cut/index.html

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Mediterranean Fibre Cable Cut – a RIPE NCC Analysis

Analysis by the RIPE NCC Science Group with contributions from Roma Tre University.
Editors: Rene Wilhelm, Chris Buckridge

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The history of submarine telecommunications cables goes back to 1850 when the first international telegraph link between England and France was established. Eight years later the first trans-Atlantic telegraph cable linked Europe to North America.

In the 20th century telephony became the driving force for submarine cable deployments. TAT-1, the first trans-Atlantic telephone cable, was installed in 1956; it had the capacity to transmit 36 analog phone channels simultaneously. These days fibre-optic submarine cables carry the bulk of the trans-oceanic voice and data traffic. Maximum capacity is now in the order of 1 Tb/s, equivalent to 15 million old analog phone calls. Compared to satellites, submarine cables offer higher capacity and, because of the shorter distance, feature much better latencies.

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http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/tag/undersea-cable/