Archive

BY JONATHAN THOMSON AND KEITH NUTHALL
THE PROGRESS of a revolution in robotics that could lead to the development of “digital matter” is being hampered by a lack of available funding, according to British inventor, Joe Michael.

Three-dimensional objects that can be morphed into any shape and perform an infinite number of tasks at the bequest of their masters may sound like Hollywood-style fantasy.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE DEVELOPMENT of sophisticated electronic devices embedded within every-day objects would be a priority of the oncoming Sixth Framework Programme of EU research, under detailed plans being drawn up by the European Commission. Speaking at an IST information day in Brussels, information society Commissioner Erkki Liikanen said that the studies would assist a “radical shift from the current PC based systems and from the keyboard, mouse and screen towards almost invisible technology of natural and effortless use.”…

BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Union’s Electronic Signature Directive is unlikely to be implemented for a long time yet even though it should have become law in the 15 member countries in July, the Information Security Solutions Europe 2001 conference, in Westminster, was told Wednesday.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union ministers have been asked to approve a plan to regularly collate new European statistics on science, technology and innovation, allowing Brussels to supply improved guidance on the status quo and possible reforms.

The European Commission has formally proposed that the EU should acquire a legal duty to run a “statistical information system” on the subjects, “to support and monitor” R&D policies.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
LEADING City banks and other financial institutions have agreed to take part in a large-scale computer re-cycling operation costing Pounds 1 million. The scheme, which is jointly financed by Lambeth Council and the European Commission’s LIFE-Environmental programme, has been selected by Brussels as a possible model for other EU cities.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
FAMILY law judgements made in the European Union on parental responsibility and access to children, where parents have split and moved to different parts of the EU, would be recognised in every Member State, under a proposal from the European Commission.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Space Agency-supported satellite ground station has been helping Canadian fire fighters to tackle a spate of large-scale blazes in British Columbia. The

REMSAT unit is driven or flown by helicopter close to a particular fire, establishing a link with satellite cameras, which beam back accurate one-metre resolution images, enabling fire teams to target their work, including the mapping of blaze perimeters.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
CHINA is to open up its vast domestic market to foreign booksellers as part of the agreement reached by the country last week (19/9/01) on the terms of its accession to the World Trade Organisation. In general the deal will allow foreign firms the right to advertise, distribute and retail their products within three years after the date of accession.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
PRACTICAL guidelines on steps that governments should take to fight digital piracy have been released by the Council of Europe, an organisation whose members include Russia and other eastern European countries, and where such crimes are known to have taken place in the past.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
FOREIGN companies will be able to hold 100 per cent ownership in hotels in China by March 2005, under the trade deal which led to Chinese membership of the World Trade Organisation being approved last week. Until now, international hotel groups have had to work with a Chinese partner in formal joint-ventures, as a condition of being able to trade in China.…