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	Wireless Messaging Newsletter
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Microsoft sets date for Origami

March 2, 2006 7:01 AM PST

Microsoft has revealed a date for unveiling its Origami Project, setting the stage for a debut next week, according to a posting on its site.

Microsoft's Origami Project, which is believed to be a small tablet computer, is scheduled for debut on March 9, according to a posting on Microsoft's Origami Project site.

Speculation has swirled for weeks on what elements would be found in the device, which Microsoft has touted as a highly mobile device.

The source code for the Origami Project web site now includes the line 'Origami Project: the Mobile PC running Windows XP.' "

Origami's unveiling, meanwhile, will coincide with the popular technology trade show CeBit in Hannover, Germany, which runs from March 9 through 15.

Source: c|net News.com

AXCESS Teams With Texas A&M To Provide RFID Sensor Monitoring System For Educators And Businesses

3/2/2006

Texas A&M’s Sensor’s and RFID Technologies Laboratory Uses AXCESS’ Semi-Active RFID To Provide Real-Time Temperature and Chemical Monitoring

AXCESS International Inc. (OTCBB: AXSI), a leading provider of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems, today announced a partnership with Texas A&M University in support of its research and development of wireless sensor monitoring combined with RFID networks. AXCESS has provided its ActiveTag™ on-demand, semi-active RFID technology to the Sensor’s and RFID Technologies Laboratory for students to research and develop applications for business projects. The first initiative involves designing and delivering a system used by a hazardous chemicals distributor that monitors temperature and chemical vapors. The complete system is currently in the testing phase and will be released at the end of March.

Each chemical barrel has an RFID tag and sensor device attached to it. The sensor device provides constant monitoring and if data falls outside the normal range, the RFID tag will activate and real-time data is transmitted to appropriate personnel, instantly alerting them of temperatures, chemical leakage, or improperly storing or moving chemicals within the same warehouse zone. The system is fully compatible with AXCESS’ reusable container tagging solution, which provides automatic real-time inventorying, locating and managing of containers.

“The goal of the laboratory is to prove the value of converging sensor monitoring with RFID technology,” stated Ben Zoghi, professor and director of the lab. “By combining the two technologies, we can provide constant monitoring as items move throughout a facility and the on-demand RFID triggers alarms when it is outside the normal set range. This is true, real-time visibility.”

“Texas A&M has an outstanding reputation in the engineering field and we are extremely excited they have chosen AXCESS’ semi-active RFID for use in their lab,” commented Allan Griebenow, president and CEO of AXCESS. “The uniqueness of semi-active RFID provides the transmission of data on an as-needed basis with zero human involvement. This solution is easily replicable and we look forward to working with Dr. Zoghi’s team.”

AXCESS’ patented ActiveTag RFID systems use small, battery powered tags (generically called “semi-active” tags) that when automatically activated, transmit a wireless message typically 30 to 100 feet to hidden palm size receivers. The receivers are connected via standard network simultaneously to the enterprise system software, the existing security alarm equipment, and standalone management software. Optionally, the tag system can be used to trigger security video recording and live remote video transmission. The tags are used for a variety of enterprise productivity applications including automatic personnel access control and tracking, automatic vehicle access control and payload management, automatic asset management and protection, as well as special purpose sensing. Automatic email alerting and paging is offered for rapid response to security related incidents. More information is available from the company’s web site at www.axcessinc.com or by calling Stephanie Collins at 972-407-6080.

About AXCESS International Inc.
AXCESS International Inc. (OTCBB:AXSI), headquartered in greater Dallas, TX, provides Active and Semi-Active RFID (radio frequency identification) systems for asset management, physical security and supply chain efficiencies. The battery-powered (active) RFID tags locate, identify, track, monitor, count, and protect people, assets, inventory, and vehicles. AXCESS’ RFID solutions are supported by its integrated network-based, streaming digital video (or IPTV) technology. Both patented technologies enable applications including: automatic “hands-free” personnel access control, automatic vehicle access control, automatic asset management, and sensor management. AXCESS is a portfolio company of Amphion Innovations plc.

About Texas A&M Sensor/RFID Laboratory
The purpose of the SenseRFID Laboratory is to design systems and sensor networks integrating remote sensors (Environmental, Security and Tracking, Biomedical, Asset and People Location, Process Control Automation, and Structural) monitoring, RFID, GPS and wireless technology. Projects include using these networks to develop new applications that securely link the physical plant and its operational environment to the information technology and business environment allowing customers to dynamically aggregate, analyze and act upon data and adjust operations in response to changes in their business environment. The lab also works to ensure interoperability for the RFID industry and to offer educational courses on RFID technology and other emerging technologies. The lab has RFID development kits and systems from multiple suppliers, a range of RFID tags, various antennas, computer networking hubs, Sensors, and PC based workstations.

Source: RFID Solutions Online

Ex-FEMA chief: Chertoff should be fired

Friday, March 3, 2006; Posted: 12:22 a.m. EST (05:22 GMT)

Former FEMA chief Michael Brown testifies last month before a Senate panel.

WASHINGTON (CNN)—Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff should be fired for his handling of Hurricane Katrina, former federal emergency management chief Michael Brown said Thursday, accusing Chertoff of lacking disaster management knowledge.

Brown resigned from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in September amid intense criticism of his own performance after Katrina, the August 29 storm that left more than 1,300 dead in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Brown has blamed the poor federal response on the dysfunctional structure of the Department of Homeland Security, which became FEMA's parent agency when DHS was established in 2003.

"It appears to me that, you know, when Chertoff does things like tells me that I've got to go to Baton Rouge and plop my butt down on a seat in Baton Rouge and run a disaster from there, I think that shows naivete about how disasters are run," Brown told CNN. "And you've either have to get with it, or move on."

Asked whether Chertoff should be dismissed, Brown said, "Well, I think so." He said FEMA had been "marginalized" by Chertoff and his predecessor, Tom Ridge, and that he had expected the agency's performance to suffer.

"I had been screaming internally that the budget cuts, the personnel cuts and what they were doing within Homeland Security was in effect marginalizing FEMA, and I predicted that at some point -- in a very specific memo to both Tom Ridge and to Chertoff—that at some point, FEMA would fail," Brown said. "I just didn't expect to be in the middle of the failure."

The White House has stood behind Chertoff, who became Homeland Security secretary in February 2005. President Bush said Tuesday Chertoff was doing "a fine job."

But a House committee that investigated the response to Katrina criticized Chertoff for waiting two days after the storm hit to activate a national response plan—and for naming Brown to lead the federal response, even though he was not trained to take on that role.

In testimony before a Senate committee in February, Brown said communicating with the White House through Chertoff was a waste of time and graded Chertoff's performance a C-minus.

Chertoff days later flatly rejected the accusation that either DHS or the White House were disengaged as the storm deluged New Orleans and leveled much of coastal Mississippi.

A videotape and transcripts of an emergency response meeting released Wednesday seemed to reinforce arguments that governments at all levels identified the potential dangers from the storm but were under-prepared for the devastation.

On Thursday, Brown said he spoke with Bush directly "on at least a couple of occasions" on August 29 and told him about the failure of New Orleans' levees—"Because that, again, that was almost foremost in my mind and my concern."

In a briefing the day before Katrina made landfall, Bush was told by National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield that Katrina might send water rushing over the tops of the levees and leave New Orleans flooded.

In an interview September 1, three days after landfall, Bush said, "I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees."

Brown defended his former boss' statement Thursday, saying Bush had been told the storm's intensity had decreased after landfall.

"I was still worried about it, because I knew what the potential was," Brown said. "But I think the president was speaking honestly at that point that he didn't really anticipate that they would be breached because of all this conflicting information."

White House spokesman Trent Duffy said he could not discuss Bush's "private conversations" and would not confirm anything "either way" about whether Brown had discussed the levee breaches with the president.

But he said the government had helicopters in the air quickly to help rescue people trapped in the flooded city.

DHS official resigns

Also Thursday, the DHS director of operations and a key figure in overseeing the response to Katrina announced he will resign effective March 31.

A DHS spokesman said the official, Matthew Broderick, wants to spend more time with his family.

Last month, Broderick admitted during testimony before a Senate panel that he went home hours after Katrina had made landfall without first alerting Chertoff to reports that levees had breached in New Orleans.

Those reports included an account from a FEMA official who witnessed a breach.

Broderick said the reports from the field were conflicting and he didn't want to pass along "rumors" to his boss, who praised him Thursday.

"Over the past three years, Matt made tremendous contributions to our homeland security, having planned and coordinated countless national security events and intra-agency activities," Chertoff said in a written statement.

CNN's Jeanne Meserve and Dana Bash contributed to this report.

Source: CNN.com

Philly moves forward with Wi-Fi plan

By Marguerite Reardon
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Published: March 2, 2006, 12:50 PM PST

The city of Philadelphia detailed its plan to blanket the city with Wi-Fi after signing its final contract with EarthLink, which will build and operate the network on behalf of the city.

The city said Wednesday that pricing of the broadband service will be kept below $20 per month. Economically disadvantaged users will be charged $9.95 a month, while other Internet service providers will be charged a wholesale rate that allows them to sell access for $20 a month or less to retail customers, the city said.

Comcast, which offers cable modem service in Philadelphia, offers a three-month special on its broadband service for $19.99. After that, the price shoots up to $42.95 per month for customers who also subscribe to its cable TV service and $57.95 for those who don't subscribe to its cable TV service. But Verizon Communications, which sells DSL (digital subscriber line) service in Philadelphia, offers a comparable broadband service for $14.95.

Still, city officials say that the new Wi-Fi network will offer consumers more choices without risking taxpayer money. As part of the deal with the city, EarthLink will build, manage and maintain the wireless network.

The next step in the process requires the city council of Philadelphia to approve two ordinances. One ordinance will allow EarthLink, which won the contract back in October, to deploy wireless transmitters and receivers on city streetlights. The other ordinance is a management agreement between the city and Wireless Philadelphia, the nonprofit organization established to oversee the wireless project.

"We will work closely with City Council as they consider these ordinances necessary to make this exciting program a reality," John F. Street, mayor of Philadelphia, said in a statement. "Building a wireless network is another major step forward for our world-class city. It's tremendous news for Philadelphia."

Pending approval from the city council, EarthLink will begin installing the wireless equipment right away. Initially, it will set up a small 13-square-mile pilot network. But eventually, it will deploy wireless equipment on approximately 4,000 street lamp poles, covering 135 square miles of the city with Wi-Fi. EarthLink will pay the city a fee for access to the streetlights.

Wireless Philadelphia will receive about 5 percent of the access revenue that EarthLink generates from the service. The group will use this money along with other monies raised to invest in educational and social programs to help Philadelphia citizens.

The city also plans to use about $2 million received from EarthLink for the rights of way to the street lamps to help implement initiatives designed to bridge the digital divide, including the purchase of about 10,000 discounted computers for low-income residents and training programs.

Source: c|net News.com

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