What's New @ IEEE in Computing

VOLUME 5 NUMBER 5 MAY 2004

CONTENTS:
1. Aiding Seniors: From Mainframe Healthcare to Personal Wellness (and More)
2. Try the New Full-Text Search Prototype in Latest IEEE Xplore Release
3. DNA Computers Work as "Smart Drugs"
4. In the Eye of The Beholder: IEEE Spectrum Reports
5. New Standard Offers Systems Approach to Computer Battery Reliability
6. Budapest to Host Conferences on Fuzzy Systems and Neural Networks
7. New Web Page Helps Researchers Purchasing Articles Through IEEE Xplore
8. PERCOM Proceedings Address Seamless Mobility
9. 2005 IEEE Election Candidates Revealed
10. Zero or One: Just the Beginning?
11. Backscatter: The Collyers and the Web

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1. AIDING SENIORS: FROM MAINFRAME HEALTHCARE TO PERSONAL WELLNESS (AND MORE)
Could new technologies save billions of dollars that would otherwise be spent on nursing-home care, while also improving the lives of the world's rapidly aging population? Eric Dishman, director of Proactive Health Research at Intel Corporation, testified to these facts in a hearing of the U.S. Senate's Special Committee on Aging. As part of his testimony, Dishman appended an article he wrote for the May issue of Computer magazine. Find out more about Dishman's testimony, and read the original article by visiting: www.computer.org/pr/May04/computeraging.htm

Speaking of seniors, how can computers aid people who have lost their vision?

The new issue of IEEE Pervasive Computing magazine looks at Cyber Crumbs, an electronic equivalent of a bread crumb trail, for people suffering from impaired vision. Read more: www.computer.org/pervasive/homepage/2004/pc204sa1.htm

Also from IEEE Pervasive Computing: abstracts for six in-process projects seeking to develop solutions to quality-of-life challenges for the elderly. (Adobe Acrobat Reader required.) www.computer.org/pervasive/pc2004/b2048.pdf

2. TRY THE NEW FULL-TEXT SEARCH PROTOTYPE IN LATEST IEEE XPLORE RELEASE
Users of IEEE online information are invited to help test a new full-text search prototype within IEEE Xplore 1.7. IEEE Xplore powers online subscriptions for IEEE members, as well as institutional online collections such as the IEEE/IEE Electronic Library. Users have the option to test the new full-text search capabilities from a special link on the Search pages or continue to use the "traditional search" of abstract records. The full-text search allows researchers to search content from over 100,000 documents, representing roughly ten percent of the total IEEE online database. Users are encouraged to provide feedback through a link on the page, enabling IEEE to modify and improve the experience over time. Try the new features at: www.ieee.org/ieeexplore

For details on all of the enhancements in IEEE Xplore 1.7, visit: ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/ReleaseNotes.jsp

3. DNA COMPUTERS WORK AS "SMART DRUGS"
A team of Israeli scientists have developed computers made out of synthetic DNA molecules which could be used to detect and fight cancer. Still in the testing phase, the DNA computers are capable of performing a few simple algorithms to determine the presence of specific RNA molecules in a system. If the answers all come up yes, then a cancer is likely present, and the computer follows up by releasing a DNA-based anti-cancer drug. Read more about these "smart drugs" at: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3667551.stm

4. IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER: IEEE SPECTRUM REPORTS
We've heard of flat-screen monitors, but could no-screen monitors be next? In the current issue of IEEE Spectrum magazine, John R. Lewis of Microvision Inc. explains his company's new technology to beam images directly into the retina. Not only would such devices use a fraction of the power consumed by large monitors, writes Lewis, they would allow users to "see" in ways so far unexplored. Give the article a scan at: www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/publicfeature/may04/0504reti.html

5. NEW STANDARD OFFERS SYSTEMS APPROACH TO COMPUTER BATTERY RELIABILITY
Strong demand for advanced lithium-ion batteries in portable computers has led to a new IEEE standard that adopts a systems approach to improve battery reliability. The standard, IEEE 1625(TM), "Standard for Rechargeable Batteries for Portable Computing," sets the stage for the production of batteries to meet the greater demands placed on them in notebook computers, such as those for more power, greater energy density and more frequent charge-discharge cycles. For further details, visit: standards.ieee.org/announcements/pr_1625.html

6. BUDAPEST TO HOST CONFERENCES ON FUZZY SYSTEMS AND NEURAL NETWORKS
Two related conferences will be held in Budapest, Hungary, this July. The 2004 IEEE International Conference on Fuzzy Systems will be held in conjunction with the 2004 International Joint Conference on Neural Networks from 25 to 29 July. For full information, or to register to attend, visit: www.conferences.hu/budapest2004/

Don't miss the next conference you need for your career. IEEE sponsors more than 300 technical conferences and workshops each year, highlighting the latest technological advances. Find events through the IEEE ConferenceSearch Web site at: www.ieee.org/conferencesearch/

7. NEW WEB PAGE HELPS RESEARCHERS PURCHASING ARTICLES THROUGH IEEE XPLORE
A new Web page gives detailed, easy instructions on how to purchase individual IEEE online articles from the over one million archived documents in IEEE Xplore. IEEE members have electronic access to journals they already subscribe to through IEEE Xplore, but can also purchase articles from other IEEE journals at a member-only rate of US$13 per article. Non-members pay US$35 per article. To learn how to purchase individual articles, visit: www.ieee.org/portal/index.jsp?pageID=discover_level1&path=discover/sub_pages&file=apo.xml&xsl=discover.xsl

8. PERCOM PROCEEDINGS ADDRESS SEAMLESS MOBILITY
Seamless mobility: the holy grail of computing, and the subject of one of the keynote lectures at the Second IEEE Annual Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communications (PERCOM). The conference's three keynote lectures and more than 30 presented papers are included in the new PERCOM proceedings, available through the IEEE Online Catalog & Store. For more information, visit: shop.ieee.org/store/product.asp?prodno=PR2090
***IEEE members save up to 60% off the list price for conference proceedings titles***

9. 2005 IEEE ELECTION CANDIDATES REVEALED
Michael R. Lightner, Levent Onural and James M. Tien will vie for the chance to be the 2005 IEEE President-Elect. Candidates for numerous other local and national positions have also been declared. The entire list can now be viewed on the IEEE website. Biographies on each of the candidates will are being provided as they become available. Official ballots will be mailed to IEEE Members by 1 September. To learn about the election and these IEEE leadership candidates, go to: www.ieee.org/corporate/elections/candidates.xml

10. ZERO OR ONE: JUST THE BEGINNING?
A prototype molecular memory device goes beyond the old "zero or one" computing standard to store three bits of computer information in the same spot. The development, from a team of researchers at NASA and the University of Southern California, has potential in a world where smaller and smaller devices are consistently in demand. The researchers hope to improve data density to reach 400 gigabits per square centimeter. Read more: www.trnmag.com/Stories/2004/050504/Memory_stores_three_bits_in_one_050504.html

11. BACKSCATTER: THE COLLYERS AND THE WEB
With the number of pages added daily to the Internet estimated to be between five and ten million, are we becoming swamped with information we can't process? How can we find good content without getting "caught in the Web"? Donald Christiansen remembers the eccentric Collyer brothers and lessons learned from their unfortunate demise, in the latest edition of IEEE-USA Today's Engineer: www.todaysengineer.org/apr04/backscatter.asp

WHAT'S NEW @ IEEE IN COMPUTING is a monthly, opt-in email update designed to provide you with the latest news regarding IEEE activities, industry trends, career development tips, and new IEEE product releases. We welcome your feedback on this service.

Managing Editor: John Platt j.platt@ieee.org

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