By the end of 2004, Sears, Roebuck and Co. will sell clothing from its Web site for the first time, using the expertise it gained with its acquisition last year of Lands' End. Sears plans to sell via its Sears.com Web site a greater selection of men's, women's and children's apparel, in particular Lands' End apparel, than is available in Sears' full-line department stores. In July, Sears started testing an online chat feature that lets a Sears.com shopper talk in real-time to a service representative while he or she browses the Web site. Retail experts consider this level of personal attention critical to selling clothing. Sears is joining a growing list of retailers determined to make their Web sites easier and quicker to shop -- just in time for the all-important holiday season. For example, shoppers will be able to search by features, such as a particular drum size for a washing machine, and by lifestyle, like finding a dryer that's the right size for the number of loads of laundry a family washes each week. The overhauled Web site also will have photos of products from various angles, and will let shoppers compare products side-by-side. Shoppers will be able to click onto owner's manuals and link to service and warranty information. Some will be available in Spanish. Sears counts on its Web site to drive shoppers to its stores. Of shoppers who buy online at Sears.com, 40% pick up their purchases in Sears stores, using the site's search tools to find the nearest store for pickup.

The United States has added Web sites to its list of "foreign terrorist organizations" for the first time under the category of aliases for conventional groups. A list published in the Federal Register includes Newkach.org, Kahane.org, Kahane.net and Kahanetzadak.com as aliases for the Jewish group Kahane Chai, or Kach, which is suspected of organizing attacks on Palestinians. Under U.S. law, it would be illegal to provide money or other material support to the designated Web sites, the people who run them could be denied U.S. visas, and U.S. banks must block their funds. The State Department said it was not yet clear how this would work in practice.

Dell and the National Recycling Coalition are kicking off a program to teach universities and other institutions how to run computer recycling programs. The program in large part is aimed at making PC recycling more commonplace. When PCs die or become aged, most people do nto know what to do with them and Dell hopes to instruct these organizations on how to hold events that let people can turn in old equipment. Later, a recycling company determines whether a PC can be refurbished, given to charity or recycled. Generally, consumers have to pay $7.50 to $15 or more to recycle a PC. Getting rid of old computers has become a major problem in the past few years with landfills getting crowded with plastic cases and chips and other components that often contain hazardous chemicals such as mercury and lead. State governments have begun to pass legislation that will tack on point-of-sale recycling fees and require manufacturers to phase out certain chemicals. Dell offers a service in which the company picks up old PCs. Dell has held one-day free recycling events in 15 U.S. cities. Consumers brought in more than 2 million pounds of PC equipment to those events, according to the company.

Sharp has released a notebook with a 3D screen that lets people view 3D images or run 3D applications without special glasses. For example, bodies and bullets appear to fly all over the place in a version of popular game "Quake" that has been adjusted to work on Sharp's 3D monitors. The notebook also comes with a software bundle from Dynamic Digital Depth that can give flat applications, videos and pictures a three-dimensional look on the fly, supposedly allowing you to scan in images of famous artwork, like the Mona Lisa, and suddenly make a 3D version of it. Bringing 3D viewing to the computing world has been a longtime goal for the industry. To help jump-start the market, Sharp, Sony and others formed a group earlier this year, called the 3D Consortium to hammer out standards for 3D displays and to examine issues, such as eyestrain, that may hamper adoption.

Parents of students who attend an Illinois school district are suing over the use of Wi-Fi technology in classrooms, alleging that exposure to the low-level radio waves may be damaging to students' health. According to the complaint, the district, its board and its superintendent have implemented Wi-Fi wireless networking technology in classrooms, ignoring evidence that electromagnetic radiation from Wi-Fi networks poses health risks, particularly to growing children. The school district, which has been using Wi-Fi technology since 1999, has determined that it is following all safety regulations and that there is no hard evidence that suggests wireless technology is dangerous. Use of Wi-Fi has increased dramatically as prices for wireless equipment have fallen and as the process of setting up the networks has become easier.

E-COMMERCE RELATED EVENTS AND INFORMATION

The following are links to upcoming seminars and other events that our readers might have an interest in and/or other information related to e-commerce.

Penn State: Coordination of broadband service access, quality essential to economic health of Pennsylvania. While metropolitan regions of the state enjoy a variety of broadband services from pioneering companies, rural areas are less likely to have access to advanced telecommunications services. A lack of broadband competition in rural areas mean that now and possibly in the future many state residents and businesses will have access to only relatively inferior broadband service. To improve the competitiveness of all communities in the state, Pennsylvania needs to guide the coordination and future development of broadband services to ensure a consistent level of high-quality, reasonably priced services to all rural and metropolitan areas, says a new report. The Center for Rural Pennsylvania has issued the report, "Broadband Internet Service in Rural and Urban Pennsylvania: A Common Wealth or Digital Divide?" ''Pennsylvania can be a national leader in this area, but inaction, poor coordination and limited cooperation among providers and communities could jeopardize the availability and effectiveness of this new technology for rural users,” says the researchers. "The state needs to actively assess the supply and demand for broadband services; develop an effective, timely way to share information and create policy among industry, government and community agencies; and establish a policy definition of universal access as a way to measure and compare services," recommend the authors. Inferior broadband services affect social and economic problems in rural communities. Advances in healthcare and education may be limited to metropolitan areas without adequate telecommunications services available in the state's rural communities, the report noted.

For more information, call 570-200-0876 or email charan@greatvalleyalliance.com

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania recently released a report “Assessment of and Strategies for Enhancing E-Commerce in Rural Pennsylvania” stating there is a clear indication that urban counties experience more e-commerce activity than rural counties in Pennsylvania. They found that businesses are engaging in mostly the marketing aspects of e-commerce, such as advertising, selling and customer service, and very little in the supply chain management aspects of e-commerce.

The report concluded that there does not seem to be any real barriers in the state to getting started in e-commerce. Service costs, however, can be extremely prohibitive in remote areas and two major technological deficiencies were inadequate bandwidth and the lack of redundancy to assure uninterrupted service. 

For a copy of the report, call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at 717-787-9555 or email info@ruralpa.org

Broadband Update – A look at Senate Bill 900

Seeking to make Pennsylvania a leader in promoting new technology, Sen. Jake Corman (R-Centre) and Sen. Connie Williams (D-Montgomery) unveiled legislation that would provide state residents with greater access to broadband and other new technologies and create a Pennsylvania Telecommunications Commission – the first of its kind in the nation – to oversee telecommunications services.

The senators, who serve as majority and minority chairpersons of the Senate Communications and Technology Committee, announced their “Telecommunications for a New Pennsylvania” plan saying the legislation is crucial to ensuring that Pennsylvania moves quickly in developing a state-of-the-art and affordable telecommunications network that reaches all areas of the state.

“The delivery of broadband services is just as important to our economy and our future as roads, bridges and railways,” Corman said. “It is the equivalent of rural electrification and the industrial revolution. It will simply revolutionize our economy and way of life.”

Corman said his legislation would create a five-member Pennsylvania Telecommunications Commission to consolidate the state's authority to regulate and promote competition among telecommunications companies. The goal is to make the Commonwealth a leader in promoting a fast, flexible, and competitive telecommunications system. Currently no other state has a commission with sole responsibility for telecommunications.

“With this legislation, Pennsylvania will become a leader in the Telecommunications Industry,” Corman said. “We will better serve our residents by aggressively encouraging and developing a vibrant and innovative telecommunications that will deliver broadband products to every corner of the state.”

For more information, contact Donald Houser at 717-787-1377 or email at dhouser@pasen.gov

 
PROCUREMENT AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

The following is a listing of recently published technology procurement or Federally funded opportunities with various governmental entities. We hope our readers take the opportunity to investigate these postings and increase their business :

Federal Funding Opportunities

Department of Commerce (DOC)
The National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued a pre-solicitation announcement listing the research subtopics to be included in its FY 2004 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) solicitation of Phase I proposals.The purpose of Phase I is to conduct feasibility related experimental or theoretical research or research and development (R&D) in order to determine the scientific or technical merit/feasibility of concepts/ideas as prerequisite for further NIST support under Phase 2 of the SBIR Program. Phase I awards may for up to $75,000. Only small businesses are eligible to compete for SBIR awards. The NIST 2004 SBIR solicitation will be issued on or about Oct. 31, 2003 and will close Jan. 15, 2004. More information is available at: http://www.eps.gov/spg/DOC/NIST/AcAsD/Reference%2DNumber%2DNIST%2D04%
2DSBIR/listing.html or at http://www.nist.gov/sbir

 
Department of Defense (DOD)
The Department of Defense has released its first FY 2004 solicitation for Phase I proposals through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. The current solicitation contains topics from the following defense components: Department of the Navy; Department of the Air Force; Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; Defense Threat Reduction Agency; Missile Defense Agency; National Imagery and Mapping Agency; Chemical Biological Defense; U.S. Special Operations Command; and the Office of Secretary of Defense. Phase I awards are typically $60,000 to $100,000. Proposals will be accepted in response to this solicitation between Dec. 1, 2003 and Jan. 15, 2004 (6:00 am EST). More information is available at: http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir/

The Department of the Army, TACOM-ARDEC is interested in establishing a contractual relationship with an educational or other non-profit institution with an established multi-disciplinary DOD engineering research and development capability that the Army can leverage in order to provide rapid, cost-effective support across the full range of its specific mission needs. Demonstrated expertise and facilities infrastructure are required in the following technology areas determined to be essential to support current and future Army programs and research initiatives: materials research and manufacturing process development; propulsion and energetic research; component and system manufacturing modeling & simulation; sensor technology, and information processing; acoustics; Homeland Defense and non-lethal defense; and environmental sciences. More information is available at: http://www.eps.gov/spg/USA/USAMC/DAAE30/W15QKN%2D04%2DX%2D0702/listing.html

The Human Effectiveness Division of the Air Force Research Laboratory solicits research proposals for Air Operations Center (AOC) Strategy Visualization Tools . The initial effort is to conduct a decision-centric analysis of the AOC strategy division's processes and tasks related to ATO planning and assessment. White papers are due by Oct. 22, 2003; full proposals are due by Dec. 1, 2003. Anticipated total funding is $1.2 million over three years. More information, including the full solicitation, is available at: http://www.eps.gov/spg/USAF/AFMC/AFRLWRS/PRDA%2D04%2D01%2DHE/listing.html

The Rome Research Site of the Air Force Materiel Command has issed a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) into the use of artificial intelligence applications , as well as enhanced or new digital processing hardware and software. Proposals should provide: (1) Dynamic/updatable characterization and correlation databases that use existing multi-source near-real-time collection systems. Measurable and descriptive emitter characteristics should also be used in the database as well as known specific operating characterization values; (2) Enhanced collection system efficiency; and (3) Improved, labor reducing digital signal processing hardware and software analysis with high-capacity capability technology to offset manning reductions at operational units. White papers for FY 04 should be submitted by Nov. 15, 2003. Those white papers found to be consistent with the intent of this BAA may be invited to submit a technical and cost proposal.  Individual awards will not normally exceed 3 years with dollar amounts ranging between $250,000 to $350,000 per fiscal year. Total funding for this BAA is anticipated to be $24.5 Million. More information is available at: http://www.eps.gov/spg/USAF/AFMC/AFRLRRS/Reference%2DNumber%2DBAA%2D03%
2D17%2DIFKA/listing.html

The Information Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at the Rome Research Site is seeking firms to conduct applied research and development for innovative concepts and techniques for Cross-Platform SIGINT Fusion and Correlation . The overall objective is to develop, integrate, demonstrate and transition system technologies for the system. White papers for FY 04 should be submitted by Nov. 30, 2003. Those white papers found to be consistent with the intent of this BAA may be invited to submit a technical and cost proposal.  Individual awards will not normally exceed 36 months with dollar amounts ranging between $200,000 to $1 million per fiscal year. Total funding for this announcement is anticipated to be $24 Million. More information is available at: http://www.eps.gov/spg/USAF/AFMC/AFRLRRS/Reference%2DNumber%2DPRDA%
2D04%2D02%2DIFKA/listing.html

National Science Foundation (NSF)
The Division of Information and Intelligent Systems of the NSF Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering has announced several funding opportunities, described briefly below. None have eligibility limitations and all require proposals to be submitted on or before Jan. 8. 2004.

• The Human Computer Interaction Program supports research and related education activities fundamental to the design and evaluation of systems that mediate between computers and humans, and which will lead to the creation of tomorrow's exciting new user interface software and technology. The program's ultimate objective is to transform the human-computer interaction experience, so the computer is no longer a distracting focus of attention but rather an invisible tool that empowers the individual user and facilitates natural and productive human-human collaboration. NSF anticipates having $4 million available to make up to 14 awards. More information is available at: http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf03610
• The Digital Society and Technologies Program seeks to: advance the knowledge frontier related to living, working, learning and being healthy in a digital society; integrate technical and social theories, concepts, methods, mechanisms, and/or design principles to sustain and build research areas at the interstices of the social and the technical; and, create a coherent interdisciplinary community of practice out of the (often) fragmented disciplinary groups currently doing research on the digital society. The division anticipates having $7 million available to support up to 35 grants. More information is available at: http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf03611
• The Human Language and Communication Program supports research and related education activities fundamental to the development of computer systems capable of analyzing, understanding, and generating language, speech, and other forms of communication that humans use naturally across a wide variety of situations. The division anticipates having $4.5 million available to support 12-20 grants. More information is available at: http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf03613
• The Universal Access Program supports fundamental research and related education activities in computer science that advance computer systems technology so that all people can possess the skills needed to fully harness the power of computing. The division anticipates having $1.9 million available to support up to five grants. More information is available at: http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf03612
•  The Information and Data Management Program supports research and education activities fundamental to the design, implementation, development, management, and use of databases, information retrieval, and knowledge-based systems. The division anticipates having $5.5 million available to support up to 20 grants. More information is available at: http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf04500

Source: SSTI Weekly Digest
Email: ssti@ssti.org      Website: http://www.ssti.org