Technology Investment Dot Info

Danny O’Brien talks about developments in customer owned fibre – the ultimate telco disenfranchisement. Households band together to buy the link back to the nearest peering center and then have free, unlimited bandwidth for ever after.

A study of the blood of older people who survived the 1918 influenza pandemic reveals that antibodies to the strain have lasted a lifetime and can perhaps be engineered to protect future generations against similar strains.

The people recruited for the study were 2 to 12 years old in 1918 and many recalled sick family members in their households, which suggests they were directly exposed to the virus, the authors report. The group found that 100% of the subjects had serum-neutralizing activity against the 1918 virus and 94% showed serologic reactivity to the 1918 hemagglutinin…

At least 197 people in a dozen states — 53 of them in Georgia — were sickened earlier this year after taking the liquid supplement Total Body Formula.

Their hair fell out in clumps, their fingernails fell off. They suffered nausea, vomiting and fatigue. Some had disabling joint pain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health officials… several batches of Total Body Formula and Total Body Mega Formula contained hazardous amounts of the mineral selenium — up to 40,800 micrograms per serving, 200 times the amount listed on the product’s label, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Bisphenol A (BPA), a controversial chemical commonly found in can linings, baby bottles and other household products does not pose a health hazard when used in food containers, according to a draft assessment released by the Food and Drug Administration… The report stands in contrast to more than 100 studies performed by government scientists and university laboratories that have found health concerns.

The University of Michigan’s quarterly customer satisfaction index came out today, and in the Website category Google came out on top with a score of 86 out of 100 (up 10 percent from last year). Yahoo slipped 3 percent to a score of 77. MSN’s score was flat at 75, and tied with NYTimes.com and ABCNews.com. AOL came in at 69, and that is 3 percent better than last year.

Global television shipments rose 11% in Q2, year over year, and 3% sequentially, according to a report from research firm DisplaySearch.

The better-than-expected results were driven by a 28% increase in shipments in North America. Sales of LCD TVs, of course, were the top pick, up 47% year over year. LCD TVs regained share from plain-old tube TVs, says DisplaySearch, rising to 57% of the market from 52% in the prior quarter. DisplaySearch notes that 32″ TVs, in LCD form, were at their second highest level ever, up 41%, “as LCD panel supply increased on better fab utilization, causing panel prices to decline more than expected.” Surprisingly, the higher end units, 50″ to 54″ TVs, also rose more than 40%. Samsung (SSNLF.PK), as you might expect, led the pack in shipments, with 22.8%, a record, says DisplaySearch. Samsung shipments rose 52%, year over year, Sony (SNE) was second with “strong” share growth, up 49%, for a 12.5% share, and LG Electronics (LGERF.PK) was in third place with 11.5%, up 33%.