Nakamura Wins Technology Prize
The 2006 Millennium Technology Prize has been awarded to Shuji Nakamura. Professor Nakamura has developed a new, revolutionary source of light — bright-blue, green and white LEDs and a blue laser. The world’s largest technology prize, now being awarded by Finland’s Millennium Prize Foundation for the second time, has a value of one million euros.
Professor Nakamura’s innovation has launched a totally-new sector in light-producing semiconductor research and development. His development also made possible the widescale industrial production of efficient, energy-saving LED lights and created the conditions for applications that improve the quality of human life.
LED lights have extremely long lives and consume far less energy than normal incandescent lamps. In industrialized countries, the opportunities for energy-saving LED lights are significant. The new light sources are also well-suited to operation with solar power systems and are therefore ideal for use in remote areas of developing countries.
One of the most important future applications for Professor Nakamura’s invention is the sterilization of drinking water, since the use of ultraviolet LEDs makes the water purification process both cheaper and more efficient. Systems based on this technology are expected to improve the lives and health of tens of millions of people.
In the field of data storage and transfer, using light generated by blue lasers brings significant benefits. For example, the amount of data stored on CDs or DVDs can be increased by some five times compared to current techniques.
“Nakamura is a splendid example of perseverance and dedicated research. The lighting applications now made possible by his achievement can be compared with Thomas Edison’s invention of the incandescent lamp. In the course of time, energy-efficient light sources based on Nakamura’s innovation will undoubtedly become predominant,” said Pekka Tarjanne, chairman of the International Selection Committee.
Professor Nakamura was born in Japan in 1954. He has worked at University of California, Santa Barbara, since 2000. His research into new sources of light continues.
JFK’s Papers to Be Accessible Worldwide
The US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) will build a new library — a digital one consisting of the entire collection of papers, documents, photographs and audio recordings of US President John F. Kennedy, eventually making them accessible worldwide via the Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum’s website — www.jfklibrary.org. This initiative has been made possible by EMC, whose in-kind donation in software, hardware and technical support and services is expected to exceed $1 million for the total project.
The Kennedy Presidential Library’s research facilities are among the busiest of US presidential libraries. Its archives currently include more than 8.4 million pages of the personal, congressional and presidential papers of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and more than 40 million pages of over 300 other individuals who were associated with the Kennedy Administration or mid-20th Century American history. In addition, the archives hold more than 400,000 still photographs; 9,000 hours of audio recordings; 7.5 million feet of motion picture film; and 1,200 hours of video recordings. The project to digitize the collection is expected to take more than 10 years and will begin with the official papers of President Kennedy.
The project’s objectives are five-fold:
• The long-term preservation of administration records, photographs, documents, video and audio;
• Providing online accessibility to a worldwide audience;
• Enhancing the ability to search the collection using metadata;
• Protecting historical assets through remote replication; and
• Minimizing wear and tear on irreplaceable physical assets.
Motorola Leads in Bluetooth Headsets
Motorola, Jabra and Plantronics were the world’s Big 3 Bluetooth headset vendors, taking a combined 57 percent share of total global sales in 2005, according to the latest research from Strategy Analytics. Motorola had a strong lead with 28 percent global market share. Strategy Analytics predicts that global Bluetooth headset sales will grow 70 percent in 2006.
“Global Bluetooth headset sales grew at a skyrocketing 153 percent in 2005,” said Neil Mawston, associate director at Strategy Analytics. “High levels of user interest have finally evolved into strong demand, driven by falling prices.”
Chris Ambrosio, director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Bluetooth sales to date have been dominated by mono headsets for mobile voice. Looking forward, future revenue growth will increasingly be driven by the need for stereo headsets in mobile music and rich media, like TV. However, with average retail pricing in excess of $100 today, stereo Bluetooth headset prices will need to fall by more than 50 percent in order to hit the mass-market sweet spot.”
