This was announced by the Dutch minister of Finance, Wouter J. Bos and the Icelandic minister of Finance, Arni M. Mathiesen.Both ministers are pleased that they have found a solution on the matter. Minister Bos said that he is especially glad that there is now clarity for the Dutch depositors. Minister Mathiesen added what mattered is that the issue is now solved.

The agreement states that the Icelandic government will compensate each Dutch depositor up to a maximum of 20.887 euro. The Dutch government will provide a loan to Iceland to enable this restitution and the Dutch Central Bank is to settle the depositors’ claims.

Casagras Logo

Partners in the EU Framework 7 CASAGRAS Project on the future standards and applications of RFID are to take a broader approach to their brief during the project’s final year as they seek to develop an inclusive model for the emerging Internet of Things.In their interim report, filed this week with the European Commission, the partners say that following a review of  European-based project and conference developments it was clear that the concept of the Internet of Things required further definition and development in terms of  scope and content.

In addition, the review showed that RFID, although seen as a key enabler for the Internet of Things, was not the only technology that could contribute to a networked infrastructure exploiting the potential for connecting to the physical world.

The partners conclude that a more inclusive model for the Internet of Things should be considered. The model identified distinguishes an “object space” in which a variety of “edge” technologies including RFID could be exploited to:

• Connect with and identify objects using natural feature and data carrier techniques and technologies.
• Network objects and object-connected readers, both fixed and mobile.
• Facilitate, as appropriate, the location of objects.
• Facilitate, through object-connectable sensor devices, sensing of environmental quantities to which the object is subjected.

The report also states that a wider framework for standards is required: “CASAGRAS will seek to specify the framework for standards and standards development, together with a strategy for developing a knowledge base of information on standards appropriate for the development of the Internet of Things. In doing so it will take into account the developments and outcomes of the GRIFS project.”

The CASAGRAS project partners, who  represent the UK, France, Germany, USA, Korea,China and Japan, say that achieving  a global coding approach to identification would be “extremely challenging and extremely unlikely” due to the divergence of  communication-based systems for RFID, including near field communication. “The challenge for CASAGRAS is to take a resolution approach as the basis for accommodating the global coding problem, seeking to derive a Global Resolver solution,” they add.

With privacy and security recognised as vital considerations in relation to RFID and the Internet of Things – where personal identifiers and carriers of personal data will be involved – CASAGRAS will consider the framework for a design standard to address these issues.  It will also report on other socio-economic issues such as personal and product safety, the environment, recycling and waste management and developments relating to the home and built environment and personal support services.

Ian G Smith, co-ordinator of the Casagras project said: “Our brief is to make recommendations and to propose standards and best practice that can be agreed and applied world-wide.” RFID stakeholders around the world could add their views to the debate and help shape the final CASAGRAS report and findings that will be presented to the EC in summer, 2009.

“I urge anyone with an interest in the future of RFID to join our free global forum at www.rfidglobal.eu. All views and opinions are welcome as we seek to arrive at an international consensus on a way forward to enable everyone to maximise the exciting opportunities that RFID and related technologies can provide with respect to the Internet of Things.”

Among the key topics being addressed by CASAGRAS are:

• the need for a global coding or numbering system that embraces existing legacy systems including EPC and ubiquitous ID
• an adopted set of data carrier and natural feature technologies and associated data structure and communication protocols to meet the needs of the Internet of Things
• a universal data appliance protocol to accommodate the range of heterogeneous network technologies and protocols called for with respect to the Internet of Things
• service oriented architecture (SOA) and grid services as an approach to accommodating Internet of Things services and network applications
• migration strategy to specify a pathway development and agreements that will be necessary in realising the Internet of Things
• the need for supporting international standards

“Hold the line, please” is probably one of the most dreaded sentences, not only in the IT world. As everone knows, this sentence might eventually lead to several hours of time wasted on trying to get through to just any person in a help centre, who can help figure out and fix problems of any kind instead of being put on hold, once again. Hardly does one ever end up with a problem fixed not having forfeited his or her sanity for the day.

Spinal cord of the global economy

www.itroom.com is a site devoted to the ones keeping the “spinal cord of the global economy” working the way it should hardly ever being awarded the credit they deserve for their work. On the IT ROOM website, any registered user can share his or her personal IT horror story or video rant and enjoy the webisodes, video episodes featuring, so far, four heroes sharing with the world their IT horror stories.

An option, giving registered users the opportunity to share their personal horror stories with the world, includes the chance of winning a DELL Latitude Notebook. Users can vote for their favorite horror story after reviewing the stories uploaded. The story with the most votes as of January 30, 2008 does not only win the great notebook, but also gets the chance of becoming a featured hero in one of the webisodes.

This very attractive website, which is very easy to navigate, puts its finger on a sore spot by appealingly broadcasting notional horror stories and real-life stories and videos uploaded by the users congenially incorporating ironic and satiric elements drawn directly from life.
A website critically, but very amusingly reckoning the perks and flaws of the IT branch, which can only be recommended to admirers of good satire.

I read an article on techcrunch about millionaires at Google. That again triggered my to ask one question. Based on todays quotes Google is worth $100.000.000.000. That’s a lot of money and a good reason to ask: Is this company really worth it? Not an easy question to answer. But we try to give some input:

1. Growth

The stock markets are expecting strong growth from this company. This is not a question of 10 or 15 percent. They want to see the large double-digits. But the larger Google’s market share gets, the harder it is to grow on such high rates.

2. Economic downturn

Google has a very wide-spread customer-base. The advertisers are from all kind of industries and variying in size from one-man-show to multi-billion-dollar-companies. It is a mirror of the world economy. When it turns down, advertising will turn down.

3. The success catch

Google is a very very very successful company. But exactly that is, what it makes so vunerable. In the phase of massive earnings growth nearly every mistake could be cleared by money. Google is accustomed to nearly unlimited financial resources. But what if this changes? Is the management able to react? To brake hard?

Our conclusion

We are invested in Google and we will stay invested. But we will monitor this investment very active. It is everything else then a sure shot!

Other blogs writing about the Google millionaires

Average Google Employee is Worth $276,000
Ms Brown ‘Massages’ Google: Hits a Jackpot

We are male, young, experienced and… ofcourse, we are german. And that’s why we have to apologize in advance. Our English is not that of a native speaker. We try our best to be understandable. But we also hope, you will like our “german” English and take it as a part of our spirit.