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IN THIS ISSUE:
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Word of the Day: disposable computer
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Today's Tech News
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Brain Food
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Additions and Updates
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disposable computer
A disposable computer is a small data processing device with input/output, memory, and communication capabilities; the device is intended to be used for a limited time period or number of uses and then discarded. Cypak AB,
a Swedish company, produces disposable computers and sells them to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) for about $1 (U.S.) each. The Cypak device, essentially a processor mounted on paperboard, is currently being embedded in packing materials and used, for example, to track delivery data in courier packaging and to monitor patient dosage data from within the packaging for medications. Cypak's
disposable computer has 32 kilobytes of memory, which is enough to allow it to process and exchange several pages of encrypted data; it communicates through RFID.
As the price of embedded systems decreases, their cost becomes a less significant portion of the total cost of production, making the devices practical for a wider range of applications. According to some embedded systems engineers, disposable networked computers could soon be embedded in almost anything in our environment, leading to an envisioned future situation sometimes called ubiquitous computing.
A disposable computer is not necessarily the same thing as a disposable PC, which is a relatively inexpensive but full-featured personal computer that is designed to be discarded rather than fixed when serious problems arise.
MORE INFO:
> Usenix has an article called "Discourse with Disposable Computers: How and Why You Will Talk to Your Tomatoes."
> The Cypak Web site has more information.
> Slashdot has a discussion about the disposable computer.
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![Today's Tech News]()
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SOX and the SMB: A tale of two auditors
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Secret Word of the Day
This is a form, mold, or pattern used as a guide to making something. What is it?
Answer
Today's Trivia Question
In the news: What organization sued over 7,000 individuals for sharing unlicensed music files over the Internet?
Answer
IT Alphabet Soup
OLAP enables a user to easily and selectively extract and view data from different points-of-view. What does OLAP stand for?
a. online analytical processing
b. open layer agile processing
Answer
Learning Center Update: SMB IT career guide
[SearchSmallBizIT.com]
If you're concerned with finding or keeping a IT job (and who among us isn't?) in the midsize market, browse these articles and advice columns to learn about IT job market trends at SMBs and how you can boost your career.
![Additions and Updates]()
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customer life cycle
information life cycle management
SISO
AutoRun
serial-attached SCSI
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