Monthly Archives: May 2007

SiliconValley.com – Internet radio companies, NPR appeal new music royalty rates

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NEW YORK – National Public Radio is teaming up with online radio broadcasters to appeal new music royalties that they say would put smaller operators out of business and force others to sharply scale back their online music offerings.

NPR filed a notice with the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington Wednesday signaling that it would challenge the ruling by a panel of copyright judges that would sharply raise the amount of royalties that NPR stations and others have to pay record companies for streaming music over the Internet.

NPR also said it was filing a request with the same court on Thursday along with other Webcasters for an emergency stay blocking the adoption of the new rates, which are set to go into effect July 15.

Source: SiliconValley.com – Internet radio companies, NPR appeal new music royalty rates

Lake-O hits record for lowest level

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The 8.97 feet, measured at 11 p.m. Tuesday night, matches the record-low depth set May 24, 2001 during the last major drought.

Source: The News-Press: Local & State

On the news yesterday afternoon, they said that the lake bed is on fire in the western section.  The water is so low that the vegetation and muck have dried out and become combustible.

The good news is, a “large area of disturbed weather” SW of Cuba shows signs of bringing significant rain to the lower peninsula over the weekend — the first tropical mass in the Caribbean, forming 1 day before the official beginning of hurricane season.

FSU is first "StormReady" university in Florida

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FSU today received a “StormReady” certification from the National Weather Service, signifying that the university is well prepared to safeguard its people and property from severe weather. FSU is the first university in Florida – and one of only 16 in the United States — to be recognized with the StormReady designation.

Source: FSU is first “StormReady” university in Florida

Florida universities see income from technology grow: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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Licensing income totaled over $47 million, up $3.7 million from 2005 and a reversal of that year’s downward trend due to the phasing out in the marketplace of successful products based on Florida university inventions. “Florida’s research base is showing gradual growth,” said David Day, director of the University of Florida’s Office of Technology and Licensing.

“The state of Florida is more reliant on startups than the rest of the country,” Day explained. Only a small number of the licenses were with large companies. “The rest were with small companies and start-ups,” he said.

Source: Florida universities see income from technology grow: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Encyclopedia of Life

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Comprehensive, collaborative, ever-growing, and personalized, the Encyclopedia of Life is an ecosystem of websites that makes all key information about life on Earth accessible to anyone, anywhere in the world. Our goal is to create a constantly evolving encyclopedia that lives on the Internet, with contributions from scientists and amateurs alike. To transform the science of biology, and inspire a new generation of scientists, by aggregating all known data about every living species. And ultimately, to increase our collective understanding of life on Earth, and safeguard the richest possible spectrum of biodiversity.

Source: Encyclopedia of Life

Ten Ways to Save Money at the Pump

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Worried about the high cost of gas? You’ve got good reason. The Bush Administration has warned that gasoline and other energy prices (which were already on the rise) shot up after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and are likely to remain high for several years. The President has even gone so far as to recommend that Americans attempt to conserve energy.

The best way to avoid spending more on gas than you need to? Keep all of these tips in mind: http://www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming/gas_savers/

Environmentalists Laud Crist’s Picks

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TAMPA – Gov. Charlie Crist’s appointment of Shannon Estenoz to the board of the South Florida Water Management District sent a jolt of excitement through Florida’s environmental community. In contrast to former Gov. Jeb Bush’s appointees, Estenoz is a former national co-chairwoman of the Everglades Coalition and Sun Coast regional director of the National Parks Conservation Association.

“She’s a dramatic departure from the people Bush appointed,” said Nathaniel Reed, a former board member of the water management district and currently vice chairman of the Everglades Foundation.

Since taking office, Crist has appointed more than a dozen people to various boards and agencies overseeing Florida’s environment. Conservation groups say many of those appointees have environmental backgrounds, signaling the governor’s intention to balance the needs of Florida’s natural systems with the traditionally strong development industry.  …  Environmentalists Laud Crist’s Picks