US Army Invests In Sticky Foam Weaponry... Again

According to Wired's Danger Room blog the US Army has issued a contract to Albuquerque, New Mexico contractor Adherent Technologies for the development of a "foam-based vehicle arresting system," which is intended to stop a vehicle in it's tracks before it puts soldiers or civilians in harms way. According to the blog "In theory, the foam would "instantly disable" the oncoming vehicle by clogging up the engine intakes and blocking the steering mechanism. The foam would absorb the vehicle's kinetic energy, bringing it to a stop. "Lastly," the company says, it "will leave the driver trapped inside an encapsulated vehicle, with no means of orientation."" This sounds like one of those attempts to stop the Road Runner by Wille E. Coyote. Meep meep!

Consumers Turn To Prepaid Phones In Economic Downturn

According to the New York Times more and more consumers are dumping their cellular phone plans for prepaid phones in order to save a few dollars. "Although prepaid phones remain a fraction of the overall mobile phone market, sales of the category grew 13 percent in North America last year, nearly three times faster than traditional cellphone plans, according to Pali Research, an investment advisory firm. For the first time in its history, T-Mobile has been signing up more new prepaid customers than traditional ones." Depending on your calling habits, prepaid phones might very well be the way to go, they certainly take the element of surprise out of the billing and can save you considerable compared to what you'd pay over the life of a phone contract.

Canadians Face Longest iPhone Contracts

Perhaps it's our reputation for being polite, or simply that Rogers Communications Inc. knows that we have no choice of carriers, but Canadians are facing the longest iPhone contracts anywhere in the world. In the U.S. and Japan you can lock yourself into a 2 year contract, in the U.K. 18 months, and in Australia you don't require a contract at all, but we here in the great white north are facing 3 year contracts under Roger's plan. "While I won't speak to our contractual agreement, all carriers are different," Elizabeth Hamilton a Rogers spokesperson said. As we all know 3 years is an eternity in the cellphone world but with Rogers being the only 3G game in town those lusting after the iPhone will have no choice in this country, legitimately anyway. CBC Story here.

Should Your Employer Compensate You For Time Spent On Your Blackberry?

It would appear as though the time that employees spend reading and responding to e-mails on Blackberry or other handheld devices is becoming a hot bargaining chip in contract negotiations. "For some people, having a BlackBerry is like: We own you. You are our person, 24 hours, 7 days a week," said Ed Cashman, Public Service Alliance of Canada's regional executive vice-president for the National Capital Region. "Our members are running into situations where they're not compensated properly for having to do work at home." The union, which represents government employees, is planning on putting the topic on the agenda for contract negotiations. One could argue that it's the employee's own addiction with the device that is the problem however "My true belief is it's up to the individual to just say no," says Christopher Higgins, professor at University of Western Ontario's Richard Ivey School of Business. I think it depends on the situation, I'm sometimes compelled to check e-mail or login remotely from home, but it's always a conscious decision that I make depending on the perceived urgency on my part. If and when I do, I generally record the time in my time sheet! The Globe and Mail has more here.