Election Results...?
By Wendy Hall, Larta Staff Writer
Although government R&D funding is often argued as a bipartisan issue, the recent GOP electoral victories may prove to benefit technology development for one central reason--the swift establishment of the Department of Homeland Security.
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Wireless Industry Faces Declining Customer Growth
by Ketaki Sood, Larta Research Economist
The wireless industry is witnessing a trying period. According to the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA), the number of wireless subscribers for all U.S. wireless carriers slowed in the last year, growing by 17% to 128.4 million in 2001. This was down from a growth of 27% in 2000. Market saturation, carrier aversion to subsidies, and high customer-acquisition costs caused a decline in the number of subscribers in the wireless industry.
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~Larta Announcements

Security:

Protecting U.S. Could Boost Tech Industries (Los Angeles Times)
The technology sector, beset by lackluster interest in computers and other gadgets, could get a boost from the Senate's passage of a homeland security measure that portends increased government spending on anti-terrorism gear.
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Digital Media:

Star Wars Creator Calls for Attack on Piracy (New York Times)
At Comdex on Tuesday, George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars movie franchise, pleaded with the technology industry to create a partnership with the media sector to stamp out online piracy of content.
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Business, Investment, and Entrepreneurship:

Weathering the Storm (Business Week)
Growth in the U.S. hasn't set any records in 2002 and is likely to come in at around a modest 3% by yearend, according to most estimates. But when it comes to identifying the economy's bright lights, the nation's small businesses are entitled to take a bow.
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Comdex: Mobile Connectivity Rules (PC World)
You can't be too mobile, wireless, or connected at the Comdex trade show, where a smaller than usual field of about 1000 exhibitors are gathering this week to show the computer industry's latest gadgets and technology.
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Nanotech and Bioscience:

Patently absurd (Red Herring)
Too many patents could kill nanotechnology.
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Report calls for nanotech laissez-faire (CNet News)
Nanotechnology's potential benefit to society is so great, a new report says, that governments should take a hands-off approach to regulating the developing science, despite concern over possible dangers.
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Scientists Try to Create New Life (Yahoo News)
By modifying a simple microbe, scientists hope to create a new form of single-cell life that could lead to new and cleaner energy and perhaps play a role in biological warfare. But there are safety and ethical concerns in this new world of biology, experts say.
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This events calendar is provided as a service by Larta about events vetted and endorsed by Larta.

December 3: PricewaterhouseCoopers' Shaking the MoneyTree
Please join the industry experts of PricewaterhouseCoopers and a distinguished panel of local VCs for their comments on the results of the 3rd Quarter 2002 PricewaterhouseCoopers/ Venture Economics/National Venture Capital Association MoneyTree Survey. To RSVP or for more information, please send an email.

December 5 & 6: The Outlook for Globalization After Two Years of Turmoil
The UCLA Anderson Forecast proudly presents its second annual conference on California and the global marketplace.Our focus this year is a report card on globalization. It has been an extraordinary period for the international economy over the last two years. The ongoing war on terrorism has increased global security concerns. The US recession made it abundantly clear how the economic health of each nation increasingly impacts the health of other nations. Labor strife in the West Coast ports put the squeeze on the fragile US economy. This year we focus on the process of globalization, and what these incidences imply for it.
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December 7: Caltech-MIT Enterprise Forum presents, 2003 Technology Trends
Which technologies will have the greatest economic and social impact in the next 24 months? Join us as our panel of authorities debate the technologies, products, and innovations they believe entrepreneurs, investors and technology business professionals should watch, understand and consider for their investing and business growth.
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