Seattle

There are more than 700 products on the market today that are touched, worn and used -- ranging from cosmetics to electronics -- that involve nanomaterials. In the next decade a number of products, including food and medical therapies, will also be derived from nanomaterials.

There's not enough funding, leadership and research being conducted to study the health and environmental risks that might come with products made from nanomaterials, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Research Council (NRC).

Soldiers in the United States military received a welcome surprise on Tuesday as the nation celebrated Veteran's Day. Delve Networks, based in Seattle, along with Houston-based Marion Montgomery, a marketing and design firm, teamed to launch TroopTube, a video-sharing Web site developed solely for members of the military and their families.

Did anyone really think Bill Gates would actually retire? Apparently Gates has launched a new company called bgC3. No outsiders know what it's about, but there is plenty of speculation.

Indeed, there is no public Web site for bgC3. There is no press release surrounding its plans. And Gates hasn't offered a peep about what he is doing -- or plans to do --with the startup. However, a trio of Seattle-area reporters have been digging for the scoop.

I got to thinking about the best-practices hotels should keep in mind when experimenting with consumer-facing technology.  This is what I came up with:

RealNetworks Inc. said Monday it had temporarily stopped distributing its DVD copying software, RealDVD, at a federal judge's request in a copyright case brought by Hollywood studios.

"We temporarily suspended distribution of the product until tomorrow," said Seattle-based RealNetworks' spokesman Ryan Luckin.

The site, made inactive Friday, now tells visitors: "Rest assured, we will continue to work diligently to provide you with software that allows you to make a legal copy of your DVDs for your own use."

From Scientific American:

From Scientific American:

The second installment of Microsoft's "Seinfeld" campaign launched Thursday night during the reality TV series Big Brother. Like the first commercial in the $300 million campaign staring the well-known comedian Jerry Seinfeld, the spot didn't discuss Windows.

The two-and-a-half-minute ads show Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Seinfeld living with a typical American suburban family in hopes of "connecting with people." The cast of characters includes three kids, a cranky grandma with many skills, and mom and dad.

Amazon will ship new versions of its Kindle e-book reader before year's end. The original reader launched last November sold out in its first week and had Amazon scrambling to fill holiday orders. While sales have been brisk, estimates vary.