MIT Wizards Zap Electricity Through the Air

Researchers at MIT have figured out how to transfer power wirelessly, a technology they've dubbed "WiTricity." Potential applications for WiTricity include powering cell phones, laptops, household robots and other battery-run devices. However, before WiTricity enters the mainstream, there is still work to be done, as the group's tested device operated at only 40 percent efficiency.

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TechNewsWorld | 06/08/07


Power cords and chargers may rule the technological world today, but their days could be numbered, thanks to a breakthrough at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Latest News about Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

It's called "WiTricity," and it's essentially the transfer of power through the air, without wires. It was demonstrated by a team of researchers from MIT's Department of Physics, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN), and was reported in Thursday's edition of Science Express, the online publication of the journal Science .

Members of the team included Marin Soljacic, Andre Kurs, Aristeidis Karalis, Robert Moffatt, Peter Fisher and John Joannopoulos.

The Charging Burden

The test was motivated by Soljacic's frustration with cell phone chargers. After being awakened repeatedly at night by his cell phone beeping to signal that it hadn't been charged, "it occurred to me that it would be so great if the thing took care of its own charging," he explained.

Soljacic started thinking about which physical phenomena could help make that happen.

A few years later, in a test of their theoretical predictions, Soljacic's team succeeded in lighting a 60-watt light bulb from a power source seven feet away without any physical connection between them.

Resonance, Not Radiation

While past experiments using techniques such as electromagnetic radiation -- the technology used for wirelessly transmitting information -- have found that too much power is lost, the MIT team used magnetically coupled resonance instead.

Whereas radiation spreads in all directions, coupled resonant objects allow a relatively efficient exchange of energy between them while having minimal impact on other objects nearby.

A classic example of resonance is the opera singer shattering the wine glass: If there were a room with 100 identical wine glasses, each filled up to a different level, an opera singer's note could cause a glass of the corresponding frequency to explode, while not influencing the other glasses.

Magnetic Fields

That's acoustic resonance, but the MIT researchers used magnetic resonance instead.

With one copper coil attached to the power source and another at the receiving end, the system fills the space around it with a non-radiative magnetic field. The resonant nature of the process ensures that the interaction between the sending unit and the receiving unit is strong while the interaction with the rest of the environment is weak.

"The fact that magnetic fields interact so weakly with biological organisms is important for safety considerations," noted Kurs, a graduate student in physics.

Coming Soon

Potential applications -- which the research team expects may appear within the next few years -- include powering cell phones, laptops, household robots Latest News about robots and other battery-run devices, Kurs told TechNewsWorld.

Other applications may include factory robots and wireless Get the facts on wireless solutions suited to your industry. sensors, added Karalis, a Ph.D. candidate in electrical engineering and computer science. "This whole technology was developed because of the presence of all these mobile devices," Karalis told TechNewsWorld.

"The applications are almost identical to those for batteries -- if we could use wireless energy instead, we would never need to replace or recharge the batteries, and could even get rid of them in the end," Karalis said.

In the Meantime

Before WiTricity enters the mainstream, however, there is still work to be done. The tested device operated at only 40 percent efficiency -- "pretty good for a first test," Karalis said, but still clearly in need of improvement. Rechargeable batteries, by contrast, operate at only 70 percent efficiency when new, and degrade over time, he added.

Next, the team plans to begin targeting particular applications and optimizing the device and antennas for good performance, Karalis said.

A Wireless World

"Once, when my son was about three years old, we visited his grandparents' house," Soljacic said. "They had a 20-year-old phone and my son picked up the handset, asking, 'Dad, why is this phone attached with a cord to the wall?' That is the mindset of a child growing up in a wireless world," he explained.

"My best response was, 'It is strange and awkward, isn't it? Hopefully, we will be getting rid of some more wires, and also batteries, soon.'"

Google Gallery Allows One-Click Calendar Imports

Google has beefed up its Calendar application with Gallery, a widget that lets users easily import events marked on popular public calendars into their own personal schedules. Among the content available for insertion in Google Calendars are TV listings sorted by ZIP code, presidential candidates' 2008 schedules, sports schedules from Eventful and the NBA and updates on travel deals on Orbitz.

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TechNewsWorld | 06/08/07


Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) Latest News about Google on Friday unveiled Google Calendar Gallery, a platform that allows one-click importing to Google Calendars of event and listing content found on other Web sites.

Google has always envisioned Google Calendar to be capable of easing the hassle normally associated with calendar management, the company said. In announcing Google Calendar Gallery, the search giant noted an important part of realizing that goal was making it easy to search among public calendars for interesting events and add them to Calendar with a click.

Asserting it has come up with the "next best thing to a personal concierge," Google said the Gallery is a way for Calendar users to import events and listings from an array of public calendars.

It also said it is "pumping up the volume of public calendars" by providing free listings from sources that include Atlantic Records, Cordless Recordings, Disney, Eventful, JamBase, Orbitz, the NBA, Netflix, The New York Times, TLC, Wcities and Zvents.

From Single Event to Complete Schedules

The Gallery allows users to browse sports, music and TV schedules. Events of interest, or complete schedules, can be added to personal Google Calendars in one click, said Google.

Among the content available for insertion in Google Calendars are TV listings sorted by ZIP code, presidential candidates' 2008 schedules from The New York Times, sports schedules from Eventful and the NBA, theme park events and schedules from Disney, updates on travel deals and the ability to search on Orbitz, concert dates from Atlantic Records, Cordless Recordings, Eventful and JamBase.

Additionally, the Gallery will offer festival schedules from Wcities and Zvents, movie and DVD release dates from Netflix as well as "music horoscopes" and celebrity birthdays from artists on Atlantic Records.

Anybody, even those who do not use Google Calendar, can view Google Calendar Gallery listings for free, Google noted. "You can browse different categories of calendars to see which ones are the most popular, or you can search in the search box for the topics that most interest you," the company said. "You'll see video, images and detailed descriptions right in the listings so you can preview the events or shows with one click."

Simply 'Fabulous'

In addition to being able to, with a click of the mouse, add events to personal Google Calendars, users can opt to receive e-mail Email Marketing Software - Free Demo or mobile phone alerts about events. These can also be easily shared with friends and family, said Google.

The gallery idea is likely to be a winner, said JupiterResearch analyst Barry Parr, who considers himself a fan of Google Calendar. "I think Google Calendar is a fabulous application and this is a pretty good indication they're committed investing in it and making it an important part of their platform," Parr told TechNewsWorld.

Google Calendar, being based on the iCalendar standard, is similar to other calendar programs including Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) Latest News about Apple iCal, he said. "So, yeah, this has been done before. However, this is the first one that I'm aware of that's a universal application that's on the Web and can be used with any computer."

Another Nail in the Newspaper Coffin?

Google is at the forefront of changing the way people get information about events, Sterling Market Intelligence Principal Analyst Greg Sterling told TechNewsWorld.

"Historically, events have been dominated by print newspapers and specialized publications," said Sterling. "In terms of moving online, there have been events calendars for a long time, but it's been a sort of underdeveloped segment. Recently, in the last year or so, it's become much more crowded and competitive."

A number of companies are now working in the Web-based events and listings niche, said Sterling. "But Google calendar is very interesting," he commented. "This represents an big increase in the type of content now available and it is kind of consistent with a broader strategy Barracuda Spam Firewall Free Eval Unit - Click Here they are employing across a number of products. It's a gadget or widget strategy."

Widget World

Google offers widgets for its Google Desktop, iGoogle, Google Maps and now for Calendar, said Sterling. "So now there are four areas where third-party content publishers create mini-apps that are now distributed through Google and show up in some kind of Google environment. ... So what Google Calendar becomes is a very interesting search engine for events."

Google, Sterling figured, will make all the information available over mobile devices and might, if the calendar becomes popular enough, use it to sell advertising. "The thing about Google that's confusing to people is they don't try to make money off everything," noted Sterling. "They may never put ads around it, but it's quite possible they would."

The Long Street View

Google argues that its Street View photos are "no different from what any person can readily capture or see walking down the street." That's true if you can see the image for a few minutes and then it disappears, or if it is a random photo from a camera phone posted online. However, that's not how it works.

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TechNewsWorld | 06/08/07


Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG) Latest News about Google mapping service just introduced a new feature called "Street View," offering detailed photos of addresses in San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas, Denver and Miami. While the company might not be breaking any privacy laws, the service raises concerns that need to be addressed.

The photographs are not live and were taken from a device with multiple cameras attached to a car that drove down each available street. The problem for some is that the cameras took photos of people not expecting to be photographed and broadcast across the Net. There are photos of women sunbathing at Stanford University, a man caught urinating in San Bruno, Calif., and a very clear picture of a woman's thong underwear as she was getting into her truck.

Google argues that the photos are "no different from what any person can readily capture or see walking down the street." That's true if you can see the image for a few minutes and then it disappears, or if it is a random photo from a camera phone posted online. However, that's not how it works.

Google: The Internet's Peeping Tom?

The Street View photos are clear, systematically stored, and anyone anywhere in the world can zoom in as if with a telescope. That seems more like a peeping Tom to some, including Mary Kalin-Casey, who complained that when she zoomed in on her address, she could see her cat sitting in the living room window of her second-floor apartment. It's not hard to imagine that instead of her cat, it could have been her in sleepwear, or less.

Of course, there's an easy fix to that problem -- she could close her curtains -- but that raises the question of whether people should have to worry that someone is taking photos of their home to be linked with an identifiable address and broadcast internationally. Previously, no company looked into everyone's window. There is also the question of what happens when face-recognition technology makes it easy to identify the random people captured in these photos.

To be fair, Google did take into account some privacy concerns. For example, the company agreed to remove photos of women's shelters to protect victims of domestic violence. However, what about a closeted gay man captured in San Francisco's Castro district then broadcast worldwide by Google? The company says they have a mechanism whereby people can request that images be removed, but in the long run there may be a better answer. Perhaps the increased transparency created by services like Street View will lead to changes in societal values.

Raising Acceptance

"People's expectations will change," said Joe DiPasquale, founder and CEO of CollegeWikis, a company that makes a broadcasting widget that students use inside social networking sites like MySpace Latest News about MySpace and Facebook. The more transparency there is for everyone, the more accepting people will become of others' flaws, DiPasquale believes. "Things will become less shocking," he said, "this is the acceleration of the acceptance of humanity."

DiPasquale may be right, but whatever the cultural outcome, Google, a private company, is helping to create this transparent society. That means government will not be in total control of public surveillance data, and that is a good thing.

Almost a decade ago, writer David Brin argued that the best way to prevent government from abusing surveillance technology is to keep the government itself under surveillance. This makes good sense: consider that in George Orwell's novel 1984, the state held a monopoly on surveillance technologies. If Orwell's characters had possessed similar technology, the story line would have been much different.

Watching the Watchers

Problems and issues with Google's Street View service will be dealt with over time as the company faces public pressure. Meanwhile, Americans should advocate for equal treatment and diversity under transparency.

Cameras may be high-tech but, after all, somebody still has to decide where to point them. Google's roving crews should opt for streets with lots of government buildings and employees. They just might catch government, as it were, with its pants down.

Intel, Asus Go For Big Bucks With Cheap Laptops

Asus has teamed with Intel to create a line of low-priced laptops it calls "Eee PC." The prices, which bottom out at $199, put the laptops in close proximity to the computers built for the One Laptop Per Child initiative. Like the OLPC, Eee PC is also targeted at developing markets; however, it may also find a niche in the U.S. as a runner in the UMPC market.

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LinuxInsider | 06/08/07


Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) Manage remotely with one interface -- the HP ProLiant DL360 G5 server. Latest News about Intel and Taiwan firm Asus have teamed up to produce a line of low-cost mobile PCs with at least one coming in at under US$200. The two companies made the announcement this week during the 2007 Computex computer trade show held in Taipei, Taiwan.

The new line of computers will focus on providing users with comprehensive Internet applications Get the facts on wireless solutions suited to your industry. based on three E's: Easy to learn, work and play with; Excellent Internet experience; and Excellent mobile computing experience, Asus said. The company has dubbed the machines, "Eee PC."

Bang for the Buck

The computers have been designed so a user can pick up the latest technology without turning to a manual, and offers two modes of intuitive user interface design: easy mode and full desktop mode.

The first model, the Eee PC 701, is Linux Linux hosting solutions with 24x7x365 support – Visit HostMySite.com and Windows XP compatible and features a 7-inch screen and an Intel mobile CPU and chipset. It also includes built-in 802.11b/g connectivity, 10/100 Ethernet, a 56K modem, 512 MB of memory and a Web cam. The computer also comes equipped with built-in stereo speakers and a microphone. Users can also chose up to a 16 GB solid state flash drive.

The laptop will be sold in $199 and $299 versions; however, no release date has been set.

PCs for All

The system is just one of a recent spate of low-priced PCs aimed at emerging markets in the developing world. It joins the U.N.-sponsored "One Laptop Per Child (OLPC)," Intel's "Classmate PC," Data Evolution's decTop and regional devices such as ITP Software's ITP-C, said Lauren Cotes, an analyst at Yankee Group.

Unlike those devices, however, the Eee PC is not intended for educational purposes. Asus sees the 701 as a device that "empowers users to share photos without waiting till one gets home; connect face-to-face with just a few clicks; enjoy online entertainment live and stay on top of e-mails for high work efficiency."

Computer manufacturers, cognizant of the untapped markets in the developing world and in an effort to help bring citizens in Africa, South America and parts of Asia into the digital age, have begun a concerted push to provide those regions with less expensive computers.

The Next Billion Computers

"There are probably about 800 million or so PCs in use around the world today, and it's taken almost 25 years to get to that point," Simon Yates, a Forrester Research analyst, told LinuxInsider. "But the vast majority of any growth in the PC industry in the next 10 years is going to come from emerging markets.

"By 2015 or so, we will have reached that second billion [of PCs in use]. And that majority of users will come from the developing world."

The 701's features fit easily within the ultra-mobile PC market, however, and could very likely see success if sold in the U.S., said Cotes.

"I would compare this computer more to an ultra mobile PC than to One Laptop Per Child," she told LinuxInsider. "The computer, if you look at the specs, is pretty small. I think the demand for a laptop like this is very high in the United States."

Qualcomm to Appeal to Bush to Dismiss Phone Ban

Qualcomm will ask the Bush administration to overturn a ruling by the International Trade Commission that bans new models of 3G cell phones. Although it's a rare move, a presidential veto of the order is needed for homeland defense and public safety reasons, said Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs said.

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E-Commerce Times | 06/08/07


Mobile phone technology maker Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM) Latest News about Qualcomm plans to ask the White House to step into a trade and patent dispute with rival Broadcom (Nasdaq: BRCM) Latest News about Broadcom, hoping the Bush administration will overturn a trade ruling that could ban new models of third-general mobile phones containing the company's technology from being sold in the U.S.

The International Trade Commission (ITC) issued a ruling late Thursday banning the future import of new phone models containing chips made or designed by San Diego-based Qualcomm.

The order came in response to longstanding complaints from rival Broadcom that Qualcomm was infringing on its patents. However, any devices already in the U.S. prior to its June 7 effective date could be sold. Qualcomm can still import its own chips made overseas, but not once they are installed in devices.

Presidential Veto?

Qualcomm will ask the Bush administration to overturn the ruling, even as it pursues other legal avenues, the company said, including filing a request for a stay in the Federal Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals.

A presidential veto of the order -- a rarely used legal move -- is necessary for homeland defense and public safety reasons, Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs said. Since many public safety agencies use phones containing the company's chips, the order could "jeopardize America's disaster preparedness," he added.

"This decision does immediately affect third parties who were not even permitted to appear in the infringement proceeding," Jacobs noted. "We believe the commission has not afforded manufacturers and operators, who will bear the brunt of this order, an adequate opportunity to defend their interests." That the order will "limit consumer choice and access to mobile broadband services, be harmful to operators, manufacturers and the economy, and pose risks to public safety communications," he added.

Win for Broadcom

Qualcomm shares rose in Friday trading after falling ahead of the expected ruling Thursday. In late morning action, Qualcomm shares were up 1.7 percent to US$41.69. Broadcom shares, meanwhile, were up 1.4 percent to $30.50.

The ITC had announced late last year that it would take six months to craft a remedy in the case, after finding that some Qualcomm chips and chipsets infringed on technology patented in the U.S. by Broadcom, primarily technology relating to saving battery power in handsets.

The ITC noted that while its remedy ruling -- which came in the form of a 4-2 vote, with two members supporting more limited relief -- takes effect immediately, it becomes final after a 60-day waiting period, during which time the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) can step in to veto the decision.

USTR spokesperson Gretchen Hamel told the E-Commerce Times that the trade representative would have comment on the case, but said it was standard practice to review all such decisions in a timely manner.

Qualcomm suggested the appeals court could issue a stay within a matter of days.

The chips and chipsets in question include those used in cell phones that operate on 3G Latest News about 3G networks that use EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized) and WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) technology. Most major carriers operate such networks and Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Latest News about Motorola, Samsung Latest News about Samsung and other phone makers provide compatible handsets.

Tens of millions of phones could be impacted, but the ITC did limit the scope to exclude from the ban models that are the same as those sold or available before the effective date of the ruling.

Ball in Qualcomm's Court

In its ruling, the ITC said a broader order would have had adverse impacts on the economy, while one that covered only chips not yet installed in devices would not offer any significant relief to Broadcom.

Broadcom would be willing to talk to Qualcomm about licensing, the company said. "The ball is in Qualcomm's court," it said.

Qualcomm worried the ITC's order could have a chilling effect on innovation in the mobile phone space, the company said, with many carriers now likely planning new models for rollout in the holiday season, plans that may have to be re-examined in light of the ruling.

Qualcomm's intellectual property is the engine that has driven its success over the past decade, to the point where many companies claim the company manipulated standards-setting process to get its solutions adopted as industry standards.

The importance of mobile chipsets has risen dramatically, with the chips dictating everything from the price of a phone to its overall performance capabilities, Gartner (NYSE: IT) Latest News about Gartner analyst Alan Brown told the E-Commerce Times.

"Qualcomm staked out ground in 3G early and it has reaped the benefits as the market came around," he said.

Some Good News

Broadcom has been gaining the upper hand in court proceedings of late, winning a $19.6 million judgment against Qualcomm in a California civil case last month after a jury found that three of Broadcom's patents were infringed on by Qualcomm. Qualcomm is also feuding with Nokia (NYSE: NOK) Latest News about Nokia, with each company claiming the other has pilfered technology.

Even as it scrambled to react to the adverse rulings, Qualcomm moved to reassure investors, announcing that demand in the current quarter was stronger than previously expected, opening the door for the company to boost guidance, according to analysts.

It would likely take some time for Qualcomm to feel the full impact of the ban as well, with third parties such as handset makers and resellers likely feeling the pinch first.

"Generally, we think there will be little actual impact on the handset market as a result of this decision," Banc of America Securities analyst Tim Long said in a research note. "We see the decision as a middle ground that gives Qualcomm time to appeal and implement its workaround without impacting near-term business."

Blue Skies Smiling on NASA

Forecasters expect an 80 percent chance of favorable weather Friday evening for the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis. If all goes as planned, NASA will finally put a shuttle in space for the first time this year after a series of delays and downright weird events, including a train derailment and a much-publicized love triangle gone bad.

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AP | 06/08/07


Since the beginning of the year, NASA Latest News about NASA has endured an astronaut's arrest in a bizarre love triangle, a workplace murder-suicide and a freak hail storm at the launch pad.

What it hasn't had is a space shuttle launch.

The space agency hoped to change all that with the blastoff of Atlantis at 7:38 p.m. Friday on a mission to continue construction of the international space station.

Forecasters predicted an 80 percent chance of good weather at launch time, and fueling of the huge external tank began on time shortly before 10 a.m. EDT. That's balmier weather than what Atlantis faced on the launch pad in late February when golf-ball-size hail knocked thousands of pockmarks in the insulating foam of its external tank.

March Setback

The shuttle was moved from the launch pad back to the Vehicle Assembly Building and the original launch date in mid-March was postponed. Managers chose to repair the tank rather than swap it out for another, and scores of engineers and technicians worked for two months to remove, sand down and reapply foam to the tank.

Foam on the external tank is of special concern for NASA since the space shuttle Columbia accident in 2003 killed seven astronauts. Investigators pinpointed the accident on a piece of foam that broke off during launch and struck a wing, allowing fiery gases to penetrate the shuttle during its return to Earth.

Covered in white splotches where repairs were made, Atlantis' tank looks like it came down with a case of smallpox. However, NASA managers said it is as safe as any other tank.

"We feel we are ready to fly," said LeRoy Cain, launch integration manager. "The tank has come a long way."

Space Station Mission

During the 11-day mission, Atlantis and its seven astronauts will deliver a new segment and a pair of energy-producing solar panels to the international space station.

Astronaut Clay Anderson will replace astronaut Sunita Williams as the U.S. representative at the orbiting outpost.

NASA hopes to fly at least 13 more construction missions to the space station before the space shuttle fleet is grounded in 2010. The space agency also wants to fly a single mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope, which officials said Thursday would be in September 2008.

Work Strike Coming?

As NASA managers praised engineers and technicians who repaired Atlantis' tank, they kept a wary eye on another set of workers at Kennedy Space Center who may strike as early as this weekend.

Almost 570 machinists and aerospace workers at the Kennedy Space Center last week rejected a contract offer from United Space Alliance, NASA's primary contractor for the space shuttle. Few of the workers who might strike have any direct role in the final preparations for space shuttle launches, and NASA officials have said there are other employees who could fill the roles of striking workers if necessary.

"It's not our intention to stop a shuttle launch," union business representative Johnny Walker said Thursday afternoon. He said the union is considering putting up picket lines, but also arranging to allow union members outside of Kennedy Space Center to keep working on Atlantis' flight.

If the workers did go on strike, it would be yet another twist in a weird year for the space agency. Since the start of the year, NASA has faced:

- A reduction in the 2007 launch schedule from five to four this year because of the hail storm.

- The arrest of astronaut Lisa Nowak on charges she attempted to kidnap a romantic rival for the affections of another astronaut. Nowak and Bill Oefelein were dismissed from the astronaut corps, and Nowak is set to go on trial in September.

- A murder-suicide at the Johnson Space Center.

- The derailment of a train carrying booster segments for future shuttle launches.

Fiber-Optic Net to Set Up 'Wall Street West' in Pennsylvania

Plans are underway to turn northeastern Pennsylvania into "Wall Street West" if a major power outage or another terrorist attack hits New York's financial district. The project will cost about $40 million, $15 million of which is part of a federal economic development initiative in the region. The remaining $25 million will come from state and private funding.

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AFX News | 06/08/07


If another terrorist attack or major power outage hits Wall Street, new back-up systems in northeast Pennsylvania would take over, government and industry officials said Thursday.

A fiber-optic network to link New York City's financial services district to Pennsylvania's so-called "Wall Street West" is planned, under a US$40 million project to ensure stock and bond trading continue if disaster strikes.

The state of Pennsylvania chose Level 3 Communications, a computer network operator, to link the two systems. Under the agreement, Level 3 will build a network that can protect critical financial information if there is a major outage in the New York City area.

Wooing Executives

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the federal government recommended that financial services firms establish backup sites and continuity plans, enabling trading and other activities to resume as quickly as two hours after a major outage or attack.

In October, Pennsylvania government and business officials wooed executives from Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER) Latest News about Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and other institutions on a helicopter ride from Manhattan to a resort in the Pocono Mountains to sell them on Wall Street West.

Construction should start over the next year, according to Level 3, which sells Internet services to companies ranging from AT&T (NYSE: T) Latest News about AT&T and Alltel (NYSE: AT) Latest News about Alltel to Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) Latest News about Verizon.

The network is expected to be complete within 30 months, according to Pennsylvania officials.

To provide proper data connections, fiber-optic lines cannot exceed 125 fiber miles in each direction, and northeastern Pennsylvania is about 80 miles west of New York.

Workforce Development

Once the new network is in place, it will meet Federal Reserve and Securities and Exchange Commission recommendations that backup sites not rely upon the same infrastructure Barracuda Spam Firewall Free Eval Unit - Click Here used at primary sites by financial firms, state officials said.

In a release, Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao said the Level 3 deal is part of a federal economic development initiative in the region under which local officials received a three-year, $15 million grant in February 2006.

The federal program is designed to attract financial services firms to northeastern Pennsylvania and includes a workforce development program and other financial incentives.

The remaining $25 million for Wall Street West will come from state and private funding.

Shares of Broomfield, Colo.-based Level 3 dipped 8 cents to close at $5.57 on Thursday.