"Since 2002, Honeywell's XYR 5000 wireless transmitters, Experion Mobile Station, and IntelaTrac PKS field operator solutions have been installed in over 300 customer locations delivering real economic value, far beyond just avoiding the wire cost. Customers are deploying Honeywell wireless transmitters to monitor tank levels, meet regulatory compliance for safety showers, monitor offshore well heads in fragile environments, and prevent leaks and fugitive emissions.

"Although some of our products are 'buyouts', Honeywell is responsible for the implementation, services and customer satisfaction of all our wireless installations. Each of these projects has given us great insight into how end-users want to use wireless technology and what exactly their critical needs are.

"Building upon this experience, Honeywell's second-generation multi-functional wireless mesh network is already in beta testing and will be shipping the second quarter of 2007. Our self-healing and self-organizing mesh network supports wireless-enabled applications within a single wireless network to optimize plant productivity and reliability, improve safety and security, and ensure regulatory compliance.

"Consistent with Honeywell's philosophy, we will protect our customers' current investments by integrating Honeywell and other third-party products into the new network. In addition, these second-generation solutions are guaranteed to migrate to emerging wireless standards."

James Lamb [jim@think-local.com] wonders how micro-loans can apply to the poor people in his own neighborhood , and comes up with some good ideas:

"While with a former employer, I met a guy who works for the Grameen Bank. He told me that one of the things they discovered was that it was better to loan to women than men, because the men would be more likely spend on drink or squander the money.

"Not sure if it could work with the destitute in my neighborhood, though I've considered giving them a broom, showing them how to use it and ask the shopkeepers if they can sweep in front of their shops.

"Also, not sure if I agree that the "creative spirit" of people on welfare is killed. They are amazingly creative on finding ways to work the system, and they also have some pretty elaborate underground-economy schemes (also, Freakonomics talks about the intricacies of drug dealing among ghetto dwellers). The problem is because they can't read or write very well, they are shut out of most legitimate employment, or the jobs they can do are managed by only slightly more intelligent people who are horrible managers with terrible people-skills, so those on welfare would rather deal with the welfare bureaucracy than low-level bad managers (or horrible working conditions).

"We need some of the best people to deal with the worst, rather than the 'slightly better than worst' dealing with the worst - maybe not permanently, but to get systems in place so they're more idiot-proof."

Dan Wojcik [danwojcik@comcast.net] wrote to me after reading an eNews item I wrote 2 years after 9/11, on September 11, 2003:

"Jim, I blinked when I saw the following cached page below - written over three years ago, and 10 times more pertinent and trenchant today.

"Hats off for having the courage to say what you said back then."

Thank you, Dan! Good feedback is always appreciated.

Here's the link for you to review, to see what Dan "blinked" about.
I'll appreciate YOUR comments.