Pentagon rethinking its approach to warfare

Reuters WASHINGTON - The United States would emphasize the use of special forces in guerrilla conflicts against terrorists and rogue states rather than fight large-scale wars against traditional enemies under a broad change in defense thinking being weighed by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, officials said Friday.

The proposal calls for the Pentagon to focus on preventing catastrophic scenarios such as attacks by terrorists or rogue states using chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, defense officials said.
Rumsfeld and senior military officers were briefed on the proposal last month by Christopher "Ryan" Henry, a senior official in the Pentagon's policy office, but no decisions have been made, officials said.

It is predicated on the notion that the acute threats facing the United States are less from traditional national militaries using conventional weapons and more from rogue nations and entities such as al-Qaida.

Officials said the proposal represents a balancing act between taking the time, money and energy to sharpen capabilities such as guerrilla warfare while not squandering the vast advantages that the U.S. military enjoys in areas such as air power.

Philadelphia to become huge wireless Internet hot spot
The service - which may be offered free - will involve placing hundreds of small transmitters around the entire city

For about $10 million city officials believe they can turn all of Philadelphia into the world's largest wireless Internet hot spot.

The ambitious plan, now in the works, would involve placing hundreds, perhaps thousands, of small transmitters around the city - probably atop lamp posts.

Each would be capable of communicating with the wireless networking cards that now come standard with many computers.

Once complete, the network would deliver broadband Internet almost anywhere radio waves can travel - including poor neighbourhoods where high-speed Internet access is now rare.
And the city would probably offer the service either for free or at costs far lower than the $35 to $60 a month charged by commercial providers, said the city's chief information officer, Ms Dianah Neff.

'If you're out on your front porch with a laptop, you could dial in, register at no charge, and be able to access a high-speed connection,' she said.

'It's a technology whose time is here,' she added.

If the plan becomes a reality, Philadelphia could leap to the forefront of a growing number of cities that have contemplated offering wireless Internet services to residents, workers and guests.

Congratulations to Dr. Dale Pfost my friend and co-host on VentureTalk Radio on the latest success with his newest Philadelphia based company, Acuity Pharmaceuticals....

Innovation Philadelphia Invests in Acuity Pharmaceuticals and MacroArray Technologies, LLC; Two New Investments Focus on Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 31, 2004--Innovation Philadelphia today announced two Economic Stimulus Fund Investments in Acuity Pharmaceuticals and MacroArray Technologies, LLC. They are the ninth and tenth investments to be added to Innovation Philadelphia's portfolio.

"We are very excited about our investments in Acuity and MacroArray," said Chris Starr, Managing Director and Vice President of Investments for Innovation Philadelphia. "Both companies benefit from strong management, leading technologies, and are targeting attractive markets. Our investment will help provide a solid foundation that can be used to grow their companies and contribute in a significant way to the economy of the Region."

Acuity Pharmaceuticals, founded in October 2002 and located in the University City Science Center, is a product-focused ophthalmic pharmaceutical company that is applying its proprietary technology to the treatment and prevention of ophthalmic diseases. Acuity's work is initially focused on leveraging its strong technology and intellectual property portfolio in the exciting new field of RNA interference (RNAi). Its lead product, Cand 5, is expected to enter human clinical trials this year and is being developed for the treatment of macular degeneration, a leading cause of adult blindness that will affect more than two million people in the U.S. by 2010. As a result of its novel mechanism, Cand 5 is expected to have significant efficacy advantages over other drugs in development for this disabling condition.

"We are proud to have Innovation Philadelphia as an investor in Acuity," said Dale Pfost, Ph.D., Chairman, President and CEO of Acuity Pharmaceuticals. "Their investment helped us to complete pre-clinical studies for our lead compound and file the first-ever IND with the FDA for an RNAi therapeutic."

"The Region should be proud to be home to these exciting new companies," said Rich A. Bendis, President and CEO of Innovation Philadelphia. "MacroArray and Acuity represent the best in entrepreneurship and the new technologies that provide much of the foundation of the future of the innovation economy."

Be sure not to miss our future editions of VentureTalk Radio, featuring Dr. Dale Pfost and Don Marvin where we hope to make YOU our next success story...