In 2009, the job market will be full of contrasts: some industries will be eviscerated while others face shortages of workers. The good news is that despite the recession, there are still real jobs to be had. The bad news is that you may have to change fields to find one.

The trick to job hunting in 2009 will be to figure out how your skill-set can translate across industries, says Elaine Varelas, a managing partner at Boston-based outplacement firm Keystone Partners, so that you’re not confined to searching one sector of the economy. “People are frustrated because it’s taking them a while to assess the job market,” she says. “They’ll have to figure out other things they can do and want to do.” Successful job-seekers will be the ones who can figure out how to take skills learned in one kind of job and translate them into assets in others.

Here are the top eight areas where work can be found in 2009:

1) Nursing & Medical Services

Perhaps the best bet in 2009: Becoming a registered nurse or medical technician. With over 50,000 new nursing jobs to be created this year alone, med techs and nurses will have their pick of jobs and salaries, the latter averaging about $57,000 per year.

Social services jobs will see a boom too, as a swelling number of retirees check-in for medical care, says the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report. But not all health care jobs will see equal growth. “The growth here will be more about the services and delivery people–nurses and technicians–than administrators,” Varelas explains. “Hourly workers interested in changing roles should get into any role that services the elderly,” she suggests.

2) Computing & Engineering

Computer-related jobs are projected to grow by more than 20 percent in the next decade, and 2009 will be no exception. Software engineering is particularly in demand, with network systems and data communications analysis also booming. These jobs also had some of the highest median salaries in 2006, according to the BLS, with computer software engineers earning a median income of $79,000 a year.

These positions are expected to grow at nearly double the rate of other types of jobs, but that won’t last forever. “As the software industry matures, and as routine work is increasingly outsourced abroad,” fewer computing jobs will be available in the next decade, the BLS notes.

But for now, technology workers are still in high demand, says Varelas. Most of the open positions will be found at smaller companies, where employers will be looking for a versatile, multi-faceted worker that can fill more than one role. “You have to be a business person who’s also a tech person,” to be an ideal candidate, Varelas explains. That could give an advantage to seasoned workers over recent grads.

3) Education

“To a great extent, education is recession proof,” says Roy Krause, President and CEO of recruiting and staffing company Spherion. In 2009, roughly 38,000 of our economy’s new jobs will be created in colleges and universities nationwide. As more students wait out the recession in college and graduate programs, the need for teachers, administrators, assistants and other staff will expand.

The demand for primary and secondary-school teachers will be booming as well. “There always seems to be a shortage there,” says Krause. Some of the most in-demand teaching roles will prepare workers for the most in-demand jobs. “There are literally not enough educational programs to generate the volume of health-care workers we’ll need,” Varelas explains. As high schools and universities expand to meet demand for nurses, computer engineers and teachers, the demand for teachers and professors will grow commensurately.

Post-secondary teachers can expect a media salary of about $56,000, according to the BLS, while kindergarten through 12th grade teachers can expect between $43,000 and $48,000.

4) Green Jobs

So-called “green” jobs haven’t been measured in BLS reports to date, but some experts have predicted they’ll shake up the list of the fastest-growing jobs before the end of the decade. “More and more companies are adding dedicated staff to focus their environmental efforts,” says Alison Doyle, About.com’s Guide to Job Searching. Green jobs are arriving in two breeds, she explains: some will be at specialized firms that reduce human environmental impact, like environmental consultancies; others will simply be jobs at environmentally-friendly companies looking to improve their eco-image by hiring specialized “green” officers to audit and improve the company’s environmental impact.

But the recession might slow the corporate world’s eco-makeover, as many companies’ transition to green-hood is delayed by financial problems. To see any growth in green job demand, we’ll also need to see some “very creative new organizations,” Varelas explains. Upstart green-services companies may be hiring, she says, but otherwise this sector will be what she describes as a “slow-growth industry: high demand but high competition.”

Companies that can afford to go green will hire staffers like Traceability Managers, who will examine global supply chains and check for suppliers that might be excessively pollutive or carbon-costly to buy from. Environmental consultancies will seek to hire engineers or architects who are LEED-accredited, understand HVAC systems and can help guide developers through the LEED approval process for their buildings.

5) Energy

“There’s a big buzz on campus about renewable energy,” says Chris Higgins, Senior Associate Director of Career Management at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Outgoing students are particularly interested in startup companies, he says. “Biofuels seem to be the biggest area of investment.” Those venture-backed businesses should still be in good shape to hire in 2009, since they are more insulated from the broader economy.

“Obama’s talking a lot about green initiatives, so alternative fuels are going to be big,” agrees Spherion CEO Krause. But those renewable energy jobs might also see a glut of interest from workers in traditional energy, thanks in part to increasing volatility and competitiveness in the market for oil and gas jobs that has resulted from wild oil-price fluctuations. “We’re seeing a slowdown in Texas and Canada,” Varelas says of North America’s two biggest oil-producing areas. Workers in the energy industry have very specific skill-sets and knowledge that don’t translate well to other industries, she notes. She predicts that many of these workers may “be jumping at a green energy job” if they have the opportunity.

6) Infrastructure

With the president-elect vowing to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on internal improvements like roads, bridges, broadband infrastructure and financial oversight, some experts are predicting niche job booms. “We work with a couple of companies that build bridges, and they’re expecting a lot more business.” says Krause.

Financiers might also find new lives as a part of the government’s new regulatory apparatus, which will need auditors, accountants and compliance officers. Obama’s energy-independence programs will also require electrical and mechanical engineers, grid managers, biofuel chemists, and civil engineers. Electrical, mechanical, chemical and civil engineers made median salaries of about between $68,000-$79,000 in 2006, according to the BLS Median salaries for power plant operators were about $55,000, or about $70,000 for operators at nuclear power facilities.

7) The New Finance

Financiers should prepare to be especially flexible in 2009. “Those people will need to take a look at reinventing themselves. They’ll have to figure out where else they can use their skills, and move into other industries,” Varelas says. For many bankers, that will mean applying their middle or back-office operations knowledge in other businesses. How long before they can move back into their former careers? “This consolidation is going to be long Ð at least three-to-five years,” Varelas says.

But don’t discount finance yet. “We’ll simply see shifts. There will be a shift from originating mortgages, for example, to collecting on them,” Krause explains. “If interest rates go down to 4.5%, you’ll also see a lot of refinancing.” This will require underwriters, actuaries, and administrators.

For financial workers switching fields, an initial pay cut may come with the transition. A financial analyst who made the median 2006 income of about $66,000 and decides to become, say, a commercial loan officer will probably net about $10,000 less in 2006 dollars. However, after three years of experience, that loan officer’s salary would jump to between $61,000 and $100,000, according to the BLS.

Self-Employment & Small Business

Replacing farmers in the self-employment demographic are growing numbers of people “who don’t want to be employees anymore,” says Katy Piotrowski, a career counselor and author of The Career Coward’s Guide to Changing Careers. “I’m seeing a lot of people buying franchises, or setting up arrangements that involve multiple online businesses,” she says.

As a career counselor who assists adults interested in mid-life career switches, Piotrowski reports growing numbers of workers “trying to escape the desk job format.” Experienced career jumpers are also wary of taking new positions that promise little job security Ð jobs Piotrowski likens to “black holes” of employment. Top prospects for small businesses will be Internet companies that can get funding while the venture market is still well capitalized, as well as green consultancies and international sales, which could benefit from the volume generated by a weak dollar.

The BLS does not calculate income estimates for self-employed workers of any kind.

9) Retirement, Reconsidered

The BLS says that over the next ten years, “the need to replace workers who leave a field permanently is expected to create more openings than growth will.” But with retirement accounts losing value, many baby boomers could postpone leaving. Could this affect turnover?

“This recession will delay retirement, but not the traditional way,” says Krause. “Retirees will come back into the workforce on contract or part-time basis, but not keep their old positions.” Because longevity means larger salaries and a lower cost-basis, companies will still pressure older workers to retire, but will also need their experience to weather a recession not equaled in decades. If retirement is your next stop, look for firms where your wisdom could be useful on retainer.

10) Telecommuting

The first quarter of the year will be rough for job-seekers. But the upside will be more employer flexibility. “Candidates will have to market themselves,” says Krause, “but more employers are open to job sharing and telecommuting as gas prices fluctuate and there is more emphasis on getting the candidate with the right suite of skills.” Which means that it’s wise to expand your geographical search, and inquire about whether working from home on a part-time basis is an option, regardless of the job you are seeking.

“What’s heartening,” Krause says of the incoming administration, “is that there’s a recognition that there’s a problem.” If the president-elect’s stimulus package works as intended, American job-seekers could see the creation and preservation of about 2.5 million jobs before 2010.

[via Fast Company] by Chris Dannen

Would you like power with those fries?

A new garage-engineered generator burns the waste oil from restaurants’ deep fryers to generate electricity and hot water. Put 80 gallons of grease into the Vegawatt each week, and its creators promise it will generate about 5 kilowatts of power.

That’s about 10 percent of the total energy needs of Finz, a seafood restaurant in Dedham, Massachusetts, where the first Vegawatt is being tested. At New England electricity rates, the system offsets about $2.50 worth of electricity with each gallon of waste oil poured into it.

Vegawatt’s founder and inventor, James Peret, estimates that restaurants purchasing the $22,000 machine will save about $1,000 per month in electricity costs, for a payback time of two years.

“You take this waste resource and make it a profit center,” said Peret, who spent four long years cooking up the project in his garage. “When I started telling people, they said, ‘Someone’s gotta have done this.’ I’d run into more people. They’d say, ‘Why hasn’t anyone done this?’ My only response was, ‘I don’t know; it seems like a good idea.’”

While Vegawatt is a small solution, Peret’s invention is a very clever embodiment of several long-cherished alternative-energy ideas: capturing both the heat and power from fuel combustion, making energy where it’s used, and recycling used resources. Big industrial plants that make paper, for example, have long taken advantage of these concepts to save on their utility bills, but the Vegawatt will be the first product that could turn thousands of fast food restaurants into mini power plants.

“Now the restaurant owners are going to be motivated to put every single drop of waste oil into this thing, because it will pay for itself,” Peret said.

And importantly, it provides convenience for restaurateurs or Burger King managers, instead of subtracting it, like so many green solutions seem to.

Restaurants that fry delicious things like chicken and french fries generate dozens of gallons of waste oil that have to be stored in barrels out back. Because used cooking oil is considered a low-grade hazardous material, they haven’t been allowed to just throw it away; they generally had to pay rendering-plant operators to come. But it is now a sellers’ market for grease.

Higher crude prices have made other types of oil more expensive. Biodiesel makers and renderers have become increasingly willing to pay up to 40 cents a gallon for the stuff. There have even been reports of “biodiesel pirates” stealing fryer grease.

In fact, Vegawatt is derived from the home-brew fuel movement that many trace back to Dr. Thomas Reed, who popularized a recipe to convert waste cooking oil into biodiesel more than 20 years ago. Peret converted his truck to run on straight vegetable oil, or SVO to home brewers. But he was troubled by the inefficiency of the process.

“If you want to run waste vegetable oil in your car, it’s not as simple as going behind a restaurant and filling up,” Peret said. “People that do this spend the majority of their free time collecting fuel from restaurants.”

Peret realized he could use the same engine technology to power an on-site generator and defray a restaurant’s electricity costs.

“It’s not difficult to go from spinning tires to spinning magnets,” he said

So he created a test unit — which you can see at the back of his garage in the top photo — that’s basically a diesel generator hacked to run waste cooking oil. It feeds power directly into the restaurant’s electrical system through a 30 amp hook-in.

Vegawatt is more efficient than a typical coal or natural gas plant. Peret said it can capture 70 percent of the fuel’s caloric value. That’s because the generator captures and uses the waste heat it generates.

“All the water [the restaurant] would send to its boiler, instead of sending it straight there from the city, we run it through our heat exchanger first,” Peret said. “Depending on the flow, [the water] can go into the hot water heater at 120 degrees.” (This non-electrical energy savings is included in the 5-kilowatt rating cited above.)

The big power plants, though technically very efficient, waste most of the fuel they burn. After accounting for all the sources of energy waste “what you are left with … is just 27.6 units of usable energy out of every 100 units you started with,” energy researcher Benjamin Sovacool explained in his recent book, The Dirty Energy Dilemma. “In terms of making toast, it would have been nearly four times more efficient just to burn a lump of coal and place your bread over the flame.”

Biomass energy sources — like waste wood, switchgrass or cooking oil — are best when used right near the source of their creation. Dragging the stuff creates more emissions and raises the cost of the fuel. Vegawatt doesn’t have that problem. By company estimates, the Vegawatt generates 50 percent less carbon dioxide than a comparable amount of electricity from a coal power plant.

“In terms of the amount of energy that it takes to transport this waste, it’s a french fry,” Peret said. “You just feed the guy who is picking up the bucket and pouring it into the system.”

Forest Gregg, an alternative-fuels expert and author of last year’s SVO: Powering Your Vehicle with Straight Vegetble Oil, called it a “nifty application and a great business idea.”

Gregg also drew attention to a strong part of Vegawatt’s pitch: that it won’t require “intervention or maintenance by restaurant staff.” That’s because when users buy a system — or lease it for $450 a month — they get a service contract with the company for cleaning and maintenance.

The owner of the very first Vegawatt, George Carey (pictured above), seems pleased with the unit, too. He heartily endorses the company on its website, saying, “The Vegawatt system enables me to significantly reduce my energy costs, generate clean energy on-site, and very importantly, reduce the heavy energy footprint of my restaurant.”

See Also:

• Tapping the Vortex for Green Energy
• Global Energy Network Depends on a Few Vulnerable Nodes
• How A Google Engineer Hacks His Energy Usage
• Biofuel Startup Strives to Meet Obama’s Green Ambitions
• Obama Voices Biofuel Doubts
• Biofuel Solution at Sea, not on Land
• DOE Invests $125 Million in Synthetic Life to Develop Biofuels …
• Food vs. Fuel: Saltwater Crops May Be Key to Solving Earth’s Land …

[via WIRED] by Alexis Madrigal

VOTE!

http://www.change.org/ideas

THE M COMPANIES, in partnership with EdenFresh, LLC, is developing a similar product (actually more complex and effective) using a hybrid-nanosilver compound, which is added into paint products. Check out ECOATS.NET!

Check out this great article about a similar product in Entreprenuer:

Warm, wet European summers offer the perfect growing conditions for fungi. Species such as Zygomycota, Deuteromycota and/or Ascomycota, responsible for mould and mildew growth, may be thriving in up to a fifth of Europe’s houses, according to a 2006 study by the Federal Statistical Office in Germany. New as well as old buildings are affected, with nearly a tenth of German apartments estimated to have mould and mildew growing in them.

The growth of these microscopic mould fungi is not just unsightly, but may also be partly to blame for the increasing numbers of cases asthma, rhinitis and other allergies, health experts warn.

‘The risk of mould growth depends on the influence of factors, such as organic material, temperature, humidity and ventilation,’ says Helmut Schmid, head of nanotechnology at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany. ‘In old buildings the cause is often moisture caused by defects in the construction of the foundation; in modern buildings the same problem arises because better thermal insulation often leads to a lower air exchange.’

Traditional anti-mould paints, which contain isothiazolinone compounds (Structure I), are effective in tackling the problem. But they often stop working after a couple of years and bring with them their own associated health risks, as sensitisers and contact allergens.

New nanoparticle-containing paints do the job just as effectively, Schmid says, but last ‘indefinitely’ for as long as the paint layer remains clean and intact. The paints, which contain tiny quantities of nanosilver particles, exert their lethal effects by reacting with proteins in the outer membranes of microorganisms, he explains, so rendering them incapable of carrying out their normal activities and swiftly leading to cell death. And because of the way they are formulated they should be safer than existing anti-mould paints.

The result of a five-year collaborative effort by coatings company Bioni and Fraunhofer Institute researchers, Bioni nano-paints have already been on the marketplace for several months. Earlier this year, Bioni Hygienic paint, which is currently applied in several hospitals, was singled out for a Frost Sullivan European award for excellence in research.

‘This innovative coating is set to have a profound impact on the medical sector,’ says Frost & Sullivan senior research analyst Archana Jayarajah. ‘In principle it not only permanently prevents the formation of mould and fungal growth on walls, but also reduces germs that are resistant to antibiotics in hospitals.’

Tests have shown, for example, that when brought into contact with the Bioni Hygienic coating, there is a 99.999% reduction in the dangerous hospital superbugs Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium.

‘It is known since antiquity that silver has antimicrobial effects,’ Schmid says. ‘The difficulty was to produce and stabilise it in the nano-form and do the product integration.’

While silver particles themselves are toxic, silver nanoparticles have a much greater surface area and so can be used in only tiny quantities, which should make the technology much safer. Bioni Hygienic and Bioni Nature paints, for example, are also expected to find use in children’s bedrooms, bathrooms and care homes for elderly or disabled patients.

Making a paint including nanoparticle silver poses huge technical challenges, Jayarajah points out. As well as manufacturing the particles at roughly uniform 13nm diameter sizes, the researchers had to find a way of preventing them from clumping together and precipitating in the final paint formulation. ‘The researchers were able to address these problems by stabilising the nanoparticles with additives and quickly integrating them in a polymer system, which also serves to facilitate a homogeneous distribution of the particles,’ Jayarajah says.

Importantly, trapping the particles in a polymer matrix also prevents them from escaping from the final paint. Particles embedded in the polymer are held tight and unable to break free, a fact confirmed experimentally by atom emission spectroscopy, Schmid points out. The TUV Produkt und Umwelt, a test institute in Cologne, Germany, has awarded the coatings its TUV Rheinland Signet for emission free coatings, confirming that they are non-toxic and won’t cause cancer, deformities or mutations.

Used as an outside coating, meanwhile, Bioni’s nanosilver technology is also claimed to reduce air conditioning bills. Due to their expanded surface area, nano-silver particles reflect 93% of incident sunlight. This property, together with the ‘significantly lower thermal conductivity’ of the paints compared with conventional ones, makes them useful for keeping indoor temperatures down in hot weather conditions, Bioni says.

Bioni Perform coating, marketed for building exteriors, is available for roofs and facades. Designed to protect against weather extremes including heat, UV radiation, moisture and salty air, it is also claimed to reduce the cost of maintenance and repair.

Horses stables are another area where Bioni’s nanosilver paints are being applied. Painting the wood and walls of the stables with Bioni Nature kills the fungal spores that are a risk factor for COPD in horses, a condition not unlike human asthma, and which cuts short the career of many racehorses. In tests of Bioni Nature against Aspergillus niger, the benchmark of all anti-fungus coatings, the paint is reported to destroy all of the spores present.

But while applications for nanosilver generally are burgeoning–from odour-free socks to medical devices and air conditioning systems–experts worry about the potential environmental consequences. They warn that the release of silver particles into aquatic systems could disrupt the ecosystem by endangering bacteria that live in lakes and streams. Further growth of the technology, Jayarajah cautions, ‘will largely depend on how the industry handles health and safety concerns,’ pointing out the lack of data on these issues and the absence of stringent regulations on the use of the particles.

At Bioni, researchers are more optimistic. ‘Bioni Hygienic is meeting the highest hygiene requirements and standards for paints and coatings, says Harry Stulajiter, director of Nanovations in Sydney, the Australian partner of the global Bioni network. ‘The nano-silver in the size of 13nm is embedded in a formulated structure that prevents it from congregating into larger agglomerates. The process also binds the particles permanently to the paint. That’s essential from a toxicological point of view, and eliminates any effect to human health from manufacturing to the application.’

New products based on the technology are already in the pipeline and include coatings for dental implants, synthetic bones, catheters, cardiac valves and packaging for foodstuffs and toys. A wallpaper containing the nanosilver particles is expected to be launched any time now. ‘Our next products will come to market in September [next month],’ Helmut promises.

Nanotechnology-based paints are growing rapidly, and in 2004 accounted for 5% of the total market for paints and coatings, according to Frost & Sullivan figures. Sales of nanomaterials in this sector are projected to rise from $ 8m in 2004 to $ 2749 by 2015. At least 86% of automotive paints are expected to incorporate some form of nanotechnology in their product portfolio by 2015.

In Brief

• Mould and mildew may be a problem in up to a fifth of European homes
• Current anti-mould paints could pose a health risk and are short-acting
• Nanosilver-containing paints prevent mould permanently
• They could also help to destroy bacteria including MRSA

[via Entrepreneur] byCath O’Driscoll

WIRED Magazine put together a great comparative of Obama and McCain’s policies that are important to their readers – here’s the wrap-up.

Topic Covered:

1. Broadband
2. H1B issues
3. Investment in green tech
4. Net neutrality
5. Spectrum

Broadband

The Issue: The United States is becoming a tortoise in a world of hares. One of the world’s most Wired nations a decade ago, we now lag behind most of our peers. In France, broadband access is half the price and four times as fast. The main cause for the debacle is a lack of competition in telecommunications. Most communities have, at best, one cable choice and one DSL choice. This situation came about through the mass consolidation of the industry, and through the non-enforcement and then repudiation of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which mandated that entrenched telecom companies lease their lines into people’s homes to smaller companies.

McCain’s Position: As argued here and here, McCain has consistently been on the wrong side of this issue. As Senate Commerce Chair, he supported the mass consolidation in the industry. He also consistently voted the wrong way on whether entrenched competitors should be forced to lease their lines. The one point in his favor is his support of the Community Broadband Bill which would help cities offer wireless Internet, even when the local companies try to crush them.

Obama’s Position: Obama wasn’t around for the major votes on this issue. And while he is advised by all the right people, he hasn’t come out with a specific plan to open up the industry. His big proposal is to take money currently used to subsidize rural phone use and, instead, use it to subsidize rural broadband use. This could be helpful. But if the markets aren’t made competitive beforehand, it could also end up as little more than another subsidy to the same giant companies that have served us so poorly.

Grades:
McCain: D
Obama: B

H1B Visas

The Issue: Many people skilled in technology around the world want to work in the United States, but it’s tough to get in if you don’t have a family member already living here. One good way to increase American productivity would be to increase the quota of skilled workers allowed under our H1B visa program. Opponents counter with mostly bogus concerns about spies and job loss for Americans.

McCain’s Position: Though his immigration policies shifted during the Republican primary, he has been a long proponent of allowing in more high-skilled technology workers. Here’s his plan: “John McCain will expand the number of H-1B visas to allow our companies to keep top-notch talent –- often trained in our graduate schools -– in the United States. The Department of Labor should be allowed to set visa levels appropriate for market conditions. Hiring skilled foreign workers to fill critical shortages benefits not only innovative companies, but also our economy. For every foreign worker hired, corporations generally hire five to ten additional American workers.”

Obama’s Position: Obama supports a temporary increase in skilled immigrants allowed here under H1B visas. But he doesn’t mention the issue in his technology plan. And, in interviews, he has hemmed and hawed about highly skilled immigrants taking jobs from Americans. In an interview with Michael Arrington, he said, that the country can “go a long way toward meeting industry’s need for skilled workers with Americans. Until we have achieved that, I will support a temporary increase in the H-1B visa program as a stopgap measure until we can reform our immigration system comprehensively.

Grades:
McCain: B+
Obama: C

Green Tech

The Issue: Technology is the best, and only way, to get us out of our environmental mess. Government’s best bet at solving this problem isn’t to pick and fund specific winners. Instead, it should try to create as fertile a marketplace as possible, while ending subsidies to dirty technologies. Five-dollar gas, after all, is good for clean tech.

McCain’s Position: McCain talks loudly about green technology, but he carries a small stick. He wants to invest $2 billion annually for research into clean coal, and he wants to offer a $300 million prize for developing an advanced battery technology. Like Wired, he does strongly support nuclear power.

Obama’s Position: Obama’s stick is bigger. He calls for an investment of $150 billion over the next decade in clean energy. He wants to extend tax credits for clean energy producers, and he has proposed an annual 410 billion investment in a Clean Techhnology Venture Capital Fund. Like McCain, he favors a cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions. Unlike McCain, his supporters don’t chant “drill, baby drill” at his rallies — suggesting that he’ll be less likely to extend the subsidies to oil companies that have played such a big role in limiting green tech. It no surprise that the green guys love him.

Grades:
McCain: B
Obama: A

Net Neutrality

The Issue: The question here is whether the telecom companies can pick and choose what they send over their pipes. Without a regulation mandating that the pipes remain open, Verizon, for example, could decide to start messing with your Vonage or your Bittorrent.

McCain’s Position: According to his technology plan “John McCain does not believe in prescriptive regulation like ‘net neutrality.’” He does however support the notion that technology companies should voluntarily proclaim their support for “freedom of access to content.”

Obama’s Position: Here’s the first specific point in his technology plan: “A key reason the Internet has been such a success is because it is the most open network in history. It needs to stay that way. Barack Obama strongly supports the principle of network neutrality to preserve the benefits of open competition on the Internet.”

Grades:
McCain: D
Obama: A

Spectrum

The Issue: Spectrum is the technological equivalent of the roads over which our technology travels. Right now, clunky companies that use oxcarts own many of the widest highways. Meanwhile, tiny alleys—like the 802.11 band—are used for rampant innovation, like everything that uses WiFi. Soon the government is going to have a choice over whether (and how) to auction off extremely valuable, and fast, spectrum: the unused bits in between broadcast TV channels one and 52. Google and other most other tech companies believe that the spectrum could be the basis for a future of super-fast wireless communication. The broadcast companies naturally want to keep it in their top drawer. Joel Osteen is terrified that his sermons won’t come through cleanly if the spectrum is auctioned off.

McCain’s Position: McCain has, sensibly, long opposed giving away the airwaves. “They used to rob trains in the Old West. Now we rob spectrum,” he once said. He initially helped push through the last big spectrum auction, and he takes a strong, positive stand in his platform: declaring that we should “auction off inefficiently-used wireless spectrum to companies that will instead use the spectrum to provide high-speed Internet service options to millions of Americans.” The bad news is that he hasn’t said anything good on spectrum since the beginning of the primaries. He didn’t push for rules that would mandate competition over the last batch of spectrum auctioned off. He is also worryingly close to (and almost always sides with) the telecom industry, which is packed with spectrum offenders.

Obama’s Position: Obama has stated vaguely that we should review our spectrum policies and look for opportunities to open more up. But he has been reluctant to take a stand on the white spaces, perhaps because he fears a fight with the National Association of Broadcasters. He did, however, take a very good position in his interview with Arrington, declaring his support for all the right goals and then specifically criticizing the most recent auction. “We must make sure the nation’s airwaves are licensed to maximize their public benefit. Auctions have most recently been conducted without sufficient incentives to encourage full use and competition.” Perhaps partly because of this — and partly because he seems generally more tech savvy — employees of the companies that want to open up and use the white spaces massively favor him.

Grades:
McCain: B
Obama: B

[via WIRED] by Nicholas Thompson