INDUSTRY AND THE
PROFESSION
CHINA BECOMES WORLD’S
ICT EXPORT LEADER
According to a report recently issued by the Organization
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD,
www.oecd.org), China overtook the United States in 2004
to become the world’s leading exporter of information and
communications technology (ICT) goods such as mobile
phones, laptop computers, and digital cameras. China
exported $180 billion worth of ICT goods in 2004, compared with US exports in
the same category valued at $149 billion. In 2003, the US led with exports of ICT
goods worth $137 billion, followed by China with $123 billion.
The data shows a shift toward more trade between China and other Asian
countries, with a corresponding decline in ICT imports to this region from the
European Union (EU) and the US. To manufacture laptops and advanced mobile
phones, China previously relied on importing electronic components from the
EU and US, but they are now also being increasingly sourced from other Asian
countries, including Japan (18%), Taipei (16%), Korea (13%), and Malaysia (8%).
China is the single largest exporter of ICT goods to the US, supplying 27%
of all its imports of these goods in 2004, up from only 10% in 2000. Its ICT trade
surplus with the US stood at $34 billion in 2004 and with the EU at $27 billion.
■ Exports of ICT goods, billions of US$,
in current prices. Note that EU data
exclude intra-EU trade. Source OECD
database.
and a 911 key.
You can get one for $99 from
Target ( www.target.com) and you keep
it going with prepaid air time cards.
Or, you can sign up for the “
On-the-Fly” program from Opex Wireless
( www.opexwireless.com) which will
run you 25 cents per day for an access
charge, 9. 9 cents per call, and 9. 9
cents per minute. The Firefly is also
available through Cingular (www.
cingular.com) reportedly for free with
a two-year contract.
KEEPING TRACK OF PETS
In case you missed it, Schering-Plough operates the HomeAgain®
Pet Recovery Service (www.home
againid.com), which is a national
pet ID microchip database. The
service has actually been around
since 1995, and it claims that
approximately 7,000 lost pets are
recovered every month using its
technology, and that more than
three million employ it.
The somewhat queasy part is that
it involves implanting a microchip
into your dog or cat. Then, if the
critter gets lost and shows up in a
vet’s office, and if the vet happens to
have one of the HomeAgain hand-held scanners, he can check for the
implant and ultimately identify Rover
as being your pet (or animal companion, if you live in San Francisco). Of
course, he might be able to accomplish the same thing just by reading
the tag on the animal’s collar, but how
high-tech is that?
The latest news from the company is that it is now offering new scanners that can detect all microchips
that use the 125 kHz band, including
those from companies that market
an encrypted chip that previously
could not be read by their equipment. The new scanners will also
detect the 134 kHz microchips (ISO
chips) that are commonly used
outside of the United States. For
$68.50, you get the microchip,
implantation by a vet near you, a
collar tag with a unique pet ID, 24/7
recovery services, and related
Internet assistance. And, no, the
device is not presently approved for
use in Uncle Herbert, even if he does
keep wandering off at night. NV
10
February 2006
