NEWSWEEK

To disclose or not to disclose: the fight within CIA

The bonhomie between CIA Director Leon Panetta and veterans of the agency's undercover division-the National Clandestine Service-may soon come to an end. Panetta favours a greater disclosure of ultraclassified CIA "operational traffic" to Congressional investigators regarding the agency's post-9/11 use of "enhanced interrogation" techniques on suspected terrorists. "Operational traffic" refers to cables from the field, chronicling minute-by-minute detail of who did what to whom, and how detainees responded to particular questions and techniques. Three current and former officials close to NCS worry that the decision will damage the morale and make the spies risk-averse. An officer said: "The CIA is being transparent with the Congress, but if the stuff leaks or gets turned into a political circus, you can close the book on the current system of intelligence oversight."

THE GUARDIAN

Bing: Microsoft's answer to Google Search

Microsoft has unveiled its latest effort to take on Google. It has launched a new search engine called Bing. The site, Bing.com, is not live yet. Bing claims itself as a decision engine and boasts of features like "guided search" to deliver results in an organised manner. There is also a cash-back scheme, which pays a small dividend every time a product is bought through the site. The feature Price Predator advises users when to buy an airline ticket at the best price.

DISCOVERY

Technology lets plants SMS for water

A new technology could help farmers conserve electricity and water in places where water comes from underground aquifers. A small chip fitted in the plant will send text messages to a farmer's cellphone and ask for water whenever required. "It's akin to a clip on earring, very thin and smaller than a postage stamp, and is affixed to the plant leaf. The farmer would just need their regular cellphone service, and the plant would send a text message when it needs water," says Richard Stoner, President of AgriHouse, a company which is marketing the technology. The original cellphone for plants was developed by scientists working with NASA on future manned missions to the moon and Mars.

... contd.