The Newcastle pilot - run by Newcastle University and the city council - is part of a project involving six other European cities in France, Denmark, The Netherlands, Greece, Italy and Spain.

BBC: Green light sat-nav trialled in Newcastle

Once initiated, they run on auto-pilot without any effort to optimize the value received for the dollars expended.

FORBES: Icahn's Motorola Morass

The pilot program, run by consulting firm Accenture (nyse: ACN - news - people ), is sticking the RFID chips on pill bottles by hand.

FORBES: Tiny Chips Could Combat Counterfeit Pills

One interesting pilot scheme being tried out in Minnesota allows farmers who reduce fertiliser run-off and soil erosion to enjoy an exemption from future state and federal water-quality standards.

ECONOMIST: Nutrient pollution

As the plane took off the 50-year-old pilot reported feeling a "slight bump" and thought the aircraft had run over a light on the runway.

BBC: London

The pilot schemes, which could include controversial plans to charge better-off parents for school bus trips, are scheduled to run until 2011.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Education | School transport 'is in crisis'