On the positive side of the ledger, Verizon Wireless ( VZ) has launched its new 4G or fourth-generation network in 38 cities and more airports offering data speeds faster than anything previously available over wireless.

FORBES: 4G And Other Wireless Goodies To Expect in 2011

Minister Mikhailov of the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy has not been reluctant to proclaim what these high-performance computers will be used for, and he said in a speech in January they will be used to simulate nuclear explosions, and that the computers are, in his words, '10 times faster than any previously available in Russia.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center For Security Policy

The challenge also extends to new forms of media, which has made it possible for journalists to have their stories spread further than previously imaginable, and for the audience to access information that previously was not available to them.

UNESCO: OFFICE IN KATHMANDU