Supplemento al numero odierno de la Repubblica Sped. abb. postale art. 1 legge 46/04 del 27/02/2004 — Roma MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2010 Copyright © 2010 The New York Times Electronics In Junkyard Yield Gold Samy Kamkar has created For Japan a software device to show how By HIROKO TABUCHI thoroughly KOSAKA, Japan — Two decades af- ter global competition drove the mines computers here out of business, Kosaka is again could be abuzz with talk of new riches. infiltrated The treasures are not copper or coal. by the They are rare earth elements and oth- latest Web er minerals that are crucial to many technology. Japanese technologies and have so far come almost exclusively from China, the global leader in rare earth mining. Kosaka’s hopes for a mining come- back do not lie underground, but in what Japan refers to as urban min- ing — recycling the valuable metals and minerals from the country’s huge stockpiles of used electronics like cell- phones and computers. JOCK FISTICK FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES “We’ve literally discovered gold in cellphones,” said Tetsuzo Fuyushiba, a former land minister and now oppo- sition party member who recently sur- veyed Kosaka’s recycling plants. Recent problems with Chinese sup- New Web Presents a Tangle of Risks plies of rare earths have sent Japanese traders and companies in search of al- ternative sources, creating opportu- nities for Kosaka. In September, amid By TANZINA VEGA about computer users’ online activities. said James Cox, 27, a freelance consultant a diplomatic spat with Tokyo, China ORRIES OVER INTERNET pri- The new Web code, the fifth version of and software developer at Smokeclouds, a started to block exports of rare earths New York City start-up company. “It’s not to Japan. The cutoff has alarmed Japa- vacy have spurred lawsuits, con- Hypertext Markup Language used to create nese manufacturers, from giants like W Web pages, is already in limited use. It will just HTML 5. It’s the new Web.” spiracy theories and consumer Toyota to tiny electronics makers, be- anxiety as marketers and others invent new make it easier for users to view multimedia Others are more cautious. cause the raw materials are crucial to products as diverse as hybrid electric ways to track computer users on the Internet. content without downloading extra soft- Most Web users are familiar with so-called cars, wind turbines and computer dis- But the alarmists have not seen anything ware; check e-mail offline; or find a favorite cookies, which make it possible, for exam- play screens. yet. restaurant or shop on a smartphone. ple, to log on to Web sites without having Akihiro Ohata, Japan’s trade min- ister, said the government was con- In the next few years, a powerful new suite Most users will clearly welcome the addi- to retype user names and passwords, or to sidering starting a stockpile of rare of capabilities will become available to Web tional features . keep track of items placed in virtual shop- developers that could give marketers and “It’s going to change everything about Con tin ued on Page IV advertisers access to many more details the Internet and the way we use it today,” Con tin ued on Page IV WORLD TRENDS LIVING: BOUNDARIES ARTS & STYLES An uneasy alliance Office restroom is Monet showcase with Pakistan. III the new corner office. VII reflects his shimmer. VIII INTELLIGENCE: Considering China’s Communists for the Nobel, Page II. From the Ground Up Fruits, flowers and animal prints home lab for harvesting a fragrance, The Times. Umami, a restaurant that burst onto the runway at the spring and Ms. Aftel said she has “observed added a cocktail bar last year, infuses collections in Paris and Milan recent- an absolute explosion of interest.” its drinks with Far Eastern flavors ly. Monkeys scrambled up the sides This community of natural perfum- like green tea, cherry blossom liqueur of a Prada blouse and wild orchids ers explores the craft of making and shiso leaves. saturated dresses scents without the synthetic and Maybe a bit of nature in a high- LENS by Akris. In New heavy aromas in commercial per- ball glass does the trick. For others, York, the design- fumery. well-being comes in another vessel. ers at Rodarte Andrine Olson, who lives in Wash- Perhaps a sense of control and calm were inspired by ington, steeps plants in 190-proof can be had when a little bit of nature is the nature and alcohol and presses flowers into fats encased in terrariums, which have be- redwoods of Cali- like palm oil shortening to create per- gun gaining favor with creative types, fornia. If fashion fumes, soaps and deodorants. Anya The Times reported. These miniature imitates life which McCoy makes scents from the leaves gardens combine the interest in hand- imitates fashion, and fruit of a Kaffir lime tree, jas- made crafts with the do-it-yourself and then now seems the time to have a big mines and plumerias from her garden locavore movements. They have been garden party. and sells them online for $60 to $125. best-selling items in garden stores Despite ash clouds, earthquakes “Since 2007, I’d say my sales have and on Web sites, The Times reported. and floods, nature is there to, well, increased 25 percent every year,” she YouTube videos demonstrating how to nurture. And when feeling overly told The Times. make terrariums garner tens of thou- wired, a bit of the organic and primor- Some think a nice smell can be ROBERT WRIGHT FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES sands of views . dial may be the perfect antidote. therapeutic. For a public art project In a world removed from nature, we crave the organic. A tiny terrarium. Paula Hayes, who has elevated ter- “People are so often in front of their inBrooklyn, Anne McClain installed rariums to art, told The Times that computer screens and detached from a “perfume fountain” that emits fra- they appeal to the human desire to the sensual world,” Mandy Aftel, a grance from a heart-shaped glass ves- Clain and other natural scent makers infused vodkas and creating fruit nurture living things. “It’s this beauti- natural perfumer who wrote “Es- sel. Based on the Mexican drink hor- offer classes on tincturing, distilla- mixers from scratch, often using lo- ful little world you can care for,” she sence and Alchemy,” told The Times. chata, the scent has milky notes and tion and perfuming, where partici- cal ingredients. In a beer-loving city said. It’s comfort, safety and beauty The home garden has become the a touch of cinnamon. “The idea was to pants create take-home scents. like Copenhagen, an influx of foreign in a bottle that has attained a state of create a perfume that was inspired by, In bars, mixologists are doing their bartenders, mainly from Britain, are equilibrium, an escape from every- For comments, write to and could evoke, a sense of compas- own distilling and infusing with fresh bringing back the shaker to concoct thing else in reality that hasn’t. [email protected]. sion,” she told The Times. Ms. Mc- herbs to create liquors like tarragon- more sophisticated cocktails, wrote ANITA PATIL Repubblica NewYork II MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2010 OPINION & COMMENTARY EDITORIALS OF THE TIMES Lamentable Speech To the American Nazi Party, Hus- the founder and pastor of a Baptist wound is immense. They sought help tler Magazine, and other odious fig- church where most of his flock are in drawing lines that might be useful ures in United States Supreme Court his children, grandchildren and in- in different circumstances: What if history, add the Reverend Fred laws. the Snyders hadn’t advertised the Phelps Sr. and the members of the Their faith includes the belief funeral? Would the protest still have Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, that “God hates homosexuality and deserved protection? Kansas. Their antigay protests at hates and punishes America for its The justices were interested in the the funeral of a soldier slain in Iraq tolerance of homosexuality, particu- lawyers’ views about where his or were repugnant but protected by the larly in the United States military.” her argument got fuzzy and made First Amendment. Over the past two decades, they their questions more difficult by ask- All of the sympathy in the case of have sought opportunities to trum- ing the lawyers to grapple each oth- Snyder v. Phelps, which was argued pet these views in intrusive pro- er’s contentions. Hovering over the October 6 at the Supreme Court, tests, recently including funerals of arguments were briefs from friends goes to the family of Lance Corporal soldiers. of the court. Matthew Snyder, the fallen Marine. Seven of them went to the funeral Walter Dellinger, a former act- But as the appeals court in the case of Corporal Snyder, who was not gay. ing solicitor general, sided with the SCANPIX/REUTERS observed, using the words of Justice While following rules set by a local Snyders for Senator Harry Reid, the A portrait of Liu Xiaobo, a Chinese dissident, is at the Nobel Peace Felix Frankfurter, “It is a fair sum- ordinance and police about where majority leader, and Senator Mitch Centre in Oslo, but the Communist Party’s achievement in alleviating mary of history to say that the safe- they could protest, they carried signs McConnell, the minority leader, and poverty and ending the persecution of the Mao era are also worthy. guards of liberty have often been that said “God Hates the USA” and many others in the United States forged in controversies involving not “Fag troops” and “You’re going to Congress.