Feedback “…I’m not holding my breath.”

Is Media Fusion for Real?

After reading your article on Media Fusion (Business Dallas, December 1999), I looked up past articles and visited the media- website. I found the following:

First, their bibliography is a hodgepodge of very general references (Matrix algebra? Textbooks on nonlinear acoustics? Feynman on QED?) without one article authored by Luke Stewart.

Two, nowhere do they give a decent explanation of how their process makes it past the transformers. They appear to confuse the choice of physical field (magnetism vs. electricity) with changing the encoding technique (amplitude vs. frequency modulation).

Third, they have been promising field trials since last summer, always just around the corner.

Fourth, there is no documentation of Mr. Stewart’s purported past accomplishments, publications (if any), or employment.

I’m not sure whether Luke Stewart is (a) merely being too careful about security, (b) running a scam, or (c) a sincere but confused genius like Nikola TesIa [inventor of the first system for the transmission of alternating current], who spent his waning years laboring under the delusion he could power the world wirelessly. I was initially quite hopeful when I read your article, but now I’m not holding my breath.

DAVE LAROM. Ph.D.,

via e-mail



Luke Stewart claims expertise in nine areas including, for example, “laser electro-optics,” “computer architecture,” and “semiotics.”As an electrical engineer turned patent attorney, I checked to see if Mr. Stewart had any patents to support his expertise. I didn’t find any. That’s hardly impossible, but it’s odd. I asked Mr. Stewart to list his patents in case I missed them. In his e-mail reply, he noted that he has one patent pending [now issued). He did not identify any prior patents, but he did assert that he expects to file over 200 patents in the next year. That would he a patent every 48 hours or so. which might sel a record.

JOE ANDRAS

Laguna Beach. CA



I’ll wait until Mr. Stewart publishes in IEEE [Institution of Electrical and Electronic Engineers] before buying a “nightlight” from him. Snake oil, anyone?

HANS SPIEGELAAR

via e-mail



EDITOR’S NOTE: Several readers questioned Luke Stewart’s claim to have been nominated for a Nobel Prize. As quoted in the article, his exact words were, “Being nominated is quite an honor. But to actually have a chance to win, and they assure me I do, is pretty astounding…. “

The Nobel Foundation in Sweden has issued the following statement: “According to the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation, nominators must not make public the names of the nominees nor inform nominees privately of the proposals. Even invitations to propose names are confidential. Proposals received for the award of a prize, and investigations ami opinions concerning the award of a prize may not be divulged. The names of the nominees are classified as confidential information for at least fifty years. “

Media Fusion CEO Ed Blair responded: “On several occasions in 1999, Luke met with representatives from the government of Norway regarding Media Fusion’s technology. In the excitement…these representatives asked for the honor to be able to nominate Luke for a Nobel Prize. Media Fusion is not aware of the regulations for nominations. presentations, or the governing rules for a Nobel Prize….”



ADDITION: Our “Best New Custom Home”in December should have also credited designer Brian Dalton (972-943-1471) and Seta Custom Homes (972-624-0630).