One such project is called NewsFlash, and uses high-frequency red and green light to transmit data to the built-in camera on a receiving device -- in this case Samsung's Epic 4G.

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Often, the stakeholder with the green- or red-light authority is not at the bargaining table.

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Like most corporate clients, people with the ability to green- or red-light litigation, move on to greener pastures.

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The team used a prototype to demonstrate the idea, hiding centimetre-scale objects illuminated with polarised green or red laser light.

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Last year, he announced plans to classify the performance of English hospital trusts using a simple traffic-light system of green, amber and red.

ECONOMIST: Hospitals