Edupage, May 01, 2006

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TOP STORIES FOR MONDAY, MAY 01, 2006
  Stanford Med School Joins Internet Project
  U.K. Schools Grapple with Upgrades
  Suffolk Considers County-Wide Wi-Fi
  Napster Debuts Ad-Supported Service

STANFORD MED SCHOOL JOINS INTERNET PROJECT
The School of Medicine at Stanford University has joined a project led
by a San Diego company to develop a Web portal where users in China can
find accurate, current medical information. Many in China still rely on
herbal remedies and treatments. The portal is intended to provide a
reliable source of information to fill the gap between traditional
approaches and modern medicine. Michael Chermak, chief executive of
Bridgetech Holdings International, which is leading development of the
portal, stressed the importance of having partners such as Stanford
whose reputation can provide credibility for the project among users.
Other partners in the venture include The Texas A&M Health Center and
the Wu Jieping Medical Foundation, in China. Paul Costello, director of
communications for Stanford's medical school, said the institution is
not likely to benefit directly from the partnership but that the goal
is to spread information "throughout the globe."
Mercury News, 1 May 2006
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/14473749.htm

Edupage, May 03, 2006

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TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 03, 2006
  Online Library Part of International Security
  Intel to Pump One Billion Dollars into Developing World
  Scotland Debuts Online Exams
  Google Sponsors Coding Contest in Europe
  Business Groups Urge Caution in WTO Talks with Russia

ONLINE LIBRARY PART OF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
A group of academics has partnered with the U.S. Department of Defense
to develop an online library in Iraq that organizers hope will help the
country hold on to its senior scientific researchers, many of whom have
considerable experience developing weapons systems. Following the U.S.
invasion of Iraq, 85 percent of the country's university libraries
were destroyed or looted. Organizers of the online library said that
although many in the country lack reliable Internet access, an online
library was nonetheless the fastest, least expensive way to provide
access to scientific material. The Iraqi Virtual Science Library is
initially funded by the Defense Department's Defense Threat Reduction
Agency and runs on U.S. government servers, though officials said they
hope to turn control of the library over to Iraqis within the next few
years. Fourteen publishers are participating in the program, offering
discounts of as much as 97 percent over regular subscription prices.
The Iraqi Virtual Science Library provides access to articles from
about 17,000 academic journals. A representative of Springer, one of

Edupage, May 05, 2006

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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, MAY 05, 2006
  EDUCAUSE Announces Current Issues Results
  OCLC and RLG Announce Merger
  Ohio University Exposes Personal Data
  Philadelphia Wi-Fi Nears Approval
  File-Sharing Landscape Evolves

EDUCAUSE ANNOUNCES CURRENT ISSUES RESULTS
EDUCAUSE has released results from its seventh annual Current Issues
Survey, which gauges attitudes among campus IT leaders about the
significance of a range of issues. This year's results represent
responses from 628, or 37 percent, of EDUCAUSE member institutions.
Most respondents are CIOs at their respective institutions. Notable in
this year's results was the rise of "Security and Identity Management"
above "Funding" as the top issue in terms of strategic importance. The
survey also found that "Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity," which
had only appeared on the top-ten list once before, has become a growing
concern for many respondents, landing fourth for strategic importance.
In addition, "Enterprise-Level Portals," which had been represented on
the top-ten lists in several previous years, was not on the list this
year, reflecting the technology's evolution from a hot topic to one
that, at many institutions, has been addressed and is now seen as an
ongoing service.
EDUCAUSE Quarterly, 5 May 2006

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Edupage, May 10, 2006

Edupage, May 12, 2006

Edupage, May 15, 2006

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TOP STORIES FOR MONDAY, MAY 15, 2006
  Chinese Academic Fired for Fraud
  Technology Initiatives Target Public Health
  MTV Enters Online Music Market

CHINESE ACADEMIC FIRED FOR FRAUD
A Chinese academic has been dismissed following an investigation into
charges that he faked research supporting the development of the Hanxin
computer chip. The chip was said to be the first developed in China,
and Chen Jin, the man behind the processor, was regarded highly for his
efforts. Several months ago, however, rumors began circulating that
Chen, then the dean of the Microelectronics School at Shanghai Jiaotong
University, had produced fraudulent research and that he may also have
stolen technology from a foreign company. University officials began
looking into the allegations and later brought the Ministry of
Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Shanghai
government into the investigation. A panel ultimately determined that
Chen's research had indeed been faked and that the Hanxin chip was not
capable of performing as claimed. Chen has been stripped of his
positions as dean and professor and has been ordered to repay research
funds he received from the government. Zhao Nanyuan, a professor of
automation at Tsinghua University, said the incident points to
insufficient oversight in the country's system for evaluating such
research.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 15 May 2006 (sub. req'd)
http://chronicle.com/daily/2006/05/2006051508n.htm

TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES TARGET PUBLIC HEALTH
IBM is sponsoring two initiatives intended to bolster global public
health efforts to avoid pandemics. In fall 2005, IBM hosted an event
for leaders of the health community to share ideas about what
contribution a technology company could make to support their efforts.
The results are the Interoperable Health Care Information
Infrastructure (IHII) and the Spatiotemporal Epidemiological Modeller
(STEM). IHII mines health data and looks for patterns in symptoms, for
example, that might anticipate the spread of a particular illness. Then
the STEM applies that information to data about such topics as human
travel patterns to help formulate efficient plans to limit the spread
of the illness. A committee representing the World Health Organization,
the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Scripps Research
Institute, and the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Biodiversity
oversees these programs. Scripps and IBM will construct a facility in
Florida to support the initiatives.
CNET, 14 May 2006
http://news.com.com/2100-11393_3-6072041.html

MTV ENTERS ONLINE MUSIC MARKET
In what some see as a conspicuously late entry into the online music
market, MTV is set to launch URGE, an online service both for music and
videos. URGE will reportedly have more than two million tracks
available when it debuts, and, similar to competing services from
companies such as Apple and RealNetworks, consumers will be able to buy
a subscription for unlimited downloads or pay for individuals tracks.
Analysts noted that MTV's brand recognition should boost the appeal of
the URGE service. URGE will be the featured music source for
Microsoft's media player, and URGE songs are compatible with a wide
range of portable devices. The exception, however, is the hugely
popular iPod, of which Apple has sold more than 50 million since 2001.
Steve Gordon, entertainment attorney, said, "Whether the consumer
really wants a service that's only compatible with non-iPod players is
going to be the big issue." Van Toffler, president of MTV Networks
Music Group, pointed out that the online music industry remains new and
said that URGE is not "about selling a million singles."
San Jose Mercury News, 15 May 2006
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/14581158.htm

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Edupage, May 17, 2006

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TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2006
  Antispam Outfit Crushed by Spammer Retaliation
  Lawsuits Target Software Pirates on eBay
  RIAA Sues XM Recording Device

ANTISPAM OUTFIT CRUSHED BY SPAMMER RETALIATION
An antispam start-up based in Israel has shut its doors after a barrage
of retaliatory action from spammers. In July 2005, Blue Security
launched the Blue Frog service to fight spam. Users who signed up with
the service would submit spam they received, which Blue Security would
then use to flood the servers of spammers and the merchants whose
products were advertised in those spam messages. If a spammer had a Web
site that allowed users to opt out of receiving more messages, Blue
Security would swamp those sites with opt-out requests. Officials from
Blue Security said their tactic decreased the amount of spam many of
its customers received, but it also prompted spammers to respond.
Starting in May, Blue Security was the target of a denial-of-service
attack, and Blue Security customers began receiving threats from
spammers. The prospect of further attacks from spammers, many of whom
have deep resources at their disposal, led Blue Security to end
operations. "We cannot take the responsibility for an ever-escalating
cyber war through our continued operations" said a statement on the
company's site. "We believe this is the responsible thing to do."
BBC, 17 May 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4990622.stm

LAWSUITS TARGET SOFTWARE PIRATES ON EBAY
Software makers have filed a set of lawsuits against individuals
suspected of selling pirated or unlicensed software on Internet auction
sites such as eBay. Software industry representatives, who estimate
that $11 to $12 billion is lost annually to piracy, believe that 90
percent of software sold on auction sites violated copyright or
licensing agreements. McAfee and Symantec, the two leading makers of
antivirus software, have filed lawsuits against several individuals
from around the country. Officials from the Software and Information
Industry Association said they plan to file batches of lawsuits monthly
against individuals selling software illegally. At this point, the
suits do not target the auction service or individuals who purchase
software from suspected pirates. A spokesperson from eBay said that
although the company recognizes the illicit sale of software as a
concern, they do not see it as "a big problem."
Silicon Valley, 16 May 2006
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/14594174.htm

RIAA SUES XM RECORDING DEVICE
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has filed a
federal lawsuit against XM Radio, broadcaster of digital radio,
alleging that the company's new Inno recording device will allow
"massive wholesale infringement" of copyrights. XM, which introduced
the Inno this month, had been in talks with the RIAA over royalties for
songs saved on the portable device, but those talks reportedly broke
down. In its complaint, the RIAA argued that the new device will allow
users to record any of the vast amount of content that XM broadcasts,
leaving users with "little need ever again to buy legitimate copies of
plaintiffs' sound recordings." The suit asks for $150,000 in damages
for every song recorded by XM customers. Officials from XM pointed out
that digital radio is not an on-demand service, meaning listeners can
only record what the station happens to play, unlike an online music
service such as Apple's iTunes. XM said the new device allows
consumers to record radio broadcasts, an action that has legal
protection.
CNET, 17 May 2006
http://news.com.com/2100-1027_3-6073133.html

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Edupage, May 19, 2006

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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2006
  USPTO to Reexamine Online Testing Patent
  Colleges Grapple with New Ways to Cheat
  British Cities Going Wireless

USPTO TO REEXAMINE ONLINE TESTING PATENT
Based on concerns raised by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
about "prior art," the United States Patent and Trademark Office
(USPTO) has announced it will conduct a reevaluation of a patent
granted in 2003 for online testing. The notion of prior art covers
whether the subject of a patent is indeed original--and patentable--or
whether another party had previously developed the item or technology
in question. The patent at issue was granted to Test.com for
technologies broadly related to offering tests online. If valid, the
patent would allow the company to claim patent authority over a wide
range of online testing tools deployed at colleges and universities,
and the company has already approached some institutions about
licensing the patent. According to the EFF, however, another company
offered such tools for sale at least one year before the Test.com
patent was issued. The review process is expected to take at least two
months. James J. Posch, chief executive of Test.com, noted that their
patent claim has passed muster once already. "I'll be surprised if it
doesn't survive a second time," he said. Jason Schultz, staff lawyer
at the EFF, had a different outlook, saying that he is confident the
patent will be invalidated unless Test.com discloses some secret
evidence.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 19 May 2006 (sub. req'd)
http://chronicle.com/daily/2006/05/2006051901t.htm

COLLEGES GRAPPLE WITH NEW WAYS TO CHEAT
As technology increasingly finds its way onto college campuses and into
classrooms, faculty and administrators have found themselves battling
new methods of cheating. Students have been caught using camera phones
and instant messaging to cheat on tests; using a computer's spell
checker on a test that evaluated, in part, spelling; and listening to
iPods with lecture notes recorded on them. Responses to the new breed
of cheating have ranged from the high-tech--shutting off Internet
access in testing rooms, requiring students to install an application
on laptops that disables Internet access and prevents students from
reading files on their computers--to simply reverting to tests for
which students must handwrite their answers on paper. At the University
of Nevada, students upset by cheating set up a proctoring program, in
which students monitor their classmates and report suspicious behavior.
Some noted that the best deterrent to cheating is instilling in
students a work ethic and a sense of honor that preempts any desire to
cheat.
New York Times, 18 May 2006 (registration req'd)
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/18/education/18cheating.html

BRITISH CITIES GOING WIRELESS
BT said it will install wireless networks in 12 cities in the United
Kingdom, with the first of those coming online early next year. The
company said deals have been reached with Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds,
Liverpool, Cardiff, and Westminster and that deals with six other
cities were "imminent." In each city, BT will install wireless antennae
on light posts, bus stops, park benches, and other city-owned spots to
create a network to blanket the city. Users can pay for the time they
use the network or purchase subscriptions. BT said the networks could
be put to other uses as well, including closed-circuit television and
up-to-the-minute traffic information. Beyond the first 12 cities, BT
will work with many other municipalities on similar deals, according to
Steve Andrews, head of converged communications services for BT.
Meanwhile, a separate effort by Wi-Fi company The Cloud is working to
implement wireless networks in nine U.K. cities.
BBC, 18 May 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4993038.stm

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Edupage, May 22, 2006

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TOP STORIES FOR MONDAY, MAY 22, 2006
  Program Aims to Lower Costs for PCs in Developing Countries
  Feds Nervous about Lenovo Deal
  Backer of Adult Domain Questions U.S. Role

PROGRAM AIMS TO LOWER COSTS FOR PCS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
A new program supported by Microsoft aims to provide developing
countries with low-cost access to computer technology through a
subscription service. Under the FlexGo program, consumers pay a reduced
price for a PC and then pay for usage of the computer until it is paid
off. After buying a computer for about half of its retail value,
customers would buy time on the machine for 50 to 75 cents per hour.
When the full cost of the computer is paid, the user would then own the
machine and would not incur any more charges. Microsoft, which has
criticized Nicholas Negroponte's plan to offer $100 laptops to
developing nations, said this plan will provide users with
full-featured computers. According to Mike Wickstrand, director of
product management in the market expansion group at Microsoft, the
FlexGo program lets consumers buy "a PC that they want and not a PC
that they had to settle for." Wickstrand said the FlexGo model
accommodates the irregular incomes that many people in developing
countries have, allowing them to pay for their computer when they are
able.
Silicon.com, 22 May 2006
http://hardware.silicon.com/desktops/0,39024645,39159025,00.htm

FEDS NERVOUS ABOUT LENOVO DEAL
The U.S. State Department will reportedly not use any of the computers
it recently purchased from Lenovo for classified information due to
concerns over the company's connection with the Chinese government.
Last year, Chinese computer maker Lenovo bought IBM's PC business, and
in March of this year, the State Department ordered 16,000 Lenovo
computers valued at $13 million through standard purchasing rules. When
the deal was announced, Michael Wessel, a member of the congressionally
created U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, argued that
use of the computers should be monitored in case they included code
that could be activated remotely. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), chair of a
House committee with responsibility for State Department funding,
picked up those concerns, and an aide to his office confirmed that the
Lenovo machines will be restricted to non-classified uses. Officials
with Lenovo offered no immediate comment, saying they were reviewing
the decision.
CNET, 19 May 2006
http://news.com.com/2100-7350_3-6074207.html

BACKER OF ADULT DOMAIN QUESTIONS U.S. ROLE
The Internet registrar that had pushed for a domain for adult content
has asked the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
(ICANN) to reconsider its decision to turn down the domain, saying that
the group was misled by U.S. officials. ICM Registry has filed Freedom
of Information Act requests with the U.S. State Department and the U.S.
Commerce Department, seeking documents that it believes will "shed
light on what role the United States government played" in ICANN's
decision. Specifically, ICM believes that U.S. government officials
were pressured by religious conservatives to lobby against the domain.
Supporters of the .xxx domain said it would offer parents an easy way
to prevent kids' accessing inappropriate content. Opponents of the
domain pointed out that inclusion would have been voluntary and said it
would offer another tool for those who want to censor the Internet.
BBC, 22 May 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5003852.stm

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