News Update 07-08-2003
Today's Issue Sponsored By:
* Education Technology Companies to Exhibit at Syllabus2003
http://info.101com.com/default.asp?id=1969
* Syllabus2003 Early Bird Deadline Ends Today
http://info.101com.com/default.asp?id=1814
Internet 2 Unveils Shibboleth 1.0 Authentication Architecture
The Internet2 consortium announced the availability of Shibboleth 1.0,
the first production version of software implementing a leading online
authorization architecture. Shibboleth, which is standards-based and
open source, incorporates active privacy management while enabling
inter-institutional sharing of Web resources subject to access
controls. Leading educational tech companies, including Blackboard,
EBSCO, JSTOR, SFX, WebAssign and WebCT, have already begun to
incorporate Shibboleth technology into their products and services.
SWITCH, the Swiss research and education networking organization, also
is using Shibboleth as their official authentication and authorization
architecture.
For more information, visit: http://shibboleth.internet2.edu/
SPONSOR: Education Technology Companies to Exhibit at Syllabus2003
Syllabus2003 celebrates its 10th annual summer conference July 27-31 in San
Jose, Calif., and on the campus of Stanford University. In addition to cutting-edge
keynotes, breakout sessions, and panel discussions, attendees will see the latest
products for campus technology during designated exhibit hall hours. Some of
the companies attending include: Hoffman Video Systems, a full-service audio-visual
systems integration firm offering design, engineering, installation, maintenance,
and more; Netopia Inc., a global leader providing real-time technical support
technologies for the multi-channel call center, network operations center, and
the enterprise help desk; Optx International, developer of ScreenWatch Lecture,
presentation and live Webcasting software to quickly and easily record lectures;
and Sony Electronics Inc., providing advanced audio and video delivery systems
tailored to the needs of the education community. To view the entire exhibitor
list, as well as to register for Syllabus2003, go to http://www.syllabus.com/summer2003/hall.asp.
USC Researchers Build Machine Translation System for Hindi
Researchers at USC's Information Sciences Institute (ISI) and
collaborators nationwide have built a system to translate Hindi text
into English and query Hindi databases using English questions. The
effort was part of the "Surprise Language" project, a test of the
computer science community's ability to quickly create translation
tools for previously non-researched languages. The exercise was
sponsored by the Defense Advance Research Project Agency (DARPA) and
ended July 1. "A month ago, we didn't even know what language we would
be working on," said Ulrich Germann, a computational linguist at ISI,
part of USC's School of Engineering.
For more information, visit: www.usc.edu/isinews/stories/98.html
SPONSOR: Register Today and Save Up to $200!
This summer's 10th annual Syllabus Conference offers five days of not- to-be-missed
keynotes, general sessions, breakouts, and more for education technology professionals.
Join us July 27-31 at the San Jose Marriott and enjoy five new program tracks
on topics of strategic importance. Plus, a special day on the Stanford University
campus will allow you to experience the latest technology innovations first
hand. All this, including networking and exhibits, in Syllabus' traditional
collegial atmosphere. Today is your last chance to save up to $200 in Early
Bird discounts. For details and to register now go to: http://info.101com.com/default.asp?id=1814.
Westwood to Offer Bachelor's in Information Systems Security
Denver-based Westwood College of Technology became the latest higher ed
organization to offer a degree program in information system security.
The company, which operates a national system of private colleges
focusing on career education, will offer a bachelor's degree program in
Information Systems. The curriculum will cover a wide swath of security
topics, focusing on both the global and local level. Students will also
take a "career-focused, hands-on approach rather than large classes and
lectures," said Westwood president Jamie Turner. Classes in the new
degree program start in August at its Denver campuses. "As technology
grows, so will the demand for highly skilled workers in this field,"
said Turner, adding that graduates will have, "marketable skills that
most of their peers won't have."
For more information, visit: www.westwoodcollege.com
MIT, Software Firm, to Create 'Living Lab' for Behavior Studies
MIT and collaborative software firm TIAX said they would create "the
PlaceLab," a "living laboratory that will allow researchers and
companies to study how new technologies, materials, and design
strategies will change the way people live. The PlaceLab, located in a
condominium building in Cambridge, Mass., is an apartment-scale
facility that will be occupied by families who volunteer to participate
in experiments ranging from one week to several months. The first of a
series of research projects will be launched in early fall 2003. As a
shared research facility operated jointly by TIAX and MIT, proposals
will be accepted from academic researchers and industry to take
advantage of the resources of the PlaceLab.
For more information, visit: http://architecture.mit.edu/house_n/web/placelab/PlaceLab.pdf
IBM Launches New Funding and Grant Model for University R&D
IBM Corp. launched a new funding and grant model for universities doing
research in technology and life sciences. The new IBM Life Sciences
Institutes of Innovation program is project-focused and represents a
multi-year commitment.
It offers a comprehensive package of benefits,
ranging from technical support and IBM-funded research assistantships
to funding for project reports, conference participation, joint R&D
projects, and assistance with external funding applications. IBM chose
Indiana University and Johns Hopkins University as the first two
enrollees in the program. As Institutes of Innovation, researchers at
the two universities will collaborate with IBM on life sciences
research projects of mutual interest. In addition, they are eligible
for early access to next-generation IBM technologies, post-doctoral and
research associate opportunities, software through the IBM Scholars
university product portal, and participation in the competition for
IBM's university award programs.
For more information, visit: www.ibm.com/lifesciences
