IT Trends :: Thursday, March 30, 2006


New Technology

'Kosher' Phone Merges Technology, Faith

It's stripped down and only d'es phone calls. It also has a huge list of dating and phone sex numbers blocked. 'There's interest out there in a conservative phone,' says an exec… (The Washington Post)

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Health Files to Go High-Tech

It's a nationwide trend. This article describes Arizona's plan to phase in paperless medical records over the next two years. If our HMOs and our pharmacies could learn to communicate with each other about prescriptions, we'd have more faith in this…(The Arizona Republic)

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New LCD Offers Mounting Flexibility

AG Neovo has launched its new E-Series line of LCD displays, featuring the E-19A. This 19-inch monitor has a folding base with tilt support offers viewing flexibility, and the displays can be wall- or arm-mounted, or just placed on a desktop…

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Classroom Technology Kind of Neat, But Also Expensive

Students are paying out of pocket to earn participation points using Einstruction Corporation's clicker technology. The remote-based classroom tool is most useful for professors, so who should really pay for this service? (The Pitt News)

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Microsoft Delays Consumer Office Software to 2007

IT professionals may have to reschedule their 2006 upgrades because Microsoft will not release the new Office package until January, when Vista is scheduled to arrive. Vista is the first major overhaul of Windows since Microsoft rolled out Windows XP nearly five years ago. The company's last major update to Office came in 2003. (New York Times)

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Digital Microscope is also a Webcam

The Dino Digital Microscope-Webcam is a great addition to any science classroom or lab. The device is equipped with both USB and TV outputs that let users see what’s on the microscope on a computer or TV screen. It can also send an image magnified up to 600X into a multimedia device such as a projector, monitor, TV, or video recorder. It comes with three objective lenses (10X, 100-200X, 400-600X), and includes built-in oblique and backside LED lighting, and a microphone.

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Projector Offers ‘Sharp’ Image in Any Lighting

Sharp's new full-featured, 8.6-pound XG-MB50X DLP projector has built-in RS-232C network connectivity for remote monitoring and operation so that support departments can check lamp life or assist a user from anywhere. With 2,000 ANSI lumens, the multimedia projector is bright enough for any lighting condition. It also has native XGA resolution, as well as a unique condenser lens optical system that delivers rich black tones and sharp onscreen images. There are many cost-saving features, including a low-power “eco & quiet” mode that helps conserve lamp life and reduce fan noise.

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Featured

  • landscape photo with an AI rubber stamp on top

    California AI Watermarking Bill Garners OpenAI Support

    ChatGPT creator OpenAI is backing a California bill that would require tech companies to label AI-generated content in the form of a digital "watermark." The proposed legislation, known as the "California Digital Content Provenance Standards" (AB 3211), aims to ensure transparency in digital media by identifying content created through artificial intelligence. This requirement would apply to a broad range of AI-generated material, from harmless memes to deepfakes that could be used to spread misinformation about political candidates.

  • stylized illustration of an open laptop displaying the ChatGPT interface

    'Early Version' of ChatGPT Windows App Now Available to Paid Users

    OpenAI has announced the release of the ChatGPT Windows desktop app, about five months after the macOS version became available.

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs AI Content Safeguards into Law

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed off on a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • Jetstream logo

    Qualified Free Access to Advanced Compute Resources with NSF's Jetstream2 and ACCESS

    Free access to advanced computing and HPC resources for your researchers and education programs? Check out NSF's Jetstream2 and ACCESS.