News 03-27-2001
Web Design Workshops at Syllabus spring2001 Post-Conference
The Syllabus spring2001 Conference, to be held in Cincinnati April 5-8, offers
several exciting and practical post-conference hands-on workshops concerning
Web development for higher education faculty.
Syllabus Scholar Robert Cavalier, internationally known for his work in ethics
education and interactive multimedia, will be teaching a hands-on workshop to
explore the basics of developing course materials for the Web. Dr. Cavalier's
emphasis will be on using browser editors to convert course syllabi and lecture
notes into Web-based course materials.
Alistair Fraser, professor at Penn State, has developed and delivered several
courses that use the computer to transmit all non-oral material. Dr. Fraser
will lead a post-conference workshop designed to teach participants how to use
a Web browser for the delivery of instructional materials, build a classroom
interface with Frames and JavaScript, and how to provide effective pedagogical
content.
Several other hands-on workshops will be offered during the post-conference.
All Workshops require a separate fee and registration, and while space is still
available, time is running out. Register today to reserve your space. For more
information, including online registration and complete workshop descriptions,
visit http://www.syllabus.com/cincinnati/workshops.asp.
eCollege Releases Campus Author Tool
eCollege, an eLearning software and services provider, recently announced the
availability of its Campus Author tool, enabling administrators to change and
update their online campuses in real time, without any knowledge of HTML. The
tool is already being used by 12 institutions. Campus Author is another use
of eCollege's Visual Editor tool that has already been implemented in its course
delivery system and adopted by faculty to edit and format online courses. Campus
Author provides administrators 24x7 access to and control of their eCollege-powered
online campus, whether the institution uses the company's CampusPortal, Premium
Campus Gateway, or Campus Gateway. Using the tool, administrators can view their
edits in a preview mode before the changes go live.
For more information, visit http://www.eCollege.com.
Web Site Follows Ocean Exploration
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) announced the launch on March
27 of an Internet expedition in the central Indian Ocean called Dive and Discover
(http://www.divediscover.whoi.edu).
By following the daily activities and progress of the scientific mission,
students and teachers in 22 states and Guam will be able to share scientists'
discoveries at the seafloor in one of Earth's most remote regions. Dive and
Discover was created by scientists, Web designers, and artists at WHOI, co-funded
by the National Science Foundation. The site gives teachers and their students
an inside look at the sights, sounds, and action of scientific research with
daily updates, interviews, slide shows, and videos, and through direct e-mail
correspondence with shipboard scientists.
The expedition includes biologists,
microbiologists, geneticists, chemists, and geologists from eight U.S. univer
sities and institutions. Led by Chief Scientist Cindy Van Dover of The College
of William and Mary, the team will use the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Jason
and other deep-diving, mapping, and imaging vehicles to explore hydrothermal
vents along a seafloor mid-ocean ridge.
GoPOP Enables Remote Access to E-mail
Maximized Software recently released beta 1 of GoPOP, a POP server that runs
on a user's PC and enables remote access to Outlook e-mail from anywhere in
the world with any standard remote e-mail client. Users can retrieve their Outlook
e-mail with any type of device: PDA, cell phone, pager, or laptop. GoPOP also
eliminates the need to keep multiple copies of e-mail messages on different
servers. Without GoPOP, users need to set up inconvenient solutions in order
to read e-mail while away from their computer. Common solutions include setting
up a "shadow" account with Yahoo! or HotMail, or configuring Outlook to "leave
messages on server." With the release of GoPOP, Microsoft Outlook becomes the
single source for all of the user's e-mail.
GoPOP beta 1 is available for immediate download at http://www.maximized.com/products/gopop/.
Compaq Strengthens Commitment to Accessible Technology
Compaq Computer Corporation recently announced the creation of an Accessibility
Program Office to address the computing needs of America's more than 54 million
people with disabilities. The announcement was made at the annual CSUN (California
State University, Northridge) 2001 International Conference on Technology
and People with Disabilities. The Program Office will guide accessibility in
product design, engineering, product development, documentation, Web, and
services and support, and will be advised by members of Compaq's Global Business
Units. In support of this initiative, Compaq donated 45 Deskpro Desktops with
monitors to the CSUN Conference for its Instruction Lab and "Playroom,'' where
conference presenters and attendees were able to demon-strate and trial the
adaptive software and hardware being debuted at the conference, as well as have
access to e-mail and the Internet.
For more information, visit http://www.compaq.com.
Zuma Delivers Media Asset Management Network
Zuma Networks, a provider of layer 2/3/4 switch-routing/IP service delivery
systems, has installed two of its LightReef Switch Router platforms to link
the University of Southern California's Johnny Carson Television Center with
the newly opened Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts. The delivery of the
LightReef systems is part of a cooperative effort between USC and Zuma Networks
to implement a next-generation media asset management network for the benefit
of students enrolled in the school's film and television curriculum. The LightReef
Switches will connect IBM, Apple, and Dell workstations in the Zemeckis center
to media servers and other workstations in USC's Carson Television Center via
single mode optical fiber running Gigabit Ethernet and the Internet protocol
(IP), allowing for high-speed connectivity between the school's production facilities
and students and faculty members involved in digital content production.
For more information, visit http://www.zumanetworks.com.
Classroom Instruction Becomes Knowledge on Demand
Virage, Inc., a provider of software and services that enable video for strategic
online applications, recently announced that the University of Arizona is using
the Virage Internet Video Application Platform to provide searchable streaming
video of select courses at a university Web site. The initiative, which is part
of the university's Virtual Adaptive Learning Architecture (VALA) research
grant and the Faculty Center for Instructional Innovation (FCII), demonstrates
an improved method of capturing, containing, and circulating information within
academic institutions. Under the initiative, professors have the option of videotaping
classroom lectures and streaming the video content in a searchable online format
from a University of Arizona Web site, where students can then search for spe
cific course material and review lectures at any time. The university is currently
streaming 8 classes and plans to expand the technology into the new integrated
learning center when it opens for the Spring 2002 semester. In addition to university
classroom activities, the project is also archiving programs from the local
PBS affiliate including a daily news program.
For more information, visit http://www.virage.com/.
New Island Launches Computer Ergonomic Device
New Island Inc., manufacturer and distributor of computer ergonomics and workstation
devices, announced recently the launch of a computer ergonomic device, the Surf
Rx Computer Wristband. Surf Rx was designed to aid in the relief and prevention
of MSDs, like carpal tunnel syndrome, that result from repetitive tasks or motion,
while also providing comfortable and supportive computer use. Surf Rx is worn
while operating a computer keyboard, mouse, laptop, palm pilot, or keypad. While
using Surf Rx during computer operations, the wearer gains the mobility to transfer
from mouse to keyboard and back while continuously receiving the therapeutic
effects of the Surf Rx.
For more information, visit http://www.surfrx.net.
Internet Printing
Hewlett-Packard Company recently introduced a series of LaserJet printers that
offers new ways to access, manage, and print information from the Internet.
These printers feature Internet- enabling technologies that allow customers
to scan documents directly to the Web, remotely manage printers and supplies,
and print information directly from wireless devices. Each of the printers fully
supports multiple operating systems, including Linux. The HP LaserJet 4100 incorporates
HP Chaiserver Embedded Virtual Machine (EVM) technology. EVM allows users to
execute Java applications to extend the printer's capabilities as a platform
for interacting with e-services, cell phones, and handheld devices. A smart
chip print cartridge and an embedded Web server allow for remote printer management
and supplies ordering via the Internet.
For more information, visit http://www.hp.com.
New Mouse Technology
Logitech recently introduced the Cordless MouseMan Optical, a mouse that offers
both optical precision and cordless freedom. The mouse has no ball to clean
and no cables to tangle, and is the product of a partnership with Agilent Technologies,
the inventor of the optical sensor. Logitech and Agilent have created a proprietary
optical chip that features a three-month battery life and 800 dots-per-inch
(DPI) resolution -- twice the resolution of current optical sensors -- for
greater accuracy on any surface. This optical chip was key in the development
of Cordless MouseMan Optical, since an optical sensor requires an enormous amount
of energy in order to capture 1,500 pictures per second of the surface, while
a cordless radio-based device likewise needs energy for transmitting the signal
between mouse and receiver. The product is scheduled to ship in early April.
For more information, visit http://www.logitech.com.
Management for Fundraising and Supporter Campaigns
PeopleSoft recently introduced PeopleSoft Contributor Relations, a software
product available to help higher education and non- profit institutions improve
their fundraising. The product is designed to increase both operational efficiency
and fundraising capabilities by enabling customers to instantly track supporters,
process gifts and pledges, build membership organizations, organize events,
manage fund-raising campaigns, evaluate volunteer activity, and track planned
giving programs.
For more information, visit http://www.peoplesoft.com.
Harcourt, goReader to Offer Electronic College Textbooks
Harcourt College Publishers has completed a deal with e-book companygoReader
to offer electronic college textbooks. Harcourt, a publisher of higher education
textbooks, announced that the titles will be available on goReader's portable
electronic device. The titles will first focus on business and science textbooks,
with plans to expand titles in the future to include law and other graduate
titles. The goReader device is designed to replicate the traditional textbook
but weighs less than five pounds and holds more than 350 textbooks. The device
also features multicolor highlighting, note-taking, and bookmarking on a 7.3-by-9.7-inch
color screen.
For more information, visit http://www.goreader.com
or http://www.harcourt.com.