News 11-27-2001
And The Last Minute Award G'es To ....
YOU, if you've waited until now to register for the Syllabus fall2001 conference,
which opens on Thursday, November 29, in Danvers, Mass. (just north of Boston).
Online registration ends today, Tuesday, November 27, at 8PM EST. Beat the
deadline and register now at <http://www.syllabus.com>. On-site registration
will begin Wednesday at 4 p.m. EST at the Sheraton Ferncroft Resort in Danvers.
Walk-ins are welcome.
Syllabus fall2001 promises to be a lively event brimming with opportunities
for information exchange and networking. Note that some space is still available
for the intensive full-day and half-day sessions presented on key technology
topics during the Post-Conference on Saturday and Sunday, December 1-2. Topics
range from Web Publishing and Web Page Design to Marketing OnlinePrograms. Reserve
your seat now before onlineregistration closes.
Register today at <http://www.syllabus.com>.
Bookstore Operator to Offer Adobe e-Book Guides
College store operator Follett Higher Education Group said it would start offering
study guides and other course material in Adobe as well as Microsoft eBook formats.
The company's website, efollett.com, opened earlier this year with eBook titles
in Microsoft Reader format. Last week it said it would now add thousands of
titles in Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader format as well. Higher education publishers
participating in the launch with eBook study guides include Thomson Learning
Higher Education Group, Wiley Higher Education, Houghton Mifflin College Division
and Bedford, Freeman and Worth Publishers. Follett is also working with OverDrive,
Inc. to support course material conversion into eBook formats.
For more information, visit: <http://www.efollet.com>.
Nobel Laureates: Internet Vital to Future of Education
Education was a top concern of Nobel laureates surveyed about their beliefs
on the future role of the Internet. In the survey of 71 laureates, 92 percent
said inadequate educational opportunities and illiteracy are major problems
facing mankind; 87 percent believe the Internet will have a positive effect
on improving education; 93 percent said the Internet will provide greater access
to libraries and information worldwide; and 74 percent believe the Internet
will give students greater learning opportunities through virtual classrooms
by year 2020. "The results ... are particularly interesting because most
of the laureates surveyed did not grow up using computers or the Internet,"
said Mary McIntosh, vice president of Princeton Survey Research Associates,
which conducted the study for Cisco Systems Inc.
For more information, visit: <http://www.cisco.com/nobel>.
Louisville Installs Advanced Smart Card Platform
The University of Louisville has issued students an advanced smart card equipped
with Java and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) security technology.
The new card
system, provided by Tallahassee-based Cybermark Inc., will allow students to
store electronic currency for ATM-type transactions, use the card with their
meal plan, check out books in the library, and gain access to various buildings
around campus. The university will also use the platform to verify student digital
identities, check student status at multiple campus locations, as well as host
web-based student government elections. The card is the first to be provided
by CyberMark under a partnerhsip with card maker SchlumbergerSema.
Boston U. Partners with IT Training Firm
TrainingTrack, a Boston University venture that distributes training services
through various regional providers, said it will provide project management
training through Conseva, a Kansas City, Mo.-based IT training company. TrainingTrack
is composed of training companies and schools that market Boston University's
IT training and management programs. The latest deal calls for Conseva to provide
daytime and evening project management training in the Kansas City region starting
in January. The venture is capitalizing on the $250 billion annual market for
application development which it says is often wasted because of project management
failure.
For more information, visit: <http://www.trainingtrack.com>.
Palm to Distribute eBooks from HarperCollins
Palm, Inc. said it reached an agreement to distribute the HarperCollins PerfectBound
line of eBooks through Palm Digital Media, its line of eBooks for handheld computers.
PerfectBound's eBook list includes a variety of popular fiction and non-fiction.
David Steinberger, president of corporate strategy for HarperCollins, said Palm
technology "lets us offer readers the editorial and technological special
features that are exclusive to PerfectBound eBook editions, while also protecting
our authors' copyrights." Palm also has distribution agreements with top
trade publishers Random House, Simon & Schuster, St. Martin's Press and
Time Warner Trade Books.
For more information, visit: <http://www.palm.com/ebooks>.
U. Arizona Turns Up OC-3 Internet Services
The University of Arizona, after suffering a computer glitch that knocked much
of its Intenet service off line, has upgraded to a DS-3 dedicated Internet service,
sufficient bandwidth to send approximately 30,000 emails simultaneously. The
service provider, Time Warner Telecom Inc., was able to turn-up the network
within 72 hours of the general failure, according to Time Warner Telecom Tucson
general manager Bill Bryant, who estimated the industry standard for optical-network
installation is 45 to 60 days.
For more information, visit: <http://www.arizona.edu>.
FHWA Grants $1M for Transportation, Tech Research
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has established $1 million in cost-sharing
cooperative agreements with Minority Institutions of Higher Education (MIHEs)
to conduct transportation research and technology activities.
The program allows
MIHEs to compete with one another for cooperative, cost-sharing agreements in
order to foster MIHE research and prepare faculty and students at the institutions
to participate in the competitive research arena. "The cooperative agreements
announced today reflect our ongoing commitment to more fully utilize the tremendous
resources at our nation's renowned minority institutions to help us fulfill
our research goals," said FHWA Administrator Mary E. Peters.
For more information, visit: <http://wwwcf.fhwa.dot.gov>.
At Britannica, Print Makes A Comeback
After publishing soley on the Internet and CD-ROM for almost a decade, Encyclopaedia
Britannica has just issued a revised printing of the venerable 32-volume encyclopedia
for the first time in four years. Editor Dale Hoiberg said the reason for the
new set is that demand for the books is strong. "Computers are great, but
many people still love the feel of paper and ink between two covers," he
said. "Books aren't as fast as the Internet, but they provide pleasures
and benefits that no other medium can." But despite the affection for books,
digital encyclopedias do have their advantages -- like cost. Britannica's CD-ROMs
and DVDs range in price from $39.95 to $69.95. In contrast, the new print edition
will retail for $1,295.
For more information, visit: <http://www.britiannica.com>.
U. Michigan Solar Car Places Third in World Challenge
Traveling 1,870 miles across the Australian Outback in 34 hours and 17 minutes,
the University of Michigan College of Engineering's M-Pulse solar car won a
third-place finish in the World Solar Challenge. With an average speed of 52.4
miles per hour, M-Pulse was the fastest American car in the race, beating out
34 other competitors from around the world. "The solar car race project
is a microcosm of the auto industry," said Ken Kohrs, co-faculty advisor
to the team. "It combines business issues, technology issues, leadership,
marketing, finance, logistics and engineering." The first-place team, Alpha
Centauri from the Netherlands, drove its car NUNA to the finish line in 32 hours,
39 minutes - a World Solar Challenge record. For more information visit: <http:www.engin.umich.edu>.
Don't Miss This Event from 101communications
Syllabus fall2001 "Next Steps: Moving Forward with Campus IT"
November 29-December 2
Danvers, MA
Online registration available: <<http://www.syllabus.com>>