News 01-29-2002
UCLA, HP Team Gets Key Molecular Chip Patent
UCLA and Hewlett-Packard Co. said they have received a patent for technology
that could make it possible to build very complex logic chips at the molecular
scale. The research collaboration is pursuing molecular electronics as a technology
that could augment silicon-based integrated circuits within the decade and eventually
replace them. Most experts believe silicon technology will reach its physical
and economic limits by about 2012. Today's chip manufacturing process involves
multiple, expensive precision steps to create the complex patterns of wires
that define the computer circuit. The HP and UCLA invention proposes the use
of a simple grid of wires -- each wire just a few atoms wide -- connected by
electronic switches a single molecule thick.
For more information, visit: <http://www.ucla.edu>.
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Firm Adapts University Content for Corporations
E-learning company Cenquest signed deals with IBM and Microsoft to develop
online university-based education programs for their employees. In each case,
Cenquest is working with an established university to augment a degree program's
curriculum with company-specific content. IBM staff can earn a master's degree
in technology commercialization from the University of Texas at Austin; Microsoft
employees are participating in accredited technology management courses from
Oregon Health & Science University. Cenquest said the programs will allow
corporations to gain unprecedented control over their investment dollars currently
spent in tuition-reimbursed education programs.
For more information, visit: <http://www.ic2.org/msdegree>.
Cornell to Use Sallie Mae's e-Commerce Suite
Cornell University said it would use the Net Pay e-commerce product suite from
Sallie Mae, including its Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment (EBPP) system,
Electronic Payment Gateway, Advance Payment System, and Statement Processing.
The systems are designed to streamline transactions between students, parents,
alumni and the institution. Peter Olcott, Cornell's bursar, said, "our
students increasingly insist on electronic payment options." The Net Pay
system enables students and parents to receive and pay their tuition, telephone,
housing and other bills on-line and in real time.
San Diego State Picks Voice Recognition System
San Diego State University and California National University of San Diego
have installed the IntelliSpeech speech recognition application from System
Development Company, Inc., a supplier of PC-based attendant consoles and directory
systems. The software provides a telephone directory database accessible via
the spoken word. Callers can say the name of the person they wish to speak with,
have access to multiple end-points for connectivity -- including pagers and
cell phones -- and use a "barge in" feature allowing users to connect
to the person they wish to speak with rather than listening to lengthy welcome
messages.
For more information, visit: <http://www.sdsu.edu>.
e-Learning Firm Readies Section 508 Compliance
e-Learning software developer SmartForce said 5,000 hours of its e-learning
content conforms with the accessibility standards under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation
Act. Section 508 requires government agencies to ensure its employees and other
people with disabilities have equal access to IT services. The company has worked
with Octavia Corp. since last June to make its content and "learning paths"
accessible using screen readers and other assistive technologies. The partnership
will yield other accessibility approaches, including accessibility reviews,
consulting, training, and legacy content conversion and remediation, the companies
said.
Palm Forms OS Unit; 20 Million Devics Sold
Palm, Inc. has formed a Palm OS subsidiary, separating the company's device
and operating system businesses. Under the new structure, Palm will license
the Palm operating system as the foundation for its handhelds. Several leading
handheld computer makers, including Acer, HandEra, Handspring, Kyocera, Palm,
Samsung, and Sony, have licensed the operating system for their devices. The
company also announced that it had sold 20 million Palm units.
United Negro College Tech Fund Raises $86 Million
The United Negro College Fund said it raised over $86 million to provide access
to computers and technology at 39 UNCF member institutions and historically
black colleges. UNCF president and CEO William H. Gray said the fund would help
"ensure that all students and faculty at historically black colleges and
universities are prepared for the globally competitive economy of the 21st century
and have access to computers and technology." The organization also said
its members can purchases computers at steep discounts via the UNCF Web site.
For more information, visit: <http://www.uncf.org>.
Truck Maker Gives $250,000 For West Point Lab
Stewart & Stevenson Services, Inc., a Houston maker of military vehicles,
donated $250,000 to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to start an Acquisition
Management and System Design Laboratory in the Department of Systems Engineering.
The lab will be the focus for teaching facility design and production management.
Lab tools will enable cadets to develop case studies and analyze the integration
of technologies into existing and future combat systems. Stewart & Stevenson
has made the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) for the U.S. military
since 1991.
3D Browser Lets Users See Web Content History
A software developer released a what it calls a three-dimensional Internet
browser that enables users to view up to 16 web pages at a time and view the
back-history of the pages visually. The Browse3D browser from Chantilly, Va.-based
Browse3D Corp., would also let users save pages by making them "sticky"
to create "rooms of current research" and save those rooms into single
compact files. Bert Biles, who serves as a ''technology scout'' for Kansas State
University, called the browser "a real break-through product … the
ability to capture and save selected Web pages, groups of Web pages, and complete
visual navigational paths through the Internet helps make searches more effective
and provides a valuable tool for organizing and sharing Internet-based research."
For more information, visit: <www.browse3d.com>.
Gratz College Announces Online Courses
Gratz College, the oldest independent college of Jewish studies in the western
hemisphere, has announced registration for five online course for the spring
2002 academic term. Interested students can take the courses for credit toward
a Gratz College credential, undergraduate or graduate transfer credit, or for
general study. Each course will be taught by a Gratz College professor and will
meet in real-time, weekly, in the evening. Students must be available at class
times and have access to a computer with speakers.
For more information, visit: <http://www.gratzcollege.edu>.