OPINION

Say Goodbye to Radar Detectors?

Terry Calhoun, IT Trends Commentator
Society for College and University Planning (SCUP)
University of Michigan

CAMPUS I/T NEEDS TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE COURT BATTLES ENTERTAINMENT COMPANIES ARE WAGING TO CURB P2P

In my youth, I was a fast driver. I would zip around the Midwest at 85-95 mph in a variety of cars, including my two favorites: a 1965 red, 4-door Corvair and a yellow (with black vinyl top) 1967 Camaro. Now that the latest neurological research shows that my adult decision-making faculties were not yet developed (That apparently happens at about age 25 and I can truly flash back to a number of instances which should have killed me.) I have my excuse and I can admit the error of my ways. I was appalled, however, when the first radar detectors came out because I could never understand how a tool that was clearly designed only to evade law enforcement could be legal. Even during the time when, one summer, I evaded an Ohio State Highway Patrol aircraft's surveillance by driving up under a pavilion and hiding out for half an hour, I refused to have anything to do with radar detectors. I do like to make digital copies of things, though . . .

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IT NEWS

Let's Focus on the Theft, Not the Identity

Latanya Sweeney, an associate professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University regularly Googles for people's identities. But not to steal them. Some make the point that calling it 'identity theft' misses the point and loses the battle. (Boston Globe)
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Boston College Warns 120,000 Alumni on Social Security IDs

Boston College Warns 120,000 Alumni on Social Security IDs Other Boston-area colleges hastened to let their constituencies know that Social Security numbers on their campuses are 'need-to-know' items that are not regularly used for the identification of students and not at risk. (Boston.com)
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Central Michigan IT Not Policing Students Surfing Porn

Central Michigan say stopping students from using campus IT sites to view porn is not a priority and that free speech issues may not even permit them to.
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Yes, You Can Take It All with You

No longer leading edge, USB drives are in the hands, pockets, and purses of everyone - creating new productivity and also new security risks. (USA Today)
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Indiana State University Mulls Laptop Requirement

If the eventual plan is put into effect, the entering freshmen class of '06 or '07 will be the first to feel its implementation.
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RESOURCES

Community Source Project Background

How do open source projects like Kuali and Sakai work? Read articles that help explain the process on the Community Source Website.
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What Influences TV Reception

Why d'es moving your hands in front of the TV or radio antenna influence the reception? Well, read this brief article from Scientific American and get the scoop. (Scientific American)
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DEALS, CONTRACTS, AWARDS

Kuali Project Gets $2.5M Grant

In addition to the grant, several new partner institutions are paying from $500k to $2M each to join the coalition for open source campus Financial software. The software will compete with similar software from Datatel, Oracle, and SungardSC. (Kualiproject.org)
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