News Update March 8, 2005
CT News Update:
An Online Newsletter from Campus Technology
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* Introducing Adobe Acrobat 7.0
http://info.101com.com/default.asp?id=13292
* Growing, Maintaining and Securing Wireless Networks:
Two Schools Meet the Challenge
http://info.101com.com/default.asp?id=13293
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News for Tuesday, March 8, 2005
* NYU Creates First Academic Center for Crisis Management
* Accounting Profs Back Standard Computerized CPA Exam
* ITWomen Scholarship Backs Women Entering High Tech
* New Products: IBM Intros Web Accessibility Solutions
* College Winners of ‘3-D’ Redesign Contest Announced
* Firm Unveils Post Graduate ‘Salary Predictor’ Tool on Web
* Mega College Videogame Tour Set to Invade U.S. Campuses
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Introducing Adobe Acrobat 7.0
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http://info.101com.com/default.asp?id=13292
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NYU Creates First Academic Center for Crisis Management
New York University has created the International
Center for Enterprise Preparedness, or InterCEP,
an academic center that will be focused solely on
private-sector crisis management and business
continuity.
With initial funding provided by the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security (DHS), the new Center has been
charged with advancing an "all-hazards strategy"
for businesses and other private sector organizations.
The Center's staff will direct research and public
education programs focusing on the best practices
in preparing the private sector to protect its
employees and minimize the impact of natural or
manmade crises.
Prominent among these efforts will be promoting
ways to implement voluntary national preparedness
guidelines. These include the National Fire
Prevention Association NFPA 1600 "Standard on
Disaster/Emergency Management and Business
Continuity," which has been designated an
American National Standard by the American
National Standards Institute (ANSI) and
acknowledged by Congress, DHS and the 9/11
Commission.
For more information visit:
http://www.nyu.edu/intercep
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Growing, Maintaining and Securing Wireless Networks:
Two Schools Meet the Challenge
Whether a campus has 2,900 or 29,000 students, when it comes to
wireless solutions both schools have something in common:
implementing wireless networks that attract students while
being affordable and secure. In this exclusive white paper
sponsored by Proxim, you'll learn how two schools worked
through the challenges of cost, implementation, maintenance,
and security.
Read about these pioneers in wireless networking at
http://info.101com.com/default.asp?id=13293
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Accounting Profs Endorse Standard Computerized CPA Exam
One hundred percent of university accounting professors
say the newly computerized Uniform Certified Public
Accounting Examination (CPA Exam) will give more
students the opportunity to pass and increase their
scores, according to a new survey.
The survey, conducted by the Boston Institute of
Finance (BIF), a developer of online education for
the financial services industry, indicates that
professors believe the greatest advantages of the
new test structure include: it's easier to focus
on and pass (100 perecent, its use of technology
(67 percent), and it gives the student the
opportunity to intensively study for one area
(48 percent). In addition, 81 percent of the
professors believe it will alter how students
study for the CPA exam but not necessarily how
they teach those students in the classroom.
"There is going to be an increase in online test
prep courses as it better mirrors the actual exam
and increases a student's ability to pass," said
Ben Carcio, vice president and general manager,
Boston Institute of Finance. "Students can
prepare for their exam with online test prep
and use technology to identify their strengths
and weaknesses, and adjust the focus of the
practice questions to help improve specific
scores."
ITWomen Scholarship Backs Women Entering High Tech
ITWomen, a Florida organization dedicated to the
advancement and development of women in technology,
announced the $4,000 ITWomen Charitable Foundation
College Scholarship 2005, available to women
pursuing careers in technology. ITWomen said the
goal of the scholarship is to “minimize the gender
gap in the technology field by promoting professional
education and training for women entering the field.”
The scholarship is available to graduating high
school senior girls who have been accepted or are
enrolled in a post secondary institution in Florida’s
Tri-County area (Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach).
One recipient per county will be selected. Each
recipient will receive a $1,000-a-year, renewable
scholarship for four years to finish their IT degree.
The selection is based on financial assistance,
program of study, and a 250-word essay describing
why the applicant is pursuing a degree in IT or a
related field.
Applications for the scholarships must be received
by March 31, 2005. To find more information about
the scholarships and ITWomen, please visit
http://www.itwomen.org.
New Products: IBM Intros Web Accessibility Solutions
IBM introduced a range of accessibility solutions
and developers' tools that it said would “open up
the Worldwide Web and other information technology
to the aging workforce and people with disabilities.”
The announcements, made at IBM’s annual PartnerWorld
Conference, include a talking Web browser – Home Page
Reader version 3.04 – a tool to test Web pages for
accessibility. Other tools are:
-- A Designer, which can check color contrast on page,
the ability of users to change the font size, and the
availability of links in the page to promote navigability.
The tool also checks the page's compliance with
accessibility guidelines.
-- Web Adapt 2 Me., which allows people who have low
vision, cognitive or mobility limitations to customize
the way that Web pages are presented. Users can change
the size of the text, increase the line spacing, and
convert the text and links to high-contrast colors
that are easier to see.
College Winners of ‘3-D’ Redesign Contest Announced
Winners of "Extreme Redesign: The 3D Printing
Challenge," a design and 3D printing contest for
high school and college students, were announced
last week. The contest, launched September 2004,
called for computer-aided-design (CAD) students to
submit creative, useful and innovative Extreme
Redesigns--anything from a new perspective on
an everyday product to a fresh vision for updating
a famous piece of art, animation or architecture.
"These students have incredibly innovative ideas.
They took simple problems and created simple
solutions," said Pete Van't Hoff, Extreme Redesign
judge and CAD department manager of Arctic Spas.
"As designers, we always look for the simplest
solution to a problem, because it's less
time-consuming and more cost-effective to implement.
These students did just that."
Winners in the Post Secondary Individual Category were:
First Place: Stair Climbing Robot
Designer: Mark Paul Kujawski
School: Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Second Place: Gum Case
Designer: Matt Sullivan
School: St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minn.
Third Place: Drill Jig
Designer: Aaron Deevers
School: Indian Hills Community College, Ottumwa, Iowa
Photos and descriptions of winning and runner-up
entries will be available Mon., March 14 at
http://www.dimensionprinting.com, which sponsored
the event.
Firm Unveils Post Graduate ‘Salary Predictor Tool’ on Web
CampusDirt.com, a “college choice website,” released a
beta version of a “Salary Predictor” tool that shows
the potential post-graduate income graduates from
nationally ranked universities can expect.
Salary data for the tool, which also features average
four-year costs at each school listed and "break even"
points for paying back college costs based on inputted
salaries, has been gathered from 45,000 college graduates
surveyed by CampusDirt.com since November, 2003.
Salary data is based solely on contributor responses and
is “informational” only and subject to error, the company
said. Currently in Beta test, the tool will complete its
full launch during second quarter, 2005.
For more information, visit:
http://www.campusdirt.com
Mega College Videogame Tour Set to Invade U.S. Campuses
Video game promoter Game Live Events announced its
latest college tour, which will stop at 25 campuses,
beginning last week at Washington State University in
Pullman, Wash., and running through April 28 at the
University of Arizona. Promoters said the overall
“enrollment” of the even is 500,000 students.
The tour will preview the latest video game gadgets
and programming, including, Fight Night Round 2,
MVP Baseball 2005, TimeSplitters Future Perfect,
and Burnout 3: Takedown, and the U.S. Army’s
“America's Army: Special Forces” PC game.
Information on the games and tour schedule
are available at: http://www.gameliveevents.com
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