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Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, an international nonprofit
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information technologies.
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TOP STORIES for February 23, 2000
Microsoft Chided as Antitrust Trial Draws to a Close
Internet2 Team Seeks Speedy Apps
US and Brussels in Breakthrough on Data Privacy
Tech-Driven Efficiency Spurs Economic Boom
ALSO
Michigan Town Nixes Library Web Filters
Major Copyright Holders Team Up to Lobby Congress on Piracy
Hackers' Web Weapons Test-Fired on Chat Sites
New Company Hopes to Score Big With Online Advanced Placement Courses
MICROSOFT CHIDED AS ANTITRUST TRIAL DRAWS TO A CLOSE
Closing arguments were heard Tuesday in the Microsoft antitrust
case, and the situation does not look promising for the software
giant. At one point Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson even likened
this case to the 1906 suit brought against John D. Rockefeller's
Standard Oil company, the first major antitrust case ever tried,
claiming he did not "really see a distinction" between the
damaging business strategies of Standard Oil and those of
Microsoft. Government attorneys argued that Microsoft is
ruthless and monopolistic in its business practices, stifling
competition and harming consumers, and pushed for harsh sanctions
that ultimately could include the breakup of Microsoft.
Attorneys for Microsoft insisted the corporation is merely a
tough competitor in a fast-paced and aggressive industry, one
whose products, including Windows, foster commerce and promote
market growth. Many antitrust experts feel the Justice
Department is the guaranteed victor and Microsoft is simply
trying to minimize its losses in this case rather than attempting
to turn the tide of sentiment in its favor.
(New York Times, 23 Feb 2000)
INTERNET2 TEAM SEEKS SPEEDY APPS
The Internet2 consortium is hosting a Land Speed Record
competition "for the most demanding end-to-end, bandwidth
intensive Internet applications in the world," with winners to be
announced March 29. The winning application will transmit the
most bits the greatest distance, says Internet2's Greg Wood.
Data-intensive applications, such as programs that transmit
terabytes of data or HDTV, are likely winners. Eventually,
Internet2 might enable tele-immersion applications that would let
holographic images of people interact in a virtual space, Wood
says. Four universities have formed the National Tele-Immersion
Initiative to help make this technology a reality, and the group
is now working on a way to send 3D data over two-way Internet
links. Another university group called the Research Channel has
already used Internet2 to send high-quality video. Last November
the Research Channel used Internet2 to transmit five simultaneous
HDTV streams that totaled 1 Gbps, says the group's Amy Philipson.
(PC World Online, 22 Feb 2000)
US AND BRUSSELS IN BREAKTHROUGH ON DATA PRIVACY
The U.S. and European Union have reached a tentative consensus on
their long-standing disagreement over the EU's data privacy
directive. The finer details of the agreement remain to be
ironed out, but the EU has agreed to go along with the U.S. "safe
harbor" proposal and has found a policy of enforcement that it is
comfortable with. "We've had a breakthrough on enforcement
issues with regard to data on EU subjects," said John Mogg, the
EU's internal market director-general. The two sides have agreed
on standards that will be used to determine if a U.S. company is
eligible to be included on the safe harbor list, as well as on
the penalties for companies that fail to follow the privacy
rules. U.S. companies could be prosecuted under criminal law for
not following the agreed-to privacy guidelines, said David Aaron,
U.S. undersecretary for electronic commerce.
(Financial Times, 23 Feb 2000)
TECH-DRIVEN EFFICIENCY SPURS ECONOMIC BOOM
Productivity rose significantly at U.S. businesses in the second
half of 1999, and experts attribute the increase to investments
in technology. The 5 percent productivity increase in the second
half of 1999 is the largest gain since 1992, the government
reported earlier this month, noting that productivity for the
year jumped 2.9 percent. Companies are using technology to
finish work faster and with fewer workers, without raising
inflation. Experts had wondered why productivity grew so slowly
after the 1970s, with the U.S. investing trillions in computers
and technology. Now experts say the number of computers in homes
and offices has reached a critical mass, and people have
increased their knowledge of technology. In addition, experts
say this is just the beginning of the productivity gains, and the
changes will become more dramatic as the Internet matures and
revolutionizes business. (Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb 2000)
=======================================
MICHIGAN TOWN NIXES LIBRARY WEB FILTERS
The citizens of Holland, Mich., have decided that Internet
filters have no place in the town's public library, voting 4,379
to 3,626 against a measure that would have required computers in
the library to be equipped with Internet filters. The filters
would have barred users from viewing pornography and other
material on the Internet, but the conservative, largely
Republican town of 30,745 voted against restraining the public's
ability to access information on the Web.
(Newsbytes, 23 Feb 2000)
MAJOR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS TEAM UP TO LOBBY CONGRESS ON PIRACY
An alliance of some 30 groups and associations have announced
plans to fight piracy on the Internet by creating the Copyright
Assembly, a lobbying group that will "preserve, protect, and
defend the sanctity and concept of copyright from all intruders."
Members of the alliance include the Motion Picture Association of
America (MPAA), the American Association of Advertising
Executives, NASCAR, the National College Athletic Association,
the Recording Industry of America, and the Newspaper Association
of America. The group announced its intentions in a letter to
Congress, without recommending legislation on the matter of
online copyright protection. Addressing the issue of Internet TV
broadcasts last week, MPAA President Jack Valenti cautioned
against the hasty implementation of legislation.
(New York Times Online, 22 Feb 2000)
HACKERS' WEB WEAPONS TEST-FIRED ON CHAT SITES
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) networks, the Web equivalent of CB
radio, are subnets that are comprised of dozens of servers
worldwide, allowing for the discussion of an enormous range of
topics in real time. However, because log-ins can be conducted
anonymously, some of these networks have become the domain of
hackers, who trade information, pirated software, attack
programs, and brag about their exploits. IRC networks also
become victims of attacks that are tested on them first, and then
used on more mainstream Web sites. The denial-of-service attacks
that hit sites such as Yahoo! several weeks ago were tested on
IRC sites long ago. Although investigators are patrolling the
IRC to try to gather information about those attacks, the
networks are still hit daily with similar attacks. This has led
many universities, which used to host IRC services on their
computers, to drop the services, leaving the private sector to
take up the slack. The constant barrage of attacks on IRC sites
has caused eight companies to leave the industry in the last
year, and now less than 40 companies provide IRC networks.
(Washington Post, 19 Feb 2000)
NEW COMPANY HOPES TO SCORE BIG WITH ONLINE ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES
More than 40 percent of the country's high schools do not offer
Advanced Placement (AP) courses, because many have trouble hiring
qualified teachers or cannot afford the classes, according to the
College Board. Apex Learning offers online AP instruction for
high schools. The company has four courses--microeconomics,
calculus, government, and statistics--available this year in
about 100 schools nationwide. Apex's online competitors include a
number of university-based nonprofit programs, as well as PA
Homeschoolers and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Class.com.
In Washington, over 300 students and 53 schools are in online AP
courses, with roughly 80 percent using Apex courses, at the cost
of $395 per semester course per student. Michigan Virtual
University vice president Jamey T. Fitzpatrick says Apex could be
key in improving the participation of Michigan students in AP
tests; 45 percent of the state's high schools do not have access
to AP curricula. (Education Week, 16 Feb 2000)
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UPCOMING EDUCAUSE CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS:
New Learning Strategies
February 29, 2000, Charlotte, North Carolina
https://www.conted.vt.edu/nls.htm
The New England Regional Computing Program (NERCOMP)
March 19-21, 2000, Sturbridge, Massachusetts
http://www.educause.edu/nercomp/
Networking 2000: Policy Issues for the New Millennium
March 30-31, 2000, Washington, D.C.
http://www.educause.edu/netatedu/contents/events/mar2000/
CUMREC 2000
May 14-17, 2000, Arlington, Virginia
http://www.cumrec.org/cumrec2000/
For additional information on all EDUCAUSE conferences see
http://www.educause.edu/conference/conf.html
For information on other technology-related
educational conferences see
http://www.educause.edu/ir/events.html
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OTHER EDUCAUSE PUBLICATIONS
EDUCAUSE REVIEW is a bimonthly print magazine on information
technology and education. U.S. subscriptions are $24 a year.
CAUSE/EFFECT is a quarterly practitioner's journal about
managing and using information resources on college and
university campuses. U.S. subscriptions are $52 a year.
For additional information on these and other EDUCAUSE
publications see: http://www.educause.edu/pub/pubs.html
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