1. Monthly archive
  2. August 2002

August 2002

Communications-Related Headlines for August 30, 2002

INTERNET
Field Trip Into the Deep Blue Sea
Riding the Internet's Fast Lane
Meet Mr. Anti-Google

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Open-Source Government: New IT Solution

INTERNET

FIELD TRIP INTO THE DEEP BLUE SEA
The University of Washington is hoping to secure the $250 million required
to install a new underwater networking project. The NEPTUNE Project, which
stands for North East Pacific Time-series Undersea Network Experiments, will
use 3,000 kilometers of fiber-optic cable to connect underwater cameras and
recording equipment to the Internet. The images and sounds will be streamed
to universities, laboratories, aquariums, museums and schools. One of the
project's goals is to use the marine data to develop curricula and
activities for schoolchildren. Neptune's cable will be placed along the Juan
de Fuca tectonic plate and will stretch from British Columbia to California.

[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Robin Clewley]
(http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,54723,00.html)

RIDING THE INTERNET'S FAST LANE
[Commentary] Technology consultant Bill Thompson discusses how widespread
access to broadband services could change they way the Internet is used. The
key advantage of broadband is that the connection is always active, thus
making any Web activity faster and easier for the user. Web surfers can
check their email, the weather forecast, stay in touch with friends or watch
an event via a Webcam without having to dialup and wait for a connection.
Thompson criticizes the government's historical stance that broadband
development be left up to free market forces. He praises recent actions from
the Office of Government Computing focused on persuading telecommunications
companies to make broadband more widely available.
[SOURCE: BBC News, AUTHOR: Bill Thompson]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2225546.stm)

MEET MR. ANTI-GOOGLE
Webmaster Daniel Brandt has created a Web site, www.google-watch.org, to
share his accusations that Google's search engine algorithm is "uniquely
tyrannical." His home page greets new visitors with the phrase, "A look at
how Google's monopoly, algorithms, and privacy policies are undermining the
Web." Brandt previously spent thousands of hours creating another Web site,
Namebase.org, that continues to receive a lower page ranking on Google than
he believes he is entitled. While one could discount Brandt's situation as
personal, his complaints call attention to the larger issue of Google's
authority as a search engine. Brandt claims that the Google algorithm
discriminates against new Web sites and favors established sites. "You could
almost argue that without good search engines the value of the Internet
would be extremely diminished," he said. "They are to the Internet as the
power company is to your daily life."
[SOURCE: Salon, AUTHOR: Farhad Manjoo]
(http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/08/29/google_watch/index.html?x)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

OPEN-SOURCE GOVERNMENT: NEW IT SOLUTION
In California, a fight is brewing over open source software. There's no
question that over the years a lot of money has been spent on software
licenses and expensive software upgrades for proprietary software. Backers
of legislation known as the Digital Software Security Act advocate the
exclusive use of open source software to save tax dollars. They claim it
would also yield more secure and reliable software, as there are many more
open-source programmers than any proprietary vendor has. On the other side
of the debate, a group called the Initiative for Software Choice says that
any restrictions on government software purchases based on source code
amounts to discrimination, and also prevents government from using the most
popular commercial programs. Open source expert Bruce Perens has struck a
middle ground between the two sides. Perens suggests delineating the exact
parts of the state's IT infrastructure that must remain open. Beyond that,
he argues, agencies would be free to purchase whatever they needed, so long
as the software maintained interoperability with open source parts of the
infrastructure.
[SOURCE: San Fransisco Chronicle, AUTHOR: Hal Plotkin]
(http://www.sfgate.com/technology/beat/)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Communications-Related Headlines for August 29, 2002

EDTECH
Schools, Tech: Still Struggling
Bridging the Tech-Education Gap
Establishing An Education Technology Initiative In Ghana

INTERNET
Killing the College Radio Star
American Wireless Web Usage Nears 10 Million, Survey Says

EDTECH

SCHOOLS, TECH: STILL STRUGGLING
Thanks to the e-rate, the vast majority of students and schools in America
have Internet access. But what, realistically, can be done with the
technology? There is no universal formula for how to use new technologies to
raise achievement or test scores. Every school is different. But there are
some critical factors that must be in place for successful use of
technology. At the top are teacher training and support, adequate equipment
and solid infrastructures. "What a lot of people out there arguing don't
realize is that it takes time to get equipment in place, to provide staff
with training and to change the way they are operating in the classroom,"
said Crystal Priest, a school technology coordinator in rural Maine.
"Technology is a tool," added Priest, "It's not an answer for every problem,
and it's not the answer for every kid. But just like any other tool, if you
use it well, you're going to see a good return."
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Katie Dean]
http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,54682,00.html)

BRIDGING THE TECH-EDUCATION GAP
According to a recent study by Grunwald Associates, many parents and kids
believe that technology can help provide a better education. "Across all
income levels there's a whole lot of faith and hope that technology is going
to help parents achieve their aspirations for their kids," said Peter
Grunwald, president of Grunwald Associates. But often, parents' hi-tech
hopes put pressure on schools to have technology before the school can
legitimately use it. Some parents focus on the student-to-computer ratio
rather than on what the school is doing with the computers. For computers to
have any beneficial effect, say educators, the technology has to be
integrated into the curriculum.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Katie Dean]
(http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,54791,00.html)

ESTABLISHING AN EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE IN GHANA
Dr. Pharra DeWindt, an American teacher from Buffalo, New York, partnered
with Ghanaian educators to establish an online cultural exchange between her
students and theirs. Dr. De Windt established a pen-pal exchange between her
11-to-15 year-old American students and a group of students at the Agona
Duakwa Islamic Secondary School in Ghana. After a year of paper and pen
correspondence, Dr. De Windt traveled to Ghana to set up a real time chat
between the students using NetMeeting software. It was first time the
Ghanaian youth had used computer technology.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Dr. Pharra DeWindt]
(http://www.digitalopportunity.org/fulltext/dewindt20020827.shtml)

INTERNET

KILLING THE COLLEGE RADIO STAR
College radio isn't about numbers - it's about fun. For student radio
stations across the country, that fun may be short-lived. Thousands of
college radio stations that broadcast over the Internet are wondering how
they will pay for upgrades required to comply with new webcasting licensing
rules. The Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel (CARP) ruled in June that
webcasters would have to pay record companies for the right to broadcast
music. But this requires tracking every song streamed - perfectly possible
with computer hardware and software, but also an added expense. Part of the
problem is that CARP is unlikely to allow a long enough transition period
for small volunteer-run college stations to acquire equipment and change
their record keeping procedures.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Brad King]
(http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,54726,00.html)

AMERICAN WIRELESS WEB USAGE NEARS 10 MILLION, SURVEY SAYS
While wireless Internet usage is still at an early stage, there is already a
significant audience for it, according to a survey by comScore Networks. The
survey, released Wednesday, said the number of people in the U.S. who use
personal digital assistants or mobile phones to go online is nearing 10
million. The majority of wireless Internet users are men, and they also tend
to have higher incomes. While men make up only 48% of the overall Internet
population, they are 72% of those who use PDAs or mobile phones to go
online. Nearly 60% of those using mobile phones and PDAs to go online have
an annual household income of more than $60,000.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Ross Snel (Dow Jones Newswires)]
(http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1030569945976766875,00.html?mod=technolo
gy_main_whats_news)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Communications-Related Headlines for August 28, 2002

DIGITAL DIVIDE
China Dissidents Thwarted on Net
Intel Chief, in Vietnam, Says Everyone Should Have Right To
Information
Beyond Access Lies a Passion for Technology

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Gateway Campaign Champions Music Downloads

DIGITAL DIVIDE

CHINA DISSIDENTS THWARTED ON NET
As Chinese dissidents attempt to use the Internet to bring democratic change
to their society, a recent study concludes that strict government control
and limited access are significant barriers. The RAND report, "You've Got
Dissent," said there is a significant Chinese "digital divide," with only 33
million of China's population of 1.2 billion online. The authors also
observed that the Chinese government uses the Internet to keep an eye on
activists. Chinese dissidents, including Tibetan exiles, democracy activists
and members of the banned Falun Gong meditation sect, use many different
methods to spread their messages. But using the Web has become more
difficult due to government measures, including a crack down on unlicensed
Internet cafes. According to the report, at least 25 Chinese have been
arrested in the past two years due to their online activities.
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,54789,00.html)

INTEL CHIEF, IN VIETNAM, SAYS EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION
Intel CEO Craig Barrett discussed the value of an open Internet with
students at Vietnam's top technology university. "One thing that's important
in the world today is the right of each citizen to information," he said.
"That aspect of the Internet probably far outweighs any negative aspect." In
Vietnam, the government controls all media. It recently laid down new
restrictions that include hefty penalties for Internet cafe owners who do
not block anti-government Web sites. The Ministry of Post and
Telecommunications shut down an Internet site early this month for posting
anti-government opinions.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/3954194.htm)

BEYOND ACCESS LIES A PASSION FOR TECHNOLOGY
Founded in 2000, WiredWoods, a Massachusetts nonprofit, has found ways to
bridge the digital divide in the relaxed environment of a traditional summer
camp. The program services middle school children from inner-city Boston and
New York and their surrounding low-income suburbs. In addition to
traditional camp activities, campers are offered a project-based, technology
curriculum to give them a fresh perspective about computers and technology
careers. After the summer camp, WiredWoods works to steer the kids toward
continuing to use technology in their home communities. "I believe that
sparking a passion for creating with-not just consuming-technology is the
key to helping underserved youth succeed in the digital age," said Paul
Deninger, founder of Wired Woods. "If we move beyond access and give all
children the opportunity to communicate creatively with computers, we truly
unleash the power of technology and begin to address the issue of digital
inequality."
[SOURCE: Digital Divide Network, AUTHOR: Dana White]
(http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org/content/stories/index.cfm?key=255)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

GATEWAY CAMPAIGN CHAMPIONS MUSIC DOWNLOADS
Gateway has launched a U.S. campaign advocating for the freedom to download
digital music. The campaign includes TV commercials, Web sites and free
computer training at 100 Gateway stores. While Compaq, Dell and Apple have
been promoting CD-burners to boost their business, none are pushing for
consumer rights in their ad campaigns. Recording Industry Association of
America President Hilary Rosen has accused Gateway of attempting to profit
from digital piracy. "If only they would devote a little bit of the millions
of the dollars they are spending on this ad campaign to stop illegal
downloading.... But that wouldn't help them sell more CD burners, would it?"
Gateway spokesman Greg Lund responded, "We feel we are taking a firm step
toward allowing people to really use the music that they purchase." The
Gateway classes teach consumers how to download music legally, cover
copyright law and how teach users how to access subscription MP3 Web sites.
In contrast to the RIAA's claims that music downloads have resulted in
declining sales, a recent study by Gateway said that nearly three-fourths of
consumers who download music say they spend the same amount or more on music
purchases.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Katie Nelson]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2002-08-27-gateway-music_x.htm
)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Communications-Related Headlines for August 27, 2002

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Edtech Crusaders Seek D.C. Bucks
Uganda's UNAB Opens up a Computer Institute for the Blind
Hindi "Chatbot" Breaks New Ground

PIRACY
RIAA: Feeling Burn of Ripped CDs

DIGITAL DIVIDE

EDTECH CRUSADERS SEEK D.C. BUCKS
The Digital Promise project advocates a greater investment in the research
and development of educational technology. The group is seeking to create a
Digital Opportunity Investment Trust (DO IT), which would be financed by
revenue generated from the auction of spectrum. "The payoffs are so broad
for society," said Henry Kelly, president of the Federation of American
Scientists and a support of the trust. Kelly points out that computers and
Internet connectivity are widely available, but content is not. Funds
funneled into DO IT would be made available as grants to fund development of
new learning simulations and models. Grants would also be awarded for
workforce development, adult learning and teacher training. DO IT would also
fund the digitizing of materials in museums, libraries and universities
across the country, making these materials readily available to anyone with
an Internet connection.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Katie Dean]
(http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,54543,00.html)

UGANDA'S UNAB OPENS UP A COMPUTER INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND
The Uganda National Association for the Blind (UNAB) has created an
institute for visually impaired people to learn how to use computers. The
institute's introductory class teaches students to navigate a computer's
operating system and how to use basic word processing features. After
mastering these skills, students are trained in the use of software that
enables them to scan printed material (such as books and documents) for the
computer to read aloud. While the project was set up to equip blind people
with digital skills, the center is open to all people. UNAB encourages
anyone without computer skills to seek training at the center.
[SOURCE: All Africa, AUTHOR: Catherine Ntabadde, New Vision]
(http://allafrica.com/stories/200208260276.html)

HINDI "CHATBOT" BREAKS NEW GROUND
Computer science students in Chandigarh, a city in northern India, have
developed an interactive software program that can converse intelligently
with people. Called Deepti, the "chatbot" program uses natural language to
interact with people. "Deepti speaks in Hindi, and since the majority of
people in India are computer illiterate and don't speak English, this
feature is really great," explains Ritvik Shajpal, one of the chatbot's
developers. The developers hope that, combined with touch-screen technology,
Deepti will provide computer accessibility to people with little or no
knowledge of computers. They are optimistic about Deepti's future, saying
that the program and its source code should be ready for release within four
months. The developers hope that making their research available freely will
encourage further research and improvements on Deepti.
[SOURCE: BBC News, AUTHOR: Alfred Hermida]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2209775.stm)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

RIAA: FEELING BURN OF RIPPED CDs
In a new report, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) claims
an increase in music downloads and piracy resulted in a seven percent drop
in CD sales during the first six months of this year. "There are numerous
red flags and warning bells that illustrate conclusively the harmful impact
of illegal downloading on today's music industry," said RIAA President Cary
Sherman. According to the study, consumers of music on the Internet are
downloading more files and burning more CDs. However, the study does not
report on specific reasons for the increases, and ignores the impact of
online subscription services such as PressPlay and MusicNet. According to
GartnerG2 analyst P.J. McNealy, "The music industry is going through another
disruptive technology period like it did 30 years ago, and it will take some
time to reverse revenues back in the right direction."
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Brad King]
(http://www.wired.com/news/mp3/0,1285,54773,00.html)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Communications-Related Headlines for August 26, 2002

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Disabled Make Themselves Heard

INTERNET
Judge Dismisses BT's Internet Patent Suit
Online School Faces Expulsion
From Unseemly To Lowbrow, The Web's Real Money Is In The Gutter

DIGITAL DIVIDE

DISABLED MAKE THEMSELVES HEARD
The Drake Music Project is using technology to help musicians with
disabilities create music. The project has developed its own software,
called E-scape, to allow musicians to punch in notes one key at a time using
a pad placed at their head. E-scape allows users to scroll down a menu that
lets them add notes and create different tracks using a variety of sounds.
Technology like E-scape is constantly evolving to meet the needs of
musicians in the project. But project participants point out that what need
upgrading more than the technology is the music industry's perception of
disabled musicians.
[SOURCE: BBC News, AUTHOR: Mark Eddo]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2211744.stm)

INTERNET

JUDGE DISMISSES BT'S INTERNET PATENT SUIT
BT Group PLC (formerly British Telecom) has lost a case against Prodigy.
BT, who has claimed that it invented hyperlinking, used the suit against
Prodigy as a test case in an effort to receive money from every U.S.
Internet service provider. BT has owned the patent since 1989, but only
discovered that it owned the patent in 1996. U.S. District Judge Colleen
McMahon ruled that neither Prodigy nor the Internet itself infringed the
patent. In her opinion, the judge states, "No jury could find that Prodigy
infringes [the BT patent], either as a part of the Internet or on its Web
server viewed separate and apart from the Internet." Judge McMahon has
interpreted the patent to cover "a system in which multiple users, located
at remote terminals, can access data stored at a central computer. The data
is received by the remote terminals via the telephone lines." Since Judge
McMahon found that the Internet has no "central computer," she dismissed the
case.
[SOURCE: International Herald Tribune, AUTHOR: Bloomberg News]
(http://www.iht.com/articles/68644.html)

ONLINE SCHOOL FACES EXPULSION
Boards of Education and teacher associations are eager to see if new
hearings investigating the virtual school, Einstein Academy, will result in
a revocation of the school's charter. Teachers at the virtual school send
assignments online to students in their homes and interact with students
over the Internet and via telephone. Students are provided with a free
computer and Internet access and parents are required to monitor the child's
progress. Pennsylvania's Morrisville School District has alleged that the
online school refused to comply with educational standards and regulations
that include providing special education services, establishing a physical
presence within the school district and avoiding poor accounting practices.
Einstein has also been charged with misappropriations of public funds,
reckless spending and extortion. "We told them what to do in order to
survive, and they just wouldn't do it," said Morrisville's school
superintendent John Gould, who was instrumental in getting the school's
charter approved. Many education associations are hoping to use Einstein's
failure as fuel for their arguments against creating independent
cyberschools that operate beyond the reach of board regulations.
[SOURCE: WIRED, AUTHOR: John Gartner]
(http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,54737,00.html)

FROM UNSEEMLY TO LOWBROW, THE WEB'S REAL MONEY IS IN THE GUTTER
More and more Internet users are complaining that spam, pornography,
questionable e-commerce sites and pyramid schemes have swamped the Web. "We
will lose the Internet if we don't save it," says science fiction author
Bruce Sterling. Despite the recent grumbling, many believe that the increase
in lowbrow content is just part of the process as a new industry matures.
Safa Rashtchy, an analyst with U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray said, "Every
industry has its charlatans and e-commerce is getting its share. I don't see
evidence that it is more than you would expect, especially in a new
industry." Many see the Internet's diversity as a plus. Brewster Kahle,
creator of the Wayback Machine, a popular Internet archive, said he
preferred a complex ecosystem to a monoculture. Several projects are
underway to put more high-quality content on the Web, including Project
Gutenberg, which has put 400 books online, and the Million Books Project,
which hopes to create an online home for major works available in the public
domain.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: John Schwartz]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/26/technology/26CYBE.html)
(Requires registration)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Communications-Related Headlines for August 23, 2002

ADVERTISING
Restrictions on Political Ads are Eased for Text Messaging

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Appalachia's Technology Economy Faces Big Hurdles, Study Finds
Radio in Use for Community Empowerment in Rural India

EDTECH
Danish Group Writing How-To Books for Schools Interested in Linux

ADVERTISING

RESTRICTIONS ON POLITICAL ADS ARE EASED FOR TEXT MESSAGING
The Federal Election Commission has moved to make it easier for political
campaigns to send text ads to cell phones and hand-held devices. Paving the
way for a new form of political advertising, the Commission approved the
request of Target Wireless to waive the normally mandatory disclaimer
identifying who paid for political ads when the messages are transmitted to
cell phones. Disclaimers are required under federal election law so viewers
know who paid for a political ad. Target requested a waiver because text
messages on most hand-held devices are only capable of containing 160
characters and disclosure requirements would use up too much of limited text
space.
(http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1030057667242394395,00.html?mod=technolo
gy_main_whats_news)
(requires subscription)
See Also:
SHORT-TEXT MESSAGING MAY GET BOOST AS POLITICAL AD VEHICLE
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Brian Krebs]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45717-2002Aug21.html)

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

APPALACHIA'S TECHNOLOGY ECONOMY FACES BIG HURDLES, STUDY FINDS
According to a study by the University of North Carolina Office of Economic
Development, the mountainous Appalachian region of the U.S. must leap a
series of sizable hurdles to get its technology economy running at the same
pace as the rest of the nation. Occupying a rural area spreading 200,000
square miles across 13 states, Appalachia's technology sector is small,
growing only two-thirds as fast as the region's overall economy between 1989
and 1998. The report's authors point to shortages of entrepreneurs,
scientists, university education and public/private sector research, which
continue to hamper the region's ability to develop a technology-centered
economy. While many state-funded programs are trying to develop the area's
high-tech economy, the report says, few are focused on the two areas
projected to grow fastest in the next decade: information technology and
biotechnology.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Gavin McCormick]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43912-2002Aug21.html)

RADIO IN USE FOR COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT IN RURAL INDIA
In Palamau, a district in rural India, Leelawati is one of three rural women
in a group of 14 local reporters working for Palamau's community radio
project. After a recent outbreak of dysentery in the district, Leelawati
quizzed a local doctor on preventive measures that the villagers should
adopt. These are early days for community radio in the 45 villages of
Palamau. In August 2001, two local NGOs -- Alternatives for India
Development (AID) and Manthan Yuva Sangathan -- joined together to launch
Chala Ho Gaon Mein, a half-hour community broadcast on All India Radio. For
the first time, villagers from this area are participating in a community
initiative and are getting to hear their own voices on the radio. In these
villages that go dark after sunset -- they lack both electricity and local
telephone service -- the radio is their only link with the outside world.
[SOURCE: The Digital Opportunity Channel, AUTHOR: Nandita Roy, OneWorld
Radio]
(http://www.digitalopportunity.org/news/)

EDTECH

DANISH GROUP WRITING HOW-TO BOOKS FOR SCHOOLS INTERESTED IN LINUX
In Denmark, a group of education-minded Linux advocates has authored a book
aimed at technology coordinators in schools. The project, called Gnuskole
(GNU school), has so far produced one book, written in SGML, focusing on
setting up Internet and intranet servers using open-source software. The
book covers topics such as configuring Web servers and mail servers, as well
as setting up intranets that can "completely replace" Microsoft Windows. In
addition to cost savings, the authors believe that open-source programs and
Linux can help school computer systems to be more flexible and stable.
[SOURCE: News Forge]
(http://newsforge.com/newsforge/02/08/21/1451215.shtml?tid=23)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Communications-Related Headlines for August 22, 2002

INTERNET
IBM Grant Will Fund Web Site For Teachers
Internet To Reach South Pole
Recordings Of Basque Settlers Being Made Available On Net

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Info Technology As Tool For Sustainable Development
Gender Interests Divide Silver Surfers

INTERNET

IBM GRANT WILL FUND WEB SITE FOR TEACHERS
IBM has granted the San Jose Unified School District $1.5 million to fund
the second phase in the IBM Reinventing Education program. The money will
support a Web-based program that is designed to help teachers "reflect on
their practices," and provide easy access to classroom strategies and
support. Lesson plans based on state standards and information about
implementing the plans will also be available on the Web site.
Superintendent Linda Murray also noted that with the new Web site, "New
teachers can interact with experienced teachers."
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Larry Slonaker]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/local/3913795.htm)

INTERNET TO REACH SOUTH POLE
Soon, the Internet's reach will extend all the way to the South Pole. In
what will be one of the most dramatic and challenging engineering tasks ever
carried out in Antarctica, a fiber optic cable will be laid across nearly
2,000 kilometers of polar ice. It will take years to design and construct,
but when finished it will revolutionize communications with the South Pole.
The pole is the only permanently inhabited place on Earth that cannot see
geosynchronous communication satellites, a fact that severely restricts
communication with the base. The U.S. National Science Foundation has just
issued a request for companies to bid to build the trans-Antarctic fiber
optic line that can be useable by 2009.
[SOURCE: BBC Online]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2207259.stm)

RECORDINGS OF BASQUE SETTLERS BEING MADE AVAILABLE ON NET
An online history documentation project at the Center for Basque Studies at
the University of Nevada in Reno and the Basque Museum and Cultural Center
in Boise is bringing the voices and faces of Basque immigrants to their
descendents. Project members have interviewed hundreds of Basque immigrants
and translated records into digital files. The project Web site include
photographs, immigration documents and wedding certificates. "They can
actually hear their ancestors or relatives," said a spokeswoman for the
project. "What a fabulous thing for a young Basque American girl to hear her
grandmother talk about her experiences."
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/3915062.htm)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

INFO TECHNOLOGY AS TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) will present a report next week at the World
Summit on Sustainable Development, stating that information and
communication technology (ICT) will play a major role in sustainable
development, although it is unknown in what form. Dennis Pamlin, policy
advisor at WWF-Sweden, believes that the role of ICT will become clear
within the next decade. "It will then be known whether ICT is being utilized
towards sustainable development, or if is being used only by 'influential
groups' trying to exploit it to reap short-term gains," he said. The WWF
document states that ICT has yet to be utilized fully, and describes how it
could help "save energy through remote energy management of commercial and
residential buildings," as well as "curb the rapid growth of transportation
and business travel" through trade and videoconferences conducted via the
Internet.
[SOURCE: Yahoo News, AUTHOR: Gustavo Capdevila, Inter Press Service]
(http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/oneworld/20020822/wl_onewor
ld/1032_1030024123)

GENDER INTERESTS DIVIDE SILVER SURFERS
A recent study in Britain revealed that as more seniors get online, there is
a difference between how older men and women utilize the Internet. The
survey, conducted by ICM, found that men prefer to use the Web to pursue
hobbies and find information, whereas women see the Net as an alternative to
the telephone, using it to chat with friends and families. Part of a
three-year partnership project to bring technology to older people, the
survey found that were still many challenges to connecting older Britons to
the Internet. Two-thirds of men and women over 55 surveyed said they did not
have access to the Internet, and two-thirds of those had no intention of
going online.
[SOURCE: BBC Online]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2205941.stm)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Communications-Related Headlines for August 21, 2002

BROADBAND
AOL, AT&T Deal Expected To Help Both

INTERNET
A Sheep-ish Stab at E-Commerce
Media Giant Decries Net's "Moral-Free Zone"
Wireless Web Comes To Starbucks Shops

BROADBAND

AOL, AT&T DEAL EXPECTED TO HELP BOTH
AOL Time Warner will buy out AT&T's stake in AOL Time Warner's cable assets.
Dissolving the AOL Time Warner-AT&T partnership was necessary to remove a
regulatory restriction blocking the AT&T-Comcast merger. The deal would
enable AOL to offer high-speed service in 22 million more homes, or 36
percent of the cable market. AOL has struggled to grow in the cable
broadband market where it now can offer service only on Time Warner systems.

[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Paul Davidson]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techinvestor/techmergers/2002-08-20-aoltw-att_
x.htm)

INTERNET

MEDIA GIANT DECRIES NET'S "MORAL-FREE ZONE"
Peter Chernin, president of News Corp. spoke out against digital piracy,
online pornography and spam at an annual conference organized by the
Progress and Freedom Foundation. "The vast potential of broadband has so far
benefited nobody as clearly as it's benefited downloaders of pornography and
pirates of digital content." Chernin called for government action in
curtailing digital piracy and called the "prevalence of pornographic Web
sites and emails... an increasing reason to keep kids and families off the
Internet." Bruce Mehlman, an assistant secretary at the Commerce Department,
did not agree with Chernin. He said it may not be fair to blame technology
for social and political problems. Chernin said that many of the Internet's
challenges could be worked out over time.
[SOURCE: CNET News.com, AUTHOR: Declan McCullagh]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1023-954651.html?tag=cd_mh)

A SHEEP-ISH STAB AT E-COMMERCE
Customers on EthioGift, Ethiopia's leading e-commerce Web site, can send
gift packages -- such as medium sheep and a chocolate cake -- to friends and
family in Ethiopia. "Most Ethiopians are not used to giving flowers as a
gift, while sheep is a very common gift," said Dawit Bekele, the
Ethiopian-born computer science PhD who founded the site. Because of
Ethiopia's low Internet and credit-card penetration rates, virtually all the
orders come from Ethiopians living overseas, particularly in Europe and the
United States. Bekele says he would like to experiment with alternative
payment systems in an attempt to launch a collection of Web sites for local
merchants. A United Nations report on e-commerce in the developing world
published last December cited EthioGift as an example of how entrepreneurs
in developing nations are using the Internet in ways that contribute to
local economies.
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Joanna Glasner]
(http://www.wired.com/news/ebiz/0,1272,54360,00.html)

WIRELESS WEB COMES TO STARBUCKS SHOPS
Starbucks Corp. has teamed up with T-Mobile, the wireless division of
Deutsche Telekom AG and Hewlett-Packard, to build a wireless Internet
network. The goal is to open up 2,000 cafes through the United States and
Europe by the end of this year. While wireless networks have been very
popular with corporations and homeowners, they have been slow to develop in
public places. To encourage use of the networks, Hewlett-Packard is
providing free software to help owners of notebooks and handhelds with
wireless antennas find the coffee shop networks. There will be a fee to
access the networks, but free 24-hour trials will be given to new users.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43512-2002Aug21.html)

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Communications-Related Headlines for August 20, 2002

INTERNET
Can ICT Stimulate Economic Development?
Northern Virginia Group Takes Lead in Dot-Org Bidding Process

COPYRIGHT
Judge hits rewind on ReplayTV case

PRIVACY
Group warns of massive EU surveillance

ADVERTISING
Newspaper Ads Are Down Again, Causing Worries

INTERNET

NORTHERN VIRGINIA GROUP TAKES LEAD IN DOT-ORG BIDDING PROCESS
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) recommended
that the Reston-based Internet Society (ISOC) take over running the dot-org
domain. Eleven entities submitted proposals bidding for the contract, which
will be awarded later this year. "The ISOC proposal was the only one that
received top ranking from all three evaluation teams," said ICANN President
Stuart Lynn. "On balance their proposal stood out from the rest." Under the
ISOC proposal, a for-profit company will administer the back-end operations
of the system and charge ISOC a flat fee for each registered domain name.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: David McGuire]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38319-2002Aug20.html)

CAN ICT STIMULATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT?
Researchers at Washington State University have created a model to help make
sense of the relationship between information communication technologies
(ICT) and economic development. They have observed that a growing number of
digital divide projects (in the U.S. and abroad) are aimed at beneficially
impacting economic development. Their model is intended to address some of
the challenges in monitoring and evaluation the results of ICT-related
projects aimed at benefiting economic development. They isolate three
important elements essential for success of such projects: 1) a market
demand for ICT; 2) community members positioned to demonstrate a market
demand for ICT investment; and 3) a regulatory environment that encourages
fair competition.
[SOURCE: Digital Divide Network, AUTHOR: Bill Gillis and Matthew Mitchell
(WSU Center to Bridge the Digital Divide)]
(http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org/content/stories/index.cfm?key=254)

COPYRIGHT

JUDGE HITS REWIND ON REPLAYTV CASE
A U.S. District Court Judge has granted permission to the Electronic
Frontier Foundation to combine its copyright lawsuit with one filed by
Sonicblue, manufacturer of ReplayTV. The joint lawsuit is in defense of a
suit filed by several TV networks and movie studios. They claim that
ReplayTV infringes on copyrights by allowing consumers to skip commercials.
The judge allowed the joint suit to help answer the question of whether
consumer's use of ReplayTV's features constitutes fair use.
[SOURCE: ZDNET News, AUTHOR: Stefanie Olsen]
(http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1106-954169.html)

PRIVACY

GROUP WARNS OF MASSIVE EU SURVEILLANCE
The privacy advocacy group Statewatch claims that European governments are
planning to require telecommunications companies and Internet service
providers to track and store customer information for up to two years. The
information would be made available to law enforcement and government
agencies. Right now, a 1997 EU directive only allows data collection for
billing purposes. It was public knowledge that changes would be made to the
directive that allowing further data collection, but according to Tony
Bunyan, editor of Statewatch, "EU governments claimed that changes to the
1997 EU directive on privacy in telecommunications to allow for data
retention and access by the law enforcement agencies would not be binding on
member states.... Now we know that all along they were intending to make it
binding, compulsory across Europe."
[SOURCE: CNET News.com, AUTHOR: Graeme Wearden]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1023-954487.html?tag=cd_mh)

ADVERTISING

NEWSPAPER ADS ARE DOWN AGAIN, CAUSING WORRIES
While many in the newspaper industry were somewhat optimistic just a month
ago, after a mildly encouraging ad-page performance in the second quarter,
there is now cause for second thoughts. Gannett reported yesterday that at
USA Today, the nation's largest-circulation newspaper, ad volume was off 16
percent in July, compared with the same period in 2001. Advertising volume
at The New York Times dipped 5.7 percent compared with July 2001. The drop
in advertising has caused many newspaper chains to reduce their workforces;
some have eliminated more than 10 percent of jobs in the last two years.
Newspapers in smaller markets, however, have done relatively better, in part
because they tend to be less dependent on national advertising.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Felicity Barringer]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/20/business/media/20ADCO.html)
(requires registration)

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Communications-Related Headlines for August 19, 2002

INTERNATIONAL
India Cracks Down on Tehelka.com Months After Bribery Expose
Telecommunications Drawing Investors In Afghanistan

INTERNET
Broadband Service Providers Lure Users With 'Lite' Versions
Internet Audience Still Growing After All
Registrars Rally Behind ICANN

INTERNATIONAL

INDIA CRACKS DOWN ON TEHELKA.COM MONTHS AFTER BRIBERY EXPOSE
Last March the Indian news Web site Tehelka.com exposed widespread
corruption amongst numerous officers, top politicians and government
officials. The hidden-camera sting resulted in the resignation of several
senior government officials and massive public outrage. Now, a year later,
two of those senior officials are back at work and two Tehelka journalists
have been arrested. Financial backers of Tehelka.com have been targeted for
raids and are under investigation by India's securities agency.
Tehelka.com's editor has called the government's actions "...a massive
vendetta campaign," and the editor of the Hindustani Times added, "The level
of persecution is phenomenal." In the past, India has prided itself on its
hundreds of independent media outlets. Vincent Brossel, the head of
Reporters Sans Frontieres, a media watchdog group, said that in the last few
years "he has never seen so many press freedom issues in India."
[SOURCE: The Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Scott Neuman]
(http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB102969286920873315,00.html?mod=technolog
y_main_whats_news)
(Requires subscription)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS DRAWING INVESTORS IN AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan's government is aggressively pursuing foreign investors to help
build cellular networks in what is one of world's poorest countries. "We
have a big technological gap because no investment has come into the sector
over the past two decades apart from very limited investment in telephones,"
said Communications Minister Mohammad Masoom Stanakzai. The Afghan
government has formed partnerships with United States-based Telephone
Systems International to offer cellular service in Kabul, Herat and
Kandahar. Years of war have severely damaged the wireline phone network and
what remains does not extend beyond Afghanistan's borders. Today the country
relies on satellite bandwidth for telephone calls and data transmission to
the outside world. While the challenges to bring connectivity to Afghanistan
remain high, telecommunications remain the only sector of the Afghan economy
that is attracting foreign investors.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/3891314.htm)

INTERNET

BROADBAND SERVICE PROVIDERS LURE USERS WITH 'LITE' VERSIONS
In an effort to attract more Internet users, several broadband providers are
offering a slower, cheaper version of their service. Covad Communications
Group, Charter Communications and Cox Communications all offer services that
are much faster than dial-up but only a third as fast as a DSL connection.
The companies are hoping to get their customers hooked on faster service and
eventually want to upgrade to the faster, more expensive service. "What
these providers are discovering is... they have a good amount of capacity
and a lot of it is not being utilized," said Mark Kersey at ARS. "Covad's
got this great backbone and only about 350,000 people using it, so why not
persuade people to switch from dial-up?"
[SOURCE: The Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB102952444259247795,00.html?mod=telecommu
nications%5Fprimary%5Fhs)
(Requires subscription)

INTERNET AUDIENCE STILL GROWING AFTER ALL
After a June in which sequential growth of the Internet audience slowed to a
standstill, Media Metrix says the number of Americans using the medium is
rising again. The study found that there were 119 million Internet users in
July, up 29 percent from 92.2 million users the previous July. Usage minutes
climbed 3.7 percent month over month, marking the first significant gain
since February. Total usage minutes were measured at 106.1 billion in July
2002, up 62 percent from 69.7 billion a year ago.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Pamela Parker]
(http://www.internetnews.com/IAR/article.php/1448061)

REGISTRARS RALLY BEHIND ICANN
Forty-four accredited registrars sent a letter to the Commerce Department in
support of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
The group stated that ICANN is "the most viable solution to ensure the
ongoing stability of the Internet's naming and addressing systems." ICANN
has been criticized for being "flawed and ineffective," but this group of
registrars insisted that any issues could be solved in a "mutually agreeable
manner."
[SOURCE: CNET News.com, AUTHOR: Jim Hu]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1023-954167.html?tag=cd_mh)

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