From: technews <technews@ou.edu>
To: "'it-fyi@listserv.ou.edu'" <it-fyi@lists.ou.edu>
Subject: it-fyi: Edupage, 29 November 1999
Date: Tue, 30 Nov 1999 08:13:12 -0600
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Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, an international nonprofit association
dedicated to transforming education through information technologies.
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TOP STORIES for November 29, 1999
Trying to Make World Safe for E-Commerce
AMD to Unveil a New Microprocessor That Tops Speed of Intel's Pentium III
Executives in Top-Down Drive for Web Literacy
Tests Putting Paper in Past
ALSO
Internet Labels Lose Meaning in Rush for Popular Addresses
Olympus, IBM Have Eyes on Wearable Computer
Y2K's Bounty Runs Out for Many
Initiatives to Support Schools Move Online
TRYING TO MAKE WORLD SAFE FOR E-COMMERCE
U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky will push the U.S. agenda of
making the world safe for e-commerce during this week's meeting in Seattle.
Many foreign countries, including those in Europe, are concerned that the
spread of e-commerce will only serve to hasten the spread of U.S. economic
and cultural dominance. Indeed, half of the world's home PCs with Internet
access can be found in the U.S., yet the U.S. accounts for only 5 percent of
the world's population. AOL's George Vradenburg, vice president for global
and strategic policy, will be in Seattle this week and will argue that the
Internet eradicates the barriers of "time and distance," allowing smaller
and developing countries to compete against larger, industrialized nations.
The U.S. agenda for the Seattle summit includes a moratorium on Internet
taxes, rules governing e-commerce trade, an agreement by the WTO to keep
e-commerce free from unnecessary barriers, and equal treatment for
electronically traded products. (Wall Street Journal 11/29/99)
AMD TO UNVEIL A NEW MICROPROCESSOR THAT TOPS SPEED OF INTEL'S PENTIUM III
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) today is expected to release its new 750 MHz
Athlon microprocessor, as well as a low-end 533 MHz K6-2 chip. AMD debuted
the new chips, as well as technology to allow laptops to process at higher
speeds, at the recent Comdex computer trade show. AMD's new 750 MHz chip is
the first to be made using the company's 0.18 micron manufacturing process,
which enables the use of circuitry 1/500th of the width of a human hair.
Both new chips feature faster processing speeds than industry leader Intel's
products, the 733 MHz Pentium III and 500 MHz Celeron. AMD had planned to
release the new Athlon chip, which will sell for $799 in wholesale
quantities, in mid December, but demand for the chip tempted the company to
launch it earlier. (Wall Street Journal 11/29/99)
EXECUTIVES IN TOP-DOWN DRIVE FOR WEB LITERACY
Companies are beginning to encourage their top executives to learn Web
skills and to form closer ties to customers in order to prepare for an
increasingly Internet-based economy. For example, British Airways recently
had its directors pair up with young IT workers for two hours to create a
personalized Web site and purchase items over the Internet. Still, 73
percent of British executives do not view technology as a strategic driver,
according to a recent Microsoft/Cranfield School of Management study. In
addition, the report shows that directors devote only 8 percent of their
time to customers, despite the warning by e-commerce vendors that the
Internet is giving customers more power. Microsoft's Neil Holloway advises
companies to "spend time with customers every day, get a 30-year-old on your
board and be a customer of your own company if you want to cannibalize your
own business before someone else does."
(Financial Times 11/26/99)
TESTS PUTTING PAPER IN PAST
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE), like the GMAT and TOEFL tests before
it, is now offered only on computer. The abandonment of the old
paper-and-pencil version of the GRE by the Educational Testing Service
(ETS), which administers the exam, has drawn mixed reviews from test takers.
Amy Cuddy sued ETS because her scores on the computer version were
significantly lower than they were on numerous practice tests and one
official paper-and-pencil version. She won. Others, such as Randy
Goldberg, like the computerized version better, saying it is less stressful
than the traditional test. Regardless, ETS says the computer version of the
GRE is here to stay and it offers advantages over the old method. For one,
the electronic version is adaptive and uses questions suited to the
individual test taker. As was the case with the written exam, the
electronic GRE grade is determined by both the number of questions answered
and their difficulty. (Baltimore Sun 11/29/99)
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INTERNET LABELS LOSE MEANING IN RUSH FOR POPULAR ADDRESSES
Over the past few years the distinctions between .com, .net, and .org
suffixes for domain names have blurred, says Network Solutions' Christopher
Clough. A boom in new address registrations in 1995 forced Network
Solutions to halt its practice of reviewing domain suffixes to ensure they
fit in the right category. Network Solutions now advises customers to
protect their online identities and brands by registering addresses in all
three top-level domains, advice that many large companies and political
campaigns are now following. In early 2000, Network Solutions will discuss
new domain categories, as well as the possibility of imposing qualifications
to register them. (New York Times 11/29/99)
OLYMPUS, IBM HAVE EYES ON WEARABLE COMPUTER
IBM and Japanese camera manufacturer Olympus unveiled a futuristic wearable
computer in Tokyo on Friday. The 13-ounce computer consists of a screen
that fits over one eye and a handle with a touchpad and two buttons to make
commands. Although the wearable computer lacks a keyboard, it may be added
in the future, says Olympus' Shinichiro Murakami. It comes with 64 MB of
RAM, uses Windows, and can play audio and video. The companies will decide
next year when to release the computer commercially, Murakami says.
(Baltimore Sun 11/27/99)
Y2K'S BOUNTY RUNS OUT FOR MANY
Computer programmers and companies that capitalized on Y2K are beginning to
lose jobs and profits as repair efforts draw to a close. Tens of thousands
of programmers have lost their jobs, and while some are moving into
e-commerce, others lack the skills that are now in demand. Y2K caused a
renewed demand for Cobol programmers because many large mainframes that use
Cobol were at risk. However, before Y2K became an issue, demand for Cobol
programmers was dwindling and now many companies have used Y2K as an
opportunity to eliminate older systems. Of the 500,000 Y2K workers, about
80 percent will keep their jobs after the date change, says high-tech
analyst Howard Rubin. However, 100,000 Cobol programmers will be looking
for jobs, and Cobol training does not necessarily prepare workers for
e-commerce. Beyond programmers, companies that obtained as much as 40
percent of revenue from Y2K are seeing a dramatic drop in profits. (USA
Today 11/26/99)
INITIATIVES TO SUPPORT SCHOOLS MOVE ONLINE
Teaching expertise and money is being put into the nation's classrooms by
online volunteer and charity programs in an attempt to improve the public
school system in the U.S. Senator John McCain is promoting a program that
links volunteer veteran and retiree tutors to students through the Internet,
enabling students to receive tutoring in math, science, and English. In
1998, 51 percent of public schools had access to the Internet, and that
number has since grown to 89 percent, says McCain. E-commerce is earning
money for schools at Web sites such as Schoolpop.com, which contributes a
portion of each purchase to the buyer's school of choice. More than 150
popular stores are currently participating in e-charity for schools
programs. Schoolpop CEO Rea Callender believes the Internet provides an easy
and direct way for family and friends to benefit their schools while buying
the products and services they need. (C|Net 11/23/99)
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UPCOMING EDUCAUSE CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS:
Ubiquitous Computing Conference
January 6-8, 2000, Seton Hall University
South Orange, New Jersey
http://www.cat.shu.edu/ubitcomp/
NLII Meeting
January 19-21, 2000, New Orleans, Louisiana
http://www.educause.edu/nlii/meetings/orleans2000/
The EDUCAUSE Institute -- Management Program
February 6-10, 2000, Palm Springs, California
http://www.educause.edu/inst/m001/m001.html
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
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education. U.S. subscriptions are $18 a year.
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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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COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
News abstracts Copyright 1999, Information Inc., Bethesda, MD
Edupage Copyright 1999, EDUCAUSE
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EDUCAUSE, an international nonprofit association dedicated to transforming
education through information technologies