tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-557392010-02-09T00:26:00.066ZTechnology News for Higher EducationRayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.comBlogger5000125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-27320874479851360492010-02-09T00:26:00.001Z2010-02-09T00:26:00.071Z

The FBI is pressing Internet service providers to record which Web sites customers visit and retain those logs for two years, a requirement that law enforcement believes could help it in investigations of child pornography and other serious crimes. FBI Director Robert Mueller supports storing Internet users' "origin and destination information," a bureau attorney said at a federal task force

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-73667360861118092892010-02-09T00:20:00.001Z2010-02-09T00:20:00.236Z

Barnes & Noble says its version 1.2 software upgrade adds features to the Nook and improves performance. A new software upgrade is now available to owners of Barnes & Noble's Nook e-book reader. This is the second upgrade since the device launched in early December and it appears to be more substantial than the first, which arrived shortly after the product shipped and addressed a handful of

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-34510426109829293902010-02-09T00:15:00.000Z2010-02-09T00:15:00.108Z

In week since Mozilla released the first Firefox browser for mobile phones, we've had a better chance to explore the Web on the Nokia N900. Firefox for Maemo, as it's called, is also available for the N810 Internet Tablet. We go over some of our observations in the First Look video here, pointing out that extensions, in particular, are the browser's most notable innovation for Firefox mobile.

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-17650059588334308132010-02-08T00:25:00.001Z2010-02-08T00:25:00.149Z

The International Olympic Committee on Friday made it clear that athletes should feel free to share their experiences via Twitter at the upcoming Games in Vancouver. In a post on its own Twitter feed, the IOC pointed to its detailed rules (PDF) for bloggers, but summarized its position with the succinctness called for in a tweet. "Athletes go ahead and Tweet as long as it is about your own

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-87690853816523941812010-02-08T00:20:00.000Z2010-02-08T00:20:01.022Z

Apple finally unveiled its tablet computer, the iPad. Thus concludes Phase 1 of the standard Apple new-category roll-out: months of feverish speculation and hype online, without any official indication by Apple that the product even exists. Now Phase 2 can begin: the bashing by the bloggers who’ve never even tried it: “No physical keyboard!” “No removable battery!” “Way too expensive!” “Doesn’t

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-52573411480786506162010-02-08T00:15:00.001Z2010-02-08T00:15:00.254Z

Most people get cranky about politics, or the economy, or what passes for music these days. But you know what gets me cranky? Bogus measurements. Measurements for Barnes & Noble’s Nook e-book readerDay in and day out, the electronics industry manipulates us. They publish “speeds and feeds” in big bold type—measurements that turn out to mean almost nothing. It’s all just misdirection.

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-82309339632925103802010-02-07T00:25:00.000Z2010-02-07T00:25:00.714Z

Apple's iPad, the company's upcoming tablet PC, may contain a built-in camera, at least according to an Apple product repair company that posted photos of an alleged iPad frame with a space for a camera module. Other sources have posted photos from the device's Jan. 27 launch event showing what could be a camera hole on an iPad held by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Whether these rumors pan out in a

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-51797004046052691472010-02-07T00:20:00.001Z2010-02-07T00:20:01.211Z

Dwight Schoffer wants to know the downside of backing his data to a flash drive, then deleting it from his hard drive. Making one backup, then deleting the file from your hard drive, is no better than not backing up at all. You're still violating Spector's First Law of Computing: Never have only one copy of anything.[Ed Note: I also am a big fan of http://dropbox.com]

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-58241931729096047542010-02-07T00:15:00.001Z2010-02-07T00:15:00.116Z

You know me: I love a good keyboard shortcut. The Home and End keys aren't shortcuts in the traditional sense, but many users never bother to lay a finger on them--and that's a mistake. Indeed, you may hold Home and End in the same regard as Pause/Break and Scroll Lock, but while those keys are downright useless, your Page Up/Page Down neighbors most certainly are not.

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-13089878717967899952010-02-06T00:25:00.001Z2010-02-06T00:25:00.189Z

I was at Apple's iPad launch on Wednesday, and maybe it was just Steve Jobs' reality distortion field, but I don't quite understand why the haters are piling on. A lot of PC-centric commentators are dismissing the iPad as an overpriced gadget, wondering why it's lacking features that are standard on even the cheapest notebook computers, like Flash support, multitasking, USB inputs to connect

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-5753032062654581312010-02-06T00:20:00.001Z2010-02-06T00:20:00.137Z

Brad Stone, who covered the introduction of the Apple iPad on Wednesday, got his hands on the device for a few minutes of play. The video shows just how fast the apps open.

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-6589647565113785102010-02-06T00:15:00.001Z2010-02-06T00:15:00.614Z

During a call to investors and analysts on Thursday, John Stankey, president of AT&T’s operations division, said the company was gearing up for the introduction of new smartphones and the iPad on its network. “We’ve got an aggressive plan to benefit everyone,” Mr. Stankey said. The company said that this year it plans to pour an additional $2 billion into its wireless network and the wired data

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-52303139361669502712010-02-05T00:25:00.001Z2010-02-05T00:25:00.531Z

Over on our sister blog, Wheels, Cheryl Jensen writes that laws banning cellphone use while driving have not resulted in a reduction in car crashes. The study was conducted by the Highway Loss Data Institute. “The new study, which was completed in December, looked at crashes (and not just at those involving cellphones) in those four places and found no decrease in accidents, despite the bans’

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-18588110063861678872010-02-05T00:20:00.001Z2010-02-05T00:20:00.080Z

Land lines are not what they used to be, and telecommunications workers are feeling the pain. For the past two years, Verizon has been divesting legacy telephone-based services and moving toward a wireless and Internet-only business while finding smaller companies to take on its debt.

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-53778807996297286202010-02-05T00:17:00.001Z2010-02-05T00:17:00.708Z

Apple surprised many people during its iPad launch by sticking with AT&T as its mobile carrier. AT&T, which faced quite a few jabs in about its iPhone service in 2009, says it's addressing network issues in its two most problematic cities, New York and San Francisco. But will a successful iPad launch add stresses AT&T can't afford?

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-9977522103785639862010-02-04T00:25:00.001Z2010-02-04T00:25:00.234Z

When the earthquake devastated Haiti Jan. 12, Google sprang into action, launching satellite imagery from Google Earth and Google Maps to help the world see how the quake leveled the island. To do this, Google relied on high-resolution imagery from the GeoEye-1 satellite. Google and satellite maker GeoEye have enjoyed a fruitful partnership, with Google using GeoEye-1 imagery for the 2009

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-81818592836214732492010-02-04T00:20:00.001Z2010-02-04T00:20:00.219Z

The Highway Loss Data Institute reports that laws banning using handheld mobile phones while driving or sending text messages while driving didn't lead to reduced numbers of collision claims.

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-8350950144520249722010-02-04T00:14:00.001Z2010-02-04T00:14:00.513Z

Apple stands ready to challenge Google in the cloud computing wars with the new iPad, Gartner analysts say. The iPad is geared to provide the most compelling mobile Internet experience users have seen to date, but Google later in 2010 is expected to bring its own vision for mobile Web consumption in the form of netbooks based on its Chrome Operating System.

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-22799270818859788242010-02-03T00:25:00.001Z2010-02-03T00:25:00.260Z

Microsoft has already released versions 7 and 8 of Internet Explorer Google has begun to phase out support for Internet Explorer 6, the browser identified as the weak link in a cyber attack on the search engine. The firm said from 1 March some of its services, such as Google Docs, would not work "properly" with the browser. It recommended individuals and firms upgrade "as soon as possible".

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-30533680292667337352010-02-03T00:19:00.001Z2010-02-03T00:19:00.150Z

Twenty years ago, the web was colonised by a group of early adopters who believed that the ideal society was equal - every person had a right to get involved, there should be no hierarchy, and rules would be mutually determined for the common good. People like American writer Stewart Brand, critic Howard Rheingold, and the Grateful Dead's John Perry Barlow believed the sanctity of the individual

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-37972135432252046462010-02-03T00:17:00.001Z2010-02-03T00:17:00.767Z

Authors are split over the deal. Amazon has urged a New York court to reject a deal that would allow Google to build a vast digital library. The online retailer says that if Google is given exclusive rights to scan books for use on the internet, it is "likely to lead to a monopoly". Interested groups and authors have until 28 January to file objections to the project to a US court.

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-20438624044683088322010-02-02T00:25:00.001Z2010-02-02T00:25:00.070Z

Twitter is launching new efforts to boost usage by suggesting location-centric tweets and improving how it recommends whom you should follow. The moves come as a new analysis shows that the number of Twitter users soared to about 75 million in December 2009--from fewer than five million one year earlier--but that only about 15 million are regular users. The analysis, by RJMetrics, a business

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-65388267675459927152010-02-02T00:20:00.001Z2010-02-02T00:20:00.519Z

It's an exciting time for lovers of digital books. Last week, Amazon announced plans to release a software development kit for the Kindle, so that other companies can develop and sell applications for the e-reader. Tomorrow, Apple is expected to announce a tablet device that could be a significant threat to the Kindle's position as the leading e-reader. Susan Kevorkian, program director for

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-72261416991728759242010-02-02T00:15:00.000Z2010-02-02T00:15:00.678Z

Forget swiping or pinching--the next generation of portable touch-screen devices will be able to distinguish between a gentle touch and a hard poke. Peratech, a U.K. company, has signed a $1.4 million deal to license its pressure-sensing touch-screen technology to Japanese screen manufacturer Nissha, which makes displays for companies including LG and Nintendo. Peratech's technology is one of

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55739.post-70857596747542087112010-02-01T00:25:00.001Z2010-02-01T00:25:00.263Z

Apple announced its latest creation, the iPad, at a special event in San Francisco, CA. CEO Steve Jobs took the stage to unveil the device, which has been the subject of often dizzying speculation and excitement in recent weeks. "We want to kick off 2010 by introducing a magical and revolutionary product today," Jobs said. The expectation and hope for many has been that Apple will revolutionize

Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18374064377834061490noreply@blogger.com0