DIGITAL DIVIDE
Cyber Center Links Remote India to Rest of World
Realising the Rural Telephony Project
ANTITRUST
Why MS 'Ruling' Is Dangerous
TECHNOLOGY
Study: PDAs Good for Education
Hi-Tech Homes To Help The Elderly
DIGITAL DIVIDE
CYBER CENTER LINKS REMOTE INDIA TO REST OF WORLD
A new state-of-the-art computer center recently opened in Anini, an isolated
district capital near India's border with China. The facility is one of 487
free community information centers installed by the Indian government; the
Anini site is believed to be the most remote. The six Pentium computers and
accessories provided for the new community information center had to be
transported on elephant back, said Pramod Mahajan, federal minister for the
Ministry of Technology. In addition to providing locals with a wealth of
information, Thacho, an elected representative of the area, envisions a day
when the district administration will be able to use the center's services
to modernize and streamline its operations.
[SOURCE: National Geographic, AUTHOR: Pallava Bagla]
(http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/11/1112_021112_IndiaCyberCafe.
html)
REALISING THE RURAL TELEPHONY PROJECT
[Commentary] While urban Nigerians are celebrating the dawn of a new era in
the telecommunications sector, signaled by advances such as the
implementation of GSM telephony, rural dwellers have been left behind. The
government and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) acknowledge this
shortcoming as well as their responsibility for ensuring that the entire
country is linked by telephone, including the rural areas. The Obasanjo
Administration has taken several steps to bridge this gap, including
licensing 25 regional telecommunications companies.
[SOURCE: AllAfrica.com, AUTHOR: Godfrey Ikhemuemhe, Vanguard]
(http://allafrica.com/stories/200211130049.html)
ANTITRUST
WHY MS 'RULING' IS DANGEROUS
[Commentary] Will the recent ruling upholding the DOJ-Microsoft settlement
wreak havoc on computing in the years to come? Some fear that it will.
Judge Colleen Kollar-Kottely's decree ensures that most users will continue
to rely on Windows for their critical applications despite the fact that the
system's most crucial security components remain closed to outside scrutiny.
Furthermore, the common practice of automatic upgrades and bug fixes for
Microsoft products may serve as a conduit for compatibility problems and
security breaches. As the article states in its conclusion, "[w]hile these
sorts of risks exist with other proprietary operating systems, Microsoft's
case is especially significant due to its essentially total control (now
estimated at nearly 98 percent) of the global desktop PC marketplace."
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Laura Weinstein]
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,56279,00.html)
TECHNOLOGY
STUDY: PDAS GOOD FOR EDUCATION
A recent study released by SRI International, a nonprofit research and
development firm, shows that personal digital assistants (PDAs) enhance
learning among students and are an effective instructional tool for
teachers. Students are increasingly using the handheld devices to conduct
research, write papers and help organize their lives. Elliot Soloway, a
professor at the University of Michigan, applauded the study. "This data
will enable us to go forward with the next step in the agenda -- studying
the impact of these handhelds on student learning," said Soloway. Of those
surveyed, 89 percent of teachers believe handhelds are an effective tool for
instruction and 90 percent plan to continue integrating the devices into
their instruction. Also, 93 percent believe the devices have a positive
effect on student learning.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Katie Dean]
(http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,56297,00.html)
HI-TECH HOMES TO HELP THE ELDERLY
The Millennium Homes system, designed by UK based Brunel University, allows
the elderly to be monitored while home alone. In partnership with The
Huntleigh Research Institute, the project seeks to continue developing
technology systems that allow seniors to safely remain at home. Bill
Jamieson of Huntleigh Healthcare feels that the project is an important move
in providing services for seniors and "enabling elderly people to stay home
for as long as possible is an important goal for modern healthcare."
[SOURCE: BBC News]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2422167.stm)
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