November 2012

Stolen cellphone databases switched on in US

US cellphone carriers took a major step toward curbing the rising number of smartphone thefts with the introduction of databases that will block stolen phones from being used on domestic networks.

The initiative got its start earlier this year when the Federal Communications Commission and police chiefs from major cities asked the cellular carriers for assistance in battling the surging number of smartphone thefts. In New York, more than 40 percent of all robberies involve cellphones and in Washington (DC) cellphone thefts accounted for 38 percent of all robberies in 2011. With the introduction of the database, carriers will be able to block stolen handsets from being used on their networks. Until now, such blocking had targeted the SIM card, so unauthorized calls could not be made on stolen phones, but putting in a new SIM card meant the phone could still be used. That meant a stolen phone could be sold on the second-hand market. The new database blocks the IMEI number, a unique identification number in the cellphone akin to a VIN (vehicle identification number) in a car. The ID number remains with the cellphone no matter what SIM card is used.

Cellphone thefts on the rise

Calling to report one of the increasingly common theft crimes in U.S. cities could be difficult. That's because the crime is smartphone theft.

In Los Angeles, cellphone thefts, which now account for more than a quarter of the city's robberies, are up 27% from this time a year ago, police said. In San Francisco, which has been particularly hard hit, nearly half of all thefts this year were cellphone-related, police said, with most occurring on bustling transit lines. Though some experts put annual cellphone losses in the billions of dollars, there is no precise figure on how many devices are stolen each year. But the problem has become so visible that it has caught the attention of lawmakers and regulators seeking to take the profit out of cellphone theft.

Technology Changing How Students Learn, Teachers Say

There is a widespread belief among teachers that students’ constant use of digital technology is hampering their attention spans and ability to persevere in the face of challenging tasks, according to two surveys of teachers.

The researchers note that their findings represent the subjective views of teachers and should not be seen as definitive proof that widespread use of computers, phones and video games affects students’ capability to focus. Even so, the researchers who performed the studies, as well as scholars who study technology’s impact on behavior and the brain, say the studies are significant because of the vantage points of teachers, who spend hours a day observing students. The timing of the studies, from two well-regarded research organizations, appears to be coincidental. One was conducted by the Pew Internet Project, a division of the Pew Research Center that focuses on technology-related research. The other comes from Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization in San Francisco that advises parents on media use by children. It was conducted by Vicky Rideout, a researcher who has previously shown that media use among children and teenagers ages 8 to 18 has grown so fast that they on average spend twice as much time with screens each year as they spend in school. Teachers who were not involved in the surveys echoed their findings in interviews, saying they felt they had to work harder to capture and hold students’ attention.

How Teens Do Research in the Digital World

The teachers who instruct the most advanced American secondary school students render mixed verdicts about students’ research habits and the impact of technology on their studies.

Some 77% of advanced placement (AP) and National Writing Project (NWP) teachers surveyed say that the internet and digital search tools have had a “mostly positive” impact on their students’ research work. But 87% say these technologies are creating an “easily distracted generation with short attention spans” and 64% say today’s digital technologies “do more to distract students than to help them academically.”

According to this survey of teachers, conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project in collaboration with the College Board and the National Writing Project, the internet has opened up a vast world of information for today’s students, yet students’ digital literacy skills have yet to catch up:

Virtually all (99%) AP and NWP teachers in this study agree with the notion that “the internet enables students to access a wider range of resources than would otherwise be available,” and 65% agree that “the internet makes today’s students more self-sufficient researchers.”
At the same time, 76% of teachers surveyed “strongly agree” with the assertion that internet search engines have conditioned students to expect to be able to find information quickly and easily.
Large majorities also agree with the notion that the amount of information available online today is overwhelming to most students (83%) and that today’s digital technologies discourage students from using a wide range of sources when conducting research (71%).
Fewer teachers, but still a majority of this sample (60%), agree with the assertion that today’s technologies make it harder for students to find credible sources of information.
Given these concerns, it is not surprising that 47% of these teachers strongly agree and another 44% somewhat believe that courses and content focusing on digital literacy should be incorporated into every school’s curriculum.

Romney Would Limit Lobbyist Roles

Advisers to Mitt Romney would limit the role of lobbyists in transition teams and the White House if the Republican presidential candidate wins the election.

The Romney camp is considering a one-year ban to prevent registered lobbyists from taking jobs in the administration that overlap with their previous advocacy work, people familiar with the matter said. This would be similar to a two-year ban put in place by President Barack Obama, though he has offered exemptions in certain cases. Romney's aides already have decided on a one-year ban for lobbyists who are part of transition teams from lobbying the agencies they worked on. Should Romney win, these "landing teams" are meant to arrive in Washington quickly—before the Jan. 20 inauguration—to make policy and personnel decisions. Some lobbyists working with the Romney camp have complained that the ban would punish them in return for their help.

Benton

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