E-GOVERNMENT
Ohio to Replace Costly High-tech Food Stamp System
INTERNET
Hacker Victim Files Lawsuit Blaming Microsoft Security
Vast Digital Health Archive Opens
TELEPHONY
Court Says FTC Can Enforce Do-Not-Call List
EVENT
NetDay Speak Up Day
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E-GOVERNMENT
OHIO TO REPLACE COSTLY HIGH-TECH FOOD STAMP SYSTEM
Ohio will replace its "smart card" food stamp system, which costs Ohioans
$22 million a year -- up to four times as much as other programs. The smart
card is a plastic card with a computer chip capable of maintaining
individual account information. Lisa Hamler-Podolski, director of the Ohio
Association of Second Harvest Food Banks, called the cards "the Lamborghini
of all systems," and said that the current system offers limited options to
food stamp recipients since not all grocery stores had card machines in
every checkout lane. Forty-eight other states use magnetic-strip cards
similar to bank or credit cards that are swiped through readers already in
most retail stores. Such an ATM-style card could also allow recipients to
withdraw cash welfare benefits at an ATM machine. Ohio's Department of Job
and Family Services will seek competitive bids to operate a new
magnetic-strip system by the end of the year. The state's current two-year
$44 million contract with Citicorp Electronic Financial Services ends in
2005.
SOURCE: USA Today; AUTHOR: Andrew Welsh-Huggins
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2003-10-07-smart-cards-fail...
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INTERNET
HACKER VICTIM FILES LAWSUIT BLAMING MICROSOFT SECURITY
Marcy Levitas Hamilton, CEO of TriCoast Studios, filed suit against
Microsoft last week to hold the company accountable for losses stemming from
security flaws in its software. This first-of-its-kind complaint argues that
the majority of cyberattacks trace back to Microsoft software
vulnerabilities. Furthermore, the claim alleges that Microsoft's security
disclaimers constitute unfair business practice under California law because
consumers have little choice but to use Microsoft products. "My hope is that
. . . we can wake up companies and compel them to take responsibility for
safeguarding their customers," Hamilton says. The lawsuit is expected to
heat up debate about software company liability, and the result could be
more expensive -- but more secure -- software, experts say. Dana Taschner,
Hamilton's attorney, must persuade the Los Angeles judge to certify the
lawsuit as a class action, with any remedies applying to all PC users
impacted by security flaws in Microsoft software. "This is the first time
Microsoft has had its feet held to the fire on security issues," says
Richard M. Smith, an Internet security and privacy consultant.
SOURCE: USA TODAY; AUTHOR: Byron Acohido
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techinvestor/2003-10-07-msftsuit_x.htm
VAST DIGITAL HEALTH ARCHIVE OPENS
The project to digitally store every issue of The Lancet, one of the world's
most prestigious medical journals, has been completed. The Lancet, founded
in 1823, has published some of the greatest medical triumphs of the past 180
years. It carried the first reports on blood transfusion, the remarkable
impact of antibiotics, antiseptics, as well as some of the earliest
revelations about HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C. It influenced some of the most
important changes in medical practice in the last two centuries, says
medical historian Dr. Ruth Richardson. This two-year project captures each
page of 340,000 articles and converts them into a fully searchable database.
Previously, it was virtually impossible to locate articles and use fragile
volumes, with only a few locations having a complete set. Now, medical
researchers and historians have these resources at their fingertips, but for
a price. The Lancet's electronic version will be a paid service, and will be
readily available in major reference libraries at universities and in
cities.
SOURCE: BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3162704.stm
TELEPHONY
COURT SAYS FTC CAN ENFORCE DO-NOT-CALL LIST
Yesterday a federal appeals court gave authority to the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) to enforce its national do-not-call list. A three-judge
panel in the 10th Circuit of the US Court of Appeals overturned a lower
court decision, which had declared the list unconstitutional and barred the
FTC from moving to enforce the list. "There is a substantial likelihood that
the FTC will be able to show . . . that the list directly advances the
government's substantial interests and is narrowly tailored" to overcome
challenges that it unfairly discriminated against telemarketers, the panel
wrote. After Congress passed the legislation, a Denver judge ruled that the
registry violated a telemarketer's right to free speech because it allowed
charitable organizations to continue calling homes even though it barred
businesses. But the panel disagreed, saying that the list is of an opt-in
nature, which provides an element of private choice. "The list is not
invoked until the homeowner makes a private decision to invoke it," the
panel said.
SOURCE: Washington Post; AUTHOR: Caroline E. Mayer
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57110-2003Oct7.html
EVENT
NETDAY SPEAK UP DAY
Already 56 schools representing 9,000 students have registered for NetDay
Student Voices' Speak Up Day on October 29. During this online event,
approximately 500,000 students will share their ideas about using technology
and the Internet. The results will help shape the US Department of
Education's National Education Technology Plan, a mandate of the No Child
Left Behind Act. Students will have a first-hand lesson in civic engagement,
and schools will gain valuable information about student views and ideas on
technology use. Schools are invited to register online at:
http://www.netday.org/speakup_schools.htm. To preview Speak Up Day, George
Lucas Education Foundation (GLEF) Executive Director Milton Chen will speak
with NetDay CEO Julie Evans and teachers and students experienced in
learning with technology. The GLEF radio show will air live on Thursday,
October 9 at noon PT (3 pm ET) on Voice America.com
(http://www.glef.org/voiceamer.html) with a repeat broadcast at midnight
(PT).
SOURCE: Net Day
http://www.netday.org/speakupday.htm
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