e-Clippings 6.18.2003 "Legero. Cogito. Scribero."
*The Crusades Edition

"The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without
fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do
good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom."
- Sun Tzu
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BUZZ

Bit torrent
http://bitconjurer.org/BitTorrent/download.html
http://wiki.theory.org/index.php/BitTorrentFAQ
http://smiler.no-ip.org/BT/BTlinks.php

Trackback
http://www.movabletype.org/trackback/

Wiki: "The simplest online database that could possibly work."
"Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to freely
create and edit Web page content using any Web browser. Wiki supports
hyperlinks and has simple text syntax for creating new pages and
crosslinks between internal pages on the fly. Wiki is unusual among
group communication mechanisms in that it allows the organization of
contributions to be edited in addition to the content itself."
http://wiki.org/wiki.cgi?WhatIsWiki
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1st Crusade – Compelling (Free) Content and Our Support Of It

**Way back at the end of May, I dropped in a little note at the very
end of the issue – the note was to a site at
http://www.redvsblue.com/ and I'll say thanks again to Richard
Boyd at
3D Solve (http://www.3dsolve.com/) for pointing it out to me. The
shortest explanation is that these guys use the videogame Halo to act
out scripts that they write. The longer version is that you'll
split
your side watching the episodes. Then I wander over to http://www.
machinima.com/ thanks to Murry C. in NY. Then I find, evidently late
in the curve, www.brokensaints.com. The last of these is the most
amazing. Broken Saints is a 24 part story told with great emotional
depth and power using just Flash. It won a 2003 Sundance Film
Festival
award for best animation. Here is one thing these all have in common
beyond staggering imagination, wit and technical expertise –
they're
all free. Well, free to us, the viewers. I wanted to let all my
readers in one these sites for two reasons: #1 Go watch this stuff
– if TV were this compelling –well I shudder and #2 DONATE
– I
mean some of these folks are bringing us movie-quality content and
asking for nothing– skip a Blockbuster rental and send it in
– better
yet, add in what your late fee would be too and send that. This kind
of content is amazing and deserves our support. In fact, next time
someone tells you that there is just no compelling content on the Web
– just `come here, I have something to show you…' Mark
Oehlert,
Editor.
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2nd Crusade – Copyright and Ways to Battle for Our Rights (Again)

So you probably know my opinion that the current copyright wars are
one of the most significant challenges to the future of our society
as one of learners and not merely consumers. Should be no surprise
then that I present you with not only the following information but a
painless way to also take action.

Fighting for a new Net copyright deal: By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com: June 6, 2003, 4:00 AM PT: Five months
after losing a high-profile argument in front of the U.S. Supreme
Court, foes of federal copyright law are launching a public campaign
to create a policy that they see as better in step with the Internet
age. Lawrence Lessig is leading the charge.
http://news.com.com/2008-1082_3-1013830.html?tag=lh

June 3, 2003: Petition Launched to Reclaim the Public Domain
Called "First Step" Towards Passage of Public Domain Enhancement Act
Stanford, California - Citizens eager to restore balance to copyright
law today launched a petition to urge Members of the US Congress to
support legislation to reclaim the public domain. "This is the first
step in Act II-- passage of the Public Domain Enhancement Act," said
Lawrence Lessig, professor of law at Stanford Law School, and a chief
supporter of the Act.
http://eldred.cc/petition.html

Text of the Petition
http://www.petitiononline.com/eldred/petition.html

Signatory Page
http://www.petitiononline.com/eldred/petition-sign.html
*As of my signature, 12895 Signatures Total.
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Some of you know of my affection for the Opera browser (best one
going!) Here is a new little trick from the latest version – you
can highlight text, right-click and search with Google on the
selected text – and the results display in a new window! I can
hear
the cries of `geek!' now but think how handy this is if
you're
reading a story that keeps mentioning all these other topics
you'd like to research – now just right-click – search
and view the
results when you're done with the article. Innovation; a good
thing.
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This email is provided for information purposes only. Mention or
discussion of a product, company or person does not represent any
official endorsement or criticism of the same. All authors and
organizations retain complete copyright.
*********************************************************************
The Future of e-Learning Models and the Language We Use to Describe
Them

The objectives of this study are to establish a baseline of current
e-learning models from all sides of the equation – producer,
purchaser and consumer. The research will explore:
How valid are our current models of e-learning and how do they
limit/enable us in thinking about the future?
Based on those models that are valid – what are some models we
can expect to be prevalent in 3-5 years?
Where are the connections and gaps in our current set of language
that
we use to describe the overall environment of e-learning?
http://www.masie.com/researchgrants/#future
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NEWS

PeopleSoft To Oracle: No Deal: In a statement today (12 June),
PeopleSoft's board said it believes the buyout likely wouldn't
withstand antitrust scrutiny and undervalues the company.
http://computerworld.com/newsletter/0,4902,82046,00.html?nlid=AM

Click2learn Unveils SCORM 1.2 Resource Kit: Productivity software
developer Click2learn is making available a SCORM 1.2 Resource Kit
for those interested in learning about interoperable learning content.
The company described the kit as an evolving collection of documents
and demonstrations designed to help technical and non-technical users
understand and apply the Shareable Content Object Reference Model
(SCORM), the leading learning content standard. Much of the content
in the kit is derived from R&D documents and prototypes created as
part of Click2learn's involvement in learning technology standards
initiatives. Documents include a basic introduction to SCORM; a
technical "cookbook" for content developers, with working examples;
and a brief on how to test SCORM content for successful integration
with Aspen, the company's learning management suite. To access the
resource kit, visit:
http://home.click2learn.com/en/products/standards.asp

Profexcel aims to hone teachers' skills: Monday, June 16 2003
by Matthew Clark: Profexcel, an Irish firm that provides educational
courses over the Net, has expanded its offerings and says it expects
more participants this summer. The two-year-old company, founded by
clinical psychologists Dr Deirdre MacIntyre and Dr Moya O'Brien, as
well as UCD computer scientist Henry McLoughlin, offers summer
courses over the Web that help parents, teachers and other
professionals to hone their skills in relation to children with
special educational needs.
http://www.electricnews.net/news.html?code=9363987

Spotted at elearningpost: Workforce: 25 Trends That Will Change the
Way You Do Business "In essence, some companies may have decided that
the HR strategic-partner role is too important to leave to someone
with an HR background." The study's conclusion: Human resources
must reinvent itself. "The old approaches and models simply are not
good enough."
http://www.workforce.com/section/09/feature/23/45/53/index.html


TRENDS / RESEARCH SECTION

Boston Globe: Companies get into weblog act "Consider: Every business
needs to know what its employees know. Companies are crammed with
experts on various topics whose knowledge goes to waste -- because
nobody knows what they know. Now give these workers an internal
corporate blog, and encourage them to use it. Let them natter away on
every topic that intrigues them. Harvest and index the results.
You've mapped your workers' brains. With a few keystrokes, a manager
can find out who's been blogging about skiing or bowling or restoring
classic cars -- just the thing when you're trying to sell something
to an avid collector of '64 Mustangs. The company's hidden experts
will cheerfully reveal themselves, and the firm's institutional memory
gets an upgrade."
http://www.boston.
com/dailyglobe2/167/business/Companies_get_into_weblog_actP.shtml

Hatch Suggests Destroying Illegal File Swappers' Computers
[June 18, 2003] Senate Judiciary Committee chairman says it may be
the 'only way' teach people about copyrights.
http://dc.internet.com/news/article.php/2223811

Study Shows Impact of Web Technology on Higher Ed: The latest results
of a four-year study by McGraw-Hill on the impact of Web technology
on higher ed institutions confirmed that Web-based technology is
helping instructors achieve teaching objectives and has a positive
impact on student attitudes and achievement. In 1999, only 22
percent of faculty participants viewed technology as very or
extremely important for achieving success; in 2002, figures rose to
57
percent. The survey indicates that technology has increased
dramatically in terms of importance, with 68 percent of respondents
rating training and professional development as very or extremely
important and 60 percent assigning a high level of importance to
course Web site use in achieving teaching objectives.
Purchase the 30-page report by visiting:
http://www.mcgrawhill.ca/highereducation

IM's bursting--say goodbye to e-mail: By Graeme Wearden: ZDNet (UK)
June 12, 2003, 7:10 AM PT: The number of people using instant
messaging (IM) software at work is set soar over the next few years,
as part of a wider boom that will see more than a trillion IMs sent
worldwide each day by 2006, according to the latest research.
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104-1016231.html


EMERGING TECH SECTION

Wal-Mart To Deploy Radio ID Tags For Supply Tracking: By asking its
top 100 suppliers to support the radio frequency ID technology,
Wal-Mart hopes to improve inventory management and gain better
visibility into the supply chain.
http://computerworld.com/newsletter/0,4902,82052,00.html?nlid=AM

Delta Air Plans RFID Bag-tag Test:Delta Air Lines plans a one-month
test of RFID bag tags, a move seen as yet another boost for the
technology following Wal-Mart's recent decision to use RFID tags
throughout its supply chain.
http://computerworld.com/newsletter/0,4902,82266,00.html?nlid=PM

MicroOptical on Monday unveiled a tiny display that clips onto a pair
of eyeglasses for hands-free viewing of information from mobile
devices such as Tablet PCs and laptops.
http://www.thinkmobile.com/Content/Detail.asp?CTID=1&ID=6829

Sony invents tactile panel for PDAs: Virtual buttons at your
fingertips By INQUIRER staff: Friday 13 June 2003, 08:35: AN LCD
SCREEN THAT will let you feel and push virtual buttons is under
development by the Sony Corporation, it has emerged.
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=9991

From Pocket PC Thoughts: Distribute HanDBase Databases As Runtimes
Posted by Ed Hansberry @ 02:00 AM:"HanDBase's runtime solution
overview: DDH Software, developers of the award winning Palm OS and
Pocket PC relational database application HanDBase, now offers an
affordable way to have custom handheld applications created. Our
runtime solution enables HanDBase databases to be developed into a
freestanding Palm or Pocket PC applications (Pocket PC version
expected soon!)." The license costs $599, which is high until you
consider what you get for it. You can create any number of databases
in HanDBase and convert to a runtime version to distribute to an
unlimited number of clients. Previously, you needed to pay $29.99 for
a client license. Now you just distribute your compiled database. The
user does not need to have HanDBase on the client at all. They have a
demo page that will convert your existing HanDBase database into a
24hr version so you can test it out before you buy the full package.
http://www.ddhsoftware.com/runtimebuilder.html

MOBILE COMPUTING SECTION

WLAN sales go gangbusters: Leader of the Pack: 16 June 2003 9:53am
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/69/31214.html

Palm Tungsten C Wi-Fi PDA: A Reg in-depth review: 13 June 2003 1:57pm
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/68/31199.html

Making the Sale Via Mobile IM: A player in the competitive sales
force automation (SFA) sector is looking to simplify, expedite and
automate the tasks of salespeople by capitalizing on two hot trends
in instant messaging: wireless and interactive agents.
http://www.thinkmobile.com/Content/Detail.asp?CTID=1&ID=6831

from Pocket PC Thoughts: TI Claims Bluetooth-Wi-Fi Breakthrough:
Posted by Jason Dunn @ 12:03 PM
"Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) has announced a breakthrough that
allows the coexistence of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless technologies,
enabling next-generation mobile hardware to provide simultaneous
access to both local area networks. TI's package comprises existing
chips with new software that manages voice and data traffic on the
two different systems, both of which operate on the 2.4 GHz radio
frequency that also is used by cordless phones and other consumer
devices. The result is that both Wi-Fi data transmissions -- 802.11b
or the newer, faster 802.11g -- and Bluetooth voice communications
can be transmitted without interference..."While there are other
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi coexistence products available, most deal with data
traffic only, according to TI spokesperson Marisa Speziale. "Our
technology prioritizes voice traffic over data, addressing the poor
quality of voice transmission on Bluetooth."
http://wirelessnewsfactor.com/perl/story/21731.html

Bluetooth to outship Wi-Fi five to one – report Exclusive So much
for the hotspot hype, says Forrester Research 18 June 2003 8:50am
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/69/31262.html

TI Converters Extend Battery Life in PDAs, Phones: Texas Instruments
Thursday introduced a new family of power converters that it says
can extend battery life and save board space in wireless PDAs,
smartphones and laptops.
http://www.thinkmobile.com/Content/Detail.asp?CTID=1&ID=6835



GAMING SECTION

N-Gage boss slams GBA: By gamesindustry.biz
Posted: 12/06/2003 at 10:50 GMT: Nokia's head of entertainment and
media, Ilkka Raiskinen, has attacked Nintendo's GBA in today's Dow
Jones, accusing the system of failing to appeal to adult
demographics, and has revealed some details of the development
business model for N-Gage.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/68/31165.html

Microsoft books ATI for Xbox 2 chipset gig - report
Bye-bye, Nvidia 13 June 2003 9:07am
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/31189.html

Trends in MMOG development: by Mirjam Eladhari, researcher at
Zero-Game Studio, Interactive Institute, Sweden: Currently, in April
2003, there are 51 MMOGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Games)
available and about 120 MMOGs are in development. This article is
based on a survey of these games and addresses the questions of what
trends there are in type of gameplay and fictional world themes. We
will also have a look at how the MMORPG genre (Massively Multiplayer
Online Role Playing Games) is evolving by identifying what new
features are being developed.
http://www.game-research.com/art_trends_in_mmog.asp

Thinking Outside The MUD: interview: may 05, 2003: Ludicorp CEO
Stewart Butterfield on the Game Neverending: Mike Sugarbaker talks to
Stewart Butterfield about his company's take on massively-multiplayer
gaming.
http://www.mindjack.com/feature/gne.html


SECURITY SECTION


HUMOR AND MISC. SECTION


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