e-Clippings 20 August 2003
"Legero. Cogito. Scribero."
Not Latin for "Fair and Balanced"

"The function of the imagination is not to make strange things
settled, so much as to make settled things strange."
- G.K. Chesterton
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I have been using Groove (www.groove.net) on and off since it
appeared in beta in October of 2000. The reasons for not seriously
adopting Groove have been multiple but fall generally into 2 main
camps: the app didn't seem mature enough in terms of feature sets
and
I couldn't seem to get enough of the people around me to adopt to
reach a useful critical mass. As Bobby D said `the times they
are a
changin'

Groove, now at 2.5, not only has a rich feature set all its own, but
more importantly, has allowed and seemingly fostered the development
of a rich 3rd party development community. This mod community for an
office product is an powerful vector and allows for multiple
customizations and expansions on the basic Groove toolset. Groove 2.5
has also obtained the first Department of Defense (DoD) certification
for collaboration interoperability.

Regarding its expanding toolset, Groove is lining up some impressive
features. There are rich, project management tools, including
`dashboards' which let admin types view projects across
multiple
Groove spaces, there CRM applications, mindmapping applications,
collaborative document editing apps, even form generating
capabilities. These are all in addition to Groove's native suite
of functionality which is certainly not minimal. All this and still,
the most expensive version you can buy (minus the 3rd party add-on
tools which will run you extra) for a base price on the most
expensive
version of $199. This includes, for you security types out there,
automatic 192-bit encryption and peer-based authentication (Groove
software meets FIPS 140-2 level 1-approved security requirements for
cryptographic modules).

So let's get Groovin'

p.s. Did I mention the chat, threaded discussion and VOIP that's
built-in?
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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?
Research Blog at:http://www.teleworks.com/blog/markoehlert/
http://www.masie.com/researchgrants/#future
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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.
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NEWS

*The Completed Future of e-Learning Interview with:
Murry C. Christensen - Vice President
Global e-Learning Research Director - Goldman, Sachs & Co.
http://www.teleworks.com/blog/markoehlert/archives/000081.html

**This is KEY**
MCLI: SYNDICATING LEARNING OBJECTS WITH RSS AND TRACKBACK "Learning
objects repositories are growing in number with no end to arguments
about definitions, meta-data, granularity, etc. The discovery process
is ultimately limited to what one can search within a single
collection. We propose that, with very little technical effort, the
content of these repositories could be easily "syndicated" in
numerous formats with existing RSS standard formats."
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/show/merlot03/

**The recent blog entries from Greg Costikyan's Blog are
chilling. Think quietly for a moment about what would start to happen
to society if the power went out for a week or more.
http://www.costik.com/weblog/


**Get this article quick – before it goes in the $$ archive**
(THX Judy!)
Can Grand Theft Auto Inspire Professors?
Educators say the virtual worlds of video games help students think
more broadly By SCOTT CARLSON, Madison, Wis- From the issue dated
August 15, 2003
http://chronicle.com/free/v49/i49/49a03101.htm

E-LEARNING NEEDS ANALYSIS: "Creating e-learning content should not
simply be about throwing your course books onto a website. Instead
look at how the Web can enhance and improve the content of a course
book.
http://www.darwinmag.com/read/080103/needs.html

Palm reveals new company name: In preparation for its split into two
separate companies, the handheld maker has come up with a name for
its new, hardware-only self: PalmOne.
August 17, 2003, 9:00 PM PDT
http://news.com.com/2100-1047_3-5064858.html?tag=fd_top

(NY Times requires free registration)
The Bits Are Willing, but the Batteries Are Weak: By AMY HARMON
For many Internet addicts, the blackout was a rude reminder of how
decisively the vaunted digital lifestyle can be laid low by a
disruption in 19th-century electrons.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/18/technology/18DIGI.html

(NY Times requires free registration)
Back to School Issue : A look at new technology and online resources
and at the way students and teachers are using them.
http://www.nytimes.com/circuits/

Microsoft preps PlaceWare conferencing strategy: Providing for public
access 18 August 2003 10:40am
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/32377.html

Global Accrediting Body Transferred to USDLA: Jones International,
Ltd. announced today that it is donating the Global Alliance for
Transnational Education (GATE) to the United States Distance Learning
Association. GATE, founded in 1995, is an alliance of businesses,
educators, quality-assurance agencies, governments, and
intergovernmental organizations that address issues relating to
quality assurance in transnational education. GATE has granted
accreditation to educational institutions worldwide, including Monash
University in Australia and Universidad Regiomontana in Mexico.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/cb_headline.cgi?&story_file=bw.
081203/232245176&directory=/google&header_file=header.htm&footer_file=

*Yeah sure. It's all about M$ improving `security' for
its users. We all saw well they did that last week!
Microsoft to lock down MSN Messenger network: Posted August 19, 3:19
p.m. Pacific Time: Microsoft Corp. is making changes to its MSN
instant messaging (IM) service that will lock out users of
third-party software that uses the service as well as users of older
versions of Microsoft's own Messenger client, the company said
Tuesday. Users have to upgrade to the latest versions of MSN or
Windows Messenger by Oct. 15 or they will no longer be able to log
on,
Microsoft spokesman Sean Sundwall said. The upgrade is required
because of "security issues" with the older versions of the Messenger
clients, he said, declining to specify those issues.
http://newsletter.infoworld.com/t?ctl=428941:1F4D50E
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TRENDS / RESEARCH SECTION

Semiotics: A Primer for Designers: by Challis Hodge: Semiotics
teaches us as designers that our work has no meaning outside the
complex set of factors that define it. The deeper our understanding
and awareness of these factors, the better our control over the
success of the work products we create.
http://www.boxesandarrows.
com/archives/semiotics_a_primer_for_designers.php

Common Craft: HOW I WOULD IMPLEMENT WEBLOGS IN BUSINESS
"In retrospect- a Weblog could have been extremely valuable to me and
the company. Using a Weblog, I could chronicle the daily activities,
learnings, experiences and developments of the community. As the
community grew and interest spread, the Weblog could have become the
best single resource for understanding the internal workings of the
community, why it works, what we'd learned, what the manager does,
what the members think, etc. I could have reserved 30 minutes a day
to post what I'm thinking, doing, learning."
http://www.commoncraft.com/archives/000272.html

Kids Get Parents Wired: A large majority of Americans have helped an
older parent or relative with computer and online issues, often
acting
as personal tech support agents. August 8, 2003
http://cyberatlas.internet.com/big_picture/demographics/article/0,,
5901_2246621,00.html

Found at Stephen Downes:
METS: An Overview & Tutorial: This is a very interesting
specification. The Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard (METS)
is intended to describe the structural properties of digital
resources. Why is this necessary? "While a library may record
descriptive metadata regarding a book in its collection, the book
will not dissolve into a series of unconnected pages if the library
fails to record structural metadata regarding the book's
organization,
nor will scholars be unable to evaluate the book's worth if the
library fails to note that the book was produced using a Ryobi offset
press. The same cannot be said for a digital version of the same book.
" The initiative has evolved into a wider set of standards, and the
body just recently announced a streamlined digital rights metadata
specification. According to the METS News "The METS Editorial Board
sees the need for a simple Rights schema that the METS community
could use while the more comprehensive Rights Expression Language
(REL) schemas such as XrML, ODRL, the IEEE LTSC-DRELWorking Group,
and
others are being developed, and debated." The schema has been
published but I don't see any documentation yet, though there are
some sample instances available. By Unknown, METS,
http://www.loc.gov/standards/mets/METSOverview.v2.html

OWL flies as Web ontology language: Posted August 19, 3:00 p.m.
Pacific Time The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) on Tuesday issued
its
Web Ontology Language, its acronym spelled and pronounced "OWL," as a
W3C Candidate for Recommendation, meaning the organization is seeking
more implementations of the language. According to the W3C, OWL is a
language for defining structured Web-based ontologies that enable
richer integration and interoperability of data across application
boundaries. Some implementations already exist.
http://newsletter.infoworld.com/t?ctl=428D1D:1F4D50E

Study Dispels Myths About Online Learning: An Australian study has
overturned some common perceptions about the type of students online
courses attract. The research involved 18,000 full-time students in
2002 and dismisses popular beliefs that online schools are dominated
by males, are only for the young, and that students living in rural
areas are disadvantaged. The study, conducted by Les Burr of Charles
Sturt University (CSU) in New South Wales, Australia, found—in
rural and city regions—that 61 percent of female students
participated
in online discussions, and students older than 51 had the highest
participation rate.
http://asia.cnet.com/newstech/personaltech/0,39001147,39145181,00.htm

Harvard Working Knowledge: PROJECT PLANNING: FUZZINESS = FAILURE
"Studies of exceptional project managers in fast time-to-market
industries show that the initial phase of a complex project, often
referred to as the fuzzy front end, has a disproportionately large
impact on the end results. All the recommendations that follow flow
from one counterintuitive insight: The traditional operational focus
of project management will doom a complex project."
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/pubitem.jhtml?id=3631&t=operations

Students Win Contest with E-Learning System: Students from the
National Taiwan University recently won $15K in IEEE's International
Design Competition with a system for enhancing online learning. Their
design, Novel Educative Wireless Style (NEWS), is intended to improve
interaction in synchronous e-learning environments. Features include
"whiteboard sharing" among class members, and "automatic file
transfer," which delivers lecture slides to students.
http://computer.org/csidc/CSIDC03ProjectReports/NationalTaiwan.pdf?
SMSESSION=NO

The Empire Strikes Back: Hollywood Appeals Grokster Decision: [August
19, 2003] Music and motion picture industry groups seek to overturn
April decision clearing file-swapping services of copyright
infringement.
http://dc.internet.com/news/article.php/3066031
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EMERGING TECH SECTION

Bit Torrent – Amazing way to move large files
http://www.teleworks.com/blog/markoehlert/archives/000085.html

Project searches for open-source niche: An emerging Web search effort
called Nutch is out to keep Google, Yahoo and MSN honest--and improve
the process of finding useful, noncommercial information on the Net.
August 18, 2003, 6:58 AM PDT
http://news.com.com/2100-1032_3-5064913.html?tag=fd_top

Aggregators Attack Info Overload: Internet news addicts are turning
in droves to so-called aggregator services, which relieve information
overload by condensing multiple sites into a single feed. By Ryan
Singel.
http://www.wired.com/news/infostructure/0,1377,60053,00.html

RELOAD editor adds Content Packaging and SCORM authoring: Wilbert
Kraan, CETIS staff
August 14, 2003: Following a comprehensive rewrite, the 1.1 version
of the RELOAD e-learning content authoring tool can now be used to
edit both plain IMS as well as SCORM content packages.
http://www.cetis.ac.uk/content/20030814153401

Videoconferencing made simple: Make video-enabled Internet calls over
a broadband connection with this simple device from D-Link.
http://ct.com.com/click?q=eb-HlpoQkDlzhNVleyWea0zYZqJtA9R
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MOBILE COMPUTING SECTION

IDC: Converged Devices to Overtake PDAs in 2003: Traditional PDAs
will take a backseat to mobile devices that merge voice and data this
year, according to IDC. (Company)
http://www.thinkmobile.com/Content/Detail.asp?CTID=1&ID=7034

Motion pushes tablet PCs to feds: Motion Computing Inc. hopes new
distribution deals and a new office will boost sales of its tablet
computers to the government.
http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2003/0811/web-tabl-08-12-03.asp

IEEE Issues New Spec For High-speed Wireless Streaming: The new 802.
15.3 standard for fast wireless personal-area networks allows up to
245 devices to be linked at data rates of up to 55Mbit/sec. and at
distances of up to 300 feet.
http://computerworld.com/newsletter/0,4902,83837,00.html?nlid=AM

(NY Times requires free registration)
Start-Up Plans to Introduce Alternate Wi-Fi Technology: By JOHN
MARKOFF Airgo Networks, a heavily financed Silicon Valley start-up,
is
introducing a wireless Internet connection that doubles Wi-Fi's
already high speed and extends its range.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/18/technology/18WIFI.html

M-Systems, Palm tie-in redefines PDA: Analysis Pervasive Data Access?
14 August 2003 11:57am
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/68/32339.html

from ENN eGovernment: Scottish local authorities roll out mobile
technology: Local authorities in Fife, Scotland, are using mobile
phone technology in innovative ways. The Fife Fire & Rescue Service
is rolling out a photo messaging service in association with mobile
operator Orange. The service is aimed at improving the crucial
initial treatment of people who have been involved in accidents.
Under
the initiative, rescue officers who are called to the scene of an
accident can use a camera phone to take photographs of casualties,
and
the images can be transmitted immediately via MMS to the Accident and
Emergency Unit at Dunfermline's Queen Margaret Hospital. Using this
information, doctors at the hospital are able to make a preliminary
assessment of the extent of people's injuries and to prepare the
appropriate medical treatment and staff in advance. Meanwhile, Fife
Council has completed successful trials of the use of text messaging
as a means of communicating with tenants.

LONDON-SCOTLAND TRAINS GET WI-FI: Great North East Railway (GNER) in
the UK has partnered with mobile solutions firm Icomera to provide
Wi-Fi on trains running between Scotland and London. The rail company
is investing STG1 million in the rollout of wireless broadband
Internet access on its fleet of high-speed trains, a move it hopes
will increase its appeal to travellers, particularly business
travellers with laptops and PDAs. GNER already has a 40:60 ratio of
business to leisure passengers and carries in the region of 15
million passengers each year. Icomera, the company providing the
wireless connections, is based in Gottenburg, Sweden, where it
recently introduced Wi-Fi on Linx trains running between Gottenburg
and Copenhagen.
http://www.electricnews.net/news.html?code=9371680

Wristphone packs camera, keypad
http://ct.com.com/click?q=15-mYP_IGcgl2k6Jt64kAfDLFG_7KsR

Northeastern University Business Students To Utilize Toshiba Portege
3500 Tablet PCs Toshiba Computer Systems Group (CSG), in
collaboration
with Northeastern University's College of Business Administration
(CBA), will make available to students the Toshiba's Portege 3500
convertible Tablet PC operated by Microsoft's Windows XP Tablet PC
Edition.
http://www.planetpdamag.com/enews/2003/081303b.htm

eLearning Dynamics Launches PocketClassroom Application: eLearning
Dynamics has launched PocketClassroom, a comprehensive, two-way
classroom communication and management application utilizing handheld
Pocket PCs and wireless networks. eLearning Dynamics recently signed
an exclusive license for the PocketClassroom trademark with Wake
Forest University.
http://www.planetpdamag.com/enews/2003/081303e.htm

from Syllabus:
Chongqing University of China and Xybernaut Corp. last week announced
a research and development agreement whereby both will jointly
perform R&D in network integrated head mount display (HMD)
technologies and ubiquitous applications using wearable computers.
Under the agreement, the companies will develop wearable computer
circuitry; heat dissipation techniques and technologies; integrated
HMD technologies; voice, video capture and transmission technologies;
and ubiquitous computing applications. The research will concentrate
on strategies, methodologies and intellectual property related to
using wearable computing in the workplace in order to achieve
benefits such as increased productivity/efficiency, quality
improvements for data gathering and dissemination, knowledge
management and human safety.
http://www.cqu.edu.cn/english/index.com

Innoventions Expands Handheld Displays with RotoView: Innoventions
has developed a technology that expands the small screens found on
PDAs and mobile phones. (PDAStreet)
http://www.thinkmobile.com/Content/Detail.asp?CTID=1&ID=7002

Airgo Promises Breakthrough In Mobile-call Quality: Airgo Networks'
short-range radio antenna chips could offer a revolution in wireless
transmission quality, improving speed, range and reliability of
wireless devices indoors and between nearby buildings
http://computerworld.com/newsletter/0,4902,84111,00.html?nlid=MW
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GAMING SECTION

*Wow. No one told me.
"Guard Force is a real-time strategy game utilizing today's
modern military units including M1A1 tanks and M2 Bradley's. Guard
Force contains six unique missions that take place in graphically
rich
surroundings including snow covered mountains and lush jungles. Guard
Force puts you in command. Take control of your forces and engage in
covert assaults, counter-insurgency, and rescue missions. * Guard
Force™ is distributed solely by the Army National Guard (ARNG).
Copies of Guard Force™ are available only thru local ARNG
recruiting
offices. Guard Force is available to US residents (including US
Territories) 13 & Older (Based on the ESRB "T" rating)"
http://www.1800goguard.com/guardforce/info.asp

Nokia Hardly Hanging Up On Online Gaming: Nokia Tuesday sought to
broaden its horizons for online gaming when it purchased the rights
to Sega.com for an undisclosed amount and unveiled its first service
using features from its new acquisition.
http://www.thinkmobile.com/Content/Detail.asp?CTID=1&ID=7033

Iraq war game comes under fire: Dominic Timms
Friday August 15, 2003 : An American company looks set to attract a
storm of controversy next year when it launches a computer game
featuring graphic video footage captured by US troops during the Iraq
war.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/computergames/story/0,11500,1019416,00.html

BRITISH GENERAL CONDEMNS WAR GAME: A senior British soldier has
attacked an American developer's plans to use real-life footage of
the recent Iraq conflict in a forthcoming first person shooter.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?
section_name=dev&aid=2096

Video Gamer EA Becomes Entertainment Power
By May Wong: AP Technology Writer: Sunday, August 17, 2003; 2:15 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6147-2003Aug17.html

The Biggest Threat to Online Games: " The biggest threat to online
games today is the industry's neglect of the customer…" As
online gaming continues to experience a growth boom both on consoles
and on the PC, the biggest obstacle to its growth may well come down
to poor customer service infrastructure, argues Dale Munk
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?
section_name=new&aid=1915

PlayStation: Evolve, Multiply, Conquer: "With a PSX under your
television, the PlayStation isn't just something you turn on to play
a game any more..." This week's announcement of Sony's sleek new PSX
home entertainment device caused ripples in both financial circles
and in the electronic entertainment media, along with much
speculation
about what this means for PS3 and the future of the PlayStation
brand. Rob Fahey looks at PSX, PSP and PS3, and the evolution of
Sony's gaming ambitions.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?
section_name=pub&aid=1724

*Editor's Review*
I love my iPAQ. Take it everywhere and do everything on it –
except really any gaming. Of course, I play Solitaire and there are
some great Mahjongg games and Chopper Alley is graphically cool as is
Sim City 2000. Thing is, I never play these games from long – they
always disappoint in some way, graphics, interface, etc. Well not
EverQuest® for the Pocket PC. This is my killer gaming app. I can
actually play this game until my battery runs out! Marc Prensky is
right when he says its not always about graphics (although the
graphics are pretty good) but about the game play. This rides right
along in that lane of not too hard and not too easy. The puzzles are
interesting but not brain-bending, in short it is a wonderful
diversion on the PPC and I highly recommend it. I just can't wait
for
the MMOG-handheld version!
http://eqpocket.station.sony.com/
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SECURITY SECTION

Microsoft.com Falls To DOS Attack: Yesterday's attack, the second
successful denial-of-service attack against Microsoft.com this month,
wasn't linked to the Blaster worm.
http://computerworld.com/newsletter/0,4902,84074,00.html?nlid=PM

Networks Felled by New Worm: A computer worm designed to protect
against another infection brought down some computer networks
yesterday and infiltrated others, including that of Air Canada and
the $6.9 billion U.S. Navy-Marine Corps intranet.
http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RH052144832C97E3623E901319
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HUMOR AND MISC. SECTION

An email reprint From Politechbot.com:
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 14:48:39 -0400 (EDT)
From: destiny <destiny@...>
To: declan@...
Subject: "Fair and balanced"
To mock Fox News -- and their lawsuit against Al Franken -- a number
of web-logs have changed their taglines to "Fair and Balanced." It's
in the title bar of cartoonist Tom Tomorrow's ThisModernWorld.com,
the well-read http://atrios.blogspot.com and several others. I'm
following suit. Fox New's self-description is transparently laughable
-- and should apply equally well to the even-more opinionated
universe
of web-logs.
Destiny-land.
Fair and balanced.
http://destinyland.blogspot.com/
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