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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2002 California Tries to Preempt Cell Phone Marketers Hewlett-Packard Drops Evo Notebook in Favor of Tablet PC Tauzin Proposes Deadline for Digital TV AND Justice Department Says SEVIS Won't Make Deadline Slumping Economy Hurts University Endowments Weak Technology Economy Hurts New California College CALIFORNIA TRIES TO PREEMPT CELL PHONE MARKETERS California's Governor Gray Davis this week signed into law a measure that will prevent marketing companies from sending unwanted advertisements and solicitations to mobile phones and pagers. The bill was proposed by Assemblyman Tim Leslie. Davis said he supported the measure because he wanted to prevent an explosion of spam to mobile devices similar to what has happened with personal computers. The mobile phone spam bill will go into effect in January. Davis also signed into law two other privacy bills, one that places stricter limits on junk faxes and another to facilitate the creation of a statewide "do not call" list. ZDNet, 20 September 2002 http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105-958789.html HEWLETT-PACKARD DROPS EVO NOTEBOOK IN FAVOR OF TABLET PC Hewlett-Packard will discontinue its Evo N200 computer, a lightweight notebook that sells for about $1,500, and replace it with a machine based on Microsoft's Tablet PC software. The new machine reportedly will have a faster processor and wireless capabilities and will sell for less than $2,000. Microsoft has been touting the tablet computer, which has a screen that users write on with a pen-like stylus, as the next step in personal computing. Officials at Hewlett-Packard seem to agree, saying they believe consumers will be willing to pay extra for the tablet technology. CNET, 20 September 2002 http://news.com.com/2100-1040-958804.html TAUZIN PROPOSES DEADLINE FOR DIGITAL TV Billy Tauzin (R-La.) has proposed requiring television broadcasters to switch completely to digital signal transmissions by early 2006 and end analog transmissions by the end of that year. Members of the television industry, including broadcasters and makers of electronic equipment, have been slow to agree on a plan to make the transition to digital signals, and Tauzin thinks it's time for regulators to step in. He said, "While we prefer marketplace solutions, clearly it's time for us to provide leadership in this area." Under Tauzin's proposal, the Federal Communications Commission would establish technical standards with which broadcasters and equipment makers would have to comply. At least one consumer group criticized the proposal as too heavy-handed, stifling innovation and fair use. A spokesman for Tauzin said it was not clear yet if or when the proposal would be offered as a bill. New York Times, 19 September 2002 (registration req'd) http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/technology/tech-media-digitaltv.html AND ***************************************************** JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SAYS SEVIS WON'T MAKE DEADLINE According to Glenn A. Fine, inspector general for the Justice Department, the Immigration and Naturalization Service's (INS) new system to track foreign students will not be completed by the January 30, 2003, deadline originally set. Under the new system, schools must reapply for certification from the INS, and evaluations of those applications must be complete before the system can be fully functional. The technology components of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) are expected to be functional as scheduled. However, evaluations of school certifications will likely not be finished, and necessary training of school officials is also expected to fall behind schedule. Washington Times, 19 September 2002 http://www.washtimes.com/national/20020919-95477832.htm SLUMPING ECONOMY HURTS UNIVERSITY ENDOWMENTS Data from the National Association of College and University Business Officers show that between mid-1999 and mid-2002, investment returns on large college and university endowments declined from 24 percent to negative 6 percent. Those endowments lost a total of $19 billion over the same period. Because many institutions typically use 5 percent annually for such expenses as scholarships, salaries, and facilities maintenance, and another 1 percent for administrative costs, a return of 6 percent is generally necessary to break even. Many schools are reevaluating the investment breakdowns of their endowments to avoid big losses. Different strategies have resulted in varying levels of success. The University of Richmond grew a $50 million grant in 1969 to $1 billion through aggressive investing, but the endowment has lost $71 million in the current economic slump. Other institutions have kept more conservative investments and been less affected by sagging markets. Washington Post, 20 September 2002 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43290-2002Sep20.html WEAK TECHNOLOGY ECONOMY HURTS NEW CALIFORNIA COLLEGE The University of California at San Diego's sixth college (which is so far simply called UCSD Sixth College) will begin operating next week, but without the support from high-tech companies that was expected when planning started for the college two years ago. The weakness in the technology economy has made many high-tech companies reluctant to invest in projects such as new educational institutions. Although the new college is a residential school, developers intended that Sixth College would have a heavy focus on digital technology. Many of those aspects of the school have been put on hold. According to Gabriele Wienhausen, provost of Sixth College, despite lacking the expected commercial support, the school will not give up on its mission to create a curriculum that combines culture, art, and technology. Chronicle of Higher Education, 20 September 2002 http://chronicle.com/free/2002/09/2002092001t.htm ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For past issues of Edupage or information about translations of Edupage into other languages, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE PUBLICATIONS EDUCAUSE publishes periodicals, including "EDUCAUSE Quarterly" and "EDUCAUSE Review," books, and other materials dealing with the impacts and implications of information technology in higher education. 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