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TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 06, 2002 Court Rejects Privacy Claim Studies Predict Slow Start to Tablet PCs Security Group Accesses Classified Navy Databases AND OASIS Approves SAML Standard EU Continues Probe into Microsoft IBM Ups Storage Capacity for Laptop Hard Drives COURT REJECTS PRIVACY CLAIM Last week the Virginia Supreme Court denied a motion filed by America Online to prevent the ISP from disclosing the identity of one of its users. Nam Tai Electronics alleges that 51 people, among them an AOL subscriber, libeled the company. Nam Tai subpoenaed AOL for the user's identity, and AOL filed the motion in California to avoid having to release that information. After the California court rejected the motion, AOL appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court, which upheld the lower court's ruling. David Sobel of the Electronic Privacy Information Center was disappointed that the court had "punted on a very controversial issue." He said the ruling could have serious repercussions for how users regard free speech on the Internet. IDG, 5 November 2002 http://www.idg.net/ic_962018_1794_9-10000.html STUDIES PREDICT SLOW START TO TABLET PCS Two separate reports just released predict a slow start to tablet PC sales, despite a strong push from Microsoft. Gartner Dataquest predicts that next year sales of tablet PCs will only reach about 425,000, or one percent of all notebook computer sales. Leslie Fiering, vice president at Gartner, said tablet computers in 2003 will appeal to "only the bravest." IDC predicts slightly higher numbers, 575,000 for 2003 and one million for 2004. Computers running the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition operating system are expected from companies including Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba, Acer, and Fujitsu. Ken Dulaney of Gartner said buyers will be discouraged from buying tablets because of price, lack of applications, and "clumsy hardware designs." ZDNet, 6 November 2002 http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103-964699.html SECURITY GROUP ACCESSES CLASSIFIED NAVY DATABASES A French security group called Kitetoa was able to access several confidential U.S. Navy databases, prompting the Navy to take down one of its Web sites until the problems are fixed. Members of the group gained access to information about tests and problems with weapons systems, and to a system used to order software and other applications. A spokesman from the Navy said that although the information is not public, none of the exposed data constituted a threat to national security. Antoine Champagne, founder of Kitetoa, noted that a French court recently ruled that users are not in violation of existing laws if they access information that is on the Web but is not protected, even if that information is not intended for public access. Wired News, 6 November 2002 http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,56219,00.html AND ***************************************************** OASIS APPROVES SAML STANDARD The Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) today announced its approval of the first version of the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML). SAML provides a standard for authentication and authorization protocols among different vendors, opening the door for single sign-on access to multiple sites. SAML also provides for including security information within documents, according to a representative of Hewlett-Packard, one of the companies in the consortium responsible for developing the SAML standard. Other consortium members include Baltimore Technologies PLC, BEA Systems, Computer Associates International, IBM, and Sun Microsystems. ComputerWorld, 6 November 2002 http://www.idg.net/ic_962222_1794_9-10000.html EU CONTINUES PROBE INTO MICROSOFT Despite the recent ruling in the U.S. antitrust case against Microsoft that largely freed the company from the severe sanctions some have called for, the European Union Commission said its investigation is very different from the one in the United States and would continue. Whereas the U.S. case largely concerned the browser market and deals made with hardware manufacturers, the case in Europe argues that Microsoft has used its monopoly status in the operating-system market to enter other markets and become the leader in those. Microsoft reportedly has said that the terms of the U.S. settlement, as well as other concessions, should address the EU's antitrust case. Associated Press, 4 November 2002 (registration req'd) http://www.nandotimes.com/technology/story/605598p-4681084c.html IBM UPS STORAGE CAPACITY FOR LAPTOP HARD DRIVES Using a technique called antiferromagnetically coupled (AFC) media, which adds a layer of the element ruthenium to hard-drive platters, IBM has increased the storage capacity of hard drives for notebook computers to 80 gigabytes. Formerly the drives were limited to 60 gigabytes. The Travelstar line of hard drives will be available in notebook computers early next year and will run at rotational speeds of 4,200, 5,400, or 7,200 rpm. Higher rotational speeds typically lead to higher levels of noise and power consumption, though IBM said its new 7,200 rpm drives address these issues. IBM predicts that storage densities will continue to increase, raising capacities to 400 gigabytes for desktop systems and 200 gigabytes for notebooks. CNET, 6 November 2002 http://news.com.com/2100-1001-964711.html ***************************************************** 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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