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TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2004 New Security Initiatives at Microsoft Online Protest Staged over Mixed Album Georgia Plans Student Information System Doctors Warned Not to Diagnose Using Picture Phones NEW SECURITY INITIATIVES AT MICROSOFT Speaking at a computer-security conference this week, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates revealed some of the company's latest initiatives to improve computer security and fight the growing problem of spam. Gates said Microsoft must bear more responsibility for educating users about the need to keep systems current with up-to-date patches. A forthcoming update to Windows XP enables the application's firewall by default, features a "Security Center" to help users evaluate their systems' security, and includes a pop-up blocker, according to Gates. Gates also said that spam constitutes a security threat because many viruses are spread by unsolicited e-mail. He said Microsoft is working on technology to act as a "caller ID for e-mail," which would prevent e-mail with spoofed return addresses from reaching recipients. San Jose Mercury News, 25 February 2004 http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/8036835.htm ONLINE PROTEST STAGED OVER MIXED ALBUM A dispute over digital sampling of copyrighted songs this week led to an underground protest and new attention to a specific area of copyright law. Record company EMI recently sent a cease-and-desist order to Los Angeles D.J. Brian Burton, insisting that he not distribute "The Grey Album," a set of recordings Burton made by sampling songs from the Beatles' White Album (to which EMI owns the rights) and rapper Jay-Z. Sampling is protected by copyright law, and critics noted that the current compensation system would likely have resulted in prohibitively expensive royalties had Burton sought proper permissions. By the time Burton stopped distributing "The Grey Album," however, numerous individuals who had copies were distributing the album themselves, staging what they called "a day of coordinated civil disobedience" on more than 300 Web sites and blogs on February 24. Protesters argued that sampling should be considered fair use under copyright law. Jonathan Zittrain of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School said the album is clearly a violation of current copyright law but noted that the law was written before the advent of various technologies that can be used "to build and share interesting, transformative, and socially valuable art." New York Times, 25 February 2004 (registration req'd) http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/25/arts/music/25REMI.html GEORGIA PLANS STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM The state of Georgia is expected to issue a request for proposals for a new Student Information System (SIS) covering the state's 1.5 million pre-K through 12th grade students. In response to provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind law, several states including Idaho, Virginia, and Oklahoma are pursuing similar systems. Georgia's SIS is intended to pull student data from local systems, creating a central clearinghouse for student information that will be made available to more than 100,000 employees, teachers, administrators, and staff. Currently, several disparate systems are in place across the state, some from vendors and others developed locally. The first phase of the project, which includes a data warehouse and tracking tools to keep tabs on student information, is expected to be complete by the end of 2005. Federal Computer Week, 23 February 2004 http://www.fcw.com/geb/articles/2004/0223/web-georgia-02-23-04.asp DOCTORS WARNED NOT TO DIAGNOSE USING PICTURE PHONES In Britain, the Medical Defence Union (MDU) has issued a warning to that country's physicians concerning the use of photo-capable cell phones in diagnosing patients. Some physicians have begun using such technology to transmit images of patients or X-rays to specialists elsewhere, citing such benefits as producing quicker diagnoses and, in some cases, eliminating the need for some patients to visit the specialist in person. The warning from the MDU, however, pointed to a number of legal and ethical considerations associated with such practices and said using digital cameras and picture phones "exposes users and patients to unknown and therefore unacceptable risks." According to the MDU, any picture taken for diagnostic purposes must be considered part of the patient's medical record and is therefore subject to all applicable requirements for privacy. In addition, picture phones open the door to accidentally sending a confidential photo to the wrong person. BBC, 24 February 2004 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3517039.stm ***************************************************** 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 "EQ" and "EDUCAUSE Review," books, and other materials dealing with the impacts and implications of information technology in higher education. 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