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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2004 Wi-Fi Policy Sparks Controversy at UT Dallas Oracle Wins Antitrust Case Tablet PCs a Good Fit for Classrooms British Library Puts Shakespeare Online House Panel Approves Antipiracy, Anti-Spyware Bills WI-FI POLICY SPARKS CONTROVERSY AT UT DALLAS A new policy covering Wi-Fi access points at the University of Texas at Dallas has led to a standoff between university administrators and students claiming the right to have their own wireless access points. The policy forbids students from operating their own access points on campus because of interference with the university's wireless network, which is slower than what the students have set up, and because of security concerns over the unregulated "hot spots." Students argue that the airwaves for wireless Internet access are available to anyone who wants to use them. Bill Hargrove, executive director of information resources at the university, compared the situation to that of a student who brings a stereo system to campus. The stereo is fine, he said, "until the point where you turn it up and it bothers your neighbors." Administrators and students are at an impasse now, with neither side ready to concede. CNET, 9 September 2004 http://news.com.com/2100-7351_3-5360510.html ORACLE WINS ANTITRUST CASE A federal judge has ruled against the Department of Justice in its attempt to block Oracle's hostile takeover of PeopleSoft. In his decision, Judge Vaughn Walker said that the government failed to prove that the merger would lead to less competition and higher prices in the business software market. Walker said the small and midsize companies that play a part in the business software market represent a valid alternative to the big three--Oracle, PeopleSoft, and SAP. Walker stayed his decision for 10 days to give the Department of Justice an opportunity to file an appeal if they so choose. The PeopleSoft board has consistently rejected Oracle's takeover offer, arguing in part that the merger violated antitrust laws. Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle, said the court's "decision puts the onus squarely on the board of PeopleSoft to meet with us." The takeover is still subject to approval by European regulators. Wall Street Journal, 10 September 2004 (sub. req'd) http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB109476549979113989,00.html TABLET PCS A GOOD FIT FOR CLASSROOMS Tablet PCs have failed to live up to the hype that preceded their introduction, but they are beginning to find a home in some classrooms. In particular, students at a number of high schools are being issued tablet PCs for their studies, and some schools are specifically designing curricula around the devices. Administrators at some schools that are running pilot programs--including Cathedral Preparatory School in Pennsylvania--opted for tablet PCs over laptops, hoping to reap additional benefits from the tablets' features, specifically the ability to recognize handwriting on the screen and convert it to type. One of the goals of some supporters of tablet PCs is the reduction of much of the paper used in school, including notebooks, exams, and textbooks. New York Times, 9 September 2004 (registration req'd) http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/09/technology/circuits/09jott.html BRITISH LIBRARY PUTS SHAKESPEARE ONLINE The British Library is posting high-resolution copies of some of the earliest versions of Shakespeare's plays online. The 21 plays included in the online collection were originally printed during the playwright's lifetime and include many lines and passages that are different from those found in the First Folio editions, which were not printed until after Shakespeare's death. Having the copies available online will allow scholars easy access to works that are believed to be closer to the original text of the plays. The Web site that contains the images of the plays will also include background information, images, sound clips, and tools to allow comparison of the earlier versions of the plays with the more common later versions, to see how the text has changed. BBC, 10 September 2004 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3641880.stm HOUSE PANEL APPROVES ANTIPIRACY, ANTI-SPYWARE BILLS The Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives this week approved two bills, one that criminalizes illegal file sharing and another that prohibits installing spyware, sending both to the full House for debate. Under the file-sharing bill, computer users found guilty of making at least 1,000 copyrighted files available on P2P networks--whether they are music, movie, or software files--are subject to criminal prosecution and could face three to five years in prison. The anti-spyware bill would make it a crime to place files on other users' computers without their knowledge. Spyware ranges from fairly innocuous but annoying adware, which puts pop-up ads on users' screens, to malicious programs that can record keystrokes and steal users' names, passwords, or other sensitive information. Washington Post, 8 September 2004 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6091-2004Sep8.html ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/ 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/ ***************************************************** 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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