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TOP STORIES FOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 01, 2004 Oracle Makes Final Offer for PeopleSoft Mexico Seeks to Boost Science and Tech Funding The Growing Problem of Spyware Chinese Authorities Close Internet Cafes ORACLE MAKES FINAL OFFER FOR PEOPLESOFT Oracle has made what it calls its "best and final offer" of $24 a share in its bid to acquire rival PeopleSoft. Since Oracle began its attempted hostile takeover, the bid has ranged from $19.50 to $26 per share, and the board of PeopleSoft has consistently said the offers undervalue the company. Urged by the Delaware judge hearing arguments over PeopleSoft's poison pill, Oracle has now made what it says it its last offer. If, by the November 19 deadline, fewer than 50 percent of the shares of PeopleSoft have been tendered, Oracle said it will end its takeover bid. If more than 50 percent are tendered, however, and the poison pill remains in place, Oracle will ask the Delaware court to rule on the matter. Experts said that the Delaware court is not likely to force PeopleSoft to remove the poison pill. CNET, 1 November 2004 http://news.com.com/2100-1014_3-5433903.html MEXICO SEEKS TO BOOST SCIENCE AND TECH FUNDING A bill has passed Mexico's lower house of Congress that would significantly raise the amount of funds provided to the country's universities for research in science and technology. Under the bill, which is expected to pass the upper house of Congress, state universities and research centers would be allowed to keep revenues estimated at $120 million per year from products and service rather than forfeit those funds to the state. The bill also triples a tax break for companies that invest in research. The immediate result of the tax change will be an increase from $90 million to $270 million, but lawmakers hope that the change will spread to other businesses and will result in an additional $1.2 billion for research. When President Vicente Fox took office, he promised to raise funding for such research to 1 percent of GDP by 2006, but the level of funding has dropped from 0.41 percent of GDP in 2000 to 0.37 percent today. Chronicle of Higher Education, 1 November 2004 (sub. req'd) http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2004/11/2004110103n.htm THE GROWING PROBLEM OF SPYWARE As the number of computers infected with spyware spirals upward, technology companies face a growing burden, both for supporting users whose computers are slowed by spyware and for protecting their corporate reputation from the perception that they are to blame. Microsoft estimates that one-third of Windows XP crashes result from spyware, and AOL says that three spyware applications alone cause 300,000 Internet disconnections per day. A significant portion of spyware is installed with other applications, such as games or file-sharing tools. Often, users who download such applications and agree to licensing terms unwittingly consent to the spyware also, which is included in long licensing agreements. Because many users technically agree to install spyware, companies such as Dell are unable to do much to help those customers when they call complaining of slow performance. Companies such as Dell and HP are beginning to address the problem, however, by including antispyware tools with new computers, and Microsoft's Service Pack 2 for Windows XP works to protect users by notifying them whenever such applications are being installed. Associated Press, 31 October 2004 http://apnews.excite.com/article/20041031/D862JARG0.html CHINESE AUTHORITIES CLOSE INTERNET CAFES Government officials in China have acknowledged the forced closure of 1,600 Internet cafes and the temporary closure of many thousands more. The Chinese Culture Ministry takes an active role in protecting the country's youth from online content including gambling, pornography, and violence, and the ministry is known for forbidding access to some Internet sites from anywhere in the country. Citing concerns over minors' accessing inappropriate content, the ministry commented officially that of the country's 1.8 million Internet cafes, 18,000 have been fined, ordered to close temporarily, or shut down permanently. For many in China, the cafes are the only means to access the Internet. NewsFactor Network, 1 November 2004 http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=28036 ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/Edupage/639 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/Edupage/639 ***************************************************** 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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