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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, JULY 08, 2005 IE Losing Favor on Some Campuses Choosing the Right Computer for College EPIC Calls for Investigation of Data Brokers Google Invests in BPL IE LOSING FAVOR ON SOME CAMPUSES Frustrated with ongoing concerns about the security of Microsoft's Internet Explorer, IT staff on a number of campuses in the United States have begun to encourage faculty and students to use other browsers instead. In December, officials at Penn State started advising users to opt for either Firefox or Opera. IT staff in the physics department at the University of Florida have recently started urging users to switch to Firefox, saying that all Windows users should install the open source application and define it as the system's default browser. The university-wide Office of Information Technology at Florida now includes Firefox on a CD that is given free to all students. The CD includes network software and antivirus tools and previously offered IE and Netscape Navigator as browser choices. Although the university does not officially endorse any browser, it began adding Firefox to the CDs after many students and faculty had asked about it, according to Marc I. Hoit, interim associate provost for information technology. Alan Paller, director of research at the SANS Institute, said that because of Firefox's security and simplicity, he sees the move as beneficial, both for the schools and their users as well as the Internet generally. Chronicle of Higher Education, 7 July 2005 (sub. req'd) http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2005/07/2005070701t.htm CHOOSING THE RIGHT COMPUTER FOR COLLEGE Computer makers are gearing up for the back-to-school season with packages targeting college students, though the choices included in many of those packages differ from what campus IT departments would prefer. This year's student-focused computer deals lean heavily on multimedia tools and performance. Features such as DVD burners, Microsoft's Windows Media Center Edition operating system, TV tuners, and high-definition audio tools are common in this season's offerings. Colleges and universities tend to be more conservative in their computer specifications, however, preferring operating systems such as Windows XP or Mac OS X, for example. Although few schools have strict requirements for student computers, many have arrangements with particular vendors that offer discounts on their systems. In terms of design, laptops now represent a greater portion of computer sales than desktops. Despite the price advantage of desktops, laptops are hard to turn down for students going from building to building across campus. CNET, 7 July 2005 http://news.com.com/2100-1041_3-5777151.html EPIC CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION OF DATA BROKERS The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) this week filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asking the agency to investigate the business practices of companies that sell information such as cell phone records. The complaint focuses on a company called Intelligent e-Commerce Inc., which sells information including cell phone records and the identities of holders of post office boxes. In its complaint, EPIC contends that the collection and sale of such information likely violates federal regulations or statutes and asks the FTC to force Intelligent e-Commerce to discontinue the sale of such information pending a full investigation. According to EPIC, some data brokers obtain information fraudulently by pretending to be someone who is authorized to access that information. A spokesperson for Intelligent e-Commerce Inc. said company officials and attorneys are not aware of any laws that they are breaking. Wall Street Journal, 8 July 2005 (sub. req'd) http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112077534843280100,00.html GOOGLE INVESTS IN BPL A partnership among Google, Hearst Interactive Media, and Goldman Sachs will reportedly invest as much as $100 million in Maryland-based Current Communications Group, which is developing technology to provide Internet access over existing power lines. Broadband over power lines (BPL) technology offers several advantages over either DSL or cable modem access, such as working on existing infrastructure and offering equivalent download and upload speeds. Current broadband offerings typically allow much faster downloading than uploading. Analysts were not immediately sure what advantage Google might see in investing in BPL technology. Some speculated that simply expanding the availability of broadband access would benefit the company. Others noted that Google might be planning to get involved in video-sharing services, which would benefit from the increased uploading speeds that BPL provides. Ken Bronfin, president of Hearst, commented that his company's motivation is broader access to high-speed Internet. Giving consumers the option of having broadband access through standard power outlets in their homes would be a significant boost to Hearst, he said. San Jose Mercury News, 8 July 2005 http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/12085301.htm ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your settings, or access the Edupage archive, 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] ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE RESOURCES The EDUCAUSE Resource Center is a repository for information concerning use and management of IT in higher education. 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