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TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2005 Webcasting Lectures to Vast Audiences Martin Calls for DSL Rules Change Study Shows Downloaders Buy Songs Too Studios Agree on Digital Standard for Theaters WEBCASTING LECTURES TO VAST AUDIENCES In September, the University of Pittsburgh will host a Webcast that organizers of the event believe will be the academic lecture with the largest audience in history. The lecture, given by Dr. Eric K. Noji on the topic of the public-health consequences of disasters, will potentially be viewed by as many as one million doctors, students, and others around the world. The lecture will be transmitted live to a number of organizations, including Internet2, Egypt's Library of Alexandria, the Medical Library Association, and UNICEF. Those organizations will then distribute the Webcast on their own networks. Because the participating organizations are covering their own costs for the event, the overall expense for the university will be relatively small. Ronald E. LaPorte, a professor of epidemiology at the university, said that disseminating medical research often takes a long time, and part of the goal of the Webcast is to make such information available much more quickly. LaPorte also acknowledged that many developing nations lack the technology infrastructure to support the Webcasts. For them, the university will offer presentation materials from the lecture as well as other resources. Chronicle of Higher Education, 26 July 2005 (sub. req'd) http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2005/07/2005072601t.htm MARTIN CALLS FOR DSL RULES CHANGE The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said he will push for a rules change that would repeal a key regulation for phone companies that offer digital subscriber line (DSL) broadband Internet connections. Currently, DSL connections are subject to the same rules as phone service, including a requirement that companies offering DSL allow competitors to lease access to their networks. For a long time phone companies have argued that the current rules put them at a competitive disadvantage relative to cable companies in the broadband market. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin agrees, saying that the current regulatory situation "is inhibiting broadband growth." Martin said he has circulated a proposal to the other members of the FCC that would update the regulations to treat DSL service as an information service. Previously, the FCC had ruled that broadband service provided by cable companies is an information service, a ruling recently upheld by the Supreme Court. CNET, 27 July 2005 http://news.com.com/2100-1040_3-5806844.html STUDY SHOWS DOWNLOADERS BUY SONGS TOO According to British research firm The Leading Question, illegal file sharers are more likely to purchase legal music downloads than others. Authors of the organization's report characterized as a "myth" the notion that illegal file sharers are simply "mercenaries hell-bent on breaking the law in pursuit of free music." Those who illegally share music are four and a half times more likely to buy music online, according to The Leading Question, indicating that these are users who are enthusiastic about music and are willing to patronize legal online music services if they are sufficiently compelling. A spokesperson from the British Phonographic Industry said the group was pleased with the new report but added that the practice of illegal file trading still is a significant drain on revenues to record labels. The report also found that most users are not likely to start using cell phones as their preferred music devices any time soon. BBC, 27 July 2005 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4718249.stm STUDIOS AGREE ON DIGITAL STANDARD FOR THEATERS Motion picture studios have reportedly agreed on standards for providing digital movies in theaters. Screening digital movies in theaters promises to save significant amounts of money over traditional films, each print of which costs about $1,000 to $1,200 to produce. Theater owners have been reluctant to install digital equipment, however, due to fears that disagreement among the studios over the technology standards would leave theaters with expensive yet obsolete digital projectors. Details about the new standards have not been announced, though some involved in developing the standards said the technology should work with digital movies today as well as with higher-resolution movies in the future. Questions remain over how to pay for the digital projectors, which cost roughly $100,000. Some proposals would have movie studios helping to cover some of the cost of the projectors for theaters. New York Times, 27 July 2005 (registration req'd) http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/27/business/media/27movie.html ***************************************************** 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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