New & Noteworthy
Verisign's New SymbolsA New Look for URLs
In June VeriSign and RealNames unveiled a program to enable the rgistration of multi-language domain names and characters in the .com space. For instance,the program would allow Sumitomo Bank to use the Japanese character for"Sumitomo" between "www" and ".com" in the browser. The program also allows the registration of symbols as domain names, a fact not widely publicized. New Zealand registrar Pdom.com predicts that symbol-based domain names will eventually take off and said many symbols are currently listed on Pdom.com's secondary "Buy and Sell" Web site. Symbols for sale include the international symbols for male and female, symbols for a telephone, a Valentine heart, the four symbols on packs of cards, the Christian cross, and other symbols, all of which can stand alone or be combined with words, to form a domain name
Versign http://www.verisign.com/
Internet Archive Launches Wayback MachineFree Service Enables Users to Access Archived Versions of Web Sites Dating From 1996
The Internet Archive, a comprehensive library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form, today launched the Wayback Machine, a free service allowing people to access and use archived versions of past Web pages. For the first time, all members of the public will be able to search and view the Internet Archive's enormous collection of Web sites, dating back to 1996 and comprising over ten billion Web pages.
Internet Archive http://www.archive.org/
National Education FoundationComputer and IT Training Scholarship For Faculty, Students and Staff
National Education Foundation (NEF) CyberLearning, a non-profit organization dedicated to bridging the Digital Divide since 1994, is offering tuition-free,on-line training in information technology to the first 2,000 applicants.
NEF offers two on-line programs recently acclaimed by Forbes Magazineas the "Best of the Web."
- 1.
Personal Computing (300+ self-study and instructor-led courses including all Microsoft Office, Web Design, Lotus Notes, Internet, E-mail, E-commerce, Palm,etc., tuition value of $1,000) for a nominal registration fee, the only cost.
- 2.
Information Technology (650+ self-study and instructor-led courses,including the above and 350+ certification courses in Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle,Novell, Web Master, A+, Network+ etc., tuition value of $3,000) for a nominal registration fee, the only cost.
There are no tuition costs for classes. The registrant receives free unlimited 12-month access to all the courses, a 24 x 7 online library, 24 x 7 technical support, 24 x 7 Brainbench certification tests, chat areas and evaluations. This is an exceptional value and a great way for anyone to upgrade IT skills and learn new skills.
To sign up, visit www.cyberlearning.organd click on "IT Training Scholarships." Then, complete the "Teachers and Others in Education" application.
National Education Foundation (NEF) CyberLearning
WinbondLaunches Industry's First Single-chip Text-to-speech Solution
Winbond Electronics Corporation America (WECA), a leading supplier of semiconductor solutions, today introduced the WTS701, the industry's first single chip IC that converts text to speech (TTS). The IC uses a concatenation algorithm combined with Winbond's proprietary Multi-Level Storage (MLS)technology, providing a significant advancement in this technology by enabling OEMs to provide TTS functionality to applications that utilize minimal computing and memory resources. This means that TTS is now available without using microprocessors, PCs or computers. Completely programmable, the chip is capable of supporting any number of languages. Initially, American, English and Mandarin are available. The WTS701 is currently available for sampling and is priced at under US$10.00 in volume quantities. Volume quantities are expected to be available in first quarter of 2002.
CostsSurvey of Colleges' Spending on IT Finds Overall Increase
COSTS (Cost of Supporting Technology Services) Project new data reveal that colleges' spending on information technology is growing faster than their spending in other categories. The researchers said their data provide seven"benchmarks," or guideposts for IT spending, which they said are useful for colleges that want to gauge their own spending on technology relative to that of other institutions with similar missions. The 118 colleges and universities in the survey, each typically allocate about 50 percent of their total budgets for information technology to personnel expenses salaries, benefits, and staff development.
Costs http://www.costsproject.org/
National Science FoundationAwards go to EDUCAUSE, Internet2, NCSA, SURA, UCSD, University of Chicago, USC/ ISI, and University of Wisconsin
A group of university-led organizations and research centers across the USA will work together on a $12 million project to develop middleware-software that allows scientists and educators to share applications, scientific instruments and data, and collaborate with their colleagues across the Internet.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) today announced the program, called the NSF Middleware Initiative (NMI). NMI will create and deploy advanced network services that will make it easier for Internet users to access a wide range of resources available through high-performance networks. For example, they will be able to share scientific tools, such as telescopes or modeling software, access supercomputing systems and databases, and run simulations in real time with colleagues across the country and around the world.
National Science Foundation http://www.nsf.gov/
