INTERNET
White House Plan to Protect Computer Systems Unveiled
Half of U.S. Internet Users Have a Television and PC in the Same
Room
EDTECH
Nu Shortcuts in School R 2 Much 4 Teachers
JOURNALISM
News Staff Take on Tech Skills
INTERNET
HALF OF U.S. INTERNET USERS HAVE A TELEVISION AND PC IN THE SAME ROOM
A report released on Tuesday by comScore Media Metrix details the increasing
number of people who have access to a PC and television in the same room. Of
the 45.1 million adult Internet users who have both TVs and PCs, 48 percent
frequently use the Internet while watching television. Peter Daboll of
comScore says the study is a "wake-up call for media companies," as it
reveals "a startling connection between television and the Internet." The
report also documents the top activities of simultaneous usage, including
NBC and FOX as the most watched television networks by Internet users.
[SOURCE: Internet Wire]
(http://www.mediaconference.com/p/9c/9090c6ac5074.html?id=efccf8)
WHITE HOUSE PLAN TO PROTECT COMPUTER SYSTEMS UNVEILED
In an effort to protect computer systems from future cyber attacks, the
White House announced a plan that will rely highly on recommendations and
cooperation from the technology industry. The plan, which will be debated
for 60 days, calls for increased spending to protect computer systems,
recruitment for more US-born security experts and a national early-warning
system to monitor suspicious Internet activity. An estimated $12 billion was
lost last year due to cyber attacks; since September 11, there have been
attacks on the Pentagon, as well as labs run by the Energy Department and
banks in New York.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHORS: Jon Swartz and Tom Squitieri]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/2002-09-17-cyberterror_x
.htm)
EDTECH
NU SHORTCUTS IN SCHOOL R 2 MUCH 4 TEACHERS
As more and more teenagers turn towards digital communication, teachers
increasingly are seeing an abbreviated form of Internet English jump from
email into schoolwork. High school and middle school teachers say that
papers are being written with shortened words, improper capitalization and
punctuation, and characters like &, $ and ( at ). With email, cell phone text
messaging, Weblogs and instant messaging becoming popular means for teens to
talk to one another, abbreviations are a natural outgrowth of this rapid
style of communication. While some teachers see the abbreviations as part of
a continuing assault of technology on formal written English, others
encourage students to use the shorthand to spark their creativity. "If this
lingo gets their thoughts and ideas onto paper quicker, the more power to
them," says Trisha Fogarty, a sixth-grade teacher from Houlton, Maine.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jennifer 8. Lee]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/19/technology/circuits/19MESS.html)
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JOURNALISM
NEWS STAFF TAKE ON TECH SKILLS
As a result of developments in technology and the high cost of covering
international news, media outlets have become dependant on a new breed of
tech-savvy journalist, according to CNN International President Chris
Cramer. At the International Broadcast Convention in Amsterdam, Europe's
biggest media trade fair, Cramer explained that reporters and technicians
have become more skilled across the board and can work in the various forms
of media to deliver stories, pictures and technical know-how. He told the
conference that there is also a downside to technology and the race to be
first in the 24-hour news cycle, including the loss of accuracy and a rise
in speculation. There is also less time to make editorial judgments when
pictures are aired live. One particular development he noted was the
democratization of news brought to the world by Web sites that push and pull
news from the street at a grassroots level.
[SOURCE: BBC, AUTHOR: Chris McWhinnie]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2260955.stm)
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