See the first article below.
Does anyone know what format of digital text will be used?  Will they be
accessible??
Norm


>Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2004 16:28:10 -0700
>From: Educause Educause <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Edupage, December 15, 2004
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>X-OriginalArrivalTime: 15 Dec 2004 23:28:11.0086 (UTC)
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>TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2004
>   Google Partners with Libraries to Digitize Content
>   New Research Project Will Address Ubiquitous Computing
>   Sprint and Nextel Announce Merger Plan
>   Movie Studios Target BitTorrent for Legal Action
>
>
>GOOGLE PARTNERS WITH LIBRARIES TO DIGITIZE CONTENT
>Google has announced agreements with major libraries to digitize books
>in their collections and make them available online. Google is funding
>the project, which is said to have strong support from founders Larry
>Page and Sergey Brin, who said that such dissemination of information
>has always been one of their goals. Under the arrangements, Google
>reportedly will scan all of the eight million books at Stanford
>University's library and all of the University of Michigan's seven
>million texts. For the others involved in the project--Harvard
>University, Oxford University, and the New York Public Library--only
>portions of the collections will be scanned. For books whose copyright
>remains in effect, Google will scan the entire text but make available
>only selected portions online. Books whose copyright has run out will
>be available in their entirety. The announcement follows similar
>programs from the Library of Congress as well as Amazon to digitize
>content of books.
>New York Times, 14 December 2004 (registration req'd)
>http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/14/technology/14cnd-goog.html
>
>NEW RESEARCH PROJECT WILL ADDRESS UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING
>Electronics maker Fujitsu and the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) have
>announced a partnership to study ubiquitous computing. The notion of
>ubiquitous, or pervasive, computing is that computers can be built into
>all manner of objects, such as clothing, appliances, and cars, allowing
>those devices to be networked through wired and wireless connections.
>Researchers from both organizations will initially focus efforts on
>developing a protocol that would permit various devices to work
>properly with one another. Researchers will also work to develop
>simpler and more secure wireless technologies, among other areas of
>study. Mark Bernstein, president and center director of PARC, said the
>project will allow researchers at PARC to make "cutting-edge technology
>concepts and visions a reality." Bernstein also noted that the joint
>project "will fuel new ideas about the potential for PARC research."
>Internet News, 15 December 2004
>http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/article.php/3448171
>
>SPRINT AND NEXTEL ANNOUNCE MERGER PLAN
>Sprint and Nextel this week announced plans for a $35 billion merger
>that would create the third largest cellular carrier in the United
>States, behind Cingular and Verizon. Verizon reportedly had been
>considering making a bid to acquire Nextel; the deal with Sprint
>stipulates that if another company scuttles the merger with its own
>bid, that company would be assessed a fee of $1 billion. The combined
>company, to be called Sprint Nextel, would have a subscriber base of
>more than 35 million, and officials from the two companies said the
>merger will allow them to save $12 billion in operating costs and
>network upgrades. The deal is expected to close in the second half of
>2005. Also under the deal, Sprint would spin off its local telecom
>business. Gary Forsee, chairman and CEO of Sprint, will serve as
>president and CEO of the new company, while Timothy Donahue, CEO of
>Nextel, will become chairman. Forsee said that there will be layoffs as
>a result of the merger.
>Wall Street Journal, 15 December 2004 (sub. req'd)
>http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB110311826926400811,00.html
>
>MOVIE STUDIOS TARGET BITTORRENT FOR LEGAL ACTION
>The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has initiated more
>efforts to curb illegal sharing of copyrighted movie files by targeting
>operators of services that facilitate the exchange of such files over
>the Internet. BitTorrent, as well as eDonkey and Direct Connect, locate
>movies that certain users have available for download and direct other
>users to those files. BitTorrent relies on "tracker" servers that keep
>tabs on what files are available and where they are stored. Though they
>do not host any files, those servers also enable the transfer of files
>from one user to another. The MPAA's new lawsuits are aimed at
>operators of those "tracker" servers rather than at individual traders
>of copyrighted files. The MPAA has previously filed lawsuits against
>several hundred individuals for illegally trading movie files. An
>official from the MPAA said his organization sees the Internet as a
>viable channel for distribution of films but that the current actions
>target "those who have knowingly chosen to use the net for illegal
>activity." Critics pointed out that operators of "tracker" servers
>likely are not aware of exactly what files are being transferred.
>Wired News, 14 December 2004
>http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,66034,00.html
>
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Norman Coombs, Ph.D.
EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information)
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