A September 5 article on CNN.com reports that colleges are beginning to take some aggressive action to protect their campus computer networks from viruses. For example, Oberlin College in Ohio is threatening to fine students $25 for inadvertently spreading a computer virus. At the University of North Texas, students face a mandatory $30 cleaning fee and must show proof that their computers have been cleaned of infection before they’re allowed to log back onto the school network. According to the CNN.com article, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shuts off Internet service to infected computers and, “In extreme cases, officials will block all traffic to and from a suspect computer based on its digital fingerprint.” Temple University provides antivirus software from Symantec Corporation to students for free before it allows them on the Internet, which the school credits with keeping the infections to about 400 out of 35,000 students. The nation’s school districts have also had to cope with the problem, notes the CNN.com story. Palm Beach County had to shut down its computers for more than two days, and Cleveland had to mobilize 120 employees to scrub viruses from almost 8,000 computers in order to open on time. To read the full article, visit
www.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/09/05/sprj.sch.campus.viruses.ap/index.html.
Vincent Stahl is an artist with computer programming skill—or a computer programmer with artistic skill. Once a software developer for Europe’s Internet banking, Stahl became a full-time freelance computer artist in 2001. His surreal images may reflect a bit of the Salvador Dali influence, but they are not painted in the traditional manner. Instead they are programmed element by element. Now Stahl has turned to creating sculptures by taking “fractals” out of four-dimensional hyperspace. His virtual sculptures, which have their own unique style, can be viewed in an exhibition at
http://VincentStahl.com. The Web site features an interactive 3-D presentation called the Sculpture Park. Stahl says of his new approach to sculpture, “...I want to show how art can be presented today with existing technology.”
In March, SMART Technologies Inc. introduced its Digital Vision Touch (DViT) technology, described by the company as a breakthrough technology platform for touch-sensitive displays. DViT technology uses proprietary digital cameras and sophisticated software to determine the contact of a finger, stylus, pointer or other object on a display. Cameras situated in each corner of the display communicate position information back to a digital signal processor that determines the exact point of contact. SMART is introducing DViT technology on two of its products—the Rear Projection SMART Board 3000i and the SMART Board for Plasma Displays interactive whiteboards. Greg Patrick, director of OEM/Integration for NEC Solutions (America) also describes the new technology as breakthrough. “With DViT technology, image clarity is the best I’ve seen yet for touch-sensitive rear projection and plasma display systems,” says Patrick. “And NEC considers this a vital technological development for the growth of the visual display industry.” For more information, visit
www.smarttech.com.
A report issued in September by technology market research company IDC found that, “Despite a remarkable sequential increase in shipments, the market for PCs in the U.S. public sector is showing signs of weakness.” Although there is still double-digit growth, that rate is slightly below the rates of the past two years. The IDC report found that Dell, Apple and Gateway improved their shares of the U.S. public sector market, with Dell maintaining its overall leadership. Apple has done well in the K-12 market with its iBook and has now regained its top spot in the overall education portable PC market. In the education market, IDC notes, “Although the K-12 and higher education markets had similar performances on the sequential basis, the K-12 segment showed a weaker performance on a year-on-year basis.” This is attributed to the fact that tuition and fee increases are up, as are enrollments in postsecondary education, which helps “the higher education sector withstand the sort of financial crisis facing its K-12 counterpart.” For more information, visit www.idc.com.
