News Items for 2006

December

• PC Magazine has officially announced The Princeton Review's list of Top Wired Campuses. For three years in a row, Temple is listed as one of America's Most Connected Campuses. This year, out of the 240 schools that responded to the survey, Temple made the Top 20 list, coming in at #15. (12/21)
  
  
• THINK TWICE: Before you post information on the web, even on popular student sites such as Facebook and MySpace, think twice. Why? More than just your friends are now looking at it. For details, see the New York Times article "For Some, Online Persona Undermines a Résumé" by Alan Finder. (12/19)
  
  
• This month, Earthlink will begin testing the first portion of Philadelphia's citiwide, low-cost, wireless Internet service, called Wireless Philadelphia, as the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. (12/18)
  
  
• Barbara Dolhansky, Associate Vice President for Computer and Information Services, was selected as one of the Best and Brightest of Computerworld's Premier 100 IT Leaders for 2007. Barbara is quoted in the article announcing the award. An article on the award also appeared in the Temple Times. (12/14)
  
  
• Timothy C. O'Rourke, Vice President for Computer and Information Services, has updated his Welcome message to the University community. Topics include the network upgrade, Microsoft Vista, the course renumbering project, security awareness campaign, and the TECH Center. (12/11)
  
  
• Seth Shestack, Acting Chief Information Security Officer, has released a Computer Security Update for the Holiday Season. (12/8)
  
  
• Seth Shestack, acting Chief Information Security Officer, was quoted about Symantec Corporation’s recent initiative to provide security for Instant Messenger clients, in the November 2006 issue of Information Security magazine. (12/5)

November

• The city of Santa Monica, California has implemented a new Web-based system that indicates, in real-time, when parking spaces open up in the central business district, as CNN reports. (11/30)
  
  
• Newspaper chains form alliance with Yahoo to share content such as local news and advertising, as CNET News reports. (11/20)
  
  
• A new Smithsonian exhibit features striking satellite images of planet Earth, as MSNBC reports. (11/10)
  
  
• The Oakland A's hope that their new planned home is a high-tech stadium of the future, as CNN reports. (11/10)
  
  
• Netcraft announces that in October the Web reached the "100 million sites" mark, as CNN reports. (11/2)
  
  
• U.S. government introduces Intellipedia to aid with sharing information in the intelligence community, as MSNBC reports. (11/1)
  
  
• CNN reports on the resurging popularity of mainframes. (11/1)
  

October

• On October 28, Frank Azuola, Assistant Vice President of Computer Services, sent a memo to the entire Temple community about an important notice concerning Temple e-mail delivery. (10/31)
  
  
• Citizendium, an experimental new wiki project, will include editors, authors, and community managers, as Information Today, Inc. reports. (10/30)
  
  
• The Internet Governance Forum, established by the United Nations, meets this week in Athens to discuss the future of the Internet, as BBC News reports. (10/30)
  
  
• Mozilla has released a new version of the Firefox Web browser. See the Mozilla Web site for a summary of version 2.0 features. (10/25)
  
  
• The restricted use of iTunes only on iPods is being challenged by a hacker who has developed a workaround, as the BBC reports. (10/25)

• The BBC also reports on a new Google Custom Search feature that allows you to select the Web pages you wish to search. (10/25)
  
  
• The YouTube video sharing Web site has deleted 30,000 files due to copyright concerns, as USA Today reports. (10/20)
  
  
• In commeration of the Apple iPod's five year anniversary, Newsweek columnist, Steven Levy, reflects on the huge impact this device has had on our culture. (10/20)
  
  
• Usage of Google Earth, "a product used by 100 million people that combines satellite images, maps and local data to display geographical information of the world," continues to expand worldwide, as CNN reports. (10/20)
  
  
• Charles Darwin's works are being archived online, as MSNBC reports. (10/20)
  
  
• The purchase of YouTube by Google raises concerns in the video community, as USA Today reports. (10/12)
  
  
• Wired Magazine is previewing some cool, new gadgets. (10/5)

September

• Sony is now urging a dozen laptop companies to recall defective batteries, as MSNBC reports. (9/29)
  
  
• Seth Shestack, Temple's acting Chief Information Security Officer, is prominantly featured in an article titled, All Together Now: Creating a culture of compliance in provides strategies and tips for information executives. (9/26)
  
  
• Cell phones manufacturers are increasing incorporating Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors into their phones, which can potentially open up a whole new set of interesting applications, as National Public Radio reports. (9/26)
  
  
• The Philadelphia Orchestra scores first place in offering performances for downloading from their online music store, as SiliconValley.com reports. (9/22)
  
  
• Newsweek reports on the wide possibilities for applications using geotagging. (9/22)
  
  
• Toshiba announces a recall of laptop batteries made by Sony, as MSNBC reports. (9/20)
  
  
• The University of Georgia adopts wiki technology to produce textbooks, as news@nature reports. (9/20)
  
  
• The Online Journalism Review offers tips for keeping online discussions lively. (9/1)
  
  
• Smart Helmets let bikers pedal in the technology fast lane, as CNET News reports. (9/1)

August

• USA Today reports on the robotic technology that will put iPods on the dance floor. (8/31)
  
  
• Michael Dell, Chairman of the Board of Dell, Incorporated, visited the Temple Campus on Tuesday, August 29, to take a tour of the TECH Center. (8/31)
  
  
• Google offers free downloading and printing of classic novels, as the BBC News reports. (8/30)
  
  
• The Online News Association announces finalists in the annual journalism awards, as the Online Journalism Review reports. (8/30)
  
  
• Apple is recalling 1.8 million laptop batteries because they pose a potential fire hazard, as MSNBC reports. (8/24)
  
  
• The TECH Center is featured in the August issue of EDTECH magazine in an article called "Viewpoint: The City of Brotherly Technology." You can see the magazine version online. (8/23)
  
  
• Timothy C. O'Rourke, Vice President for Computer and Information Services, has updated his Welcome message to the University community. Topics include the Ambler Learning Center, new resources at the TECH Center, and the updated printing policy for students. (8/22)
  
  
• For an overview of Temple's computer resources, including instructions for setting up Internet service in the residence halls, check out the new Techology at Temple Guide. Note that you need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this guide. (8/17)
  
  
• Dell is recalling 4.1 million notebook computer batteries because they can overheat and possibly catch fire, as MSNBC reports. The batteries carry the Dell brand, but were actually manufactured by Sony. Dell has set up a special Web site, where you can look up your computer to see if it is affected by the recall. (8/15)
  
  
• Adobe challenges the public to crack the code of the newly erected Semaphore, as Silicon Valley reports. (8/9)
  
  
• Webcasts of surgeries draw new audiences, as Newsweek reports. (8/8)

July

• A new virus is spreading through a vulnerability in PowerPoint, as CNN reports. (7/24)
  
  
• CNN reports on the talents of unknown logo artist at Google. (7/19)


• Creative expression motitivates most bloggers to post to Web journals, as ZDNet reports. (7/19)
  
  
• After 14 trades on the Internet, entrepreneur turns a red paper clip into a house in Saskatchewan, as Sci-Tech Today reports. (7/18)
  
  
• TUmail Update: An increasing number of bogus messages have been sent to Temple e-mail users that appear to originate from @temple.edu addresses. To combat this problem, Computer Services has enacted more stringent security measures. You won't notice any changes unless you are off-campus and use an e-mail client (such as, MS Outlook, Outlook Express, Netscape Messenger, or Mozilla Thunderbird) to access your Temple mail.
  
  If you do use an e-mail client from off-campus, you no longer can use Temple's e-mail system as in incoming mail server and use your Internet Service Provider's SMTP server as an outgoing mail server. To modify your e-mail client to use Temple's authenticating SMTP server, go to Temple's Setting Up E-Mail Clients to Access TUmail Web site and look for the information regarding Secure E-Mail Access for your particular e-mail package. If your ISP does not support the use of Temple's smtpauth server, you will need to use Temple’s TUmail Web site to access your mail from off-campus. (7/14)
  
  
• Microsoft has released a new version of the Windows operating system called Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs that has limited functionality but which extends the life of old PCs, as Computerworld reports. (7/13)
  
  
• Using an implanted brain sensor, a paralyzed man can operate a computer and control a robotic device by thinking about it, as Computerworld reports. (7/13)
  
  
• A new magnetic memory chip has been unveiled, as MSNBC reports. (7/10)

June

• Apple has released a patch for Mac OS X to ward against a security threat that is now in circulation, as CNET News reports. (6/29)
  
  
• Google has started to offer free commercial videos, as Bloomberg reports. (6/23)
  
  
• Computerworld has named Temple to its 13th annual list of the “Best Places to Work in IT,” placing Temple on par with many of the country’s top companies. The list of the top 100 work environments for IT professionals is part of Computerworld’s June 19 issue. (6/19)
  
  
• "And the winner is..." The five-word acceptance speeches at the 10th annual Webby Awards ceremony take the spotlight, as the International Herald Tribune reports. (6/13)
  
  
• On the Computer Services Security Web site, Ken Ihrer, Chief Information Security Officer, has posted a new guide summarizing what is allowed and not allowed when using an e-mail account on Temple’s servers. (6/9)
  
  
• The new version of Microsoft Office, due out in January, will no longer include the feature to save files in Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF), as MSNBC reports. A separate, downloadable file will be needed for this functionality. (6/5)
  
  
• Now, as Apple meets Nike, running sneakers can talk to iPods to report on workout progress, as USA Today reports. (6/1)

May

• Dell computers will now come preloaded with Google software, as BBC News reports. (5/26)
  
  
• Honda has developed a robot controlled by brain signals, as MSBNC reports. (5/24)
  
  
• Timothy C. O'Rourke, Vice President for Computer and Information Services, has updated his Welcome message to the University community. (5/24)

• The inventor of the World Wide Web warns against developing a two-tiered Internet, as BBCNews reports. (5/23)
  
  
• Nike and Apple are teaming up to develop a wireless sneaker that would communicate with the iPod Nano, as Yahoo News reports. (5/23)
  
  
• Intersession and summer semester hours for the TECH Center are now posted on the TECH Center Web site. (5/12)
  
  
• Microsoft is warning of a critical security flaw in its Window operating system as well as in its Exchange mail software, as Yahoo News reports. To download the latest patches, go to the Microsoft Security at Home Updates and Maintenance Web site. (5/9)
  
  
• The founders of MySpace.com are among this year's Webby Award winners, as the Seattle Post Intelligencer reports. (5/9)
  
  
• A British judge ruled that Apple Computer is allowed to the apple logo in its iTunes music store, in a case brought on by the Beatles record company, as Yahoo News reports. (5/8)
  
  
• Napster is now free, as CNN reports. To sign up, go to the Napster Web site. You can listen to individual songs up to five times each. (5/2)
  
  
• Microsoft has released an updated version of thier Windows antispyware program, now dubbed Windows Defender. In addition, Internet Explorer 7 has also been released. (5/2)

April

• Seagate Technology introduces a 750 gigabyte desktop disk drive to consumers, as CBS News reports. (4/27)
  
  
• Dorkbots--forums for presenting creative technological ideas--gain in popularity, as CNN reports. (4/27)
  
  
• The International Herald Tribune reports on a number of newspapers that are testing electronic paper devices for reading newspapers and taking notes. (4/25)
  
  
• The April 14, 2006 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education covers the TECH Center--"A Bigger and Better Computer Complex"--in the Information Technology section. The online version of the issue also features a multimedia slide show of 25 TECH Center photos with narration. To view the article, see the April 14 news item on Temple's News and Media Web site. (4/10)
  

• The April 7, 2006 issue of the Philadelphia Business Journal features an article on the TECH Center. The story was also picked up by MSNBC and various national business journals. (4/10)
  
  
• On Thursday, April 6, 2006, Sue Serio, from the Fox 29 Good Day program, broadcast the weather every ten minutes live from the TECH Center starting at 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. (4/7)
  
  
• GreenScanner provides product information and opinions that are easily accessed using mobile devices, as Globeandmail reports. (4/5)
  
  
• Apple is now offering “Boot Camp” which allows Windows XP to run on Intel-based Macs, as CNN reports. (4/5)
  
  
• First place in the Blooker Prize goes to Julie Powell who cooked all the recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, as the BBC News reports. (4/4)
  

March

• This week's Newsweek features the hottest Web trends and the new rise of startup companies in Silicon Valley. (3/30)
  
  
• Timothy C. O'Rourke, Vice President for Computer and Information Services, has updated his Welcome message to the University community. (3/28)
  
  
• Microsoft has delayed the launch of its next version of Windows, as CNN reports. (3/22)
  
  
• French lawmakers approved a bill to force Apple to open up the proprietary format used by the iTunes music store and iPod players, as the Houston Chronicle reports. (3/22)
  

• Data security experts believe that the Internet is vulnerable to a severe attack, as MSNBC reports. (3/21)
  
  
• A new handheld device by Microsoft is supposedly in the works that will combine gaming, movies, and music, Reuters reports. (3/20)
  
  
• Cognitive radio and pervasive wireless are among the 10 emerging technologies that will impact a variety of disciplines, as the Technology Review reports. (3/17)
  
  
• A front page article in today's Temple Times highlights the new technology that Temple faculty use to engage students in the learning processs. (3/16)
  
  
• Security researchers warn that smart barcodes could spread computer viruses, as BBC News reports. (3/16)
  
  
• Google expands its mapping tools to include Google Mars, as ABC News reports. (3/14)
  
  
• With Margaret Atwood's LongPen, authors no longer need to be present at book signings to autograph books, as Wired reports. (3/7)
  
  
• Philadelphia's deal with Earthlink to provide wireless Internet access was finally signed Wednesday, USA Today reports. (3/1)

February

• Tuesday, February 28 is the last chance for a free trial with Ctrax, Temple's home to legal music downloading. Starting March 1, students can continue to access, download, and listen to music by agreeing to pay just $3.49 a month. Faculty and staff pay only $5.99. If you want to burn your own CD's or move them to your portable player, you still pay just $0.89 per track or $9.99 per album. For more information, visit http://cs.temple.edu//ctrax. (2/28)
  
  
• Google Base has begun to offer a payment service that could be direct competition to PayPal, the Mercury News reports. (2/28)
  
  
• Microsoft reveals details about their new operating system, Vista, the Seattle Times reports. (2/28)

• Security experts have uncovered a serious Mac OS X security hole, as the Washington Post reports. (2/23)

• Apple iTunes has hit the one billion download mark, as ABCNews reports. (2/23)

• Microsoft announces that they will discontinue support for Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows Me. As of July 11, 2006, Microsoft will no longer provide public and technical support and security updates for these systems. Microsoft will provide online help, however, for a limited period of time. As a result, the Computer Services Help Desk will no longer support Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows Me and strongly recommends that users upgrade to Windows XP.
  
  Faculty and staff can obtain XP at no charge for existing on-campus computers and students can purchase XP at a substantial discount. For information on upgrading to Windows XP, go to: http://cs.temple.edu/windowsupgradehelp.html
  
  If you need additional assistance with upgrading your computer, contact the Help Desk at help@temple.edu or 215-204-8000. (2/20)

• Symantec announced that the OSX.Leap.A worm is targeting Macintosh OS X and spreading via the iChat Instant Messenger program. The worm, which infects files on Macintosh OS X version 10.4, will execute on Intel Macs but it cannot spread to other systems from these machines.

  If you have the Symantec Antivirus program installed on your computer, obtain the latest definition files which should prevent infection. Currently, Symantec is uncertain of the extent of the infection and cannot guarantee complete remediation. To obtain additional information, go to the Symantec Web site at http://www.symantec.com and type osx.leap.a in the search window. (2/20)

  If you have any questions feel free to contact the Computer Services Help Desk at help@temple.edu or 215-204-8000.

• Apple turns to poetry to discourage would-be hackers of OS X in Intel-based computers, as CNN reports. (2/17)

• Cyber-trading opens up to include paperbacks and audio books, as CBS News reports. (2/16)

• Microsoft discloses details about their new office suite, Office 2007, as ZDNet reports. (2/16)

• The TECH Center celebrates its official grand opening today, February 16th, at 4 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring President David Adamany and the Temple University Board of Trustees.

  In just one month, the TECH Center is quickly becoming a main attraction for students on campus. In the first two weeks of operations, more than 38,000 students made use of TECH Center resources.

  During the Spring semester, the center is open 24 hours a day, from noon Sunday through 7:30 p.m. Friday, and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. For additional information and a quick tour, visit the TECH Center Web site. (2/16)

• A variety of multimedia tools on the Web provide coverage for the Winter Olympics, as ZDNET reports. (2/13)

• BBC News reports on using Virtual Air Guitar to create music on a PC. (2/13)

• Google is entering the chat arena, as the BBC reports. (2/7)

• Adobe has released important security patches for Creative Suite 2 including Photoshop and Illustrator. (2/6)

• AOL and Yahoo to offer fee-based service that guarntees e-mail won't pass through filters, as MSNBC reports. (2/6)

• Readily available aerial views on the Web are giving rise to another form of advertising, as Wired reports. (2/6)

January

• Yahoo reports on a file-destroying worm that is set to threaten computers beginning this Friday. (1/31)

• Students are embracing the new TECH Center, as the Temple News reports. (1/26)

• Download FREE unlimited music until March 1st! Temple has partnered with the company Cdigix to provide a music subscription service. The service, called Ctrax, offers a catalog of over two million tracks and includes the top artists from every music genre. To learn how to join this exciting new music service, go to cs.temple.edu/ctrax. (1/26)

• An article in today's Temple Times describes how Temple was once again listed in The Princeton Review's third annual Most Connected Campuses list. (1/26)

• Temple once again has been recognized as one of America's Most Connected Campuses by the Princeton Review, as Forbes reports. Rather than an individual ranking of the top schools, the third edition of the report now features the 25 most connected campuses as a group. Temple, which was ranked number four in last year’s report, was selected among 361 schools. The Princeton Review based their selections on criteria such as university network, wireless Internet, remote access, online classes, and streaming audio and video for courses. (1/20)

• The opening of the TECH Center was covered in the Temple Times. The issue also highlighted the recent recognition of Sheri Stahler as one of Computerworld's Premier IT Leaders. (1/25) (1/19)

• Sundance Film Festival expands film showings on the Web simultaneously with live premiers, as CNET News reports. (1/19)

• With Myware, you can spy on how you spend time online, as CNN/Money reports. (1/19)

• The Digital Skins project uses smart sensors, high speed networks, and grid computing to gather data about coral in the Great Barrier Reef, as BBC News reports. (1/18)

• Researchers conclude that viewers judge Web sites in one twentieth of a second, as Nature reports. (1/18)

• CNN reports on the increased interest in online courses among college students. (1/16)

• Modders personalize PCs by crafting them to resemble motorcycles, aircraft
  carriers, and spaceships, as ABC News reports. (1/16)

• The TECH Center is now open! Wondering what it looks like inside? Check out the preview photographs on the TECH Center Web site. (1/9)

• Computer Services has officially launched the next generation TUportal. To explore the new portal resources, go the familiar tuportal.temple.edu Web site. (1/9)

• Microsoft announced that a new patch repairing a Windows flaw will not be ready for release until next week, Business Week reports. (1/4)

• Despite a once frosty relationship, Apple and Disney continue to team up and release video downloads for Apple's iTunes, MSNBC reports. (1/4)

• Vango, a new service from Starz, offers movies, music, and concert downloads for $9.95 a month, MarketWatch reports. (1/3)