Edupage, September 12, 2003

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Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association
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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2003
  Proposed Distance-Education Regulation Change Criticized
  Research Company Says No Lull in Peer-to-Peer Traffic
  RIAA Links File Sharing with Child Porn
  Sharp Laptops Offer 3D Display


PROPOSED DISTANCE-EDUCATION REGULATION CHANGE CRITICIZED
Testimony at a Congressional subcommittee hearing warned that repeal of
a federal distance-education regulation known as the 50 percent rule
might result in inadequate oversight of online programs. The rule
prohibits students who attend colleges that enroll more than half of
their students at a distance from receiving federal financial aid. The
bill under consideration, HR 3039, would repeal the 50 percent rule for
telecommunication programs such as online or satellite-based courses.
It would not affect application of the rule to traditional
correspondence programs. A recent Department of Education report on
institutions that had the rule waived on a trial basis concluded that
eliminating the rule caused no problems. The report recommended
revising or eliminating the regulation.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 12 September 2003 (sub. req'd)
http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2003/09/2003091202t.htm

RESEARCH COMPANY SAYS NO LULL IN PEER-TO-PEER TRAFFIC
Research firm BigChampagne, which monitors traffic on peer-to-peer
networks, said that despite recent lawsuits filed by the Recording
Industry Association of America (RIAA), file-trading activity has not
decreased. Eric Garland of BigChapagne said the RIAA's actions will
likely discourage some users from continuing to use such networks, but
users, he said, "enjoy safety in numbers." Garland said the perception
among users is that the odds of being sued are extremely low. The RIAA
discounted the reported usage numbers, saying that their actions have
prompted significant media attention and discussion "among parents,
children and many others about the illegality of distributing
copyrighted music online and its consequences."
BBC, 12 September 2003
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3102982.stm

RIAA LINKS FILE SHARING WITH CHILD PORN
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and other
witnesses testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that
peer-to-peer (P2P) services are used to trade child pornography as well
as to download pirated copies of digital music and movie files. Any
type of Congressional action against P2P networks could benefit the
recording industry's attempts to eliminate illegal file sharing,
pointed out P2P network supporters. Owners and defenders of P2P
networks objected to the allegations of child pornography as a serious
problem in the file-sharing arena.
Washington Post, 10 September 2003
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56454-2003Sep10.html

SHARP LAPTOPS OFFER 3D DISPLAY
A new notebook computer from Sharp Corporation, a Japanese electronics
company, will come with a display capable of showing three-dimensional
objects without requiring users to wear special glasses. The Mebius
PC-RD3D is expected to go on sale in late October in Japan, with
release in the United States slated before the end of the year.
Although the new system targets mostly people who design 3D software,
the company said it is also planning to release a model for consumers.
The laptop toggles between the 3D display and a regular display. The
price is expected to be about $3,000.
InfoWorld, 12 September 2003 (registration req'd)
http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/09/11/HNsharp3d_1.html?hardware

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