TOP TECHNOLOGY TRENDS IN COMMUNICATION

 

Welcome to a new feature in the HCTD Newsletter.  We have found interesting or unusual trends and stories in technology that may interest or inspire you.  We are also asking your help in sending us trends you have read about or seen.  Please provide a URL for the source. 

 

■ Has use of the web plateaued? According to a study by the University of California , people are dropping off the net, with no plans to rejoin. Plus, one in five American parents feel their children spend too much time on the internet.  Read more at http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-11-29-internet-study-kids_x.htm

 

■ First-run movies via the internet? ClickStar, co-founded by actor Morgan Freeman, plans to offer first-run movies online within a few days after their theatrical release.  His movie, 10 Items or Less became available for viewing on the internet just two weeks after appearing in the theatre. Read more at   http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2006-11-16-ceo-forum-usat_x.htm

 

■ An international force of advocates? Canada , Great Britain , Australia , and the US have joined forces to monitor a London-based website where victims and others can report possible predators on the internet. Read more at  http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-11-15-pedophiles_x.htm

 

 ■ How about technology and education?  2006 has been the year of the blogs, pods, and other forms of technological advances.  To read more:    http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/e-learning_20.php

 

■Where's Waldo's Laptop? Starting this week, students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are redefining social networking. With new software, they can turn their laptops into beacons of a sort, constantly sharing information on their whereabouts with friends. Sound like a privacy nightmare? Maybe not. The software, called iFind, aims to harness the benefits of global-positioning systems without the possible security risks. Read more at http//chronicle.com/wiredcampus/index.php?id=1780

 

■A Priceless Collection Without a Home More than a year ago, The Chronicle profiled the private collections of various faculty members: a collection of equestrian books, a collection of board games, a collection of Chinese advertisement, to name a few. Since then we’ve met directors of major libraries who have collections of pocket knives, German folk art, and elephants (not real ones, but elephants in earrings, statuettes, and so on). Read more at http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/index.php?id=1780

 

■Following in the Donald's Footsteps For anyone who loves the idea of Trump University (The Chronicle, September 17, 2004), but worries that The Donald’s take on higher ed may be, uh, too academically rigorous — boy, have we got a school for you. Read more at http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/index.php?id=1777

 

■U. of California at Irvine Joins OpenCourseWare Consortium The University of California at Irvine announced today that it has joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s OpenCourseWare Consortium, which gives the public free online access to sets of course material from college classes. Read more at http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/index.php?id=1776