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TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2003 Legal Decision Against Microsoft Could Spell Changes for Web Sun to Offer Alternative to Windows Operating System Hackers Readying Next Attack AND Consortium Announces Fiber-Optic Research Network Network Monitoring at UNR Report Says $4.6 Billion Available as Grant Money LEGAL DECISION AGAINST MICROSOFT COULD SPELL CHANGES FOR WEB A federal court decision last month that Microsoft had infringed on a patent could lead to changes in software throughout the Web. Microsoft was found guilty of incorporating patented technology into its Internet Explorer (IE) browser that allows the browser to automatically call certain applications, such as those that play audio or video. The $521 million judgment, which Microsoft has said it will appeal, stipulates that until Microsoft changes the way IE works, the company remains in violation and is subject to further damages. The implications for a change in IE to comply with the court ruling are significant not only because 90 percent of computers use IE but also because the technology has been incorporated into HTML coding and ratified by the World Wide Web Consortium. Representatives from Microsoft and the consortium said they are working on a solution that will be the least disruptive to end users. New York Times, 17 September 2003 (registration req'd) http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/17/technology/17SOFT.html SUN TO OFFER ALTERNATIVE TO WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEM In its latest challenge to Microsoft, Sun Microsystems has released a Linux-based software package designed to offer a viable alternative to Windows desktop operating systems. The Sun Java Desktop system includes a Web browser, productivity suite, and other applications and will run on any computer that is Windows compatible. Sun's system is also designed to work with Microsoft applications such as Exchange and Office. Officials from Sun claim their offering can cost as little as $50 per user per year, potentially saving users significant amounts over comparable systems from Microsoft. Wired News, 16 September 2003 http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,60462,00.html HACKERS READYING NEXT ATTACK Computer hackers have begun distributing tools to take advantage of recently announced vulnerabilities in Microsoft operating systems, according to security researchers. The new vulnerabilities are similar to those that led to the Blaster virus last month. According to officials at iDefense Inc., the new attack tools are being distributed from a Chinese Web site and have already been used in some attacks. The Department of Homeland Security has warned computer users about the new threats. Security experts and representatives from Microsoft continue to urge users to download patches for the vulnerabilities, and Microsoft said it is studying the newly available hacking tools. San Jose Mercury News, 16 September 2003 http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/6787298.htm AND ***************************************************** CONSORTIUM ANNOUNCES FIBER-OPTIC RESEARCH NETWORK Plans were released this week for an initiative to build a national fiber-optic network to support future science, engineering, and medical research projects. National LambdaRail Inc. will use existing fiber-optic cables and will spend several months installing the necessary optical equipment, switches, and routers to form a viable network. Initial members of the National LambdaRail consortium include Internet2, the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center. The network is expected to be capable of speeds of 40 gigabits per second, four times faster than Abilene, the high-speed network operated by Internet2. Unlike Abilene, which is owned by Qwest Communications International and leased to Internet2 members, the National LambdaRail network will be entirely owned by members of the LambdaRail consortium. Chronicle of Higher Education, 17 September 2003 (sub. req'd) http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2003/09/2003091701t.htm NETWORK MONITORING AT UNR The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) has been fairly unaffected by recent legal battles between the recording industry and users accused of illegally sharing copyrighted material. Officials at the university credit their having avoided trouble to a five-year-old policy of monitoring all traffic across the school's network. The university uses packet shaping and other technologies to keep close tabs on the volume and destination of traffic from computers on the campus network. Students at UNR are generally accepting of the monitoring. Richard Siegel, a political science professor at UNR and president of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, helped negotiate the policy. He said that because the policy requires users of the university's network to comply with local, state, and federal laws, the university has an obligation to monitor network traffic to ensure compliance and limit its own liability. Reno Gazette Journal, 13 September 2003 http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/html/2003/09/13/51606.php REPORT SAYS $4.6 BILLION AVAILABLE AS GRANT MONEY A report from research company Input estimates that $4.6 billion of technology funding is available to U.S. colleges and universities in the form of federal grants. Agencies including NASA, the Energy Department, the Agriculture Department, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Health and Human Services offer numerous grant programs, many for purchases of hardware and software. Input's Meredith Luttner noted that many of the grants are not directly IT related but could be, for example, for a health-related project that requires computer technology to support medical research. According to the report, $2.84 billion in federal grants has already been awarded to colleges and universities, including Carnegie Mellon University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of California at Berkeley, while another $4.6 billion remains available. Federal Computer Week, 15 September 2003 http://www.fcw.com/geb/articles/2003/0915/web-input-09-15-03.asp ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For past issues of Edupage or information about translations of Edupage into other languages, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE PUBLICATIONS EDUCAUSE publishes periodicals, including "EQ" and "EDUCAUSE Review," books, and other materials dealing with the impacts and implications of information technology in higher education. 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