News Headlines Summary

**************************************************************
Educational CyberPlayGround Community 
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/

NetHappenings Mailing List ©1993
-- Subscribe - Unsubscribe - Set Preferences
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/NetHappenings.html

Advertise on Nethappenings the oldest K12 Mailing List 
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/Subguidelines.html

All Mailing Lists
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/index.html
**************************************************************



George Wackenhut Dies; Security Pioneer
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54899-2005Jan6.html>
George R. Wackenhut, the founder of a global security company that has
guarded U.S. embassies, nuclear power plants and the trans-Alaska oil
pipeline as well as neighborhood malls and countless private homes,
died Dec. 31 of a heart ailment in Vero Beach, Fla. He was 85. <snip>

Other Internet Pioneers
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/IEC/pioneersPaul.html


U.S. Slips in Attracting the World's Best Students From the New York Times
By SAM DILLON
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/21/national/21global.html?th
American universities, which for half a century have attracted the world's
best and brightest students with little effort, are suddenly facing intense
competition as higher education undergoes rapid globalization.
The European Union, moving methodically to compete with American
universities, is streamlining the continent's higher education system and
offering American-style degree programs taught in English. Britain,
Australia and New Zealand are aggressively recruiting foreign students, as
are Asian centers like Taiwan and Hong Kong. And China, which has declared
that transforming 100 universities into world-class research institutions is
a national priority, is persuading top Chinese scholars to return home from
American universities.
"What we're starting to see in terms of international students now having
options outside the U.S. for high-quality education is just the tip of the
iceberg," said David G. Payne, an executive director of the Educational
Testing Service, which administers several tests taken by foreign students
to gain admission to American universities. "Other countries are just
starting to expand their capacity for offering graduate education. In the
future, foreign students will have far greater opportunities." <snip>


Online Sales Tax Enforcement May Become Certain In 2005 Dec 23, 3:59 PM ET
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=74&u=/cmp/20041224/tc_cmp/56200341
&printer=1
The proposed passage of federal legislation to enforce the collection of
sales taxes on Internet sales is gaining momentum and is likely to
become a major effort before Congress in 2005, as states and
municipalities work to coordinate the effort to help fill their depleted
treasuries.
The collection of online sales taxes, which has frustrated states for
years, needs federal legislation to give the states the wherewithal to
enforce the collection of the sales taxes. Most states currently require
the collection of sales taxes on items bought over the Web and through
catalogs, but most consumers don't know they are required to pay the
taxes and most businesses don't charge for the taxes because they
maintain the process is too complicated.
Senator Mike Emzi (R-Wyo.) has proposed legislation that would establish
more uniform sales tax procedures throughout the nation and give
individual states more power to enforce the collection of the sales
taxes. Also aggressively promoting the legislation is Sen. Lamar
Alexander (news - web sites), (R-Tenn.). <snip>

On the Open Internet, a Web of Dark Alleys 12/20/04 By TOM ZELLER Jr.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/20/technology/20covert.html
The indictment early this month of Mark Robert Walker by a federal
grand jury in Texas might have seemed a coup for the government in its
efforts to police terrorist communications online. Mr. Walker, a
19-year-old student, is accused, among other things, of using his
roommate's computer to communicate with - and offer aid to - a
federally designated terrorist group in Somalia and with helping to
run a jihadist Web site.
"I hate the U.S. government," is among the statements Mr. Walker is
said to have posted online. "I wish I could have been flying one of
the planes on Sept. 11."
By international terror standards, it was an extremely low-level bust.
But the case, which was supposedly broken only after Mr. Walker's
roommate tipped off the police, highlights the near impossibility of
tracking terrorist communications online. <snip>


The Financial Times
Scientists close to network that defies hackers 12/28/04 By Clive Cookson,
Science Editor
<http://news.ft.com/cms/s/a0dcf3f0-5874-11d9-9940-00000e2511c8.html>
Scientists have taken what they say is a big step towards an intrinsically
secure computer network which banks and other institutions could use to
transmit data without risk of hacking.
Toshiba Research Europe is one of several laboratories around the world
racing to commercialise quantum cryptography, a technology that uses
quantum mechanics to generate unbreakable codes. The Cambridge-based
company says it has produced the first system robust enough to run
uninterruptedly for long periods without human intervention.
The Toshiba researchers have tested the system with MCI, the international
telecommunications company, and plan next year to carry out trials with
financial institutions in London. <snip>

<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>
EDUCATIONAL CYBERPLAYGROUND 
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com

Net Happenings, K12 Newsletters, Network Newsletters
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/index.html

FREE EDUCATION VENDOR DIRECTORY LISTING
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Directory/default.asp

HOT LIST OF SCHOOLS ONLINE
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Schools/default.asp

Educational CyberPlayGround Services
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/PS/Home_Products.html
<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>

Other related posts: