EDUPAGE> Edupage, February 04, 2004
- From: Gleason Sackmann <gleason@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: K12Newsletters <k12newsletters@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 10:00:00 -0600
**************************************************************
K12NewsLetters - From Educational CyberPlayGround
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/
**************************************************************
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2004 15:16:30 -0700
From: EDUCAUSE@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Edupage, February 04, 2004
To: EDUPAGE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
*****************************************************
Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association
whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting
the intelligent use of information technology.
*****************************************************
TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 04, 2004
Oracle Ups PeopleSoft Offer
Sloppy Code Spares Microsoft from MyDoom
Tauzin Steps Down
Education Department Puts School Test Data on Web
Requested IT Funding Increase for DHS
ORACLE UPS PEOPLESOFT OFFER
In what Oracle Chairman Jeff Henley called the company's "final
price," Oracle has raised its takeover bid of PeopleSoft to $26 per
share. The initial offer of $16 per share, made last June, was raised
to $19.50 just two weeks later. The new bid raises the value of the
proposed takeover to $9.4 billion. Henley said Oracle remains committed
to completing the acquisition, saying the new offer "presents
compelling value to PeopleSoft's stockholders." The acquisition still
needs regulatory approval, which is expected by March 12--the new
deadline for Oracle's offer. PeopleSoft issued a statement that it
company would take the new offer under consideration.
CNET, 4 February 2004
http://news.com.com/2100-1014_3-5153100.html
SLOPPY CODE SPARES MICROSOFT FROM MYDOOM
Sloppy code in the MyDoom virus reportedly spared Microsoft from the
brunt of the denial-of-service attack that the virus launched this
week. Microsoft had taken steps to try to deal with the expected
barrage of requests on its site, but, according to antivirus company
Network Associates, the flaw in the virus's code resulted in only
about 700 computers participating in the attack. This compares to
estimates that 250,000 computers worldwide are infected with the virus.
A similar flaw prevented about three-quarters of infected machines from
participating in the other denial-of-service attack programmed into the
virus--against the SCO Group--but the estimated 50,000 computers that
did participate were sufficient to bring down the SCO site. Analysts
believe the virus was written by supporters of the Linux operating
system, which competes with Microsoft's operating system and has been
under legal threat from SCO, owner of the Unix operating system.
Wall Street Journal, 4 February 2004 (sub. req'd)
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB107583774890519474,00.html
TAUZIN STEPS DOWN
Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.) has resigned his chairmanship of the House
Energy and Commerce Committee, effective February 16, and said he will
not seek reelection in November. Tauzin has been a member of Congress
since 1980 and has been a strong influence on a number of issues under
the purview of his committee, including the telecommunications and
entertainment industries. Tauzin worked hard to deregulate the Baby
Bells and was an ardent supporter of efforts from the movie and music
industries to enforce copyrights in the digital era. Tauzin also backed
an investigation of the federal E-Rate Program, which provides
technology funding to schools. Tauzin has long been critical of the
program, which is under scrutiny now for alleged fraud and other
abuses. Reports last year suggested Tauzin might replace Jack Valenti
as head of the Motion Picture Association of America or take a position
at the Recording Industry Association of America, but Tauzin is now
rumored to have accepted a position with the Pharmaceutical Research
and Manufacturers of America.
Internet News, 4 February 2004
http://www.internetnews.com/infra/article.php/3308421
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT PUTS SCHOOL TEST DATA ON WEB
This week a new Web site went online (www.schoolresults.org) as part of
the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, an education law that had strong
support from President Bush. The site displays results from testing of
elementary school students sorted by geographic area. The data include
statistics about the percentage of students who are economically
disadvantaged and the numbers of students who show acceptable progress
in reading and math proficiency. Data are currently available for six
states--Delaware, Florida, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and
Washington--and data from all states is expected to be available
eventually. Testing for middle and high school students is not
scheduled to begin until 2006. The project was funded jointly by the
federal government and the Broad Foundation, which supports elementary
and secondary public education.
Federal Computer Week, 3 February 2004
http://www.fcw.com/geb/articles/2004/0126/web-nochild-01-30-04.asp
REQUESTED IT FUNDING INCREASE FOR DHS
The proposed budget for fiscal year 2005 would see an eight percent
spending increase for IT projects of the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS). The budget proposes $40.2 billion for the entire
department, with $4.43 billion devoted to IT, up from $4.1 billion
requested in fiscal year 2004. Officials from DHS have praised the new
US-VISIT program, which fingerprints and photographs hundreds of
thousands of visitors to the United States, and the program would be
expanded with funds from the proposed budget. Other initiatives that
would benefit from the increase in IT funding include a video system
along the nation's borders to prevent unauthorized entry and the
Container Security Initiative, which aims to increase screening of
shipping containers that enter the United States.
Federal Computer Week, 3 February 2004
http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2004/0202/web-dhs-02-02-04.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
LISTSERV@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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
EDUPAGE-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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.
For information on EDUCAUSE publications see
http://www.educause.edu/pub/
*****************************************************
CONFERENCES
For information on all EDUCAUSE learning and networking
opportunities, see
http://www.educause.edu/conference/
*****************************************************
COPYRIGHT
Edupage copyright (c) 2004, EDUCAUSE
<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>
EDUCATIONAL CYBERPLAYGROUND
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com
VENDORS REACH THE EDUCATION MARKET
FREE EDUCATION VENDOR DIRECTORY LISTING
Find PREMIUM & FEATURED MERCHANT LISTING ALSO
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Directory/default.asp
HOT LIST OF SCHOOLS ONLINE
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Schools/default.asp
SERVICES
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/PS/Home_Products.html
Net Happenings,K12 Newsletters, Network Newsletters
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/index.html
<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>~~~~~<>
Other related posts:
- » EDUPAGE> Edupage, February 04, 2004
