Robot English Teachers Start Work in South Korean Schools

"Almost 30 robots have started teaching English to youngsters in a South Korean city, education officials said Tuesday, in a pilot project designed to nurture the nascent robot industry."

Pew Study Hints at what Web Users Will Pay for

"The Web may seem like the land of something for nothing. Free video. Free news. Even free tools such as word processing and spreadsheets. But almost two-thirds of adult Internet users in the U.S. have paid for access to at least one of these intangible items online, according to a new survey from the Pew Internet and American Life Project."

12 Ways Libraries Are Good for the Country

"To library supporters everywhere—Friends, trustees, board members, patrons, and volunteers—American Libraries magazine offers this gift of 12 ideals toward which librarians strive as they provide comprehensive access to the record of human existence."

FCC Approves Controversial 'Net Neutrality' Rules

"The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday approved a 'high-level rules of the road' designed to ensure that internet providers grant everyone equal access to the Web."

Pew Study: Everyone Uses Email, But Blogging is On Decline

"Overall, virtual worlds and blogging aren't very popular in any age group, which probably indicates that tools such as Facebook and Twitter - which also enable users to express themselves online - have substituted blogging for many."

Microsoft: Bing Has 90 Million Users, Nearly 50% Growth Since Launch

"Microsoft is saying that its Bing search engine now has more than 90 million users and has grown by nearly 50% since its launch a year and a half ago."

Americans Use Internet as Much as Television, New Study Shows

"Americans now spend as many hours online as they do watching television, a new Forrester survey released Monday showed."

The World's Facebook Relationships Visualized

"Facebook intern Paul Butler was interested in the locations of friendships, so he decided to create a visualization of Facebook connections around the globe. How local are our friends? Where are the highest concentration of friendships? How do political and geological boundaries affect them?"

Survey: Computer Crime Rising in U.S.

"Increasingly, Americans are being victimized by computer crimes, Gallup's 2010 crime survey finds."

Procter & Gamble Moves From Soap Operas to Tweets

"Procter & Gamble Co., whose sponsorship and production of daytime TV dramas helped coin the term 'soap operas,' has pulled the plug after 77 years. Instead, the maker of Tide detergent, Ivory soap and Olay skincare is following its customers online with a big push on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook."

Few U.S. Adults Use Twitter — But Those Who Tweet, Tweet Often

"Seems like just about everyone's tweeting these days, but a new survey finds that for now, only 8 percent of adults in the U.S. are using Twitter. That said, nearly one in four of those who do tweet check their feeds 'several" times a day.'"

Online Holiday Spending Crosses $17.5 Billion: comScore

"U.S. online holiday sales are up 12 percent to more than $17.5 billion till date this year, with more than half of that making use of free shipping, according to research firm comScore Inc."

The Academic Librarian’s Identity Conflict

"Just exactly what role do we play in higher education? Where do we fit into the structure of colleges and universities?"

Information Overload, Then and Now

"At least since the days of Seneca, people have struggled with how to sort vast stores of data."

New Social Software Tries to Make Studying Feel Like Facebook

"Students live on Facebook. So study tools that act like social networks should be student magnets—and maybe even have an academic benefit. At least that's the idea behind a new crop of Web services sprouting up across higher education."

'AT&T is Now the Worst Carrier' - Consumer Reports

"AT&T's customer satisfaction rating tumbled this year, ranking dead last among U.S. wireless carriers, according to a Consumer Reports survey released on Monday."

Google Readies Google Editions e-Book Store

"Google is ready to crack the cover of its electronic bookstore. As the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday, it plans to open its Google Editions site by the end of this month."

In iPad vs. Kindle e-Reading Race, iPad Wins

"So far, in the e-reader wars, the iPad is beating the Kindle. But both are doing well, and the e-reader market has 'essentially become a two-horse race' between the two devices, says ChangeWave Research, which recently surveyed more than 2,800 consumers."

Survey Finds Mobile Users Love Unlimited Data Plans

"A survey of more than 800 smartphone users has found that unlimited data plans are their most important preference when making decisions about carriers and devices. The report by the financial research firm Sanford Bernstein found that customers are willing to pay more for the peace of mind of knowing they won't get hit with a huge overage bill."

Facebook Makes People More Social: Study

"Contrary to common belief social media websites such as Facebook do not weaken personal ties, they strengthen them in unique ways for different age groups, according to a new study."

Security Needs Drive Cyberforensics Industry

"Cyberforensics, the science of finding and securing digital evidence buried deep within company networks, is fast emerging as a global industry."

French Deal May Break Deadlock Between Google and Publishers

"A new agreement between Hachette Livre and Google could offer a way forward in the ongoing dispute between authors, publishers and the search engine over the digitising of out-of-print books."

Facebook: 25 Pct of U.S. Traffic and 100+ Million App Downloads

"If Facebook isn’t already the largest website ever, it’s sure to get there soon. According to research company Hitwise, nearly one quarter of all U.S. Internet traffic went to Facebook during the week ending Nov. 13, 2010."

8 Ways Technology Is Improving Education

"Despite these opportunities, adoption of technology by schools is still anything but ubiquitous. Knezek says that U.S. schools are still asking if they should incorporate more technology, while other countries are asking how. But in the following eight areas, technology has shown its potential for improving education."

Bible App Hits 10 Million Downloads

"Tuesday the church announced more than ten million smartphone users worldwide have downloaded its free Bible application. LifeChurch hopes by having a copy handy, people will be more likely to read scripture. The app, which is based on the church-funded website, YouVersion.com, launched in July of 2008."

How College Students Evaluate and Use Information in the Digital Age

"A report about college students and their information-seeking strategies and research
difficulties, including findings from 8,353 survey respondents from college students on 25 campuses distributed across the U.S. in spring of 2010, as part of Project Information Literacy."

Enrollment in Online Courses Increases at the Highest Rate Ever

"Growth from the fall of 2008 to the fall of 2009 was 21 percent, compared with 17 percent the previous year, says a new report from the Sloan Consortium."

More Than 250 Million People Use Facebook on a Daily Basis

"Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg just shared that his company has more than 500 million members, and more than half of them use Facebook every day, with growth accelerating thanks to mobile."

The Chinese Search Engine That's Bigger Than Google

"Robin Li, the chairman and chief executive of Chinese search provider Baidu, claimed that the company serves more search requests than any search engine, anywhere -- including Google."

Facebook Unveils New Messaging System

The "'modern messaging system' will handle e-mail, IM, SMS and Facebook messages."

Tweeting Students Earn Higher Grades Than Others in Classroom Experiment

"Besides getting better GPA’s, students who chatted on Twitter were more engaged than their nontweeting peers, a study found."

As Textbooks Go Digital, Campus Bookstores May Go Bookless

"As students cut costs by buying books from cheaper online retailers or by downloading e-textbooks, campus bookstores sell fewer and fewer textbooks. That's triggering an identity crisis for one of the oldest institutions on campus and leading some college officials to ask: If textbooks go digital, does the campus even need a bookstore?"

Digital Sales 'Worth 25% of Market by 2015'

"Between 15% and 20% of the book reading public will own electronic devices and up to 25% of books will be sold in digital form by 2015, according to a new French study."

Times Will Rank E-Book Best Sellers

"In an acknowledgment of the growing sales and influence of digital publishing, The New York Times said on Wednesday that it would publish e-book best-seller lists in fiction and nonfiction beginning early next year. "

Federal Authorities Say Firing for Posts on Facebook Illegal

"A Connecticut woman who was fired after posting disparaging remarks about her boss on Facebook has prompted a first-of-its-kind case by federal authorities who say her comments are protected speech under labor laws."

Reader Choice, Not Vendor Influence, Reshapes Library Collections

"College librarians are testing a different and, they say, more efficient mechanism for purchasing library materials: patron-driven acquisition."

Study Shows Universities May Be Failing to Sufficiently Teach Basic Research Skills

"Colleges and universities may be failing their students at a time when research skills and collaborative learning are becoming more and more important. In today's information-driven workplace, people spend much of their time formulating questions, finding relevant information and drawing conclusions, often working in virtual teams scattered across the globe."

Global Smart Phone Market Climbed Nearly 90 Percent in the Third Quarter

"The global smart phone market climbed nearly 90 percent in the third quarter, according to research firm IDC, as consumers flocked to handsets made by Nokia, Apple and Research In Motion."

New at iTunes U: Free E-Books

"Oxford, Rice, and the Open University have added digital books to the lectures and other materials available on the educational-content platform."

Bedtime Texting, Emailing Affect Teens' Sleep

"Texting and emailing long after bedtime are common among children and teens, according to a new study, and could help explain why some are sleep-deprived the next day."

Apple Has 95 Percent of Tablet Market: Strategy Analytics

"Apple controlled 95 percent of the emerging market for tablet computers with its iPads in the July-to-September quarter, research firm Strategy Analytics (SA) said on Tuesday."

U.S. Online Spending Rose 9 Percent in Q3: comScore

"U.S. online spending rose 9 percent to $32.1 billion in the third quarter, market research firm comScore said on Monday."

Search Engine Blekko to Rely on the Human Touch

"A small Silicon Valley company with some big name backers will release a test version of a new search engine that the company says has a key ingredient that is missing from Google, the human touch."

Will Google's Online Operating System Revolutionize the Computer?

"That big old hard drive in your computer? Google says you don’t need it anymore. The company is also betting you won't need that Windows, Macintosh or Linux stuff either. No, Google wants you to access, operate, and edit all your files on the Internet."

Myspace Concedes to Facebook, Changes Focus

"Myspace, once a leader in social networking before the ascendancy of Facebook, is trading its social networking focus to target the music, celebrities, movies, television, and games that Gen-Y'ers love the most."

Google Accounts for 6.4 Percent of Internet Traffic

"The internet is growing fast, but Google is growing even faster. According to online security company Arbor Networks, Google now represents an average 6.4 percent of all internet traffic. This is a new record for Google, as it gained more than 1 percent of all internet traffic share since January."

Students Remain Reluctant to Try E-Textbooks, Survey Finds

"Seventy-six percent of respondents said they would choose a printed book over an e-textbook, the same proportion as last year."

Free E-Books, With a Catch -- Advertising

"Barnes & Noble may kick off a fresh price war today for digital book readers. But the real news in digital publishing is a novel approach to the e-books themselves: Free books -- with advertising."

eMarketer: Mobile Ad Market to Top $1 Billion in 2011

"Spending on mobile advertising is set to grow nearly 50% to top $1 billion in 2011, according to the latest numbers from market researcher eMarketer."

Barnes & Noble Unveils Color Nook With Touchscreen

"Barnes & Noble unveiled a new full-color, touchscreen version of its Nook e-reader Tuesday in New York City."

New Technologies Dispense With Librarians

"Faced with layoffs and budget cuts, libraries around the country are replacing traditional, full-service institutions with devices that may be redefining what it means to have a library."

In Higher Education, a Focus on Technology

". . .in higher education, there are several promising projects that have used online technology effectively."

Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook Raise Bar With E-Book Lending

"Last week, Amazon announced plans to allow e-book lending between Kindle users "later this year," which would eliminate a major advantage that B&N's Nook had over its rival. The Nook has had a LendMe function since the e-reader was released last year."

MySpace Sharing User Info With Advertisers

"Days after Facebook disclosure, the second largest social media site is found committing the same privacy breach."

One Third of iPad Users Shun Apps

"About one-third of iPad owners have never downloaded any apps for the device, suggests a study."

Governors Use YouTube to Get Messages Out

"A growing number of the nation's governors are using YouTube to get their unfiltered messages to constituents."

In a Digital Age, Students Still Cling to Paper Textbooks

"According to the National Association of College Stores, digital books make up just under 3 percent of textbook sales, although the association expects that share to grow to 10 percent to 15 percent by 2012 as more titles are made available as e-books. In two recent studies — one by the association and another by the Student Public Interest Research Groups, a national advocacy network — three-quarters of the students surveyed said they still preferred a bound book to a digital version."

Colleges Face Legal Limits in Policing Online Misbehavior

"The University of San Diego’s Center for Education Policy and Law has reviewed what case law says about constitutional uses of electronic communications devices at educational institutions."

Analysis of Cheating in Online and Face-to-Face Courses

"So the results of a new meta-study on cheating, published in this fall’s edition of the Journal of Distance Learning Administration, might come as no surprise: Online courses that rely heavily on unproctored, multiple-choice exams are at greater risk of being cheated on than similar face-to-face courses, the study concluded."

Cisco Survey: Workers Can Be Productive Outside the Office

"How much good can you do stuck at your desk or in a meeting? Not as much as you can out in the field, especially if your company issues the hottest new mobile devices and configures them so that you can remotely access your company's private network, says a survey of 2,600 workers and IT professionals in 13 countries recently polled by Cisco."

More Bibliophiles Get on the Same Page With Digital Readers

"An estimated 4 million U.S. homes have an e-book reader such as Amazon's Kindle or Barnes & Noble's Nook, according to Forrester Research, which predicts sales of more than 29 million devices by 2015."

Library Inc.

"Libraries are early and enthusiastic adopters of digital innovations. But these innovations bring the values of the marketplace with them. Through innocuous incremental stages, academic libraries have reached a point where they are now guided largely by the mores of commerce, not academe."

Report: Consumers' Need for Speed Will Leave DSL in the Dust

"The phone companies' DSL services are becoming too slow to satisfy broadband customers -- and may soon suffer the same sad fate as dial-up Internet connections -- according to a report from financial services company Credit Suisse."

Internet About to Hit 2 Billion Users

"According to a report out Tuesday, there will be 2 billion Web dwellers by the end of this year."

Report: Tech Spending to Grow Slowly Through 2014

"Growth in worldwide corporate spending on computers, servers and other information technology will be 'timid and at times lackluster' over the next five years, according to analysts at research firm Gartner Inc."

Slide Show: The 10 Largest Online Schools

"The popularity of online education has exploded in recent years."

Music Streaming Seen Boosting Mobile Sales: Study

"Mobile operators should ditch their music download stores and opt for partnerships with music streaming services if they want to generate more revenue and make customers stick, a study found."

Average American Teen Sends and Receives 3,339 Texts a Month

"The average 13- to 17-year-old sends and receives a whopping 3,339 text messages a month, and adults' use of text messaging is starting to climb -- although to nowhere near the levels of American teens."

Mobile Phones Help Lift Poor Out of Poverty: U.N. Study

"Mobile phones -- spreading faster than any other information technology -- can improve the livelihoods of the poorest people in developing countries, a United Nations report released on Thursday said."

Like Netflix, New College Software Aims to Personalize Recommendations

"The project, unveiled at the Educause conference, will mine data about students and use that information to guide them through college."

comScore Releases First Comparative Report on Mobile Usage in Japan, United States and Europe

"comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released a study on mobile usage and behaviors in Japan, the United States and Europe from its MobiLens service."

Nearly One-Fifth of Americans Video Chat

"Just as 'Google it' is part of our lexicon, so too is 'Skype me,' with 19 percent of American adults saying they have done video calls online or by cell phone, as well as teleconferences, according to a new report."

Survey: 71 Percent of Tweets are Ignored

"Toronto-based social media analytics company Sysomos scanned 1.2 billion messages that were sent in August and September 2009 to try and get some idea of the kind of conversations that are going on. They discovered that more than seven in every 10 tweets sink without any kind of reaction from the world."

U.S. Online Ad Revenue Rises 14% in Second Quarter

"U.S. Internet advertising revenue increased 14% in the second quarter to hit a record $6.2 billion, according to an industry report, signaling the sector that has been weak since the recession has rebounded."

Study: 82 Percent of Kids Under 2 Have an Online Presence

"Thanks to the ubiquity of photo-sharing websites like Facebook, 82 percent of children in 10 Western countries have a digital footprint before the age of 2, according to a study by internet security firm AVG."

Social Networking Can Bring Students Stress as Well as Connection, Survey Finds

"A poll released today by the Associated Press and mtvU gives insight on the stress that social networks and text messaging can cause college students."

Yahoo Upgrades its Search Engine

"Yahoo has introduced a series of new features to help bolster its search engine, which faces tough competition from Google."

One Step Closer to a National Digital Library

"Can the nonprofit world create a national digital library to put America's collective intellectual wealth within everyone's reach? Robert Darnton, the historian who directs the Harvard University Library, has been one of the most public champions of the idea."

Searching For Better Research Habits

"Should colleges teach students how to be better Googlers? Educators who see the popular search engine as antithetical to good research might cringe at the thought of endorsing it to students. But they might not cringe nearly as hard as did attendees of the 2010 Ithaka Sustainable Scholarship Conference when Andrew Asher showed them what happens when students do not learn how to use Google properly."

Internet Explorer Drops Below 50% Market Share Worldwide

"Despite last month's promising debut of Internet Explorer 9, the world's most popular browser has fallen below 50% for the first time, according to StatCounter."

Poll: Children Embracing eBooks

"Children would read for fun more often if they could obtain e-books, but two-thirds say they still wouldn't give up traditional print books, a poll indicates."

Twitter Athletes

"A growing number of professional athletes are turning to social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook to communicate with their fans. Here's a look at some of the most prolific and outrageous athletes on Twitter, according to twitter-athletes.com."

Libraries Launch Apps to Sync With iPod Generation

"Libraries are tweeting, texting and launching smart-phone apps as they try to keep up with the biblio-techs — a computer-savvy class of people who consider card catalogs as vintage as typewriters. And they seem to be pulling it off."

Kindle Comes to the Web

"Amazon has announced another expansion of its Kindle platform with the Kindle for the Web beta, which allows book samples and snippets to be read directly from a browser."

Twitter Now Getting More Traffic Than MySpace

"Though it ranked third among social networking sites, Twitter ranked #50 in the list of top 50 properties overall. The numbers were crunched by the marketing research firm comScore."

British Library Posts Greek Manuscripts to Web

"The British Library said Monday that it was making more than a quarter of its 1,000 volume-strong collection of handwritten Greek texts available online free of charge, something curators there hope will be a boon to historians, biblical scholars and students of classical Greece alike."

Pew Study: In the News, Apple Is Beating Google

"A new study finds that Apple is beating all other technology companies, at least in terms of media coverage."

4 iPad Rivals Coming Soon

"Want a tablet that's not an iPad? Here's a look at 4 tablets hitting retailers' shelves."

Digital Music Sales Flat This Year: Nielsen

"The rapid rise of digital music sales has stalled in the United States, the world's biggest and most important market, with sales in the first half of 2010 flat compared with a year before."

Is This the Final Chapter for Paper Books?

"E-books are set to revolutionise the way we read. But plot twists may save paper books from going the way of the dinosaur."

Talking to Death: Texts, Phones Kill 16,000: Study

"Drivers distracted by talking or texting on cell phones killed an estimated 16,000 people from 2001 to 2007, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday."

More Than Half of Mobile Apps Not Secure, Report

"More than half of mobile applications aren't secure, according to a report released Thursday by Internet security company Veracode."

Preventing Online Dropouts: Does Anything Work?

"Regardless of what professors do to engage online students, they can’t seem to prevent them from dropping out, a new study suggests. Other experts disagree."

South Korean Colleges Aim to Prosper in Worldwide Online Education

"So Hanyang has begun a new strategy: to look beyond its borders to attract more students from around the globe. The country exports flat-screen TVs and cars, so why not export high-tech education as well?"

Magazines, Newspapers Still in Talks Over iPad Newsstand, Report Says

"Buzz has been picking up lately about Apple opening an iBooks-like distribution medium for the iPad, but for magazine and newspaper subscriptions."

AT&T Says Half a Million iPads Use its Network

"About a half a million iPad owners use AT&T's network to connect the Apple tablet computer to the Internet, according to the telephone company's top executive Randall Stephenson. AT&T, the No. 2 U.S. mobile service, is the only U.S. operator providing cellular connectivity for iPad, of which Apple said it sold 3.27 million units in the second quarter alone."

Apple Computer Owners Happiest, Windows PCs Do Well in Survey

"Apple computer owners are the happiest with their machines, according to a new survey, which also finds that Windows PC owners are very satisfied with their computers."

Going Mobile in Academia

"The California Digital Library has been studying the use of mobile devices among the University of California faculty and students, and this month they released a report on that work."

Renovated Vatican Library Reopens

"The Vatican Apostolic Library reopened its hallowed halls Monday following a three-year renovation, according to library officials. Climate-controlled rooms for precious manuscripts, electronic microchips in books, and state-of-the-art security measures to prevent theft and loss are just a few of the changes made to the library, officials said."

The E-Textbook Experiment Turns A Page

"MacInnis is the founder and CEO of Inkling, a company that designs textbook software for the iPad. He says the iPad has allowed for the reinvention of the textbook."

Mutual Funds Companies Embrace Twitter, Facebook

"Fidelity, Vanguard, Putnam and Charles Schwab are among those using Twitter for customer service and corporate marketing. 'We view it as another tool in the chest, and a very important tool,' says Richard Blunck, executive vice president at Fidelity. Fidelity began tweeting in October, and has about 3,000 followers, Blunck says."

Teens Missing Message on Road Texting Risk

"Many teens view texting while driving as less risky than drunken driving despite a sustained campaign against texting behind the wheel and research indicating it's as dangerous as drinking and driving, a new survey for State Farm insurance company finds."

Twitter's First Revamp in Four Years is Major Overhaul

"Twitter's first major revamp in four years makes it easier to see photos and videos and attract advertising dollars."

E-textbooks Expected to Grow with iPad on Campus

"Analysts say that unlike Amazon.com Inc's Kindle -- briefly touted as an educational tool -- the iPad can play video and illustrate charts and graphics in full color. It also allows for easy note-taking and the online component allows for integrated tests, exercises and updates."

Drexel Freshmen Get Help From 'Personal Librarians'

"With students spending more research time in front of the screen and less in the stacks, librarians at Drexel University are trying a fresh approach to helping new freshmen navigate their resources: 'personal librarians.'"

Tech Employment Inches Up Less Than 1%

"The U.S. tech industry added about 30,200 jobs in the first six months of the year, lobbying group The TechAmerica Foundation said today in an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data."

Study: Playing Action Games Improves Decision Making

"The study found players were able to make their decisions faster, and more accurately, then those who didn't play action games."

Microsoft's Bing Search Tops Yahoo

"For the first time, Microsoft's Bing search engine has more U.S. users than Yahoo, researcher Nielsen said today. In August, Bing had 13.9% of the U.S. search market, compared to 13.1% for Yahoo."

Report: Relatively Few People Use Cellphone Apps

"Their new study, 'The Rise of Apps Culture,' adds that just 68% of those who do have a phone with apps -- about a quarter of all adults -- actively use them."

Americans Spending More Time Reading News

"Americans are spending more time reading the news now than they have at any time during the last decade, according to a new study."

Google's Android to be World No. 2 in 2010: Report

"Google Inc's Android software will become the world's second most popular operating system for cell phones this year, leapfrogging rival offerings from Microsoft Corp, Research in Motion and Apple Inc, according to a new report."

The iPad Could Pass the Mac by 2012

"Within two years, it should be Apple's second largest source of revenue, after the iPhone."

Cybercriminals Create 57K Fake Websites a Week

"In a recent investigation, it was discovered that cybercriminals are creating 57,000 new “fake” websites each week looking to imitate and exploit approximately 375 high-profile brands. eBay and Western Union were the most targeted brands, making up 44 percent of exploited brands discovered. Visa, Amazon, Bank of America and PayPal also heavily targeted by cybercriminals."

UT San Antonio Opens Nation's First Bookless Library on a University Campus

"UTSA officials announced Thursday the opening of the Applied Engineering and Technology (AET) Library, the nation's first completely bookless library on a college or university campus."

Facebook Inches Past Google For Web Users' Minutes

"U.S. Web surfers are spending more time socializing on Facebook than searching with Google, according to new data from researchers at comScore Inc."

More Young Couples Try Long-Distance Relationships

"One recent study, in the journal Communication Research, finds that as many as half of college students are in long-distance relationships, 'and up to 75% will be at some point.'"

Fending Off the Digital Dark Ages: The Archival Storage Issue

"The digital data we are generating wholesale will very likely become unusable within our lifetimes unless we take steps to preserve it."

The Latest Stay-in-School Tool for College Students: Facebook

"Freshmen with a greater number of Facebook 'friends' and wall posts were more likely to return sophomore year, according to a study at Abilene Christian University."

Start-Up Aspires to Make the World 'One Big Study Group'

"OpenStudy, a start-up company spun off by Georgia Tech and Emory University, is betting the answer to that question is yes. Its Web site is the latest effort to create a social platform for independent learners who want to help each other study the huge trove of educational materials published free online by universities like MIT."

Google Unveils Instant Search

"Google's new search feature tries to figures out what a user is searching for as each letter enters the query box. For example, typing the letter "w" causes Google to speculate that a user is looking for the weather. It instantly displays a local forcast."

YouTube Shows a Day Through Eyes Around the World

"YouTube has begun offering glimpses into a day in life around the world."

Report: iPod Touch Makes Up Nearly 40 Percent of iOS Sales

"The iPhone gets all the hype, but the iPod Touch is Apple’s second weapon of mass consumption constituting nearly 40 percent of the company’s mobile device sales, according to a report."

New Kindles Reinforce E-reader's Best-Seller Status

"New, smaller and lighter Kindles have better battery lives, superior glare-free displays and enough storage for up to 3,500 books."

72 Percent of Adults are Text-Messaging Now, Study Says

"Among adult cell phone users, 72 percent of them now send and receive text messages, up from 65 percent in September 2009, and 58 percent in December 2007, according to 'Cell Phones and American Adults,' a report from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project."

Articles on Ebooks from Library Journal

"In preparation for the daylong virtual summit Ebooks: Libraries at the Tipping Point, on September 29, from Library Journal and School Library Journal, LJ’s editors have gathered just a few of the many voices exploring the problems and potential of the move to broad ebook use and where libraries fit in."

Free Access to all Sage Journals (1999-Present) Until October 15th

Free access to "more than 290,000 articles from more than 560 SAGE journals with content available from 1999-current. . ." until October 15th.

Students Face New Textbook Picks: Rent vs. Buy, Print vs. E-book

"One reason it is difficult to parse the prospects for e-books this year is that many other things are happening in the textbook market that make "traditional textbook vs. e-book" a false dichotomy. These days, traditional books have electronic supplements; some electronic texts have print-on-demand options; and for many students, textbook decisions have more to do with renting vs. buying than print vs. digital."

New Memory Device Will Dramatically Affect Computers

"Research groups say that memristors, a new type of memory device that's on the verge of going commercial, will dramatically enhance the storage capacity and usability of computers."

Google Realtime Search Challenges Bing, Twitter

"Google’s latest move in real-time search, the launch of a dedicated page that aggregates of-the-moment information from Twitter and other sources, represents yet another escalation in the search-engine giant’s competition against Microsoft’s Bing."

Older Adults Flocking to Social Networks

"Social networking use by Internet users ages 50 and older nearly doubled in the past year, going from 22 percent in April 2009 to 42 percent in May 2010, according to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project’s new report, 'Older Adults and Social Media.'"

Google Launches Real-Time Search Site

"Google Inc launched a website on Thursday for users who want to sift through news, comments and other information on the Internet in real time, letting them follow conversations on social network hubs such as Facebook and Twitter in one place."

Google Realtime Site

Cracks in Computer Defenses Abound: IBM

"IBM on Wednesday reported that the number of discovered cracks that hackers could exploit in computer software surged in the first half of the year."

Kindle and iPad E-readers Spark Revolution

"Amazon's Kindle e-book reader and Apple's iPad tablet have a lot more in common than you'd think. Both devices have sparked a revolution in mobile computing, are selling like hotcakes, and brought e-books to the masses."

New Research Suggest Google Book Search Helps Publishers A Lot More Than It Hurts

"Michael Scott points us to a new research paper from law professor Hannibal Travis, that tries to look at the actual economic impact of Google's book scanning on publishers, and finds that the falling sky claims from publishers and critics simply isn't supported by the evidence."

Apple's iPad to Remain King of Tablets: Researcher

"The iPad, which likely will account for nearly three quarters of worldwide tablet shipments this year, will hold at least 70 percent of the market in 2011 and 62 percent by 2012, iSuppli said in its report on Wednesday."

New Kindle Leaves Rivals Farther Back

"This week, Amazon unveiled what everyone (except Amazon) is calling the Kindle 3. You might call it Amazon’s iPad response. The Kindle 3 is ingeniously designed to be everything the iPad will never be: small, light and inexpensive."

A Look at the Reading Habits of E-Reader Owners

"A study of 1,200 e-reader owners by Marketing and Research Resources Inc. found that 40% said they now read more than they did with print books."

Yahoo: Microsoft's Bing Starts to Power its U.S. Internet Search

"Internet firm Yahoo Inc said it has completed the transition of its U.S. and Canadian English-language search capabilities to Microsoft Corp's Bing platform."

Google to Allow Phone Calls From Gmail

"Google Inc said users of Gmail will now be able to call telephones directly from their email, putting it in direct competition with Web calling service Skype and companies such as AT&T Inc."

Study: Blacks and Women Talk and Text More

"Blacks talk twice as much as whites on their cellphones, and women talk and text more than men, according to an analysis of wireless bills by Nielsen."

Virginia State U. Business School Buys E-Textbooks for Students

"Should colleges purchase textbooks for students? A public institution is experimenting with that idea this fall."

U. of Michigan Press Tries Short-Term Rental Option for E-Books

"The university hopes the service will appeal to those who need a book for a single citation or for a paper."

So-Called "Digital Natives" Not Media Savvy, New Study Shows

"A new study coming out of Northwestern University, discovered that college students have a decided lack of Web savvy, especially when it comes to search engines and the ability to determine the credibility of search results. Apparently, the students favor search engine rankings above all other factors."

College Web Pages 'Widely Inaccessible' to People With Disabilities

"More colleges are adding basic accessibility features, but those gains are offset by barriers from emerging technologies, a recent study finds."

Libraries Face Increasing Budget Cutbacks

"Libraries across the U.S. are facing funding crises as they become the latest victims of the recession."

iPad May Boost e-Textbook Sales in U.S.

"A U.S. software developer says the iPad and similar tablet computers have all the makings of a breakthrough in the adoption of digital college textbooks."

Computers Are Becoming Cupid's Best Weapon

"A new study finds that nearly a quarter of couples met online, and predicts that the Web may soon become the No. 1 way Americans find a mate."

The Web Is A 'Shrinking Minority' Of Internet Traffic

"'The Web is dead' proclaims the September issue of Wired Magazine. Hard to believe, given how much time people spend online. But Chris Anderson, the magazine's editor-in-chief, tells Steve Inskeep that the end of the web is likely just the next evolutionary step for the Internet."

Facebook "Places" Lets Users Track Friends and Services

"Facebook's 500 million-plus users will soon be able to track friends' whereabouts across the United States, as the world's largest Internet social network adds technology to increasingly tie its virtual world to everyday life."

Verizon Looking at Taking TV Shows to the iPad

"In the latest example of the slim device attracting the attention of the TV industry, Verizon Communications Inc. on Wednesday demonstrated an application that turns the iPad into another screen for its cable-TV service."

Colleges Tailor Social Sites for Students

"Colleges and universities across the United States are going beyond simply creating websites and pages on Facebook for students to 'friend' or 'fan.' They are working with technology companies to build their own social networks and integrate them into campus life to boost admissions and retain students."

Free Software Tools Can Add to Your Anti-Virus Protection

"There are new software tools that can help you clean up and repel the latest cyberattacks. Many of them are free. Most require patience to learn how to use. Be prepared to sacrifice convenience for added security, as using these tools will add steps to your ongoing use of the Internet."

Time-Shifting on TV More Than Doubles in Past Year

"Time-shifted TV viewing has more than doubled over the past year and over 40 percent of Americans now make plans to record their favorite shows and watch them later, according to a survey released on Tuesday."

U.S. Neighborhood Bookstores Thrive in Digital Age

"U.S. independent bookstores are discovering how to flourish despite the growth of electronic books with some even looking to form an alliance with a formidable competitor -- Google."

Barnes & Noble Rattled by the Rise of e-Books

"In the first five months of 2009, e-books made up 2.9 percent of trade book sales. In the same period in 2010, sales of e-books, which generally cost less than hardcover books, grew to 8.5 percent, according to the Association of American Publishers, spurred by sales of the Amazon Kindle and the new Apple iPad. For Barnes & Noble, long the largest and most powerful bookstore chain in the country, the new competition has led to declining profits and store traffic."

Report: Murdoch's News Corp. Readying Digital Newspaper

"Rupert Murdoch has long championed pay walls for online news content, and now the News Corp. chairman is reportedly working on a newspaper that would be available exclusively on mobile devices like Apple's iPad and smartphones."

Those With Home Internet Access More Likely to be a Relationship

"People who have Internet access at home are more likely to be in a relationship, with the Web gaining in importance as a meeting place for those seeking love, according to U.S. research."

Advertisers to Spend $1.7 Billion on Social Networks in 2010

"The latest numbers from eMarketer project that advertisers will spend nearly $1.7 billion in the U.S. on social networking sites in 2010. Worldwide, spending will hit $3.3 billion according to the report."

Broadband Adoption Slows Down, But Blacks Catch Up

"The Pew Internet & American Life Project said 66 percent of U.S. adults now use broadband at home, up from 63 percent last year. The difference is not statistically significant."

Google, Verizon Propose Laws to Keep Web Free

"Google and Verizon Communications on Monday called on legislators to enact laws preventing Internet carriers from blocking websites or selectively delaying access to content common on the Internet today, while leaving the door open for private 'specialized networks' down the line."

Bill Gates Predicts Technology Will Make 'Place-Based' Colleges Less Important in 5 Years

'Place-based colleges' are. . .becoming less crucial for learning thanks to the Internet, said the Microsoft founder Bill Gates at a conference on Friday."

A Blended Librarian Talks Information Literacy

"Mr. McBride is a blended librarian at Buffalo State." He "combines traditional reference skills with hardware and software know-how and an interest in applying them to curriculum development and teaching."

Trading Spaces: Science Libraries Confront Print's Decline

"The engineering libraries at Stanford and Cornell universities are swapping their place as repositories of print materials for bigger online collections."

Digital Humanists Unveil New Blog-to-Book Tool

"In a single week, a team of 12 developed a Web service that turns blog entries into an electronic book. The creators intend their new tool, Anthologize, to make preparing a polished product—potentially for publication—a simple, quick process."

Is There a Future for Computer Labs?

"Though centralized PC labs have been an important part of both campus space planning and IT infrastructure for the last two decades, this may be changing. With the advent of laptop computers, it is becoming increasingly common for students to own personal computers. In fact, about 83 percent of students at four-year-colleges own them, up dramatically from 36 percent in 2003. . ."

Remaking the College Campus

"An e-learning veteran envisions a college campus of the future where physical space, technology, and collaboration blend."

NCAA Grades Coaches with Major Database of Teams

"Hoping increased transparency will encourage head coaches to take seriously their players’ academic performance, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has released a searchable database of the Academic Progress Rates of all teams coached by current and former Division I coaches in six major sports since the NCAA introduced the scoring system in 2003."

Amazon's Kindle Adds Games

"Amazon's Kindle isn't just for reading anymore. Software developers for the electronic reader have created the device's first games."

The Open, Social, Participatory Future of Online Learning

"An interview with the editor of a new book on emerging technologies in distance education, who is speaking this week at a national online-learning conference in Wisconsin."

Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age

"Digital technology makes copying and pasting easy, of course. But that is the least of it. The Internet may also be redefining how students — who came of age with music file-sharing, Wikipedia and Web-linking — understand the concept of authorship and the singularity of any text or image."

Too Much Internet Can Lead To Teen Depression

"Spending too much time on the Internet can lead to depression in teenagers, according to a recent study. A study in China showed those using the Internet pathologically were 2.5 times more likely to become depressed."

Survey: Most iPhone 4 Users 'Very Satisfied'

"Most iPhone 4 users are 'very satisfied' with their new device--despite all of the bad press and antenna issues--says a new survey by ChangeWave Research."

Facebook and Other Social Media Cost UK Billions

"Employees who fritter time away on Facebook, Twitter and other social media Web sites are costing British businesses billions, new research suggests."

Source: Google, Verizon Near Net Neutrality Plan

"Google and Verizon Communications are close to finalizing a proposal for so-called 'network neutrality' rules, which would dictate how broadband providers treat Internet traffic flowing over their lines, according to a person briefed on the negotiations."

'Free' Movies, Songs No More as Colleges Bust File-Sharing

"Every college across the country must either have installed software to block illegal file-sharing or have created some other procedure for preventing it. The requirement is part of the 2008 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which took effect July 1."

Google Plans to Drop Wave

"Google is pulling the plug on Google Wave. Google intended the messaging program, launched in 2009, to be a near-replacement for e-mail, which it said had grown tired."

Google CEO: 200,000 Android Devices Sold Each Day

"Google CEO Eric Schmidt said on Wednesday that Google believes that some 200,000 new Android devices are being sold each day, leading to significant revenue in the form of increased mobile search traffic."

Facebook Launches Questions Feature

"Facebook has begun the rollout of a new feature, Facebook Questions, which will allow users to get answers to their queries from the entire Facebook community."

Snapshot of Global Internet Speeds Revealed

"A report based on analysis of huge amounts of net traffic has revealed the state of the internet around the globe."

Details of 100m Facebook Users Collected and Leaked

"The personal details of more than 100 million Facebook users have been harvested and published on the net."

Google in Talks to Build Facebook Competitor: Report

"Google Inc has held talks with gaming companies as it looks to develop a new service to compete with social networking website Facebook, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter."

Market Researchers Get New Tool in iPad

"The struggling world of consumer market research appears on the brink of getting a serious shot in the arm from an unexpected new tool: the iPad."

Movie Clips and Copyright

". . .professors can legally extract movie clips and incorporate them into lectures, as long as they are willing to decrypt them — a task made relatively easy by widely available programs known as 'DVD rippers.' The exemption also permits professors to use ripped content in non-classroom settings that are similarly protected under 'fair use' — such as presentations at academic conferences."

Are Desktop PCs Headed for Extinction?

"It's true that 75 to 80 percent of computer sales these days are laptops. But nearly 90 percent of American homes still have a trusty desktop PC, compared to just 50 percent with laptops, says sales-tracking firm NPD."

Difficulty Searching YouTube for Good-Quality Educational Clips

"While many students turn to YouTube when looking for help with their homework, it can be hard to find good-quality educational clips there, according to two professors who did a preliminary analysis of several video search engines."

More Shoppers Turn to Facebook, Twitter for Buying Advice

"Just as more of us are turning to sites like Facebook and Twitter for the news of the day, we're also looking to social networks for guidance on what to buy. That's manna to marketing folks, who no doubt will be encouraged by findings released today by Gartner research firm."

Study Quantifies How Much Companies are Losing to Cybercriminals

"In a poll sponsored by cyberrisk management firm ArcSight, Ponemon surveyed security pros in 45 U.S. organizations and concluded that cybercrime is having a material impact in the corporate arena."

Apple's iPad Goes to College

"Colleges and universities are looking to adopt the iPad as a collaborative tool, a standardized mobile device to integrate into curriculums, and, in some cases, even a cost-saving device."

India Unveils Prototype of $35 Tablet Computer

"It looks like an iPad, only it's 1/14th the cost: India has unveiled the prototype of a $35 basic touchscreen tablet aimed at students, which it hopes to bring into production by 2011."

Study: Online Seller's Race Changes Purchase Price

"Racism affects online sales across much of the nation, suggests a study."

More Small Businesses Use Twitter, Facebook to Promote

"In growing numbers, small-business owners are adopting social-networking services, location-based services, Twitter and online video to promote products and services, according to a new study by MerchantCircle, a social network for small businesses."

Survey: Americans Like Digital Media, if it is Cheap

"Only about 25% of people here say that they'd pay to access frequently used online content -- which contrasts with 43% globally -- according to the survey of 5,600 people in 22 countries."

Search Engine Bing Gains Market Share

"Independent research suggests that Bing has cornered 12.7% of the market in the 12 months since it launched."

A National Look at College Completion, Role of Technology

"Technology helps foster college access but not necessarily completion, report says."

Facebook Hits 500 Million Users

"Facebook's population is now larger than that of the U.S., Mexico and France combined. The world's largest social networking site announced Wednesday that it has hit a widely anticipated milestone, signing up its 500 millionth user."

A Sense of Place: Why Environments Matter

"'A Sense of Place' features quantitative and qualitative analysis, including an online survey of 2,910 US adult consumers, in order to measure opinions about content and advertising, and consumer perceptions of the brands advertised within these environments."

Outsourced Ed: Colleges Hire Companies to Build Their Online Courses

"As more colleges enter the booming online business, they do so for better or worse with vendors that help develop courses and recruit students."

Lost Bible-Era Languages to Be Resurrected by Computers?

"A new computer program has quickly deciphered a written language last used in Biblical times—possibly opening the door to 'resurrecting' ancient texts that are no longer understood, scientists announced last week."

What Belongs in a 21st-Century Classroom? Faculty and IT Staff Disagree

"Both groups say technology is useful for teaching and learning, but faculty members take a narrower view of what they should use in classes, according to a new survey."

Amazon Says E-Books Now Top Hardcover Sales

"Amazon.com, one of the nation’s largest bookstores, said Monday that for the last three months, sales of electronic books for the Kindle, Amazon’s e-reader, outnumbered sales of hardcover books for the first time."

Facebook Eyes Major Milestone: 500M Users

"The social networking phenomenon is expecting to grab its 500 millionth user this week, according to Andrew Noyes, a Facebook spokesman."

Study Finds No Link Between Social-Networking Sites and Academic Performance

"Spend as much time on Facebook as you want—it won’t affect your GPA, a new study says.

Typing to Tagging: 50 Years of Cataloging

"A specialist reflects on a half-century's worth of technological changes at libraries."

Using Library Experts Wisely

"Today’s librarians bear about as much resemblance to the tight-bunned owlish matrons of 1950s films as laptops do to manual typewriters. They're more like the wizened sexton of a sprawling church, the guy with the giant ring of keys who unlocks every door, closet, and coffer."

China's Online Population Reaches 420 Million

"China's online population, the world's largest, has reached 420 million as more people access the Internet with cell phones."

12 World Leaders on Twitter

12 World Leaders on Twitter

2.5 Million Muslims Threatening to Leave Facebook

"The group, apparently fueled by Facebook-clone Madina.com, are outraged at the removal of several very popular Islamic pages from Facebook.com, purges the group reportedly claim took place after the outcry over Draw Mohammed Day."

Still Plenty of Demand for iPad: Survey

"Apple Inc has already sold more than three million of its iPad tablet computers in just over three months, but there is still more demand out there, a new survey showed on Thursday."

Half of Social Networkers Worried About Privacy: Poll

"Half of Americans who have a profile on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace are worried about their privacy, according to a new poll."

Survey: More TVs connecting to the Web

"The company [Retrevo] says about 23% of the people it surveyed have already connected their TVs, and 26% say they haven't gotten around to it yet, but would like to."

Blackboard's Bid to Galvanize E-Textbooks

"Academic publishers are trying to encourage professors and students to use e-books by pushing digital content through learning-management systems."

The Top 40 Free iPhone Apps 2010

"We gathered our 40 favorite free apps from Apple's App Store to help make your iPhone and iPod touch shine."

E-Books Will Make Up Majority of Saint Leo U.'s Library Come Fall

"With the acquisition of a new e-book database, 53 percent of the collection will consist of online material."

Millions of Books Get Digitized for the Disabled

"Brewster Kahle, a digital librarian and founder of a virtual library called the Internet Archive, has launched a worldwide campaign to double the number of books available for print-disabled people."

Pennsylvania Woman Finds Kidney Donor on Facebook

"A western Pennsylvania woman who turned to Facebook when she needed a kidney transplant found a donor online and is now recovering from surgery."

Gays More Frequent Blog Readers, Social Networkers

"Gays and lesbians are more frequent blog readers than their heterosexual counterparts and are more likely to be members of a social network, according to a survey released on Tuesday."

Inventor of Cell Phone Interview

"In 1973, Martin Cooper changed the world, although he didn't know it yet."

Journal Review Process Increasingly Includes Check for Plagiarism

"A growing number of journal publishers are checking papers for possible plagiarism as part of their review process."

Stanford Ushers In The Age Of Bookless Libraries

"Stanford University's School of Engineering had more books than its library could hold. So school administrators built a new library -- with even less space for books. NPR's Laura Sydell reports that Stanford's counterintuitive solution marks a definite move toward digital collections over print."

Trends in College Spending Database

"This week the group released a Web-based database that tracks the spending and revenue sources of 2,300 public and private institutions. The database, Trends in College Spending Online, tracks a wide array of categories at each college, enabling comparisons among institutions, states, and sectors."

Trends in College Spending Database

Pew Research: Wealthy Have Laptops, the Poor Have Cell Phones

"While the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project stated that wireless usage is up in almost all categories, some groups are trending differently than others.
It's no surprise that the wealthy would be more wirelessly equipped with a cell phone and laptop computer. . .but the report saw something different in the the less affluent and less educated masses."

eBooks Usage in For-Profit Higher Education

"At Capella University, e-textbooks are an available and accepted option in nearly all 1,250 courses. In for-profit higher education, more than any other sector, the traditional book is becoming obsolete."

Wake Up, Check Facebook: Americans Increasingly Obsessed

"Americans are increasingly obsessed with Facebook and many young women check their page even before using the bathroom in the morning, according to a poll released on Wednesday."

World Ebook Fair - Free Access to 3.5 Million eBooks This Month

World Ebook Fair - Free Access to 3.5 Million eBooks This Month

Borders Sees New E-bookstore Taking Share

"Borders Group Inc's electronic bookstore went live on Wednesday, and the company set an ambitious target to secure 17 percent of the digital book market in one year, sending its shares up more than 9 percent."

Survey: Office Workers More Mobile, Use Tech to Work Around the Clock

"America's white collar workforce is increasingly mobile and readily uses laptops and smartphones to do their jobs at all hours of the day, at home and even during their time off the company clock, according to a Unisys-IDC survey of 2,820 respondents, including 40% aged 35 or younger."

E-Mail and Social Networking May Be Hurting Off-Line Relationships

"It's possible that instead of fostering real friendships off-line, e-mail and social networking may take the place of them — and the distance inherent in screen-only interactions may breed feelings of isolation or a tendency to care less about other people."

New Report: Information Support for Research in the United States

New report: “A Slice of Research Life: Information Support for Research in the United States”

Admission Officials' Tweets Fall on Deaf Ears

"Colleges are ramping up efforts to connect with prospective students through Twitter—but students aren’t interested, a new study says."

E is For Explosion

Subtitle: "E-Readers, Etextbooks, Econtent, Elearning, E-Everything"

President Awards Money to Expand Broadband Access

"In an effort to expand broadband access and create jobs across the United States, President Obama has announced the awarding of $765-million in grants and loans to recipients that include public and private colleges."

Libraries Target Convenience with Mall Branches

"She said putting libraries in malls is one of many efforts by public libraries to become more convenient. Even at more traditional branches, libraries have built cafes, provided downloadable books or installed drive-through windows."

TV and Video Games Lead to Attention Problems

"Numerous studies have documented the negative effects of television exposure at a young age; TV viewing has been linked to behavioral and attention problems later in life. Now researchers confirm the same effect of video games on attention problems in both younger children and teens."

Study: E-books Take Longer to Read Than Print

"It takes longer to read books on a Kindle 2 or an iPad versus a printed book, Jakob Nielsen of product development consultancy Nielsen Norman Group discovered in a recent usability survey."

IBM Endorses Firefox as In-House Web Browser

"Technology giant IBM wants its workers around the world to use free, open-source Mozilla Firefox as their window into the Internet."

Amazon Launches New, Cheaper Kindle E-Reader

"Amazon.com is launching an updated version of its high-end Kindle electronic reader and cutting the price in a move to address the threat from Apple's iPad tablet computer."

New MapQuest Beta Version has a Cleaner, Simpler Look

"Starting Tuesday, the Denver-based mapping unit of AOL is testing a fresh look with features that some might say make it look a whole lot more like Google Maps."

Divorce Lawyers: Facebook Tops in Online Evidence in Court

"The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers says 81% of its members have used or faced evidence from Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other social networking sites, including YouTube and LinkedIn, over the last five years."

Hulu Launches $10 Video Subscription Service

"Online video site Hulu has launched a $9.99-per-month paid section, under pressure from its media company parents to generate a profit."

Study Links Bee Decline to Cell Phones

"A new study has suggested that cell phone radiation may be contributing to declines in bee populations in some areas of the world."

Twitter Research

"Researchers are studying Twitter as communication medium and index of public opinion. Scott McLemee catches up on the scholarship."

Inaccessible E-Readers May Run Afoul of the Law, Feds Warn Colleges

"The Departments of Education and Justice are cautioning college leaders against the adoption of electronic readers that can't be used by blind people."

New Grant Program Seeks to Expand Free Online Courses

"A new program will give grants to a variety of high-tech teaching projects, with the hope of helping low-income students better succeed in their studies. Next Gen Learning Challenges, led by Educause, a nonprofit that supports education technology, is designed to find technology-based approaches to improve college readiness and completion among low-income students."

Free Online Textbook Project Gets Federal Money

"The University of Illinois system has received federal money to create an open-access textbook to be used on its three campuses, as well as the state's community colleges, and shared with colleges and universities around the country, said Charles V. Evans, the university's assistant vice president for academic affairs."

Springer Announces New Open-Access Journals

"The Springer publishing company today announced that it is setting up a new open-access journal program. Called SpringerOpen, the program will initially include 12 new online-only, peer-reviewed journals in science, technical, and medical fields."

Checking Out Digital Copies of In-Copyright Books

"Starting Tuesday, a group of libraries led by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit digital library, are joining forces to create a one-stop website for checking out e-books...Only one person at a time will be allowed to check out a digital copy of an in-copyright book for two weeks. While on loan, the physical copy of the book won't be loaned, due to copyright restrictions."

E-books Pave Way For More Blockbusters, Serials

"Stieg Larsson copycats take note: The slow rise of electronic books is paving the way for more safe-bet fiction blockbusters and serial-type books, at least in the short term, according to some book experts."

Facebook Fuels Honesty, Unpredictability in Adoption

"As adoption becomes more open, social media present new questions."

Google's Next Search Foe: Facebook

"Facebook's search engine is now venturing beyond the walled gardens of Facebook.com to the greater web. Will its user-generated results give it an advantage over Google?"

Judge Sides with Google in $1B Viacom Lawsuit

"A federal judge in New York is siding with Google in a $1 billion copyright lawsuit filed by media company Viacom over YouTube videos."

What Is I.B.M.’s Watson?

"For the last three years, I.B.M. scientists have been developing what they expect will be the world’s most advanced 'question answering' machine, able to understand a question posed in everyday human elocution — 'natural language,' as computer scientists call it — and respond with a precise, factual answer."

Quantum Computing Moves Closer to Reality

"British and Dutch scientists say they have, for the first time, demonstrated the ability of an electron to exist in two places at once in silicon. . .The complex research is detailed in the journal Nature."

Historic Newspapers: Chronicling America Adds 275K Digitized Pages

The collection now has over 2.3 million pages of digitized newspapers.

Closing the Digital Frontier

"The era of the Web browser’s dominance is coming to a close. And the Internet’s founding ideology—that information wants to be free, and that attempts to constrain it are not only hopeless but immoral— suddenly seems naive and stale in the new age of apps, smart phones, and pricing plans. What will this mean for the future of the media—and of the Web itself?"

Academic Libraries Must Keep Redefining Themselves

"The libraries will have to continue expanding their virtual resources and devote physical space to support services, says a report."

The Librarian's Crystal Ball

"A major libraries association makes some bold predictions about the future of higher education."

E-reader Price War Breaks Out: Kindle, Nook Cuts

"As e-reader competition heats up, Barnes & Noble responded Monday by cutting the price of its flagship Nook to $199 and introducing a low-cost, Wi-Fi-only version for $149. Just hours later, Amazon hit back. It slashed the price of its popular Kindle to $189 -- a deep discount from the original $259."

Are Social Media Changing Religion?

"The boundary between private and public information is becoming murkier every day, a blurring that is perhaps inevitable in the world of online surfing and social networking. But how about religious communities? The boundaries are shifting there as well, because of a growing emphasis in congregations on honest and open sharing in small groups."

Supreme Court Rules Employers Can Read Employee Texts

"The Supreme Court has ruled that employers may monitor employee conversations made via an employer-issued cell phone if there is a 'legitimate work-related purpose' to do so."

Does the Internet Need a ‘Kill Switch’?

"Senator Joseph Lieberman has proposed the Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act (PCNAA), a bill that would give the president the power to control or even shut down the Internet in emergency situations."

The Souls of the Machine

"Clay Shirky says the Internet revolution has only just begun."

Report: US Lacks Staff, Power to Protect Networks

"The federal agency in charge of securing the government's computer systems is unable to monitor the networks or analyze threats in real time, and it lacks the authority and staff it needs to do its job, according to an internal report."

Mexico's Monterrey Tech Pushes E-Learning

"Over the past two decades, the university, which has 33 campuses scattered across Mexico, has seized on the Internet revolution to boost enrollment and slash costs. The institution's big push has allowed it to reach more than 35,000 new students and spurred others in the region to explore similar opportunities."

Regulators Take Step Toward Broadband Rules

"Communications authorities on Thursday took a small but significant step toward regulating high-speed Internet in a bid to reclaim oversight, setting the stage for an eventual legal showdown with industry heavyweights."

Student Smartphone Use Doubles; Instant Messaging Loses Favor

"Text messaging has become the main form of high-tech communication for nearly all students, a researcher at Ball State University found."

Large Gift Will Speed Digitization at Oxford's Bodleian Libraries

"A British philanthropist has given $2.2-million to the University of Oxford's Bodleian Libraries to expand efforts to digitize their vast collection of books and manuscripts."

In Your Facebook: Social Sites Are Everywhere

"As social networking gains in global popularity, each culture takes a different approach."

233 Million Chinese Use Mobile Phones To Access The Internet

"By the end of 2009 the number of Chinese netizens had reached 384 million, 618 times that of 1997 and an annual increase of 31.95 million users. In addition, the Internet had reached 28.9% of the total population, higher than the world average. At the same time, there were 3.23 million websites running in China, which was 2,152 times that of 1997. The number of IPv4 addresses approached 230 million, making China the second-largest owner in the world. Of all the netizens, 346 million used broadband and 233 million used mobile phones to access the Internet."

Review: Web Apps are Limited Free Taste of Office

"In particular, the Web Apps will be helpful for those who collaborate with people who have the full Office suite. You can open documents they send and modify text, spreadsheets and so forth. But the bulk of the formatting will still need to be done with the desktop application. The Web Apps can also be a standalone alternative to Google Docs, if your demands are low."

Pew Survey: Our Data is Headed to the Cloud

"By 2020, Internet users will keep their data 'mostly in the cloud,' using Web-based programs and remote servers, and not on their home or work computers, according to a new survey."

Scholars Compile Academic Book From Twitter and Blogs

"Two academics put out an online call for material. In one week, they had a book's worth. Hacking the Academy, an edited volume about academe in the digital age, was compiled from blog posts and Twitter messages posted during a single week."

JiWire Reveals Mobile Advertising Trends for the On-The-Go Audience

"JiWire, the leading mobile audience media company that reaches the On-The-Go Audience across its location-based media channel, today released its latest Mobile Audience Insights Report."

A History of Portable Computing

"From 'portables' that weighed nearly 30 pounds in the 1980s to the featherweight Apple iPad of 2010, portable computing has come a long way. Here's a look at some of the milestones."

Money Remains the Top Concern for Campus IT Leaders

"Information-technology leaders at American colleges face the same challenges as ever, but their top worry is money, says a report released today by the higher-education technology group Educause."

Impacts of Social Media on Admissions

"Here is a look at the impact at several institutions of the use of social networking sites in college admissions."

10 of the Top Data Breaches of the Decade

"The Internet cried foul last week when news broke that an AT&T security breach exposed the e-mail addresses of at least 100,000 owners of Apple's iPad 3G. But industry observers are quick to point out that this is hardly the first -- and hardly the worst -- data breach that the tech world has ever seen."

10 of the Top Data Breaches of the Decade

"The Internet cried foul last week when news broke that an AT&T security breach exposed the e-mail addresses of at least 100,000 owners of Apple's iPad 3G. But industry observers are quick to point out that this is hardly the first -- and hardly the worst -- data breach that the tech world has ever seen."

Important E-Reserves Lawsuit

"In a lawsuit against Georgia State University over e-reserves, scholarly publishing faces a defining moment."

Christian Colleges Flourish in Distance Learning Environment

"The question facing universities looking to compete in the booming market for online higher education is not so much how to do it, but how to distinguish themselves from the rest. In this, Christian universities appear to have a built-in advantage. And many are seizing the opportunity to expand their footprint."

Publishers See Signs the iPad Can Restore Ad Money

"Good news for the news business: Companies are paying newspapers and magazines up to five times as much to place ads in their iPad..."

U.S. Replaces China as Top Source of Malicious Servers

"Kaspersky Lab reports that 28% of 1.9 million servers it found distributing malware in the first three months of this year were located in the U.S. That compares to China as the source of 33% of 85.9 million malicious servers Kaspersky tracked down in the final quarter of 2009."

21st-Century Research Collections: Mostly Digital, Ever Larger

"Can a new research library be all digital? How much does it cost a library to preserve a codex? What do large-scale text-digitizing projects mean for scholarship in the humanities? Those are driving questions behind a new report, 'The Idea of Order: Transforming Research Collections for 21st Century Scholarship,' released today by the Council on Library and Information Resources."

The Shallows: This is Your Brain Online

NPR interviewed Nicholas Carr, author of the new book, The Shallows yesterday.

The End of Braille?

"A recent report by the National Federation of the Blind found that fewer than 10 percent of the 1.3 million legally blind Americans now read Braille. Half a century ago, half of America’s blind could run their fingers over coded bumps embossed on thick sheets of paper and understand their meaning."

Purdue Professor Embeds Hyperlinks in Printed Books

"People who prefer print books over e-books may still want extra digital material to go with them. That's the idea behind Sorin Matei's project, Ubimark, which embeds books with two-dimensional codes that work as hyperlinks when photographed."

The Humanities Go Google

"As grunts in Stanford University's new Literature Lab, these students investigate the evolution of literary style by teaming up like biologists and using computer programs to 'read' an entire library."

How Computers Know What We Want — Before We Do

"Over the past decade, recommendation engines have become quietly ubiquitous. At the appropriate moment — generally when you're about to consummate a retail purchase — they appear at your shoulder, whispering suggestively in your ear. . ."

Apple Says Sold 2 Million iPads

"Apple Inc said it sold 2 million iPads since launching the touch-screen tablet in the United States nearly two months ago and taking it to nine international markets this past weekend."

4 in 10 Consumers Would Swap Their Laptop for Apple's iPad

"Study by Kelkoo reveals that 4 in 10 consumers would swap their computer for Apple's iPad."

Apple Bigger Than Microsoft

"Apple became the 500-pound gorilla of the technology world Wednesday, surpassing Microsoft based on market capitalization."

Facebook Privacy: A How-To Guide

"Facebook's newly announced changes to its privacy settings make it easy for you to stop worrying and start having fun. Here's what you need to know."

Apple's iPad Goes Global

"Fans mobbed Apple Inc stores in Europe and Asia as the iPad went on sale outside the United States on Friday, with some shoppers having queued all night to buy one of the coveted tablet computers."

Book Publishers Agree Change Coming; Details Murky

"Giants and upstarts of publishing gathered at the annual BookExpo America here this week agreed e-books will transform the business, although exactly how it will all shake out remains unclear."

Are Standalone e-Book Readers Doomed?

"Devices like the iPad that let you read books and much more are likely to dominate the market so fully that standalone e-book readers have little hope of hanging on to much market share, new research suggests."

Study: Generation Y Taking Online Privacy to Heart

"Contrary to popular belief, younger Internet users are actually more vigilant about protecting the information they share online than their older counterparts, according to a new study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project."

Most Students Prefer Print Textbooks to Digital Versions, Survey Finds

"Nearly three-quarters of the students surveyed last fall by the National Association of College Stores said they preferred traditional print textbooks to digital texts, according to a report from the association."

Harvard's Paper Cuts

"Facing an unprecedented budget crunch, the university cancelled print copies of more than 1,000 journal titles last year in favor of online subscriptions. And Harvard is turning toward other universities to collaborate and share acquisitions, all while trying to maintain its libraries’ stature in an increasingly digital world."

Researchers Find 'Million-Follower Fallacy' in Twitter

"Drawing a huge following does not necessarily mean that your tweets will be influential. Some non-celebrities with meager followings have the greatest ability to start discussions."

Google's Economic Impact Was $54 Billion in 2009

"For the first time ever, Google's revealed its 'Economic Impact:' $54 billion of economic activity for 'American businesses, website publishers, and non-profits in 2009.'"

Book Excerpt: Open Leadership

"In her new book, Open Leadership, Charlene Li explains how social media is just one force that is requiring leaders to cede control in order to succeed."

Dell's Streak Readies for Battle With iPad

"Dell Inc said its Streak tablet computer can double as a mobile phone and will have a front-facing camera for videoconferencing -- features it hopes will help the new gadget compete against Apple Inc's iPad."

Google Launches New Course-Scheduling System

"The new system, CloudCourse, is integrated with Google Calendar and allows users to schedule classes and sync data with internal university systems."

Brief History of YouTube

"But YouTube — the world's third most visited website after Google and Facebook — shows no signs of slowing down. The site marked the May anniversary of its 2005 beta launch with another milestone: YouTube's users now clock more than 2 billion views every single day."

AOL at 25, Contemplates its Future

"AOL Chief Executive Officer Tim Armstrong likened the company to 'the Procter & Gamble of the Web,' a mainstay that might have lost some agility, but was not going to perish soon."

Seven Open Source Innovations on the Cutting Edge

"Think open source doesn’t innovate? Think again. Here are seven projects that are exploring exciting new directions in computing -- for free."

Google Rolls Out Encrypted Web Search Option

"Google began offering an encrypted option for Web searchers on Friday and said it planned to roll it out for all of its services eventually."

Facebook CEO: 'We've Made Mistakes' on Privacy

"Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, ending his silence about recent privacy controversies, has admitted to making some mistakes and promised to fix the problems."

Pandigital's New $200 Novel Color e-Reader

"Integrated with the Barnes & Noble eBookstore, Pandigital Novel is an Android-powered e-reader that has a full color touch-screen 7-inch display, Wi-Fi connectivity, and multimedia capabilities. It will retail for $199.99 when it ships in June."

George Washington's Library Book Returned 221 Years Late

"A library book borrowed by the first U.S. president, George Washington, has been returned to a New York City's oldest library, 221 years late."

Annoyed By Cellphones? Scientists Explain Why

"Whether it is the office, on a train or in a car, only half of the conversation is overheard which drains more attention and concentration than when overhearing two people talking, according to scientists at Cornell University."

Google Teams With Sony, Intel on 'Smart' Web TV

"Google believes it has come up with the technology to unite Web surfing with channel surfing on televisions."

Google Wave Has Officially Opened Its Doors

"Google Wave has switched from an invitation-only offering to one open to all interested users, the popular service announced Wednesday."

Google Introduces New Online Video Format

"Enter Google, at it's I/O conference for developers in San Francisco today. It introduced another new video format, VP8, which it hopes will become the dominant way to show videos on the web."

Google Introduces New online video format

Stanford University Prepares for 'Bookless Library'

"One chapter is closing — and another is opening — as Stanford University moves toward the creation of its first 'bookless library.'"

British Library to Digitise 40m of its Newspaper Pages

"The British Library has announced a 10-year project to make 40m pages from its newspaper archive available online."

Mobile Phone Sales Soar: Study

"Global mobile phone sales soared by 17 percent in the first quarter, driven by smartphone models, the Gartner tech industry research house said on Wednesday."

Twitter Expects Hundreds of Advertisers

"Twitter, the rapidly expanding microblogging service, plans to have hundreds of advertisers using its new ad system in the fourth quarter as the company ramps up plans to become a self-sustaining, profitable business."

Study: Google Scrambling Our Perception of Science Reality

"Google search suggestions have shifted public perceptions about nanotechnology away from science to health worries, finds a science communications study."

Nearly One in Three Social Networkers Suffer From 'Poster's Remorse'

"Ever post a catty, compromising, snippy, or otherwise ill-advised comment or photo on your Facebook wall, only to instantly regret it? Sure you have — and according to a new survey, you've got plenty of company."

Nearly one in three Social networkers suffer from 'poster's remorse'

Study: Consumers Happier about Their Cell Service

"Consumers are more satisfied than ever with their cell phone service, according to survey being published Tuesday."

DNA Could Power Computers

"Engineers have long dreamed of using DNA as the backbone for the next generation of computer circuits. New research shows just how it might be done."

Internet Use Makes Us Happier, Says Mental-Health Study

"A May 12 report by British researchers from the U.K.'s Chartered Institute of IT (known as BCS) have found a link between Internet access and well-being. But some benefit more than others from tapping into the information superhighway, including those with lower incomes or fewer qualifications, people living in the developing world and, perhaps most surprisingly, women."

Google's Search Market Share Slips as Bing Rivalry Heats Up

"The company's share of U.S. searches slipped to 64.4% percent in April, down from 65.1% in March, according to comScore. Meanwhile, Yahoo's share rose to 17.7%, up from 16.9%, while Microsoft Bing crept to 11.8%, up from 11.7%."

Why Universities Should Hate the iPad

"But as the higher education industry plans for a future involving digital content delivery to devices like Apple's iPad, these college-branded impulse purchases – and perhaps even college bookstores – may quickly become a thing of the past."

Study Finds No Link in Cell Phone Use, Brain Tumors

"A long-awaited international study has found no evidence of increased risk of brain tumors associated with mobile phones, but said the findings were not definitive and called for more research."

Google Mistakenly Collected WiFi Data

"Google disclosed Friday that its Street View cars had mistakenly collected data about the Web sites users were visiting on open wireless Internet networks."

In Five Years, YouTube Has Revolutionized How We Live

"Five years ago none of it existed. When the start-up launched in May 2005, it was housed above a pizza parlor. Google bought it in 2006 for $1.65 billion and now YouTube has a global headquarters in San Bruno, Calif., where management caters to hundreds of millions of users worldwide."

Critical Assets: Academic Libraries, a View from the Administration Building

"An online survey taken by over 130 leaders in academic affairs yields surprising results."

1 in 4 Households With Cell Phone, No Landline

"One in 4 households has a cell phone but no traditional landlines, a trend led by the young and the poor that is showing no sign of abating."

Microsoft Launches New Office, Duels Google Online

"Microsoft Corp launched an updated version of its Office software on Wednesday, aiming to keep its grip on the hugely profitable business application market while countering the challenge of free online alternatives from Google Inc."

U.S. Struggles to Ward Off Evolving Cyber Threat

"The United States is losing enough data in cyber attacks to fill the Library of Congress many times over, and authorities have failed to stay ahead of the threat, a U.S. defense official said on Wednesday."

A Social Networking Website That Convinced 1 Million Users to Pay

"The Internet is brimming with free stuff. Anyone can join Facebook or Twitter, take advantage of their myriad features, and not pay a cent. So why have 1 million people paid to use a social networking website called MyLife?"