SIS Workgroup

Students demo uses for Google cell-phone OS
What do you want your cell phone to be able to do? Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor Hal Abelson put that question to about 20 computer-science students this semester when he gave them one assignment: Design a software program for cell phones that use Google Inc.'s upcoming Android mobile operating system.

Schools will have until 2009 to buy Windows XP
Microsoft will stop offering Windows XP in retail stores June 30, but at least two major computer manufacturers say school districts, colleges, and universities will be able to buy machines with the older operating system until January 2009, as Windows Vista--released last year--remains unpopular with many consumers.

Comcast mulling web-usage cap to discourage 'excessive' use
Comcast Corp., the nation's second-largest internet service provider, is considering setting an official limit on the amount of data that subscribers can download per month and charging a fee for those who go over, the Associated Press reports.

Wilmington, N.C., to test change over to digital TV
Residents of Wilmington, N.C., soon will become laboratory rats in the nation's transition to digital TV, reports USA Today.

Broadband over power lines fails to catch on
Once touted as a possible third option for home broadband access that could compete with phone and cable companies, the idea of providing high-speed internet service over power lines now looks like it has died in infancy, the Associated Press reports.

Online insight: Challenges beat cheerleading
Simply providing online discussion forums is not enough to keep students engaged in virtual courses, according to educators who are well-versed in online instruction: For real learning to occur in an online setting, virtual-school educators must establish clear rubrics and enforce rules for participation.

Schools hope web will help speed up testing results
The Sun-Sentinel of South Florida reports that Palm Beach and Broward County high school freshmen and sophomores finished the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test by mid-March--yet, more than six weeks later, they still don't know the scores.

More than 250 install Purdue supercomputer
Purdue University professors and technology staff accomplished something May 5 that typically takes about six weeks, reports the Journal & Courier of Lafeyette, Indiana: They installed a supercomputer.

Latest Wi-Fi standard on the march
Colleges and universities nationwide are launching the newest generation of Wi-Fi networks even before a final version of the standard has been ratified--a move technology experts say could allow schools to do away with wired networks in the coming years.

Tech gizmos increasingly target toddlers
Toy marketing giants from Disney to Fisher-Price are nudging preschoolers as young as three years old to put down their sippy cups and pick up digital cameras that can cost as much as $60, USA Today reports.