Vice President Joe Biden on July 1 outlined a $4.7 billion loan and grant program to develop the infrastructure needed to deliver broadband, or high-speed, internet access to areas that are underserved or without access. Key words: rural broadband access, rural broadband funding, technology access, K-12 technology access, broadband internet, education, technology

In a move that could help keep higher-education campus networks safe, Microsoft Corp. released a beta test of a free computer security program on June 23 and is on track to launch a finished product in the fall. Key words: computer security, school security, campus network security, Microsoft Corp., education, technology

Robert H. Messner, Jr. has watched faculty line up to use video-over-IP distance learning software at Delaware Technical & Community College, and as the school's chief technology officer, he sees this technology as a solution to the exploding enrollment in two-year colleges. Key words: Delaware Technical & Community College, Delaware Tech, Robert Messner, Jr., Wimba, online learning, education, technology

Brigham Young University, the Mormon church school where students agree to live a chaste and virtuous life, has lifted its almost three-year policy of blocking students' access to YouTube. Key words: Brigham Young University, YouTube, YouTube ban, education, technology, school firewall

School administrators, teachers, and professors were among thousands at the InfoComm audio-video conference in Orlando June 15-19, where technology vendors unveiled the latest in digital signage hardware and software and LED projectors that could prove energy and cost efficient. Key words: InfoComm, audio-visual, LED projectors, digital signage, Orlando, education, technology

The National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind are suing Arizona State University over its use of Amazon's Kindle DX electronic reading device as a means of distributing electronic textbooks to students, because the new eBook reader's menu isn't accessible to the blind, Library Journal reports.

In a big break for online shoppers, web retailers generally don't have to charge sales taxes in states where they lack a store or some other physical presence. But increasingly, states aching under the weight of the recession are seeking a way around that rule, reports the Associated Press -- an effort that could have large implications for state education budgets.

The White House on July 2 said it would hold a high-level meeting next week, bringing together top government officials to prepare for the possibility of a more severe outbreak of A(H1N1) flu, AFP reports.

Companies that track consumer behavior online for advertising purposes are vowing to make their practices more transparent and to give people a way to decline being shadowed, reports the Associated Press.

Facebook is overhauling its privacy controls over the next several weeks in an attempt to simplify its users' ability to control who sees the information they share on the site, reports the Associated Press.