National Education Technology Plan in line for an update
The Education Department is being urged to revise its draft version of the National Education Technology Plan to include measures on adult education and on accessibility for people with learning disabilities, Federal Computer Week reports.
Microsoft gets more aggressive with free software
Microsoft Corp. is rolling out a new edition of its Office programs to enterprise customers on May 12, and for the first time it’s adding versions of Word and other programs that work in a web browser and will be free for consumers, reports the Associated Press.
Online learning startup launches with plans to “democratize education”
A new online learning web site called Udemy, which has been in testing for several months and has amassed more than 1,000 active users spread over some 400 courses, launched on May 11, ReadWriteWeb reports.
UMass discontinuing Google Apps service
It’s not often to hear Google has failed at anything, but according to the University of Massachusetts’ Office of Information Technology (OIT), the Google Apps service offered at the beginning of the school year has failed to catch on with students, reports the Daily Collegian.
Google Translate now speaks more than 30 languages
Google is continuing with its effort to become the one-stop translation shop, announcing May 11 that it has added speech capabilities to more languages on Google Translate, its polylingual text translation tool, ReadWriteWeb reports.
Bill would make White House Cyber office permanent
The House Oversight and Government Reform Government Management Subcommittee today reported legislation mandating the creation of a permanent national office for cyberspace within the White House to oversee federal agency efforts to protect computer systems from terrorist attacks and other threats, The Hill reports.
Kagan’s nomination could bode well for education
Elena Kagan, President Barack Obama’s pick to fill Justice John Paul Stevens’s seat on the Supreme Court, could become a voice for education rights, thanks to her background as an esteemed professor who comes from a family of educators.
The cybersecurity boom
Analysts have noted a growing boom in cybersecurity work, the Washington Post reports.
The college job market: Tough on Democrats
More than 1.6 million college graduates are about to emerge into a cutthroat job market, one where last year’s graduates are still scrambling to land entry-level positions, BusinessWeek reports.
MIT uses print-reduction software developed by own student
Printer manufacturers such as Xerox and HP now offer comprehensive print-management services to their customers along with hardware, with the goal of reducing printing costs.