Current Events Presentation

1
Current Events Presentation

• Mary Aleprete
• Jackie Casey
• Ryan McLaughlin
• Adam Woodrow
• April 2, 2007

2
Campaign to Educate Public on Digital TV Switch

• DTV Transition Coalition will launch education
  campaign
• Concerned Americans do not fully understand the
  2009 digital TV switch
• Worried that the elderly and low-income
  households will be left behind.

3
Campaign to Educate Public on Digital TV Switch

• Will educate the public through a web-site and
  eventually PSAs
• About 19 million households will have to acquire
  a digital-to-analog converter box
• Congress set aside 1.5 billion so households can
  request up to two 40 vouchers

4
New Virus Comes Disguised as Internet Explorer 7
Download

• New virus through e-mail, offering 7 Beta
  Internet Explorer
• Emails includes a convincing graphic that looks
  it could be from Microsoft
• File is called Virus.win32.Grum.A
• Delivered when recipients click on a link
• It can Spread by emailing itself to contacts in a
  users address book

5
New Virus Comes Disguised as Internet Explorer 7
Download

• Such viruses often install a keystroke logger to
  steal personal information
• The virus affects only windows users
• Microsoft is aware of this issue and currently
  investigating this matter

6
Google Airbrushes History

• Replaced post Katrina satellite images on map
  with images from before the storm
• Great injustice to the storms victims by
  airbrushing history
• Suspicion that the company and civic leaders were
  conspiring to portray the areas recovery
  progression is better then it really is.

7
Google Airbrushes History
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Google Airbrushes History

• Not clear when current images replaced the views
  of city after Katrina
• Google said it switched the images to ones with
  improved detail of New Orleans Area
• Andrew Kovaks, Googles spokesman, said efforts
  are underway to use more current imagery

9
IBM Technology Helps Disabled Surf the Web

• IBM demonstrated technologies that make the
  internet and offline applications more accessible
  to the disabled
• Easy Web Browsing helps the elderly, people with
  limited vision and the color blind by reading
  text out loud and allowing users to customize the
  size and color of web content
• A task bar at the top of the screen allows users
  to zoom in and out, increase the volume, or
  change the contrast between colors

10
IBM Technology Helps Disabled Surf the Web

• Easy Web Browsing also provides sound effects for
  the hyperlinks and can speak in 12 different
  languages
• Depending on the size of the installation
  companies that use this technology on their
  websites pay between 25,000 and 250,000.

11
Robots Sniff Out Bombs

• Allow soldiers to better detect roadside bombs
• Account for more than 70 percent of U.S.
  causalities in Iraq
• Fido is first robot with an integrated explosive
  sensor
• Military order 100 and will receive over the next
  few months

12
Robots Sniff Out Bombs

• Readings and camera images are displayed on the
  controller
• Has a 7-foot manipulator arm to scan insider and
  undercarriage of vehicles
• Varies in size from 1.5 lbs to 110 lbs
• Robot

13
Porn XXX Address Rejected

• Internet guideline agency ICANN rejects ".xxx"
  domain plan
• Adult industry and religious groups opposed move
• Both sides concerned of creating an online
  red-light district
• ICANN worried it would lead to dealing with
  content regulation
• It was the third time ICANN has rejected such a
  bid

14
U.S. No Longer at the Top of Global Technology

• The U.S. slipped to 7th place in the networked
  readiness index
• European countries and Singapore surpassed U.S.
  with ability to exploit information and
  communication technology

15
U.S. No Longer at the Top of Global Technology

• Reasons for drop
• Political and corporate interference in judicial
  systems
• Low quality math and science education
• Lack of economic competitiveness
• Low rate of mobile technology usage compared to
  other counties

16
Viacom Strikes Mobile Video Ad Deal with Intel,
Pepsi

• Finalized deals with Pepsi and Intel to provide
  ads for cell phone videos
• One million Viacom videos are streamed to
  services like Sprint TV and Verizon V Cast every
  month

17
Viacom Strikes Mobile Video Ad Deal with Intel,
Pepsi

• Viacom receive no ad revenue from videos, but
  does get a portion of subscription and download
  fees
• Viacom plans to move Nickelodeon, Spike TV and TV
  Lands brands to larger mobile scope