There has never been a more exciting time for the intellectually curious.
The world's top universities have come late to the world of online education, but they're arriving at last, creating an all-you-can eat online buffet of information.
And mostly, they are giving it away.
MIT's initiative is the largest, but the trend is spreading. More than 100 universities worldwide, including Johns Hopkins, Tufts and Notre Dame, have joined MIT in a consortium of schools promoting their own open courseware. You no longer need a Princeton ID to hear the prominent guests who speak regularly on campus, just an Internet connection. This month, Yale announced it would make material from seven popular courses available online, with 30 more to follow.
As with many technology trends, new services and platforms are driving change. Last spring marked the debut of "iTunes U," a section of Apple's popular music and video downloading service now publicly hosting free material from 28 colleges. Meanwhile, the University of California, Berkeley recently announced it would be the first to make full course lectures available on YouTube.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Sync your iPod with iTunes and... rent a movie?
Apple Inc and Twentieth Century Fox are set to announce a deal that will allow consumers to rent Fox movies through Apple's digital iTunes Store, according to media reports on Thursday.
Patriots, Patriots, everywhere
As the NFL's New England Patriots attempt to finish the regular season Saturday as the first team ever with a 16-0 record, the game may appear to be everywhere you turn.
It almost is.
CBS and NBC will carry the NFL Network feed in the first simultaneously broadcast football game since the 1967 Super Bowl.
"We have taken this extraordinary step because it is in the best interest of our fans," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement, citing the "potentially historic" element of the game.
The Patriots will play the New York Giants on Saturday after beating the Miami Dolphins earlier this week, leaving it with a perfect 15-0 record in the season to date.
It almost is.
CBS and NBC will carry the NFL Network feed in the first simultaneously broadcast football game since the 1967 Super Bowl.
"We have taken this extraordinary step because it is in the best interest of our fans," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement, citing the "potentially historic" element of the game.
The Patriots will play the New York Giants on Saturday after beating the Miami Dolphins earlier this week, leaving it with a perfect 15-0 record in the season to date.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Former South Korea president to visit Portland
Former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000, will speak in Portland in April, organizers announced Sunday.
Kim, 82, will speak at the University of Portland and at a downtown hotel, discussing his vision for peace on the Korean peninsula, according to the Wholistic Peace Institute. The Oregon organization is sponsoring the visit with the university and with the Kim Dae Jung Peace Center in Seoul.
Tickets and information are available from worldpeace@canby.com.
Kim was a longtime opposition-party member who survived assassination attempts, a kidnapping and imprisonment. He was elected president in 1997, and received the Nobel after participating in the first North-South presidential summit with North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-il.
Kim completed his presidential term in 2003. He continues to support South Korea's Sunshine Policy of cooperation with North Korea, which his administration launched.
Kim visited Portland in 1995, when he received an honorary doctorate from Portland State University.
Kim, 82, will speak at the University of Portland and at a downtown hotel, discussing his vision for peace on the Korean peninsula, according to the Wholistic Peace Institute. The Oregon organization is sponsoring the visit with the university and with the Kim Dae Jung Peace Center in Seoul.
Tickets and information are available from worldpeace@canby.com.
Kim was a longtime opposition-party member who survived assassination attempts, a kidnapping and imprisonment. He was elected president in 1997, and received the Nobel after participating in the first North-South presidential summit with North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-il.
Kim completed his presidential term in 2003. He continues to support South Korea's Sunshine Policy of cooperation with North Korea, which his administration launched.
Kim visited Portland in 1995, when he received an honorary doctorate from Portland State University.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Bush passes on expanded care for kids
President Bush on Wednesday was ready to veto legislation that passed with bipartisan support to dramatically expand government-provided health insurance for children.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Innovative idea... Give customers a choice!
usatoday.com reports starting immediately, AT&T customers can ditch their AT&T phones and use any wireless phone, device and software application from any maker — think smartphones, e-mail and music downloading. And they don't have to sign a contract.
"You can use any handset on our network you want," says Ralph de la Vega, CEO of AT&T's wireless business. "We don't prohibit it, or even police it."
Selfishly, this is good news for me, I'm with AT&T.
"You can use any handset on our network you want," says Ralph de la Vega, CEO of AT&T's wireless business. "We don't prohibit it, or even police it."
Selfishly, this is good news for me, I'm with AT&T.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Cops: Man's wedding ring saved his life
AP News - Donnie Register has a new reason to be thankful he's married — police say his wedding band deflected a bullet and probably saved his life.
Two men walked into Register's shop at The Antique Market on Saturday and asked to see a coin collection, police Sgt. Jeffery Scott said.
When Register retrieved the collection, one of the men pulled a gun and demanded money. A shot was fired as Register threw up his left hand, and his wedding ring deflected the bullet, police said.
"The bullet managed to go through two of his fingers without severing the bone," said his wife, Darlene Register. "A part of the bullet broke off and is in his middle finger. The other part is in his neck, lodged in the muscle tissue. But it's not life-threatening."
She said she gives God all the credit.
Police were searching for the robbers, who Scott said "stole a substantial amount of cash."
Two men walked into Register's shop at The Antique Market on Saturday and asked to see a coin collection, police Sgt. Jeffery Scott said.
When Register retrieved the collection, one of the men pulled a gun and demanded money. A shot was fired as Register threw up his left hand, and his wedding ring deflected the bullet, police said.
"The bullet managed to go through two of his fingers without severing the bone," said his wife, Darlene Register. "A part of the bullet broke off and is in his middle finger. The other part is in his neck, lodged in the muscle tissue. But it's not life-threatening."
She said she gives God all the credit.
Police were searching for the robbers, who Scott said "stole a substantial amount of cash."
New York police recruits use iPods to study
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Police Department is handing out iPods to academy recruits for the first time to allow them to listen to and watch coursework on the subway.
The iPods are "fully loaded" with subject matter including criminal procedure, New York State Penal Law, warrants, ethics and community policing, the department said on Monday.
Outfitting recruits with gadgets instead of books comes in handy because many students take public transportation to class.
"Now a recruit can watch a class on 'search and seizure' while going home on the subway," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said in a statement.
The current academy class includes 947 recruits and is scheduled for graduation on December 27.
The iPods are "fully loaded" with subject matter including criminal procedure, New York State Penal Law, warrants, ethics and community policing, the department said on Monday.
Outfitting recruits with gadgets instead of books comes in handy because many students take public transportation to class.
"Now a recruit can watch a class on 'search and seizure' while going home on the subway," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said in a statement.
The current academy class includes 947 recruits and is scheduled for graduation on December 27.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
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