XplanaZine

Here’s our take on news that matters for Tuesday, October 25. The theme for today seems to be related to security.

• First, we learn that colleges are protesting government demands that they upgrade their online systems tomake it easier for law enforcement authorities to monitor e-mail and other online communications. The federal government, vastly extending the reach of an 11-year-old law, is requiring hundreds of universities, online communications companies and cities to overhaul their Internet computer networks. Of course, the government demands are already being challenged in court.
• Next up, Microsoft announces that it will include stronger encryption for IE7. I wonder if its impossible to encrypt the viruses that keep getting through?
• And on the piracy front, Disney releases special DVD screeners for Oscar previewing to cut down on piracy.
  The new screeners will only play on DVD players made exclusively by a Dolby Laboratories unit, Cinea, and engineered to thwart illegal copying.

Now, here’s a recap of our favorite posts from the edublogging community from the past 48 hours.

• From Alan Levine : Post on the interesting possibilities using Gada search.
• From EdTechTalk : Post EdTechTalk #21 — a discussion ranging from BlackBoard to video iPods.
• From Albert Ip : Post on the purpose and function if interactivity in instructional design.
• From Stephen Downes: Post on Ruby, BlackBoard, and the Challenge of Open Source.