GSA Technology Council

The overwhelming majority of Americans (92%) use multiple platforms to get their daily news, according to a new survey conducted jointly by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and Project for Excellence in Journalism.

The internet is now the third most-popular news platform, behind local and national television news and ahead of national print newspapers, local print newspapers and radio. Getting news online fits into a broad pattern of news consumption by Americans; six in ten (59%) get news from a combination of online and offline sources on a typical day.

The internet and mobile technologies are at the center of the story of how people’s relationship to news is changing. In today’s new multi-platform media environment, news is becoming portable, personalized, and participatory:

* Portable: 33% of cell phone owners now access news on their cell phones.
* Personalized: 28% of internet users have customized their home page to include news from sources and on topics that particularly interest them.
* Participatory: 37% of internet users have contributed to the creation of news, commented about it, or disseminated it via postings on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter.

In addition, people use their social networks and social networking technology to filter, assess, and react to news. And they use traditional email and other tools to swap stories and comment on them. Among those who get news online, 75% get news forwarded through email or posts on social networking sites and 52% share links to news with others via those means.

Despite all of this online activity, the typical online news consumer routinely uses just a handful of news sites and does not have a particular favorite. And overall, Americans have mixed feelings about this “new” news environment. Over half (55%) say it is easier to keep up with news and information today than it was five years ago, but 70% feel the amount of news and information available from different sources is overwhelming.

About the Survey
The results in this report are based on data from telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research International between December 28, 2009 and January 19, 2010, among a sample of 2,259 adults, 18 and older. For results based on the total sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 2.3 percentage points. For results based internet users (n=1,675) or “online news users” (N= 1,582), the margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.7 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting telephone surveys may introduce some error or bias into the findings of opinion polls. This survey was conducted on landline telephones (N=1,697) and cell phones (N=562) and is meant to be representative of all adults in the continental United States.

Apple® announced that its magical and revolutionary iPad will be available in the US on Saturday, April 3, for Wi-Fi models and in late April for Wi-Fi + 3G models. In addition, all models of iPad will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April.

Beginning a week from today, on March 12, US customers can pre-order both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models from Apple’s online store (www.apple.com) or reserve a Wi-Fi model to pick up on Saturday, April 3, at an Apple retail store.

“iPad is something completely new,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.”

Starting at just $499, iPad lets users browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds—thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook—and delivers battery life of up to 10 hours.*

iPad’s revolutionary Multi-Touch™ interface makes surfing the web an entirely new experience, dramatically more interactive and intimate than on a computer. You can read and send email on iPad’s large screen and almost full-size “soft” keyboard or import photos from a Mac®, PC or digital camera, see them organized as albums, and enjoy and share them using iPad’s elegant slideshows. iPad makes it easy to watch movies, TV shows and YouTube, all in HD, or flip through the pages of an ebook you downloaded from Apple’s new iBookstore while listening to your music collection.

The App Store on iPad lets you wirelessly browse, buy and download new apps from the world’s largest app store. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for iPad and will run almost all of the more than 150,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone® or iPod touch®. Developers are already creating exciting new apps designed for iPad that take advantage of its Multi-Touch interface, large screen and high-quality graphics.

The new iBooks app for iPad includes Apple’s new iBookstore, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile product. The iBookstore will feature books from the New York Times Best Seller list from both major and independent publishers, including Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster.

The iTunes® Store gives iPad users access to the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 12 million songs, over 55,000 TV episodes and over 8,500 films including over 2,500 in stunning high definition. All the apps and content you download on iPad from the App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore will be automatically synced to your iTunes library the next time you connect with your computer.

Pricing & Availability
iPad will be available in Wi-Fi models on April 3 in the US for a suggested retail price of $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB. The Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available in late April for a suggested retail price of $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers.

iPad will be available in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models in late April in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. International pricing will be announced in April. iPad will ship in additional countries later this year.

The iBooks app for iPad including Apple’s iBookstore will be available as a free download from the App Store in the US on April 3, with additional countries added later this year.

via: Apple

Investments by C. Tycho Howle of Atlanta and an anonymous private sector partner, along with a state match, total $4 million to support an endowed chair position in the Cyber-Institute Center of Economic Excellence (CoEE) at Clemson University.

The center’s primary focus will be to develop novel software-based approaches and new computational capabilities to solve complex societal issues and meet complex human and business needs. The endowed chair holder will be the academic leader of the center and hold the title “hf Flagship Endowed Chair in Human Centered Computing in the Holcombe Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.” Human-centered computing is an emerging field focused on making computational technologies more usable and how computational technologies affect society.

“The holder of the endowed chair in human-centered computing will be a catalyst for bringing together an interdisciplinary research team involving a wide range of computing applications in engineering, physics, biology, psychology, sociology and many other fields,” said Holcombe Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Chair Darren Dawson. “This multidisciplinary team will develop software-based approaches and computational capabilities to build new tools and methods to gain a better perspective on their research. For example, when a computer combines a map with the data from thousands of sensors measuring ocean currents and temperatures around the globe, a collection of numbers can become a stunning visualization that helps us understand shifting climate patterns. Likewise, a computer-generated visualization can help a surgeon better understand what is happening inside a patient’s heart before ever picking up a scalpel.”

“In order to solve many of today’s complex societal issues, we must be able to analyze and understand large amounts of data,” said James Bottum, Clemson’s chief information officer and principal investigator of the CoEE proposal. “To do this, we often require high performance computer systems, high bandwidth communication systems and innovative user interfaces for remote collaboration. So, the center also will focus on developing new capabilities for improving and expanding electronic collaboration.”

“This new center will facilitate research, education and workforce development and provide an environment for collaboration,” said Clemson President James F. Barker.

“These capabilities will allow Clemson researchers to tackle more complex problems and enhance our ability to support economic development in our state. We are grateful to the donors and the State of South Carolina for their vote of confidence in Clemson.”

Howle and the anonymous private sector partner each invested $1 million to support the research and infrastructure of the center, and that will be matched by the state for a $4 million total investment.

“I’ve had the privilege of an exciting career centered on harnessing the power of computing to make business processes faster, more accurate and more measurable,” said Howle. “But, we’ve only scratched the surface on making the interaction between humans and software more intuitive, informative, accessible and interactive. There is tremendous potential for transformative innovation in this area, and this $4 million investment will help Clemson stay on the forefront of important technology research. The hf Flagship Foundation is honored to support this endowment.”

Howle is founder and chairman of Atlanta-based nuBridges, Inc., a leading provider of software and managed services that help businesses protect and exchange sensitive data in compliance with increasingly tight compliance requirements. He is a long-time supporter of Clemson. Howle received a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s degree in systems engineering — a degree program previously in the electrical and computer engineering department — from Clemson University in 1971. He also holds an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School. A native of Lancaster, he and his wife, Marie, reside in Atlanta.

The South Carolina General Assembly established the Centers of Economic Excellence Program (http://www.sccoee.org/) in 2002, and it is funded through South Carolina Education Lottery proceeds. The legislation authorizes the state’s three public research institutions to use state funds to create Centers of Economic Excellence in research areas that will advance South Carolina’s economy. The state funds must be matched dollar-for-dollar by private investment in the program. The program also supports CoEE endowed chairs, world-renowned scientists who lead the Centers of Economic Excellence.

The Centers of Economic Excellence program has created 12 Centers of Economic Excellence supporting 15 endowed chairs at Clemson to take advantage of the university’s faculty expertise and research strengths. This state program awarded the Cyber-Institute Center of Economic Excellence at Clemson in 2008 with $2 million to be matched in private funds.

via: Clemson University

Clemson University researchers have developed a hands-free alternative to cell phone texting while driving.

“If you can’t keep people from doing it, make it safer,” said Juan Gilbert, professor and chairman of the human-centered computing division of Clemson’s School of Computing.

He said one problem with banning texting while driving is that people are likely to continue doing it. He said it will be difficult for police to enforce a ban unless they actually see someone in the act. Gilbert said evidence of texting while driving often surfaces only after an accident.

Gilbert’s team developed an application, called VoiceTEXT, that allows drivers to speak text messages and keep their eyes on the road at the same time. Drivers using VoiceTEXT put their cell phones in Bluetooth mode and connect it to their car.

via: Clemson University

“Through the car’s speaker system or through the driver’s own Bluetooth headset, drivers can give a voice command that delivers a text message,” Gilbert said. “So you can speak to your phone and tell it to send a message to an individual. The recipient’s phone recognizes the voice as a text message and the other person is able to respond appropriately.”

Gilbert and his researchers are conducting a survey on the use of VoiceTEXT at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DC6S5X7. The survey opens with a video demonstration of VoiceTEXT, followed by three multiple-choice questions and space for comments.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reports that 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involve driver distraction. Cell phone use is among the reasons for driver distraction, the agency says.

Immedion, LLC, South Carolina’s first dedicated data center and managed services provider has promoted Don Poinsette from Marketing Associate to Account Executive. In his new role, Don will be responsible for bringing in new customers and he will be focusing heavily on the healthcare market.

Before becoming an Account Executive, Don was responsible for lead generation for Immedion. He has been with Immedion for over a year and a half and has proven to be a valuable member of the Immedion team.

“As Immedion’s customer base continues to grow, we’ve realized some markets need more focused attention due to government regulations and compliance concerns,” says Frank Mobley, CEO of Immedion. “There are many reasons for the healthcare industry to utilize the benefits of an outsourced data center and with government mandates and regulations, the healthcare industry needs a little more attention ” adds Mobley. “With compliance, disaster recovery, and electronic medical record requirements, I think it’s very important to have an Immedion representative focused on this vertical and Don is a strong fit.”

via: Immedion

Acumen I.T., a Greenville-based technology company, has acquired TeleData USA, Inc., a regional designer, installer and supporter of Mitel business telephone systems.

TeleData has been a key regional player in the industry for more than 15 years, providing specialized products and services for the hospitality industry with a focus on the motel and restaurant markets. Through this acquisition, Acumen bolsters its communications product and service offering by strengthening its consultative support and enhancing its wiring and installation expertise.

Buddy Craven, co-owner of TeleData, will join Acumen as the manager of its Telephony department.

“The added expertise of TeleData strengthens our ability to serve our customers while further enabling us to offer enhanced opportunities for their businesses,” said David Pence, chief executive officer of Acumen. “What’s more, through this new relationship, we look forward to bringing new business and additional jobs to the Upstate.”

Acumen sell, installs, customizes and supports Mitel and Zultys business telephone systems, both recognized for their excellence in VoIP communications. Zultys received the Unified Communications Product of the Year Award for 2008, was voted #1 Business VoIP product, and was most recently awarded the Internet Telephony 2009 Excellence Award. Mitel is recognized as a phone system of choice for the Hospitality industry.

via: Acumen I.T.

E-Reader satisfaction is high among owners, according to a new report e-Reader Owners: Attitudes and Usage from leading market research company The NPD Group. Almost all owners (93 percent) said they were “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” with their device. Only 2 percent of owners expressed any level of dissatisfaction.

Features are important to e-Reader owners. According to the report, 60 percent of owners said wireless access was their favorite feature on their e-Reader; touch was mentioned by 23 percent of owners.

“Both the display technology and available content on e-Readers are optimized for those interested in books, said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis at NPD. “Pairing these optimizations with wireless technology for transparent access and touch screens for easy navigation has resonated with the avid readers that have been early e-Reader adopters.”

Even with great features, e-Reader owners are still looking for more in these relatively new and still evolving devices. Some recommended improvements from owners include more book title availability, longer battery life, and color screens at 42 percent, 39 percent, and 34 percent respectively. Content is important, and while almost half (46 percent) of owners said they were mostly satisfied with the selection of titles for their e-Reader devices, only 39 percent said they could find every title they were looking for.

But it seems that e-Reader owners aren’t married to their e-Readers to do their reading. About three-in-ten owners say they use at least one other device for reading e-books, such as a PC or a smartphone

“As we have seen with music, photos and video, books and other printed matter are slated to appear on a wide array of devices that offer tradeoffs in such factors as screen size and battery life,” said Rubin. “As the recent introduction of Apple’s iPad demonstrates, applications now on smartphones benefit from larger screens, and industry leaders are recognizing the importance of supporting multiple platforms by supporting multiple clients and open standards.”

via: NPD

Immedion, LLC, South Carolina’s first dedicated data center and managed services provider has been selected by the City of Charleston for virtual hosting services. After careful consideration, the City of Charleston selected Immedion because they offered an excellent level of services at a highly competitive price.

Before deciding on Immedion, the City of Charleston had been actively looking for a new data center for hosting services. “We were looking to rebuild our site and move to a new provider at the same time,” shares Wes Ratterree, the City of Charleston’s CIO. “Because of budgeting constraints the new site was put on the back burner, but we still had to move over to a new provider as soon as possible,” he states. “We had been looking at top tier providers in the southeast region and narrowed it down to three. After reviewing RFP responses from our top choices, we determined Immedion provided the level and quality of services we wanted at a price we couldn’t pass up,” explains Ratterree.

Immedion was a good fit for the City of Charleston from both a cost and timeliness perspective. “The city needed something now and we did everything in our power to make it happen for them,” comments Frank Mobley, Immedion’s CEO. Within less than a week The City of Charleston had signed a contract and moved their entire site over to Immedion’s virtual platform. “This partnership further establishes Immedion as the premier hosting and data center services provider in the state of SC,” comments Mobley. “It is important to us to make sure our customers get exactly what they need when they need it.”

For the City of Charleston the “overall experience has been very pleasant and encouraging. Immedion has been incredibly responsive to our needs, and the relocation of our Internet sites occurred without a single issue,” comments Ratterree.

via: Immedion

Acumen I.T., a Greenville-based technology company, has created the Acumen Think Tank Series™, a sequence of seminars designed to introduce the latest technology solutions available to IT decision makers, including owners, CFOs and controllers.

Through the seminars, participants will learn about new technologies available to help them improve personal and business performance while also controlling costs. Attendees will have the opportunity to speak one-on-one with technology experts to learn what solutions will best fit their specific needs.

“We created the Think Tank series to educate our customers on the various ways technology can help them accelerate their business,” says David Pence, president and CEO of Acumen. “Our goal is to continue to help our customers strengthen their business while learning about the latest opportunities available in the marketplace and how to best leverage that technology to their benefit.”

The 2010 Acumen Think Tank series includes the following informative events: • Thursday, February 18 – Data Storage Solutions, Thornblade Country Club • Thursday, September 23 –Manufacturing and Industrial Suppliers • Thursday, November 4 – Business Telecommunications Solutions

via: Acumen IT Think Tank

Yahoo! Inc. announced the start of its second annual Key Scientific Challenges Program – a thought-provoking competition that encourages top graduate students globally to collaborate with Yahoo! and help invent the future of the Internet. The Key Scientific Challenges Program focuses on a variety of scientific issues, from developing algorithms that turn raw information into personally relevant experiences, to discovering insights about online advertising and experimenting with new sociological models for how people engage with the Web.

“We are really excited to be able to again support the groundbreaking research taking place at universities around the world, and look forward to continuing to collaborate with these thought leaders and innovators.”

Open to any graduate student enrolled in a PhD program at an accredited institution, the Key Scientific Challenges Program gives award winners a unique opportunity to accelerate their research work. The winners will receive:

* $5,000 in unrestricted seed funding for lab materials, travel to academic conferences, professional society memberships, and other resources to drive their research.
* Exclusive access to selected global-scale Yahoo! datasets.
* Personal mentoring and collaboration with Yahoo!’s world-class research scientists.
* An invitation to present their work at the Key Scientific Challenges Graduate Student Summit, to be held in September 2010 at Yahoo! headquarters in Sunnyvale, California.

“Yahoo! and the entire online industry face challenges that are increasingly complex and require an interdisciplinary approach to solve,” said Prabhakar Raghavan, head of Yahoo! Labs. “The Key Scientific Challenges Program provides graduate students an unmatched environment that brings together social scientists, economists, computer scientists, and statisticians to collaborate in an unprecedented way. The students get the benefit of testing their research ideas in the real world, and Yahoo! gains new perspectives on the technical problems core to improving the Internet.”

Yahoo! scientists have created a list of 12 major scientific and technical challenge areas for this year’s program:

* Computational Advertising

* Multimedia

* Data Management

* Privacy

* Economics

* Search Experiences

* Green Computing

* Security

* Information Extraction

* Statistics

* Machine Learning

* Social Sciences

Applications for the Key Scientific Challenges Program must be submitted by midnight PST on March 5, 2010. Award winners will be selected by senior Yahoo! research scientists in each category and announced in spring 2010. Details are available online at labs.yahoo.com/ksc.

“Last year we were blown away by the number and quality of the submissions,” said Ron Brachman, vice president, Yahoo! Labs. “We are really excited to be able to again support the groundbreaking research taking place at universities around the world, and look forward to continuing to collaborate with these thought leaders and innovators.”

Yahoo! presented Key Scientific Challenges awards in 2009 to 21 students from 13 institutions: Arizona State University; University of California, Berkeley; Carnegie Mellon University; Columbia University; Emory University; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Indian Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad; University of Maryland; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Northwestern University; Stanford University; and University of Washington.

via: Yahoo