• Library of Congress Report Examines Copyright Issues in Digital Preservation of Commercial Sound Recordings

  The Library of Congress (http://www.loc.gov) has announced the completion of a commissioned report that examines copyright issues associated with the preservation of commercial sound recordings. This new report from the Library of Congress and the Council on Library and Information Resources addresses the question of what libraries and archives are legally empowered to do in order to preserve and make accessible for research their holdings of pre-1972 commercial sound recordings. The report, Copyright Issues Relevant to Digital Preservation and Dissemination of Pre-1972 Commercial Sound Recordings by Libraries and Archives, is one of a series of studies undertaken by the National Recording Preservation Board (NRPB), under the auspices of the Library of Congress, and is available free of charge at http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub135/pub135.pdf

• LodeStar Learning Announces 2006 Showcase Awards

  LodeStar Learning (http://www.lodestarlearning.com) will award its first Showcase Awards at the TIES Educational Technology Conference in Minneapolis, MN, in December. The 2006 Showcase Awards are intended to foster an exchange of learning activities created by instructors with the lodeStar eLearning authoring tool. Awards, as well as prizes, will be given out in three categories: 1) Elementary Award: Best K-8 lodeStar Activity; 2) Secondary Award: Best 9-12 lodeStar Activity ; and 3) Post-Secondary Award: Best Higher Education lodeStar Activity . The contest is open to any teacher, and does not require the purchase of lodestar software. To enter, teachers can simply generate an activity with a trial copy of lodeStar, export the activity as an IMS file, and submit the activity to [email protected] as an attachment by Oct. 31, 2006. The Showcase Awards are intended to show off how teachers can use lodeStar to integrate technology into the classroom as well as enhance their online courses. In addition, any companies or organizations interested in sponsoring the 2006 Showcase Awards should e-mail a statement of interest to [email protected]

• Massachusetts DoE Awards Videré Contract for Its Videoconferencing Equipment, Services

  Videré Conferencing (http://www.videreconferencing.com), a New England-based provider of video, audio, and Web conferencing solutions, has been awarded a blanket contract by the Massachusetts Department of Education's prime contractor, City Lights Electrical Co., to provide videoconferencing equipment and related services for the System for Adult Basic Education Support (SABES), a comprehensive training and technical assistance initiative for educators and programs. Videré has been instrumental in connecting the 11 SABES satellite locations to the Massachusetts Information Turnpike Initiative (MITI Network), a fiber-optic network connecting the state and community college systems. Videré installed a Tandberg gateway that enabled seamless integration between MITI's IP and SABES ISDN networks. As a result, SABES now has access to broadcast-quality audio, as well as video transmission of credit courses, workshops, and continuing education efforts at its 11 locations throughout the state.

• LearningWare Offers Grants to Support AYP, Victims of Hurricane Katrina

  LearningWare (http://www.learningwarek12.com), a provider of the educational software program Gameshow Prep, has added two new grant programs to increase annual yearly progress (AYP) for underperforming schools, and to support rebuilding a fun classroom environment for schools affected by Hurricane Katrina. The “Increasing the Odds” AYP grant program will help underperforming schools and/or classes reach higher levels of success by providing five educators a month with a single-user license of Gameshow Prep—software proven to increase students' engagement and information retention. The “Putting the Fun Back in Your Classroom” grant, which will award one applicant a week through the end of the year a one-year school license of Gameshow Prep, is available to schools in Mississippi, Louisiana, or Alabama that have been affected by Hurricane Katrina. The goal of the grant is to help students achieve higher levels of engagement, comprehension, and content retention using Gameshow Prep—all while restoring a sense of normalcy and fun in the classroom. For more information on either grant, educators should visit http://www.learningwarek12.com/pages/resources/

• K12 Market to Increase ICT Spending to $6 Billion in 2009

  According to Research and Markets' latest report, The Future of Technology in US Education, the K-12 market's spending on information and communication technology (ICT) will increase from $5.1 billion in 2005 to $6 billion in 2009, with IT services expected to experience the strongest growth in the education market as institutions seek to integrate disparate applications and support the implementation or more robust ERP and SIS solutions. The report found that while the US education market will increase ICT spending over the next five years, the buying preferences of educators will shift as they seek to use technology as a tool to improve performance and demonstrate value. Thus, vendors will need to offer more robust and compelling solutions to education institutions in order to be successful in this increasingly sophisticated market. The report also identifies successful go-to-market strategies and the sales strategies that are preferred by institutions, as well as includes predictions for how the education market will evolve in coming years. For more information, and an overview of the report, visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c30502

IntelliTools Inc. (http://www.intellitools.com) and Madentec Limited (http://www.madentec.com) have launched a new joint product called IntelliSwitch, an easy and flexible switch interface for the computer that provides wireless access to most switch-accessible software from IntelliTools, Madentec's Discover software, and other applications. Users simply install its driver software, plug its small receiver into a computer's USB port, insert a switch into one of its five switch ports, and a computer can be controlled by one or more switches completely wireless from up to 20 feet away. IntelliSwitch also has two built-in switches and five external switch inputs, which can be independently configured with more than 25 preset signals. The IntelliSwitch can be powered by two AA batteries or plugged directly into the computer's USB port with the supplied cable. Pricing: $299.

Atomic Learning (http://www.atomiclearning.com) has expanded its tutorial offerings for Texas Instrument's TI-84 Plus graphing calculators. Tutorial movies are now available for advanced features of the TI-84 Plus such as Working with Matrices, Statistics and Advanced Lists, and Memory Management. Additional Troubleshooting tutorials are also available. The development of TI-84 plus tutorials is consistent with Atomic Learning's commitment to provide training on software and technologies that are used to enhance and improve the educational process. All TI-84 Plus tutorials can be accessed through the Atomic Learning Web site at http://www.atomiclearning.com/TI_84. See site for pricing plans.