LECs MAY PROVIDE LOW-COST FLAT-PANEL MONITORS - A group of researchers
at Penn State University said that light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) might prove to
be an alternative to using LEDs (light-emitting diodes) in color flat-panel monitors. LEDs
weaknesses in such monitors include speed, stability, and longevity. The researchers said the
LECs they have created, by placing luminescent polymers between two electrodes, address
these problems, while using less power to function. Not all of the necessary colors have been
developed, but the Penn State researchers said they are in process. The result of this work with
LECs could be simple, low-cost flat-panel monitors. The full article is at:
http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/19189.html (NewsFactor Network, 27 Aug 02)

DEPAUL DEVELOPS SIGN LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR - A team of faculty and
students at DePaul University's School of Computer Science has created a computer-generated
synthetic interpreter capable of translating spoken English into American Sign Language (ASL).
The program, dubbed "Paula," uses speech recognition and sophisticated animation. Using the
system, a hearing person speaks through a headset connected to the computer. The animated
figure of Paula then translates into ASL through hand gestures and facial expressions on the
computer screen. The project required four years and more than 25,000 hours worth of work
by the project team, "Most people are not aware that ASL is not simply a signed form of
English," said Rosalee Wolfe, professor of computer science at DePaul and one of the leaders
of the research team. "It is a series of hand configurations, hand positions, body positions and
movement, and facial expressions that are used in certain specific combinations. Hence,
creating an animated translator is a very intricate and detailed process." For more
information, visit: http://asl.cs.depaul.edu

e-BOOKS HAVE MIXED SUCCESS - A study conducted at Ball State University showed
that e-books are having mixed success competing with conventional printed texts. The study
compared comments and academic performance between those using printed texts and those
using e-books. Quiz scores between the two groups were, on average, the same, suggesting
similar instructional potential from e-books. Users of e-books, however, complained about the
difficulty of navigating through e-books and of finding particular words. E-book features that
drew praise were those that were similar to what can be done with a printed book, such as
highlighting sections of text. The directors of the study said they remain optimistic about the
potential for e-books, seeing value in the ability to store several whole texts on a single device
and to have those texts updated every semester. The full article is at:
http://chronicle.com/free/2002/08/2002082601t.htm (Chronicle of Higher Education, 26 Aug
02 - Edupage 26 Aug 02)