MIT/ARMY UNVEIL FUTURISTIC SOLDIER CENTER - MIT last week
opened the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN), the result of a $50 million
Army contract won last year to build a center to develop combat gear with atom-
sized materials. Such gear would allow soldiers to become partially invisible, leap
over walls, and treat their own wounds on the battlefield. "If you want to visualize
the impact of nanotechnology, think about the movie 'Predator,'" Army Chief
Scientist Michael Andrews told the Reuters news agency. ISN scientists envision
uniforms lined with a slurry of fluids that can go from flexible to stiff during combat.
Several corporations are joining the effort. DuPont Co., for example, will explore
uniforms that change colors to camouflage soldiers in changing environments. Other
ideas include weaving radio communication materials directly into a uniform's fabric.
(Syllabus News Update, 27 May 03)

DEPLOYED AIRMAN REALIZES EDUCATIONAL DREAM - One airman
at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio kept his educational dream a priority
in his busy schedule. Master Sgt Craig Pate is the first student to complete an Air
Force Institute of Technology distance learning certification program while deployed
overseas. Pate began taking courses via the Software Professional Development
Program while at his home station in NC In the midst of his educational courses,
he was deployed to Southwest Asia for OIF. Overseas since March, Pate
successfully completed a month-long course on software testing, part of an
11-course series in software engineering and management skills. The program
has transformed from in-residence short courses to satellite distance education and
now to Internet-based distance education. The educational possibilities are practically
endless, said AFIT officials. Students can take courses wherever they are or whenever
they need them. Flexibility is key, and these tools offer that flexibility. The move to
Internet streaming has also saved AFIT 95% of its former satellite broadcast costs.
Students no longer require videotapes when missing a lesson; they can simply watch
online at their convenience. (Tegrity, May 03)

eRATE FORUM RAISES THE CALL FOR REFORM - This week the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) held a forum to investigate the troubled eRate
Program, which has been accused of rampant fraud and has seen recent rules changes.
Representatives from schools and libraries, the intended beneficiaries of the program,
said policy and procedural complexities left many applicants confused and willing to
cede responsibility to vendors. A representative from BellSouth, one of the program's
largest vendors, said policies should be changed to discourage schools and libraries
from taking advantage of the system. "Applicants do not have enough incentive to
control project costs, and service providers have too much incentive to inflate costs,"
said Margaret Greene of BellSouth, which supports lowering the discount cap of 90%
to around 75-80% All speakers at the forum supported recent rules changes made for
the program. The complete article is at: http://dc.internet.com/news/article.php/2203861
(Edupage 9 May 03 - Internet News, 9 May 03)