Click here to receive your FREE subscription to Campus Technology
News
Wireless Grids Software Goes into Beta
1/15/2008
A Syracuse University associate professor introduced a new program that gives people a simple way to do file sharing among digital devices. Syracuse University School of Information Studies Associate Professor Lee McKnight debuted Innovaticus during the International Consumer Electronics Show last week. The software lets users set up a grid of devices--computers, cell phones, printers, and even MP3 players--to collaborate and share files and hardware using devices across multiple networks, wired and wireless. Users with access to that grid could drag and drop files from one device to another, whether it was local or around the world.
His company, Wireless Grids Corp., has partnered with the SU School of Information Studies' Wireless Grids Lab and Nokia on research and development. The software "coordinates all available resources and allows them to be accessible from a single device," said McKnight.
This semester, the company will introduce Innovaticus in an arts learning community in one of SU's dorms to find out how students use the software, what kinds of files they share and for what purposes. It said it will also will test out the new software in dorms at the University of West Indies in Trinidad. Lehigh University and Moravian College in Pennsylvania have expressed interest in early adoption of Innovaticus.
According to coverage in The Daily Orange, SU's student newspaper, the user manages his or her "network of devices and can select files and information to be available to other people on that grid."
"This software will change the way we communicate, the way our devices interact, and the way we interact with the digital world around us," McKnight said.
The Post-Standard, a Syracuse newspaper, said that Wireless Grids Lab negotiated with the university for the commercial rights to the technology, for which the school received a 5 percent stake in the company. Intel Corp., France Telecom and New Zealand Telecom have expressed interest in the software.
Dian Schaffhauser is a writer who covers technology and business. Send your higher education technology news to her at dian@dischaffhauser.com.
Cite this Site
copy text (above) for proper citation
Recommended Reading
- U Wyoming Students Vote To Implement Sonic Foundry's Mediasite for Lecture Capture
An overwhelming student vote for Mediasite will put the Webcasting platform from Sonic Foundry into University of Wyoming lecture halls this fall. Mediasite is a presentation capture tool that records and synchronizes audio, video, and slides and then allows the presenter to provide it online for on-demand viewing or in podcast form. The tool also enables the presenter to make the presentation available online as it happens.
- DNS Flaw Unfixed as Experts Argue Protocol
Speculation continues as to what the ultimate systemic Domain Name System (DNS) flaw could be. This flaw apparently allows Web surfers to be spoofed, directing them to fake Web sites to gain passwords and load malware on their computers.
- IT Cost Cuts in 2008 May Be a Trend, Study Says
A first-quarter 2008 survey conducted by Computer Economics suggests a possible slowdown in IT spending and staffing lies ahead.
- Microsoft Revamps Its Platforms Division, Loses Kevin Johnson
Microsoft announced late Wednesday a reorganization of its Platforms & Services Division (PSD), as well as the departure of Kevin Johnson, a 16-year Microsoft veteran and president of the PSD.
- Microsoft's DNS Fix Leads to More Problems
The blogosphere is awash with talk about the possible overall weakness of the Domain Name System (DNS) architecture. For its part, Microsoft's released a DNS fix in its patch slate for July, but Redmond seems to have problems just getting it to end users. Moreover, some users of the DNS fix have experienced additional difficulties.
- D2L Launches Mobile Learning Environment
Desire2Learn this week announced a new mobile application of its Desire2Learn Learning Environment. Called Desire2Learn 2GO, the application ties in with Learning Environment 8.3 to provide access via Blackberry. The company also announced that it's streamlining integration Respondus 3.5, a quiz- and test-building application.
