A proposal out of the Maryland Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing calls for a state law requiring closed captioning in public places. The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee is hesitant to support the proposal and would like to look at a modified proposal that would require closed captioning only if it is requested. A main point of contention is concern that sports bars and their patrons will "go ballistic" because captioning would take up too much room on television screens.
As the season was coming to a close, the Dallas Cowboys introduced a new wireless system to provide closed-captioning, audio play-by-play, and amplified public announcement. The new devices are slightly larger than a smart phone and connect to the stadium s Wi-Fi network so that fans can use the device as they move around. The roughly 40 units receive radio play-by-play in both English and Spanish, but captions are currently only available in English.
How Secure Is Your PDF?
Adobe PDFs are used extensively by businesses and individuals to ensure that documents can be easily transferred and accessed. While the ease of use is attractive, one major issue with utilizing PDFs is the loss of control over the information contained in the files. With a multitude of software applications that can manipulate PDF data, individuals and businesses should assess their individual needs and pick appropriate products to increase the security of PDF files.
For more information, click here.
.....................................................................................................
Supreme Court Blocks Video Coverage of Prop. 8 Trial
Concerns over "harassment and intimidation" against witnesses in California's Proposition 8 Trial prompted lawyers to file an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court to block proceedings from being posted on YouTube. U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker consented to limited TV coverage of the trial and to permitting the taped proceedings to be posted on YouTube. The U.S. Supreme Court overruled the judge and blocked video coverage of the trial.
For more information, click here.
.....................................................................................................
Hulu Labs Offers Captions Search
Last month, Hulu Labs introduced "Captions Search." The new application allows users to "search for key words within the closed captions for videos of TV shows on the site." Captions Search also allows users to view a "linear heat map" that lets them jump to the parts of the video where results matching their search terms are present.
For more information, click here.
.....................................................................................................
Smooth Rollout for National eJuror Program
The eJuror program allows potential jurors to respond to their questionnaire form or summons online. From June through November 2009, 52 districts installed this "latest enhancement to the Jury Management System (JMS)" and fourteen are currently live with the system. By April 2010, 81 of the 94 districts will implement the program.
For more information, click here.
.....................................................................................................
Try 10 Operating Systems You've Never Heard of Before
Operating systems are typically subject to "incremental improvement rather than revolution" and can leave users bored with their software. Are you looking to try something new? Users can learn about and try the ten open-source operating systems listed here and spice up their computing.
For more information, click here.
.....................................................................................................
Apple Courts Publishers, While Kindle Adds Apps
In the "nascent but booming" market of e-readers, Apple and Amazon.com are about to engage in a battle royale to become the preeminent product in the market. Amazon s Kindle is currently dominating the market and will also be announcing that it will be opening the Kindle to outside software developers. In the coming weeks, Apple will storm the market with the release of its new tablet computer, iPad, and could become a major competitor for the Kindle. Only time will tell which product will emerge victorious.
For more information, click here.
.....................................................................................................
NCRA's Tech Tracker is a service to NCRA members and provides a digest of recent news items relevant to the profession. The views expressed in the cited articles are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of NCRA.