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Monday, December 17, 2012
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The Fight for a Free and Open Internet
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by Paula J. Hane
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Vinton Cerf is worried. Cerf is credited with helping to develop the protocols and structure of the internet and the first commercial email system. Now he fears forces are at work that threaten to undermine the free and open nature of the net. He notes that, "The internet has become one of the motors of the 21st century economy, allowing all of us to reach a global audience at a click of a mouse and creating hundreds of thousands of businesses and millions of jobs." But he cautioned, "Today, this free and open net is under threat. Some 42 countries filter and censor content out of the 72 studied by the Open Net Initiative (ONI). This doesn't even count serial offenders such as North Korea and Cuba. Over the past 2 years, Freedom House says governments have enacted 19 new laws threatening online free expression." Cerf and many others worry that a meeting that starts today (Dec. 3, 2012, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates) could prove problematic.
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Baker & Taylor and Findaway World Launch Acoustik Audiobooks
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Baker & Taylor announced the launch of a new mobile platform that allows consumers to buy and download digital audiobooks on their Apple and Android devices. Currently, Acoustik is live at selected retailers and is coming soon for libraries. The free app is powered by Findaway World, LLC, an industry leader in audiobook distribution. Acoustik currently provides consumers access to nearly 40,000 titles from a wide range of publishers, and a streamlined, intuitive way of downloading and listening to their favorite content anytime, anywhere.
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Thomson Reuters Relaunches Bibliometric Resource—ScienceWatch.com
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The IP & Science business of Thomson Reuters announced the relaunch of ScienceWatch.com, an open, web-based resource dedicated to scientific metrics and research performance analysis. Since 1989, ScienceWatch has provided the scientific community and media professionals with data and commentary on the people, places, and topics in the forefront of science. With its new design, this valuable resource will now also provide its users with a customized experience.
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RSC Acquires The Merck Index
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The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) announced that The Merck Index will join the publishing portfolio of the Society. In buying the rights to the iconic reference book, the RSC gains a globally used reference tool with a 120-year history. The RSC already plans significant development of The Merck Index online, and it will continue to develop and update The Merck Index to provide a valuable, trusted, and relevant resource for scientists and researchers. In the agreement with Merck, the Royal Society of Chemistry will take over publication by launching the 15th edition, due out in April. The new edition has been extensively revised and updated.
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Statistical Abstract of the United States Gets a New Publisher
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by Barbie E. Keiser
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The 131st edition of the Statistical Abstract of the United States (2012) was last published by the U.S. Census Bureau. According to its website, the Census Bureau terminated "the collection of data for the Statistical Compendium program" on Oct. 1, 2011. The program included the Statistical Abstract of the United States, the State and Metropolitan Area Data Book, and the County and City Data Book. In bold red letters, the webpage refers visitors to the "organizations cited in the source notes for each table of the Statistical Abstract." (There are 1406 tables!) Those who were dreading the demise of this one-stop shop of the Statistical Abstract can now turn to ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States. The 2013 edition is available online now, and ProQuest promises monthly updates of tables as data becomes available; the print edition is published in cooperation with Bernan Publishing.
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