MSC Malaysia Showcase World-Class Kre8tif! Conference

The MSC Malaysia Kre8tif! Digital Content Conference took place recently at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) from 15-17 December 2010.  The event was organised by the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) partnering with X|Media|Labs, the internationally acclaimed professional network and digital media events for the world's creative industries.  The event saw the movers and shakers of the global creative industries imparting knowledge and experience to our local creative minds.  It is aimed at accelerating the developments of Malaysia's creative industry.

Prominent speakers the likes of Stephen Joel Davies the President of Hasbro studios were present and speaking at the event.  Other big names participating were David Freeman who heads the Freeman Group (http://www.freemangames.com/idea/4_2.php) and Alex Laurent the Senior Arts Designer & Visual Designer of Studio LXL (http://www.alexlaurant.com/).

The event ended with a high note with an award dinner event that saw local talents such as Silver Ant Sdn Bhd (in the Animation/VFX Award category: Best Production & Best Commissioned Work (Overall)), Imaginex Studios Sdn Bhd (in the Animation/VFX Award Category: Best Music Score) and Glue Studios Sdn Bhd (Special Mention Award - Short Animation Production and the Most Promising Startup Animation Studio).  Lim Kok Wing University of Creative Technology won three awards from the Students Games Awards category - Best Technical, Best Visual and Best Games Design.

 

by: Malaysia Surf!

http://www.surf.com.my/v2/msc-malaysia/90-hazelhassanhisham.html

Malaysian wants more cooperation in ICT with Korea

SEOUL: Malaysia wants to have more cooperation in information communication technology (ICT) with South Korea, which is well ahead in ICT, to enhance their bilateral relations in the field which is currently still at a moderate level.

Information Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said Malaysia hoped the cooperation could be translated into ICT-related projects to strengthen diplomatic relations between the two countries, which are celebrating 50 years of that relations this year.

He said Malaysia would try to venture into various areas of ICT where Korea had the strengths in implementing the projects.

“We will see how Korea could advance and be the number one country in the ICT field and how it has incorporated ICT use in villages throughout the country, besides educating Korean youths on how to use ICT to generate income, especially in the content industry.

“These are interesting areas and we will try to venture into some,” he told Malaysian journalists covering his attendance at the World Information and Communications Summit: WICS 2010, held in the South Korean capital.

Rais said Korea also had an interesting programme in developing animation and research in three-dimensinal computer graphics, which were used in science fiction films such as the epic movie, Avatar.

“These fields are very interesting and will give huge returns to both countries. We are actually looking at the Korean ICT as the champion in the industry as it has pioneered various advanced areas at the international level.

“So, we need to learn how Korea managed to sell its animation, movie and cinematography culture and expertise outside the country,” he said. Rais said agencies involved in ICT in Malaysia should study the ICT developments in Korea and make proposals to the government on the approaches that could be taken to emulate Korea’s success. He said Malaysia-Korea cooperation in ICT could also be forged through ICT training programmes involving the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and the Korean Communications Commission, and between the ICT practitioners of both countries.

“Perhaps there will be some of our ICT practitioners coming here and some from Korea going to Kuala Lumpur to see how the Malaysian ICT industry can develop in the best possible way.”

Rais regarded the organising of the WISC, where the leaders, ministers and deputy ministers from nine countries including from Asia discussed and exchanged ideas in ICT, as a noble effort by Korea.

“As an experienced country, Korea has further strengthened friendship with the developing countries, so that Asia as a whole will not lag behind in the field.“We (Malaysia) shall take this as a new beginning for us, in a new era where ICT is part of our lifestyle that bring us economic, cultural and industrial benefits,” he said.

The two-day WICS 2010 organised by the Korean Multimedia Communications beginning Tuesday, was aimed at strengthening cooperation and building a sustainable future for the participating countries by sharing experiences and vision in ICT.

Rais also said that Malaysia and Korea would discuss the possibility of coming up with a book on 50 years of Malaysia-Korea relations. -- Bernama The Star Online 

 

by: The Star Online

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/5/27/nation/20100527083922&sec=nation

METHODOLOGY USED IN STUDIES OF INFORMATION SEEKING AND INFORMATION SKILLS/LITERACY

Research on information seeking or skills/literacy in higher education has been carried out
since the 1980s involving both undergraduates and postgraduates (Cameron 1983; Coupe
1993; Greer, Weston and Alm 1991; Leckie and Fullerton 1999). The methodology employed
quantitative and qualitative data gathering techniques, using survey and focus group
approach. Morrison (1997), from Canada employed the focus group method to examine the
undergraduate perspective on the role of libraries in developing information skills. A small
group of seven undergraduates volunteered at the Concordia University College of Alberta
to discuss the concept of information literacy and the role of the library in developing the
skills among the undergraduates. Hartmann (2001) conducted a focus group study among
first year students at the University of Ballarat, Australia to understand why the information
literacy programme was poorly utilized. The study involved three focus groups, two from
the first year and one from the third year. Seaman’s (2001) study of freshman students’
focused on finding out how students acquire and use information. The study used both
quantitative and qualitative methods. It started with an open-ended survey, followed by emails
and interviews to gauge a better understanding of the processes. Among the findings
were that the students consulted friends, teachers, classmates, parents and experts when
looking for information
Information Seeking Behaviour of Computer Science and Information Technology Undergraduates
Page | 17
A qualitative methodology using interviews was carried out in a study with non-traditional
undergraduates to examine the impact of information literacy instruction and their
information seeking behaviour (Branch 2004). Using semi-structured questions, five
participants were selected from twelve volunteers. Eskola (2005) researched on information
literacy of medical students studying in the problem-based and traditional curriculum also
utilized the qualitative methodology. Sixteen-second year medical students subjected to the
problem-based learning education and fifteen second year students studying according to
the traditional curriculum were involved. The methods for data collection were theme
interviews, students’ diaries, observation and relevant documents.

by:Mohd Sharif Mohd Saad and A. N. Zainab (An investigation of information seeking behaviour of Computer Science and InformationTechnology undergraduates: aqualitative approach)

Symantec targets Sarawak market

Symantec Corp, a provider of security, storage and systems management solutions, is eyeing Sarawak as one of its targeted markets due to growing opportunities.

Its Malaysia country manager, Alex Ong, said Sarawak, currently ranked among the top three states in terms of market share outside Kuala Lumpur, had seen strong growth.

"This year we are eyeing government-linked companies besides the small and mid-sized business sector. They are increasingly leveraging on the internet to strengthen their brand and boost growth," he told a media briefing on
"Protecting Critical Information of Businesses and Government in Sarawak" in Kuching today.

Currently, Symantec has a 28 per cent market share in security software and 41 per cent in storage software in the country, he said.

Ong said with the rapid increase in cyber threats, local usinesses needed to prioritise the protection of critical business information and intellectual property.

"Information protection is critical for businesses in Sarawak as the state continues to invest to develop its infrastructure and high-technology industry and build a knowledge economy.

"They also need to be ready to protect against human errors and information technology system failures due to floods, fires and power failures," he said.

Meanwhile, Symantec South Asia region principal consultant, Nigel Tan, said the company was expected to launch its new version of the Endpoint Protection 12 product by year-end.

"The product is designed to detect and block sophiscated new threats earlier and more accurately," he said.

He said Symantec's latest Internet Security Treat Report (Volume 16) showed an over 286 million new threats globally last year.

"Last year, Malaysia was ranked 38th among countries globally on Internet malicious activities," he said. -- Bernama
by:Business Times

Pacts with Kazakhstan a sign of flourishing ties

2011/06/10

FOUR commercial agreements between Malaysian and Kazakh companies were signed during the 7th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) which ended yesterday.

The signing of the agreements during the official visit here by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was an encouraging sign of further collaborations between companies in the two countries.

The first agreement was signed between MyEG Services Berhad (Malaysia) and JSC National Information Technology (Kazakhstan) to undertake the deployment of skilled expertise in the area of information technology by the Kazakhstan government.

Also signed was an agreement between MIMOS Berhad (Malaysia) and ZERDE (Kazakhstan) to cooperate as strategic business and technology partners in the ICT field in Kazakhstan.

The other two agreements were a strategic partnership between Amanahraya Capital Group (Malaysia) and JSC Fattah Finance to establish a haj pilgrimage saving fund in Kazakhstan and a collaboration between Halagel (M) Sdn Bhd (Malaysia) and Fattah Shop Company (Kazakhstan) to undertake the marketing of halal products in Kazakhstan.

WIEF chairman Tun Musa Hitam said the signing of the agreements was testimony of their success in bringing together businessmen in the Muslim world to collaborate.

"We have helped facilitate the partnerships between these four Malaysian companies and their Kazakhstan partners which is an endorsement of our objective to build bridges through business," Musa said

In a separate development, the WIEF Foundation has appointed four new members to its International Advisory Panel (IAP).

The appointees are CIMB group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Nazir Razak and Speedway Investments Ltd Kenya executive chairman Evelyn Mungai.

The others are Development Credit Bank Ltd and Aga Khan Rural Support Programme India chairman Nasser Munjee and John Sandwick, a specialist in Islamic Wealth and Asset Management from Switzerland.

Musa said with the four new appointees, who are citizens of countries in three different continents with expertise in different areas, the WIEF had truly become a world forum.

Meanwhile, Najib returned home yesterday. The prime minister, who was accompanied by his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, arrived at the Bunga Raya Complex, KL International Airport here at 4.40pm on board a special aircraft.

Among those present to greet him was Deputy Information Minister Senator Datuk Maglin Dennis D'Cruz.

It was Najib's first official visit to Kazakhstan, at the invitation of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, since becoming prime minister.

During the visit, the prime minister also attended the 7th WIEF and delivered a special speech at its opening.

by:New Straits Times

Information Technology | Certification Intelligence

Information technology news and technical information pertaining to certification intelligence for exam training is the main purpose of this article. Many people do not know the difference between computer training and certification exam training. I would like to inform everyone what the differences are. Computer training is classroom education with scheduled courses or online training about the career field pertaining to information technology. Let me explain! You may want to become a Server Administrator. To begin with you will need some education somewhere in order to be knowledgeable about the subject and maybe acquire a 2 or 4-year degree or receive some online training with a qualified instructor. You may just want to take a few courses and receive a certificate in this field. This would be considered computer training. Information technology certification intelligence on exam training is what you need in order to be fully prepared to pass your certification exam. After computer training you may have a degree or a certificate but you still do not have a certification that is recognized by Microsoft, CIW and CompTia or any other. If you have computer training that qualifies you to be a Server Administrator then you will want to get certified in Microsoft, CIW or CISCO. Certification exam training concentrates on preparing you to pass your certification exam. An IT Certification exam is unlike any other exam that you have had in college or school. There are two very important things to consider when preparing for a certification exam. They are the proper study technique and having relevant material that pertains to the actual exam that is up to date with the current market.
There are only a handful of places online that offer Certification exam training. The reason I wrote this article is to provide news and information about the best resources on certification exam training. There are many students of information technology that want this information because they are serious about passing their certification exam on the very first try. This article is not about selling but about helping those who are not informed about Certification exam training.
Another purpose of this article is education concerning information technology certification. There are many colleges and online training about information technology that will prepare you for a particular subject or field but there are but a few places where you can find information technology certification intelligence on exam training.
Say you want to become a PC Technician and you study at a college or receive online training so that you are knowledgeable about that field and receive a diploma or certificate in that area but you still are not certified until you take a certification exam. Even after graduation you will need to schedule an IT certification exam with prometric or pearsonvue in order to be certified in the field that you desire.
How many places do you know where you can get training on how to pass your information technology certification exam. Exam training is not the same as computer training. You will need knowledge of how to study for your certification exam and to know the proper study techniques because an IT exam is not the same as the exams in school. You will also need to know where to get updated material about your certification exam because if you are studying material that is outdated then you will not pass your certification exam. Certification exam training is important if you plan on passing your certification exam the first time so you can avoid 2nd and 3rd exam fees.
Some people may already be working on the job in the profession that they desire, such as a Server Administrator, Desktop Support Technician or a PC Repair Technician. They may have had prior training before employment but have never acquired a certification. They probably know their job and are very knowledgeable about their work and field but need a certification because their employer requires it. They do not need any computer training. They only need Certification exam training so they can pass their certification exam. I hope you get the picture now
by:COSMOPOINT (College of Technology Kota Kinabalu)

Origin and History of World Wide Web

The World Wide Web ("WWW" or simply the "Web") is a global information space which people can read and write via computers connected to the Internet. The term is often mistakenly used as a synonym for the Internet itself, but the Web is actually a service that operates over the Internet, just like e-mail. The History of the Internet dates back much earlier. The origins of the World Wide Web can be traced back to 1980. Since then it has evolved beyond what its creators imagined would be a file-sharing tool for academic and U.S. government contract researchers. 1980-91: Development of the WWW In 1980, Tim Berners-Lee, an independent contractor at CERN, built ENQUIRE, as a personal database of people and software models, but also as a way to play with hypertext; each new page of information in ENQUIRE had to be linked to an existing page. Another major development occurred when Bob Kahn and Vint Cerf introduced Transfer Control Protocol (TCP) in 1977 for cross-network connections. Although it had used the older Network Control Protocol (NCP) since its establishment in 1969, ARPANET and its associated networks slowly began a transition to the new protocol during the 1970s. In 1978, Internet Protocol was added to TCP, responsible for the routing of messages. The TCP/IP combination was officially adopted by ARPANET and its partners in 1983, redefining the Internet as networks using the TCP/IP network. The standardisation of network protocols helped lay the foundations for the later growth of the World Wide Web. In 1984 Berners-Lee returned to CERN, and considered its problems of information presentation: physicists from around the world needed to share data, with no common machines and no common presentation software. He wrote a proposal in March 1989 for "a large hypertext database with typed links", but it generated little interest. His boss, Mike Sendall, encouraged Berners-Lee to begin implementing his system on a newly acquired NeXT workstation. He considered several names, including Information Mesh or Mine of Information, but settled on World Wide Web. This NeXTcube used by Berners-Lee at CERN became the first Web server.He found an enthusiastic collaborator in Robert Cailliau, who rewrote the proposal (published on November 12, 1990) and sought resources within CERN. Berners-Lee and Cailliau pitched their ideas to the European Conference on Hypertext Technology in September 1990, but found no vendors who could appreciate their vision of marrying hypertext with the Internet. By Christmas 1990, Berners-Lee had built all the tools necessary for a working Web: the first Web browser (which was a Web editor as well), the first Web server (info.cern.ch), and the first Web pages that described the project itself. The browser could access Usenet newsgroups and FTP files as well. However, it could run only on the NeXT; Nicola Pellow therefore created a simple text browser that could run on almost any computer. To encourage use within CERN, they put the CERN telephone directory on the web— previously users had had to log onto the mainframe in order to look up phone numbers. Paul Kunz from the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center visited CERN in May 1991, and was captivated by the Web. He brought the NeXT software back to SLAC, where librarian Louise Addis adapted it as a way to display SLAC’s catalog of online documents; this was the first web server outside CERN and the first in North America. On August 6, 1991, Berners-Lee posted a short summary of the World Wide Web project on the alt.hypertext newsgroup. This date also marked the debut of the Web as a publicly available service on the Internet. “The WorldWideWeb (WWW) project aims to allow links to be made to any information anywhere. [...] The WWW project was started to allow high energy physicists to share data, news, and documentation. We are very interested in spreading the web to other areas, and having gateway servers for other data. Collaborators welcome!” —from Tim Berners-Lee’s first message  by:HinduWebsite http://www.hinduwebsite.com/webresources/articles/historyofwww.asp