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NEWSBYTES Bryant U Holds First 'App-a-Thon' IN APRIL, BRYANT University of Smithfield, Rhode Island, held its inaugural App-a-Thon as part of the school's annual Research and Engagement Day. The event was the brainchild of Bryant senior Sarah Rubel, vice president of the Bryant chapter of the Collegiate Entrepreneur's Organization (CEO). The App-a-Thon challenged students to consider mobile apps that would enhance Bryant's student-centered university environ- ment. Eight student teams presented their app concepts during the event to a judging panel of Bryant administrators. Bryant plans to release the two winning apps in time for students' arrival this fall. Those include Bryant Eats, an all-in-one app for campus dining, and Bryant Bits, a cam- pus event app. Bryant Eats, proposed by sophomore Mikayla LaRosa, freshman Elena Lohr, and junior Macy Mitravich, will allow students to check food service hours, menus, and nutritional information; rate meals; and offer dining reviews. A "traffic cam" will allow students to see the extent of dining hall crowds. Future iterations may enable online ordering and text alerts for meal pickup. Bryant Bits, proposed by sophomores Sagar Parmar, Alex Scelzo, Ryan Tengler, and Rohan Vakil, will offer a searchable, customizable calendar of campus events that will send reminders and integrate with social media like Facebook and Twitter. Bryant plans to hold the App-a-Thon again in the future. Not only does it allow students to connect what they learn in the classroom to real-world applications, but it also helps them design ways to serve the campus community, says Ronald Machtley, university president. The event was co-sponsored by Bryant's CEO chap- ter and the university's Center for Program Innovation. n ONLINE MBA AT UNH The University of New Hamp- shire's Whittemore School of Business and Economics in Durham has announced it will begin offering an online MBA program this fall. The program will follow a five-term, two- year schedule, similar to the school's part-time MBA pro- gram. Students enrolled in the online program also are eligible to take face-to-face courses on the school's campus. n SMU OPENS iCITY LAB The Singapore Management University and IT consult- ing firm Tata Consultancy Services recently opened the SMU-TCS Intelligent City (iCity) Laboratory. Equipped with interactive technology, the iCity Lab will serve as a venue for city managers and urban planners to experience the emerging technologies in intelligent urban development generated by SMU students and faculty. Those solutions include advancements in cloud computing, mobile appli- cations, and business analyt- ics to enhance the daily lives of government administrators and urban residents. n DIGITAL STUDY A consortium of researchers has received £1.5 million from the Research Council UK to conduct a three-year study of the U.K.'s digital economy. The consortium will be led by the University of Exeter Business School. It also includes the University of Cambridge, Heriot-Watt Uni- versity, and Warwick Manu- facturing Group. n PRINT TRADITION ENDS The Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. recently announced that it no longer will produce the 32-volume print edition of its encyclopedia, published since 1768. It will rely solely on the digital version of its content, available since 1981. "The end of the print set is some- thing we've foreseen for some time, " says Jorge Cauz, the company's president. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is providing up to US$300 million in subsidies to mobile providers that will bring 3G and 4G mobile broadband to areas in the U.S. that currently lack the service. The agency has provided a map that indicates those areas, which include large swaths of Alaska, Idaho, and Maine, among others. Through its Mobility Fund, launched in 2011, the FCC is inviting bids from providers. Winning bidders must deploy 3G service to new areas within two years of receiving funding, or 4G service within three years. BizEd July/August 2012 55 LARRY LIMNIDIS/GLOW IMAGES