ST Report: 6-Feb-98 #1405
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 02/20/98-05:53:02 PM Z
From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report: 6-Feb-98 #1405
Date: Fri Feb 20 17:53:02 1998
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>From the Editor's Desk...
This editorial is short because I've done another one of my now famous
"opinions" about the staunch Republican Lackey Ken Starr and the DOJ with
their goofy anti-trust actions against Microsoft. I patiently wait to see
the DOJ go after ConAgra, Bechtel and few other CARTELS in foods, medicinal
drugs, machinery, raw materials and of course, precious metals. Where's
the DOJ? Trying to screw up the success story of the Century.
What about the main company which owns Nabisco, Campbell Soup and
about those who own Brown and Williamson Tobacco? Perhaps its time we
began compiling lists of corporations that DWARF Microsoft both in size and
wealth. Not to mention how their practices make Microsoft appear as a
group of Saintly Altar Boys.
Come now readers. step forward each one of you and simply pick a
famous, USA Brand Name product off the shelf in your supermarket or
discount store. Then research the product. Find which company actually
owns the product. What it took for the product to get the shelf space it
occupied. Where the profits of the particular actually go.
Finally, is the money being paid for that product actually going to a
US Corporation or, in fact, is it all going overseas? If overseas, then
you have a real monster on your hands. Discover exactly who or which main
"bottom-line" company, corporation etc., is reaping the profits in. At
this point, establish what role the company you have uncovered played in
WWII, Korean Conflict and/or Vietnam. Did they use Nazi supplied slave
labor? Did they forcefully influence the actions being taken? Did they
support the Allied Effort or Enemies of the USA? When you get the picture,
You soon ask; Where is the DOJ now? What about the Ken Starr's and Joel
Klien's now?
Many of you are in for the shock of your lives.
Ralph...
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LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
CompuServe Sales Approved
Shareholders of CompuServe Corp. have approved sale of the online service
to WorldCom Inc. as part of a three-way deal that will put the consumer
service in the hands of America Online. And, reports Associated Press
writer Mark Williams, CompuServe characterizes as speculative a report in
The Wall Street Journal that as many as 300 CompuServe customer-support
personnel may be laid off by AOL, noting AOL says only that it will conduct
a thorough review of CompuServe's operations.
Reporting from Upper Arlington, Ohio, AP says approval of the deal with
WorldCom, announced in September, was a formality since H&R Block Inc. owns
80 percent of CompuServe stock. Under the deal:
z WorldCom will turn over stock worth about $1.2 billion to H&R Block.
z WorldCom then plans to trade CompuServe's content and its 2.6 million
consumer subscribers along with $175 million to AOL.
z In exchange, WorldCom will get AOL's ANS Communications division,
which provides Internet access mainly for large business customers.
WorldCom also gets a five-year contract to service AOL's network customers.
CompuServe spokesman Steve Conway told AP that holders of 89.7 percent of
CompuServe's 92.6 million outstanding shares approved the deal, adding the
approval clears the way for closing the deal between CompuServe and
WorldCom. H&R spokeswoman Linda McDougall said WorldCom and AOL are
expected to complete their portion of the deal today. AOL spokeswoman
Tricia Primrose said the Virginia- based firm plans a thorough review of
CompuServe, adding, "We are completely committed to continuing to build the
CompuServe brand as its own separate service on its own network. We are
equally committed to continuing to provide first-class customer service."
WorldCom Completes CompuServe Buy
WorldCom Inc. says today it has closed its purchase of CompuServe Corp.
>From Jackson, Mississippi, the telecommunications firm also says it has
completed its acquisition of America Online Inc.'s ANS Communications unit
and entered into five-year contracts with AOL to provide network services.
As reported earlier, CompuServe shareholders Friday approved sale of the
online service to WorldCom as part of a three-way deal that will put the
consumer service in the hands of AOL. As part of the deal, AOL received
CompuServe's Interactive Services Division and $175 million cash. WorldCom
retains CompuServe Network Services. The Dow Jones news service reports
each CompuServe share was converted into the right to receive 0.41 WorldCom
shares.
>From AOL's Steve Case, to all CompuServe members:
Dear CompuServe Members,
CompuServe has been an online pioneer for nearly two decaades, and we want
to thank you for your dedication to the brand that introduced the notion of
online services to the public.
Now that CompuServe has joined with us, I want to reassure you that we will
maintain CompuServe as a separate service, here and internationally,
running on its own network. This means we will also maintain CompuServe's
distinctive content, e-mail system, forums and functionality to preserve
the service's look and feel.
We pledge to you that we will both honor that tradition and build on it to
ensure that CompuServe remains a world-class service that meets your needs.
Sincerely,
Steve Case
Chairman and CEO of America Online, Inc.
Stuntz Named CompuServe Chief
Mayo S. Stuntz has been appointed president of Compuserve Interactive
Services Inc. by America Online Inc. Stuntz had been chief operating
officer of Cendant Corp.'s Century 21 Real Estate Corp. Also, a 50 percent
stake in CompuServe Europe's online business has been bought for $75
million by Bertelsmann AG from AOL. Reporting from Dulles, Virginia, the
Dow Jones news service says AOL and Bertelsmann also invested $25 million
each in a venture that will operate the business.
As reported, CompuServe has been acquired in a three-way deal between AOL,
WorldCom Inc. and CompuServe. American Online, which provides Internet
services, will operate CompuServe as an independent unit. In a letter this
morning to CompuServe subscribers, AOL chief Steve Case said, "CompuServe
has been an online pioneer for nearly two decades, and we want to thank you
for your dedication to the brand that introduced the notion of online
services to the public."
Case added that as the AOL-CompuServe merger takes place, "I want to
reassure you that we will maintain CompuServe as a separate service, here
and internationally, running on its own network. This means we will also
maintain CompuServe's distinctive content, e-mail system, forums and
functionality to preserve the service's look and feel." He added, "We
pledge to you that we will both honor that tradition and build on it to
ensure that CompuServe remains a world-class service that meets your
needs."
States Subpoena Microsoft
Eleven states are demanding documents relating to Microsoft Corp.'s
upcoming Windows 98 operating system, expanding an investigation into
practices of the software publisher that some consider anti-competitive.
Reporting from Albany, N.Y., today, the Reuter News Service quotes New York
state Attorney General Dennis Vacco as saying in a statement that he and
colleagues in 10 other states have issued identical subpoenas to Microsoft
in a continuing investigation of the Internet browser market.
Says Vacco, "The states' investigation is focusing on whether Microsoft is
improperly using its dominant market position in Windows operating system
software for personal computers to force consumers also to use its Internet
browser product, Internet Explorer." As reported, Microsoft faces similar
litigation on the federal level, where the U.S. Court of Appeals is due to
hear arguments in April over whether the company's decision to define the
browser as a feature of the operating system violates its 1995 settlement
of antitrust charges.
Vacco told Reuters he and officials of other states are working with the
U.S. Justice Department, adding the subpoena specifically demands
information about plans to market Windows 98, the successor product to
Windows 95 due out by midyear. As reported, Windows 98 integrates the
browser and the operating system more completely than the current
generation of Windows.
Microsoft Wins a Round
A legal victory has been scored by Microsoft Corp. as a federal appeals
court agrees to temporarily halt the work of Lawrence Lessig, a
court-appointed expert named to investigate the technological aspects of
the Microsoft antitrust lawsuit. The ruling late yesterday follows
Microsoft's intense efforts to disqualify the Harvard University law
professor as a "special master" appointed to prepare a report on
technological issues in the dispute.
As noted, Microsoft contends Lessig was biased against the company and it
challenged the legality of a lower court's decision in naming him.
Microsoft spokesman Mark Murray told Associated Press writer Rob Wells, "We
see this as a very positive step, but it's only one step in a longer
deliberative process." Wells says the order issued by the U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia effectively freezes the work
of Lessig by granting Microsoft's request for a stay.
"The court's decision was swift -- and surprising," adds AP. "Microsoft's
earlier attempt to have a lower court judge, U.S. District Judge Thomas
Penfield Jackson, disqualify Lessig was denied in a harshly worded ruling.
In denying Microsoft's request, Jackson described the company's accusations
against the law professor as 'trivial' and 'defamatory.'" But, of course,
the victory is tempered by further antitrust probes on the state level. As
reported, 11 states are demanding documents relating to Microsoft's
upcoming Windows 98 operating system, expanding an investigation into
practices of the software publisher that some consider anti-competitive.
Hatch Wary of Microsoft on Net
U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says
that if Microsoft Corp. takes over the Internet, it runs the risk of being
overseen by a federal "Internet Commerce Commission." Citing remarks
prepared for delivery to the Progress and Freedom Foundation, the Reuter
News Service quotes the Utah Republican as saying the possibility of a
Microsoft takeover of the Internet can be prevented if vigorous antitrust
enforcement preserves competition on the Internet.
Adds Hatch, "It seems far better to have antitrust enforcement today than
heavy-handed regulation of the Internet tomorrow, so let me suggest to
those of you who abhor the regulatory state that you give this some
thought." Hatch says he will conduct hearings and do whatever he can to
assure that competition rules "are being applied both fairly and
effectively," adding he thinks Microsoft is trying aggressively to dominate
the Internet.
"Just how much control over the Internet Microsoft will exercise is
anyone's guess," Hatch said, but many people believe the company is trying
to achieve "in effect a proprietary Internet." The senator said that if
there is proprietary control of the Internet, and it becomes a critical
medium for commerce, news and information, "rest assured that we will be
hearing calls from all corners for the heavy hand of government regulation,
for a new 'Internet Commerce Commission.'" Hatch thinks Joel Klein, who
heads the antitrust division of the Justice Department, "is up to the task"
of pursuing antitrust enforcement to prevent a takeover of the Internet by
any one company. Hatch said this will prevent the need for government
regulation.
Editor Note: Orrin Hatch. is seemingly "politiking" as usual. A year and
a half ago he was busy bleating he had no clue about the Internet let alone
computers. Hatch also was among the most vociferous when the Senate
decided Laptops had "no place" in the Senate while they were in session.
DUH! Now, to ask the big question again of Orrin. why wasn't he so
outspoken against Word Perfect Corp. when they were busy buying up and
absorbing all the other Word Processor companies.. After all, Word Perfect
was within his domain.. or, were they heavy contributors? Maybe just
maybe.. Old Orrin has a problem with MS as a result of Word Perfect's
ultimate sell-off and demise. Corel is doing OK with Word Perfect now.
perhaps the profit taking isn't as heavy as it seemingly was when WPC was
alive and not so well in Orem, Utah. Hatch. when will you quit
"politiking" and begin properly serving the people whom you are alleged to
represent? .rfm
Netscape May Be for Sale
Insiders say Netscape Communications Corp., facing ever more intense
competition from Microsoft Corp., may decide to sell some or all of the
company. Writing in the Wall Street Journal this morning, reporters Kara
Swisher and Don Clark cite unnamed sources familiar with the situation as
saying Netscape is holding "serious discussions" with America Online Inc.,
Sun Microsystems Inc., Oracle Corp. and IBM about strategic investments or
an outright purchase. Swisher and Clark say no deal was believed to be
imminent, though.
They add, "The discussions illustrate the severity of Netscape's problems,
and a recognition that it may need outside help in overcoming them." Adds
the paper, "Rumors about possible acquisitions of Netscape aren't new, but
have become more persistent in the wake of Netscape's recent report of a
loss for its fourth quarter." For instance, rumors yesterday focused on a
possible purchase by Sun and helped drive Netscape's shares up $1.0625 to
$19.25 in heavy trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market, giving the company a
market value of $1.86 billion, less than half its value this summer.
Net Firm Beats Murdock Group
In a classic David-Goliath contest, a U.S. subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's
giant News Corp. Ltd. has lost a $2.7 million court judgment to a small
privately held Internet services company in a contract dispute. Reporting
from Philadelphia, the Reuter News Service says the PAN Network, which
provides Internet services for the music industry, said the award against
News America Digital Publishing Inc. as part of a federal
breach-of-contract case.
Court documents show a U.S. judge approved the award following an
arbitration ruling in 1997. PAN attorneys told the wire service the award
now will be used as evidence in a related case against News America
Publishing slated for trial in federal court next July. Says attorney
Ralph Jacobs, "This ought to give a lot of hope and a lot of confidence to
the thousands and thousands of small cyberspace entrepreneurs -- that they
don't have to fear being completely steamrollered by a few giant players.
The law will ensure that even the big shots on the Internet live up to
their obligations."
Based in Skippack, Pennsylviania, near Philadelphia, PAN became a pioneer
in the online business in the early 1980s, providing computer-based
services to musicians, recording studios, booking agents and other music
industry operators. The company used the computer resources of Delphi
Internet Services Corp., another online pioneer that joined the Murdoch
camp in 1993. PAN lawyers contend News America executives ignored Delphi's
contractual obligations in 1995, when their client tried to get Delphi to
help expand PAN's presence on the burgeoning World Wide Web. PAN alleges
the inaction ruined its business by forcing many of its clients to migrate
to other services.
PAN founder Perry Leopold, who now runs the company out of his home with
his wife, told Reuters, "We had a thriving company," adding that as a
result of News Corp.'s involvement, PAN's annual revenues have fallen from
$700,000 in 1994 to just $60,000. "Hopefully, this judgment will give PAN
the financial wherewithal to rebuild," he said. Reuters notes News America
has since sold Delphi, which was named in the original arbitration case.
Lycos Acquires Tripod for $58M
Search engine publisher Lycos Inc. has acquired Tripod Inc., one of the
largest and fastest growing Internet home page communities, in a $58
million stock swap deal. Lycos says the acquisition will establish it as
the fifth most-visited of all Web sites. The Tripod Web site
(http://www.tripod.com) currently generates over 100 million page views per
month and includes more than 1.5 million member home pages, according to
market research firm Media Matrix.
"The unbeatable combination of Lycos and Tripod symbolizes the strategic
evolution of the Web. Overnight, the unification of two great companies
moves us to the very forefront of this industry," says Bob Davis, Lycos'
CEO. "This powerful user destination model will greatly benefit members,
advertisers and commerce partners like no other media network on the Web."
"We are thrilled to join the Lycos family, a leading media brand and a
financially successful company," says Bo Peabody, CEO and co-founder of
Tripod. "Lycos is a perfect fit for us because we are both fast-growing,
forward-thinking companies. With this union, we can offer our members the
Web's most valuable features and services while maintaining the hip,
homegrown culture that has made Tripod a favorite destination for savvy
twenty-somethings for years." Lycos' Web site is located at
http://www.lycos.com.
Judge Cites Ex-Novell Employees
A federal judge in Provo, Utah, has ruled three former Novell Inc.
employees took company trade secrets with them when they left the
networking company early last year. In what The Associated Press
characterizes as "a significant ruling in the contentious battle between
the network software company and its former engineers," 4th District Judge
Anthony W. Schofield issued a 62-page ruling granting Novell's request for
a preliminary injunction. Jeff Merkey, Darren Major and Larry Angus were
told by the judge that for the next nine months they cannot develop
software products based on the knowledge they gained while at Novell.
Judge Schofield concluded that when the trio formed a company called Wolf
Mountain, later changed to Timpanogos Research Group, they intended to use
Novell technology to market a product in connection with Microsoft Corp.
The three, says the judge, "have demonstrated a predatory intent and a
deliberate strategy to claim and use as their own, technologies which they
developed while at Novell. To a large extent their actions have been in bad
faith."
He then ordered the trio not to develop products using the disputed
"clustering" technology during the next nine months. After that, they will
be free to develop software products using clustering, an alternative to
networking that links several personal computers to act like a mainframe.
Calling the ruling unfair and alleging the judge was "under a lot of
political pressure from Novell," Merkey said he and Major will seek a stay
of the ruling and then appeal it.
Judge Schofield said in his ruling the issue is not whether or not
Timpanogos Research Group should be allowed to compete with Novell. Rather,
he said, the problem is that when Merkey and Major left Novell, they took a
former Novell project, renamed it and continued to work on it. Says AP,
"Just days after leaving Novell, Merkey met with Microsoft representatives
in Redmond, Washington, to discuss releasing a product that was identical
to one Merkey had been working on at Novell, Schofield found. Merkey not
only disclosed confidential technical information that belonged to Novell,
but he also planned to pirate it in creating his own product called
'Tapestry,' the ruling says."
The judge added, "He even bragged to the press and to other Novell
employees that he had under-documented the technology so that Novell would
not know what he had, and that if Novell sued him, it would not even know
what to sue for." Schofield noted that while many of the technologies used
in clustering are in the public domain, the particular combination in which
Novell was using them constituted a trade secret. He said it is ironic,
though, that Novell has spent so much money protecting the technology when
it long ago abandoned plans to market clustering products.
Europe Considers Internet Cops
A move to let police in Europe snoop on Internet users as a measure to
tackle organized crime is being considered by European Union justice
ministers. Writing from Birmingham, England, for the Reuter News Service,
reporter Helen Smith notes, "Police, who fear the Internet is being used by
international criminals for money laundering and other crimes, are
currently barred from tapping into the computer messages." Gathered for an
informal meeting, the ministers yesterday agreed police should be given new
powers, but said they also should be tightly restricted so as not to damage
the rapidly growing computer industry. Britain's Home Secretary (interior
minister) Jack Straw said police forces must be brought into the modern
age, adding, "We are using 19th century procedures to pursue 21st century
criminals."
Rebels Hack Government Page
Supporters of Mexico's Zapatista rebels are being accused of hacking into a
Mexican government home page on the Internet and defaced it with
anti-government propaganda. Reporting from Mexico City, the Reuter News
Service says the he home page for Mexico's Finance Ministry
(http://www.shcp.gob.mx) appeared this morning to be plastered with
pictures of the rebels' revolutionary namesake Emiliano Zapata. One part
of the message read, "We're watching you, big brother!" characterized by
Reuters as an ironic reversal of George Orwell's famous phrase warning of
government excess. Also, the phrase "X-ploit" appeared beneath a giant
yellow face and a "parental advisory" sticker similar to those found on
explicit rock-and-roll records was pasted nearby.
Said the message, "We belong to no group, we do not belong to the Zapatista
Army for National Liberation, but we are expressing our free expression as
Mexicans." It was signed, "Zapatista Army for National Liberation." After
launching a brief rebellion in early 1994, the Zapatistas pioneered use of
the Internet by a guerrilla group, creating a home page to encourage
international support. The page can be found at http://www.ezln.org. "Led
by the charismatic, pipe-smoking Marcos," says Reuters, "the rebels
fighting for Indian rights and democracy have been locked in fruitless
peace talks with the government for more than four years. A tenuous
cease-fire has held."
Net Blamed for Sleazy Journalism
A Columbia University journalism professor is blaming the instantaneous
Internet for lowering reporting standards on the current White House-Monica
Lewinsky controversy. "On this story, there have been no standards,"
professor Craig T. Wolff told Associated Press writer Chris Allbritton. "I
don't think anyone has been above reporting unsubstantiated rumors. I've
never seen so much secondhand information used." Said the professor, "As
we move into a technological stage in journalism, it's important that we
should not forsake basic virtues. To see journalists approach everything in
this breathless, unmoderated tone -- I think we are absolutely going to
look back on this time as a very sorry day in the history of the media."
Some media critics are specifically targeting 31-year-old Net gossip
columnist Matthew Drudge, whose online Drudge Report made history on Jan.
17 when he told online readers that Newsweek magazine was sitting on a bomb
about to explode in the White House. A week later, Drudge had rocketed to
stardom, appearing on "Meet the Press," where he said he learned reporting
from the Internet and "I'm a citizen first and a reporter second. The
people have a right to know, not the editors who think they know better.
You should let people know as much as you know when you know."
Meanwhile, another journalism professor -- Jay Rosen of New York University
-- says that, while he isn't a regular Drudge reader, he doesn't believe
the columnist is responsible for the erosion of standards. Slipping
started before the "Hollywood parajournalist" popped up, he told
Allbritton, adding, "In Watergate, you had a two-source rule," he said,
referring to the practice of two independent sources confirming information
about the White House. "Now, you have a no-source rule. If you have a
source that has a source who says a Secret Service agent will testify about
the president, that's enough. Rumor and news just seem to have merged."
Drudge answers critics who blame him for lowering journalistic standards by
saying, "That's elitist, and you should know better," adding he believes he
is giving people what they want to read.
Rosen says that reluctantly he agrees. "Journalists can't claim, on the
one hand, they are a profession with self-policing standards and demand
special treatment and then say, on the other hand, they are a business
responding to customers," Rosen said. "If they legitimize Drudge and use
what he reports, then they are saying they're really no different and their
standards are no different. And the collapse of standards in a profession
as influential as journalism is very worrisome."
Finally, producer Scott Ehrlich of Fox News Online told AP the solution is
for readers to be their own editors, to filter and be aware of the source
of the news, adding: "If I go to Fox News Online, I can trust that
information is as good in that medium as it is in the traditional medium,"
he said. "If I go to Matt Drudge, and I have no idea who Matt Drudge is, I
need to be aware that I may not be getting good information."
Bill Gates: This Pie's for You
Even the richest man in the world isn't immune to a pie in the face. From
Brussels, Belgium, comes word visiting Microsoft Corp. chief Bill Gates was
on the receiving end of a cream pie yesterday. The Associated Press
reports police arrested two people, one of whom reportedly had distracted
Gates while the other made the snack-attack. Authorities say they are
looking for a third person who also may have been involved.
"The pie caught the Microsoft chairman head-on as he entered an ornate hall
near the center of Brussels for meetings with Belgian computer industry and
government leaders," says AP. "Associates hustled Gates into a side room.
He emerged looking cleaner, but still grim." A spokesman for the Belgian
office of Microsoft said simply, "We regret the incident (but) will not
press charges." Police have not identified the pie-throwers, but, says AP,
"There were unconfirmed reports the pie was thrown by Noel Godin, a Belgian
prankster who has struck at famous people before. His targets have included
philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy and filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard."
Government Wants Out of Net Names
The Clinton Administration is recommending that the government end its
involvement in running the Internet's naming and address system. The
proposal would end the monopoly for registering Internet addresses
currently held by Network Solutions Inc. under an exclusive contract
expiring this year. Additionally, a non-profit corporation based in the
United States would take over management of the numerical address system
underlying the naming system. That function is currently performed by the
Internet Assigned Numbers Authority under a contract with the Defense
Department.
The proposal is being applauded by companies such as Image Online Design
Inc. and Iperdome Inc., which already operate alternate naming systems.
"Overall, the plan is right on the mark," says John Frangie, CEO of Image
Online Design. "Image Online Design has always believed that there needs to
be minimum levels of technical, financial and administrative capabilities
to handle the demands of being an Internet Domain Registry. We meet these
criteria now, and are prepared to demonstrate that and go online
immediately."
Net Groups Work With White House
Rather than fighting, a group of Internet organizations with a plan to
revise the Net's addressing system says it will continue to work with the
Clinton administration, which has offered its own naming plan. The
Internet Council of Registrars has developed a plan to add seven new top
level domains and empower dozens of competing firms to register names in
the new domains within a few months.
"But," says the Reuter News Service, "the Clinton plan would dramatically
slow and alter the process of ending government management of the address
system. The plan would add only five new domains, reopen the process of
selecting competing firms to register addresses and limit competition in
some areas. The plan also would establish a U.S. based corporation to
oversee the address system."
As reported, the Clinton administration is recommending the government end
its involvement in running the Internet's naming and address system, ending
the monopoly for registering Internet addresses currently held by Network
Solutions Inc. under an exclusive contract expiring this year. ICR
Chairman Alan Hanson told Reuters that, despite the wide gulf between the
two plans, his group will try to continue negotiating.
The wire service notes the council's plan was backed by some leading
Internet businesses, including MCI Communications Corp., but, says Hanson,
the Clinton plan "has established a good starting point and we look forward
to working with the White House to move quickly to the new era of
self-governance."
Hanson criticized the Clinton plan for junking his group's more
international approach, including basing the council of registries in
Geneva, Switzerland. He added, "Members throughout the world are concerned
the proposed policy overlooks the international nature of the Internet."
Opponents of the group's plan, who had lobbied the Clinton administration
to block it, reacted with glee after the new plan was unveiled.
Meanwhile, President Andy Sernovitz of the Association for Interactive
Media, a coalition of businesses and groups on the Internet opposed to the
council's plan, told Reuters, "I'm glad all this silliness in Geneva is
over." His association, which includes America Online, Viacom's MTV
Interactive and Walt Disney Co., has called the council plan
"ill-considered" and potentially damaging to the Internet.
Hanson argues the council's plan would not destabilize the Net and charged
the Clinton plan was warped to aid Network Solutions, the Herndon,
Virginia, firm with a monopoly on registering names in some of the
Internet's most popular domains. He contends the Clinton plan "appears to
carve out a U.S.-centric process designed to better serve the vested
interests of Network Solutions rather than the broader interests of the
world Internet community." Clinton administration officials said the plan,
which could be altered after a short comment period, was intended to
balance the competing needs of many Internet users.
Gates Won't Invest in Telecoms
Bill Gates says Microsoft Corp. has no plans to buy a stake in a
telecommunications company, but he does want to work as partners with phone
companies. Speaking at a news conference in Paris after meeting French
Finance Minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Gates said, "There has never been
any discussion about us (buying) any part of a phone company, British
Telecom or any other phone company."
The Reuter News Service says Gates added, "However, the co-operation
between ourselves and the phone companies is a very important thing. If you
believe in the Internet, you need lots of high-speed connections and that
requires investment by the phone companies. For the phone companies, there
is an opportunity here to provide new services, including hosting the
Internet, including running electronic mail systems or electronic commerce
clearing houses."
Gates said, "We have a very good relationship with France Telecom, we are
doing quite a few things with them, as we do with phone companies around
the world. At this stage, I do not see, and we certainly aren't discussing,
any type of investment. We are in the software business, that's the
business we know. It is a very different business from the communications
business."
Also, he said, "like we do with chips manufacturers, personal computer
manufacturers or consultants, we are going the partnership model to create
global solutions for the customer." Reuters says British Telecommunications
Plc shares were boosted in January by various bid rumors including one
that said Microsoft would want to buy the telecommunications group.
FCC Chief Tackles Net Congestion
He has no specific plan yet, but FCC Chairman Bill Kennard says he will
start looking into ways to ease congestion on the Internet by giving
companies incentives to provide more high-speed connections into homes.
"One issue that I'm particularly interested in," he told Associated Press
writer Jeannine Aversa, "is finding ways that we can foster more investment
in high-capacity bandwidth. I believe that our nation will have an
ever-increasing appetite for bandwidth -- for high capacity data
transmission capabilities."
Also, he said, the FCC should consider streamlining regulations to give
companies incentives to build these networks. As reported earlier, Bell
Atlantic has asked the FCC to stop states from regulating Internet services
and sought permission to build high-speed networks to carry Internet
traffic in its local phone region, which stretches from Maine to Virginia.
Kennard told AP the FCC will consider Bell Atlantic's proposal as part of a
broader proceeding to ease Internet congestion and that he wants to collect
other ideas to solve the congestion problem. Said Kennard, "We have in
this country already 40 million households that have home computers and
most of those computers have more computing power than can be accommodated
by the pipe into the home. So we've got to find ways in this country to
increase bandwidth capacity."
WhiteCross, MRJ Technology Solutions Team
To Build Data Mining Laboratory
WhiteCross Systems and MRJ Technology Solutions, two leaders in the field
of data mining, exploration, and decision support, announced they have
agreed to create a Data Exploration and Mining Center. The Center will
combine WhiteCross' massively parallel processing (MPP) data exploration
server and HeatSeeker(TM) data mining software with MRJ's expertise in
applying a full range of techniques for mining and analyzing very large
databases (VLDBs) for hidden information.
The Data Exploration and Mining Center, to be built at MRJ's Fairfax,
Virginia headquarters, will provide client organizations with the insights
they need to identify their most profitable customers and markets, in
addition to risk assessment, customer retention, cross-selling, health care
analysis, and fraud detection. The center will empower clients to use
MRJ's and WhiteCross' expertise to their advantage, without requiring them
to make the large money and time investments needed to build a similar
system in-house.
WhiteCross will provide MRJ with a 650-node database super computer,
capable of analyzing over 100 million rows of data per second. One result
is that the WhiteCross/MRJ solution will produce meaningful answers to a
wide range of complex queries and data mining analysis in real-time; taking
only seconds or minutes to produce data exploration insights which have
traditionally taken hours, days or even weeks.
Time spent transforming data from legacy sources, auditing, and cleansing
it will be minimized by the capabilities and speed of the WhiteCross
technology. The Center is aimed at providing answers to companies and
government agencies in the fields of telecommunications, banking, retail,
utilities, health care, intelligence, analysis, and law enforcement. A
number of leading corporations have already committed to use the Center,
including Sprint, MCI, Mercury, and EBS.
"The laboratory concept leverages WhiteCross' powerful MPP-based database
server, HeatSeeker data mining software, and MRI's data mining expertise to
create a powerful selling proposition," said Henry Morris, Program
Director, Data Warehousing and Information Access, International Data
Corporation. "It offers organizations a unique opportunity to test the
system's capabilities with their actual data in order to solve a business
problem. The power of the WhiteCross solution lies in enabling
organizations to achieve results faster based on an analysis of the full
volume of data rather than a sampling," Morris commented.
"WhiteCross has successfully demonstrated the worth of an outsource data
mining lab in Europe," said Jim Suszka, WhiteCross Vice President, U.S.
Operations. "Companies appreciate the value they receive from discovering
true business insights from their volumes of detailed data. They also
appreciate the fixed-cost advantage our solution brings, since we are able
to clearly identify significant opportunities and provide them with a
substantial return on their investment," he added. WhiteCross Systems Inc.
helps organizations derive real value from large amounts of data through
its products and service offerings. Recent solutions completed on behalf of
its clients include areas such as:
Customer Profiling
Segmentation
Predictive ModelingRisk Management
Target Market Analysis
Customer Acquisition & Retention
Cross Selling
Product Development & Promotion
Margin Improvement
Fraud Detection & Prevention
META Group Vice-President Aaron Zornes said the WhiteCross/MRJ venture is
another sign that companies are looking beyond enterprise data warehousing
to projects which use data exploration and mining techniques to quickly
identify real business opportunities at reduced costs.
Zornes added that WhiteCross and MRJ share META's vision of
second-generation data mining tools, which provide companies with the
ability to:
z analyze scaleable VLDBs
z easily perform more actionable opportunities
z provide real-time, interactive analysis
z enable faster, better-refined decisions
Apple to Focus on CompUSA
Apple Computer Inc. today announced that it is focusing its national
retailing efforts on CompUSA. Apple's hardware products will be phased out
of Best Buy, Circuit City, Computer City, Office Max and Sears. Last
November, Apple and CompUSA announced a plan to launch a "store within a
store" retail environment for Apple products. The companies report that
CompUSA has now substantially completed the rollout of the environment at
its 148 superstores.
According to Apple, the retailing model has boosted the percentage of Mac
sales at CompUSA from 3 percent of total sales to 14 percent. "We set out
on a national level to create a full selection of Apple hardware, software
and peripherals all in one place," says Mitch Mandich, Apple's senior vice
president of the Americas. "Our customers have responded enthusiastically
to this new format as shown by the huge Mac sales we've had at CompUSA
since the launch of the 'store within a store.'"
Amazon.com Launches New Contest
Online bookseller Amazon.com is giving away a full year of tuition to law
school or the cash equivalent of $25,000 in a contest celebrating the
release of John Grisham's novel, "The Street Lawyer." In a statement from
Seattle, Amazon.com officials, noting the book is its most popular
preordered title of all time, say the "Street Lawyer" Contest launches
today on its website http://www.amazon.com). The contest runs through 6
p.m. Pacific time March 16. One winner will be contacted via e-mail by
Wednesday, April 8. The site also features the first chapter of "The
Street Lawyer."
WordPerfect to Get Speech Support
Corel Corp. has reached an agreement with Dragon Systems Inc. to
incorporate Dragon's NaturallySpeaking continuous speech recognition
software into the Corel WordPerfect product line. The deal's terms weren't
disclosed. The technology will allow users to create, edit and format
documents by talking into their computers. It will be provided in the
English-language versions of Corel WordPerfect Suite 8 and Corel
WordPerfect Suite 8 Legal Edition, both due to ship this spring.
International language versions are scheduled to become available later
this year.
"Corel is seizing another opportunity to be a leader in exciting emerging
technologies, as we believe that speech- enablement is a way of the
future," says Michael Cowpland, Corel's president and CEO. "This long-term
agreement with Dragon Systems is a fusion of strengths that we believe will
impact all of society." "The integration of large vocabulary continuous
speech recognition into these WordPerfect products means that millions of
people interacting with computers will quickly and affordably experience
the benefits of natural speech," says Janet Baker, president and co-founder
of Dragon Systems. "This innovative user interface will rapidly propel many
mainstream computer users to much higher levels of productivity."
IBM Testing Super Chip
IBM is testing a new super-fast computer chip that is said to operate about
three times faster than the fastest Intel Corp. Pentium. However, The Wall
Street Journal reports today in its electronic edition, that the chip isn't
expected to be commercially available for at least two to three years. The
Journal quotes IBM as saying the chip can be tested using conventional
testing equipment and doesn't generate extra heat, overcoming two big
constraints in designing and producing chips with faster speeds. Look for
the computer giant to give details of results of its research, for which it
has already filed 23 patent applications, at an upcoming chip industry
conference in San Francisco. The Journal says IBM is expected to say the
same process will lead to even faster microprocessors when combined with
its recent efforts that replace aluminum wiring on chips with
more-conductive copper.
Study: Newspapers Top Web Sites
Newspaper sites on the World Wide Web fare well in the marketplace for
classified advertising online, claims a new study issued by the Newspaper
Association of America. According to the Vienna, Virginia-based trade
group, newspapers on the Web are viewed in a more positive light by
consumers than non-newspaper Web sites for online classified advertising.
The study also finds that newspaper Web sites are viewed as more
informative and entertaining than other sites and that newspaper sites rate
higher on measures of interactivity than competing Web sites.
"Newspapers are on the cutting edge in terms of producing informative and
entertaining Web sites, and America's newspapers are establishing
themselves and their brands as the places to visit on the Web," says John
F. Sturm, the NAA's president and CEO. The NAA's Web site is located at
http://www.naa.org.
Execs Wary of Year 2000 Bug
Most business and technology executives responding to a new survey don't
believe the Year 2000 problem will be fixed before the turn-of-the-century
deadline. Many computer systems, now set up to read years by their last
two digits, will lose track of dates as the year 1999 turns to 2000.
Nearly 70 percent of the 400 executives polled by CIO Magazine said they
aren't confident the millennium bug will be fixed by Dec. 31, 1999. When
asked if they would fly on a commercial airline on January 1, 2000, more
than 50 percent either said they would not fly or are unsure about flying
on a commercial carrier.
A full 60 percent recommend that Americans need to investigate their bank's
Year 2000 compliance to ensure the safety of their personal assets. Nearly
50 percent are concerned their job will be in jeopardy if they are unable
to fix their company's Year 2000 problem. "Congress must mandate that
agencies like the Federal Reserve, the Internal Revenue Service, and the
Federal Aviation Administration periodically report to the American people
on the status of their Year 2000 compliance. None of us want to be
surprised on January 1, 2000," says Joseph L. Levy, the magazine's
publisher.
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A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N
Microsoft unworried by U.S. case
Microsoft Corp will not have to make any fundamental business changes
because of an antitrust case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice,
chairman Bill Gates said Monday. Gates said investors in the software giant
should not worry about the potential impact of the charges that Microsoft
used improper business practices to expand its position in the crucial
Internet browser marketplace. "I wouldn't worry too much about this case in
terms of what it means for shareholders," Gates told a news conference at
the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.
BMC Software to acquire BGS
BMC Software Inc said Monday it has enteed into a definitive agreement to
acquire software company BGS Systems Inc in a stock deal valued at about
$285 million. BMC would pay the equivalent of $45 in BMC common stock for
each share of BGS common stock, using the average price per share of BMC
common stock during a 10-day trading period preceding closing. The
transaction is expected to close within 60 to 90 days, subject to BGS
shareholder approval, regulatory approval and other customary closing
conditions. BMC said the acquisition would combine BGS's performance
analysis and prediction technology and products with BMC Software's suite
of application management, data management and performance optimization
products, providing the industry with application service assurance
products.
InfoBeat announces marketing relationship with Cendant
InfoBeat and Cendant Corporation announced an agreement to market Cendant's
netMarket and other interactive services to InfoBeat's combined circulation
of 2.3 million subscribers. netMarket (http://www.netmarket.com), Cendant's
membership-based, value-oriented consumer site which offers discounts on
millions of products and services, will be offered in conjunction with
exclusive e-mail services from InfoBeat and offered to InfoBeat's
subscribers and Web site visitors. "We expect netMarket's offerings to be
very popular with our subscribers. For only $1 during the three month trial
period, subscribers have the opportunity to purchase almost every type of
consumer product and service instantaneously and at significant discounts,"
said John Funk, founder and chairman of InfoBeat Inc.
Clinton proposes increased spending for Internet
President Clinton's proposed budget asked for $110 million in fiscal 1999
for his Internet project and administration officials vowed Monday to do a
better job of selling it to a skeptical Congress. Clinton asked for the
funds for "Next Generation Internet" after Congress allocated only $85
million of the $105 million requested for fiscal 1998. The "Next Generation
Internet," to cost $500 million or more over 5 years, will operate at
speeds up to 1,000 times faster than today's Internet. That is intended to
enable new uses for the network, some involving live sound and video.
Microsoft, SPA in spat
Microsoft Corp. and its trade association got into a nasty spat Tuesday
over the role of antitrust law in preserving competition in the high-tech
industry. The 1,200-member Software Publishers Association unveiled a list
of principles, declaring that the nation's 100-year-old antitrust laws have
an important role to play in making sure that no competitor goes too far in
promoting its own computer code. Microsoft immediately denounced the
Software Publishers Association, to which it pays $100,000 dues annually,
for a "charade" and charged the association had been "co-opted by a few
competitors who want to use the government as a weapon against Microsoft."
PeopleSoft lands 2 contracts with Boeing, GM
PeopleSoft Inc said it received big contracts to supply its human resources
and financial software to Boeing Co and General Motors Corp. Boeing, the
world's biggest aircraft manufacturer, will use PeopleSoft's software to
track its 235,000 employees while GM, the largest U.S. auto maker, will use
it to track its 650,000 workers. Boeing also purchased PeopleSoft's
accounting software. Terms of neither transaction was disclosed, but they
are significant contracts, PeopleSoft executives said.
NICE unveils logging, monitoring system
Israel's NICE Systems Ltd, a maker of computer telephony integration
equipment, unveiled the latest release of its call center evaluation
program, NiceUniverse 3.0 on Wednesday. "Our goal is to offer clients
logging and monitoring systems that are easily integrated with their
existing computer network and telecom environments," Morgan Sturday,
president of NICE Systems Canada said in a statement. NiceUniverse
automatically records and monitors agents in call centers, the statement
said. Voice recordings are stored on the voice/data server and call details
are stored in a Windows NT-compatible database.
Clinton establishes 'Millennium Bug' council
After repeated calls from Congress to pay more attention to the year 2000
computer problem, President Clinton set up a council Wednesday to oversee
government efforts to exterminate the Millennium bug. The move came on the
heels of a report from the General Accounting Office that the nation's air
traffic control system could be crippled by the bug because the Federal
Aviation Administration has fallen behind in upgrading its computers.
Clinton named John Koskinen, former deputy director of the Office of
Management and Budget, to chair the new council. The order required
agencies to assure no critical federal programs experience disruptions
because of the year 2000 problem. See full story Lawmakers doubt FAA can
fix 2000 glitch in time.
Dell chief upbeat despite rivals' merger
Dell Computer Corp boss Michael Dell conceded Wednesday a merger of Compaq
Computer Corp and Digital Equipment Corp would make life more challenging.
But he said his rivals' move would do little damage to his plans to hit the
sector's No. 1 slot soon. "My prediction was that if Dell continued to grow
at its current rate, and its competitors continued to grow at their current
rates, we would be no. 1 by the year 2000," he said. He saw the fact that
Compaq had gained about $2 billion of PC revenue from its link-up with
Digital as a challenge to his prediction, but not an obstacle.
Siemens to sign strategic pact with Microsoft
Siemens AG confirmed Thursday it planned to work with Microsoft Corp to
develop a wide variety of industrial and household devices based on the
Windows CE operating system. Siemens planned to use Windows CE - a compact
version of the Windows systems for personal computers - as the interface
for new generations of mobile phones, automobile controls, digital TV sets
and cash registers, they said. "It will certainly be a strategic
relationship," a Siemens spokesman said.
Gates coins a network term
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates introduced a new term Thursday - the digital
nervous system (DNS) - for networks of personal computers. "The DNS means
using PCs together with Internet standards to create an environment of easy
information access to replace current information tools," Gates said
according to a summary of a speech at a seminar in Finland. The DNS
networking solution could replace telephone calls, paper and databases on
large computers where information is hard to browse.
Clinton secretary turns over evidence
President Clinton's personal secretary has told investigators Clinton gave
her an account of his relationship with former White House intern Monica
Lewinsky that mirrored his testimony in the Paula Jones lawsuit, the New
York Times said Thursday. Quoting lawyers familiar with her account and
with Clinton's testimony in the Jones sexual harassment lawsuit, the Times
said the secretary, Betty Currie, told investigators Clinton said he had
never been alone with Lewinsky and had "resisted her sexual advances."
Currie has told investigators the president and Lewinsky sometimes were
alone, the newspaper said. The Times also said Currie has turned over gifts
to investigators she retrieved from Lewinsky. Golfer Greg Norman says
Lewinsky not with Clinton, in Palm Beach.
Starr gives Lewinsky ultimatum; new details surface
Independent counsel Kenneth Starr wants Monica Lewinsky to decide by Friday
if she will answer questions on allegations surrounding President Clinton,
but her attorney was noncommital on if Lewinsky could get an immunity deal
from Starr. New details emerged Thursday, but a White House official
dismissed the reports as the latest "in a long series of leaks and lies."
On Capitol Hill, a senior Democratic lawmaker was preparing a detailed
complaint accusing Starr of abusing his power. Starr issued an ultimatum to
Lewinsky - saying he could not agree to an immunity deal unless she agreed
to a face-to-face interview with investigators, and possibly a lie detector
test.
Conyers accusing Starr of abuse of power
The ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee will issue a detailed
letter this week accusing independent counsel Kenneth Starr of abusing his
power, a staff member on the committee said Thursday. Starr recently
expanded his investigation of the failed Whitewater land deal to examine
allegations President Clinton had an affair with former White House intern
Monica Lewinsky and then urged her to lie about it. Rep. John Conyers, a
Mich. Democrat, was preparing a long legal document detailing the alleged
abuses by Starr, the aide said, adding it would probably be sent to
Attorney General Janet Reno with a request for a Justice Department
investigation.
Federal judge again throws out Keating's conviction
A federal judge Thursday threw out for a 2nd time the 1991 state securities
fraud conviction of Charles Keating, the financier who became a symbol of
the savings and loan crisis of the late 1980s. U.S. District Judge John
Davies originally dismissed the conviction in 1996 and granted Keating a
new trial, but a federal appeals court reinstated it last month and sent
the case back to Davies. After hearing arguments from Keating's attorney,
Stephen Neal, Davies once again threw out the conviction Thursday, ruling
as he had before that the jury in the 1991 case was improperly instructed
by Judge Lance Ito.
EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed
Edupage
Contents
Green Paper Outlines Net Registration Plan
Suing For Rights To The Cookie Jar
Export Controls On Computers
Reuters Suspected Of Electronic Espionage Against Bloomberg
AOL May Lay Off 300 CompuServe Workers
California Virtual U. Offers Sample Courses
Postponement Of Online Elections In Costa Rica
It's An Ill Wind That Blows No Good ... For The Net
Edupage In French
Internet2 Focusing On Applications
Apple Picks CompUSA For Product Distribution
Europeans Voice Disappointment Over U.S. Domain Plan
Microsoft Wins Temporary Victory
Netscape Takes Judo Lessons
AOL Bumps Niche Products Off The Shelf
College Students Swell Ranks Of Internet Addicted
Banner Ads That Take Your Order,Too
Video Game For Would-Be Olympians
IBM, DEC Pick Up Pace In Chip Race
Government Looks At Microsoft's Deals With Media Partners
Europeans On PC Shopping Spree
Got A Y2K Headache? Here Comes The Euro Conversion!
E-Commerce Problems
Faster Routing On The Way
Online Journals Tap Authors For Revenues
Is Big Brother Really Watching?
White House Unhappy With Pornographic Web Site
Child Porn On The Internet
GREEN PAPER OUTLINES NET REGISTRATION PLAN
The Clinton Administration has produced a green paper on its plan to
privatize the Internet, calling for a private, nonprofit corporation to be
established to administer the Internet domain name system. The new
corporation could appoint up to five new independent organizations to
assist it in administering the domain registries. It would also be
responsible for the registration of Internet number blocks and an
"authoritative root system," and control the inclusion of new top-level
domain names in the root system, as well as "other technical parameters."
The new corporation is expected to be operational by September 30, and the
U.S. government will exercise "policy oversight to assure stability until
the new corporation is established and stable." (TechWeb 30 Jan 98)
SUING FOR RIGHTS TO THE COOKIE JAR
The publisher of The Putnam Pit, a Tennessee newspaper, is suing the town
of Cookeville, claiming that his federal civil rights were violated when
the town refused to share its "cookies" - electronic markers that a Web
site leaves on a PC when it visits. The publisher has been feuding with
the city for some time and wants access to the cookies to determine whether
city officials are wasting company time cruising the Internet. Cookeville
maintains that the cookies are privileged, but a spokesman for the
Electronic Frontier Foundation says that argument may not stand up in
court, pointing out that in the past, courts have ruled that
government-created paper documents are in the public domain. (Business
Week 26 Jan 98)
EXPORT CONTROLS ON COMPUTERS
The Commerce Department has developed new rules requiring computer
manufacturers to notify the government about any planned sales to customers
in countries that might develop nuclear weapons, including China, Russia,
India, Pakistan, and Israel. Following such sales, Commerce Department
representatives will visit every installation and verify that the systems
are being used for peaceful purposes. Computer industry officials are
unhappy with the new requirement, and a Sun executive says: "It would
introduce an added level of complexity, which would be a competitive
disadvantage and add to our operating costs." (Washington Post 31 Jan 98)
REUTERS SUSPECTED OF ELECTRONIC ESPIONAGE
AGAINST BLOOMBERG
Federal prosecutors are investigating whether Reuters Analytics, a
subsidiary of new and financial giant Reuters Holdings PLC, is responsible
for industrial espionage activities involving break-ins to the computers of
Reuters competitor Bloomberg LP. The inquiry has been underway for about a
year. Bloomberg entered the business about 15 years ago, and homed in on
the business of providing historical data packaged with analytical software
-- making its services essential for bankers, traders and others who need
sophisticated analysis of market trends. In response, Reuters developed
its own data and analytical service, called Reuters Decision 2000, but
nicknamed in the industry as the "Bloomberg killer." The company
subsequently developed a new system called Reuters 3000, which federal
investigators are now examining to determine whether lines of code from the
Bloomberg system were used in its development. (New York Times 30 Jan 98)
AOL MAY LAY OFF 300 COMPUSERVE WORKERS
America Online is considering laying off 300 CompuServe customer-support
personnel -- more than 20% of the CompuServe workforce -- as part of its
strategy to reduce overlap between the two companies once operations are
combined. (Wall Street Journal 30 Jan 98)
CALIFORNIA VIRTUAL U. OFFERS SAMPLE COURSES
The California Virtual University is making sample courses available over
its Web site, http://www.california.edu/tour.html . Prospective students
can check out an online introductory computer class offered by Cerro Coso
Community College or take a guided tour of online offerings by Santa Rosa
Junior College. (Chronicle of Higher Education 30 Jan 98)
POSTPONEMENT OF ONLINE ELECTIONS IN COSTA RICA
Plans to test the Internet as a way of holding national elections in Costa
Rica (reported in Edupage 23 Oct 97) have been postponed by the Costa Rican
government, for reasons the project director says are "unclear," but which
apparently include fears that the losing party might use the test as a
reason to contest the election. (New York Times 30 Jan 98)
IT'S AN ILL WIND THAT BLOWS NO GOOD ... FOR THE NET
The new frenzy over the alleged Monica Lewinsky-President Clinton affair
has brought a huge increase in activity for Web news sites, such MSNBC,
which had 830,000 unique daily visitors last Monday, compared to a number
that is usually around 300,000. Scott Charron of Forrester Research says
that this event "is changing the news business. This will open the eyes of
news executives and convert them if there are any doubters about the Web."
(ZDNN 30 Jan 98)
EDUPAGE IN FRENCH
We are please to announce that, after a hiatus of several months, there is
once again a French-language version of Edupage, available
http://cursus.edu/thot.asp/. Welcome once again to our French-speaking
readers of Edupage. Nous sommes heureux d'annoncer qu'aprs un hiatus de
plusieurs mois, la traduction franJaise d'Edupage est de retour. Effectue
par Cursus, La formation " distance sur demande, elle est accesible ":
http://cursus.edu/thot.asp. Elle est 1galement disponible sur abonnement
1lectronique gratuit. Bienvenue " nouveau aux lecteurs francophones
d'Edupage.
INTERNET2 FOCUSING ON APPLICATIONS
Doug Van Houweling, CEO of the University Corporation for Advanced Internet
Development, the group creating Internet 2, says that a major focus of that
project is commercial applications: "We're starting off this time with an
even more determined effort to work with the major companies in the
industry. The applications are the focus of what we do -- we don't want to
build a highway for some kind of vehicles that will never arrive." Among
the many possibilities are the use of Internet 2 by manufacturing companies
to securely transfer technical design data between offices and suppliers.
(New York Times CyberTimes 2 Feb 98)
APPLE PICKS COMPUSA FOR PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION
Apple Computer says it has chosen CompUSA to be its sole national retail
distributor, and will phase out products from Best Buy, Circuit City,
Computer City, Office Max and Sears. "These have been very important
business relationships, but we believe it's an important time to move away
from them," says Apple's senior VP of the Americas. "This does not
represent a retreat from retail, but instead a redefinition of what the
retail buying experience will be for our customers." In addition to the
CompUSA stores, Apple will sell its products through regional retail
chains, specialized Apple dealers, value-added resellers and catalogues.
(TechInvestor 2 Feb 98)
EUROPEANS VOICE DISAPPOINTMENT OVER U.S. DOMAIN PLAN
A leading member of the European-based Internet Policy Oversight Committee
and the Council of Registrars (CORE) says they do not intend to accept the
recently announced U.S. government plans for privatizing the Internet
domain name registration process. "The problem with the concept of
top-level domains being owned by commercial registries is that the database
is worth tremendous commercial value. We could have a situation where one
company in the U.S. is going to have right to one very high value domain
name, such as .inc." The committee and CORE plan to meet soon with White
House technology adviser Ira Magaziner to express their concerns. The
alternative plan they had proposed has been endorsed by a number of
European government officials, who now stand to be "extremely embarrassed
by this [new] plan," says the president of Euro-ISPA, a European Internet
service provider association. "They have made a major contribution to
reforming the domain name system, but they lost the debate." (TechWeb 31
Jan 98)
NETSCAPE TAKES JUDO LESSONS
Carl Shapiro and Hal Varian, professors at the University of California's
Haas School of Business in Berkeley, say that Netscape's latest move to
make public the source code for its Communicator Web browser is the
equivalent of delivering a judo blow to Microsoft. Judo uses the
opponent's strength and size against him, and Shapiro and Varian note:
"Netscape has not only matched Microsoft by starting to give away its
browser, but has raised the stakes by allowing anyone with the requisite
skills to extend, modify, customize and enhance the program." The authors
point out that Netscape runs the same risk as Unix did, generating a slew
of incompatible almost-look-alikes, but concede that the novel strategy has
a good chance of working: "Netscape is giving its customers a fully
customizable browser, something Microsoft will have a hard time matching.
In judo the prize goes not to the biggest player, but to the one who is
most nimble and has the best moves." (Wall Street Journal 2 Feb 98)
AOL BUMPS NICHE PRODUCTS OFF THE SHELF
America Online no longer makes it easy for its small content providers to
reach an audience, and instead submerges them into information "channels."
An AOL spokesperson explains: "Our new mission reflects our belief that
there is limited shelf space online or on the Internet and that in order to
compete in the content business, we needed to launch categories that target
large consumer segments, not niche players." And the company's president
of creative development explains that it's a cruel world out there on the
Internet, just like everywhere else: "We want our partners to be
successful. But guess what? We can't guarantee that. Just like in
television with the new fall season, there's going to be one success for
every eight failures." (New York Times CyberTimes 2 Feb 98)
COLLEGE STUDENTS SWELL RANKS OF INTERNET ADDICTED
An article appearing in the journal CyberPsychology and Behavior says that
students between the ages of 18 and 22 are especially at risk for
developing "Internet addiction," defined as "a psychological dependence on
the Internet, regardless of type of activity once 'logged on.'" According
to the article, administrators at Alfred University have noted a
correlation between high Internet use and a high dropout rate among
students, and a number of schools have set up support groups for Internet
addiction. Meanwhile, the University of Washington is attempting to curb
Internet overuse by limiting online time available to each student.
(Chronicle of Higher Education 6 Feb 98)
BANNER ADS THAT TAKE YOUR ORDER, TOO
Advertising technology firm Narrative Communications Corp. has developed
technology that provides a shortcut to buying products online. In a
demonstration of a banner ad for Eddie Bauer, consumers who clicked on the
ad saw the ad replaced by information about Eddie Bauer jeans. They could
then enter information about their size and desired color, credit card
number and mailing address, and the order was completed without ever
leaving the original site where the ad appeared. The technology will
enable retailers to track more carefully which ads are generating sales,
and should make online shopping easier for consumers. "A lot of times when
you do leave a site to go off somewhere following a banner, you don't
necessarily end up at the right section of the new site," says an analyst
with Forrester Research. "This allows advertisers to put the information
where consumers can get to it easily." (Wall Street Journal 3 Feb 98)
VIDEO GAME FOR WOULD-BE OLYMPIANS
Konami Co. has released a Nagano Winter Olympics '98 video game that
enables mouse potatoes to participate in Alpine skiing, giant slalom,
speedskating, ski-jumping, bobsled, luge and curling events from the
comfort of their PCs. The game was a year in the making, and designers
worked closely with Olympics officials who have licensed it as the official
video game of the Winter Games. "You'll see a snowboarding game out there
and some skiing games, but nothing that has 12 or 13 events that are all
unique," says Konami of America's senior products manager. The game is
available for the Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64 platforms. (Los Angeles
Times 2 Feb 98)
IBM, DEC PICK UP PACE IN CHIP RACE
Both IBM and Digital Equipment Corporation are announcing experimental
chips that operate at more than a gigahertz (one billion cycles) a second
and that will be commercially available after the turn of the century.
Intel and Hewlett-Packard have previously announced that the Merced chip
will be available at the same time and will operate at comparable speeds.
The IBM chip (which does not take advantage of the use of copper to
increase the speed even further) draws only 6.3 watts of power, which is
much less than Digital's chip. (New York Times 4 Feb 98)
EUROPEANS ON PC SHOPPING SPREE
The European PC market is booming, with analysts terming it a main sales
driver for global PC manufacturers. "Earlier in the year, we saw signs of
growth but were reluctant to call it a boom," says a Dataquest analyst.
"Clearly that has now happened." PC unit sales were up 24% in the fourth
quarter over the same time in the previous year, marking the highest
quarterly growth in the past two and a half years. Top-tier U.S computer
manufacturers have reaped the benefits of the buying spree, with direct
seller Dell Computer reporting increases of 70% over the comparable quarter
last year. "The recent strength of European markets suggests that
companies are starting to realize they need technology to compete
globally," says CEO Michael Dell. (Wall Street Journal 4 Feb 98)
GOT A Y2K HEADACHE? HERE COMES THE EURO CONVERSION!
Companies that do business either with Europe are starting to realize that
they've got some serious programming work on their hands, and it has
nothing to do with the millennium change. With the euro set to debut in
1999, "Everyone is starting to wake up to the fact that it could be a big
deal for their IT infrastructure," says the head of Price Waterhouse's New
York banking practice. The euro is "creeping up on CIOs' radar screens."
Industrywide, software conversion costs in Europe alone are expected to
exceed $100 billion, says the Gartner Group. The estimate includes the
cost of upgrading larger computer systems, but not PCs or the software that
will be needed to support the euro. Meanwhile, the Meta Group says the
combined crunch of the euro conversion and Y2K could extend the shortage of
information technology workers until 2004. And the learning curve is
steep: "If you got 100 programmers in a room, they could be briefed on year
2000 in 10 minutes," says a project manager at Chase Manhattan. "With the
EMU, it takes a good three months before you get the full view of the
issues." (Information Week 26 Jan 98)
E-COMMERCE PROBLEMS
A recent meeting on electronic commerce, sponsored in part by the Ottawa
Centre for Research and Innovation, has produced more questions than
answers. "The line between law and technology blurs and raises the
question about what laws need to be amended," said Michael Power, director
of the Electronic Commerce Secretariat at Canada's Justice Department. Top
concerns included privacy and security, legal jurisdiction and compliance
with regulatory legislation. Power cited an example of an American company
wanting to sell home HIV testing kits over the Internet. The server
hosting the Web site is in Mexico, but home HIV testing kits cannot be sold
in Canada, raising a question about how laws pertaining to specific
countries or regions work in the Internet world. In addition,
participants cited concern over offensive content and taxation issues.
(Ottawa Citizen 4 Feb 98)
FASTER ROUTING ON THE WAY
With Internet destination addresses set to increase in size from 32 bits to
128 bits, computer scientists at Washington University have patented a
mathematical procedure for speeding up router performance -- a process they
liken to the game "20 Questions." The router first divides the address in
half and compares one half of it to a database. The router then either
keeps it or discards it in favor of the other half, and then repeats the
process. Using the procedure, a router should be able to find the needed
information in no more than seven steps. A number of large router makers
are negotiating licensing deals with Washington U. (Business Week 9 Feb
98)
ONLINE JOURNALS TAP AUTHORS FOR REVENUES
At least two scholarly journals are forging a new business model for
academic publishing: they're charging the authors, not the readers.
Optics Express, a publication of the Optical Society of America, and the
Internet Journal of Nitride Semiconductor Research, both have adopted the
"pay to publish" strategy and distribute the journals free to subscribers.
Optics Express charges $300 for an accepted article, and the Internet
Journal charges $275 per submission, with a refund of $165 if an article is
not accepted. Publishers acknowledge that the success of this approach
will hinge on whether they can produce enough influential readers to make
it worth the authors' while. The director of science libraries at Yale
University calls it a "fascinating new approach to journal distribution."
(Chronicle of Higher Education 6 Feb 98)
IS BIG BROTHER REALLY WATCHING?
A secret hearing of Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board was told the
Canadian government paid $31-million during the early 1980s for
state-of-the-art software to track Canadian citizens by interfacing with
credit card transactions, banking data, driver's license information,
pension records, taxation information, criminal records and immigration
records, according to transcripts. The U.S.-made Promis system could
provide details of a person's health care and even library transactions.
Updated versions are reportedly still being used by the RCMP and CSIS, but
neither agency could be reached for comment. (Ottawa Sun 2 Feb 98)
WHITE HOUSE UNHAPPY WITH PORNOGRAPHIC WEB SITE
Presidential attorney Charles F.C. Ruff has expressed the White House
displeasure at a pornographic Web site named whitehouse but with a ".com"
domain name. In a letter to the site's Webmaster, Ruff wrote: "However
distasteful your business may be, we do not challenge your right to pursue
it or to exercise your First Amendment rights, but we do challenge your
right to use the White House, the president, and the first lady as a
marketing device... As your own online disclaimer implicitly acknowledges,
the foreseeable result of your use of the White House domain name is that
children will access your Web site inadvertently. Your customers will
understand such a result is unconscionable, and so, we submit, should you."
The owner of the site, who says "I personally like President Clinton and am
happy with the way he is running the country," points out that there are
several U.S. trademarks for the words "whitehouse" or "white house," none
of which are owned by the U.S. government. (News.Com 4 Feb 98)
CHILD PORN ON THE INTERNET
Queen's University professor Dr. Michael Mehta says the number of Internet
sites devoted to pornography and child porn is growing despite laws aimed
at limiting them. He said the success of the online porn industry,
virtually the only Web sites that make money, is driving the development of
technology as consumers of adult material demand better monitors, more
powerful micro-processors and faster Internet access speeds. (Toronto Globe
& Mail 4 Feb 98)
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Kids Computing Corner
Frank Sereno, Editor
fsereno@streport.com
The Kids' Computing Corner
Computer news and software reviews
from a parent's point of view
Featured Review
Viper V330
PCI or AGP Bus Video Card
retail: $199.95
Diamond Multimedia Systems, Inc.
2880 Junction Ave.
San Jose, CA 95134-1922
408-325-7000
http://www.diamondmm.com
review by Frank Sereno (fsereno@streport.com)
Diamond Multimedia, a trusted and innovative leader in multimedia products,
has again manufactured an excellent graphics accelerator. Based on
NVIDIA's RIVA 128 media controller, the 128-bit Viper V330 is an
outstanding single card graphics solution that provides blisteringly fast
2D and 3D video. This card is a great choice for both businesses and home
enthusiasts. The power, speed and flexibility of the Viper V330 are
amazing.
The retail version of the Viper V330 comes with an outstanding software
bundle of productivity and entertainment software. Included games are the
full versions of Interactive Software's iF-22 and BMG Interactive's Moto
Racer along with the OEM version of Shiny Entertainment's MDK: Mission
Laguna Beach. Productivity software includes Microsoft Internet Explorer,
Backweb Software, MGI's PhotoSuite SE and MediaMagic's MPEG Arcade Player.
To enable new Viper owners to make stunning 3D graphics, Diamond Multimedia
includes Asymetrix Web 3D and Platinum's VRCreator VRML development system.
The Viper V330 is a dream to install. The Installation Wizard directs the
owner in each step to set up the driver and graphic settings. Diamond's
InControl 95 Tools make changing resolutions a breeze. Other options
include virtual desktops and hotkey activation. Drivers are constantly
updated and available for download on Diamond's Web site at
http://www.diamondmm.com. The card has a flashBIOS that's as easy to
upgrade as creating a boot disk!
Diamond has designed this card with future expansion in mind. It can be
used with Diamond's Maximum DVD Kit to provide a complete DVD solution. In
addition, Diamond has just announced the DTV 2000 card that adds a TV tuner
and video capture capabilities to several video accelerators including the
Viper V330. Expandability and great support make the Viper V330 a terrific
value.
Needless to say, the Viper V330 has great benchmark performance. Raw
numbers can be very boring so I won't list them here. My personal
observation is that this accelerator kicks butt. Screen redraws in Access
Software's Links '98 are almost instantaneous. In 3D apps, graphics were
stunningly detailed with little or no artifacting. The video is as smooth
as silk and blazing fast. The card has a complete 3D feature set including
Alpha-Blending, Anti-Aliasing, Bilinear Filering, Gourand Shading, Mip
Mapping, Texture Mapping and Z-Buffering.
This card does have one drawback. It is NOT 3Dfx capable. It is
compatible with OpenGL and Microsoft's Direct3D. Most applications are
compliant with these two API's. The OpenGL drivers are still in beta, but
they are available from NVIDIA. The final release drivers will be
available soon.
With future expandability, terrific support and dazzling performance, the
Viper V330 is a tremendous value at $199.95. If you're ordering a custom-
built Pentium II system, be sure to ask your vendor about the availability
of the AGP version of the Viper. You will be impressed with the Viper's
features and performance. I highly recommend the Viper V330 as a single
card solution for both 2D and 3D graphics.
Jason's Jive
Jason Sereno, STR Staff
jsereno@streport.com
The Oregon Trail 3rd Edition
Pioneer Adventures
Win 95 and Mac CD-ROM
Approximate Retail: $49.95
Educational Program for Ages Ten and Up
The Learning Company.
One Athenaeum Street
Cambridge, NA 02142
1.800.227.5609
www.learningco.com
When most people think of Educational Software, one series of programs come
to mind instantly. Oregon Trail has been around for over twenty-five years.
This series has been used immensely in, homes, libraries, and of course
school PCs. In fact, it has been noted as the top selling curriculum
software used in schools. I still vividly recall playing off a 5 , in my
third grade computer class. But with two editions already published, what
more can a person with a healthy thirst for knowledge expect to gain from
this third series? Here's what I found.
To start, this 3rd Edition, as a whole, is much more interactive than any
of the first two programs. From the very beginning you can realize this.
This program, unlike the other two, let the user choose their wagon party.
You must be very careful because each companion you choose may be crucial
in deciding your chances of traveling West. Many more supplies and vanity
items are also available before you begin. Some of these items may help
keep the moral high for the majority of the journey.
Another very apparent improvement in the game is the graphics. Pioneer
Adventures displays brilliant scenes of what is still the most beautiful
parts of North America. It is truly remarkable because some scenes are
actually recreated with actors and props. When you actually interact with
characters, they speak in a new full motion video. These are two things
which are very pleasant surprises from the two predecessors.
When you are actually on the trail, you have a few more opportunities too.
Fishing, along with gathering flowers, has been added to hunting for ways
to find food for your wagon train. Many kind of animals and fish are
available for feasting. One thing I didn't enjoy while hunting, is the
frequent misfires of the gun which often leads to wounds and casualties.
Crossing rivers is much more virtual too. When you caulk the wagon and
float across, you may have to actually paddle against a harsh current.
The largest plus in the game is the information. History, Social Studies,
Geography, Geology, Botany, and Zoology are the educational subjects
covered in this game. Characters also show a huge abundance of first
person stories about life before they left for the West. There are also
references to Native Americans that treated pioneers kindly whenever they
encountered them. When you converse with these people, it is very
reminiscent of another trail game, the Amazon Trail II. The only
difference is that you cannot respond to what people say.
This is not the only similarity between the two games. The fishing and
interactive river crossing are two things that seem to be "taken" from the
Amazon Trail series as well. There is also a book to read up on about fish
and plant life. These things are also in Amazon Trail II. In fact, I
might be inclined to say that, despite the loads of information, all this
3rd Edition may be is a combination of the two games.
That is why I am recommending this program to anyone that doesn't own
Amazon Trail II. The similarities will simply be too frequent. If you
don't have this program, I would tell you to purchase Oregon Trail 3rd
Edition for any home, school, or other institution for learning. It does
what the series has tried to all along, make learning fun.
Until Next time,
Jason
PC Requirements
Windows 95, Pentium 90MHz, 30 MB Hard Drive Space, 16 MB RAM, 256-color
SVGA, Quad Speed CD-ROM, Windows Compatible Sound Card
Macintosh Requirements
System 7.5 or higher, PowerPC, 30 MB Hard Drive Space, 16 MB RAM, 256-color
SVGA, Quad Speed CD-ROM
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File Format for STReport
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If there are any questions please use either E-Mail or call. On
another note. the ASCII version of STReport is fast approaching the "end of
the line" As the major Online Services move away from ASCII.. So shall
STReport. All in the name of progress and improved readability. The
amount of reader mail expressing a preference for our Adobe PDF enhanced
issue is running approximately 15 to 1 over the ASCII edition. I might add
however, the requests for our issues to be done in HTML far outnumber both
PDF and ascii. HTML is now under consideration. We'll keep you posted.
Besides, STReport will not be caught in the old, worn out "downward
compatibility dodge" we must move forward.
However, if the ASCII readership remains as high, rest assured. ASCII
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input.
Ralph F. Mariano, Editor
rmariano@streport.com
STReport International Online Magazine
Classics & Gaming Section
Editor Dana P. Jacobson
dpj@streport.com
>From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
Well, it seems that for the time being, Clinton has dodged another
bullet. On the other side of the world, Bill Gates takes one - in the
guise of a cream pie! Isn't life sweet? Norm Weinress, an infamous
"virtual pie thrower" on Delphi, is looking down from heaven and ROFLMOL!
<grin>
It appears that the Atari section is nil this week. I don't know if
it's been unusually quiet, or I've been unusually blind to it. It's been
hectic around the ol' homestead this past week, so perhaps I've overlooked
some interesting news. If so, we'll find it in time for next week.
Until next time...
Gaming Section
PSX Owns Half the Market?!
BlueSky Software!
Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News!
Sony Claims Nearly Half of N. American Console Market
Jan 29, 1998 (MULTIMEDIA WIRE, Vol. 5, No. 19) -- Sony Computer
Entertainment America, basking in the glow of Christmas '97 numbers, said
yesterday that PlayStation controls 49.2% of the console market in N.
America and the company sees no reason to radically alter its pricing
strategy. PlayStation will retail for $149 again this year, COO Kaz Hirai
said yesterday during a conference call with analysts. New software
releases will remain at $39.99, with some exceptions, and older titles will
retail for $19.99, VP of Sales Jack Trenton said.
Sony doesn't plan to add modem capabilities, which the forthcoming CD-based
64DD peripheral will give N64. It will also not enter the hand-held market,
where Nintendo's Game Boy dominates. N64 market share is about 41%, Sony
said. Nintendo did not return calls by our deadline. While Sony would not
divulge details about the platform's 150-title first- and third-party
product lineup for 1998, it does expect a big seller in racing game Grand
Tourismo from its Japanese parent. In addition, "Crash [Bandicoot] will be
back," says VP of Marketing Andrew House.
Software sales for PlayStation reached 18.4m units in Q4 '97, while
hardware reached 3.8m, raising the console's installed base to 8.7m in N.
America. Q4 '96 hardware sales were 1.46m. Of the 3.8m consoles sold in
Q4, 2.4m went in December, 1.01m in November and 408,000 in Otober. From
the console's launch in N. America Sept. 9, 1995, through mid-January 1997,
Sony had an installed base of 3.2m, 600,000 fewer than it sold during Q4
'97. Through the end of 1997, 47.3m PlayStation software units have been
sold.
PlayStation in 1997 represented 65% of total video game sales in the U.S.,
Trenton said after consulting NPD's TRSTS. For the growth of the console,
he credits key third-party titles such as Eidos' [EIDSY] Tomb Raider,
Capcom's Resident Evil, Namco's Tekken 2 and Electronic Arts' [ERTS] Madden
98. PlayStation's key to growth, Sony said, is reaching a broader
audience. At present, the average age of PlayStation owners is 22, 60% are
under 24 and 90% are male.
History has shown that console sales plateau because developers were
restricted by the small 12- to 17-year-old male demographic, Sony VP of
Third Party Phil Harrison said. Since Sony wants to reach a larger
demographic, "we actually started to track penetration" of PlayStations
into households with VCRs, he added. PlayStation can be an entertainment
system, "not just a video game system." And music-themed Parappa the Rapper
is a "small step" toward a broader reach.
It was not until VCRs penetrated 25m households that "we really saw an
explosion" in the home video market, says THQ's [THQI] VP International Tim
Walsh, paralleling VCR growth in the early 80s to that of PlayStation
today. And the VCR is a good comparison, Walsh agrees, noting that both sit
in the living room, connect to a TV and provide entertainment.
French Publisher Acquires American Developer
Feb 3, 1998 (MULTIMEDIA WIRE, Vol. 5, No. 22) -- French publisher Titus
Interactive sgned a letter of intent to acquire developer BlueSky Software.
Financial terms were not disclosed. Titus, which is publicly traded on the
French stock exchange Nouveau Marche, reported $22m in revenue for 1997,
compared to $8m in 1996. Frost & Berman represented Titus in the deal.
BueSky's resume dates back to the 8- and 16-bit consoles with games:
Vectorman, Joe Montana Football and World Series Baseball for Sega Genesis.
The company is currently developing PlayStation title Superman.
MS OFFICE PRO 97 HELPS ONLINE MAGAZINE
KEEP COMPETITIVE EDGE
Company Overview
The STR Publishing, Inc., publisher of Silicon Times Report (STReport)
is one of the true pioneers of online publishing. Founded more than 10
years ago to serve the needs of computer enthusiasts, the magazine has been
published exclusively on the Internet since its inception. "Our basic
philosophy is that we're going to say it the way we see it," says magazine
founder and publisher Ralph Mariano. "As such, we avoid accepting any
directly related advertising."
Originally conceived as a means for supplementing software publishers'
manuals during a time "where the industry lacked really solid
documentation" says Mariano, STReport now is aimed at users of all types,
with an emphasis on novices. One of the magazine's top goals is to
encourage new computer users, trying to simplify computers and software for
them.
As the market has evolved, so has the publication. STReport has grown to
encompass a staff of editors and writers located throughout the country,
and offers product reviews, opinion pieces and issue-related stories. They
try to have "something for everyone" in each issue, according to the
publisher. In its early years, the magazine was published as straight ASCII
files in a simple ASCII editor. However, as the Internet market evolved, it
became apparent to Mariano that the magazine needed to change its format in
order to remain competitive.
Technology Challenges
STReport faced several challenges in creating a new look and feel to
its Web site. Most notable were the time demands on its staff. Because the
report is published weekly, the magazine staff did not have extensive time
to invest in designing the site or in HTML coding. However, to be
competitive in the new online magazine market, the publication needed an
innovative and creative look and feel that took advantage of the new
technology available in Web publishing.
Solutions
Mariano personally conducted product reviews for various Web authoring
tools. As part of this process, he participated in a number of beta
programs. Mariano selected Microsoft Office Professional 97 for several
reasons-its ease of use and compatibility with other Microsoft products.
Mariano and his staff planned to design the new STReport entirely in-house,
so they needed a product that they could use quickly. In addition, the
publication was already standardized on other Microsoft products, so using
MS Office Pro 97 instead of a competitive product made file transfers and
updates much easier.
In planning the new site, Mariano focused on designing an online
magazine that was visually compelling. During this process, Mariano and
staff found themselves using several features repeatedly, particularly MS
Office Pro 97's ability to handle animation and sound, which they
incorporated liberally throughout the Web site. Using Allaire's Homesite
3.0 and MS Office Pro 97, Mariano was able to design an automatic
subscription form for STReport. MS Office Pro 97's and Explorer 4.01 helped
Mariano consolidate the documents within the site so they flowed together
smoothly. Finally, Mariano found MS Office Pro 97's ability to handle color
exceptional due to it being a true WYSIWYG application.
Mariano says STReport saved a considerable amount of money by electing
to design its Web site in-house, rather than hiring outside consultants. "I
could have bought two new cars with the amount we saved by designing the
site ourselves," said Mariano. In addition, readership has increased and
the site itself has won a number of awards for its innovative design.
Mariano would like to see the report become what he calls a Mecca for
Internet users to turn to in order to gather information and products.
Future plans call for the publication to offer software drivers, among
other items, that readers can download online. Thanks to MS Office Pro 97,
this should be no problem.
The Linux Advocate
Column #6 - written 05 FEB 98
by Scott Dowdle
dowdle@icstech.com
http://www.icstech.com/~dowdle
LOGIN:
Welcome back to the Linux Advocate column. I've been busy with school and
reading the text book for my Business Telecommunications and Networking
class. I way ahead of the class (which I don't mind) and am really
learning a lot about networking from the "book learning" point of view. I
just wish I had the hardware networking resources to play with all of this
stuff.
One of the things I've been playing with lately is The GIMP (see
http://www.gimp.org) which is a GNU Public Licensed (aka GPL'ed, aka freely
distributable software with complete source code). The GIMP is a clone of
Adobe's Photoshop graphics application and is really a high quality
program. In fact, I think The GIMP is amazing. Currently, it's The GIMP
is at version 0.99.18 and I just installed the latest the other day and
have been trying to learn more about graphic arts with it. I'm no artist
but I'm not that bad. I certainly have a lot to learn about computer
graphic arts. While I had hoped to spotlight The GIMP for this week's
column installment, I didn't get around to learning all of the ins and outs
of screen grabbing nor picturing it in my head exactly what screen shots I
wanted to make for the column, so maybe next time.
Linux News
News Item #1: Linux is the #1 non-Microsoft Operating System - While it is
hard to determine the exact numbers of the Linux userbase nor how fast the
Linux userbase is growing, given its freely distributable status, in a
recent blurb on Red Hat's Web site was the following:
Linux is the fastest growing non-Microsoft Operating System in the world
according to Dan Kusnetzky of IDC (International Data Corporation - the
leading computer industry analysts). In Sun World Online Magazine,
Kusnetzky estimates that "between 2 million and 6 million copies of Linux
were installed in 1997, compared with around 3.8 million copies of the
MacOS, over 7 million copies of Microsoft Corp.'s NT Workstation and 1.2
million copies of IBM's OS/2."
See the following URL for the source of this information:
http://www.sun.com/sunworldonline/swol-01-1998/swol-01-eyeoncomp.html#2
It has also recently been noted that Red Hat Software sold approximately
232,000 copies of their Linux distribution in 1997 (at an SRP of $49.95)...
which is pretty amazing given the fact that Red Hat Linux is also freely
distributable, FTP-able over hundreds of Internet sites, and
available on cheap CD-ROMs like those produced by such vendors as
Cheap*Bytes (http://www.cheapbytes.com only $1.99 plus shipping). While
Red Hat Linux appears to be the most popular distribution of Linux, it
certainly isn't the only one and not necessarily indicative of the over all
Linux market. Some vendors, such as LinuxMall (http://www.linuxmall.com),
have even been giving away a free Linux distribution of your choice CD-ROM
as long as you pay the shipping.
The fact that in Red Hat's first year in the Linux distribution market,
they clear a cool $10 million on freely distributable software... well,
that's pretty amazing.
News Item #2: Netscape to release source code for Navigator 5.0 - As
reported in last weeks STR, Netscape announced that they plan to release
the source code to Navigator 5.0 when it is released. As a result of
Netscape's announcement, some of the computer industry press has run a few
stories on the free software movement from which Netscape got the
inspiration. The following URLS are a few of the better articles I've run
into. Those URLs were correct and working at the time of writing.
Freed Software Winning Support, Making Waves
http://www.wired.com/news/news/technology/story/9966.html
Developers on Free Netscape Code: Follow Through
http://www.wired.com/news/news/technology/story/9860.html
A Titanic challenge to Microsoft
http://www.msnbc.com/news/139296.asp
...and finally...
Netscape Decision Could Alter Software Industry
http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/digicom/020298digicom.html
That last URL is on the New York Times Web site and requires filling out a
free registration form, a slight annoyance, but perhaps worth your time to
receive the article in question. Not so oddly enough, many of the articles
draw back to sources from the Free Software Foundation, and the Linux
community and in many cases, the success of Linux is credited for having
something to do with Netscape's decision to release the source. The
articles talk it all out pretty well so I'm not going to beat it into the
ground. Oh, before I close this news item, I should mention one article
specifically mentioned as helping Netscape make the surprising decision to
release the source code:
The Cathedral and the Bazaar by Eric S. Raymond
http://www.ssc.com/linux/Eric/cathedral.html
News Item #3 - Red Hat Linux 5.0 won Infoworld Magazine's 1997 Network
Operating System Product of the Year award. You can read the announcement
on Infoworld's web site at the following URL:
http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayTC.pl?/97poy.win3.htm
Just so you know, Red Hat 4.x tied with Microsoft Windows NT for Network
Operating System Product of the Year for 1996.
News Item #4 - Caldera's OpenLinux Receives Editors' Choice Award of
Distinction in the Dec. 1996 issue of Byte magazine. While this news item
is a little dated, it seems only fair since I mentioned Red Hat's recent
award. For more info, see the following URL:
http://www.caldera.com/byte/byteaward.html
News Item #5: Bill Gates gets hit in the face with a cream pie - I know,
news about the incident will most assuredly be mentioned elsewhere in this
issue of STR, but I couldn't help but mention it myself. Simply Fabulous!
Linux Myth Dispelling
As admitted many times before, I'm borrowing completely from the
Linux Myth Dispeller Homepage
(http://www.KenAndTed.com/KensBookmark/linux/index.html) for this section
of the column. This installment's topic myth is: "Linux is hard to
network"
[Quoting Linux Myth Dispeller Homepage on]
Linux is hard to network
For Mac, it's AppleTalk. For Novell, it's IPX. For Windows, it's a mystery.
For the Internet, it's TCP/IP. Linux supports them all. As you may know,
TCP/IP (Internet Protocol) is the best networking protocol, and is native
to UNIX. It is also native to Linux. Networking Linux can be done in one
weekend (assuming you do have network cards), with some reading, testing,
and setting up. Connecting it to the Internet takes about 10 minutes.
Networking always has some stigma to it, but Linux is certainly no worse
than other operating systems.
[Quoting Linux Myth Dispeller Homepage off]
Linux Distribution Spotlight
This time I'll talk briefly about Caldera Inc's OpenLinux line of Linux
distributions. First off all, Caldera has a multi-tiered distribution with
OpenLinux Lite, Base, and Standard. Each distro is aimed at different
markets and OpenLinux Lite is free. Who is Caldera? Well, the core of
Caldera is made up mostly of former Novell employees and, in fact, the
company is silently bank-rolled by former Novell founder, Ray Noorda... and
was incorporated in January of 1995. Caldera has contributed several
things to the Linux development community including much of the TCP/IP PPP
code as well as virtually all of the Novell IPX networking code. Caldera
excels in Novell connectivity and their Linux distribution is the one to
choose if one of your main Linux Intranetworking projects is with a Novell
network.
Like many Linux distributions these days, Caldera's OpenLinux is based on
Red Hat's RPM package manager. Caldera also has a slew of software
licenses for optional packages for OpenLinux including WordPerfect Internet
Office Suite, among others. Caldera also markets Sunsoft's WABI (a
Microsoft Windows 3.x emulator) for OpenLinux. For more information on
Caldera, visit their Web site at the following URL:
http://www.caldera.com
Linux Application Spotlight
As mentioned previously in the LOGIN section, I had hoped to spotlight The
GIMP this time but didn't get around to it... as I'm still learning more
about the program, graphic arts in general, and my screen grabber. Expect
more on The GIMP next time. In the mean time, feel free to visit The GIMP
WWW site at Oh, for those who noticed that last column, when spotlighting
TkDesk... I never mentioned how much TkDesk costs... well, that was because
TkDesk, like virtually all of the software I'll talk about in this column,
is freely distributable and comes complete with source code. Isn't the
free software community wonderful?
Linux History
Who hasn't heard of the Free Software Foundation? For those that haven't,
the Free Software Foundation is an organization that was founded in the
early 80's by rebel Richard M. Stallman. The Free Software Foundation is
responsible for all of the GNU software products that are available for
virtually every computer platform that exists. GNU stands for GNU is Not
Unix and is a recursive acronym. Cool, huh? Any Atari ST fans might
remember MiNT originally stood for MiNT is Not TOS, which is a take off on
GNU if you ask me.
Anyway, Richard has done a lot of writing and speaking in the almost 2
decades he has been the world's leading advocate for free software. There
are those in the free software community, even outspoken folks like Linux's
Linus Torvalds and PERL's Larry Wall, that have had some minor political
problems with Mr. Stallman but admittedly they were all minor and RMS (Mr.
Stallmans initials and common nickname) still deserves a lot of respect and
admiration... and he has lots from me.
While it is debatable on just how important the GNU tools from the FSF were
in the birth of Linux, and what obstacles the Linux community would have
had trouble overcoming if the GNU tools weren't available and used by Linus
Torvalds... all of that is water under the bridge so far as I'm concerned.
The FSF and GNU play a major role in the history and development of Linux
as we know it. I encourage any and all to visit the FSF WWW site for all
kinds of propaganda. :) Visit the following URL for hours and hours of
reading pleasure:
http://www.gnu.org
Oddly enough, RMS has found a way to make donations to the Free Software
Foundation tax deductible and in fact, you may select the Free Software
Foundation as a direct charity when donating to the United Way if you so
desire.
LOGOUT:
Well, that's about all I have time for this column. If you have any
questions or comments, feel free to email me or visit my homepage. See you
next time.
Thanks for reading!
Scott Dowdle - Feb 1998
THE SHAME OF MODERN TIMES IN THE USA
An opinion by R.F. Mariano
Microsoft is standing up rather well in the face of the grandstanding
politicians trying to gain notoriety via the "monoply - anti-trust
boondoggle. Eleven states have now entered the fray. mind you, only
entered with subpoenas and nothing more. So MS will be obliged to furnish
business plans. Any fool can tell you what that is at this point in time.
Make a profit for the stockholders, make enough profit to pay wages, taxes,
and operating costs. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize what MS
must do to not only remain in business but to continue to furnish a truly
compatible platform that is placing computer use within reach of every man,
woman and child in the USA and perhaps, the world.
One can only speculate as to how many remember the "Good Old Days" of
computing. When DOS, in all its incarnations, reigned supreme. Sure we
do. this Network Hardware/Software Company had its own proprietary formats
and routines, that Network Hardware/Software Company had its own. Anyone
wishing to enjoy the benefits of networking had to submit to pricing that
was, even when described mildly, a god-awful rip off. Then came the ultra
specially qualified network ace, certified by this company, who furthered
the rip-off on an hourly basis. Oh, did I tell you that once the system
was set up by this knight in rusty armor you were forever more in his
servitude for anything you required. from updates to hardware add-ons or
upgrades. Once again of course, at the sky high, rip-off prices. Then
came the "inexpensive" networking software groups that sounded so good but
in the long run you were nickel and dimed to death. And to the tune of
more than you would've paid the other company. No matter which way you
went. you came away bleeding.
Now enters. MS Dos and Microsoft. Shortly after being "horsed
around" by a few high placed executives in a NY company.. MS decided to
bring forth a DOS for everyone. and what seems likely shortly thereafter a
GUI (Graphical User Interface) that was called "Windows". Of course,
Windows at that point in time was scoffed at by most all the DOS babies and
without a doubt the heavily certified network specialists and all the other
gouge goons hiding in the woodwork. Who had the best Word Processor? Who
knows? You had to buy each one to be able to read files produced by each
one. Who had the best Graphics programs? Who knows?? There were so many,
on a bunch of different platforms, that it would've taken a herd of
Einstein's to keep track of them. Don't even mention MIDI programming or
Games. Windows and Microsoft's concept of compatibility (cross platform)
would soon address many of these inconsistencies that deeply plagued the
computing communities.
When the smoke finally cleared long enough for many to look around and
finally get the message, that Microsoft had introduced true, unmitigated
cross platform compatibility. Oh my, did the opponents scream, moan and
literally weep. Their big noise about going bankrupt, losing their shirts,
pants and souls went on for what seemed like an eternity. Lo and behold.
after many were done lamenting, they soon found fresh new markets had been
opened up to them. Markets that had never existed before. They grew,
prospered and were more healthy than ever before. Then these very same
"criers" began to mimic Microsoft's business tactics. Hey imitation is the
highest form of flattery. right? This caused MS to vary its deployment of
shrewd, highly savvy business strategies. Once again. MS is leading the
way. showing the moaning dunderheads the facts of life as far as the
Internet is concerned. Now that MS has indeed shown the "competition" as
"they" wish to be called at this time. MS is getting a black eye for having
blazed new trails in software technology. God help us all if today's gouge
artists get their way.we'll not own a single program and we'll pay rent for
each time we use one. Talk about a gouge. Caveat Emptor!
Microsoft, when Windows was released, established certain software
programming guidelines that were well thought out to facilitate
compatibility and ease of programming across the boards. What happens??
Easy.. a few "hotshots jump up and are going to teach MS a few tricks.
They tried and tried. yet all that seemed to happen was the software they
were producing kept "breaking". They began to cry all over again. "MS is
not playing fair". they cried. What they didn't do was follow the rules.
If they had, their software would've ran beautifully from one version on
Windows to the next.
Admittedly, I am using Windows 98 (legally) and I must say its
marvelous! Everything about Windows 98 is a sheer pleasure. Windows 98
makes all previous versions seem like the original GUI systems that
appeared years ago. Gotta tell ya.. I am somewhat dismayed at the fools
who are hell bent to go about re-setting up many of the gouge deals MS all
but eliminated. MS brought true compatibility between programs and
platforms. The gouge artists obviously lost a cash cow in their
"proprietary voodoo rituals"
Now, not surprisingly, we see where our "ever so enlightened"
politicians are getting involved in persecuting Microsoft. Orrin Hatch R-
Utah comes to mind. Somebody ought to dig real deep into Hatch's
background both private and public. While they're at it, be certain that
his ever so secret likes and dislikes are made public. After all, he said
that Clinton in being a public official, should have no secrets and that he
and his Judicial Committee were taking a long hard look. Senator Hatch
take a long hard look at this. if you think for a minute that you are
pulling the wool over anyone's eye's with your silly grandstanding and
posturing both on Clinton's headaches and Microsoft's you are sorely
mistaken. The only one who's got "hair" in his eyes is you. Wake up my
good Senator and smell the coffee. Microsoft pays more taxes.. locally,
statewide and Federally than any 50 Senators. Better yet, Microsoft has
done more to eliminate unemployment than both the House and Senate in the
last ten years!
I could care less what Clinton is doing during his private time. I do
care about how much taxpayer money is being wasted by jerky politicians in
their vigorous pursuit of totally unimportant matters that amount to less
than a hill of beans.
I am elated with the levels of computing power Microsoft and its
software engineers have placed in the hands of the average everyday people
in this country. Don't forget the vast numbers of students whose learning
skills were tremendously accelerated through the use of computers. Most of
which use MS products in one form or another.
Its high time, the DOJ stepped back and removed itself from the
clutches of politics and the painful throes of being a political pawn.
Its so sad to see the DOJ look no better than Ken Starr the "Modern Day
Inquisitor". Its time to end these nightmares! BOTH of them!! The DOJ's
MS Anti-trust actions and Starr's obsessions over Clinton make a mockery of
the US Constitution and what it stands for.
EDITORIAL QUICKIES
THINGS WE CAN LEARN FROM A DOG
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
When it's in your best interest, practice obedience.
Let others know when they've invaded your territory.
Take naps and stretch before rising.
Run, romp and play daily.
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and
pout...run right back and make friends.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
STReport International Magazine
ICQ#:1170279
[S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport
http://WWW.STREPORT.COM
Every Week; OVER 250,000 Readers WORLDWIDE
All Items quoted, in whole or in part, are done so under the provisions of
The Fair Use Law of The Copyright Laws of the U.S.A. Views, Opinions and
Editorial Articles presented herein are not necessarily those of the
editors/staff of STReport International Magazine. Permission to reprint
articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. Reprints must, without
exception, include the name of the publication, date, issue number and the
author's name. STR, CPU, STReport and/or portions therein may not be
edited, used, duplicated or transmitted in any way without prior written
permission. STR, CPU, STReport, at the time of publication, is believed
reasonably accurate. STR, CPU, STReport, are trademarks of STReport and
STR Publishing Inc. STR, CPU, STReport, its staff and contributors are not
and cannot be held responsible in any way for the use or misuse of
information contained herein or the results obtained therefrom.
STReport "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" February 06, 1998
Since 1987 Copyrightc1998 All Rights Reserved Issue No. 1405
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