Monthly Technology Updates

AUGUST 1999

1. Year 2000 - 150 days to go

With approximately 150 days left to fix systems that are not year-2000 compliant, a number of industries have made progress.  In fact, many state and local governments began their fiscal year 2000 on July 1, 1999, and to date there have been no reports of year-2000 problems. 

Consider that June 30 was the deadline for many utilities to complete their Y2K updates.  While the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) has not yet released its official report, many individual utility companies, such as Baltimore Gas & Electric, have announced they are fully Y2K compliant.

Also on June 30 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that all of its systems are year-2000 compliant.  To reassure the public that air travel will be safe during the Y2K rollover, a number of high-ranking FAA officials have announced their intention to celebrate the new year onboard a commercial air flight. 

Some people who may not be flying are British citizens who want to travel overseas.   The British Passport Agency is experiencing long delays in processing new passport applications.  These delays have been caused by a new law requiring children to carry passports and by the introduction of a new computer system to replace the old system, which was not year-2000 compliant.  The delays may last throughout the summer holiday season.

For more information, click on these links:

2. PC Tip - Creating scraps

Many people know how to cut or copy and paste text and other objects from one document to another.  However, most people are not aware of their ability to create scraps.  Unlike material you cut and paste, a scrap can be used many times and will be saved when you turn off your computer.

To create a scrap and a desktop icon for it, take these steps:

  1. Open MS Word and load (or create) the document from which the scrap will be created.
  2. Click on the restore button. It is the middle icon on the upper right portion of the application screen, if your application screen is maximized. If your application screen is not maximized (that is it does not take up the entire monitor area) then skip to step 3.
  3. Using MS Word, highlight the text you want to use as your scrap.
  4. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the scrap onto the desktop
  5. Release the left mouse button when the scrap is over the desktop, and the scrap will be created.

To use the scrap, simply drag it from the desktop and release it where you want it in your document.

 

3.  The end of the .com monopoly

Since 1993 Network Solutions has had a government-sanctioned monopoly on the assignment of the most popular Internet domain names. Network Solutions provides domain names for the popular .com, .net, and .org extensions.

Late last year the Commerce Department sanctioned the creation of a new, non-profit organization, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). ICANN is responsible for the technical administration of the Internet. It was specifically assigned to eliminate Network Solutions' monopoly on domain name registration.

In late May 1999 five companies, including America Online (AOL), were chosen to link up with Network Solutions' domain name registration system. These companies, along with others chosen later, are currently in a testing phase scheduled to conclude by the end of June. However, the testing will probably take longer than anticipated. Once the testing phase is complete, the business of providing domain names will be open to at least a dozen companies.

In addition to ending the domain name registration monopoly, ICANN will develop new guidelines for handling the contentious issue of trademarked domain names. It is currently considering a proposal from the World Intellectual Property Organization that would provide trademark protection for "famous" names and prevent cyber-squatting. Cyber-squatting occurs when a person registers domain names for famous companies or people and then attempts to sell the names for a huge profit.

For more information, click on these links:

4. Telecommunications access for the disabled

On July 14, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted new rules that require the manufacturers of telecommunications equipment to ensure that people with disabilities can use their products.  The rules will implement provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the Communications Act of 1934.  In developing the new rules, the FCC relied on the American's with Disabilities Act for guidance.

The rules require equipment makers to consider useability issues at the time of product design.  The FCC did specify that the rules apply only where a change is "readily achievable."  The FCC goes on to explain that "readily achievable" means "easily accomplishable and able to be carried out without much difficulty or expense."

For more information, click on these links:

 

5. Hackers get a taste of their own medicine

The hacking community got a taste of its own medicine at the beginning of July when DefCon's seventh annual convention page was hacked.   DefCon is an annual "underground party for hackers."  It has been held in Las Vegas for the past six years.  The list of speakers at the convention includes a wide mix of people, ranging from well-known security expert and author Winn Schwartau to the hacking group Cult of the Dead Cow.

DefCon's site was hacked by a group calling itself the ADM Crew.  This group renamed the site ADM.com and posted humorous spoofs revolving around the conference.   The person who posted the new site included the ADM motto, which reads, "You're lucky we're whitehats."  Whitehats refers to hackers who do not cause destruction to the systems they attack. 

For more information, click on these links:

 

6. XML part 2 - An example

Last month's technology updates explained the basic concepts of the Extensible Markup Language (XML).  However, it is often difficult to understand how XML differs from the Web standard Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).  So here is a concrete example.   Suppose we are interested in conducting medical research.  We want to search the Internet for all patients who have a particular disease and see what treatments work best.  A Web-based medical record using HTML might look something like this:

Patient: Bill Clinton

Gender: Male

Diagnosis: Chicken Pox

Treatment: None

The actual HTML code would look like this:

<p><strong>Patient:</strong> Bill Clinton</p>

<p><strong>Gender:</strong> Male</p>

<p><strong>Diagnosis:</strong> Chicken Pox</p>

<p><strong>Treatment:</strong> None</p>

To use this data, somebody would have to go through it and figure out what each element means.  This researcher would also have to strip away all of the HTML coding to get at the actual data.

If the medical community agreed on an XML specification for patient records, the web page might look exactly the same, but the XML would be very different.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE list [
<!ELEMENT patient_record (name, gender, diagnosis, treatment)>
<!ELEMENT name (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT gender (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT diagnosis (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT treatment (#PCDATA)>
<list>
<patient_record>
<name>Bill Clinton</name>
<gender>Male</gender>
<diagnosis>Chicken Pox</diagnosis>
<treatment>None</treatment>
</list>

As you can see, the XML document is similar to a database.  The Element tags define the data to be stored, and the researcher uses them later to retrieve the actual data.  Now the researcher needs only to find those records where the treatment tag is equal to the disease of interest. For example, the researcher’s SQL query might be SELECT * FROM Medical WHERE Treatment = "Chicken Pox".

For more information on XML, click on these links:


7. It's colorful and portable, it's the new Apple iBook

Apple Computer's interim CEO, Steve Jobs, announced the company's latest portable computer at the MacWorld Expo.  The new computer, called iBook, will be offered with a 300MHz processor, 3.2 GB hard drive, and a 12-inch active matrix screen.  The iBook will also come with a CD-ROM, modem, and Ethernet networking connection.

Taking a cue from the popular iMac desktop computers, iBook will be offered in two colors, Tangerine and Blueberry.  (But some Mac enthusiasts were disappointed that the iBook would not be available in all five of the iMac colors.)  Along with the innovative color scheme, iBook includes additional innovations, including a built-in handle and a power cord that winds into the power adapter.  Perhaps the most interesting feature is the iBook's option that will allow the computer to connect to the Internet without phone cables.  The wireless access will be provided by AirPort Wireless Networking from Lucent Technologies.  The AirPort system will allow users to connect from a distance of 150 feet at a speed of 11Mbps.

For more information, click on these links:

 

8. Jury fines Microsoft $1

On July 16, 1999, a Connecticut jury provided Microsoft with a small victory in its large anti-trust legal battle.  The case pitted Microsoft against Bristol Technologies.  Bristol provides products and services that help software development.  The  suit alleged that Microsoft unfairly raised licensing fees and failed to provide technical support for Bristol's Wind/U software.  Wind/U allows users of the UNIX operating system to run Windows software.  Bristol was suing for $263 million in damages.

Key testimony in the trial came from one of Bristol's main competitors, Mainsoft.   Mainsoft officials testified that they had accepted the same licensing terms that Bristol had rejected and felt they were reasonable.  The jury found Microsoft not guilty on all federal charges, but decided the company had violated Connecticut anti-trust law by committing a "deceptive act."  The jury awarded Bristol the symbolic sum of $1.

Legal scholars predict that this case will not significantly affect the larger federal anti-trust case against Microsoft.  That case, in which the U.S. Justice Department and 19 states are suing Microsoft over anti-trust violations, is not expected to end until early next year.  However, experts believe that the verdict in this Connecticut case may scare off other private companies from suing Microsoft.

For more information, click on these links:

 

9.  Broadband battle goes local

Both sides in the battle over broadband Internet access took to the airwaves over the July 4th holiday weekend, running ads in California.  The battle is whether Internet service providers (ISP) that are not affiliated with a cable or telecommunications company should have the right to access proprietary networks in order to provide high-speed Internet access. 

The city of Portland, Oregon, recently ruled that AT&T, which purchased cable operator TCI, must allow third-party ISPs to access their cable lines in order to provide cable modem Internet access.  AT&T already offers a cable modem service called Excite@Home.  AT&T is appealing a court ruling that upholds the city's decision. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is considering a measure similar to Portland’s. 

In Los Angeles three members of the city's five-member Information Technology Commission resigned over a report that called for a "no open access" policy.  William Kennard, the head of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has publicly announced that he supports a "hands off" approach that would not allow municipalities to regulate the cable and telecommunications industry.

For more information, click on these links:

10. The Web in China

Some companies are noticing the market potential for Internet services in China.  A recent industry estimate shows that there are now some 4 million Internet users in China, doubled what it was just one year ago.  As fast as this increase is, the high cost of access is slowing Internet growth down.  MyWeb Inc., a company that produces set-top boxes for Internet access via television, entered into a partnership with the Beijing Telegraph Administration. The price of the boxes will be discounted to attract customers.  In addition, those signing up for access before October will receive a discount on access fees.

In July, one of the largest China-specific Internet portals, China.com, went public and saw an instant increase in its stock price of over 200 percent.  China.com, owned by China Internet, provides links to information about China and city guides for Chinese cities, such as Shanghai and Beijing.  The company also has portal sites for Taiwan (http://www.taiwan.com) and Hong Kong (http://www.hongkong.com).  China Internet runs its sites in a partnership with Netscape Communications.  In July, Netscape released its first Chinese-language version of its popular Web browser, Communicator. 

For more information, click on these links:

 


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