Monthly Technology Updates

JANUARY 1999

Year 2000 Update - Global Positioning Satellites

The global positioning system (GPS) uses satellite timing signals to pinpoint exact locations on Earth (see article in this month's technology updates). The signals from the GPS satellites are highly time-sensitive. While it does not appear the GPS satellites will suffer from the year 2000 (Y2K) problem (see September's technology updates), GPS receivers might have problems.

Actually, GPS receivers might have two date-related problems. The first one is the classic year 2000 problem. On January 1, 2000, the GPS receiver may think the date is January 1, 1900 (or some other year). The receiver might consider the date invalid and fail to function properly.

The second GPS date-related difficulty is known as the end of week (EOW) rollover problem. The GPS started counting weeks on January 6, 1980. However, the system can count only 1024 weeks. On August 22, 1999, then, the GPS week count will rollover from 1023 to 0000 (many computer applications start counting at zero instead of one). Thus the receiver will think it is January 6, 1980, again. Like the Y2K problem this may cause some GPS receivers to fail.

The U.S. military is already working to check all of its receivers by using special GPS simulation software. Civilian users who are concerned about the problem must contact their receiver's manufacturer.

For more information click on the links below:

PC Tips - Creating a Signature File

If you're tired of typing out your E-mail signature, then saving it in a special file is just the thing for you. This month's PC tips will detail the process of creating such a file in Netscape Communicator 4.0 (or higher) and in Microsoft Outlook 97.

Netscape Communicator instructions:

  1. Launch Windows Explorer
  2. Find the Netscape directory and double click to open it
  3. Click on File, then New, then choose Text Document
  4. Name the text document signature.txt
  5. Double click on signature.txt to open it
  6. Type your signature information (for example you might want to include your phone number, address, and a reference to your home page)
  7. When you are done, click on File and then Save
  8. Next click on File and then Exit
  9. Now that you have created the signature file, you need to tell Communicator to use it, so launch Communicator
  10. Click on Edit and then Preferences
  11. In the Category box, double click on Mail & Groups
  12. Click on Identity
  13. Next to the Signature File box click on Choose
  14. Find your signature file and double click on it
  15. Click on Okay

The next time you compose a new E-mail message the text from your signature file will be automatically added to the end of the message.

Microsoft Outlook instructions (NOTE: If you do not have Microsoft Word installed, you will not be able to create a signature file):

  1. Launch Outlook
  2. Click on Tools and then Options
  3. Click on the E-mail tag
  4. Check the box next to Use Microsoft Word as the e-mail editor
  5. Click on Okay
  6. Click on Compose and then New Mail Message
  7. In the body of the message, type your signature information (for example you might want to include your phone number, address, and a reference to your home page)
  8. Select the text you just typed by holding down the left mouse button and dragging the cursor over the text
  9. Click on Tools and then Autosignature
  10. Click on Yes to save your text as a signature file

The next time you compose a new E-mail message, the text from your signature file will be automatically added to the end of the message.

Attending an Online Auction

Want to sell those old baseball cards? Looking for a deal on a 35mm camera? You might want to think about an using an online auction service. The largest online auction service is eBay, which has sold over 35 million items through its auction web site since its start in 1995. It has been so successful that other companies -- such as Yahoo! -- have launched their own auction service.

Suppose you decide to sell those old baseball cards through an online auction service. What do you do next? You will need to register with the service you decide to use. Some services -- Yahoo! for example -- are free. Other services, like eBay, charge a small fee for listing your item and receive a percentage of the final sales price. When listing an item you will need to provide a complete description and, if possible, a picture of the item. You will be asked to decide how long the auction should last, typically anywhere from 2 to 14 days. You will also be asked to set the minimum price you will accept for the item, called the reserve price. Once you have registered you are legally obligated to sell your item to the highest bidder, unless the highest bid is lower than the reserve price.

If you are interested in purchasing an item listed on an online auction site, you can make a bid for it. At eBay you submit two prices: You enter the highest price you are willing to pay for the item, and you enter a current bid. For example, you may be willing to pay $100 for an item, but the last bid was only $50. You might enter a new bid of $55 and a maximum price of $100. The eBay system automatically increases your bid, up to the maximum you set, when new bids are entered. So if a new bidder enters a bid of $60, the eBay system might automatically enter a new bid for you at $65. Therefore, you do not need to constantly keep track of the auction. You should be aware that placing a bid means that you are legally obligated to purchase the item at the bid price (if it is the highest bid). There is usually no charge for bidding on online auction sites.

Once an auction has closed, the seller and highest bidder contact each other and arrange to exchange the item for payment. Terms of delivery (who pays for shipping) and payment should be spelled out in the item auction listing.

For more information about online auctions, click on these links:

Censorship or Protection - Internet Access in Public Libraries

On November 23, 1998, a judge in the U.S. District Court ruled that the Loudoun County, Virginia, public library policy of using filtering software (see December's technology updates) on its public-access computers is unconstitutional under the first amendment.

This case began on October 20, 1997, when the Loudoun County library board of trustees voted to require filtering software on all library computers with Internet access. The board of trustees decided to use the filtering software called X-Stop. However, it was soon determined that the software blocked sites that had no objectionable material, such as the American Association of University Women. After the judge's ruling, the board of trustees passed a new Internet access policy that complied with the decision.

In a completely opposite case a plaintiff in the city of Livermore, California, is suing the city for allowing her minor son unrestricted access to the Internet. She claims that her son used this unrestricted access to download pornographic material. This case is still working its way through the legal system.

Similar issues have been raised in other parts of the country. For more information about these issues, click on these links:

Firewalls - Keeping the Bad Guys Out and Letting the Good Guys In

Your organization has a World Wide Web (WWW) site, but you’re concerned about hackers getting into your system. By using a firewall you can keep the bad guys out and let the good guys have access to your site. A firewall is specialized software and/or hardware that acts as a gateway between an organization's network and the Internet.

Firewall systems provide three main functions: packet filtering, application gateways, and logging. Data on a network is typically sent in packets (groups of bits). Packet filtering allows the network administrator to determine what types of packets to accept from the Internet. For example, the administrator might disallow packets originating from a certain destination. The administrator might use packet filtering to disable certain services, such as file transfer protocol (ftp). Packet filtering is typically performed by specialized routers.

An application gateway is the central point of contact for all external users attempting to access an organization's network. The gateway acts as a guard by hiding information about computers on the network and allowing only authorized functions. Imagine an external user attempting to upload a file onto a computer on an organization's network. Since the application gateway acts as the point of contact for all traffic, the external user cannot directly address individual network computers. The gateway may be set-up to deny uploads from all but privileged users. These users would have to authenticate themselves to the firewall system through some type of password scheme or other security mechanism.

One additional feature provided by application gateways is the ability to log suspicious behavior. Firewall logs usually include information about where the packets originated and what type of protocols were used and signal unauthorized attempts to enter the system. With this information the systems administrator can ban packets originating from a certain address. For example, if the organization was receiving a large amount of junk E-mail, the logs would reveal where the E-mail originated and the administrator would then block further E-mail from that address.

For more information about firewalls, click on these links:

Pictures Without Film

Did you ever miss that perfect photograph because you ran out of film? Well, a digital camera can ensure that it never happens again. Digital cameras do not use film. Instead, images are stored in the camera's memory or an external storage device in digital format.

A digital camera works on the same basic principles as a traditional camera. In a traditional camera, lenses focus an image onto light-sensitive film. In a digital camera, lenses focus an image onto a charged coupled device (CCD). Just like your computer monitor, a CCD is divided into picture elements called pixels. While traditional film has an infinite resolution, the resolution of a digital camera is limited to the number of pixels contained in its CCD. Thus a higher number of pixels will lead to greater image quality.

Inexpensive digital cameras with low resolution sell for under $400. Higher resolution cameras sell in the $1,000 range. These cameras typically have a resolution of at least 1280 x 1024 and can store from one to over one hundred pictures, depending on resolution and storage media. Many cameras have built-in image-manipulation features.

Once you have taken your photos with your digital camera you can download them to your computer for long-term storage. With a color printer and special paper you can print out your pictures in near photographic quality.

For more information about digital cameras, click on these links:

AOL and Netscape Merge

On November 24, 1998, America Online (AOL) announced it will purchase Netscape Communications Corporation for $4.2 billion in stock. At the same time AOL's CEO, Steve Case, announced a strategic alliance with Sun Microsystems. These deals are designed to put AOL at the forefront of the emerging electronic commerce market and allow AOL and Sun to compete more strongly with Microsoft in this area.

AOL is already the number one Internet service provider. By merging its 14 million subscribers with the 9 million registered users of Netscape's Netcenter web site, the new combination will become the largest web portal. Along with Netscape's web presence, AOL will also acquire key software, including Netscape's popular Communicator web browser.

In the future AOL will use Netscape's browser software and Sun's Java programming language (see this month's technology updates) to develop Internet appliances. Such appliances could include set-top boxes that allow users to connect their TV to the web.

For more information about these deals, click on these links:

Have Some Java With That Web Site

If you have surfed the web and found an application that pops up on your screen and lets you calculate a mortgage or perhaps play a game, you have seen the power of the Java programming language. Java is an object-oriented language developed by Sun Microsystems. Due to some of its unique features it has become a de facto programming language standard for developing web-based applications (called applets). These applets are usually small programs that perform a specific task (like calculating a mortgage).

Most computer programming languages, such as C or Pascal, need to be compiled before they can be run. The compile process creates an executable program that can usually be run on only one type of computer platform (a PC or a Mac for example). But Java programs are compiled in a different manner, and Java is an excellent language for web applets because it is an interpreted language. Their final form (called bytecode) cannot be run directly on any computer. Instead the computer must run a Java interpreter. This program translates the bytecode into instructions that can be understood by a specific type of computer. So a program needs to be written only once. It can then be run on any computer with a Java interpreter. The popular web browsers, Netscape's Communicator and Microsoft's Internet Explorer, have a Java interpreter built in.

For more information about Java, click on these links:

Never Ask for Directions Again - Use Global Positioning Satellites to Find Your Way

Wouldn't it be nice if your car could give you directions when you're lost? Imagine your car suggesting an alternate route to work when traffic is heavy on your normal route. These visions are becoming reality. By combining data from the global positioning system (GPS) and mapping software, some car makers are beginning to equip their vehicles with intelligent navigation systems.

The GPS uses satellites to pinpoint locations on Earth to within 300 feet (within three feet in some instances). The system was originally designed for the U.S. military. However, today anyone can use it. GPS consists of 24 satellites that orbit 11,000 miles up. Each satellite, equipped with a very accurate clock, constantly transmits a timing signal that travels at the speed of light. By triangulating the signals from four satellites, a GPS receiver is able to calculate its position.

When combined with mapping software (a database with maps for the area of interest) and a compass, GPS becomes a powerful automobile navigation system. The GPS locates a car's position on the electronic map. The compass determines the car's orientation. A driver leaving for a trip inputs the destination. The car's navigation system will inform the driver (through a speech synthesizer) when he needs to turn. While this system might seem like science fiction, it is already available in some luxury cars, like the Cadillac.

In the future your car's navigation system might be tied to radio signals from the local department of transportation, alerting it to changing traffic patterns. The navigation system would then calculate your fastest route and suggest appropriate changes.

For more information, click on these links:

Trade in Your Francs and Deutsche Marks for Euros

Over the next few years the monetary systems of Europe will undergo a dramatic transformation. They will cease to exist. By July 1, 2002, the currencies of the European Union nations will be replaced by a single currency, called the Euro. This process began on December 31, 1998. On that date exchange rates between national European currencies and the Euro were fixed. On January 4, 1999, European financial markets converted to the Euro.

This transformation entails a reengineering of existing financial systems software. To make matters more complicated, many European financial institutions had to make the change over the long New Year's weekend. New software had to be brought online and checked for bugs. In addition, historical data had to be converted into Euros.

During the transition period European companies are expected to lay out $65 billion for new and upgraded software. The transition extends from large financial transactions down to retrofitting vending machines and parking meters to accept the new currency.

For more information about the conversion to the Euro, click on these links:

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