January 2000 Technology Updates1. Y2K - It's hereIf you're reading this, civilization did not end on 1/1/2000. However, in the days approaching New Year's, many individuals, companies, governments, and industries were worried about the impact of the Y2K computer bug. Here are some of their last-minute preparations:
For full Y2K coverage, click on these links:
2. Online holiday shoppingThere was an explosion of online shoppers during the 1999 holiday season. Forrester Research has predicted that revenues from online shopping will top $8 billion this year, compared with $3 billion last year. Sales at all online toy stores, such as eToys and Toys 'R Us's Web site, increased by almost 100 percent from last year. Toys 'R Us reported that over 1.5 million users visited its Web site during Thanksgiving week. This represents a 335 percent increase over last year. The huge increase caused the Toys 'R Us Web site to fail on a few occasions. In addition, some customers who placed orders prior to Toys 'R Us's December 10 deadline for delivery before Christmas were told that their orders would be delayed until after Christmas. Some of the most popular sites for the holidays are those that allow users to compare items and prices. Traffic to the price comparison site MySimon jumped almost 200 percent. Traffic at online shopping malls, such as Shopping.com, also experienced a large increase. For more information, click on these links:
3. PC Tips - Browser security (Advanced IE)Last month's PC Tips discussed basic security measures for Internet Explorer. This month we will examine some of Internet Explorer's custom security features. To access the IE (version 5 or higher) custom security system, follow these steps:
Your screen should look like this: If your screen displays only a few headings, double-click on them to expand them. Through this screen you can set various features as enabled, disabled, or prompt. Setting a feature to prompt means that you will be prompted every time that feature needs to be activated. (Note: This can be very annoying for frequently used features such as cookies.) There is no need to change most of the default settings. However, if you are concerned about security, you might want to check a few of these settings:
4. Internet access for allOn December 8, 1999, President Clinton announced that he will lead a group of high technology CEOs on a "New Markets" tour of poor communities. The tour will occur in the spring and is aimed at tackling the problem called the "digital divide." The digital divide stems from a Commerce Department report showing that poor and minority households are far less likely to have Internet access. The report also indicates that this gap is widening. In addition to the tour, President Clinton signed an executive memorandum making the closing of the digital divide a "vital goal" of the federal government. The President also praised the success of the E-rate. The E-rate is a levy charged on telephone services, with the money going to pay to connect poor and rural schools to the Internet. For more information, click on these links:
5. DVD hackIn early November 1999 two European hackers broke the encryption code for digital video disc (DVD) movies. DVD movies are encrypted to ensure that illegal copies cannot be made. However, due to U.S. export rules on encryption technology, the DVD encryption scheme, called the Content Scrambling System (CSS), used only a weak 40-bit technique (most Web browsers in the U.S. use 128-bit encryption). The hackers posted a utility program to decrypt DVDs called DeCSS on the Internet. At the beginning of December many major Japanese DVD makers, including Matsushita and Victor, announced they would delay production of their new DVD systems until a new encryption scheme could be implemented. This move has led some experts to speculate that the DVD industry may enter into a cycle where manufacturers are always trying to keep one step ahead of the hackers. On December 28 the DVD industry filed a lawsuit against 72 individuals. The individuals charged included the original hackers and those people who posted the hack on their Web sites. For more information, click on these links:
6. AMD's AthlonOn November 29, 1999, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) released its latest chip. At least temporarily the new 750 MHz Athlon chip is the fastest commercially available microprocessor. The chip is priced at $799 when purchased in bulk. Major computer manufacturers, such as Compaq and IBM, have announced they will use the Athlon chip in their products. Other manufacturers are considering the chip because of a shortage of high-speed chips from AMD competitor Intel. Intel has been unable to keep up with the demand for its Coppermine Pentium III chips, which have a top clock speed of 733 MHz. For more information, click on these links:
7. Comet Systems cursor controversyA simple program that allows Web masters to change a user's mouse cursor from the standard arrow to any image they select has caused concern over Internet privacy. The program, called Comet Cursor, was developed by Comet Systems. A user first downloads and installs the Comet Cursor program. Web masters can then create new cursors and use them to help with site image and product branding. For example, Vice President Al Gore's campaign used the software to change the cursor to a Gore 2000 button, and the Warner Brothers site used it to change the cursor to cartoon characters. The problems arose when it was revealed that the cursor software tracks the mouse movements and sends that information back to Comet Systems. Comet Systems then sells the information back to the companies. The tracking data are anonymous. However, in a class action lawsuit filed against the company, the plaintiffs claim that Comet is able to track individual's Web use via a personalized serial number built into the software. Comet Systems claims that the serial number is designed for its own internal use and that personal information has never been resold to its clients. For the latest information on online privacy issues, click on these links:
8. BluetoothAn information technology consortium called Bluetooth is striving to develop standards that will allow any wireless communication or computing device to communicate with any other such device. The consortium, which has over a thousand members, is led by such well-known companies as IBM, Intel, and Nokia. In December, Microsoft, 3Com, and Motorola joined the consortium. Bluetooth has developed the Service Discovery Protocol (SDP). This protocol continuously searches for services available from other Bluetooth-enabled devices. For example, Bluetooth technology can be used to establish ad hoc networks of a few devices (called piconets). Whenever two (or more) Bluetooth devices come into range of each other the SDP can determine how they can interact, automatically establishing the proper communication link. For more information, click on these links:
9. Retailers and Internet companies team upWal-Mart and Kmart are fierce competitors in the traditional retailing market. Now, through a series of deals, they will compete in the market for electronic commerce dollars. Both companies announced a number of important deals in December 1999. Wal-Mart has teamed up with AOL to provide Internet access and to cross-market each other's products and services. Wal-Mart will sell AOL software in its stores and will publicize the deal in its advertising. AOL also entered into a deal with electronics retailer Circuit City. Under that deal Circuit City will promote AOL products and services in exchange for prominent placement on the AOL site. Kmart has partnered with Yahoo! to offer a free Internet Service Provider (ISP) service called BlueLight.com. Kmart will distribute the required software through its chain of retail stores. Yahoo! will provide the interface for the free service. To keep up with the latest strategies in the electronic commerce area, click on these links :
10. Haitian Internet feud endedIt appears that an ongoing battle between Haiti's largest Internet service provider, Alpha Communications (ACN), and the state-run telecommunications monopoly, Telecommunications d'Haiti (Telco) has ended. The feud began nearly two years ago when Telco cut off ACN's phone lines. ACN then moved its operations to a wireless network that bypasses Telco. The battle became more heated in September when Telco and government regulators accused ACN of providing international telephone service, in violation of the Telco monopoly. The government shut down can, cutting off Internet access to many foreign embassies, banks, and the state university. At the end of December, in a mediated settlement, the government agreed to drop the charges against ACN and allow it to restart operations. By December 27 ACN's systems were back online. For more information, click on this link:
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