January 2001 Technology Updates
1. States vote to simplify sales tax
On December 22, 2000 the Streamlined Sales Tax Project (SSTP) voted unanimously to approve a plan aimed at collecting sales tax on Internet and catalog purchases. The SSTP is made up of representatives from 30 states and observers from 9 others. Under current law states are prohibited from taxing Internet purchases. However the tax moratorium expires in October 2001.
Under the plan proposed by the SSTP states would simplify their sales tax systems, making them easier to administer. Collection of sales tax for Internet purchases would be handed over to a third party. That party would be responsible for charging the correct sales tax and collecting it based on the address of the purchaser. The plan will be reviewed by the National Governors' Association and then must be adopted by each state.
For more information, click on the links below:
2. Cell Phone Tip - Looking up your SAR
A cellular phone's specific absorption rate (SAR) is an indication of how much radiation the phone gives off (see Cell phone radiation levels in this month's technology updates). A lower SAR is better, meaning less radiation. In order to determine the SAR for your cellular phone (or one you are thinking about purchasing) follow these steps:
- Connect to the Internet and browse to http://www.domode.com/sardata.htm.
- Look up the make and model of your phone on the chart.
If your phone does not appear on the chart you can look up SAR data on the Federal Communications Commission Web site by following these steps:
- Determine the phone's FCC ID number (the number should look something like XXXABC123).
- For a new phone this number should appear on the outside of the box.
- For a phone you already own remove the battery (check your user's manual). The FCC ID number should be clearly labeled beneath the battery.
- Connect to the Internet and browse to http://www.fcc.gov/oet/fccid/.
- Enter the FCC ID number from the phone into the form on the site (note that the first three characters are the grantee code and the remaining characters are the equipment product code) and click on Start Search.
- When the search is complete click on View Exhibits (when the warning box appears click on OK).
- In the exhibit type look for RF Exposure Data and in the Description of Exhibit look for SAR Test Report. Click on View Attachment (note you will need the Adobe Acrobat viewer to read the document - download it at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html).
- Since these documents are not standardized you may need to read through them to find the SAR results (try looking for Test Data Summary).
3. Whois
A federal judge has enjoined Web hosting company Verio from using data about domain name owners gleaned from Register.com's whois database. A whois database contains contact information for domain name owners and is publicly available from the company's Web site. The database is typically used to report technical problems and to track down people who own domain names that somebody else wants.
Verio used the system to find new domain name owners and aggressively market Web hosting services to them. The company sent them e-mail and called them. Verio used a software robot to automatically scour the whois database for the best prospects. Register.com sued Verio and the judge issued the injunction on the belief that Register.com had a good chance of winning the case.
For more information, click on the links below:
4. Microsoft hack poses national security threat
The repercussions of a hacker gaining access to Microsoft's secret source code in October 2000 (see December 2000 technology updates) are still being felt. On December 14, 2000 the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington think tank, issued a report entitled "Cyber Threats and Information Security Meeting the 21st Century Challenge".
The report discusses various cyber threats to national security, but is particularly concerned with the recent Microsoft security breach. The report states that it is doubtful that the source code accessed by the hackers can be "sanitized". In addition, CSIS is concerned that the hackers used a relatively simple method for gaining access to Microsoft computers. They point out that the use of Microsoft products in the U.S. military and government "can pose grave national security related concerns".
For more information, click on the links below:
5. Webcasting royalties
The U.S. Copyright Office ruled on December 8, 2000 that radio stations that simulcast their programming over the World Wide Web must sign a licensing agreement with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This agreement dictates that the station will pay a royalty based on rates to be set next year. In order to avoid uncertainty many Web broadcasters (Webcasters) have already inked royalty agreements with the RIAA
The ruling puts radio stations on the same footing as pure Web broadcasters. In the past only pure Webcasters were required to sign the licensing agreement. Many of them felt that the radio stations were able to get better royalty deals by negotiating with individual record labels.
For more information click on the link below:
6. Schools get Zapped
ZapMe Corporation began as a company that provided public schools with free computers and Internet access. In exchange the schools allowed ZapMe to display ads on the computers' monitor. This business model became controversial. So after the company was purchased by Gilat Satellite Networks in October 2000 it became as a seller of high speed Internet access to corporate clients.
This has left over 2,000 schools in the lurch. On November 10, 2000 ZapMe sent a letter to schools with its computers indicating that they would now have to purchase or lease the equipment. As part of its contract with the schools, ZapMe reserved the right to take back the computers at any time. Each computer lab can cost as much as $13,000 and ZapMe has indicated that it will help schools find financing. By December other school computer lab companies were tailoring programs to help ZapMe schools purchase their labs.
For more information, click on the links below:
7. Y2K bugs still cropping up
Nearly a year after the year 2000 began, computer bugs caused by the change to a new century are still occurring. The most recent incident happened on December 31, 2000. That morning Norway's high speed, long distance, and airport express shuttle trains refused to start. It was soon discovered that the trains did not recognize 31/21/00 as a valid date. The problem was temporarily solved by resetting the trains' internal clocks back to 01/12/00 (December 1, 2000). Adtranz, a German company that makes the trains, will work for the next month to resolve the problem.
For more information, click on the link below:
8. Cell phone radiation levels
In June 2000 the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association's (CTIA) approved a measure requiring all CTIA certified cell phones contain information about the phone's radiation levels. Specifically, the manufacturer is required to reveal the phone's specific absorption rate (SAR). The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that the SAR be no higher than 1.6. Radiation from cell phones has been suspected as a cause of brain tumors.
A number of people have collected SAR data and published it on the World Wide Web (to determine your phone's SAR score see Cell Phone Tips above). However, cell phone makers are being criticized for making SAR data hard to find. Currently, they reveal a phone's ID number on the outside of the box. This allows a potential customer to look up SAR information on the WWW. The SAR information is revealed in documents inside the box. The cell phone makers believe that if SAR information is made readily available on the outside of the box consumers will only buy phones with the lowest SAR scores.
For more information, click on the links below:
9. Fingerprint mouse
At the ITU Asia Telecom 2000 fair in early December 2000, Siemens introduced a mouse that contains a built-in fingerprint scanner. The mouse, called ID mouse, transmits the fingerprint to the computer which compares it against a predefined list. If the fingerprint matches the person is granted access to the computer. The small fingerprint scanner is built-into the mouse in between the two mouse buttons. Other than the scanner the mouse works just like any other.
The new rules fall under the purview of the State Council Information Office, which is closely tied to the Communist party. A number of China-based Web-site operators indicated that they already operate under the restrictions, which have always been seen as unwritten rules.
For more information, click on these links:
10. Iraq buys PlayStation
Agents for Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein scoured the Detroit area in December looking to buy Sony's popular PlayStation 2 game console. According to NBC News, which first reported the story on December 21, 2000, the game systems were not holiday presents. Instead the sophisticated computer chips used in the PlayStation 2 were to be sent to the Iraqi military for use in their weapons systems. For example, the console's 3-D gaming chip can be used for missile guidance systems. The idea of using a video game system for a weapons program is an example of dual use (where a technology can be used for both civilian and military purposes).
There are no export controls on video game systems so the purchases would have been legal. However, the Iraqi agents ran into the same problem as all holiday shoppers - PlayStation 2 was sold out everywhere they looked. Instead the agents apparently shipped 1400 units of the original PlayStation back to the Iraqi military.
For more information click on the links below:
|
