Monthly Technology Updates

NOVEMBER 1998

Year 2000 Update - Legal Issues

So your company has spent time and money to ensure its systems are year 2000 (Y2K) compliant. But what if you missed something? You could have a legal problem on your hands. Lawsuits related to the Y2K problem have already been filed (click here for some examples). Many companies, fearing potential legal action, have refused to provide customers and business associates with any information regarding their Y2K compliance.

To help remedy this situation, Congress has passed the Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act (S.2392)." This bill would offer limited legal protection for businesses that disclose their Y2K readiness. However, in April the California Assembly rejected a bill that would limit the liability of software vendors with respect to the Y2K problem.

By some estimates the total amount of Y2K litigation could reach over $1 trillion. This would amount to approximately 20% of the U.S. economy. While it is doubtful that people working on the Y2K problem will find themselves the target of a lawsuit, it could happen. These employees might find themselves witnesses in legal actions brought against their employer.

To find out more about the legal aspects of the Y2K problem, click on these links:

 

PC Tips - Speed Up Your PC’s Performance

Running a simple utility program may help improve the performance of your computer. Over time the files on your hard drive become fragmented. This occurs as files are deleted and other files added. When a file is deleted the operating system indicates that the spot where that file was stored can now be used. When you add a new file to your hard drive these spots are filled in. If your new file is too large to fit in the "blank" spot, the file will be broken up and part of it stored in another location on your disk.

Fragmentation slows a hard drive because the drive heads move all over the disk surface in order to find the various parts of a file. You can solve this problem by defragmenting your hard drive. Windows 95/98 comes with a defragment program, which will reorganize your hard drive so that all parts of all files are stored next to each other.

To run the program, follow these steps:

  1. Because this procedure can take a long time, be sure you are not planning to use the computer for a while and that there is little chance of a power failure.
  2. Shut down all running programs.
  3. Click on the Start button, and then choose Programs - Accessories - System Tools - Disk Defragmenter.
  4. Choose the letter name for the disk you want to defragment.

The defragmenter will analyze the disk and make a recommendation about defragmenting. Follow the instructions the program provides.

 

Play Games Against Your Friends Over the Internet

Are you tired of playing chess against the computer? Have you killed every creature in Quake ten times over and crave a greater challenge? It is possible to play games against a human opponent online. Some games, such as chess and card games, can be played directly over the Internet. To play chess, for example, all you need to do is log onto one of the many international chess servers (ICS) or point your browser to a site that supports chess, like the Internet Chess Club.

3D action games, like Doom and Quake, require the user to dial into a special network. Most of these networks require the user to download special client software, which passes game commands over the network.

If a shared fantasy world is what you seek, check out MUDS (Multiple User Dimension or Multiple User Dungeon). In these virtual worlds each user takes on the persona of a fantasy character. This character can explore the virtual world and interact with other users. This interaction can be cooperative and/or competitive. MUDS are created by programmers called Wizards or Gods. The Wizard maintains and possibly adds to the virtual world and ensures that the shared experience runs smoothly.

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

Is This Web Site Rated PG-13? - Rating Web Sites

Many parents feel they need guidance in monitoring their children's Web surfing. There are now services that rate Web sites, but ratings for the Web are a bit more complicated than ratings for movies.

Web ratings services usually use the Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS) standard. This standard allows the creator of a Web page to insert a special code, called a metatag, into the page. This metatag indicates the type of potentially objectionable content on the Web page. Some Web browsers look for these metatags and allow parents to set filtering options. For example, a parent might allow a child to view pages that contain written descriptions of violence but not allow viewing of any sexual content.

For more information about Web ratings, click on this link:

Use Your Fingerprint To Withdraw Money From the ATM

Most of us use a password to log onto computers and a PIN to get money from the ATM. But the days of memorizing passwords and PINs may soon be over thanks to advances in the field of biometrics. Biometrics uses of the unique identifiers we all have built into our bodies, like our fingerprints, retinal and iris patterns, hand geometry, voices and facial blood vessels. These items are unique to individuals and can therefore be used for identification and security purposes.

Some organizations are already using biometrics for computer logons. A number of banks have already stated that they will convert their standard PIN based ATMs to use biometrics. Biometrics are safer than a PIN or password because they cannot be stolen and are very difficult to duplicate.

For more information about biometrics click on this link:

How To Get Free Software and Get It Before Everyone Else

Are you the first person on your block to buy new software? If you can't wait for the latest software release, you may not have to. You can sign up to become a beta tester. When programmers are developing new software, they test it in various ways. The first complete version of a software package that is tested by the company producing it is called the alpha version. A more complete version that is suitable for testing by people outside the company is called the beta version. The people who test this version are called beta testers.

There are two major advantages to becoming a beta tester. The first one is the software company usually provides the beta copy for free. The second one is that beta testers get to use the software before it is actually released to the general public. In exchange for the free beta software, testers are asked to complete a survey and report any bugs to the software company. Because beta software is not the final version, some features may be missing and there may still be many bugs.

If you think you might want to become a beta tester, click on these links to find out more:

Make Cheap International Calls When Calling the U.S.

Long-distance calling to the U.S. from other countries can be very expensive. In many countries the phone system is still controlled by a state monopoly, usually the PT&T (Postal Telephone & Telegraph). With its monopoly powers PT&Ts can set very high long-distance rates. The deregulated phone system in the U.S. has made international long-distance calls originating there very inexpensive compared to those countries where the PT&T sets the rates.

Consider a telephone call originating in Argentina to a phone in the United States. This call will typically cost more than a call made from the United States to Argentina. To get the lower rate, the Argentine customer places a call to a callback system’s phone number in the United States. The customer hangs up the phone on the first ring and so incurs no charge. The callback system then places a call back to that customer’s number and provides the customer with a dial tone, which connects the customer to a United States long-distance carrier. The phone call, though originating from Argentina, is billed as though it originated in the United States.

Recently some of the PT&Ts have become aware of these callback services and have taken steps to block them. However, the people that run these services are usually able to sidestep these blocks.

For more information about international callback services click on this link:

Can Computers Think? How Would We Know If They Do?

From Hal 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey to Commander Data on Star Trek, science fiction is filled with the exploits of "intelligent" computers. But if a computer actually became intelligent, how would we know? A widely cited test for machine intelligence was invented by Alan Turing in 1950. In the Turing test a human interrogator types questions into a computer terminal. These questions are randomly sent to either a human or the "intelligent" computer to answer. The interrogator's job is to identify the computer and the human via this question-and-answer session. If after a set period of time (Turing proposed five minutes) the interrogator cannot make a determination, then the computer is said to have passed the test. Whether this actually makes the computer intelligent is a matter of great debate.

For more information, click on these links:

An Update On The Microsoft Anti-Trust Case

On May 18, 1998, the Department of Justice filed an anti-trust lawsuit against Microsoft. The government contends that Microsoft used anti-competitive practices in the distribution of its web browser, Internet Explorer. The case went to trial on October 19, 1998, and is expected to conclude quickly. The government's case revolves around three specific issues: 1) predatory conduct, 2) tying Internet Explorer with Windows, and 3) exclusionary licensing agreements.

With respect to the first issue, predatory conduct, the govenment claims that Microsoft used its monopoly position in operating systems software to give away Internet Explorer for free. The government's claim may be supported by a quote attributed to Paul Maritz, a Microsoft vice-president, who said, "We are going to cut off their air supply. Everything they’re selling, we’re going to give away for free."

On the second issue, tying Internet Explorer with the Windows operating system, the government claims that Microsoft forced computer makers to include Internet Explorer as part of the Windows operating system package.

The third issue, exclusionary licensing agreements, involves Microsoft's deals with Internet service providers (ISP) such as America Online (AOL). According to the government, Microsoft agreed to provide a link to America Online from the Windows operating system in exchange for AOL’s distributing Internet Explorer.

The main legal concept is that a company cannot use its monopoly position in one area to unfairly compete in another area. This concept is embodied in the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890. It is unknown what will happen if the government wins this case. However, some people are calling for a breakup of Microsoft, similar to what AT&T underwent in the 1980's.

For more information and opinions about this case, click on these links:

Don't Press Too Hard on That Mouse, Or It Might Press Back

Most computer users find that the keyboard and mouse meet their input needs. However, some industries require input devices that can provide tactile feedback. These devices fall into the general category of haptic interfaces. Haptic interfaces allow users to touch and feel objects in a virtual-reality environment. For example, surgeons, when training for a new procedure, may use an input device that can respond to hand pressure and can provide feedback on whether the surgeon is applying the correct force. Some computer joysticks, such as Microsoft's Sidewinder, employ force feedback, which occurs when an input device offers its user a sense of resistance to give the user a more realistic gaming experience.

For more information on pressure-sensitive and force-feedback input devices, click on these links:

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