October 2000 Technology Updates
1. Online auctions decide what's for sale
Online auctions companies, such as eBay and Yahoo, are struggling to set policies as to what can be sold on their sites. In the past eBay has removed auctions for questionable items, such as a seat at a death-row inmate's execution. In August, both sites removed auctions from people trying the sell their vote in the upcoming elections. It is unclear whether the offer to sell votes was a joke, but the companies are cooperating with an investigation by the Federal Election Commission.
Also in August, both companies shut down auctions for mailing lists with individuals' personal information. In September, auctions of crime scene and autopsy photographs of a child were removed from eBay. An eBay spokesperson pointed out the difficulty in actively monitoring millions of online auctions.
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2. PC Tips - speed your modem
If you have a fast modem (56.6Kbps) but your Internet connection is still slow, the problem could be the speed of your communication (or Comm) port. To adjust the speed in Windows 98 follow these steps:
- Click on the Start button
- Choose Settings and then Control Panel
- Double-click on the System icon
- Click the Device Manager tab
- Find the Modem entry and then click on the + to the left of it
- Find your modem (this will usually be the name of the modem installed) and double-click on it
- Click on the Modem tab
- In the Maximum Speed area choose 115200
- Click on OK to leave the modem dialog box
- Click on OK again the leave Control Panel
3. ICANN allows new top-level domain names
Recently the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) unveiled its plan to introduce new top-level domains (TLDs). Current TLDs end in extensions, such as .com, .org, .net, .edu, .gov, or a country specific code. Under ICANN procedure, companies can apply to become the official registrar for a new TLD. As an official registrar a company would have the authority to issue all names that end with the new extension. While the new TLDs will not go into effect until early next year, some companies have begun taking pre-registrations for domain names with new TLDs.
The concept of pre-registration is becoming controversial, as ICANN had not yet recognized any new TLDs and does not endorse or approve of pre-registration. This has led to much confusion. In one case the domain name sex.web is pre-registered with two different companies. Both will attempt to become the official registrar for the .web TLD. However, ICANN has the final say on all new TLDS and may not approve .web or any other TLD. Even if it does approve a particular TLD, those who pre-registered at a company that ICANN does not choose as a registrar will find its money was wasted. In the end ICANN might not even recognize pre-registration, forcing those who have gone through the procedure to try to lay claim to their chosen domain name again.
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4. Western Union Hack
Western Union pioneered the money-transfer business back in the late 1800's. Today customers can transfer money via Western Union's Web site, and those who did so during the first week in September 2000 found that their credit card information may have been stolen. During that week a hacker or group of hackers penetrated Western Union's Web server and stole over 15,000 credit card and debit-card numbers.
It appears that the hacker was able to gain access to the server when security software was shut down for server maintenance. As this was not the proper procedure, human error is to blame for the theft. Western Union quickly notified Visa and MasterCard so the stolen numbers could be canceled. In addition, Western Union sent e-mail messages to affected customers.
For more information, click on this link:
5. Dow fires employees due to e-mail
On September 15, 2000, Dow Chemical fired 24 employees at its Freeport, Texas, plant for violating the company's e-mail policy. The policy does not allow employees to use e-mail for personal use or to disseminate objectionable material. The 24 employees fired allegedly disseminated pornographic and violent pictures through the company e-mail system. An additional 235 employees were subjected to disciplinary measures for lesser violations of the policy.
The firings in Texas come on the heels of similar action in Dow Chemical headquarters in Detroit in July. In that incident 50 people were fired and 200 were disciplined. The company does not routinely monitor e-mail but began an investigation after an employee complained about a harassing working environment.
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6. 3D monitors
For years, computer-game developers have been simulating three dimensions to make their games more realistic. However, the effect is just an illusion as it is displayed on flat (two-dimensional) screens. Now Deep Video Imaging plans to change that. The company has produced a 3D liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor. (2D LCD monitors are typically used in notebook computers and are just making their way onto the desktop.)
The new monitor, called the 12bx, is actually composed of two LCD screens. The one on top is semi-transparent so the user can see the second screen, and the images from the top and bottom screens combine to create a 3D effect. The entire package is about five inches thick. The 12bx requires two 3D graphics cards in one computer, and the cost of the new monitor is $7,500. Due to the high price, Deep Imaging Video expects its first customers will be trade shows and information kiosks.
7. Mac OS
Apple Computer unveiled the test version of its new operating system on September 13, 2000. The new software is called Mac OS X (pronounced "Mac OS ten"). OS X sports a new user interface, called Aqua, which introduces a new file system viewer. The new operating system also comes with music and video editing software. In addition, OS X will ship with a multilanguage version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
OS X represents the largest change in Mac operating systems in 15 years. The final version of the OS will not be ready until 2001. However, Mac enthusiasts can download the beta copy from the Apple Web site.
For more information, click on these links:
8. Wireless home networks
A Federal Communications Commission decision at the end of August 2000 -- to grant extra bandwidth to the Home Radio Frequency Working Group (HomeRF) -- has led to a heated battle between competing standards for wireless home networking. The HomeRF standard, supported by Motorola and Siemens, was seen by many experts as inferior to the competing Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA) standard, which is officially known as 802.11 but is also called Wi-Fi. Apple and 3Com support WECA.
Until the new ruling HomeRF could achieve data transfer rates of only about 2 megabits per second (Mbps), while Wi-Fi can achieve rates of 10 Mbps. But the new ruling allocates more bandwidth to HomeRF, allowing it to achieve the same speed as Wi-Fi. HomeRF manufacturers anticipate that products using the higher data speed will be on the market by early next year.
For more information, click on this link:
9. Y2K update
In 1999 Congress passed a law limiting lawsuits related to the Y2K computer bug. At the time, legislators felt that such a law would help stem a potential flood of suits that could severely hurt the economy. One of the legislation's opponents, Senator Patrick Leahy (a democrat from Vermont) commissioned the General Accounting Office (GAO) to study the impact of the legislation.
The report, which has not yet been released, shows that the law has been implemented only 18 times since the beginning of the year 2000. Most of the defendants using the law are computer makers who sold non-Y2K-compliant computers to consumers. While the GAO has no way of knowing how many suits were settled due to the law, experts believe that this low level of activity indicates just how little impact the Y2K bug has had.
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10. Buy the moon (and some planets) online
According to Dennis Hope, a former shoe salesman and self-styled owner of the moon (and the rest of the solar system), a one-acre piece of the moon can be yours for only $10. Hope has set up a Web site called Lunar Embassy (at http://www.lunarembassy.com) to facilitate the transaction. He has also gone international, appointing Francis Williams as Lunar Ambassador to the U.K. Williams has established Moonestates.com as his site for selling lunar real estate. Both sites will provide a certificate and picture of your plot.
Actually, Hope claims ownership rights not only to the Earth's moon, but also to the other planets and moons in our solar system. He has filed his claims with the United Nations. Ownership of the moon (and other celestial bodies) is governed by the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and the 1979 Moon Agreement. U.N. legal experts state that the moon falls under the legal concept of res communis, which means everyone owns it (the concept is also applied to the high seas). They do not recognize Hope's claim and regard his actions as providing a novelty item.
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