September 2001 Technology Updates
1. Online pricing problems
Web sites have had problems with incorrect pricing in the past, and August 2001 proved no exception. Pricing problems on United Airlines' Web site allowed customers to book flights for less than ten percent of the normal fare. For example, a round-trip Chicago/Bombay ticket was sold for only $140. A United Airlines' spokesperson indicated that the company will honor the incorrect fares.
Pricing problems also hit M1, a telecommunications company. The company's Web site should have indicated that Samsung's N200 phone was not available with a two-year contract. However, the site promoted the phone as free with the two-year contract. This foul-up allowed customers to snap up the phone for a fraction of its $248 retail price by paying only for the two-year contract.
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2. PC Tips — Upgrade to Windows XP
Microsoft is due to release its latest operating system, Windows XP, on October 25, 2001. This news has led many people to think about upgrading their current operating system. Window XP will come in two versions. The home version is suitable for most users, and a professional version will be used primarily by computer professionals. The home version upgrade is expected to cost $99, and the professional version $199. Is the upgrade worth the money? Answer the following questions to see:
- Does your computer have the minimum system requirements to run Windows XP? These requirements are: a Pentium II - 300 Mhz or faster processor, 128 MB of RAM, and 1.5 GB of free hard drive space.
- Do you have multiple computers you need to upgrade to Windows XP? Do you upgrade your computer often? Microsoft will launch a new anti-piracy security procedure with Windows XP called product activation. You will need to get an activation code from Microsoft in order to run XP. If you attempt to load XP on another computer it will not work. In addition, if you make major upgrades to your current computer, you will need to call Microsoft for another activation code.
- Do you really need the new features available in Windows XP? While Windows XP sports many new features, like a new user interface, the main new feature is greater stability in its operating system. If you find that your current system crashes on a frequent basis, you might consider the upgrade.
3. Patent for subscription software
On July 24, 2001, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) issued a patent to McAfee Systems for subscription-based software delivered over the Internet. McAfee, a leader in virus protection and security software, delivers product updates to its subscribers via the Internet. The company applied for the patent in 1998.
The patent may require application service providers (ASPs) and other software companies to pay a licensing fee to McAfee. ASPs charge people a monthly fee for using expensive enterprise applications (for example, SAP, PeopleSoft, and Siebel). Other software companies, such as Microsoft, envision migrating their current business to an Internet-based subscription model.
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4. E-book hacker
A Russian programmer, who was arrested in the United States on July 19, 2001, for violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), was released on $50,000 bail on August 7, 2001. The programmer, Dmitry Sklyarov, was arrested by the FBI when he attended a computer security conference in Las Vegas. He is accused of breaking the copy protection code in Adobe's E-book reader.
Skylyarov's arrest caused protests in at least 10 cities. The Electronic Frontier Foundation negotiated with Adobe and convinced the company to recommend Sylyarov's release. But by the end of August a plea-bargain deal had fallen apart, and Sklyarov was indicted on five counts for attempting to circumvent the DMCA. If convicted, he faces a prison term of up to twenty-five years and up to a $2,500,000 fine.
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5. Code Red Worm
A series of malicious computer programs, called worms, threatened to slow the Internet to a crawl during July and August 2001. A worm is a computer program that attempts to replicate itself across Internet servers. The constant replication ties up server resources and slows response times for legitimate traffic.
The first worm, called Code Red, was released in mid-July and infected more than 250,000 computers at its peak, on July 19, 2001. Just when systems administrators thought they had it beat, it reemerged on August 1, 2001, infecting over 100,000 computers. A more malicious version of Code Red, called Code Red II, began appearing during the first week in August. Code Red II installs programs on the computer that will allow hackers easy access. Experts believe that the cost of repairing the damage from these two worms may top $2 billion.
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6. NSF Super Computer
On August 9, 2001, the National Science Foundation (NSF) granted $53 million for the development of a "grid"-type supercomputer. A supercomputer "grid" links thousands of fast computers together via high-speed communication lines. The new NSF system, called TerraGrid, will use over 1,000 IBM servers located a four supercomputing centers.
When complete, TerraGrid will be among the fastest supercomputers in the world. It will be able to process over 11 trillion instructions per second. NSF scientists believe that this speed will allow major breakthroughs in areas such as cosmology, cancer research, and weather prediction.
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7. Program catches plagiarism
The University of Virginia (UVA) has expelled a student for plagiarism. The student was caught by a computer program written by UVA physics professor Louis Bloomfield. The program automatically compares papers turned in by previous students with those turned in by current students. Bloomfield has kept electronic copies of over 1800 student papers from the past three years.
The software has uncovered over 130 cases of potential plagiarism. Most of the cases are awaiting an initial investigation, but there are already ten that will proceed to an Honor Committee trial. Some of those who face charges are recent graduates, who could have their degrees revoked if found guilty of plagiarism.
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8. 3G Internet test successful
Qualcomm, a leader in cellular technologies, successfully tested the first Mobile Internet Protocol (IP) system on August 22, 2001. Mobile IP will allow wireless users to access the Internet with an "always on" connection at high speeds. The system works on top of the next generation of cellular phone technology, which has been termed 3G.
The test was conducted in a Nortel Networks lab in Texas, and Nortel provided the 3G system. The test proved that the system would work as a user roams from one cell to another.
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9. Neurons communicate with chips
German scientists have created the first partially living electronic circuit. They embedded snail neurons into transistor chips. The scientists, from the Max Planck Institute for Biology, then conducted a series of experiments to prove that the neurons communicated with the chips.
Many scientists believe that bio-electrical systems, like the one tested, may someday lead to the development of artificial retinas and better artificial limbs. In addition to helping humans, these systems might enable the development of sophisticated robots capable of learning and adapting like humans.
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10. International child-porn ring busted
On August 8, 2001, U.S. law-enforcement officials announced the dismantling of the largest child-pornography enterprise. Over the past two years there have been over 100 arrests. The enterprise distributed the material via the Internet and was run by a Texas couple. The husband has received a life sentence and the wife 14 years. However, it may be difficult to prosecute the source of the material. So the Texas couple ran the distribution angle only?
Webmasters in Russia and Indonesia have been charged in the case. In addition, a large number of the site's 250,000 subscribers are not U.S. citizens. While Indonesian officials have promised to help in the investigation, that country has no specific laws banning online child pornography. Russian law has a similar problem, as it does not distinguish between adult and child pornography.
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