//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Vol. 3, Issue 09 (c)1996 GKM Journals Sep. 1998 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
A news story out of San Francisco last month said that a major
security flaw has been discovered in later versions of Eudora
Mail.
The popular E-mail package produced by Qualcomm Corp. has
exhibited a flaw that makes it possible for a malicious computer
user to bug an e-mail message by inserting a seemingly harmless
link to an Internet location. But when it is received by an
unknowing Internet user, a malicious code is executed. An
attacker could possibly destroy or pilfer valuable data and/or
otherwise tamper with another person's PC.
Although there are no known instances of anyone actually
taking advantage of the design flaw, the Massachusetts-based
software company that discovered it says that an estimated half
million Eudora users are in danger.
The flaw is found only in Eudora versions 4.0 and 4.0.1, not in
earlier versions, according to the news story. Older versions
of the E-mail package are not vulnerable.
The Qualcomm Corporation stated that a de-bugged version of the
software would be available as of Aug. 7 on its Web site.
Several fingerprint scanner vendors and other biometric
technology manufacturers requiring sophisticated security
applications for use with their products will find aid and
comfort from I/O Software Inc.
The SecureSuite product from the California-based company
is a 3-in-1 software package that provides a set of biometric
security applications for the Microsoft Windows 95 and 98
environment. The software suite provides file and folder
encryption and a password bank utility while maintaining the
look and feel of a standard Windows-based application.
Smart card provisions are included that are compatible with
the Microsoft PC/SC standard readers, according to an I/O Soft-
ware spokesman. SecureSuite can also be customized to match
the manufacturer and customer's specific needs. The custom-
tailored features include feedback animation, logo graphics,
text messages, and audio/video clips.
The applications that make up SecureSuite are:
* A secure logon system for Windows 95/98 called SecureStart/98,
which allows users to log on to their workstations using their
fingerprints.
* A Windows password bank called SecureSession that stores the
user name and password information for any Windows application,
and releases it when there is verification of a fingerprint or
other biometric characteristic.
* A multitude of other features that are packaged in the suite
consist of Multiple Authentication Methods-- where a user can
choose from various options to log on to their computers ie;
(password, fingerprint, fingerprint + password, or smart card).
"On-the-Fly" Encryption uses drag-and-drop technology to make
things a little easier for the user when navigating through
system management tasks such as retrieving, launching, copying,
moving, saving, and deleting encrypted files.
I/O Software has also put built-in Multi-Language Support into
the SecureSuite package that supports a number of languages,
which should appeal to the international market.
More details about SecureSuite can be found on the company's
Web site at: http://www.iosoftware.com/bapi.
Traffic and bandwidth problems on the Internet may be eased
through technology from SkyCache Inc.
By caching the more popular Web pages and keeping local ISPs
(Internet Service Providers) updated via satellite links, the
Laurel, Md.-based company believes it will provide at least a
partial solution to the ever increasing bandwidth problem.
SkyCache transmits prevalent statistics regarding Web page
requests to a central location to build a virtual "master cache"
of a multitude of sites. The cache is then sent up to the
satellite, which beams it back down to ISP servers.
As of last month, 15 ISPs were participating in beta testing of
the service, but SkyCache expects to have about 30 of them
connected and running this month. The ISPs are provided with a
caching server, satellite receiving dish, and access to the
bandwidth content available from the satellite.
Satellite time is rented by SkyCache on commercial Ku-band
satellites through several third-party caching technologies.
Because the ISPs are updated via satellite, most of the con-
gestion of the Internet backbone is eliminated, and their users
receive their information faster.
The StrongArm tactics about to be deployed by Intel Corp. have
nothing to do with unfair business practices, but it does
relate to some powerful technology.
In the April issue of the GrapeVine, I outlined the acquisition
of the StrongArm processor technology by Intel when it had
signed a license agreement with Advanced RISC Machines Ltd. for
their StrongARM processor. The RISC-based StrongARM chip, which
was acquired from Digital Equipment Corp. and licensed as the
[SA-110, SA-1100, and SA-1500] processors, gives Intel a low-
cost processor that will now be used in devices such as PC
Companions, smart mobile phones, mobile point-of-sale (POS)
devices, TV set-top boxes, Web phones, and other new devices
requiring low-power efficiency. Now the California-based chip
maker is about to put that technology to use.
According to Intel executives, the StrongArm technology will
compliment its existing line of processors, but will also
allow the company to expand into new market concepts.
Sprint Communications Co. officials used the Internet World
conference in Chicago to define its Integrated On-Demand
Network (ION) strategy.
The noted telecommunications company used the conference to
proclaim that its ION platform is the network solution for the
new age. Sprint's plans to integrate data, video, and voice
into one network using an ATM (asynchronous transfer mode)
backbone had been questioned by some critics as being non-
advantageous. But now that Sprint has signed on several RBOCs
(Regional Bell Operating Companies) to offer local access to
the Sprint network, it would seem that the endeavor has gained
some credibility.
ION was designed to provide a unique transport architecture
that is protocol independent... where it does not matter what
protocol customers are using within their enterprise networks.
During transmission, the information is transported through a
hub device at the customer/user site. Then it is packaged in
an ATM "cell" that travels the Sprint network. The cell remains
on the Sprint network until it finds an Internet gateway, which
then releases it to the public Internet.
Ameritech Corp., GTE Corp., SBC Communications Corp., and Bell-
South Corp. have already signed agreements with Sprint, and
according to Sprint executives, negotiations with other major
carriers are being conducted.
The ION architecture will be available to business customers
sometime this fall, but the general consumer will have to
wait until 1999, according to a company spokesman.
Acer America Corp. announced last month, the debut of its first
mini-notebook computer.
Called the TravelMate 310, the new unit is powered by a 233-MHz
Pentium processor with MMX (Multimedia Extensions) and Windows
98 loaded in as the operating system. The 310 sports a 3.2-Gb
hard drive, external 24x CD-ROM, external 3.5" floppy drive,
32-Mb of (SD)RAM, 56-Kbit/s modem, and an 8-in. TFT (thin-film
transistor) color display panel.
The whole package weighs just 2.8 lbs., and will run three hrs.
before its battery needs re-charging.
Acer has placed a resale price tag of $1,799 on its new mini-
machine.
The union formed by the merger of AT&T Corp. and British Telcom
Ltd. during the last week of July is expected to strengthen the
hold that both companies already have on the international
market.
As a joint venture, the confederation will employ about 5,000
workers and will be controlled by Sir Iain Vallance, CEO of
British Telcom. The annual revenue generated from the alliance
is estimated to be in the neighborhood of $10 billion.
In an unrelated deal, Bell Atlantic Corp. acquired GTE Corp.
for a stock deal amounting to $53 billion last month.
Late in the day on 07/31/98, The U.S. Justice Department filed a
motion seeking additional testimony from Microsoft Chairman Bill
Gates and other Microsoft executives. A demand was also made by
the government that the Redmond, Washington-based software
company turn over the source code for Windows 95 and Windows 98.
The DOJ also wants Bill Gates to submit to two full days of
questioning. In addition to Gates, the government wants to
interrogate President Steve Ballmer and two other unidentified
witnesses.
As to having to turn over Microsoft Windows source code, company
officials countered that they would continue to cooperate with
the government, but would not turn over the source code to
Windows without first gaining additional protections to ensure
the secrecy of the code.
Opponents of a measure approved by a U.S. House subcommittee
this date say that it may open the door to legalized bulk e-mail
online (spamming).
In its focus on "slamming," where phone companies change
consumers' long distance telephone services without their
permission, the subcommittee's amendment to the bill may
may cause more problems than it solves, according to some
analysts.
Although the amendment targets e-mail advertisements, making
it illegal for bulk mailers to hide their identities, rivals
of the measure say the bill could, in fact, increase the
number of advertisements flooding into online mailboxes. On
paper, the bill appears to take a hard stand against slamming
and spamming-- requiring bulk mailers to identify their
messages as advertisements, give recipients an easy way to take
themselves off the mailing list, and give the name, address,
and e-mail address of the advertiser. But these requirements
only pertain to the body of the messages, as pointed out by one
news source. The anti-spam crowd says the ads should be
identified in the header of e-mail letters.
State-level legislators are upset over the bill because it
would pre-empt any state spam bill passed after July 1.
California wants its own legislation that would give ISPs
(Internet Service Providers) the power to sue spammers that
violate posted e-mail policies.
If the federal bill becomes law, any state measure would become
invalid.
The FCC will allow the Regional Bell operating companies the
ability to offer high-speed Internet services through un-
regulated separate affiliates.
In a ruling issued by the Federal Communications Commission on
Aug. 6, the RBOSs can take on the Internet market as long as
specific conditions are met, which include waiting in line just
like competing companies have to do before it can lease its
parent's facilities and lines. Also the subsidiary must truly
be a separate entity.
Otherwise, the FCC cleared the way for the regional Bells to
offer advanced telecommunications services such as digital
subscriber lines (DSLs) and other high-tech services.
Opponents, however, voiced their fear that the regional Bells
will try to monopolize advanced Internet services in the same
manner that they allegedly monopolized the local phone
transmission business.
Non-Intel processors are being considered by IBM executives as
they strive to meet tight budget constraints.
The IBM Personal Systems Group is looking at Intel alternatives
to power its commercial desktops as a means of dealing with the
PC industry's price curve.
Price being the factor, IBM hopes to reclaim its share of the
U.S. market, which according to the numbers compiled by the
noted research firm, Dataquest, shows IBM as an "also ran."
IBM officials say they are feeling the pinch as the PC industry
moves toward the sub $1,500 and sub $1,000 systems, which has
prompted the computer company to entertain the idea of using
low-cost CPUs from Intel rivals such as Advanced Micro Devices
Inc.
In the notebook market, vendors such as Toshiba America and
Fujitsu are enticing new buyers with more software and other
features, but at a lower price as compared to an IBM ThinkPad
of the same catagory.
When a consumer looks at a Toshiba with a 300-MHz Pentium II
on board priced at $3,000, they rarely give a second glance to
the IBM ThinkPad equipped with a lower-grade Pentium that shows
a price tag of $5,000.
One IBM official said that his company is staying with Intel
processors for now, but other options must be investigated.
Due out in 1999, Microsoft Corp.'s Office 2000 suite is designed
to give that old office printer a break, but it will have modems
working overtime.
Next year's Office 2000 has set a course to thoroughly integrate
the Web into the office environment-- using both corporate
intranets and the Internet as a means of collaboration, viewing,
and transmission of information.
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) files can be used as Office
2000's default file format in place of the more traditional
.xls, .doc, .txt, .ppt, and others presently used by MS Office.
Office 2000 has been billed as having tighter integration with
Windows NT, Exchange Server, BackOffice, and SQL Server soft-
ware to keep the computing process going at a more even flow.
Web sharing has been designed into 2000's applications to a
point where realtime collaboration is practical, according to
Microsoft's marketing voices. All application segments are
"self-repairing" so that when called up, they check and fix
themselves-- associated DLLs (Dynamic Link Libraries) and the
registry stay matched up. Any missing file is re-installed
from the server. The errant application starts as normal with-
out so much as an error message to cause any undue concern to
the workstation operator.
When help [is] asked for, "Interactive" help will actually
execute the desired task rather than just explaining it.
Industry observers say that Microsoft plans to debut Office
2000 by the first quarter of next year. Its price is yet to
be determined.
A Cincinnati, Ohio-based software company has released a utility
that offers affordable aid to the home office/small office
environment.
Jetsoft Development Inc. has released its S.O.S. (Small Office
Security) utility, which combines image editing, document
management, word processing, and FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
client software into one economical bundle.
Priced at only $59.95, S.O.S. should become very popular among
the home and small office users.
Atlanta-based Internet Security Systems Inc. detected a flaw
in Microsoft Corp.'s Exchange 5.0 and 5.5 server application
that allows users to shut down a network server computer and
curtail all news group and E-mail transfers.
The software defect relates to some specific SMTP (Simple Mail
Transport Protocol) and NNTP (Network News Transport Protocol)
commands, according to a recent industry report.
In addition to the findings by ISSI, researchers in Finland
discovered another bug in Microsoft's Outlook 4.x and 98 and
Netscape Communication's Mail 4.05 and 4.5b that permits false
or bogus code to be executed on a user's PC while viewing file
attachments or downloading mail.
In June of this year, Lotus Development Corp. launched its
Lotus SmartSuite Millennium Edition software package, and as
tested by Computer Reseller News last month, the new suite of
applications should make its arch rival, Microsoft, really take
notice.
The Millennium Edition provides much desired features such as
voice integration, Web publishing, and unequaled compatibility
between file formats. With an estimated 20 million Lotus Notes
users around the globe, Lotus, as expected, designed Millennium
to integrate with its Notes and Domino suites.
Much improved Web publishing through its FastSuite module gives
full HTML 3.2 support. A series of wizards take care of file
conversion and composition chores so that a user can create a
Web document and publish it on a new or existing Web site with
just a few clicks of the mouse, as described by one CRN test
engineer. Also included in the Millennium Edition is .JPG and
.GIF graphics output.
An "upgrade" version of the Millennium Edition is available to
Lotus SmartSuite users for $149. The full Millennium Edition
package is priced at $399.
A San Diego, Calif. retailer drew a crowd of 8,000 people last
month when he set up a Panasonic widescreen HDTV-compatible
display/projection TV in his storefront.
The store manager of Dow Stereo/Video did not offer an estimate
of how many of the $5,499 TV sets were sold that first day, but
he did tell one news reporter that it took nine trucks to
deliver the HDTVs to his customers that 1st day-- three of which
were sold in the first four minutes after the store opened.
To show just how eager the consumers are for the new-age TV,
all the HDTV-sets sold by Dow were shipped minus the $1,700
set-top box decoder for HDTV that Panasonic won't have ready
until sometime later this year.
Now that IBM Corp. has acknowledged its loss of footing in the
low-end notebook PC market, the Armonk, NY company has decided
to get in step with the rest of the market by releasing a new
line of ThinkPads with prices starting at $1,499.
In keeping pace with Toshiba and others, IBM will also turn up
the power on what goes inside its new notebooks. As an example,
the current ThinkPad 385XD comes with a 233-MHz Pentium II CPU,
32-Mb of EDO (extended data out) memory, 3.2-Gb hard drive, and
a 12.1-in. TFT (thin-film transistor) color display-- priced at
$1,999. The new line of ThinkPads will be sparked by a [266]
MHz Pentium II processor, Track-Ball style pointing device,
and other new features for just $1,495.
According to IBM sources, more processing power will be added
to its mid-priced notebooks also. When the ThinkPad 560Z goes
to market, it will house a Pentium II CPU with as high as 300-
MHz clock speed, and will be produced with various options to
give it a rather broad price range from $2,799 to $3,899.
The new product lines may be available late in this year's
third quarter or early fourth quarter.
SOHO (small office/home office) types can get a boost to their
ego when it comes to their Web presence by installing the "e.go
web server" being built by Encanto Networks.
The Santa Barbara-based company has billed e.go as an all-in-
one electronic commerce package and solution for the SOHO
operators who want to become online entrepreneurs.
Small businesses that lack personnel with a lot of high-tech
savvy will welcome the way Encanto has packaged its e.go web
solution. Just about everything that would be required to con-
duct electronic commerce online is included in the e.go package,
according to one Encanto executive. A Web server expansion
unit, which can be connected to a host PC through a standard
serial connector or used as a stand-alone on a network is
available at a price of $1,295. A 56-Kbit/second modem and
a custom version of Netscape Navigator puts e.go online.
Connection to the Internet, however, must be done through
Encanto's InstantConnect gateway. A monthly fee of $49.95
gives the SOHO vendor two hours per day connect time with a
$1.49/hr. charge for any additional time. But for $69.95 per
month, Encanto will provide unlimited connect time. A one-
time application fee is also required.
For the novice Webmaster, the Encanto Web site Builder and
Storefront Builder application wizards allow even a
beginner to get set up and create their own Web site in very little
time. According to an Encanto cut sheet, customers
surfing an e.go site can browse and shop as they add or remove
merchandise in a "shopping cart." Products can be paid for
by money order, credit card, or debit card.
For additional information, you may contact Encanto toll-free
@ 888-362-2686 or through their Web site @:
http://www.encanto.com
In mid-August, Microsoft Corp. issued an 88-page document
requesting a federal judge for dismissal of the antitrust law-
suit filed against the software company back in October of 1997.
Three days prior to Microsoft's request, Judge Thomas Penfield
Jackson ruled at a pre-trial hearing that Microsoft must not
only put Chairman Bill Gates on the stand for two days of
questioning, but the software giant must also provide the
court with specific Windows 98 code. The judge also ruled
that Gates' testimony must be made available to the press and
to the general public.
The public testimony ruling may have come about due to pressure
from the press media who cited the Publicity in Taking Evidence
Act when they filed motions requesting access to Gates' pre-
trial deposition.
Microsoft has appealed the open deposition ruling, which did buy
the company a little more time, however. The scheduled Seattle
area Gates deposition has now been delayed until an agreement
can be reached to establish a protocol that gives the press and
the public access to the testimony. This, in turn, could delay
the September 8 trial date, according to court observers.
The list keeps growing-- Eudora 4.x from Qualcomm, Lotus
Development Corp.'s Notes and Domino 4.6, Microsoft Corp.,
and Netscape Communications have been added to the list of
applications that in some cases, are highly vulnerable to
malicious code.
The Eudora situation, as discovered by the president of Phar
Lap Software in Cambridge, Mass., hinges around the Javascript
code embedded in the popular E-mail application. It is likely,
because of the make up of Javascript that unauthorized programs
could be executed by clicking on hyper-linked addresses in an
E-Mail message, according to president Richard Smith. The link
could be used by hackers to reformat or destroy data on one's
hard drive, infect the drive with viruses, or create other
forms of havoc on an unsuspecting E-Mail recipient's PC. Other
factors related to the characteristics of HTML-based messages
and ActiveX controls can create "holes" where a vicious user
could enter, as noted by Mr. Smith.
The security flaw in Notes 4.6 client potentially allows un-
authorized users to retrieve information from company databases
or edit and delete the data using Lotus Domino URL (Uniform
Resource Locator) commands.
Qualcomm has posted a fix on its Web site @
[http://www.qualcomm.com]. Lotus is expected to offer a fix
shortly.
The weary travelers making their way into the backwoods of
Northern Wisconsin will welcome a new high-tech oasis there...
especially if they failed to make reservations beforehand.
The Chambers of Commerce of three towns-- Minocqua, Arbor Vitae,
and Woodruff, decided to pool their efforts to alleviate a
constant backlog of requests for information from travelers
arriving into the area. After conferring with Micro Systems
Consulting of Minocqua, they came up with a $100,000 solution
involving a 12-kiosk network throughout the region.
Each kiosk is equipped with a 2.1-Gbyte hard drive, 16-Mb of
RAM, and a 133-MHz Intel Pentium processor. A 15" MicroTouch
Systems Inc. resistive touch monitor screen is added, which
brings the total cost of each kiosk terminal up to about $3,000.
The kiosks, which are set into wood paneled walls within their
designated shelter areas, are networked through modems to a
Novel NetWare server in the basement of the Minoqua Chamber of
Commerce building.
The server is loaded with the "InnLine" software program that
is custom designed for the task of sharing information about
and between participating resorts, lodges, hotels, and local
restaurants. The server is also used for other Chamber of
Commerce business, as noted by a Chamber spokesman.
As an added service to the traveler, the shelters are also
outfitted with snack and drink vending machines, and a tele-
phone-- the phone being a vital link to the total kiosk in-
formation system. When a traveler has selected a destination,
represented by an icon on the display screen, it calls up
information about that point of interest using both text and
graphics. By touching another icon button, the traveler is
linked directly via the telephone at the kiosk to the resort or
place of lodging he has selected.
The network receives information updates from restaurants,
hotels, and resorts by modem link or through a call-in voice-
prompted menu. The kiosks are updated each day.
Due to the wide range of weather conditions in Wisconsin, more
than adequate precautions were taken to protect the kiosks in
their shelters. Space heaters had to be installed to protect
them from the extreme cold during the winter months, and ample
ventilation was installed to keep the system and travelers at
a comfortable temperature during the hot summer months.
As described by one of its designers, the kiosk system was
basically a "nudge" that moved a traditional pen-and-postcard
community into the "interactive" age.
Just a few months after IBM announced its copper circuitry
silicon wafer technology, which shrunk CPU chip size while
increasing performance, engineers at the company have now dis-
closed another major breakthrough.
Known as silicon-on-insulator (SOI), the technology is destined
to add even more performance to IBM's linage of processor chips.
The added protection given to the transistors embedded in the
silicon wafer reduces wasted energy, according to IBM.
A company spokesman said that the improvement in performance
allows a 400-MHz chip to operate as fast as a 500-MHz chip. The
company also noted that SOI has been under development over a
period of 15 years, and is destined for duty in IBM's mid-range
AS/400 and System 390 mainframes. IBM has hinted that a little
farther down the road, it may employ the SOI process in the
PowerPC line of CPUs
Intel Corp.'s plans to introduce an all-in-one motherboard have
not received a warm welcome from many value-added resellers.
The VARs and other PC builders see the attempt by Intel to
throw everything but the kitchen sink into the motherboard as
a direct conflict to their build-your-own (BYO) strategy.
For years, one key selling point to BYO systems was the up-
grade-ability and non-proprietary aspect of their machines as
compared to the limitation of upgrades due to proprietary
factory motherboards that are installed in many store-bought
computers.
Intel wants to integrate new technologies such as Rambus In-
Line Memory Modules (RIMMs) into their mother boards next year.
But it appears that the Santa Clara-based chip maker is taking
a step backwards if it carries out its plans to bundle just
about everything else including the modem, audio, video, LAN
(Local Area Network) card, and other goodies to the mother-
board. It may be nice to have better AGP (Accelerated Graphics
Port) components working in concert with the Pentium chip, but
BYO VARs would still like to offer their customers more options
than will be afforded them on the integrated boards.
The new line of motherboards, according to Intel, will be based
on three models-- all of which are designed to support the up-
coming "Katami" series processor. As reported in a news story
out of Boston last month, Katami is slated to become the next-
generation Pentium II chip next year.
The three new motherboards, code named: Fairbanks, Vancouver,
and Salem, are blueprinted to integrate the 4x generation of
AGP technology and PCI (Peripheral Computer Interconnect) audio
capabilities into the system. The old ISA (Industry Standard
Architecture) bus will be completely eliminated on the Salem
and Vancouver boards. The Fairbanks will include LOM (LAN-
On-Motherboard) network technology. There will be some low-
end motherboards shipped that will support the Celeron series
processors, but they will also feature some degree of system
integration.
Competing motherboard makers are doubtful that Intel's RIMMs
will actually offer any real gain in performance over the
currently successful DIMMs (Dual In-Line Memory Modules). They
note that while the RIMM architecture looks good on paper, just
how much performance gain is theoretical and how much is real
remains to be seen.
Picking up on another matter, the VARs are upset that because
supplies of the currently popular 266-MHz and 300-MHz Pentium
II chips are scarce, it has created a "gray market" situation
where for the first time in about two years, the most common
processor chips are selling [above] factory suggested prices.
As the Sep. 23 trial date approaches for the federal antitrust
case against Microsoft Corp., another suit has been filed
against the Redmond, Washington-based software giant.
Bristol Technology Inc., Dannbury, Conn., filed a suit last
month under the Sherman Antitrust Act, which claims Microsoft
has hampered the smaller software company and the rest of the
software industry through "predatory manipulation" of access to
Windows application programming interfaces.
The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Bridgeport,
after which, a Microsoft spokesman commented that the complaint
by Bristol appears to be without merit.
On a positive note, Microsoft Corp.'s USB digital audio speaker
system design was well received by industry testers last month.
Microsoft would like to change the way computer makers handle
audio reproduction by way of the Microsoft Digital Sound System
80. The new speaker system combines digital audio and the USB
(Universal Serial Bus) architecture to produce powerful and
very clear sound.
With the System 80, [digital] sound is fed directly through the
USB to the sub-woofer module of the System 80 where it is then
converted to [analog] to power the speakers. With this design,
a sound card is not required to be installed in the PC, which
adds up to an additional cost saving to the reseller building
a PC system.
System 80 USB peripheral devices contain 3-inch drivers that
handle 16 watts of power each, and one 5.25-inch sub-woofer,
which operates at 44 watts. The controls for the left and
right channel satellite speakers and sub-woofer are mounted on
the top of the right channel satellite speaker.
Listed among the minimum requirements for the USB speakers are
a Pentium-class processor of 166-MHz or faster and the Windows
98 operating system. Software-based 10-band equalization is
provided to the System 80 user, and is accessed and controlled
from the Windows taskbar.
One of the negative areas pointed out by the testers is that
the omission of a sound card means that a user listening to
an audio CD via USB has to have a CD-ROM drive that can extract
digital audio from a music CD. Since most PC CD-ROM drives
lack this ability, the surround sound feature and 10-band
equalizer of the System 80 will be unavailable in that instance.
A story, which appeared in the New York Times, alleges that talks
between Microsoft Corp. and Intel Corp. three years ago may not
have been all that amiable.
Although the U. S. Department of Justice declined to comment on the
New York Times report, the noted news agency claims that threats
may have been made about Microsoft supporting Intel competitors. A
Microsoft official stated that the two computer giants have worked
well together for 17 years, but have at times disagreed. Intel's officials
are saying that they have received a number of legally binding requests
for information and documents from government investigators, and that
the company will follow its policy of cooperation with the government
on such matters.
Computer Retail Week reported today that Advanced Micro Devices
(AMD) may announce next week its 350-MHz version of the K6-2
processor chip, which is supposed to give the mighty Intel Pentium II
CPU a run for its money.
AMD officials have only commented that the release of such a chip is
within its plans for this fiscal quarter-- followed by the launch of a
400-MHz K6-2 during the fourth quarter.
Industry news sources have hinted that Aug. 26 would be the official
release date for the new AMD processor, which would be just two
days after Intel Corp.'s debut of the 450-MHz Celeron chip with 128
kilobytes of on-chip cache and the newest Pentium II CPU, which also
has a clock speed of a 450-MHz.
The two key players in the upcoming Microsoft antitrust trial (Microsoft
Corp. and the U.S. Justice Dept.) indicated they want to push back the
start date, according to sources on the scene.
But the final decision on that issue will be U.S. District Court Judge
Thomas Penfield Jackson, who has been approached by both parties
in a request for a two-week delay in the trial scheduled to begin on
September 8.
Among other unresolved issues are the questions of where the public
depositions will take place, how many press and public could attend,
and would cameras be allowed?
The FCC will allow the Regional Bell operating companies the ability to
offer high-speed Internet services through unregulated separate affiliates.
In a ruling issued by the Federal Communications Commission on Aug. 6,
the RBOSs can take on the Internet market as long as specific conditions
are met, which include waiting in line just like competing companies have to
do before it can lease its parent's facilities and lines. Also the subsidiary
must truly be a separate entity.
Otherwise, the FCC cleared the way for the regional Bells to offer
advanced telecommunications services, such as digital subscriber lines
(DSLs) and other high-tech services.
Opponents, however, voiced their fear that the regional Bells will try to
monopolize advanced Internet services in the same manner that they
allegedly monopolized the local phone transmission business.
