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Home / News / Online Archives / Wired / 1999 / Executive
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- A PlayStation Emulator for PCs - Another company is posting software to run PlayStation games on computers -- this time for Windows PCs. Will Sony sue again? [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18659.html
- Airline Sites Taking Off - Airlines are taking over more and more of the flight-booking business from travel agents, including other online travel sites, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Online booking services, like American Airlines' Travelocity, entice customers with bargain fares and frequent-flier miles. While conventional agents are surviving the squeeze by charging their customers an extra booking fee, online agents are struggling. With their businesses in the formative stage, they can't risk alienating their limited customer base with higher commissions. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18663.html
- Amazon on the Move - From Wired News: Two months ago, Amazon said it would diversify into a multibillion-dollar business. Monday it dove into two new markets: auctions and pets. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18808.html
- AOL Firing Estimated at 1,000 - From Wired News: America Online says it may fire up to 500 people at Netscape and another 500 from its own campus. AOL also will split its operations into four units. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18705.html
- AOL May Ax Netscape Jobs - America Online is considering axing as much as 20 percent of Netscape Communications' employees as part of a broad restructuring, The Wall Street Journal reported. What's unusual is that AOL could sack Netscape programmers because of overlaps with those at Sun Microsystems -- the company that inherited Netscape's enterprise software as part of the Netscape buyout. AOL had initially tried hard to retain as many Netscape employees as possible, but its stance changed as the closing of the transaction dragged on for months. (The Wall Street Journal Interactive requires a subscription.) [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18631.html
- AOL, Netscape Merger a Challenge - Now that the acquisition of Netscape Communications is almost complete, America Online has to move quickly to blend Netscape's technical expertise with AOL's customer-service savvy, the Washington Post reported. Managing the combination will be Barry Schuler, AOL's president of interactive services. The biggest challenge for him and for AOL will be to set up services that can meet the needs of both services and consumers. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18529.html
- Apple Running Short of iMacs - From Wired News: IMacs are flying off the shelves, and Apple is having difficulty refilling them. Is it their overwhelming popularity? Or something sexier, like new machines? [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18689.html
- Aussies Mine Net Gold - From Wired News: Things couldn't be worse for the mining industry. To survive, Australian mineral companies are looking for a new mother lode: e-commerce. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18859.html
- Baby Bells Missing Lots of Gear - The local US phone companies have been unable to locate nearly US$5 billion in telecommunications equipment, and should write off the missing amount, according to an FCC audit released on Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported. In response to the audit, which could spur regulators to push for lower phone rates, Bell Atlantic and SBC Communications, highest on the list, argued that the audit results were flawed, and all of the Bells argued that the results shouldn't affect rates. Although the FCC report recommends that the companies write off the missing equipment, it isn't taking any action. Instead, it's soliciting public comment on how to respond to the audit results in April. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18463.html
- Big Bucks for Big Numbers - From Wired News: An anonymous donor is backing a contest that fosters cooperative computing as a solution to unraveling technical Gordian knots. Though the exercise itself -- discovering the biggest prime numbers ever -- is largely an academic one, the cooperation's the thing. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18870.html
- Boosting Biometric Privacy - From Wired News: An industry association releases a set of biometric guidelines designed to protect the privacy of retina scans, voice prints, and other personal data. Critics see holes. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18829.html
- CA Buys Platinum Tech - From Wired News: Computer Associates' acquisition of Platinum Technology is one of the biggest in the software industry. It will put more pressure on rivals like Oracle and Microsoft. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18812.html
- China Regulates Internet Calls - From Wired News: Telecommunications firms will have to endure a six-month trial period before receiving a permit from the Chinese ministry for Internet phone calls. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18773.html
- Crackers Attack NATO - From Wired News: Anti-NATO crackers claim credit for an all-day blackout at the official White House Web site. Sources call it a hardware problem. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18809.html
- Cybercitizen Partnership - Janet Reno said the high-tech industry is joining the government to curb Internet crime, The New York Times reported. The three goals of the partnership are to educate children, to develop a "personnel exchange program" between private business and federal agencies, and to create a directory of computer experts and computer security resources for law enforcement agencies. "We cannot allow cyberspace to become the Wild West of the information age," Reno said. (The New York Times on the Web requires registration.) [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18504.html
- DLJ Seeks IPO for DLJdirect - Donaldson, Lufkin Jenrette, a white-shoe investment bank, plans to hold an initial public offering of a new class of common stock that will track the performance of DLJdirect, its Internet brokerage business, The Wall Street Journal reported. Many analysts predict that there will be plenty of demand for DLJdirect's stock, even though the online brokerage lags behind Charles Schwab's online arm and ETrade. The eighth-largest security firm hasn't indicated the size of the offering, nor the price range of the stocks, but the offering is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 1999. (The Wall Street Journal Interactive requires a subscription.) [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18530.html
- Email Blitz Derails FDIC Plan - The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation withdrew its controversial "Know Your Customer" plan Tuesday, after receiving 257,000 emails almost unanimously opposed to the idea, The New York Times reported. Know Your Customer would have required banks to monitor customers' banking patterns and report inconsistencies to the authorities. The Libertarian Party fueled most of the online activity through its media campaign and Web site -- 171,000 comments to the FDIC originated there. Historically, email only has an effect on government when sent from inside the Beltway, but this response was so large and so vociferous that the FDIC caved in. (The New York Times requires a subscription.) [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18685.html
- Factory Simulation Software - Companies in diverse industries -- such as chemicals, automobiles, and computer hardware -- are relying increasingly on software that simulate assembly-line operations, The New York Times reported. Ford, for example, uses factory simulation programs to quickly retool old factories for new car designs. Some of the leading factory simulation publishers include Tecnomatix Technologies of Israel, Dassault Systemes of France, and Aspen Technology in the United States. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18630.html
- FCC Helps High-Speed Data - An order by the Federal Communications Commission will help companies that provide high-speed Internet and data services to compete against the nations local phone companies, by making it cheaper and faster for them to install equipment at major local phone companies central offices. Thursdays order lets the competing companies install a wider range of equipment than previously allowed in those offices. It also provides them with the option of being able to rent a tiny space, while allowing them inspect the major companies offices for verification when they have been denied space. The revised rules should take effect in one or two months. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18581.html
- Fed Worried About Y2K Loans - From Wired News: A Federal Reserve governor says the central bank may have to ask Congress to loosen tight controls on emergency loans to banks, just in case there's a big run because of Y2K. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18747.html
- FedEx's Virtual Rise - While FDX, the parent company of Federal Express, has clearly benefited from the rise of e-commerce, analysts are questioning whether a giant leap in the company's stock price in the past year is justified, the Los Angeles Times reported. Investors expect FedEx to be the premier deliverer of CDs, books, and clothing ordered over the Internet, but FedEx is the first to say that it doesn't benefit much from e-commerce, because UPS and the US Postal Service deliver much more than it does. Regardless, FDX is enjoying surging profits because of low jet-fuel prices, is seeing business pick up again in Asia, and doesn't face the threat of a pilot strike anymore. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18610.html
- Halting Volatile Stock Trading - On Thursday, the National Association of Securities Dealers will debate whether to halt trading of fast-moving stocks in volatile markets, in order to protect small investors from extreme losses, the Los Angeles Times reported. This, and another measure that would require day-trading brokerages to screen new customers for their ability to service risky markets, have stirred criticism that the rules may interfere with the market's freedom. Day-trading firms are opposed to the idea of having to screen customers since they fear the measure wouldn't be applied to online brokerages. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18698.html
- Hunting for European Capitalists - A growing number of international companies are building their own venture-capital networks in Europe to give a boost to indigenous high-tech talent, The Wall Street Journal reported. Europe's capitalists tend to bet only on safe investments while ignoring volatile technology startups, driving talent elsewhere. The new venture-capital efforts are using competitions, forums, and company tours to bring investors and startups together. (The Wall Street Journal Interactive requires a subscription.) [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18664.html
- IBM Pension Plan - IBM is considering switching from its traditional pension plan to a cash-balance plan, which could hurt its older employees, The Wall Street Journal reported. Under the new plan, employees would accrue their pension benefits gradually throughout their career instead of receiving up to half of their pension benefits in the last five years. While older employees who are more than five years from retirement could see pension benefits reduced by up to 50 percent, IBM would save about US$200 million a year from reduced payments into the plan and reduced administrative costs. IBM is still several months away from a final decision. (The Wall Street Journal Interactive requires a subscription.) [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18561.html
- India Loosens Telecom Policy - From Wired News: Indian broadcasting could get a boost from private and foreign investment as the government hold is broken on telephone and satellite competition. New legislation goes into effect 1 January 2000. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18774.html
- Indie Game Developers Debut - Videogame developers, hoping to tap the same creative spirit of the independent film industry, will unveil an indie community of their own this week at the Game Developers Conference in San Jose, California, the San Jose Mercury News reported. As the development budget for games grows in to the millions of dollars, big videogame companies don't want to risk venturing into new game genres or formats. So the game developers will use the Independent Games Festival, the Sundance of their industry, to give publicity to groundbreaking developers. Indie offerings could boost the gaming industry, which is expected to plateau this year as consumers await new game machines from Sony and Sega. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18473.html
- Investing in Net Infrastructure - Internet infrastructure firms are becoming so popular among investors that they are beginning to outpace the gains made by e-commerce firms, The Wall Street Journal reported. Companies like RealNetworks and Verisign are getting better at explaining what their products do. Meanwhile, the infrastructure companies have shown less volatility than their consumer-oriented peers, partly because some of their stocks are held by a larger percentage of institutional investors, and partly because savvy investors perceive them as having a better shot at finding a permanent position in the Internet market. (The Wall Street Journal Interactive requires a subscription.) [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18634.html
- Iridium: Pie in the Sky? - From Wired News: Iridium beat the competition by launching the first satellite phone system to receive calls anywhere on the planet. But its financial results are seriously lagging. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18826.html
- Jobs Hints at New Portables - From Wired News: At the upbeat Apple shareholders meeting, iCEO Steve Jobs speculates about new portables and quashes rumors about PDAs. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18721.html
- Know Your (Customer) Rights - From Wired News: The defeat of far-reaching bank monitoring regulations won't protect individual accounts from surveillance. Privacy advocates of all political stripes mount protests online. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18828.html
- Kodak Sells Office-Imaging Unit - Eastman Kodak is selling its office-imaging unit to German firm Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, the largest maker of printing presses, and NexPress, a joint venture company that makes digital printing products, according to the Associated Press. While NexPress will receive Kodak's black-and-white electrophotographic business, Heidelberger will acquire Kodak's digital printer, copier, and roller-assembly operations, AP said. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but it is expected to be completed by April. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18565.html
- Latin American Net Could Be Big - Last year, 4.8 million Latin American Internet surfers spent only US$170 million online, but if companies solve a few problems there could be 19 million surfers spending $8 billion by the year 2003, The San Jose Mercury reported. Some of the problems are cumbersome custom procedures, finding secure methods of payment, pricey access fees, and a dearth of local companies and products. Most Latin American Internet spending has gone to US companies, but these companies don't cater to local tastes. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18500.html
- Lawmaker Hints Net Taxes Coming - A key lawmaker said Friday that Congress "is going to respect the right of state and local governments to tax e-commerce," sending the strongest signal yet that arguments against a freeze on Internet taxes are taking hold in the US Congress, The Wall Street Journal reported. Representative Billy Tauzin told an investor conference that e-commerce operations should expect to pay taxes to local jurisdictions just like brick-and-mortar shops; the trick is finding a "rational way" to figure out the taxation. Currently, the US government is urging local and state officials to respect a temporary ban on taxing the Internet, so that the medium can develop, but local officials are concerned about a big drop in sales tax if retailers rely on the Web to pitch their wares. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18470.html
- Melissa Spawned by Spam - From Wired News: A Frankenvirus is accidentally created when a spam emailer is crossed with a new computer virus. But that's not the scariest part. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18827.html
- Microsoft Offer 'Inadequate' - From Wired News: State officials shoot down Redmond's proposed settlement, aimed at ending the thorny antitrust trial. A federal official says it may be no more than a public relations ploy. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18722.html
- Microsoft Shuffles the Org Chart - From Wired News: Microsoft will align itself around five new business groups and add a hardware division. Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer say the new plan isn't a road map for a post-trial breakup. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18811.html
- Microsoft's Music Agenda - The software maker will disclose its plans for distributing audio and video files over the Net next month. What a coincidence that the announcement will be made on the music industry's home turf. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18633.html
- MS Cuts Deal with Argentina - From Wired News: Microsoft cuts a deal with Argentine President Carlos Saúl Menem. The company will promote the software economy in the South American country if the Argentines agree to crack down on software piracy. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18719.html
- MS, Government Back at Table - From Wired News: Microsoft and the Justice Department sit down for settlement talks. Will the discussion end the trial, or hit the same walls as a year ago, before the whole mess began? [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18844.html
- Net Video Coming of Age? - A San Francisco company has staked its claim in the Net video market with a groundbreaking new system for delivering DVD-quality content. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18658.html
- Net's Future May Look Like QVC - TV merchants like the Home Shopping Network and ValueVision International could become the biggest online retailing powerhouses because of their massive databases, order-processing capabilities, and reach, the Boston Globe reported. Home Shopping Network alone -- one of the USA Networks' properties that will be merged into Lycos as part of a complex merger agreement -- has the names and credit card numbers of 20 million customers, more than triple the number of Amazon.com. Like it or not, Internet investors will probably have to accept that portals will adopt the business models of the home shopping channels. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18537.html
- Netscape Deal About to Close - America Online's acquisition of Netscape Communications, approved by the US Department of Justice and valued at nearly US$9 billion, could create tough competition for Microsoft, The Seattle Times reported. Microsoft said the combination could help it in its antitrust case, because the combination of AOL with Netscape, the software company that sought the government's help, would show how fast competition changes in the computer industry. But backers of the lawsuit said the acquisition does not diminish Microsoft's monopoly. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18465.html
- NetSol Spams Name Holders - From Wired News: The company in charge of all things dot com, dot net, and dot org emails an unsolicited marketing message to thousands of domain-name holders. Network admins cry spam. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18845.html
- Not Enough Visas For High-Tech - Computer-related companies, which make up nine of the 10 top employers hiring foreigners, are hiring more foreign nationals than their 115,000 yearly cap allows them, the Seattle Times reported. Although Congress has lifted the cap from 65,000 to 115,000 after Microsoft urged the increase, the yearly allotment probably won't be enough. With the visa cap expected to drop to 107,500 in 2001 and back to 65,000 in 2002, the high-tech industry will need to start training more Americans and depend less on hiring foreign nationals. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18604.html
- Now, Worries About Y2K Scams - US bankers and law-enforcement officials are on alert for scams and schemes that seek to profit from people's concerns about the Y2K computer problem, The New York Times reported. Frost National Bank in San Antonio, for example, sent a warning to other banks last week that a man had received a call in which he was told his money would have to be moved to a special bond account to protect him from Y2K-related glitches, and the caller asked for sensitive account information. Other scams artists are calling Visa credit card holders and asking them for their card information, saying the credit card company is doing Y2K-related testing and verification. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18471.html
- One World, One Cell Phone - From Wired News: International regulators have finally agreed on a standard that will let mobile phone users make and receive calls from anywhere in the world. Now all they need is a catchier name. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18750.html
- OneMain.com IPO Doubles - From Wired News: Yet another huge Internet initial public offering for the week. OneMain, an ISP serving the boonies, raises US$187 million. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18749.html
- Online Brokers Going Broke - While there are dozens of online brokers offering flat-rate commissions, only a few large, established investment service providers will remain, The Wall Street Journal reported. Expensive technology upgrades, higher bills for stock market data, and higher compliance costs arising from regulatory scrutiny are driving companies out of the online brokerage business. Investors may continue using online services, but they'll expect service that is more personalized -- and, therefore, more expensive -- which only a consolidated market can profit from. (The Wall Street Journal Interactive requires a subscription.) [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18497.html
- Paul Allen's Charter May Go IPO - Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, plans to sell US$2 to $3 billion of stock in his Charter Communications cable company to the public, USA Today reported. The intensely private billionaire is betting that cable-TV wire is going to be the conduit for high-speed Internet access and digital television in the near future, and Charter, the seventh-largest US cable system, is well-positioned. Charter could go public as early as the second half of the year, a spokeswoman said. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18528.html
- PC Free Gets Compaq's Backing - From Wired News: If you buy Net access from PC Free, it will toss in a fully rigged computer. It's a whole new paradigm, says the CEO. Compaq computer apparently agrees. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18720.html
- PC Sales Have Peaked - Big computer makers like Dell, Compaq, and IBM are experiencing falling revenues from PC sales because of price competition, the Los Angeles Times reported. With the average price for home PCs only US$947, computer companies are looking at opportunities in the specialized home-devices market, corporate and foreign sales, and consulting services. Some are finding additional profits by teaming up with Internet services to offer e-commerce packages. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18690.html
- Qualcomm Keeps Quiet - Qualcomm is trying to reduce unauthorized leaks to analysts and the media, The San Diego Tribune reported. Jeffrey Belk, vice president of marketing, sent a memo to employees this week warning that reporters and others are trying to infiltrate the company. Analysts say Qualcomm has become increasingly tight-lipped over the past year. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18614.html
- RSA Lands on British Shores - From Wired News: Three months after opening an Australian development house to bypass crypto export regs, RSA Data Security opens a European office to sell the fruits from Down Under. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18846.html
- SEC Wants Even Disclosure - The US Securities and Exchange Commission is considering tightening rules on forcing companies to announce news to all investors -- big and small -- at the same time, The New York Times reported. The regulators are concerned that companies are giving analysts and institutional investors key information first, giving the big boys on Wall Street a chance to make a profit first. But the SEC will proceed slowly, because the commission doesn't want to scare companies into releasing even less information to the public. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18532.html
- Siemens Purchases Redstone - Today Siemens AG is expected to announce its purchase of Redstone Communications, which makes high-speed switching devices, for a half-billion dollars, The Boston Globe reported. The German telecommunications giant is more aggressive than Ericcson and Alcatel, its two European competitors, and is scrambling to catch up with the technological advances that US companies Lucent, Cisco, Northern Telecom, and 3Com have already made in the data networking market. By keeping up with the new technology, the European companies can easily recoup their heavy investments in switching technology, by taking on foreign markets, in which they have a major advantage over their US counterparts. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18582.html
- Small Computer Shops Thriving - Small computer retailers are surviving an industry shakeout because they keep their overhead low, specialize in their wares, and hire employees with strong product knowledge, the Seattle Times reported. Medium-sized computer retailers, however, are being forced out of the industry because they can't find a niche market like their smaller competitors, and can't afford to lose money like the big chains. Filling the void left by their demise are computer makers who sell by mail, as well as online computer retailers. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18661.html
- Sony Playstation II Big Step - Sony's Playstation II is creating a stir in the computer world because it uses a microprocessor that delivers graphics that until now could only be produced by supercomputers, The New York Times reported. For the time being, the Playstation II will provide competition for Sega's Dreamcast machine, but analysts predict that the power of the Sony's Emotion Engine chip -- greater than that of Intel's Pentium III -- could soon bring the Playstation into competition with personal computer hardware and software companies. Besides its microprocessor, the Playstation II incorporates ports for the fastest communications channels available today and is equipped with slots for peripherals like modems, network cards, hard drives, and flash memory to laptop computers. (The New York Times of the Web requires registration.) [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18596.html
- Stock Fraud Tougher to Stop - Online stock fraud is growing so big that regulators and law-enforcement officials are going to have a tough time keeping pace, a study commissioned by Congress has found. The General Accounting Office study cited many kinds of fraud, including emails sent to millions of users that improperly tout stocks, false information spread by anonymous chat-room participants, and sophisticated forgeries of legitimate brokerage Web sites, The Wall Street Journal reported. It's hard to track down the con artists, but commercial sites could come up with standardized seals of approval, and brokerages could screen out investors who may be susceptible to fraud. (The Wall Street Journal Interactive requires a subscription.) [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18637.html
- Sweeping UK Net Libel Decision - From Wired News: A British court rules that Internet service providers can be held responsible for libelous messages posted on their servers, casting a pall over the industry. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18771.html
- Tech Giants Lobby Congress - Some of the biggest names in the computer industry have formed the Computer Coalition for Responsible Exports in an effort to stop Congress from tightening export restrictions on personal computers, The San Jose Mercury News reported. Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Sun Microsystems, Apple, IBM, and Compaq have all joined the coalition. The group points out that the current export regulations -- designed to stop the export of machines that could be used for weapons research -- are far too stringent. New business computers operate at speeds higher than 2,000 MTOPS, the maximum speed level currently allowed without special export approval from the Commerce Department. Coalition members hope to allay fears in Congress that have been spurred by the discovery of recent technology leaks to China, and argue that too much control would hurt US companies. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18546.html
- The Bank of Beenz - Beenz Company Ltd., a British start-up, is launching what it calls the Internet's first universal currency, symbolized by a bright red bean with two strokes at the top, The Wall Street Journal reported. Founder Philip Letts envisions the concept as an alternative to Web advertising, explaining that Beenz will market itself by rewarding customers who visit sites using Beenz with the currency, which can then be deposited at the Bank of Beenz. In preparation for the launch, Beenz has recruited a number of retailers to hand out and accept the currency in lieu of payment. It expects to derive future revenue through its role as a bank, clearing transactions and taking commissions on the Beenz it sells. (The Wall Street Journal Interactive requires a subscription.) [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18514.html
- The Net, Hollywood Enemy No. 1 - Kids spend less time in front of the TV these days as they increasingly log on. Programmers and advertisers wrestle to capture an emerging demographic group. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18636.html
- US Firms Oppose Privacy Rules - US companies, including Walt Disney Co. and America Online, oppose proposed Commerce Department guidelines for meeting European privacy laws, a sticking point in trade negotiations between the United States and Europe, the Washington Post reported. Commerce officials hope to convince American companies to adopt practices that meet Europe's strict privacy standards, but the US companies say they will not endorse the plan until they know how it will affect their business. At stake, the companies say, is transatlantic trade. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18498.html
- US Seeks Microsoft Revamp - The 19 states who joined the federal government's landmark antitrust case against Microsoft are unlikely to settle for any remedy that doesn't include a revamping of the software company, The New York Times reported. At least some attorneys general will seek to force Microsoft to license the source code for its Windows operating system to other companies. The attorneys acknowledge that the judge in the case could still rule in the favor of Microsoft, but they say they were emboldened by the performance of lead attorney David Boies, and are considering asking for stronger remedies. (Registration required to access New York Times on the Web.) [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18494.html
- US, EU Closer to Privacy Accord - The Unites States and European Union have made progress heading off a transatlantic trade dispute over online data privacy after the United States came closer to meeting EU online consumer protection standards, The Financial Times reported. The most vigorous program trying to establish European standards was launched this week by the Council of Better Business Bureaus, a US private sector organization that certifies the ethical standards of its members. BBB is examining how Internet companies collect, store, and protect consumers' personal data, and goes beyond earlier efforts that only encouraged online businesses to disclose privacy policies. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18603.html
- Wireless Success - With 30 percent of Americans already possessing cellular phones, wireless companies predict that technological advances, lower rates, and industry consolidation will boost the mobile's popularity even more in the next few years, the Los Angeles Times reported. So far, incentives like single-rate national pricing, and plans that offer a wealth of minutes, have produced successful results, but in order to fulfill the vision of the inter-operability of wireless and cordless lines, companies are considering all kinds of technological innovations and pricing plans. While most consumers may need to wait a while for cellular global coverage and email, the industry will continue to grow by tapping the American youth market and consolidating overseas. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18479.html
- Xerox's dpiX Closing Down - From Wired News: So much for unlocking value. DpiX, one of Xerox PARC's spinoffs, plans to shut down by the end of the year, if it can't find more backers or a buyer. [Wired News]
www.wired.com/news/news/story/18861.html
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