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Issue no. 4, 2002 Published: Jan 25, 2002
HP patents nanochip process
US punishes Ukraine for piracy
'EU to clear HP purchase of Compaq'
Amazon exceeds targets and makes first profit
European operator delays 3G launch
Netscape sues Microsoft
Charge for content via phones, not net
Smart homes on trial
Lightweight glove replaces keyboard and mouse
Cracking code gives password for college place
New software can expose virtual liars
Fired at the touch of a button

HP patents nanochip process
Hewlett-Packard and University of California scientists on Wednesday have patented a process they said would eventually help turn out powerful computers that fit on the head of a pin with room to spare. The patent covers a process to pack a number of different functions into a single nanochip by dividing the chip into different zones where independent calculations could take place. Previously, HP developed a way to use chemical processes to make grids of nanowires a few atoms thick and to place molecules at the intersections of the wires. They also discovered how to manipulate the molecules to block or let electricity pass through. The newly patented process could break the huge grid into smaller zones by using electrical charges to make 'cuts' in the nanowires. HP compares it to breaking up a city street grid into neighbourhoods that operate independently but are linked by major thoroughfares.
ZDNet / Reuters Jan 23, 2002	back to top

US punishes Ukraine for piracy
Seeking to pressure Ukraine into taking more action to eradicate compact disc piracy, the United States imposed trade sanctions Wednesday that will restrict steel and other metal exports. The US has accused Ukraine of failing to crack down sufficiently on the illegal production of CDs in this nation, which the US record industry estimates costs it some $200m annually. The sanctions imposed on Wednesday are expected to cost Ukraine some $470m annually. The issue emerged some three years ago following accusations by US authorities that Ukraine is the main producer of pirated CDs in Europe. Last week, the Ukrainian parliament approved a bill aimed at regulating CD production and thereby heading off bruising economic sanctions. But the legislation apparently failed to satisfy US demands.
Wired News / AP Jan 22, 2002	back to top

'EU to clear HP purchase of Compaq'
Hewlett-Packard is expected to win approval from the European Commission for its plan to buy Compaq Computer Corp. in a $25bn deal, an EU source said on Thursday. The source added the Commission would not impose conditions on the transaction. The deal is an important test of antitrust relations between the EU and the US. In a controversial move, the European Commission last year blocked General Electric's planned $42b purchase of Honeywell, prompting US criticism. It was the first time that European regulators had blocked a merger approved by their US counterparts. The US Federal Trade Commission has yet to rule on the HP/Compaq deal. However, regulatory clearance is not the only hurdle the deal faces. The shareholder vote on what would be the largest merger in PC history is due in early March, with the outcome far from certain.
Yahoo / Reuters Jan 24, 2002	back to top

Amazon exceeds targets and makes first profit
Amazon.com, the pioneer of online retailing, passed the symbolic milestone of reporting its first quarterly profit on Tuesday, six and a half years after it began trading but still ahead of expectations. Amazon's full-year losses amounted to $567m, although this was an improvement on the $1.4bn loss in 2000. The group, which had more than $2.1bn in long-term debt, ended the year with $1bn in cash and marketable securities - slightly ahead of target. The turnaround came largely from cutting expenses. It cut marketing spending by 34 per cent and general and administrative costs by 30 per cent. Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive, said the long-term course for the company would be as an online discount retailer that would use improvements in productivity to reduce prices for consumers.
Financial Times Jan 23, 2002	back to top

European operator delays 3G launch
The roll-out of third-generation (3G) phone services in Europe has been dealt a further blow with the news that French operator Cegetel will not launch a commercial service before 2004. A subsidiary of Vivendi Universal and France's second largest telecoms operator, Cegetel says it will not begin trials until the middle of 2003, despite an investment of E400m in building its 3G network this year.
VNUnet UK Jan 22, 2002	back to top

Netscape sues Microsoft
Netscape is suing Microsoft in the US Federal Court, claiming that the software giant illegally harmed its web browser business through its anti-competitive behaviour. Now part of AOL Time Warner, Netscape wants Microsoft to be held liable for three times the damages it inflicted on Netscape because of its campaign of 'anti-competitive and exclusionary acts' in the web browser market. The seven-count lawsuit is based on the recent US court verdict that Microsoft broke antitrust laws in the fight to establish its own web browser over Netscape Navigator. The company asked for an immediate injunction against 'ongoing and further damage' involving Netscape's browser. AOL said that it 'seeks to recover all the damages to Netscape in accordance with the law', but did not specify an amount.
VNUnet UK Jan 23, 2002	back to top

Charge for content via phones, not net
Europeans are willing to spend more for content on their mobile phones but continue to be unwilling to pay for web content, according to a recent report by internet research company Jupiter MMXI. Thus newspapers and magazines still searching for an Internet revenue model should consider investing their efforts toward charging for mobile content, the report recommends. Jupiter estimates that Europeans will spend approximately E3.3bn for content delivered through mobile phones by 2006, almost double the spending on internet content. Nearly half of those surveyed said they would not pay anything for content over the web. The study also says that the overwhelming majority of internet content will remain free in the future, with most spending related to broadband content.
Europemedia.net Jan 21, 2002	back to top

Smart homes on trial
The Internet Home Alliance group, which includes General Motors, Invensys, Panasonic, HP and ADT Security Services, has produced a system that lets you control your home from wherever you are. The technology, called Onstar at Home, will be tested out in February at 100 homes in the Detroit area in the US. The families will try out the system for four months, interacting with their home by phone, web or wireless. They will also have cars equipped with voice recognition technology, allowing them to connect to their houses on the move. Every home will have a broadband connection and every single communication from the homeowner will travel over the net. The idea behind the project is to create an internet lifestyle. If you had an unexpected visitor at home while you were at work, the system would contact you via e-mail, text message or by calling you. You could then unlock the front door remotely and let your visitor in.
BBC News Jan 24, 2002	back to top

Lightweight glove replaces keyboard and mouse
A hi-tech glove that tracks hand movements could change the way we use computers. The P5 glove, developed by Essential Reality, can replace the keyboard and mouse, letting you control your computer by just moving your hand and fingers in space. The idea of virtual gloves has been around for a while, but in the past, they have been awkward to use, impractical and often expensive. By contrast, the P5 glove is light, easy to use and is expected to cost between US$129 and US$149, depending on the games that come with it. The P5 has narrow strips that run along the back of each finger. The strips contain 'bend sensor' technology that sends impulses back to the computer, reading the finger movements. The product is meant for playing video games. But its makers also see potential for use in the military, scientific and medical fields.
BBC News Jan 22, 2002	back to top

Cracking code gives password for college place
A Canadian university has awarded a scholarship to the first prospective student who successfully cracked an encoded mathematics problem, posed by teachers in place of a conventional entrance exam. One hundred other students who also managed to decode and figure out the problem were offered a place on the computer science course at the university. The University of Lethbridge, Alberta issued the challenge to computer science and mathematics students in October 2001. The challenge was to convert a mathematical problem into text from a confusing string of numbers. Then solve the problem and email the answer to the university. It is not the first time that a code-cracking puzzle has been used to select new recruits. The UK government's intelligence headquarters issued a challenge to job hunters in January and November 2000. The problems were more complicated than Lethbridge's and involved messages hidden within images on the organisation's website.
New Scientist Jan 21, 2002	back to top

New software can expose virtual liars
US researchers are working on a computer program that can tell when someone is not telling the truth in an email. The SAS Institute's content analysis program can identify underlying meanings in messages. Its developers say the system works by examining basic patterns in words and phrases to detect likely falsehoods. 'The patterns in people's language change when they are uncertain or lying,' says SAS Institute business solutions manager Peter Dorrington. 'We can compare basic patterns and grammatical structures versus benchmarks to detect likely lies.' The firm says the program can also be used in other applications. It can, for example, sift through CV databases, matching the best applicants to specific jobs.
Ananova / Financial Times Jan 21, 2002	back to top

Fired at the touch of a button
A new software package designed by US firm Business Layers does all the work needed to fire an employee. Cryptically dubbed 'eProvision Day One' the software aims to 'ease the process of integrating a new employee into the system'. But a bit of tweaking proved its efficiency as an automated way of cleaning up loose ends after giving a worker the boot. After the 'leaving interview' a single click will lock up email, kill phone extensions, close payroll account details, cancel corporate credit cards and block building passes. The software can even be set up to cancel network and desktop passwords to lock an ex-staff member out of their PC as well as send an alert to systems to collect their laptop. The system works by setting up a digital identity which follows employees around the company - all the way to the front door. But the creative, if somewhat ruthless, strategy applied by Business Layers means that the company kills off the digital identity.
VNUnet UK Jan 23, 2002	back to top