Outline/Quotes

Ed. - Editorial comments

To Sign, Perhaps to Encrypt

No system administrator should ever ask you to set your password to a particular value (although they might ask you to change your password if there is evidence that it has been compromised). So just what is the best way to ensure security? The basic SMTP protocol does not support authentication, so forging a message is trivial. I don’t hear the sender’s voice or see his face as he types, and ASCII has distinct limitations when it comes to transmitting personality. The answer is MIME-encoded digital signatures.

Ed. - This brings to the forefront the heated politics of the use of encryption. Both sides have valid arguments. Tell us what you think.

Outline/Quotes

Ed. - Editorial comments

For instant Internet access in the comfort of your living room, there's no easier or cheaper option than WebTV. WebTV manufacturers have developed a simple language that makes setup and use a breeze. Of course, simple isn't always best, and WebTV's changes to traditional Web browsing commands and setup procedures may cause some confusion for the experienced Internet junkie. Familiarity may breed contempt, but for the newbie, WebTV is the way to go.

Ed. - We're willing to bet that Web TV's demographics are very similar to that of the Jerry Springer show.

Cad Standards: Develop and Document

The next time you’re sitting around with a group of CAD managers, ask whether they have CAD manuals in their offices. Most will answer "yes"--a hefty CAD manual is one of the badges of CAD managerial prowess. If you want some real insight, ask the CAD managers why they have CAD manuals.

What Dreams May Come True

CIO presented a hypothetical wand and a promise for one wish to six information technology executives, who wished for all manner of magical thinking caps, crystal balls, love potions and truth serums. (Did somebody actually suggest an "end-user silencer module"?) But even when given free rein to fulfill their wildest dreams, managers in the end chose to wish for the simple but not quite achievable fixes that would most improve their workday lives. And thus we present their wishes: Truly Ubiquitous Computing, True Blue Business Partners, the Ultimate Time Machine and the Perfect Employee.

Web Rings as Computer-Mediated Communication

As recently as 1994, academic journals such as Communication Education were continuing to define "computer-mediated communication" as a decidedly dialogic or conversational phenomenon. Focusing on such technologies as electronic bulletin boards, the Usenet and email, the journal's articles attempted to come to grips with the "virtual" dimension of text-based, computerized communication. Four short years later, the Internet has become a much more complex, commercialized, politicized and increasingly networked environment, to the extent that web-based resources -- particularly home page addresses-- have become fully integrated and hypertextually linked into "traditional" CMC dialogic technologies 

Keeping Up With New Technology

In a reader’s survey conducted last year, and reported by Patrick Coyne in his Editor’s Column, 44% of the survey participants said their greatest business challenge was in keeping up with technological changes. It is still an important question today. How do you keep track of new equipment and software upgrades? How do you decide what is right for you?

Viva La Revolución

A revolution is taking place in Mexico -- the same revolution that has been quietly creeping into the labs of research facilities and of universities across the world. In Oregon, this revolution is being spread into the elementary schools by a coalition of multi-national corporations, local free press, and a group of dedicated volunteers who claim they don't "officially" exist. It all started with a radical at the MIT Artificial Intelligence labs and a foreigner who often speaks of world domination. This is the revolution of open source software.

From Old to New PC

As Mr. Lake was waving good-bye to his old, faithful, PC and firing up his brand-new, faithful, PC, E.M. Forster's Howards End sprang to his mind. Like most novels of its era, Howards End had a theme. Forster put his theme on the title page: "only connect."
Forster had a wider social context in mind, but I used his theme as a personal, technological mantra. All I had to do was transfer my life's work from my old system to my new one. To connect--but how?

ISPs Cut Through Net Traffic

An emerging service called server co-location could be the answer for VARs whose customers want heavy-duty bandwidth performance for their Web application and vault-like security. It's a service that places a customer's Web servers at a network access point, or peering point, where data can quickly hop on the Internet backbone without navigating through regional Internet service provider (ISP) networks.

Ed. - Many companies will unintentionally make themselves vulnerable by buying into server offloading with start-up and growing ISPs.

Whither Goest Apple?

Perhaps you’ve see the ad. It’s prominent—back cover: Time. Jackie Robinson in full glide, crossing the plate ahead of the sweep tag. A brilliant moment during a year of monumental change. Quantum shift: Baseball Integrates. Robinson, a good Negro League player, wins NL Rookie of the Year. The world continues to turn; the axis is shifted. The simple imperative: "Think Different." An Apple appears near the words; a silent partner? Think different. Think Apple?

Ed. - A well thought out article that brings in to doubt whether Apple can ever come all the way back.

Aural Fixation

A quiet revolution has begun taking over the noisiest part of your PC: the audio subsystem. SoundBlaster compatibility, once the Rosetta stone of PC audio, has become less and less important as games have migrated to Windows 95/98. More and more, games are using higher-resolution audio, and some games have even incorporated Dolby Surround for ambient effects.

Why Managers Should Care About Java

Let’s face it – Java has had a lot of hype. Though thousands of developers have sung its praises, convincing managers and project leaders to use Java for their applications can be a rough battle. Arguing certain language features does not go very far, and to turn a manager’s head, you’ve got to build a solid business case. In this issue Ward has compiled a list of reasons that should help you get started.

Andrew J. Glass

Telecommuting: Nice Work if You Can Hack It

Telecommuting seems like a great gig, often touted as the biggest advance for employees since the 40-hour week. Working at home, one avoids the grind of rush-hour traffic, not to mention the distractions of the office. Want to skip your shower? Wear sweatpants instead of a suit? Go ahead. But also growing is evidence that working from home is not as liberating as one might think, and that the flexibility it offers does not, in the end, do much to empower the worker. And it has other, less tangible drawbacks.

Thin Server Delivers Fat Benefits

The concept of thin servers, or microservers, has been around for a while. The Cobalt Qube's innovation is to strip away everything that is superfluous and focus on just the things needed to get a server up and running quickly. The Cobalt offering is particularly attractive for small businesses or startup ISPs wanting to put up a self-contained Internet presence complete with Web site, email and ftp.

A Different Kind of Brew

An Introduction to Java is a series of articles that explores Java. We’ll discover what Java is and why it was developed. We’ll learn about the Java Development Kit and take a tour of the Java language. We’ll find out how to create applets and applications. If you ever wanted to take a course on Java but your boss wouldn’t shell out the cash, here is your chance.

Ed. - For those interested, this is one of the most comprehensive yet clear articles about Java that we've seen.

Y2K Implications Impacting Bottom Lines

Resellers are starting to feel the impact of year 2000 worries on their bottom line as customers struggle with the "crowding out" effect Y2K solutions have on operational budgets. Some large corporate and government clients have insisted on inserting Y2K guarantees within their contracts and purchase orders, which basically shift the blame for any year 2000 problems back to the VARs.

Web Serves Those Who Best Exploit It

Various reports indicate e-commerce revenues at least doubled and overall use of the Internet for shopping nearly tripled during the 1998 holiday season, compared with the same period of 1997. Increasingly, retailers who succeed in cyberspace will be those who best exploit and manipulate Web technology and those who provide top-notch services. Just look at the recent trends.

Ed. - More important than the technology implemented will be the level of influence they can build for their Web site.

Getting Your Money's Worth on New Mobile CPUs

Although notebook buyers have always had to make more complex—and more personal—trade-offs than desktop shoppers, they haven't had to deal with the confusing array of CPU choices found on the desktop. Until now. The recent release of some processor choices promises that managing CPU options for portable systems will never be the same—for sellers or buyers.

Digital Cameras

If you're tired of going to the film processing store and waiting anywhere from an hour to a few days for your pictures, use a digital camera. These devices have become advanced enough to save you time and money without compromising picture quality.

New E-commerce Lobby Aims to Curb Online Laws

When the Global Business Dialogue on E-Commerce (GBDE) convenes for the second time next month, the meeting will most likely be held -- fittingly enough -- over the Internet. The group aims to tackle a host of policy issues related to electronic commerce, to hammer out consensus and alleviate the need for governments to step in with regulations.

Ed. - With roughly only 100 member companies, how much power can they wield?

The Future of E-Commerce: Conbini

They are everywhere: the conbini (convenience store). With the conbini market saturated, these neighborhood denizens have embraced e-commerce in an attempt to lure more customers. Now chains like Lawson can offer thousands of products without adding floor space. So now as the next "networked generation" of Japanese kids hangs out at the liquor store, their tastes could be setting shopping styles for the next century.

Have you ever wondered what a digital library is or how you would go about creating your own digital library? By describing the design and implementation process we followed in creating our own digital library, we intend to give the reader a simple definition of what a digital library is, and present some key design issues involved in creating a digital library. We focus on a UNIX based implementation, but we also include highlights of PC-based libraries.