Universal Service
Senators Reiterate Concern About Rural Phone Rates (TelecomAM)
New Competitors in Ideal Position to Wire
Schools and Libraries (TelecomAM)
Internet
The American Way of Spam (NYT)
Cable
TCI Will Install Sun's Java Software In All TV Boxes, in Blow to
Microsoft (WSJ)
Arts
The Effect of Technology in Opera Form (CyberTimes)
Adding a Dimension to Web Art (NYT)
Journalism
TV expose of drug run to Britain called fake (ChiTrib)
Antitrust
Gates, Antitrust Chief Confer (WP)
InfoTech
Firm To Take Chip Technology to Market (WP)
Apple Gives Bold Answer to Sub-$1,000 Market (WSJ)
Europe's PC Market Continued to Surge (WSJ)
** Universal Service **
Title: Senators Reiterate Concern About Rural Phone Rates
Source: Telecom AM
http://www.telecommunications.com/am/
Issue: Universal Service
Description: Members of the Senate Communications Subcommittee told FCC
Common Carrier Bureau Chief Richard Metzger that the Commission should make
no changes to universal service programs that would raise rural telephone
rates. Senators Conrad Burns (R-MT) Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Jay Rockefeller
(D-WV) let Chief Metzger know they think that current plans would "doom
rural customers to higher rates." At a May 6 oversight hearing, Sen
Rockefeller also asked Chief Metzger what the FCC will do in the to prevent
phone companies -- namely AT&T -- from passing universal service charges to
consumers despite access charge reductions that
"more than offset" new costs. Sen Rockefeller said he is "very disturbed" by
the
lack of "truth in billing."
Title: New Competitors in Ideal Position to Wire Schools and Libraries
Source: Telecom AM
http://www.telecommunications.com/am/
Issue: Universal Service
Description: Ira Fishman, head of the Schools and Libraries Corporation,
told the Association of Local Telecommunications Services that new
competitive phone companies are in an "ideal" situation to hook up schools
and libraries to the Internet. Many schools and libraries feel left out by
the big incumbent companies, Mr. Fishman said, and new, smaller companies
should take advantage of these entities that are in "growth mode." "The
vendor who can serve them well can get a lot of goodwill and free
publicity," Mr. Fishman said.
** Internet **
Title: The American Way of Spam
Source: New York Times (D1)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/05/circuits/articles/07spam.html
Author: Amy Harmon
Issue: Internet
Description: Is the practice huge amounts of unsolicited email "(a) the End
of Civilization or (b) a Triumph of Free Enterprise?" The Internet's first
"internecine conflict" is the spam wars -- on one side are cyberentreneurs
who argue they are just making a living by sending out commercial bulk email
and on the other side are people who just hate unwanted email in their In
box and are fighting to block it.
** Cable **
Title: TCI Will Install Sun's Java Software In All TV Boxes, in Blow to
Microsoft
Source: Wall Street Journal (A11)
http://wsj.com/
Author: David Bank
Issue: Cable
Description: Cable TV operator, Tele-Communications Inc., said it would
install Sun Microsystems Inc.'s Java software on all of its new TV set-top
boxes. TCI's decision helps to "bolster" Sun's bid to "outflank" Microsoft
Corp. in the development of interactive services via cable television.
** Arts **
Title: The Effect of Technology in Opera Form
Source: New York Times (Cybertimes)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/05/cyber/artsatlarge/07artsatlarg...
Author: Matthew Mirapaul
Issue: Arts
Description: Video artist Beryl Korot and composer Steve Reich are using
visual-effects software, an audio-processing program and a sampling keyboard
in their next work. The two artists are using these digital devices to help
tell "Three Tales," a 21st century opera that will take the broad effects of
technology on 20th century society as its central theme. "One of the
questions that's an underpinning of the whole piece is -- is there ever a
control on knowledge?" Korot said during a telephone interview last week.
"Do we ever look at how much is good to know? Is there ever a limitation on
knowledge or do we just pursue, pursue, pursue, wherever it may lead?" Reich
said: "We're trying to achieve a real investigation into the whole physical
and spiritual underpinnings of technology. Each part of the piece will tell
the story, will give you a feeling of the zeitgeist and then will also go
into the religious issues that will come up in relationship to technology."
Previews of the first act will appear at different venues, but the full
opera is not scheduled to be performed until 2001.
Title: Adding a Dimension to Web Art
Source: New York Times (D4)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/05/circuits/articles/07glas.html
Author: Tina Kelley
Issue: Arts
Description: A growing amount od three dimensional art is available on the
World Wide Web. Check out these sites: http://www.express.ca/rigibson,
http://www.mulkeyvision.com/pages3d/3d10.html,
http://www.sover.net/~manx/mard3d.html.
** Journalism **
Title: TV expose of drug run to Britain called fake
Source: Chicago Tribune (Sec 1, p.15)
http://www.chicagotribune.com
Author: Ray Moseley
Issue: Journalism
Description: An award-winning documentary shown in Britain in 1996 and later
on HBO was a fake, the Guardian newspaper claims. "The Connection" purported
to show an interview with the number three man in the Cali cartel and the
travels of a drug courier smuggling heroin into Briton. The Guardian
disputed the identity of the interviewees and the locations and shooting
schedule of the film. "The Connection" won 8 national and international
awards including 3 in the US.
** Antitrust **
Title: Gates, Antitrust Chief Confer
Source: Washington Post (E3)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-05/07/178l-050798-idx.html
Author: Rajiv Chandrasekaran
Issue: Antitrust
Description: On Tuesday night Microsoft Corp. Chairman, Bill Gates
personally appealed to Justice Dept. antitrust chief, Joel Klein, to not
block the release of Microsoft's Windows 98 software. The meeting lasted for
two-hours but there was no discussion of a settlement as the government
considers filing a broad antitrust case. "He wanted to present his views to
us," said Justice spokeswoman Gina Talmona. "We listened, obviously."
Microsoft spokesman Mark Murray said: "It was a good opportunity for him to
talk directly with Mr. Klein about the importance of protecting the
industry's right to innovate...Bill wanted to share his perspective from 25
years in the software industry, particularly the history of how the
integration of new feature into the operating system has been the
cornerstone of the software industry for two decades."
** InfoTech **
Title: Firm To Take Chip Technology to Market
Source: Washington Post (E3)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-05/07/170l-050798-idx.html
Author: Elizabeth Corcoran
Issue: Computer Technology
Description: A new company, United States Advanced Lithography, said
yesterday that it plans to commercialize advanced computer chip-making
technology that is being developed by a large nonprofit consortium of U.S.
chipmakers and federal laboratories. The technology builds computer chips
with tiny components that measure less than one-tenth of a micron across (a
single strand of human hair measures about 100 microns). Scientist say that
developing technologies that can build these types of chips is vital to the
industry's future. The nonprofit consortium is also in discussion with
foreign equipment makers who might be interested in bringing this type of
technology to the market.
Title: Apple Gives Bold Answer to Sub-$1,000 Market
Source: Wall Street Journal (A3)
http://wsj.com/
Author: Jim Carlton
Issue: Computer Technology
Description: Apple Computer Inc. unveiled a new computer yesterday called
the iMac Machine. Outside of a monitor and PowerPC G3 microprocessor being
included in its price of $1,299. The computer will most likely make waves
due to its unusual design -- a combination of Jetson-style aesthetics and
the Macintosh concept of a one-piece computer. "It looks like it's from
another planet -- a good planet," said Steve Jobs, Apple's interim Chief
Executive Officer. "One with better designers."
Title: Europe's PC Market Continued to Surge
Source: Wall Street Journal (B7)
http://wsj.com/
Author: WSJ Staff Reporter
Issue: International
Description: According to Dataquest, a market research unit of U.S.-based
Gartner Group, the European personal-computer market continued to surge in
the first quarter. "It has been another tremendous quarter," said Steve
Brazier, an associate director at Dataquest. The European PC market grew
26.4% in the first quarter, compared to 23.8% in the fourth quarter last
year and 16.9% in the third quarter.
*********
Diagnosis: Post-tropical depression. Prescription: Daily Headlines and lots
of 'em.