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News - Online Archives - CNET News.com
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RSA lobbies for S/MIME standard - Pushing its flavor of secure email, RSA Data Security launched a campaign today designed to make its S/MIME security protocol for electronic messaging the market's de facto standard and to win the official blessing as an Internet standard, too. [News.com]

PSINet peers with smaller ISPs - PSINet (PSIX) came through with its promise today to let small Internet service providers interconnect with its network for free. [News.com]

Power Computing files for IPO - Power Computing, the largest Macintosh clone maker, today filed for an initial public offering in hopes of raising as much as $30 million in capital and fueling its push to build on the Microsoft-Intel platform. [News.com]

ISPs may face charges over child porn - As many as five Internet service providers may face serious legal charges for providing access to newsgroups used by child pornographers in cases that critics are calling election-eve politics. [News.com]

FCC opens up wireless Net - Companies that offer video programming over wireless networks can now jump into the fast Net access business, the Federal Communications Commission said today. [News.com]

Altera, Xilinx primed for growth - In case you haven't noticed, the entire semiconductor industry has been getting pounded for the last year. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association, the industry is expected to post a 1.8 percent decline in unit sales to $134.7 billion in 1998, due largely to a combination of overcapacity, weak demand from Asia, and a slackening in PC sales. [News.com]

Playing the stock options game - Doling out stock options to employees is nothing new in Silicon Valley, but a number of high-tech companies have modified that concept and are using stock options as a way to sidestep the hassles of hard currency. [News.com]

Sun "encourages" SGI users to swap - It didn't take long for the vultures to start circling over Silicon Graphics (SGI), the embattled high-end workstation and server vendor. [News.com]

AOL buys rival service - The $1.2 billion sale of CompuServe will reshape the industry's landscape, strengthening America Online as the leading online service and bolstering WorldCom in the backbone business. NEWS.COM examines what the deal means for the Internet service market and its consumers. [News.com]

Webcasting Hong Kong's transition - More than 20 major broadcasters launched Webcasts today to help cover Hong Kong's return to China, the latest example of news organizations using the Web to report high-profile events. [News.com]

Anti-fraud group spams by mistake - The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) accidentally sent numerous unsolicited emails, or "spam," to investors who sent inquiries to its anti-fraud email address, the group said. [News.com]

Weak demand, low prices wreak havoc - PC and chip titans are feeling the strain of world events. HP says job cuts are coming while two companies halt plans for chip plants. [News.com]

AltaVista debuts Discovery search app - Compaq is continuing where Digital Equipment left off with the AltaVista search site, beefing it up to compete in the cutthroat portal market. [News.com]

Japan to cut chip plant spending - Japanese semiconductor makers are expected to sharply reduce their capital investment, a move that may affect the entire Japanese economy, business daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun said today. [News.com]

3Com networks small business - With the growing use of networking cards that speed data at 10 times the rate of traditional desktop Ethernet technology, the need for small-office networking gear that supports this faster standard is growing. [News.com]

EU official seeks global Net charter - The top telecommunications official of the European Union today called for an international charter to regulate the Internet and other electronic networks. [News.com]

Incentive programs meet email ads - Steve Markowitz thinks he has found a foolproof way of not only delivering email advertising to Netizens but also getting them to ask for it. The idea: Pay surfers to receive the ads. [News.com]

Intel hosts Beijing speech forum - Intel will host the first International Speech Forum in Beijing on Monday, an effort to advance speech recognition technology for Chinese markets. [News.com]

Sweet deals for high-tech execs - This year's run-up in Internet stocks has made America Online chief executive Stephen Case the $160 million man, in just the latest example of hefty compensation packages for high-tech executives. [News.com]

New face for Net security? - Remembering computer passwords may become a thing of the past. [News.com]

Apple's Newton in doubt again - The Apple Computer (AAPL) group that develops handheld computers based on the Newton operating system may be facing staff attrition and consequently losing development momentum. [News.com]

SportsLine to launch IPO - SportsLine USA said it wants to raise as much as $38.5 million in its initial public offering. [News.com]

Upgraded SiteMinder toughens security - Netegrity (NETE) today released a new version of its SiteMinder software for security management of intranets and extranets. [News.com]

New chips for low-cost PCs - Cyrix and SGS Thomson today announced new processors for consumer computers that unite system functions and multimedia features on a single processor. [News.com]

Argentine chamber outlaws piracy - Acting to catch up with modern standards, Argentina's Chamber of Deputies has unanimously approved changing the country's legal code to penalize software theft as a crime. [News.com]

HP, Motorola face critical test - Hewlett-Packard and Motorola, two technology industry titans, continue to struggle with the impact of economic uncertainty in Asia. How they deal with those uncertainties could provide others with a roadmap for how--or how not--to react to market forces. [News.com]

Uneasy software alliances - The now-infamous bug battle between RealNetworks and Microsoft represents a problematic part of the software industry: how competitors' products work together. Microsoft, for example, may take on Apple's popular multimedia platform QuickTime even though the software giant is an investor in the Mac maker. [News.com]

Sun, MS: 100 percent pure slugfest - To sum up the year's headlines about Java, one need only look back at the year-end summary for 1996: "MS, Sun battle for Java." The two titans fought tooth and nail again in 1997 to direct--or deflect--the momentum behind Java, but Sun ended the year a step closer in its campaign to turn its nascent programming language-cum-platform into an international standard. [News.com]

Microsoft under the gun - [News.com]

Umax gains Mac OS 8 license - Umax Computer Company officials today confirmed for the first time that they have reached an agreement with Apple Computer to sell computers with the newest version of the Macintosh operating system, called Mac OS 8. [News.com]

Proxy Server 2.0 crowds firewalls - Though Microsoft (MSFT) says it doesn't plan to compete with firewall vendors, its plans to add firewall security features to the latest version of its Proxy Server software could shake up the firewall software market. [News.com]

FCC: ADSL is interstate service - The Federal Communications Commission ruled that GTE's new advanced digital subscriber line (ADSL) service should be classified as a long-distance service, meaning this kind of high-speed Net access will be regulated but not taxed by Washington. [News.com]

The lights will stay on--probably - Here's the good news: Your lights will probably still work on January 1, 2000. [News.com]

Activerse updates messaging - Messaging software maker Activerse today rolled out the next version of its Java-based instant messaging application. [News.com]

Xmas sales up for Net merchants - Offline retailers were disappointed by holiday sales, but the same might not be true in the burgeoning online retail market. [News.com]

6 PC leaders preview notebooks - Hewlett-Packard (HWP), Dell Computer (DELL), IBM (IBM), Digital (DEC), NEC, and Toshiba are announcing new notebook PCs today, paving the way for a high-profile exhibition of these products at Comdex in November. [News.com]

New Cisco router to unclog ISPs - Networking giant Cisco Systems (CSCO) next month will ship a long-awaited router line intended to unclog congested Internet service provider (ISP) networks. [News.com]

Excite inks Ticketmaster deal - Excite (XCIT) announced today that it will provide direct online ticketing and live event information through an agreement with Ticketmaster (TKTM), the search engine's second big step this month to bolster its content offerings. [News.com]

The week's news: iMacs for cheap, IBMs for $599 - Apple will unveil a leasing program for its hugely popular consumer desktop next month, News.com reported, offering iMacs for $30 a month in an effort to maintain sales momentum. Meanwhile IBM introduced a $599 Internet-ready PC, becoming the first major vendor to go under this price point. [News.com]

Onsale tweaks its business plan - Back in the early days of electronic commerce, Onsale championed the idea that an auction conducted over the Internet could sell a lot more than dusty antiques or million-dollar paintings. [News.com]

Microsoft updates DirectX tools - Microsoft is giving multimedia and game developers an easier way to program on Windows today in releasing its software development kit for the DirectX 6.0 technology. [News.com]

Microsoft connects Net properties - Here's just one of the hard lessons Microsoft learned on the Web this year: money might buy a lot, but it can't buy love and apparently, it can't buy an audience, either. [News.com]

Roller-coaster week for tech stocks - roundup  In this week's market madness, the technology industry was among the sectors hardest hit by Monday's stock drubbing on Wall Street, with the Dow Jones Industrials and Nasdaq seeing their largest one-day point declines ever. The tables would only turn Tuesday when the market made a record-breaking rebound. The sizzle was squelched, however, by glitches at online trading firms that executed trades long after they were placed and by analysts' war of words, which pulled investors in opposite directions and drove PC and chip stocks down. [News.com]

Sybase revamps PowerBuilder - Sybase (SYBS) is making good on its promise to deliver Web-ready development tools to its users. [News.com]

Tool maker overcome by Progress - Application development tool maker Progress Software (PRGS) will acquire Apptivity, a privately held Java tool specialist, in a cash-and-stock deal worth about $13 million. [News.com]

Netcom belt-tightening pays off - Netcom (NETC) today posted a smaller loss than expected due to tightened up operating expenses and ramped up revenues. [News.com]

The Web goes too far, military says - The military's efforts to put information on the Internet may have gone too far, the Pentagon said today, pointing out that snoopers can read details on personnel, military facilities, and even weapons under development. [News.com]

Pentium II portables below $2,000 - Just as last year saw the rise of the sub-$1,000 PC in the desktop market, this year is witnessing a similar phenomenon in notebooks: A spate of sub-$2,000 notebooks with the newest mobile Pentium II processors. [News.com]

Microsoft aims new content at IE users - As the new year approaches, Microsoft is jumping onto the Web with more free editorial content, but some of the best material still is available only through later versions of its own browser, Internet Explorer, rather than Netscape's Navigator. [News.com]

Micron releases high-end servers - Micron (MUEI) has announced two new Pentium Pro-based servers as the company continues to reap benefits from its acquisition of NetFrame. [News.com]

Bertelsmann sees AOL deal as a win-win - German media conglomerate Bertelsmann said today that its European joint venture with America Online (AOL) would benefit from the takeover of rival CompuServe (CSRV). [News.com]

Public urged to help domain mess - In the face of an impasse, the Commerce Department is asking for public input on the future of the Internet's domain name system, releasing a request for comment on how the administration of the Internet's naming system should be handled. [News.com]

NSF bows out of domain names - The National Science Foundation will bow out of assigning domain names no later than March 1998, the federal agency announced today. [News.com]

Compaq eyes Yahoo, Time Warner - Compaq is reportedly in talks with Yahoo and also Time Warner about a joint venture involving its recently acquired AltaVista search engine. [News.com]

Profits expected for AOL - Wall Street expects America Online to post a fourth-quarter profit tomorrow and to focus growth in e-commerce transactions and subscribers. [News.com]

DOJ: Microsoft is "unreasonable" - The Justice Department today accused Microsoft of applying a "twisted" and "patently unreasonable" interpretation to a judge's order forbidding the software giant from packaging Web browsing software with its dominant Windows 95 operating system. [News.com]

@Home user files may be at risk - @Home (ATHM) has updated its software to prevent subscribers of its cable-modem service from sharing each other's files or viewing them without permission. [News.com]

HP, Mitsubishi form notebook team - Hewlett-Packard (HWP) and Mitsubishi announced they will partner in producing a superlight notebook computer using Intel's new Tillamook microprocessor. [News.com]

SGI, Kodak help explore Mars - Silicon Graphics and Kodak are providing the technology to drive a high-tech microrover that will traverse the surface of Mars on a mission for NASA. [News.com]

IBM leads tech stock charge - Shares of IBM (IBM) jumped ahead nearly 8 percent today, but failed to propel the technology-laden Nasdaq to great heights or move the Dow forward. [News.com]

CBS to advertise on AOL - While executives in the portal industry have touted television as a crucial medium for advertising their services, it seems that the tables are beginning to turn. [News.com]

Confab explores DSL, cable - In the race to provide high-speed data access to Internet users, DSL will win over cable modems, an analyst at a BancAmerica Robertson Stephens conference on the subject said today. [News.com]

PowerTools files suit against Umax - A Texas-based start-up that saw its nascent Mac-cloning business affected dramatically when Apple changed its licensing practices this summer has struck back with a $50 million lawsuit. [News.com]

AlterNIC founder arrested - An FBI official confirmed today that AlterNIC founder Eugene Kashpureff was arrested Friday in Toronto on U.S. charges related to wire fraud. [News.com]

Domain plan takes database bids - The interim Policy Oversight Committee (iPOC) will soon open bidding for plans to build the central database for a new Internet domain name registration system that aims to replace the InterNIC. [News.com]

Gore frees access to medical info - A new service providing all Americans free access to cutting-edge medical research on the Web has been launched by Vice President Al Gore. [News.com]

WebSite jazzes up server pages - O'Reilly and Associates is jazzing up Web server pages in a bid to compete more closely with Microsoft (MSFT). [News.com]

Chip slump hits NEC - Japanese electronics giant NEC said today that it would plunge deep into the red in the first half of this business year, succumbing to a global chip slump and joining a long list of industry peers that have issued harsh loss warnings. [News.com]

HP offers stripped-down $799 PC - Continuing its effort to reach the cost-conscious customer, Hewlett-Packard today released a new series of "microtower" computers that start at $799, as well as a $2,199 400-MHz Pentium II machine with a recordable CD-ROM drive. [News.com]

IBM succeeding in NC market - IBM's (IBM) Network Computer (NC) appears to be making headway in the corporate market, while Sun Microsystems and Oracle's Network Computer Incorporated (NCI) have yet to make an impact. [News.com]

Disney to launch email for kids - The Walt Disney Company said it is on course to bring "D-mail," its branded version of email for children, to a personal computer near you in time for Thanksgiving. [News.com]

Infoseek latest to get patent - Search engine and Internet guide Infoseek (SEEK) said today it has received a patent for its method of searching multiple databases on the Web. [News.com]

MS betas support ECMA Script - Microsoft (MSFT) may not have been the first to introduce a scripting language for the Internet, but it says it's the first to support a standard Internet scripting language. [News.com]

CA sales propelling earnings - Bolstered by a jump in sales of client-server products, Computer Associates (CA) expects to beat the street when it reports its earnings next month. [News.com]

The lights will stay on--probably - Here's the good news: Your lights will probably still work on January 1, 2000. [News.com]

Spammers jump gun on legislation - A growing number of spammers have started using disclaimers that imply their mass emailings comply with a new law, the Consumer Antislamming Act. There's only one problem: The legislation is not yet law. [News.com]

SNET to use Net-based EDI service - Southern New England Telecommunications (SNG) will use the Internet-based EDI service of DynamicWeb to allow its suppliers to take orders and submit invoices over the Net. [News.com]

Yahoo guides Scandinavia - Enlarging its global expansion binge, Yahoo said today it has launched localized Internet guides in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. [News.com]

Avant, TMA announce merger - Avant (AVNT) and Technology Modeling Associates (TMAI) (TMAI) announced that they have signed a definitive agreement to merge in a $150 million stock deal. [News.com]

NEC: $285 million more for Packard Bell - NEC will invest an additional $285 million in Packard Bell NEC to crank up plans to sell directly to customers. [News.com]

CompuServe indictment protested - International cyberliberties groups are protesting the indictment of a German CompuServe executive who's being held accountable for pornography found on the online service. [News.com]

Packard Bell signs on CEO - Personal computer maker Packard Bell NEC announced it has tapped Alain Couder to be president and CEO. [News.com]

Compaq cuts flat-panel prices - Compaq today announced price cuts on its flat-panel and traditional computer monitors, bringing its lowest-priced LCD display under $1,000. [News.com]

Satellite networks get boost - Two-way data communications via satellite got another boost today when Orbital Sciences said it had started the in-orbit testing of all eight of its recently launched satellites. [News.com]

News providers merge - Desktop Data (DTOP) and Individual (INDV) announced today an agreement to merge and form a new company, NewsEdge, with an estimated $75 million in annual revenues. [News.com]

It's official: Apple keeps Newton - After much internal confusion, Apple Computer (AAPL) said today that it will not spin off its Newton subsidiary. [News.com]

Notebooks may get built to order - Fujitsu PC may translate some of the build-to-order techniques used to cut desktop PC costs to its notebook production process. [News.com]

Apps built without writing code - Netscape Communications and Forte Software said they will work together to help customers develop high-performance applications that can work with the Internet. [News.com]

Pac Bell fined for withholding data - The California Public Utilities Commission said it fined Pacific Bell $309,000 for holding back data on "poor" ISDN product quality. [News.com]

E*Trade warns of losses - Online brokerage E*Trade Group expects to add one million accounts to its current base of 460,000 over the next four to eight months, senior vice president Rebecca Patton told investors today. [News.com]

IBM, Monsanto in genetics tie-up - ST. LOUIS--Monsanto (MTC) and IBM (IBM) have entered into a wide-ranging technology alliance that features genomics research collaboration, the companies said today. [News.com]

Doubling dial-up speeds - Diamond Multimedia Systems (DIMD) plans to unveil today a proprietary technology it says can double the speed of current Internet dial-up connections by using two standard phone lines at once. [News.com]

White House crypto controls make rounds - Despite public statements to the contrary, the Clinton administration is helping pave the way for mandatory controls on the domestic use of encryption through proposed legislation that may be offered up to Congress as early as tomorrow, according to staffers on Capitol Hill. [News.com]

3Com debuts e-commerce site - 3Com (COMS) wants to blaze a new Internet commerce trail. [News.com]

U.S. Robotics posts gains - Modem maker U.S. Robotics (USRX), which is planning to merge with 3Com (COMS), today reported a stronger second quarter, partly because of better profits on some of its modem products. [News.com]

Adaptec expects charge for reorg - Adaptec, a maker of data input-output devices, said it expects to record a charge of about $22 million to $28 million post-tax in the second quarter to cover recent restructuring moves. [News.com]

SAP sees American gains - German software group SAP said today that it expected a clear increase in its market share in the United States in the next few years. [News.com]

Site shows graphic music video - By yanking a music video laced with graphic images, MTV Networks appeared to be sweating heated protests earlier this month against the song "Smack My Bitch Up." [News.com]

Hitachi launches mini-notebook - Hitachi has announced a mini-notebook, following in the footsteps of Toshiba and Mitsubishi. [News.com]

Subcommittee still worries about SSA site - Just days after the Social Security Administration announced the reopening of its Internet site that offers taxpayers access to calculations of their future retirement benefits, a congressional subcommittee has asked that the agency delay the move until further measures are taken to protect users' privacy. [News.com]

Armada sails into retail channel - Compaq (CPQ) today released a business notebook for the retail channel as part of its never-ending quest to grab market share. [News.com]

NetPC specifications final - A coalition of the PC industry's heavyweights have completed the long-awaited specification for the NetPC, a specification they hope will define a new generation of networked PCs. [News.com]

U.S. markets zigzag - Wall Street surged late in the day to close higher, after the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose as much as 56.9 points and dipped as much as 45.83 earlier on. [News.com]

Markets slide on profit worries - U.S. stocks fell today, hit by worries that a further slide in the yen and a slowing domestic economy will put more pressure on corporate earnings. [News.com]

New twist: Low-cost PC bundle - Gateway 2000 (GTW) is adding a new twist to the low-cost PC: A low-cost bundle including a monitor and printer to compete with no-frills sub-$1,000 offerings. [News.com]

A home for Ethernets - Microsoft (MSFT) has teamed up with a small networking equipment maker to bring big-system networking to home users. [News.com]

Motorola looks beyond Macs - Motorola's (MOT) Semiconductor Products group, which is responsible for PowerPC processors, signaled it will shift its business increasingly away from computers and further toward non-PC markets. [News.com]

Motorola, IBM eye India investments - IBM and Motorola have shown interest in making fresh investments in India, the chief minister of the southern state of Karnataka said today. [News.com]

Gemplus boosts smart cards - In a big boost to the slow-moving smart card initiative, French manufacturer Gemplus says it will license chips for smart-card readers to high-volume manufacturers of keyboards, PCs, phones, vending machines, and personal digital assistants, for less than $10 per device. [News.com]

Fuji Electric to cut 1,000 jobs - Fuji Electric said today it plans to eliminate 1,000 jobs by March of 2000. [News.com]

Chip crunch hits Siemens plant - The decision by Germanys Siemens to close a semiconductor plant in England just 15 months after opening the facility is the latest in a series of wrenching consolidation moves in the global chip industry. [News.com]

Online PC sales look strong - While the final numbers haven't yet been tallied, there appears to be early cause for celebration about holiday sales among online PC resellers and vendors. [News.com]

Asia's turmoil affects Intel - Intel (INTC) said today it was starting to feel the impact of financial turmoil in Southeast Asia, but was still unclear on what the long-term effects would be. [News.com]

New site for women in works - In the latest effort to deliver content to the growing numbers of female Web surfers, online content and community company iVillage has announced the launch of its newest site, Life Soup: The Women's Network. [News.com]

Senators urge Microsoft OS probe - Three Republican senators are asking the Federal Trade Commission to look into Microsoft's (MSFT) operating system licensing structure. [News.com]

Digital plans China NC venture - Digital (DEC) and China Aerospace Corporation (CASC) are planning to work together to develop, manufacture, and sell network computers (NCs) in China. [News.com]

Iomega sued over Zip drive noise - Iomega said today that a lawsuit has been filed against the company alleging that a clicking sound in its Zip drive for personal computers may indicate damage to the drive and the disks on which information is stored. [News.com]

CA wins NCI enterprise contract - Computer Associates International said today that NCI Information Systems, a $100 million network and systems firm, has selected Computer Associates' Unicenter TNG as the foundation for its new enterprise management center. [News.com]

Netscape late to leverage traffic - When it comes to Netscape Communications (NSCP) taking advantage of its heavily visited Web site to make money, the motto that comes to mind is "better late than never." [News.com]

Dell CEO invests in start-up - Networking start-up Jato Technologies said it has raised $3.5 million from private investors, including Michael Dell, chief executive officer of Dell Computer. [News.com]

IBM drops NetPC - The stampede to provide corporate customers with a NetPC thinned out today as IBM (IBM) decided to drop its version of the product. [News.com]

Next Windows goes into full beta - The Windows 95 successor, an upgrade code-named Memphis, has just entered its first full-scale beta-testing program. [News.com]

QuarkXPress 4.0 drawn up - Quark is preparing to roll out QuarkXPress 4.0, though it's keeping the release date a secret. [News.com]

Pact speeds printing of digital pics - Photo Access and FotoWire have joined forces to allow consumers to order prints directly from digital cameras using the Internet and the Microsoft Windows CE operating system. [News.com]

Intel gets cheap - PC vendors are jumping on the cheap chip bandwagon. Earlier this year, AMD made ground on Intel, but lately low-cost systems have been incorporating the Celeron, while Pentium II notebook prices have been dropping. In the future, Intel will develop an even cheaper line of StrongARM processors. [News.com]

Cabletron, Cisco eye Yago - Networking start-up Yago Systems is in play. [News.com]

Compaq cuts notebook prices - Compaq Computer (CPQ) today announced price cuts up to 16 percent on notebook computers. [News.com]

Amazon.com stock jumps 20% - Leaping over its previous all-time high, the stock of online bookseller Amazon.com (AMZN) jumped 20 percent today, after the company announced a new incentive in an effort to bolster its Web presence. [News.com]

Dirty domain spree no joke - It wasn't a prank and it wasn't a publicity stunt, says the 21-year-old college student who has been registering naughty domain names to the Microsoft Network. He says he's just casting his net as widely as possible to draw Web surfers to his site. [News.com]

Monitor makers settle over size - When Keith Long unpacked his new Packard Bell computer monitor in September of 1993, there was one thing missing. An inch. [News.com]

Asyst hurt by chip sector slump - Asyst Technologies, an equipment supplier for chipmakers, said today that it expects its second-quarter revenues to fall 65 percent from the same period a year earlier and to drop even further for the third quarter due to the slump in the semiconductor industry. [News.com]

N2K tries multifaceted promotion - The search for a formula to make money selling music on the Net got a boost today by Net music firm N2K. [News.com]

Intel invests in Platinum - Seeking to broaden the reach of its management software products, microchip powerhouse Intel (INTC) today announced a far-reaching partnership with enterprise software maker Platinum Technology (PLAT). [News.com]

Eloquent offers Net presentations - A two-year-old private company whose multimedia presentation services have attracted blue chip clients today unveiled its first product for use over the Internet. [News.com]

Cylink to buy Israeli security firm - Expanding its network security offerings, Cylink (CYLK) today said it will acquire Israel-based Algorithmic Research for $44 million in cash and 2.9 million shares of common stock. [News.com]

Candle ships MQSecure middleware - Software maker Candle has shipped MQSecure, a new tool for securing networked communications using IBM's MQSeries message queuing middleware. [News.com]

Ingram revenues grow 33 percent - Computer component distributor Ingram Micro (IM) said strong PC sales and continued strength in its distribution channel helped to boost its quarterly earnings. [News.com]

Congress facing broad Net issues - Between budget bills and impeachment issues, Congress may find time to advance new Net regulations on broad fronts. [News.com]

Is push still dead? - When PointCast pulled its IPO last month, some thought it signaled the end of the era of overhyped push technology. [News.com]

China's Net regulations begin - China clamped sweeping new controls on the Internet today, warning that the network was being used to leak state secrets and to spread "harmful information." [News.com]

AT&T tests Net music delivery - AT&T will begin testing its A2B Music platform today, delivering a compressed and encrypted single from the band The Verve Pipe to trial participants. [News.com]

Netscape takes standard control - Politics and sausage are ugly to watch in the making, as the saying goes. One could add technical standards to that list. [News.com]

Asymetrix will buy fellow toolmaker - Tools developer Asymetrix today announced plans to buy competitor Aimtech in a stock transaction, creating the world's largest developer of online learning tools and services. [News.com]

HP now an e-commerce power - Call it a one-two punch. [News.com]

Net agenda in Congress - In spite of budgetary issues and the ubiquitous White House sex scandal, Congress is finding time to focus on high tech and the Internet. Lawmakers are tackling an array of issues from child protection to spam and copyrights. [News.com]

Panasonic set to ship HDTV - This week, Panasonic will begin shipping high-definition televisions (HDTVs), next-generation TVs that are capable of displaying high-resolution digital television broadcasts. [News.com]

IBM touts high-capacity disk drive - IBM (IBM) today said its scientists have broken their own record in hard-disk data-storage density at 11.6 billion bits, or gigabits (GB), per square inch of disk space. [News.com]

Apple peels off new systems - As Apple Computer (AAPL) prepares to roll out its first desktop systems with the new PowerPC 750 processor next week, the company today announced plans that could help customers get those systems more quickly. [News.com]

New software to shield privacy - Symantec (SYMC) today introduced new software that protects the privacy and PCs of Internet users. [News.com]

Death marks The Spot - Beset by unrelenting financial woes, the adored Web episodic The Spot is taking its final bow, its producers confirmed yesterday. [News.com]

Symantec claims McAfee stole code - Symantec (SYMC) has filed a copyright infringement suit against its rival McAfee Associates (MCAF), alleging that McAfee has pirated code from the company. [News.com]

Y2K and pensions, mutual funds - The Y2K front man in the Senate is concerned that the Year 2000 technology problem could create serious risks for citizens' pensions and investments in mutual funds. [News.com]

Why are Net stocks deflating? - The stock market has been busy shedding points in recent weeks, dragging down Internet stocks along the way. [News.com]

Hong Kong free of China Net controls - Communist China's sweeping new controls on the World Wide Web won't affect Hong Kong's Internet surfers and providers, Anthony Wong, director general of the territory's telecommunications, said today. [News.com]

Warner Bros. to launch interactive cartoons - Warner Brothers today announced a deal with togglethis that will bring the New York-based start-up's animation technology and signature character to the Warner Brothers cartoon lineup. [News.com]

Three-way deal skirts the taxman - In a roundabout way, following months of speculation, America Online (AOL) today got what it was after: CompuServe's (CSRV) subscriber base. It also got it at minimal tax expense, according to tax specialists. [News.com]

Cyrix stock down on missed earnings - Cyrix (CYRX) stock fell as much as 12 percent in early trading today following yesterday's announcement that it would fail to meet second-quarter expectations. Cyrix blamed the shortfall on sluggish sales and price competition on non-MMX processors. [News.com]

Cirrus: Losses mean layoffs - Cirrus Logic (CRUS) has announced it will cut 15 percent of its workforce as part of its effort to focus on core products and edge back towards profitability. [News.com]

Y2K and pensions, mutual funds - The Y2K front man in the Senate is concerned that the Year 2000 technology problem could create serious risks for citizens' pensions and investments in mutual funds. [News.com]

Odetics patent ruling overturned - Odetics, a supplier of communications equipment for the television broadcast, video security, telecommunications, and intelligent traffic solutions markets, said today the judge in its case against Storage Technology has overturned the $70.6 million jury verdict previously awarded to Odetics. [News.com]

AOL to offer takeout service - America Online (AOL) members who work up an appetite while logged on to the online service soon will be able to order a pizza or perhaps some Chinese food without picking up the phone. [News.com]

Mutual funds do the math online - It comes down to simple mathematics. [News.com]

Sony releases DVD drive bundle - Sony Computer (SNE) today announced the availability of its first DVD drive kit. [News.com]

Net searching gets eyes and ears - Progressive Networks announced a partnership with search company Netword so that users can type in simple words to link to audio and video clips on the Internet. [News.com]

FTC guns for online scams - The Federal Trade Commission is cracking down on get-rich-quick schemes on the Net, and 37 online ads already have vanished. [News.com]

DVD your way through traffic - Matsushita Electric Industrial said today a subsidiary would launch the world's first digital video disk (DVD) car navigation system that can play video. [News.com]

Intel hit by $500 million lawsuit - A technological consulting group is seeking approximately $500 million from Intel for alleged infringement on a patent relating to a now-defunct effort to develop Pentium-class chip clone. [News.com]

Upgrade to ease E*Trade's load - Early next year, E*Trade (EGRP) will roll out a new system architecture designed both to address capacity problems that have emerged on heavy trading days and to add new services quickly. [News.com]

IBM cuts workstation prices - IBM (IBM) reduced wholesale prices on its IntelliStation line of workstations, in an effort to boost its position in a market increasingly dominated by Compaq and Hewlett-Packard. [News.com]

Gore calls for piracy crackdown - Addressing the Software Publishers Association this morning, Vice President Al Gore issued a directive to federal agencies, ordering them to crack down on pirated software in their departments, a hot-button issue for the industry. [News.com]

PowerBuilder embraces Java - Sybase (SYBS) on Monday will introduce a major new version of its PowerBuilder application development tool with built-in support for generating Java and C++ objects. [News.com]

First Cyrix 6x86 notebook ships - Direct reseller TigerDirect has begun selling the first notebook PCs based on Cyrix (CYRX) 6x86 processors. [News.com]

Exec exodus continues at Disney - Another high-level executive is splitting from the ranks at a Disney Internet site. [News.com]

iDot squeezes in DVD-ROM - Startup PC manufacturer iDot announced it has started including third-generation DVD-ROM drives from Toshiba on select systems. [News.com]

CompuServe launches "C" trial - After months of anticipation, CompuServe (CSRV) today rolled out its new service, "C from CompuServe," just one day before the company's self-imposed deadline of the year's end. [News.com]

Intel battles networking big four - Intel (INTC) says it will continue its barrage of networking products next year, heightening the chip giant's play for a piece of the huge infrastructure market. [News.com]

Japan to get cheaper Compaq PCs - Compaq Computer (CPQ) said today that it will begin shipping its first low-priced personal computer for the Japanese market on Friday. [News.com]

Fore misses the mark--again - Fore Systems (FORE) will miss again. [News.com]

IBM rolls out NC software - IBM (IBM) today announced software that makes its Network Station network computers easier to set up and manage. [News.com]

Dell eyes shipment milestone - In an industry fraught with turmoil, Dell Computer continues to do well as it races toward a new shipment milestone, selling lines of highly profitable computers and making strides internationally. [News.com]

Net metrics inching along - Web audience measurements have become the golden fleece of the Internet, the underlying fabric behind the way companies spin eyeballs into revenues. [News.com]

British firm claims Pentium "bug" - A British software company says it has found a flaw that negatively impacts the performance of Pentium processors, but the alleged glitch appears to have been identified and documented years ago by Intel engineers. [News.com]

It's all Java to start-up - A database software start-up led by a who's who of industry heavyweights will this month deliver database software for mobile systems written completely in Java. [News.com]

Valley breeding ground for laws - A breeding ground for Internet development and high-tech start-ups, California has quickly become a hotbed for online politics with a batch of new Net laws moving toward passage this week. [News.com]

Clinton sets e-commerce course - After years of courting the Internet, the Clinton administration today is announcing its long-awaited electronic commerce policy, which would make buying and selling easier and more popular online. [News.com]

USR fills in 56-kbps upgrade gaps - U.S. Robotics (USRX) today expanded its upgrade program for 56-kbps modems, but the experience of current customers indicates that buyers might face hurdles in obtaining rebates. [News.com]

Net a boon for marketers - For companies in need of marketing information, the Internet offers a means of reaching consumers without having to call them away from the dinner table. [News.com]

Oracle offers Year 2000 software - Oracle, the world's largest maker of database software, is unveiling a group of software programs to help midsized companies ready their computers for the turn of the century. [News.com]

Netscape sharpens Javagator plans - Netscape Communications (NSCP) says it will have an all-Java browser ready for network computers and other clients by July. [News.com]

Compaq becomes notebook leader - Aggressive pricing and wider array of products boosted Compaq Computer into the No. 1 market share position for notebooks, the first time in roughly three years that the notebook leader has not been Toshiba, acccording to a major market research firm. [News.com]

Microsoft locks up online banking - Microsoft (MSFT) today announced new 128-bit encryption software intended to secure online financial transactions. [News.com]

Is Microsoft eyeing CBS? - Microsoft (MSFT) is reviewing the finances of Westinghouse Electric's CBS unit as it considers making a bid to buy the network, the New York Post reported today. [News.com]

Digital to use AMD K6 chip - Advanced Micro Devices(AMD) has enlisted Digital Equipment as a customer for its K6 processor, the first major U.S. computer manufacturer to sign on. [News.com]

The week's news: Keep your eye on Intel - Intel's developer conference in Palm Springs, California, produced a raft of news about the chipmaker's plans for several different computing markets. [News.com]

Lucent aims to expand in Asia - Lucent Technologies said today that it would expand its business in the Asia Pacific region including Japan by introducing its fast-growing data networking products and other communications software. [News.com]

DVD-Audio standard near - An industry standard for DVD-Audio, the next-generation audio technology with seven times the storage capacity of a compact disc (CD), looms near and may already have been settled. [News.com]

HP reduces PC prices - Hewlett-Packard (HWP) announced selected price cuts on its Brio line of small-business PCs. [News.com]

Intel aims to put the PC on the road - Intel (INTC) wants you to surf the information highway--even if you are cruising on the autobahn. [News.com]

Microsoft posts another bug fix - Microsoft (MSFT) posted a patch today for the second security hole that hackers exploited in its servers in less than two weeks. [News.com]

Baan moves into new terrain - Baan, a business applications maker based in the Netherlands, has long toiled in the shadow of its better-known competitor, SAP. But the company is now making a move into new markets that could give it a higher profile. [News.com]

Sites prepare for Clinton video - Online media companies, many of which posted the Starr report last week, now are grappling with new complications in the wake of the House Judiciary Committee's decision to release the president's videotaped grand jury testimony today. [News.com]

FCC to hold hearings on e-rate - Federal Communications Commission chairman William Kennard said yesterday that public hearings would be held later this year on community access to communications. [News.com]

Memory price drops batter TI-Acer - TI-Acer, a joint venture of Acer of Taiwan and Texas Instruments), today said it was further lowering its 1997 financial forecasts due to slumping world prices for memory chips. [News.com]

Net tax debate continues - Under the gun of federal legislation to impose a temporary ban on new Net taxes, a majority of the legislators at the first Internet Summit of the States agreed that skimming money from the budding industry could cripple the future of electronic commerce. [News.com]

Bug delays Domino Go release - A security flaw is delaying the release of Lotus's Domino Go Webserver and Domino Go Webserver Pro 4.6. [News.com]

CheckFree sells management business - CheckFree (CKFR) today said it will sell its management business for $35 million, tightening its focus on a core strategy of electronic commerce. [News.com]

Oracle server features VRML - Oracle (ORCL) next week will ship a revised version of its Web Application Server that will include a demonstration of VRML (virtual reality modeling language) technology. [News.com]

More Xeon systems arriving - A variety of computers based on Intel's Xeon processor are coming to the market as the high-end server and workstation chip moves into volume production. [News.com]

No quick fix for Year 2000 bug - The race to fix the millennium bug in computers has become easier with high-speed technologies, but there is no wonder cure, the India head of a leading software firm said today. [News.com]

MS wins expedited appeal request - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia today granted Microsoft (MSFT) its request for an expedited hearing to appeal a temporary injunction that prevents it from requiring computer vendors to bundle its Internet Explorer browser with its Windows operating system. [News.com]

AOL suffers email lapse - America Online (AOL) suffered its second email outage in two weeks this morning when a router failed after routine system maintenance, according to the company. [News.com]

3Com rolls out ADSL products - Networking company 3Com (COMS) is giving high-speed Net access a boost this week with the launch of a second generation of ADSL products. [News.com]

Compaq announces stock split - Compaq Computer (CPQ) today announced a five-for-two stock split in the form of a stock dividend. [News.com]

Mustang bucks losses - Mustang Software (MSTG) narrowed its first-quarter net loss as it tightened company spending. [News.com]

Another glitch in BofA Net service - Some Netizens have turned to their banks' Internet offerings to avoid going to the bank and waiting on line. But many have found themselves instead merely waiting online. [News.com]

Amazon to buy two companies - Online book and music retailer Amazon.com today announced it is acquiring two Internet companies to strengthen and broaden the services available at its Web site. [News.com]

Database firms face bleak 1998 - The database software industry, long a lucrative field for investors, will face a tough year in 1998. [News.com]

Why Toshiba is losing notebook share - Toshiba's once-unassailable spot at the top of the notebook world appears to be eroding. [News.com]

Booksellers: partner or perish? - BarnesandNoble.com, the online division of bookstore giant Barnes & Noble (BKS), announced partnerships with more than 40 companies today. [News.com]

Netcom serves USR's 56 kbps - Netcom On-Line Communications Services (NETC) today became the latest ISP to offer widespread deployment of 56-kbps modem technology. [News.com]

FTP won't meet growth target - FTP Software (FTPS) posted another loss for its first quarter and pushed off its goal of reaching 25 to 30 percent growth this year due to slower-than-expected sales of its gateway products. [News.com]

Pitfalls of e-commerce - Competition is heating up between banks and brokerages for market share in the online personal financial services space, but technical troubles still plague many firms. [News.com]

Street expects profits for AOL - Wall Street expects America Online to post a fourth-quarter profit today, and analysts will focus on AOL's growth in e-commerce transactions and subscribers. [News.com]

Bill Gates as soothsayer? - Microsoft CEO Bill Gates's technology predictions for the new year are out: fast DSL connections and DVD will make a big splash in 1998, he says. [News.com]

Lotus unveils Java office suite - Lotus Development joined a growing league of Java endorsers in unveiling its long-awaited Java-based business applets and tools package here today. [News.com]

Sun SET on the horizon - Sun Microsystems (SUNW) announced an agreement with GlobeSet to deliver electronic commerce packages using the Java programming language and the emerging SET standard for secure transactions. [News.com]

Cheaper Gateways to get DVD - Gateway 2000 will use DVD hardware from Chromatic Research and Toshiba in its desktop computers, according to an announcement today by Chromatic. [News.com]

Rivalries taken to court - After years of feuding, some technology companies seem more ready than ever to tell it to the judge. [News.com]

Windows 98 hits 2.5 million mark - Microsoft today said it has sold more than 2.5 million upgrades of its Windows 98 operating system worldwide since it was launched on June 25. [News.com]

JDA Software adds e-commerce - JDA Software is energizing its business with a new e-commerce division. [News.com]

Compaq hits new low: $699 - A Presario model from Compaq (CPQ) has pushed the price of a full-featured PC to as low as $699, as sales of low-cost PCs continue apace. [News.com]

Supreme Court denies copyright appeal - The U.S. Supreme Court today rejected an appeal by a publishing company in a copyright infringement dispute with a computer software firm over a compilation of information about cable television systems. [News.com]

Lucent unveils chips for telecom gear - MURRAY HILL, N.J.--Lucent Technologies has unveiled a family of computer chips designed to lower the cost of making telecommunications gear by reducing power consumption. [News.com]

Memory chip prices fall - Memory chip prices DRAM slid again in June, continuing a trend that started last year, as U.S. makers become more of a force in the market. [News.com]

Penthouse rolls Net video - As the sex industry continues to thrive on the Net, Penthouse is betting that adult video will also find a huge Web audience. [News.com]

PC forecast: The big get bigger - Current trends in the PC market point to a seemingly inevitable conclusion: The big will get only bigger. [News.com]

Free tool evaluates Y2K issues - Software and services provider Accelr8 Technology today debuted a free scanning tool designed to get companies started on Year 2000-related computer fixes. [News.com]

AlterNIC cofounder ready for trial - AlterNIC cofounder Eugene Kashpureff, recently released from jail on a bond, wants to face the feds in court, he said today. [News.com]

RSA under fire from IETF - RSA Data Security has come under fire from key members of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), who charge that RSA is pushing a proprietary agenda and taking undue credit for pushing S/MIME along the IETF standards route. [News.com]

Small investors to get shot at IPOs - Developments on Wall Street and in Washington combined today to level the financial playing field a bit more for the individual investor. [News.com]

Cisco module melds routing and switching - The marriage of simple network switching functions with complex routing in a single box gained legitimacy today when networking kingpin Cisco Systems joined the emerging market, announcing plans to offer a routing module for its popular Catalyst switch line. [News.com]

Indonesian site attacked - Portuguese hackers yesterday capped a two-month protest over the Indonesian government's treatment of East Timor by breaking into the Indonesian Military Network Homepage and altering the page. [News.com]

Win 98 bug alert feature improved - Microsoft is testing a new feature that will alert users of the Windows 98 operating system to critical updates as soon as they log on to the Internet, the company said. [News.com]

Motorola dials in voice activation - Motorola formed a new business unit called the Internet and Connectivity Services Division (ICSD), focused on developing and providing integrated mobile communication and information services. [News.com]

CompuServe special meeting set - CompuServe (CSRV) and H&R Block today announced that a special shareholders meeting will be held January 30 to consider CompuServe's agreement to be acquired by WorldCom. [News.com]

Dell reduces desktop prices - Dell Computer (DELL) reduced prices on its corporate desktops by up to 20 percent, the latest in a flurry of pricing announcements today from vendors including Compaq, Digital Equipment, and Toshiba. [News.com]

Zenith trumpets Divx for DVD - Thomson Consumer Electronics and Zenith (ZE) announced plans to make DVD players next year with new technology that could reduce the threat of pirated content and make playback of high-quality movies more affordable for consumers. [News.com]

Motorola scraps DRAM business - Following up on its promise to cut underperforming business lines, Motorola (MOT) said today that its Semiconductor Product Sector would get out of the dynamic random access memory market. [News.com]

Valley to join digital TV panel - Over the objections of broadcasters, the Clinton administration today reaffirmed its intention of appointing computer industry reps to a panel that will decide what extra public-interest obligations TV stations will inherit with their new digital licenses, according to the trade publication Variety. [News.com]

Swedish political site hacked - Hackers sabotaged the Web site of Sweden's main opposition party last night, only hours before election voting began, a party spokesman said today. [News.com]

Fake Viagra selling online - Fake copies of the impotence drug Viagra reportedly are being manufactured in Thailand and India and sold around the world via the Internet. [News.com]

Symantec shrugs off suit setback - A judge has denied Symantec's (SYMC) request for a preliminary injunction in its lawsuit against antivirus rival McAfee, according to Network Associates (NETA). [News.com]

Web sites still just brochures - Consumer goods manufacturers are embracing the Internet by setting up Web sites, but most haven't moved beyond "brochureware" to sell goods or to strengthen ties to distributors, suppliers, or trading partners, according to an industry survey. [News.com]

Court says state can regulate Net gambling - In a case sparked by controversy over Internet gambling sites, Minnesota's Court of Appeals has ruled that the state has jurisdiction over online activity originating outside its borders. [News.com]

High tech christens lobby group - Technology executives, investment bankers, and venture capitalists officially came of political age today with the formation of a bipartisan lobby group called the Technology Network. [News.com]

Ireland's high-tech success - Silicon Valley is not unique to California. The tiny Republic of Ireland, with its population of 3.6 million, has attracted a list of major international names that reads like a "who's who" in the high-technology arena. [News.com]

Economic report defies pessimism - A leading German economic institute forecasts solid growth to continue in Western Europe and in the United States despite world economic turnmoil and recession in Japan. [News.com]

80-gbps cable to span Japan, U.S. - A unit of Japan's Kokusai Denshin Denwa today said that it and three other companies had jointly won a $1.15 billion order to build an undersea cable system connecting Japan and the United States. [News.com]

Tech stocks and Nasdaq in 1997 - As 1997 comes to a close, a number of tech companies have managed to stay above the fray and outperform the tech-heavy Nasdaq, which gained 20 percent by the end of the year. As the new year approaches, analysts expect Internet stocks to continue to soar, chip stocks to maintain their upward swing, and networking stocks to remain unpredictable. [News.com]

Hitachi downsizes desktop - Hitachi PC announced it will merge desktop and portable features into one unit today, offering a 22-pound, "all-in-one" package that is likely to be duplicated by other vendors in the coming weeks. [News.com]

New spec for data warehousing - Microsoft (MSFT) today introduced a new specification aimed at making esoteric data-warehousing technology as easy to use as its packaged application software. [News.com]

Intel releases server management specs - Intel has released the server computer section of the Wired for Management (WFM) baseline specification, which prescribes an infrastructure for PC manufacturers to implement better server management technology. [News.com]

Oracle making proxy server line - Furthering its goal of becoming a one-stop source for Web technology, Oracle (ORCL) is building its own proxy server software, which it plans to ship by summer. [News.com]

Lockheed plans to buy Comsat - Stock in defense contractor Lockheed Martin closed lower today after it agreed to acquire satellite communications provider Comsat yesterday in a two-step deal worth about $2.7 billion. [News.com]

Lycos acquires GuestWorld - Internet directory Lycos announced today that it has acquired GuestWorld, an online guestbook provider, for $3.9 million in stock. [News.com]

The courting of CompuServe - It took a year and a round of suitors that stepped on and off the dance floor, before CompuServe (CSRV) wrapped its arms around a merger deal, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. [News.com]

NEC to offer Net PC - NEC's Computer Systems Division (CSD) today announced a Net PC product, becoming the second major vendor to announce a computer that conforms to this specification. [News.com]

Compaq buys into Ramp Networks - Compaq (CPQ) has made an undisclosed equity investment in Ramp Networks, which makes network connectivity devices for small and medium-sized businesses. It's the second major investment Compaq has made in networking this year. [News.com]

AOL, SportsLine team up for traffic - America Online (AOL) and CBS SportsLine today announced a partnership to make SportsLine a prominent tenant on the AOL Sports Channel. [News.com]

Iowa students still surf free - Free Internet access for Iowa's public universities was salvaged today by the state governor, Terry Branstad, when he vetoed a bill that would have made students pay to surf. [News.com]

Japan weighs U.S. accounting - Japanese companies are considering U.S.-style accountability to shareholders to help jolt the Tokyo stock market out of its long-term torpor, executives and legal experts say. [News.com]

British insurance firm sees Net surge - Eagle Star Direct, a unit of B.A.T.'s large British insurance subsidiary Eagle Star, forecast a 260 percent rise in Internet insurance buying over the next 18 months as it launched its own home cyberpolicy. [News.com]

Acma loses Hayes as associate - Computer products supplier Acma said today that U.S.-based Hayes Microcomputer Products (HAYZ), in which it invested $22.75 million for a 28 percent stake in 1996, is no longer an associated company. [News.com]

ABC site adds news search - ABCNews.com will announce next week a new audio and video search tool to help users navigate the multimedia-heavy site. [News.com]

Barksdale, Homer pitch strategy - Offering a glimpse into its nascent, aggressive enterprise strategy, Netscape Communications (NSCP) CEO Jim Barksdale and vice president of sales and marketing Mike Homer spoke to a gathered group of analysts and press here today. [News.com]

Gates: Apple still strong in schools - The Microsoft Windows operating systems are making inroads in the education market, but Chairman Bill Gates acknowledged Monday that rival Apple Computer remains a significant force in schools. [News.com]

Companies covet tech grads - IBM (IBM) hit the beach this year, setting up a tent near sunbathers at Florida college spring break hot spot Daytona Beach. [News.com]

Excite gets new email partner - Excite said today that it has agreed to license technology from Software.com to power its Web-based email service, MailExcite. [News.com]

Net marketing firms merge - Interactive advertising firm Agency.com said it was merging with Eagle River Interactive to form the world's largest agency specializing in marketing on the Internet. [News.com]

Ringing in 1998 on the Net - If you don't want to fight the traffic or crowds, New Year's Eve is coming to the Web. [News.com]

Umax debuts two Mac clones - Umax Computer continued to expand its presence in the low end of the PC market with today's introduction of a new Mac clone that will sell for under $1,300, but Umax hasn't given up on the high end of the market. [News.com]

Micronics shakes up management - Floundering system-board manufacturer Micronics (MCRN) announced a shake-up of its senior management today that officials say will restore the companys status as a Silicon Valley success story. [News.com]

Microsoft standards: Windows to W3C - Traditionally, Microsoft's (MSFT) forte has been establishing de facto technology standards like Windows, but increasingly the company is positioning itself as a leading supporter of officially sanctioned Net technologies. [News.com]

MMX sales spur Gateway profits - Even as competition heats up in the direct-sales market, Gateway 2000 posted a 34 percent jump in profits, due to strength in international markets and the popularity of Intel's (INTC) processor with MMX capabilities. [News.com]

The Net's critical role in scandal - From the day that online gossip sheet Drudge Report broke the story eight months ago, the Internet has played a crucial and controversial role in the national uproar over the investigation of President Clinton. [News.com]

Dow and Nasdaq plummet - The stock market took a nose dive today, continuing its recent weakness. [News.com]

Pundit sees Apple decline - Another industry pundit has weighed in with an opinion on the fate of Apple Computer (AAPL), stating it faces a bleak future and is destined to slowly fade from its former position of prominence in the PC industry. [News.com]

Product lets parents choose, not filter - One of the most argued points about the Internet is whether to filter its unruly content to shield minors from viewing sexually graphic or violent content. Those in favor of filtering see it as a simple solution, while those opposed call it "censorware" that sometimes blocks out valuable content. [News.com]

HP sets sights on Compaq - Hewlett-Packard (HPW) has revamped, refreshed, and reorganized its desktop and notebook computer lines in an effort to become a leader in nearly all markets by year 2000. [News.com]

Apple stock hits ten-year low - Shares of Apple Computer (AAPL) today hit a ten-year low, following news that its largest Macintosh clone vendor will also build computers on the Microsoft-Intel platform. [News.com]

NYU student pulls Web site - An online trademark spat with New York University is teaching fist-year law student Barry Edwards more about his future profession than any professor could. [News.com]

Spinning banner ads with audio - Net radio firm Spinner.com is using its format to coordinate banner ads with audio programming, the firm said. [News.com]

Data, voice-in-one race continues - Upping the ante in the race to provide technology for a converged networking future, data player Ascend Communications has looked to a veteran provider of high-end server computers for help. [News.com]

Net business to dazzle in 1998 - The hottest Internet properties are expected to sizzle in 1998, but the year also will see some dramatic implosions as Web entrepreneurs face the challenge to "show me the money" to be made on the Web. [News.com]

Intel making digital camera parts - Intel will release chipsets and software for digital cameras to manufacturers this week, which could lead to relatively inexpensive PC-compatible digital cameras by next summer. [News.com]

Pandesic e-business system debuts - Pandesic, the joint e-commerce venture of Intel (INTC) and SAP will roll out its first e-business system by month's end, the company said today at the Internet Commerce Expo in Los Angeles. [News.com]

Hitachi delivers 24X CD-ROM - Hitachi today announced a new high-speed CD-ROM drive for personal computers that reads at speeds up to 24X and can access data in 90 milliseconds. [News.com]

Open Market loss widens - Internet commerce software provider Open Market (OMKT) today reported a widening first-quarter loss it attributed in large part on acquisitions. [News.com]

IBM mum on NetObjects IPO - IBM on Friday declined to comment on a report the company plans to take public its NetObjects Internet software affiliate. [News.com]

Firm offers certified email - Certifiedemail.com today launched a service aimed at keeping important email messages from getting lost in the cyberspace abyss. [News.com]

Netscape may miss quarter - Morgan Stanley analyst Mary Meeker said today there was a 60 percent chance Netscape Communications (NSCP) might report earnings that fall short of estimates in the upcoming quarter. [News.com]

U.N. eyes Net regulation - Following the lead of countless other groups, the United Nations is getting into the problematic business of Internet regulation. [News.com]

Hitachi weighs in on DVD-RAM - Hitachi announced today that it has developed DVD-RAM technology that provides a capacity of 4.7GB per side, almost doubling the amount of data which can be stored and offering a challenge to renegade manufacturers such as Sony. [News.com]

Apple ally seeks independence - Rising Macintosh clone maker Power Computing is making plans to get out from under Apple's (AAPL) thumb and looking to protect itself on a couple of fronts, as evidence surfaces about Apple's unyielding ways. [News.com]

Cyber Promotions hosts hate site - One of the Net's most controversial Web sites has found a new place to call home: one of the Internet's most hated hosts. [News.com]

Info-tech age challenges Japan - The ongoing digital revolution and an emerging network age have posed a serious challenge to Japanese businesses, which are still mired in a "post-war" business mode, Sony president Nobuyuki Idei said today. [News.com]

Oblix readies software update - Intranet software start-up Oblix plans to roll out, later in the month, new versions of its corporate resource management software packages which help users organize and simplify business changes and the task of providing corporate services. [News.com]

Site auctioning celeb memorabilia - First Auction, an online auction site, has launched a celebrity memorabilia auction to benefit charity. [News.com]

AMD bundles K6, cuts prices - Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), hoping to spark sales of its K6 MMX processors, said it will sell its processors with bundled components, even as it cut K6 processor prices, as reported last week by CNET's NEWS.COM. [News.com]

Lycos picked for Explorer channels - Lycos (LCOS) and Microsoft (MSFT) get cozy in an exclusive deal that makes Lycos the sole search engine for the Active Channel Guide in Internet Explorer 4.0, set to be released later this month. [News.com]

Lucent sues Acer over patents - Lucent Technologies (LU) has sued Acer, claiming the Taiwan-based PC maker has infringed Lucent patents. [News.com]

Fore disappoints Wall Street - Fore Systems (FORE) today missed Wall Street's fourth-quarter expectations due to increasing competition and a strong dollar. [News.com]

Lucent wins $30 million deal - Lucent Technologies said it received a $30 million contract to build Jabatan Telekom Brunei's telecommunications network infrastructure. [News.com]

Wall Street Journal seeks affiliates - In an effort to increase both readership and revenues, the Wall Street Journal today launched an affiliate program in which Web sites get money for bringing in subscriptions. [News.com]

Activerse to ship Ding and Ding Switchboard - Messaging software maker Activerse is set to roll out the complete public version of its Java-based collaboration package, Ding and Ding Switchboard. [News.com]

IE deals made with empires - The world's two largest media empires are making some of their best and latest entertainment content available only through newer versions of Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser, underscoring the software giant's growing clout in the delivery of information on the Internet. [News.com]

USWeb snares 6 companies - Six more companies have gotten snared by USWeb. [News.com]

Microsoft cracks down on piracy - Microsoft (MSFT) has filed lawsuits against two Arizona-based resellers as part of a heightened campaign against piracy of the company's server-based software. [News.com]

Developer CD-ROM delayed - Apparently, Microsoft's (MSFT) developer support organization is not abiding by one of its own slogans: Time is money. [News.com]

Infoseek, Disney plan portal - Web firm Infoseek and Walt Disney's online division today announced plans to start a new Internet site to better position themselves in the ever-escalating portal competition. [News.com]

NetObjects acquires a Lotus tool - NetObjects has added to its Web tool collection, courtesy of Lotus Development. [News.com]

CompUSA's sales top $5 billion - CompUSA (CPU) said today that its 1997 sales topped $5 billion for the first time as sales for the three months ended December 27 jumped 22 percent. [News.com]

Kashpureff to face federal charges - AlterNIC founder Eugene Kashpureff is facing federal charges of wire and computer fraud, according to an FBI warrant. [News.com]

Overhaul of SAFE bill approved - In a setback to the high-tech industry and privacy advocates in cyberspace, a House committee today overwhelmingly approved an amendment that would overhaul the Security and Freedom through Encryption Act. [News.com]

HP rethinks notebook strategy - After years of lackluster performance, Hewlett-Packard (HPW) is trying to light a fire under its notebook computer division. [News.com]

UUNet, Whole Earth make up - Whole Earth Networks and UUNet Technologies today said they have agreed to continue the interconnection of their networks, ending a dispute over Net connection fees. [News.com]

Clinton video rolls online - As the president's videotaped grand jury testimony is released, news sites grapple with both bandwidth and ethical issues in posting it. [News.com]

Microsoft rebuts DOJ in filing - Contending that the source code for Windows 98 is "the software equivalent to the formula for Coca-Cola," Microsoft today argued why it should be allowed to deliver that code to the Justice Department on its own terms, not anyone else's. [News.com]

Sales lead to WebTV service snags - WebTV users have been experiencing delays in accessing the Net, apparently because the number of subscribers has increased following strong holiday sales of the first-generation set-top device. [News.com]

More storage, less $$$ - SyQuest (SYQT) upped the ante in the market for removable storage devices with a new $199 drive that accommodates one gigabyte (GB) of storage, bettering comparable offerings from Iomega. [News.com]

Compaq debuts low-end workstation - Compaq (CPQ) continued its onslaught on the workstation market today by releasing the Professional Workstation 5100, a Pentium II-based workstation starting at under $3,500 without monitor. [News.com]

Network management for all - Small offices with little or no management software expertise will soon be able to dissect their networking gear. [News.com]

Survey says: We hate spam - Although many online users feel passionately about keeping the Internet free for all types of speech, that doesn't necessarily mean they want it delivered to their electronic mailbox. [News.com]

Clinton video hits the Web - President Clinton's videotaped testimony about his relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky hit the Internet today, adding to the piles of digital material that sparked the online fever for full disclosure about the scandal. [News.com]

Next-gen Net consulting - A new generation of Internet consulting firms is emerging, each aiming to take advantage of the Net to become the next EDS or Andersen Consulting. [News.com]

Glitches found in Norton software - Utility software maker Symantec (SYMC) acknowledged today there are glitches within its Norton Utilities 3.0 software, but the company is cautious about committing to a fix. [News.com]

SEC: Make Y2K issues No. 1 - Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Arthur Levitt is telling all the nation's securities firms to make bracing for Year 2000 computer glitches a top priority. [News.com]

High-tech firms set sights on Egypt - Computer firms are laying the groundwork for increased market share and investment in Egypt by lobbying to end software piracy and lax laws on intellectual property rights, executives said today. [News.com]

Ascend stock jumps on upgrade - Ascend Communications (ASND) shares jumped 5-3/8 today after an analyst expressed faith in the company after its megamerger with Cascade Communications. [News.com]

AGIS moves to bag spam - Executives at Apex Global Information Services, who have been criticized for hosting spam-generating companies, think they've found a solution their dilemma: create a master list for people who don't want to get junk email. [News.com]

An end to mile-long searches? - When IBM scientist Prabhakar Raghavan was planning a vacation to Thailand about a year ago, he did what many of us in the Internet age now do. He turned to cyberspace. [News.com]

Compaq, HP update servers - Compaq and Hewlett-Packard are offering up new takes on familiar server products. [News.com]

Cybex faces post-acquisition loss - Cybex Computer Products (CBXC), a provider of switching solutions and PC peripherals, said yesterday that it expected to post a fiscal third-quarter loss as the result of a one-time charge arising from the acquisition of two privately held German companies. [News.com]

Trio launches tape technology - Hewlett-Packard (HWP), IBM (IBM), and Seagate Technology (SEG) said today they have agreed to develop a standardized tape technology designed to simplify the network storage industry. [News.com]

AOL: Why CompuServe will stand alone - America Online (AOL) executives assured CompuServe (CSRV) employees today that the company plans to keep CompuServe as a separate unit with its own brand identity. [News.com]

UUNet repairs Net outages - UUNet Technologies (UUNT) has fixed widespread Internet access problems created by problems with the ISP's routers. [News.com]

Microsoft tries to toughen NT - Microsoft (MSFT) wants to prove it can tip the scales. [News.com]

Markets react to Clinton video - Wall Street stocks fell hard at the opening bell, as investors gauged what damage the release of President Clinton's videotaped grand jury testimony would inflict on already jittery markets, but recovered later after investors absorbed the initial shock. [News.com]

Microsoft sweetens own java deal - Microsoft is embracing java these days--but not the well-known programming language. [News.com]

Clinton touts "supercomputer on a chip" - Speaking at a White House awards ceremony today, President Clinton touted federal funding for research into a "supercomputer on a chip," a billion-transistor microprocessor that would dwarf today's most powerful processor. [News.com]

Net's one-stop mortgage shop - Intuit (INTU) said it would launch today a service on the Web that offers U.S. home buyers and owners a single site for finding mortgages from leading national lenders. [News.com]

AMD targets NCs with chip - Advanced Micro Devices will work with IGS Technologies to offer building blocks for Intel-compatible, low-cost Internet access devices, network computers, and digital set-top boxes--a market that arch-rival Intel has yet to enter. [News.com]

Seagate buys storage developer - Seagate Technology (SEG) today announced a $230 million cash acquisition of Quinta, a developer of high-capacity drive technologies. [News.com]

Unisys investors reject spin-off - Unisys (UIS) shareholders voted against a proposal to sell or spin off the company's computer hardware operation at its annual meeting in Philadelphia yesterday. [News.com]

Clinton regrets "intimate contact" - President Bill Clinton told a grand jury that he had "inappropriate intimate contact" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky and he regretted his conduct, in a statement made to the grand jury on August 17 and released today on television and online. [News.com]

Foes hammering away at e-rate - Defending federal Net connection discounts for low-income schools and libraries is becoming a full-time job for the Federal Communications Commission. [News.com]

Compaq, HP add to lineups - On the eve of the PC Expo trade show here, Compaq Computer and Hewlett-Packard are offering new Pentium II-based business systems as the industry sorts through recent mergers and ongoing inventory control problems. [News.com]

Judge backs AOL antispam efforts - A Virginia federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction in America Online's (AOL) suit against a Nevada-based company, which the online service claims spammed its members despite repeated requests to stop doing so. [News.com]

IBM stock falls; currency fears cited - IBM (IBM) stock fell today after a late sell-off that traders attributed to market concerns about currency levels. [News.com]

Congress may extend Microsoft probe - A request by three senators for an antitrust probe of Microsoft licensing practices could be the beginning of much larger inquiries into the threat of monopolies in the age of media convergence, including congressional hearings this summer. [News.com]

Adobe fund pays dividends - Adobe Systems (ADBE) yesterday announced its first dividend of venture investment stock under its venture dividend program. [News.com]

Platinum: No reason for stock drop - Financial management software maker Platinum Software said today that it was unable to explain the approximately 37 percent decline in its stock price on Friday. [News.com]

E-rate issue still on table - The heavily debated e-rate is back before Congress, as FCC chairman William Kennard says hearings will be held to discuss the disparity in online access among poorer communities. But opponents across the political spectrum are slamming the Net access discounts as an unfair tax. [News.com]

Is Year 2000 standard needed? - Weeks after computer giant Compaq was publicly challenged by a British firm over the Year 2000 compliance of its PCs, debate over the need for a global compliance standard is growing. [News.com]

China sets smart card standards - China is expected to unveil standards for microchip or "smart" cards by the end of this year, Visa International said today. [News.com]

Umax to make Intel notebook - Umax will enter the Intel-based notebook market with 233-MHz models later this year. [News.com]

LCD screens to be in short supply - Liquid crystal display screens used in notebooks and desktop monitors will be in short supply until early 1999, continuing to affect the availability of laptops, according to a market research firm. [News.com]

Intel breaks ground in Latin America - U.S. microchip giant Intel (INTC) expects to export more than $300 million worth of goods from Costa Rica in 1998 during its first year of operations, Costa Rican President Jose Maria Figueres said yesterday. [News.com]

PageNet expects revenue jump - Wireless messaging service PageNet today announced that the company expects third quarter revenues to increase 10 to 12 percent compared to third quarter 1997. [News.com]

Cisco income jumps - Networking giant Cisco Systems posted another profitable quarter and declared a 3-for-2 stock split. [News.com]

Netscape's deal dependency - Netscape Communications' dealmaking ability is being put to the test, with or without help from the legal woes of rival Microsoft. [News.com]

FTC settles Net phone scam - Thousands of surfers who unwittingly incurred millions of dollars in long distance phone bills while accessing adult entertainment Web sites earlier this year will be getting most of their money back, the Federal Trade Commission announced today. [News.com]

Novatel has wireless modem for PalmPilot - Novatel Wireless has begun shipping a wireless modem for U.S. Robotics' popular PalmPilot handheld computer. [News.com]

Software firms set up shop on Net - Software companies are following the lead of their hardware counterparts and setting up shop on the Web. [News.com]

Sun formally enters gigabit race - Sun Microsystems (SUNW) announced its first foray into the lucrative switching market today, sending signals that it may play a larger role in the networking market while buoying the prospects of a Gigabit Ethernet start-up. [News.com]

Allaire updates Web editing toolset - Allaire today debuted its latest release of its Web editing toolset. [News.com]

Revenues rise for AOL - Fueled by a rise in advertising and e-commerce revenues, in addition to stronger-than-expected membership growth, America Online today soundly beat analysts' fourth-quarter earnings estimates. [News.com]

Netscape to support Web ratings - The move to support Web site rating systems in Netscape Communications' Communicator 4.5--to be rolled out Wednesday, according to sources--will likely bolster the use of these online content controls. [News.com]

S3 takes a hit due to restatement - Shares of S3 (SIII) tumbled more than 22 percent in trading this morning, following the chip maker's announcement that it would have to restate its financial results for several quarters. [News.com]

Egghead redoes Web storefront - Retailer Egghead Computer (EGGS) announced today it has revamped its Web site in an effort to make online transactions easier and faster for customers. [News.com]

King of spam meets its maker - Sanford Wallace is laughing today. [News.com]

Software built for construction - Two niche accounting software makers have teamed up to develop a new software suite for the project-by-project accounting requirements of the construction industry. [News.com]

Motorola mulls more closings - Motorola, which last week suspended construction of a $3 billion chip plant in Virginia, said it is continuing to evaluate its semiconductor business for possible other closures or postponements as the industry suffers an unprecedented slump. [News.com]

House clears copyright act - In a landmark move, the House passed legislation today to safeguard copyrights for music, software, and written works on the Internet and to outlaw technologies that can crack devices protecting this property. [News.com]

Micron getting back on track - Despite facing stiff competition, Micron Electronics appears to be making some headway in its business recovery. [News.com]

3Com offers NT speed from a distance - 3Com is betting that users of Microsoft Windows NT Server will jump on easy ways to implement the operating system's remote access capabilities. [News.com]

Apple board eyes CEO candidate - As the beefed-up board of directors at Apple Computer (AAPL) holds its first face-to-face meeting, observers speculate that the group is mulling over candidates for a new CEO to head the beleaguered company. [News.com]

Pol Pot hoax called experiment - A Swedish Internet marketing agency today claimed responsibility for a news hoax that claimed Khmer Rouge guerrilla leader Pol Pot had arrived in Sweden seeking political asylum. [News.com]

CompuServe, Time settle suit - Time and CompuServe (CSRV) today settled a lawsuit the magazine filed against the beleaguered online service last month. [News.com]

Broadcom preps modem chip - Broadcom, in a major boost for bringing the Internet to television screens, is expected to announce a single computer chip that contains the complicated circuitry needed for home connections. [News.com]

No slowdown in sight for Onsale - Online auctioneer Onsale will continue to see rapid growth in sales and customers, chief executive Jerry Kaplan predicted today at BancAmerica Robertson Stephens' New Millennium Conference in San Francisco. [News.com]

Outlook email can be abused - A new feature in Microsoft Outlook Express could result in users sending thousands of email messages to the same mailbox, the company confirmed today. [News.com]

Gateway loads its 300-MHz Pentium II - Gateway 2000 (GTW) this week became the latest vendor to introduce a more affordable high-end system in time for the Christmas season, offering a 300-MHz Pentium II system and 17-inch monitor for $2,499. [News.com]

MS buys stake in software maker - Microsoft (MSFT) says it has agreed to buy a 20 percent stake in Trados GmbH, a German-based maker of translation software. [News.com]

The online mall that thinks it can - Hoping to shake off the sluggish sales that plague the sector, online mall iMall (IIML) today named a new CEO who outlined a strategy to boost sales. [News.com]

FedEx goal: 100 percent online - Federal Express (FDX) has set its sights on weaning all its customers from paper and voice transactions and moving them to the Internet and other electronic conduits like corporate intranets, said Steve Braun, FedEx's manager of electronic marketing commerce. [News.com]

Start-up offers billing for ISPs - Calling their process the missing link for making money on the Internet, Israeli software start-up XaCCT Technologies unveiled a billing system today. [News.com]

AOL quietly tests community site - America Online this week quietly began a public test of Hometown AOL, a home page site aimed to compete with the likes of GeoCities, Tripod, and TheGlobe. [News.com]

Dow closes at three-month low - The Dow slid to a three-month low by the close of markets today after rekindled worries about Asia's finances triggered a fresh rout in global stocks, with investors seeking safety in the dollar and bonds. [News.com]

Borders enters Net book war - Borders Books has announced plans to launch an online bookstore in mid-January to compete with established players such as Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com, joining the parade of traditional retail companies fighting for electronic commerce dollars. [News.com]

Experian backs away from venture - One of the nation's largest credit bureaus is withdrawing from an online direct marketing venture in the face of Internet users' privacy concerns. [News.com]

Boom in multimedia chips seen - A report released today by market research firm Dataquest predicts double-digit growth this year for the international PC graphics and audio processors. [News.com]

Results mixed on for-pay content - Information may want to be free on the Internet, yet some Web sites say they are finding success charging users for access to content. [News.com]

Spyglass crows about "Blackbird" - Spyglass today said it has agreed to provide software technologies for Motorola's recently detailed "Blackbird" interactive TV set-top box. [News.com]

Ziff-Davis loss widens - Computer magazine publisher and trade show producer Ziff-Davis said today that its losses more than quadrupled during the second quarter as weakened technology companies cut advertising budgets. [News.com]

Gateway cuts PC prices - Gateway 2000 said today it cut prices by up to 9 percent on its business PCs. [News.com]

Small banks SET to be paid - Systems integrator EDS will launch a service in January to process Internet card transactions for financial institutions. [News.com]

Corel sees $32 million loss - Software maker Corel (COSFF) today said it will report a loss of about $32 million for the third quarter, following an accounting change. [News.com]

Object management revamped - Visigenic Software (VSGN) is revamping its object management software to better work with companies' existing applications and databases. [News.com]

Compaq launches PC Theater - Compaq (CPQ) today announced a PC-TV hybrid, called the PC Theater, as part of a plan to dominate the emerging convergence market of computers and consumer electronics. [News.com]

Portals under pressure - As the financial quarter comes to a close, several portal power plays are brewing, stepping up competition in the closely watched space. [News.com]

Norton upgrades for Windows 98 - Symantec will introduce the latest version of its popular antivirus suite next week, the first of its Norton utilities for Windows 98 users. [News.com]

PC industry in Big Apple - The computing industry, wracked by price wars, parts gluts, and inventory issues, is putting on its best face to corporate buyers at this week's PC Expo in New York. [News.com]

Senate reviews IE contract with ISP - In a licensing and cross-promotion agreement involving Microsoft's (MSFT) Internet Explorer, a national Internet service provider was forbidden from telling some subscribers about the availability of competing browsers and was permitted to offer them only if the customer requested them, according to evidence submitted at a Senate hearing today. [News.com]

News Corp. set for further global growth - News Corp. has cash balances of more than $2.7 billion and is in a strong financial position to pursue its global growth strategy, chairman Rupert Murdoch said Wednesday. "These cash resources, together with our established cash flows, give us the flexibility to finance future investments without jeopardizing our investment-grade credit ratings," Murdoch said in News Corp.'s annual report, issued Wednesday. [News.com]

CMP sets IPO sights for $95 million - CMP Media today set its initial public offering pricing range at $17 to $19 a share, in hopes of raising up to $95 million in capital, according to the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filing. [News.com]

Big brokers behind online - Large investment brokerages are falling behind in the chaotic world of online trading, apparently content to make money the old-fashioned way. [News.com]

CDnow eyes profitability by 2000 - CDnow's online music store may sell copies of an album named "Money to Burn," but the retailer is sold on keeping its revenues up and blazing a path to profits within two years, its top executive said. [News.com]

SCI Systems slides on warning - Pressure on personal computer makers to cut costs as Asia's crisis bites prompted SCI Systems to warn Wall Street about weaker near-term profits, sending its stock tumbling today. [News.com]

House candidate uses pop lyrics - Anarchistic pop group Chumbawamba might be happier if conservative California firebrand Bob Dornan would just stay down. [News.com]

Net Tax Freedom Act closer - The Internet Tax Freedom Act cleared the Senate Commerce Committee today, bringing one step closer to reality a temporary ban on states and localities passing new taxes specifically aimed at online access and e-commerce. [News.com]

3Com says USR merger reaping rewards - Computer giant 3Com (COMS) believes its recent merger with U.S. Robotics is already paying off and will allow the combined company to successfully attack new consumer markets outside the U.S. [News.com]

Junk emailer fights for access - Junk emailer Cyber Promotions is getting the boot from another Internet access provider, but it isn't going without a fight. [News.com]

Net blackout hits some regions - A major outage shut down Internet access in some parts of the country today for as long as two hours. [News.com]

Clinton backs info exchange bill - President Bill Clinton has asked Congress to waste no time in passing legislation unveiled this week that would allow companies to share information about fixing computers unable to handle dates beginning with year 2000. [News.com]

Ansoft warns of loss - Electronic design software company Ansoft today warned of an earnings shortfall for its fiscal first quarter ending July 31, as a slowdown in the Asia-Pacific market hurt its bottom line. [News.com]

Net to speed HMO claim payments - Aetna U.S. Healthcare has launched an electronic system to speed up the payment of claims to doctors and reduce bureaucratic delays associated with managed health care. [News.com]

Intel to release low-cost Pentium II - Intel will release a low-cost version of the Pentium II that's stripped of extra features as a way to get the chip into the booming budget computer market. [News.com]

Excite, Preview Travel beef up deal - Excite (XCIT) and Preview Travel announced today that they are expanding their marketing partnership on the Web for online travel. [News.com]

Apple faces education threat - It's no coincidence that Bill Gates spoke at the National Educational Computing Conference this week. The education market, the crown jewel of the Apple Computer (AAPL) marketing department, has become the latest growth market for the Windows world. [News.com]

Router glitch cuts Net access - What started out as a router glitch at a small Internet service provider in Virginia today triggered a major outage in Internet access across the country, lasting more than two hours in some places. [News.com]

Major vendors show OBI support - Backers of a protocol to make online procurement easier are hoping that a demonstration later this week that software from different vendors can communicate with each other will boost the Open Buying on the Internet protocol. [News.com]

300-MHz Pentium II notebooks on tap - A flotilla of new notebooks will set sail on September 9 when Intel releases a 300-MHz Pentium II for portable PCs and cuts prices on the rest of its mobile chip line. [News.com]

Microsoft sells Softimage to Avid - Here's a switch: Microsoft is selling a company, not buying it. [News.com]

Ascend sees slowing growth - Ascend Communications (ASND) said yesterday that it expects several quarters of unpredictable growth because of price reductions, consolidation among Internet service providers, and slower international demand. [News.com]

Micron unveils fall PC lineup - Nampa, Idaho--Micron Electronics unveiled its fall 1997 line of personal computers including desktop, notebooks, and network-ready PCs. [News.com]

Domino gets new locks and keys - IBM (IBM) subsidiary Lotus Development plans to add multilayered encryption capabilities from Entrust Technologies to its Domino server by the end of 1998, the company said today. [News.com]

ISPs ding domain name plan - A consortium of Internet service providers has changed its mind about endorsing a plan to create new top-level Net domains. [News.com]

Chrysler helps drive NT market - Workstations based around Microsoft's Windows NT received a shot of credibility today when auto maker Chrysler announced that it will shift its engineers from Unix workstations to NT based machines. [News.com]

Copyright bill hits Net broadcasters - An amendment to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, passed today by the House, could spell big financial changes for Internet radio stations and other Webcasters. [News.com]

E-commerce firm opens wallet - In a move that could speed adoption of an online payments protocol, Internet commerce software vendor GlobeSet has announced a server-based "wallet" for making credit card purchases securely over the Internet. [News.com]

JavaBeans for the mainstream - Sun Microsystems (SUNW) says Java isn't just for building flashy Web pages anymore. [News.com]

TI to appeal top Japan court in chip row - Texas Instruments said today that it would appeal to the Japanese Supreme Court in its dispute with Fujitsu over semiconductor patents. [News.com]

SBC sues for long distance rights - SBC Communications filed a federal lawsuit today seeking to overturn provisions in a new telecommunications law restricting Baby Bells from entering long distance telephone markets, a company lawyer said. [News.com]

SCO earnings disappoint - Unix vendor Santa Cruz Operation (SCOC) today reported a 66 percent drop in second quarter profits and weak revenue growth. [News.com]

Shifting from data to data analysis - Enterprise resource planning vendors are climbing the corporate ladder, all the way to the top. [News.com]

Landmark copyright law - In a move that may have broad industry impact in the digital age, the House approves a landmark bill already passed by the Senate to safeguard copyrights for music, software, and written works on the Internet. In addition, an amendment to the legislation will affect the way Webcasters do business. [News.com]

W3C recommends SMIL - The Web today improved its coordination with the World Wide Web Consortium's formal recommendation of Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language, a specification that helps synch up images, text, and sound on the Web. [News.com]

IBM cuts notebook prices - There are now three contenders for the notebook crown, and IBM is introducing new models and cutting prices to drive home its claim. [News.com]

FTC nomination goes to Senate - The Senate Commerce Committee today approved Sheila Foster Anthony's nomination to the Federal Trade Commission. [News.com]

Execs: End wasteful tech funding - A group of prominent Silicon Valley executives, led by outspoken Cypress Semiconductor Chief Executive T.J. Rodgers, has repeated its call for an end to U.S. funding for technology programs it considers wasteful. [News.com]

HP security admits VeriFone - As an early result of this week's acquisition of VeriFone (VFI), Hewlett-Packard (HWP) will adapt VeriFone's vGate software to let credit card processors connect securely to the Internet within HP's security framework. [News.com]

Portals to see improved earnings - Despite dire predictions that the Asian and Russian economic crises would drag down U.S. earnings, a number of portal companies are expected to post improved quarterly results next month, according to Wall Street analysts. [News.com]

AOL's multiple portal strategy - Three portals are better than none. That's America Online's philosophy, according to its president, Bob Pittman. [News.com]

Compaq to spend millions on ads - With its acquisition of Digital Equipment complete, Compaq Computer will launch a brand advertising campaign tomorrow designed to gain global recognition for the world's second-largest computer company. [News.com]

Apple snags deal with CompUSA - In a move to bolster flagging sales, Apple (AAPL) has landed a deal with CompUSA (CPU) that will expand its floor space and presentation in the retailer's superstores. [News.com]

Dell tops business desktop market - Dell Computer (DELL) became the No. 1 supplier of desktop PCs to U.S. corporations last quarter, toppling market leader Compaq (CPQ), according to a major marketing research firm. [News.com]

Spam makes Netcom block free emailer - Netcom On-Line Communications Services (NETC) was forced to block incoming email from Hotmail last weekend because spam bearing a Hotmail address threatened to clog Netcom's network, its executives said today. [News.com]

Borland spins off consulting - Less than six months after purchasing Open Environment in a $30 million stock swap transaction, struggling software tools maker Borland (BORL) today said it will spin off the company's consulting arm into an independent, privately held company. [News.com]

Clinton backs info exchange bill - President Bill Clinton has asked Congress to waste no time in passing legislation unveiled this week that would allow companies to share information about fixing computers unable to handle dates beginning with year 2000. [News.com]

Hyundai: Talks with Intel off - Hyundai Group's talks with Intel on a $1.15 billion joint venture to use the Korean company's semiconductor chip plant in Scotland have broken off, Hyundai said today. [News.com]

Telstra, Microsoft in cable talks - Australia's former telephone monopoly Telstra said today that it was in talks with Microsoft about a joint venture using Telstra's cable network. [News.com]

Chipset combines audio, modem - Rockwell Semiconductor Systems announced a PCI-based chipset that combines modem technology and audio features. [News.com]

Dell launches 233-MHz notebook - Dell Computer (DELL) today introduced a new line of notebooks, including a 233-MHz model for under $4,000. [News.com]

Idealab loses star player - Bill Gross has garnered tons of ink of late for Idealab, a company he bills as an incubator for start-ups. But at least one of his ideas is not firing on all cylinders. [News.com]

Antispam plan discounted - Antispammers aren't putting a lot of faith in Internet service provider Apex Global Information Services' plan to manage spam. [News.com]

Gateway unveils low-cost Celeron PC - Gateway today introduced the E-1200, a sub-$1,000 desktop computer with monitor for business users featuring Intel's new Celeron processor. [News.com]

Sun, IBM offer new Java OS - Sun Microsystems and IBM will today announce the availability of the JavaOS for Business, a new Java-based operating system derivative targeted at network computer rollouts and other client devices such as kiosks. [News.com]

Windows NT software ships - Microsoft and Citrix Systems officially took the wraps off new software intended for companies looking to centralize desktop applications on a server computer. [News.com]

Do Java spec and mantra clash? - A new specification, launched by IBM (IBM) subsidary Lotus Development along with Oracle and Sun Microsystems, is intended to unify the look and feel of Java applications on network computers and PCs. [News.com]

DVD owners dis Divx - Owners of DVD players are up in arms over news that some consumer electronics companies, retailers, and movie studios will join forces to promote a digital content format that could make current DVD hardware obsolete. [News.com]

SWAT team targets hackers - Enterprise security firm Axent Technologies (AXNT) next week will unveil a public Web site designed to help security professionals thwart attacks from hackers. [News.com]

Back rent may be due on domains - When the National Science Foundation closes up shop on the Internet next year, it may be looking to collect some back rent. [News.com]

MSN.com does search deals - Microsoft portal MSN.com has reached agreements worth $60 million with four Net companies to provide searches on a rotating basis. [News.com]

Microsoft eases software rentals - In a bid to boost the short-term rentals of software over the Net, Microsoft has released a new version of its software for ISPs and phone carriers offering Internet access, email, and Web hosting. [News.com]

Compaq debuts desktops in Japan - The Japanese unit of Compaq Computer said today that it is launching eight new models of its Presario series in this country. [News.com]

Europe not addressing Y2K - European governments are failing to address the millennium computer problem, and more than 40 percent of authorities that rely on information technology are likely to fall down on their responsibilities, a report published today said. [News.com]

New Net may not get '98 funding - Despite the White House's wishes and academia's needs for a better Net, Congress probably won't allot $100 million to the Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative for 1998, the chair of the House Science Committee said today. [News.com]

Compaq renews push in Japan - Compaq Computer (CPQ), the world's top seller of personal computers, says it plans an ambitious push to increase its market share in Japan, where it has been struggling to compete. [News.com]

Full-motion video on phone lines - Start-up Objective Communications (OCOM) has developed a new technology that will allow PCs to send and receive full-motion, high-quality video and data communications over ordinary telephone lines, thereby freeing up network bandwidth. [News.com]

Apple revs AppleWorks software - Apple Computer took a step toward revitalizing its consumer and education offerings today by releasing a new version of its AppleWorks software for Macintosh computers. [News.com]

Compaq sees growth in Europe - Compaq said today that it expected European PC demand to remain firm in the second half of 1998, with growth rates in the region topping those in North America and Asia. [News.com]

Deliberations in Digital RSI suit - Jury deliberations begin today in a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Digital Equipment over workplace injuries allegedly caused by use of its computer keyboards. [News.com]

Microsoft criticized at ITxpo97 - Two of Microsoft's harshest critics used one of Europe's leading industry forums to brand the software giant a monopoly intent on dominance. [News.com]

Iona brewing new Java tools - Iona Technologies (IONAY) is brewing new tools for building server-based Java applications. [News.com]

Apple stock rebounds - Apple Computer (AAPL) stock rebounded today after sliding to a 12-year low yesterday. [News.com]

HP debuts sub-$1,000 PCs - Hewlett-Packard (HWP) will begin selling sub-$1,000 PCs for small businesses based on inexpensive K5 processors from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). [News.com]

Rebounding Cabletron beats Street - Despite beating estimates, networking equipment provider Cabletron Systems dipped more than 9 percent in early morning trading. [News.com]

EU clears French ISP deal - The European Commission said today that it had cleared a French Internet service provider joint venture between Cegetel, Canal Plus, America Online, and Bertelsmann. [News.com]

Xerox takes on HP in printers - Copier giant Xerox will roll out a new line of laser and ink-jet color printers and sell them through retailers in a bid to win market share from Hewlett-Packard. [News.com]

W3C releases style spec draft - The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) today released the first public draft of the Cascading Style Sheets 2 specification, which, when it eventually becomes a standard, will define various styles for Web design. [News.com]

Low-cost vendors expanding in workstations - Gateway 2000's push into workstations makes the sophisticated, traditionally pricey machines available by mail order for around $3,500, changing the landscape of a market previously considered the domain of elitist manufacturers and resellers. [News.com]

Supercomputer limits assailed - With Congress moving to reimpose strict export controls on supercomputers, industry participants warn that the legislation under consideration would affect a much broader range of machines. [News.com]

Apple walks latest Cyberdog - Apple Computer (AAPL) today released a new version of its Cyberdog Net software. [News.com]

Schwab, Sony discuss venture - Japanese electronics giant Sony and U.S. brokerage Charles Schwab are discussing setting up a joint venture for Internet stock trading in Japan, according to reports. [News.com]

AOL earnings spark reaction - Shares of America Online rose at the opening bell and then fell today after the company reported late yesterday that its earnings had topped Wall Street analysts' expectations. [News.com]

Novell cleared in patent case - Novell said today that it has been cleared of any wrongdoing in a long-running patent infringement case brought by Action Technologies. [News.com]

High-speed memory in pipeline - One of South Korea's leading semiconductor manufacturers said it has begun production of a high-speed, next-generation memory chip. [News.com]

Philips markets new DVD player - Philips Electronics announced a new version of its DVD video player. [News.com]

Fast modems target business - Hayes Microcomputer today announced a new line of 56-kbps modems specifically targeted at business users. [News.com]

McAfee targets ownership costs - Interop Software maker McAfee (MCAF) will address much-publicized issues involving the cost of computer ownership at Spring Networld+Interop '97 when it releases the Zero Administration Client Suite. [News.com]

Report, video: Dangerous surfing? - It was a familiar scene: employees crowded around a computer monitor waiting to see President Clinton sweat. [News.com]

Zapata buys game Web site - Continuing its seemingly endless Internet buying spree, Zapata announced today that Zap, its Internet subsidiary, moved to acquire game information Web site Attitude Network. [News.com]

Inprise updates development tool - Inprise has updated its Delphi development tool with better support for building multitier applications. [News.com]

New domain names afoot - By March 1998, Netizens should be able to sign up for seven new top level domain names and the company running the InterNIC will face some competition, according to a plan unveiled today. [News.com]

The Hub to sell Capitol single - The Hub plans to be the next provider to jump on the digital downloading bandwagon with a deal next week to let fans buy songs at their computers with the click of a mouse. [News.com]

On the road to managed laptops - An industry group next week will deliver a draft specification outlining a standardized way for corporations to manage notebook PCs. [News.com]

MS posts Net telephony tools - Microsoft (MSFT) today launched an update to its NetMeeting conferencing software, which includes Internet telephony features soon to become part of the company's Web browser and operating systems. [News.com]

Bell Atlantic, Intermedia in pact - Bell Atlantic said today that it has reached an agreement with Intermedia Communications that will enable it to provide data services outside the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States once the government allows it to offer long distance service. [News.com]

Cisco rises on earnings news - Shares of Cisco Systems rose nearly 2 percent at the opening bell today after the company reported late yesterday that its earnings had topped Wall Street analysts' expectation. [News.com]

IBM to bundle America Online - America Online and IBM signed a multiyear marketing agreement in which IBM will preinstall AOL software on two lines of its computers. [News.com]

Tech TV show for newbies - As technology gets more and more complicated, media outlets from print to the Web are racing to stay on top of all the latest developments. For technology "newbies"--that is, most people--sometimes that coverage already is too advanced. [News.com]

Microsoft passed on CompuServe - Microsoft Network briefly flirted with the idea of buying CompuServe (CSRV), a move that surely would have threatened online giant America Online (AOL), according to a statement posted on MSN last night. [News.com]

Amazon up on buy recommendation - Amazon.com (AMZN) shares soared 20.3 percent today after an investment firm initiated coverage with a "buy" recommendation. [News.com]

Netscape: Intranets slow abroad - As U.S. corporations ramp up their efforts to launch intranets and extranets, Europe and Japan are falling behind, said Marc Andreessen, chief technology officer at Netscape (NSCP). [News.com]

3Dfx sues rival Nvidia - Nvidia, a rising star in the graphics chip market, has been hit with yet another patent infringment lawsuit, this time from 3Dfx. [News.com]

AOL takes good with bad - America Online seems to be on a roll with its multiple portal strategy, Web community plans, and an earnings report for its most recent quarter that beat analysts' estimates. Nevertheless, a delay in posting its net profits and some additional charges is giving Wall Street the jitters. [News.com]

Net celebrates James Joyce - Fans of the Irish writer James Joyce can participate in the annual Bloomsday celebration of Joyce's most famous novel Ulysses by listening to readings from all over the world for the first time via the Internet. [News.com]

Nanny decision to be posted - When Judge Hiller Zobel decides whether British au pair Louise Woodward will go to jail for the rest of her life after being convicted for the killing of the baby she was hired to care for, he will immediately email it to a legal Web site. [News.com]

IBM: Customers will rule banking - In the networked world of the Internet, financial services power will be held by customers, not by the brokers and bankers and insurance companies that hold sway today, a top IBM's (IBM) executive warned. [News.com]

Music sites sounding off - Although MTV and most radio stations are still light years ahead of the Internet in the market for music's audience, the Net is evolving as a distinct venue for music lovers and as a potential moneymaker for record companies and high-tech firms. [News.com]

AST taps Samsung exec - AST Research (ASTA) and Samsung Electronics' merger got under way in earnest today as AST tapped a Samsung executive to replace its CEO. [News.com]

IBM readies networking tools - Just as a new executive takes the helm of IBM's networking hardware division, Big Blue is adding a new series of networking tools to its roster, extending its presence in the corporate market and tying its line of routing devices to the multimedia age. [News.com]

The start of Y2K lawsuit rush? - A medical equipment vendor and a major software maker have been slapped with Year 2000-related lawsuits in the past 24 hours, fueling suspicions that the millennium bug could trigger a rash of related lawsuits. [News.com]

PC makers target the dumb terminal - In conjunction with today's release of a new version of Microsoft's NT Server software, computer makers are rolling out stripped-down computers that offer basic hardware features--so-called "dumb terminals"--but low-cost PCs may be conspiring against widespread use of the devices. [News.com]

Used 486 PCs priced to move - Hoping to deflate the hype surrounding the network computer (NC), refurbished computer specialist Recompute has dropped prices on its entry-level 486-based computers to $299. [News.com]

Gateway releases new servers - Gateway 2000 (GTW) officially entered the server market today with the release of the NS server line, while ALR, a company Gateway bought earlier this year, slashed prices up to 35 percent on its multiprocessor servers. [News.com]

Intel works on antidote to bugs - Intel (INTC) is working on new technology that makes it easier to fix bugs found in its chips. [News.com]

Net brings new era of terrorism - The threat of terrorism is likely to increase in the United States as the Internet provides easier access to information on making bombs, Defense Secretary William Cohen said today. [News.com]

Qualcomm merges phone, handheld - Qualcomm will come out with a combination digital phone and handheld digital assistant based around 3Com's Palm operating system in the first half of 1999, a merger of two executive toys that could define the shape of things to come. [News.com]

Firewall market to hit $1.8 billion - Sales of firewall software, the programs that protect computer networks against unauthorized users or viruses, are projected to grow to $1.8 billion by 2002, according to a report by research firm International Data Corporation. [News.com]

Report: Competition hurts Japan - The competitiveness of Japanese manufacturers has waned in recent years due to structural changes in industry and increasing global competition, Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) said today. [News.com]

Cisco reports runaway profits - The Cisco Systems (CSCO) profit engine is still firing on all cylinders. [News.com]

Sun deal points to non-PC devices - Pursuing its plan to make Java the lingua franca of computing, Sun Microsystems today acquired a company that makes operating systems for telecommunications products and created a division to develop lightweight Java systems for non-PC devices. [News.com]

Consumer report bucks Web trend - Consumer-oriented Web sites that generate revenue are proliferating so fast that they'll be the hottest segment of the e-commerce market in the next few years, according a new report from market research house ActivMedia. [News.com]

Informix hit with 5th class action - Informix Software (IFMX) has been slapped with yet another shareholder lawsuit as the company's financial disclosures come under increased scrutiny. [News.com]

AOL down this morning - America Online said customers were unable to sign on for about an hour this morning after software malfunctioned during a scheduled update. [News.com]

CA back on buyout roll - Plan A flopped. [News.com]

Pfeiffer: Web sales, Alpha key to Compaq - Compaq chief executive officer Eckhard Pfeiffer today outlined a future for his company that will involve more sales of products and services over the Web as well as an increased push into high-end corporate computing, including support for the Digital Equipment 64-bit Alpha processor. [News.com]

Net voting a long way off - As voters across the country scramble to the make it to polling booths today, the idea of a Net ballot probably sounds like a darn good idea. [News.com]

RSAC shelves news rating - WASHINGTON, D.C.--The Recreational Software Advisory Council, which has created an Internet ratings system for Web sites, has put its controversial plan to create a special label for news-oriented sites on hold. [News.com]

Compass automates content filtering - Netscape Communications (NSCP) is preparing to tackle an elusive goal--automatic filtering of online content--with a new server it plans to introduce on July 14. [News.com]

Autodesk picks new CFO - Autodesk (ADSK) has picked up a Silicon Graphics (SGI) VP to round out its executive staff. [News.com]

300-MHz K6 to spur low-cost laptops - Advanced Micro Devices today released a 300-MHz version of its K6 processor for notebooks, a move that should advance the slow but steady march toward low-priced portables. [News.com]

Markets recover in early trading - Wall Street stocks, which took their worst beating of the year yesterday, rose slightly early this morning after an initial plunge of more than 70 points. [News.com]

Tech stocks rebound - Blue chips made a modest comeback from yesterday's sell-off but failed to keep pace with a strong rebound rally in technology issues. [News.com]

Intel sets DVD guidelines - Intel has released a set of guidelines intended to ensure compatibility of DVD-ROM titles across a wide array of computer systems. [News.com]

Initiative aims to create superchip - Major U.S. chip makers will share the stage with the U.S. Department of Energy tomorrow in announcing the formation of a consortium devoted to the creating a superchip 100 times more powerful than current chips. [News.com]

Summer travel deals online - Air fare bargains are scant as the summer travel season is in full swing, but a growing number of deals are being offered to travelers who book their tickets online. [News.com]

Toshiba, IBM ready fast PCs - Toshiba and IBM (IBM) will introduce Pentium II workstation-class systems built to run Windows NT when Intel rolls out its new chip next week. [News.com]

AOL revival brings more ads - Last week, when America Online announced the signing of a deal with CBS to promote the network's television programs throughout its service, the online giant also decided to revive an old marketing tool it had shelved for the past two years. [News.com]

Apple extends custom sales - In a bid to become a more efficient manufacturer, Apple Computer said today that its reseller partners will be able to offer custom-configured Macs. [News.com]

UPS sees surge in Net delivery - About a third of all urgent document deliveries will be switched from physical to virtual transmission over the Internet by 2002, express delivery firm United Parcel Service (UPS) predicted. [News.com]

Political email sparks spam debate - San Francisco political consultant Robert Barnes calls the mass emailing he sent out to Netizens a "public service." [News.com]

Small ISPs yawn at AOL deal - To Tom Simonds, president of a regional Internet service provider, the pending merger of America Online (AOL) and CompuServe (CSRV) is a simple matter of numbers, more for AOL and less for others. [News.com]

Post-CDA filtering under fire - When Loren Javier, interactive media director at the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, heard that the Web browser included with the Sega Saturn game console allowed users to filter for sites containing information on "alternative lifestyles," he was wary. [News.com]

Pentium II slated for arcades - Intel (INTC) has its processors inside most of the world's PCs. Now, it wants them inside coin-operated video games as well. [News.com]

Intel cloner vows $800 notebooks - A new processor vendor will jump into the notebook PC market later this year, and, once again, prices will very likely go down. [News.com]

British e-commerce heating up - Britain's traditional small-town bookshop--cramped, dusty, and run by genteel, bookish types--is under threat. [News.com]

Woman Netcasts childbirth - A 40-year-old Florida woman gave birth to a boy today in what was billed as the first-ever live birth on the Internet before an estimated audience of 2 million people, a cable health network said. [News.com]

Apple offers rebates to schools - Apple Computer (AAPL) finished off a spate of price cuts today with the news it will extend a rebate program to include sales to higher education customers. [News.com]

Motorola halting Mac development - Motorola is expected to stop development of Macintosh-compatible computers, CNET's NEWS.COM has learned. [News.com]

False alarm: The Net's not falling - It was scene worthy of the Hollywood blockbuster Independence Day: While fireworks light up the sky on July 4, the global Internet goes black. But, like the movie, this story was fiction. [News.com]

IBM may keep dividends slim - IBM (IBM) chairman Louis Gerstner will address his fourth annual meeting tomorrow and shareholders are expected to grill the CEO on the computer giant's seemingly paltry dividend. [News.com]

Baby's life could hang on Web site - In a last-ditch effort to save their eight-week-old baby's life, a New Zealand couple is seeking medical help through the Internet. [News.com]

IBM offers free management tool - Furthering its aim to make PC and server management more accessible for administrators, IBM released a free piece of agent software that offers more detailed information concerning the state of a machine and also allows managers to access systems via the Web. [News.com]

Japan firms plan email over phone - Japan's NEC said today it would work with Canon Sales to develop and sell computer products that can read email over the telephone. [News.com]

Microsoft nixes Office deals - Corporate customers of Microsoft's (MSFT) Office applications are losing a licensing option at the end of this month. [News.com]

Hahn to join Netscape's inner circle - Eric Hahn, who joined Netscape Communications (NSCP) when it acquired his company Collabra Software two years ago, has taken a sabbatical and will return to the company next month in a different capacity. [News.com]

Hong Kong slip reveals press info - The Hong Kong government has apologized for accidentally posting the personal information of hundreds of journalists on the Internet. [News.com]

Provision threatens crypto bill - A coalition of privacy and commercial interests endorsed legislation today that would undo restrictions on encryption, but said it might pull its support if a section in the bill, which would penalize the use of encryption in committing a crime, is not scrapped. [News.com]

House hearing live on Net - The House Agriculture Committee will become the first congressional body to broadcast proceedings live over the Internet, a committee spokesman said today. [News.com]

Mexican hackers speak out - They have plastered the face of revolutionary hero Emiliano Zapata on the Finance Ministry's Web site and claim to have monitored visits by senators to X-rated Internet salons. [News.com]

MCI service for Oracle apps - MCI Communications is speeding up more than the time to connect a phone call. [News.com]

IE 4 makes Unix debut - Microsoft (MSFT) is finally making its Internet Explorer browser available to Unix users, in an attempt to woo corporations that may have been lagging on installing the browser. [News.com]

MS takes stake in speech firm - Microsoft (MSFT) has invested $45 million in Belgian speech technology firm Lernout & Hauspie (LHSPF) with the intent of enabling Windows to recognize and respond to spoken commands. [News.com]

Euro IT spending expected to rise - As the millennium bug looms, the European information systems market is expected to increase its spending as solutions are sought with increasing panic. [News.com]

Computer industry to grow 19% - Dataquest said the worldwide personal computer industry will grow significantly this year led by high-growth companies such as Dell Computer (DELL) and IBM (IBM). [News.com]

More Japan chip plants delayed - Chipmaker Matsushita Electronics will delay the start of memory chip production at one new plant and put off construction of another, as low prices continue to impact the industry. [News.com]

IBM in financial services pact - IBM said it and financial institutions in Asia have formed an interactive financial services alliance to create a secure framework for online banking in the region. [News.com]

Deal to join front, back offices - Call center software is working its way into the back office. [News.com]

Juniper, IBM team on net gear - The buzz surrounding Net gear start-up Juniper Networks may only increase with the announcement today that its upcoming products will include chips from computing monolith IBM. [News.com]

Microsoft plots Windows upgrades - Microsoft (MSFT) officials said they will provide an easy upgrade path from Windows 3.x to the upcoming Windows NT 5.0. [News.com]

IBM bets on SCO for servers - The Santa Cruz Operation (SCOC) will announce tomorrow that IBM (IBM) has selected SCO's Unix operating system for use on its personal computing servers. [News.com]

Delivering wireless access - Modem maker Hybrid Networks today teamed with start-up Warp Drive Networks in an ambitious plan to offer high-speed Net access over low-power television frequencies by October 1. [News.com]

Macronix, VLSI in chip tie-up - Taiwan's Macronix International announced a technology-sharing agreement with specialty chipmaker VLSI Technology. [News.com]

Portable's new identity - Portable Software is changing its identity. [News.com]

Digital cameras adding storage - Digital camera enthusiasts today gained a couple more options for storing their electronic images. [News.com]

MS may invest $1 billion in US West - In its determination to gain a foothold in the cable television industry, Microsoft (MSFT) is poised to make a $1 billion investment in US West (USW). [News.com]

Europe a hot spot for tech growth - Americans flocked to Europe in record numbers this summer, not for the usual lure of art and culture, but for the prospects of a burgeoning technology market. [News.com]

Air Force deal boosts NT - An Air Force decision paves the way for the potential sale of tens of thousands of computers running Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows NT operating system, a software company executive said. [News.com]

Low-bandwidth push is on - Facing predictions that the push technology market is headed for a shakeout, companies are searching for ways to differentiate themselves by addressing concerns over bandwidth. [News.com]

Rocky Mountain delays bid - Rocky Mountain's bid to acquire Internet Communications for $42 million was delayed until October 2 after Rocky Mountain said it needed to complete financing before it could close the deal, the companies said. [News.com]

Online billing for utilities - U.S. utilities could save $1.2 billion in billing costs by using electronic bill presentment and payment, according to an upcoming study. [News.com]

Software piracy put at $11.4 billion - Applications worth $11.4 billion were pirated in 1997, two software trade groups said today. [News.com]

Gateway PCs include Net service - Following a trend among computer manufacturers to offer Net connection services, Gateway 2000 (GTW) will begin acting as an ISP for its customers next week. [News.com]

Motorola gives up Macs - Motorola Computer Group will cease development of its StarMax line of Macintosh-compatible computers, the company announced today, confirming a report yesterday by CNET's NEWS.COM. [News.com]

Massachusetts may ax ISP tax - Massachusetts legislators could vote to exempt Internet service providers from a sales tax by early next week, adding muscle to the White House's e-commerce agenda. [News.com]

Surfer info to be pushed to Domino - New York City-based Web developer ErgoTech is preparing to enhance its WebLeader software, which routes information collected from Web site visitors, with new browser distribution features that will work with Lotus Development's Webcasting add-on, Domino.Broadcast. [News.com]

IBM adds two to elite committee - IBM is promoting two executives to its corporate executive committee, including only the second woman to join the elite group of Big Blue decision makers, according to reports. [News.com]

Survey: Firms think twice on Intel - A growing number of businesses don't care if their PCs feature Intel inside, according to a new survey, but that doesn't mean rivals will soon make substantial gains. [News.com]

Study: Net phones threaten telcos - Making telephone calls over the Internet is getting cheaper and easier, and soon will provide profit-threatening competition to established big operators, a report published today said. [News.com]

Onsale says mail wasn't spam - Online auctioneer eBay, which lets customers auction their own items from eBay's site, is accusing rival Onsale (ONSL), the pioneer in online auctions, of sending eBay's customers unsolicited email to promote last week's launch of Onsale's own personal auction service. [News.com]

Sun asked to cede Java - Intel (INTC), Microsoft (MSFT), Digital Equipment (DEC), and Compaq Computer (CPQ) asked Sun Microsystems (SUNW) today to cede control of the Java computer programming language to an international standard-setting organization. [News.com]

Tech shortfall rattles investors - Investors are increasingly jittery about upcoming second-quarter earnings reports for technology companies after a barrage of earnings shortfall announcements which foreshadow a summer slowdown. [News.com]

Micron aims for high end - Micron Electronics (MUEI) jumped into the workstation market for the first time today, introducing a line of Windows NT-based personal workstations. [News.com]

Lotus details eSuite upgrade - As expected, Lotus Development today rolled out the latest version of its Java-based desktop applications suite. [News.com]

Excite readies community builder - Excite is expected to launch a community builder service powered by recently acquired Throw, giving the portal an early jump on a landscape characterized by fast followers, CNET News.com has learned. [News.com]

Acta, Arbor team for data analysis - Acta Technology and Arbor Software are teaming up to make analyzing data in SAP's R/3 a bit easier. [News.com]

European PC sales promising - Personal computer sales in western Europe were better than expected in the third quarter and the rest of the year looks good, according to a report from market research firm Dataquest. [News.com]

Adobe reports revenue record - Adobe Systems (ADBE) said today it expects to report record revenue and strong earnings for its third fiscal quarter, due to a surge in shipments during the final week of the period. [News.com]

CompuServe stock up on rumors - CompuServe (CSRV) stock jumped 12 percent in trading today on speculation that online giant America Online's (AOL) has renewed its buyout bid and another suitor has entered the field. [News.com]

Fighting vandals online - Don't call 'em hackers. They're vandals. [News.com]

U.S. markets mixed despite rally - Wall Street stocks were mixed in early trading with the Dow Industrial Average edging lower this morning despite yesterday's late afternoon rally and the good news that the Asian markets had climbed higher overnight. [News.com]

Y2K study paints grim picture - Although nobody is sure just how much havoc the Year 2000 technology problem will cause, a new study released today paints a decidedly grim picture. [News.com]

AOL gaming fight goes to court - After months of barbs traded in court filings, an antitrust lawsuit filed against America Online by Kesmai, the computer game maker owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, is headed for trial. [News.com]

NEC to sell mini-notebook in U.S. - Japan-based NEC Computer (NIPNY) said it plans to start selling a mini-notebook in the U.S. through its affiliate Packard Bell NEC. [News.com]

Start-up technology rivals WebTV - A new technology that harnesses analog cable systems could mean faster Internet access via TV sets, at a comparatively low price, although some observers are casting doubt on the viability of the technology. [News.com]

Japan firm jumps into e-commerce - Oki Electric Industry says it has started developing next-generation electronic commerce applications. [News.com]

Amnesty International hacked - Hackers broke into the Amnesty International home page over the weekend, altering it with a highly stylized, futuristic-looking graphic of a small child or baby smoking a cigarette. [News.com]

Cisco updates management tools - Cisco Systems will take advantage of ever-present Web standards to open up its management tools to a bevy of third-party software, a strategy to extend the company's reach beyond its own networking equipment. [News.com]

Indiana University to host Net2 - Indiana University will harbor the guts of Internet2's Abilene network, which will connect more than 130 universities at breakneck speeds. [News.com]

Netscape rolls out portal beta - Netscape Communications today invited the public to tour its Netcenter construction zone with the launch of the Netcenter 2.0 beta. [News.com]

Fed will be OK in 2000 - Critical computers used by the Federal Reserve to move trillions of dollars among U.S. banks will not suffer from the so-called millennium bug, Fed governor Edward Kelley said. [News.com]

IBM likely to quit Mac OS licensing - IBM (IBM) is likely to cease its efforts in sublicensing the Macintosh operating system to other hardware manufacturers, continuing the fallout from Apple Computer's (AAPL) decision to reverse its licensing practice. [News.com]

Ranks of telecommuters soaring - More than 11 million Americans are now telecommuting, up 30 percent from a couple of years ago, according to a report issued at the close of a four-day conference on working from home. The number is expected to reach more than 14 million by 2000. [News.com]

Tech market to rebound in '98 - Bears may continue to run through the technology market in 1997, but Hambrecht & Quist research director Bruce Lupatkin expects the bulls to charge back in 1998, as corporations make wholesale changes to their infrastructure. [News.com]

Bull pens pact with Netscape - Giant French computer firm Bull is entering the U.S. network security market through a partnership with Netscape Communications. [News.com]

Market slides then settles - The stock market shaved some of its losses today, one day after suffering its worst single-day decline of the year. QUOTE SNAPSHOTDecember 31, 1999, 1:08 p.m. PT DOW JONES INDUS. AVG INDU9181.43 -93.21 -1.00% NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX CCMP2192.69 +25.74 +1.19% S&P 500 INDEX SPX1229.23 -2.70 -0.22% > more from CNET InvestorQuotes delayed 20+ minutes [News.com]

Netscape updates portal, software - Netscape Communications is pushing forward full force this week, announcing an updated version of its Communicator software suite and rolling out a beta upgrade of its Netcenter portal site. Meanwhile, software licensing deals are inching up the firm's bottom line. [News.com]

Dongbu, IBM cooperate on DRAMs - Dongbu Group, South Korea's 22nd-largest conglomerate, said it will invest in DRAM (dynamic random access manufacturing) manufacturing in cooperation with IBM (IBM). [News.com]

Ascend helps handle ISPs - Network hardware provider Ascend Communications next week will roll out tools designed to let Internet service providers get a grip on management of vast communications networks. [News.com]

Net may revolutionize British business - The Internet is set to revolutionize the way U.K. financial companies do business within the next five years, according to a Reuters survey. [News.com]

Iomega recalling Jaz disks - Iomega (IOM) is recalling approximately 75,000 recently manufactured Jaz disks. [News.com]

Canadian firms face more hacks - More Canadian businesses are becoming the target of Internet-related computer crimes, according to a report by a professional services firm. [News.com]

Snap makes personal move - Snap today introduced two weapons--a new search interface and personalization--that it hopes will give it a boost in the overheated portal wars. [News.com]

SCO updates messaging - Santa Cruz Operation (SCO) today rolled out its latest enterprise messaging server for Intel-based computer systems. [News.com]

Giant stake in cable - roundup Microsoft is continuing to expand its empire despite growing antitrust concerns among the federal government and consumer groups. Since October 20, when the Justice Department said it was charging Microsoft with violating a 1995 consent decree on its licensing practices, the Redmond juggernaut has maintained its steady clip of new business deals. Below are some recent examples. [News.com]

Dell releases managed PCs - Dell Computer (DELL) has released its first computers incorporating industry-standard PC management software, a move which may obviate the need for Dell to bring out a separate "Net PC" computer. [News.com]

Mars rover awaits close encounter - Scientists hope to learn more about the secrets of Mars today when results of the rover's first encounter with a targeted multicolored rock become available. [News.com]

Symantec jolted by Cafe - Symantec (SYMC) today reported record revenues that beat analysts' expectations because of a strong showing in U.S. markets and solid demand for its Cafe product line. [News.com]

CrossRoute: New name, new aim - CrossRoute Software is making a run to lead the software integration market, with the help of investments from key partners such as Intel and the venture arm of Baan. [News.com]

Toshiba slashes notebook prices - Toshiba announced price cuts across its Tecra, Satellite, and Libretto portable lines, as the longtime market leader continues its push to regain share. [News.com]

IBM down on analyst comments - Is Big Blue soon going to be singing the blues? [News.com]

SAP sees light in utilities - Continuing its effort to corral new customers in an increasingly competitive market, SAP is ready to roll out the latest enhancements to its enterprise software package targeted at the utilities industry. [News.com]

Cooks in Clinton crypto kitchen - Deciphering the Clinton administration's people and policy on encryption is about as tough as understanding the technology itself. [News.com]

EU gives 2 cents on e-commerce - Economics, trade, and technology ministers opened an international conference on Internet commerce here today, less than a week after President Clinton released a White House policy calling for a "free trade zone" in cyberspace within a year. [News.com]

Program gets to heart of mainframe - EMC today unveiled two software products that make it easier for companies to manage and retrieve information stored on their mainframe computers. [News.com]

Clinton video helps Broadcast.com - The White House sex scandal is the worst thing that's happened to President Bill Clinton, but it may be the best thing that's happened to Broadcast.com. [News.com]

Gates answers Nader's challenge - Microsoft chief executive Bill Gates has responded to consumer activist Ralph Nader's challenge to the world's richest man, but sidestepped Nader's invitation to convene a conference on wealth disparity. [News.com]

Cable's long road ahead - Where do you want to go today? In its latest gamble, Microsoft spent $212.5 million for an investment in cable Net access provider Road Runner, and the software giant also is in talks with Telstra about a cable joint venture. But the nascent cable modem business faces competition from DSL and other high-speed Net access technologies. [News.com]

Senate nixes laptops on floor - The Senate Rules Committee said today that members' notepads on the floor may not include disk drives and keyboards. [News.com]

Motorola posts $95 million charge - Motorola (MOT) said today that it would post a special $95 million charge in the third quarter as a result of its exit from the Mac clone business and weakness in the paging market. [News.com]

Toshiba enters monitor market - Toshiba has entered the computer display market in the United States and added to its business PC line with a Pentium II system, as the No. 1 notebook manufacturer continues to expand its presence in the desktop market. [News.com]

Netscape gets encryption OK - Netscape Communications (NSCP) is the latest vendor to receive federal approval to begin exporting products that use stronger encryption. [News.com]

Oracle wants to take Net offline - Oracle wants to take the Internet offline. [News.com]

Lycos gets patent for WiseWire - Lycos said today that it has received a patent for its WiseWire technology that helps in searching for information on the Internet. [News.com]

Microsoft tests Start site - As part of a gradual rollout of its portal site, Microsoft today quietly launched a public beta of its Internet Start site. [News.com]

Software for small-business NCs unveiled - Capitalizing on the growing momentum of "thin client" computing, network software vendor Citrix Systems (CTXS) released a version of its software for small businesses and signed a licensing deal with Hewlett-Packard. [News.com]

MindSpring buys Delphi customers - In the latest example of consolidation among Internet service providers, national ISP MindSpring (MSPG) said today it would acquire the dial-up Net subscribers of Delphi Internet Services. [News.com]

HP console manages databases - Users of Hewlett-Packard's (HWP) popular OpenView enterprise management software got a boost today as the company announced that it is adding database administration to the package. [News.com]

Merger rumors fuel BBN stock - Internet provider BBN (BBN) saw its stock jump nearly 9 percent today to 21-7/8 on continued speculation that it may be bought by AT&T (T). [News.com]

Award ordered in Shopping.com case - An arbitration panel has ordered the underwriters of beleaguered Shopping.com to pay $400,000 for inflating the stock price of the online commerce company. [News.com]

Open Market updates Web tools - Three months after buying ICentral, e-commerce software vendor Open Market has released a new version of ICentral's tools for building Web storefronts. [News.com]

Philips ties up with Mitsumi on storage - Philips Electronics reached an initial agreement with Japan's Mitsumi Electric to cooperate in the development, manufacture, and sales of optical data storage products. [News.com]

Tool designs way to Oracle8 - Oracle (ORCL) is giving developers a gentle nudge--in the form of a new tool--to persuade them to migrate to the company's new Oracle8 database server. [News.com]

Consortium to pursue superchip - The Department of Energy, Intel, AMD, Motorola and the premier U.S.-owned research labs have formed a company that will seek to devise a new semiconductor manufacturing process resulting in smaller, faster processors by 2002. [News.com]

Microsoft ships site manager - As part of its campaign to prove the high-end flexibility of its Windows NT Server operating system, Microsoft (MSFT) today shipped Site Server 2.0, a new package for Web site management. [News.com]

AOL leads in busy signals, study says - Just how hard is it to log on to America Online? Very hard, according to a new Web measurement company Inverse. [News.com]

Netcenter boosts business channel - Furthering its push to compete as a new-media property, Netscape Communications' Web portal Netcenter today announced a series of agreements to boost its content offerings. [News.com]

HDTV clicks with Matsushita - Matsushita Electric will begin making digital television sets in the United States and United Kingdom in preparation for November's much-anticipated launch of high-definition digital TV broadcasting. [News.com]

Amazon.com surges on Muze deal - Amazon.com climbed into record territory again today after striking a deal to add Muze's content to its newly launched music store. [News.com]

India updates Net policy - India today announced sweeping changes in its Internet policy to permit an unlimited number of private service providers and said it saw the number of users leaping to between 1.5 million and 2 million by the year 2000. [News.com]

Compaq to unveil Net PCs - Compaq Computer (CPQ) has quietly begun shipping the first Net PC on the market and will officially announce it in the next two weeks, giving a shot in the arm to a technology that lately has taken some hits from detractors such as IBM, CNET's NEWS.COM has learned. [News.com]

IBM shifts server assembly plans - Raising the stakes in the PC server business, IBM (IBM) has become one of the first companies to tinker with its manufacturing methods to reduce system cost and delivery time. [News.com]

Panel explores privacy agency - The Clinton administration has released a draft report outlining various options to strengthen online privacy without stifling electronic commerce, including the possible formation of a regulatory agency. [News.com]

IBM touts new, high-clarity LCDs - Copper isn't just for processors at IBM. Now it's going into ultra-high-resolution liquid crystal displays for Big Blue's notebooks. [News.com]

State postpones new Net taxes - The California Senate gave e-commerce a shot in the arm this week by voting 31 to 1 to restrain "discriminatory" taxes on Net access and services until 2002. [News.com]

Net gambling set to take off - More than $10 billion will be gambled online by 2002 as operators take advantage of the huge audience reach and cost savings of the Internet, market analyst Datamonitor said today. [News.com]

Bell keeps lines clear of Y2K bug - Bell Atlantic (BEL) said it has begun offering services to address the problems corporate computer networks may face in the year 2000. [News.com]

Bug can crash IE 3, IE 4 beta - Microsoft (MSFT) confirmed today that a combination of factors, including encryption on a Web site, can crash certain versions of its Internet Explorer browser. [News.com]

Virtual community quizzes buyer - Durand Communications, which runs CommunityWare, an Internet messaging and communications site, has made an offer to buy the trademark, logo, and domains of struggling online community Electric Minds, according to Electric Minds' founder Howard Rheingold. [News.com]

Intel cuts chip prices - Intel (INTC) made price cuts Monday ranging up to 48 percent on its Pentium and Pentium Pro processors, making way for its brand-new line of Pentium II processors to be announced next week. [News.com]

SPA focuses on volume licenses - Aiming to make life easier for corporate software buyers, the Software Publishers Association is exploring whether technology can simplify volume licensing for buying organizations. [News.com]

Market frenzy boosts e-trades - With the stock market in significant decline--the Dow Jones Industrial Average has shed about 500 points during the last two weeks--nervous investors appear to be trading via the Internet more than ever before. [News.com]

EC grapples with MCI-WorldCom - European Union regulators were still talking to WorldCom and MCI Communications today about conditions to approve the $37 billion merger of the two companies, only two days before a key EU panel meets to give its advice. [News.com]

MS could boost cable sector - Talk of another investment in the cable industry by Microsoft (MSFT) has powered the sector's stocks and may continue fueling them forward. [News.com]

Utility could reveal password cache - To its makers, it helps absent-minded computer users who can't remember all their passwords. [News.com]

Color printer breaks $150 mark - Hewlett-Packard today announced a new ink jet printer targeted at home buyers on a tight budget for under $150. [News.com]

MS link irks Ticketmaster - Microsoft (MSFT) has been slapped with a lawsuit by Ticketmaster (TKTM) that claims the software giant is engaging in "electronic piracy" by placing links to Ticketmaster's Web site on its Seattle Sidewalk guide. [News.com]

Missouri slams Net gambling firm - Casino operators may think they can skirt state laws in cyberspace, but a Missouri case shows the Net can't always defy borders. [News.com]

Is Merced doomed? - Touted as a major milestone for Intel and the computer industry in general, Merced, the company's first 64-bit chip, appears to be losing its luster because of delays, performance issues, and upstaging by other processor manufacturers. [News.com]

Tech recovery pushes markets - U.S. stocks ended higher today after a rebound in the recently battered tech sector, which helped to lift some of Asia's gloom still hanging over Wall Street. [News.com]

AT&T to offer 3Com's 56-kbps access - In a move to jump on the high-speed bandwagon, AT&T WorldNet Service said it will provide 56-kbps access technology starting today. [News.com]

Will WorldCom own the backbone business? - Forget about America Online (AOL) and CompuServe (CSRV). The company giving those on the network side of the business the jitters is WorldCom (WCOM). [News.com]

Amazon.com making book - The frenzy among search engines and Internet directories to sign new content deals won't abate, and Amazon.com (AMZN) has been a beneficiary of late. [News.com]

Net gamers rethink fees - Charging subscriptions for Internet game playing is proving to be a tough proposition. [News.com]

Lotus shows off Domino tools - Lotus Development today continued to show off a number of its product families in the Web server, document management, and Web application hosting markets to its European customers. [News.com]

Acer Group announces reorg - Taiwanese computer giant Acer Group today announced a remodelled business structure, aiming to transform Acer into a customer-centric and intellectual property-oriented group. [News.com]

CA extends management apps - Computer Associates added new capabilities to its management software today, partnering with PageNet to extend automatic notification of network and systems problems to paging devices. [News.com]

Online hate speech on trial - In a case that could break new ground regarding hate speech on the Internet, a Los Angeles man is standing trial for sending a mass email that denigrated and threatened Asians. [News.com]

Mac firms shifting focus, analysts say - Apple Computer's (AAPL) alienation of clone makers will push companies that make Macintosh products further toward the Windows market, analysts say. [News.com]

Compaq restructures China operation - Hoping to capitalize on the exploding yet daunting Asian market, Compaq Computer (CPQ) has formed an integrated sales and service division that will solely cater to China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. [News.com]

NEC launches server barrage - NEC Computer Systems, a division of Packard Bell NEC, today announced new plans to attack the Intel-based server market. [News.com]

Compaq's new lines for the fall - Compaq Computer made its move for the fall selling season today with several additions to the Presario family of notebooks and desktops, including a sub-$1,000 PC for the education market. [News.com]

E*Trade does marketing deals - In an attempt to increase the number of users in an increasingly competitive arena, E*Trade Group, an online investing service, today announced that it has expanded its marketing and commerce agreement with Web portal Yahoo and has also signed an exclusive marketing and content agreement with ZDNet, Ziff-Davis's Internet site. [News.com]

Sony continues portable push - Sony Electronics introduced more new portables, adding to its recently announced line of ultraslim notebooks. [News.com]

Inergy, Philips in WebTV deal - Software developer Inergy Online has signed a licensing deal with consumer electronics giant Philips to offer its email and Web site-building applications with Philips' WebTV set-top boxes, Inergy CEO Frohman Anderson told CNET's NEWS.COM today. More details will be released later, but Anderson said the deal covers "a number of products in the Philips organization" beyond WebTV. [News.com]

Blue Note Web suit loses appeal - The mere establishment of a Web site in one state--without engaging in activities such as Internet commerce--does not expose the host to lawsuits filed in other states, a New York federal appeals court has ruled. [News.com]

Justice probes Network Solutions - The company responsible for issuing the Internet's most popular domain names is the object of an antitrust investigation by the Justice Department. [News.com]

Web ads appeal to the senses - Online advertisers will try just about anything to get precious clicks. The latest lure: scratch and sniff Net banners. [News.com]

S&P wary of tech sector outlook - Tech companies increasingly are facing the prospect of falling credit ratings in light of exposure to ailing Asian economies and, as a result, are finding it more difficult to raise money to do business. [News.com]

Informix's new strategy - Informix Software is rearranging its deck chairs to stay afloat in the slowly sinking database market. [News.com]

California mulls privacy bill - While advocates, officials, and the online industry debate about the best way to shield Net users' personal information next week, forces will be at work in California to pass a consumer-protection law that aims to snuff out the worst privacy nightmare--identity theft. [News.com]

Giant stakes in cable - Microsoft (MSFT) has a long list of things it stands to gain from investments in the cable industry, and the software giant may be getting ready to lay the groundwork for a hedge bet with the satellite industry as well. [News.com]

Ascend slides on earnings worries - Stock of Ascend Communications (ASCN) opened lower again today after sliding yesterday on concerns the computer networking company's earnings will be hurt by falling prices, weak European sales, and competitive new products. [News.com]

E*Trade to issue digital certificates - Online stock brokerage E*Trade (EGRP) said today that it will provide its 180,000 customers with digital certificates from VeriSign to simplify online trades. [News.com]

Server blocks rogue Java applets - Finjan Software today introduced a low-end version of its server software that can block hostile Java applets that sneak through firewalls and routers. [News.com]

Carry-on computing - AMD develops a fast K6 for portables, and a low-cost upstart chip from Rise promises to shake up the notebook market. At the same time, Compaq, IBM, and Sybase announce new portable hardware and software lines. [News.com]

Lotus: Notes glitch is not a bug - Lotus Development is challenging earlier reports that described a glitch in its Notes client software as a bug. [News.com]

Samsung announces Alpha subsidiary - Samsung announced details of a new subsidiary charged with marketing Digital Equipment's Alpha architecture chips, focusing the processor's drive into the Windows NT market. [News.com]

New face for women's site - When Women's Wire launched on the Web in August 1995, it was the only show in town. [News.com]

Moving day nears for Gates - Microsoft (MSFT) chairman Bill Gates and his family are finally moving into their $60 million lakefront mansion, which was under construction for seven years. [News.com]

Reward offered to find spammer - Wanted: One spammer. Reward offered. [News.com]

Prodigy launches China service - Prodigy today became the first foreign Internet service provider to receive China's endorsement. [News.com]

Novell updates security suite - Continuing a fast-paced effort to get products out the door, networking software maker Novell delivered a test version of its security software suite to a limited number of customers, with final shipment of the update due by the end of the year. [News.com]

Net calls: Local or interstate? - BellSouth said it asked a U.S. federal court to allow the Federal Communications Commission to resolve questions regarding the nature of telephone calls made to Internet service providers. [News.com]

Crypto compromise coming? - Sounding much more optimistic than he did earlier this month, Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Montana) said today that a compromise could be on the horizon to end the ongoing debate over federal limits on the export of encryption. [News.com]

MS teams up with Liquid Audio - Microsoft yesterday announced an alliance with Liquid Audio, a provider of music over the Internet. The move comes as the latest in the software giants bid to unify media "streaming" standards. [News.com]

Database makers plan upgrades - IBM (IBM) and Sybase (SYBS), locked in a battle for the number two slot among database software providers, will next week launch upgrades to their flagship products. [News.com]

Mars sites still drawing crowds - One week after the Mars mission commenced, traffic on the multitudes of Pathfinder Web sites shows no signs of slowing down. [News.com]

Weblicator delayed again - The software engineers on Lotus Development's Weblicator team hope three times is a charm. [News.com]

Sybase forms unit for handhelds - Sybase had the strategy--now it has the division to go along with it. [News.com]

Treasury to put bonds online - The Treasury Department announced plans to make it easier for the "little guy" investor to buy short-term U.S. Treasury securities over the Internet or by telephone. [News.com]

Hotmail beats spammers in court - Microsoft's free email company Hotmail today announced that a federal judge issued a permanent injunction against spammers that had used the Hotmail name to send junk email and ordered them to pay damages to the firm. [News.com]

More technical problems for MSN - The Microsoft Network has attacked its email problems with a vengeance and set about improving its Web-based network. But no matter how hard it tries, it just can't seem to escape those dreaded "technical difficulties." [News.com]

Wired schools tackle Net pitfalls - As more politicians push for classroom Net access, parents and teachers are struggling to come up with solutions for some of the problems that come along with the Internet. [News.com]

PC Quote president quits - Online stock quote provider PC Quote (PQT) today said its president and chief operating officer has resigned. [News.com]

McAfee to stake out new markets - McAfee wants to be more than the antivirus savior of personal computers. So the company is planning to move into the enterprise business, focus on its "Internetcentric" business model, and grow its overseas business, the company said today at an analyst conference. [News.com]

Ciena soars on takeover rumors - Shares of telecommunications equipment supplier Ciena rose 26 percent today amid rumors it may be a takeover target following its failed merger with Tellabs, analysts and traders said. [News.com]

Chat room confessor plans plea - A man who confessed to his online chat group that he killed his daughter three years ago by setting fire to their house will formally admit his guilt and be sentenced this week, authorities said. [News.com]

Arrow to miss expectations - Arrow Electronics does not expect to meet analysts' expectations in the second quarter, the company said in a statement today. [News.com]

Sun responds to Java accusations - Sun Microsystems (SUNW) shrugged off accusations today of unfairly reporting test scores for the beta version of one of its Java compilers. [News.com]

SAFE crypto bill cracked again - For the second time in a week, a House committee has made significant changes to the Security and Freedom through Encryption (SAFE) Act to mandate that domestic encryption products give law enforcement agencies access to users' messages. [News.com]

Post-merger 3Com to lay off 800 - Networking maker 3Com (COMS) plans to cut 800 jobs as its absorbs its recent acquisition of modem maker U.S. Robotics. [News.com]

Compaq unveils new notebooks - Compaq Computer (CPQ) today introduced a new MMX Pentium-based notebook computer that replaces the long-standing corporate flagship LTE line. [News.com]

3Com surprises Wall Street - Meeting Wall Street whispers of an upside surprise, 3Com beat analysts' expectations for its fiscal 1999 first quarter by 4 cents, the latest sign that the data networking giant may have overcome a tumultuous fiscal 1998 to return to sustained growth. [News.com]

Seagate to pay for Shugart ouster - Seagate Technology, the world's biggest disk drive maker, said today it expects to take a charge of between $8 million and $10 million in the current quarter because of a separation agreement with its chief executive Alan Shugart, who the company fired in July. [News.com]

Digital off hook for RSIs - In another setback for computer users taking aim at PC makers for repetitive stress injuries, a federal jury ruled today that Digital Equipment is not responsible for the injuries of nine office workers who used its keyboards, the company said. [News.com]

Hitachi licenses RISC technology - Hitachi (HIT) will license its 32-bit SH-3 RISC microprocessor core technology to Japanese electronics maker Seiko Epson, the two companies said in a joint statement today. The technology is used in portable information devices and multimedia products such as car navigation systems and digital cameras. [News.com]

BigBook announces new president - BigBook has made some big changes to its executive lineup and is expanding its services to grow the business, attract new users, and increase its revenue. [News.com]

E-cash minted for NCs - A new entrant in the e-commerce software market today released a "network wallet" payment service designed for low-memory network computers and NetPCs. [News.com]

Oklahoma court rulings online - In a blow to West Publishing's near-monopoly on court records, the Oklahoma Supreme Court announced today that it will make its entire history of opinions available on the Net for free in citable form. [News.com]

U.K. firm offers free Net access - Britain's largest electrical retailer Dixons Group today launched a free Internet service, providing unlimited access with no registration or subscription fees or hourly online charges. Customers using the new service, known as Freeserve, will only have to pay the normal charge for a local rate telephone call to get online. [News.com]

Windows lines flooded in Japan - After experiencing the joy of unexpectedly brisk sales, Microsoft Japan is now dealing with the agony of a flood of customer support calls. [News.com]

Millennium bug threatens ships - World shipping is at risk from the millennium computer bomb, delegates to a conference here have been told, and much work needs to be done to ensure against catastrophic failure. [News.com]

Sybase eyes European rebound - Sybase (SYBS) may return to the acquisition trail as it sharpens its focus on Europe following a two-year battle to turn its business around. [News.com]

CNET Special Feature: 8 myths about the millennium bug - Boosters of information technology, flush from the cost savings and increased productivity they attributed to computer systems and high-tech automation, took it right in the solar plexus when a report surfaced that global expenditures for fixing the millennium bug could be as high $600 billion. Media outlets, including CNET'S NEWS.COM, began exploring arcane issues such as the renewed demand for COBOL programmers and the legacy mainframes that will spit out incorrect data and make Social Security checks bounce. [News.com]

U.S. weighs German ISP law - A new German law that defines Internet service providers' liability for illegal material found on their systems has been called both "liberal" and "vague" by legal and industry observers. [News.com]

House panel approves crypto bill - A House subcommittee today approved a bill that would remove most of the Clinton administration's current restrictions on the export of encryption technology. [News.com]

Canadian firm extends Divx reach - Divx, the much maligned and controversial alternative to DVD, is showing signs that it may outlast its detractors. [News.com]

Business software to grow 37% - Despite conventional wisdom, the enterprise resource planning market will not come to a screeching halt when the clock strikes midnight January 1, 2000, according to a new report. [News.com]

Gates: Suit won't disrupt business - Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said today that the U.S. government's antitrust suit against his company would not affect its business. [News.com]

IHS buys Industry.net - Industry.net, a pioneering Internet marketplace for smokestack companies, is back. [News.com]

Mac price cuts coming - Motorola (MOT) and Power Computing are leaving the Mac market, but in the wake of their departure, consumers will get some very good deals on Mac-compatible computers. [News.com]

Micron beefs up server arsenal - NetFrame Systems today announced a multiprocessor server that should add significantly to the arsenal of Micron, up to now a very small player in the server market. [News.com]

Handhelds read handwriting - ParaGraph International is bringing its handwriting recognition software to Windows CE-based handheld computers, giving them the same capabilities as sophisticated "digital assistant" devices. [News.com]

Intel to cut 675 jobs - Intel will let 675 employees go from a Massachusetts chip fabrication facility in a job cut that is separate from Intel's earlier stated goal of reducing its headcount by 3,000. [News.com]

Microsoft seeks summary ruling - Microsoft on Monday is expected to file a motion to dismiss all or key parts of the antitrust lawsuit filed against the software giant by the Justice Department and 20 states, sources said today. [News.com]

IBM looking to sell printer unit - IBM has engaged the investment banking firm Goldman Sachs to help it find a potential buyer for its printer business, the electronic edition of the Wall Street Journal reported today. [News.com]

Cisco to enter consumer market - The Internet backbone. Corporate enterprise networks. High-priced routers. These are the things most often associated with monolith Cisco Systems (CSCO). [News.com]

Net access from 52,000 feet - In a plan befitting Ripley's Believe It or Not, a St. Louis-based start-up is laying the groundwork to offer wireless high-speed Internet access using airplanes circling target markets at high altitudes. [News.com]

Germany urges strong encryption - Germany's economics minister today called on governments to give Internet users easy access to strong encryption, raising the specter of international conflict over U.S. policy limiting crypto exports. [News.com]

Web fonts want for security - It may be hard to imagine, but the future of fonts on the Web--the way letters like these will look on your screen--depends upon Internet security. [News.com]

Lawmakers examine privacy bill - Web sites that gather personal details from children came under scrutiny once again today when lawmakers met over a bill that would require data collectors to get parental permission before accepting private information from preteens. [News.com]

Report: Wait on NT 5.0 - Technology industry pundits continue to predict more delays before the final delivery of an upgrade to Microsoft's Windows NT operating system. [News.com]

Compaq to rewire network unit - Compaq Computer will reorganize its networking operations in the aftermath of the Digital Equipment merger last week and the recent departure of a high-level executive. [News.com]

Clinton task force calls for key recovery - A presidential commission on cyber-terrorism released a report on encryption today, recommending the creation of a system to store the keys that decrypt coded messages that court-authorized law enforcement could access. [News.com]

Net prayers for Mother Teresa - Mother Teresa's death last week has inspired a flurry of memorials on the Internet. [News.com]

BT-MCI merger approved - The Justice Department today granted British Telecommunications permission to buy MCI Communications in a $24 billion deal that would be one of the biggest foreign takeovers of a U.S. company. [News.com]

Yahoo Netscape guide goes live - Netscape Communications (NSCP) officially unveiled a revamped guide to Web sites today, courtesy of Yahoo (YHOO). [News.com]

iMac shoots to No. 2 - Apple Computer's iMac is a certified hit, according to new sales data from market research firm PC Data. [News.com]

Judge says Microsoft must comply - A United States judge today ordered Microsoft to make available its chairman, Bill Gates, and 16 other top officials for deposition by government lawyers who are bringing an antitrust suit against the software giant. [News.com]

AOL up after AT&T report - Shares in America Online rose in preopening trade this morning following a report that the online service had rebuffed a tentative buyout offer from AT&T. [News.com]

Compaq cuts monitor prices - Compaq Computer (CPQ) is promoting its workstation computers by reducing the cost of large-screen monitors by 50 percent when purchased with a workstation. [News.com]

Sun revs new Java WorkShop - Sun Microsystems' SunSoft division is ready to release the latest version of its pure-Java Java WorkShop development tool with promises of better performance and a revamped interface. [News.com]

Shakeup coming in firewall market - The arrival of behemoths like Cisco Systems (CSCO) into the Internet firewall market could threaten smaller software players in that niche, a new study from International Data Corporation warns. [News.com]

CompuServe overhauls service - In the midst of its search for a new owner, CompuServe (CSRV) has announced a major redesign of its online service. [News.com]

Florida bill limits Y2K liability - A Florida lawmaker proposed that the state limit liability for failure to fix the millennium bug. [News.com]

Gates called to court - A federal court has ordered Microsoft to make CEO Bill Gates and 16 other top executives available for deposition in the Justice Department's antitrust case and required it to release the source code of Windows. Microsoft is expected to file a motion on Monday to dismiss the case altogether. [News.com]

FCC: Telcos to kill Y2K bug in year - Despite concerns by members of Congress and industry observers, U.S. phone carriers plan to rid themselves of the Year 2000 computer bug in less than a year, according to a member of the Federal Communications Commission. [News.com]

Connect raises cash, buys time - Buying more time, cash-strapped e-commerce software vendor Connect (CNKT) will raise $10 million in a private placement to offset its continuing financial losses. [News.com]

Profiting from the Year 2000 bug - If you believe the doomsayers, the Year 2000 problem will cause havoc for companies and federal institutions increasingly dependent on their computer systems. The upside, if you believe Wall Street, is that the so-called millenium bug will be a moneymaking opportunity for a handful of software makers and consulting firms. [News.com]

Apple recharges Mac notebooks - Apple Computer (AAPL) next week will finally refresh its PowerBook 1400 notebooks with a 166-MHz model and reduce prices on the 133-MHz versions, the first significant changes to this model since it was introduced late last year. [News.com]

Tax break for PC gifts proposed - U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-California) today introduced the Computer Donation Incentive Act, which will sweeten tax breaks to corporations and organizations that donate computers to public schools. [News.com]

Florida bill limits Y2K liability - A Florida lawmaker proposed that the state limit liability for failure to fix the millennium bug. [News.com]

Microsoft wants case dismissed - Microsoft on Monday is expected to file a motion aimed at dismissing all or key parts of the antitrust lawsuit filed against the software giant by the Justice Department and 20 states. [News.com]

Greenspan: Let monopolies be - Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan says U.S. regulators should leave most monopolies alone because they could not survive long in a world of rapidly advancing technology and global competition. [News.com]

DVD to break through in PCs - DVD technology may turn the personal computer into a primary home entertainment platform, possibly displacing such traditional products as the TV as the focus for electronic recreation, according to a study from a major marketing research firm. [News.com]

Enterprise edition of NT Server unleashed - The onslaught of bundled releases continues for software giant Microsoft (MSFT). [News.com]

AMD earnings miss mark - Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) today reported second-quarter profits that fell far short of Wall Street expectations, following the company's recent release of its multimedia chip technology. [News.com]

Motherboards put PCs at risk - Personal computers may be at risk for system crashes and data loss because of low-cost motherboards from small firms that aren't following all the manufacturing rules, according to a company that makes parts for the boards. [News.com]

MediaOne a telecom target? - Broadband service company MediaOne Group is the only attractive merger partner remaining for any major telecommunications outfit that wants to be a player in the coming convergence of personal computers and television, influential industry analysts speculated at a conference here today. [News.com]

Market slide hurts IPO prospects - Analysts warn that Wall Street's recent downturn could dampen enthusiasm for some upcoming initial public offerings. [News.com]

Compaq moves into consulting - Compaq Computer will make its foray into the consulting business next week with the release of a Web-based service that will attempt to simplify the process of adopting enterprise applications from vendors such as SAP and Baan. [News.com]

Trademarks haunt domains - A charming store selling handmade furniture in middle America wants to expand. Instead of hiring a sales team, the shop's owners, Bess and Harry McDonald, launch a Web site: "themcdonaldsite.com." Before they know it, an attorney for the giant fast-food chain is sending them threatening letters. [News.com]

Industry to study notebook heat - The Mobile Power Initiative, a committee of leading hardware and software providers, will seek to address a looming problem in the notebook world: heat. [News.com]

IBM brews new Java tools - IBM (IBM) is making good on its promise to supply corporate programmers with cutting-edge Java-based tools. [News.com]

Confusion reigns on Wolf Mountain - A newly hatched start-up launched by former Novell engineers is causing confusion over Novell's (NOVL) Wolf Mountain project, a critical set of clustering technologies intended to push the company's operating system into new business markets. [News.com]

HP sued over recordable CD drive - Hewlett-Packard has been hit with a lawsuit stemming from a well-known problem which may cause the company's recordable CD drives to not consistently work as advertised. [News.com]

Intel's copper chip plans emerge - Shortly after Intel moves to its 64-bit chip architecture in the year 2000, the chip giant is expected to switch over to a copper chip design, following on the heels of such rivals as IBM. [News.com]

Microsoft shows off Office 2000 - Microsoft last night previewed a much-anticipated update to its desktop applications package, Office 2000, to a group of 500 "key" customers at the PC Expo show in New York, according to the company. [News.com]

Speech recognition gets cheaper - A less-expensive version of speech recognition software from Dragon Systems is on the way to retail shelves. If it catches on, more consumers and small businesses will talk back to their computers. [News.com]

AOL nixes serial killer site - Facing threats of a national boycott, America Online (AOL) decided to take down a member's Web site that focused on serial killers, saying the site is offensive and violates its terms of service. [News.com]

Compaq to unveil new strategy - The powers that be from Compaq Computer (CPQ) will unveil long-awaited details surrounding the company's build-to-order strategy Thursday in New York. One immediate result will be lower prices. [News.com]

Princeton team finds Java glitch - A team of Princeton University scientists have found a new security flaw in Java that could let a hacker gain unauthorized access to a computer by impersonating a "trusted" software publisher. [News.com]

Netscape, Lucent in e-commerce - Netscape Communications is teaming with Lucent Technologies to sell Netscape's e-commerce software to telephone carriers and large enterprises. [News.com]

AOL plans faster access - America Online today announced that it would streamline its Internet connections into a leaner pipeline to Web servers in an effort to speed up members' access. [News.com]

Schmidt: Novell to speed up Java - Novell chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt outlined plans to improve Java performance on Intel-based servers and offer key software technologies for Windows NT in a keynote speech today at the PC Expo trade show. [News.com]

Clean slate for Slate - In the nearly 15 months since Microsoft (MSFT) launched its online magazine, Slate, Michael Kinsley, like a lot of new Web editors, has learned some interesting lessons, as he explains in a letter posted on the company's Web site. [News.com]

MS claims trademark on "NT" - Now that Windows NT has become the fastest-growing operating system for corporate networks, Microsoft (MSFT) is tightening the screws on companies using the initials "NT." [News.com]

Compaq confident on Europe - Compaq Computer (CPQ) said today that business in Europe was "relatively good" in the second quarter as it neared release of a quarterly earnings report this week. [News.com]

Microsoft: '98 is PC-TV's year - Foreshadowing sharper focus on PC-TV convergence, a senior executive at Microsoft (MSFT) said today that next year will be pivotal for the hybrid concept. [News.com]

Microsoft Russian sales stagnant - Microsoft acknowledged that sales here have stagnated since the beginning of the year, as the Russian economy has slowed and the ruble fallen. [News.com]

FCC aims to fix e-rate - With critics lambasting the e-rate program as too bureaucratic, the Federal Communications Commission is readying a plan to streamline the administration of the discounts for school and library Net access. [News.com]

Win 98 won't lift Japan - The launch of Microsoft's Windows 98 operating software is unlikely to give much of a lift to Japanese personal computer makers, bogged down in the worst sales slump so far this decade. [News.com]

IBM debuts low-cost home PCs - IBM (IBM) introduced three home personal computers for the holiday shopping season, including the first in its Aptiva family ever to be priced less than $1,000. [News.com]

DVD market roiled by competing products - Once it stood for digital versatile disc. Then it became digital video disc. [News.com]

Trend Micro wages patent war - Trend Micro is on the war path again, alleging that yet another competitor is violating its antivirus software patent. [News.com]

Survey measures NT explosion - Market research firm Dataquest issued a forecast for the operating system market that states Windows NT will show the largest market growth in 1997 with an estimated sales increase of 156 percent. [News.com]

iMac aimed at larger Asian share - Apple Computer expects to capture a larger slice of the Asian market with its new iMac computer, according to J. Graham Long, Apple's president of the Asia-Pacific region. [News.com]

Office 2000 to ship next year - Microsoft executives today said they expect to ship Office 2000, a new version of the company's business application suite, in the first quarter of next year, months after analysts expected it to hit shelves. [News.com]

Netscape updates Communicator - Netscape Communications today officially announced the latest version of its Internet software suite, Communicator 4.5. [News.com]

Apple to name CEO this year - Choosing a new chief executive officer by the end of 1997 is still a high priority for Apple Computer's (AAPL) board of directors, industry sources said. [News.com]

CD products head to market - While DVD has been stealing the limelight of late, a raft of recordable CD-ROM products is now hitting the market, showing that CDs are by no means a thing of the past. [News.com]

U.S. cuts into Japan PC market - Three U.S. computer makers, IBM, Dell Computer, and Gateway 2000, ranked high with potential consumers in a survey conducted in Japan. [News.com]

ISP says sorry for delays - Internet service provider BOSnet Communications admits that it got more that it bargained for when it took over thousands of USFreeway accounts for customers who were promised free Net access. [News.com]

Intel, SGI bail on Java multimedia - Sun Microsystems has lost its two most valuable partners in its effort to develop a common framework for adding multimedia to Java applications. [News.com]

Antislamming act draws fire - A House Commerce subcommittee today approved by voice vote the Consumer Antislamming Act, containing controversial provisions aimed at protecting Net users from junk email that antispammers say actually legitimize spam. [News.com]

Windows in 95% of PCs by 1999 - Microsoft could command 95 percent of all operating system shipments on all computers worldwide by 1999, paced by the rollout of Windows 98 and the coming transition to Windows NT, a market research firm predicted. [News.com]

Trademark fight continues - When Larry Buck launched a Web site offering informative tidbits about classic television to supplement his personal income, he never expected that it would place him in the middle of a trademark dispute with media conglomerate Viacom. [News.com]

Cabletron buys into router start-up - Networking hardware player Cabletron Systems will augment its support for routing technology in its line of switches with the announcement Monday of an equity investment in start-up Yago Systems. [News.com]

NetSoft buy bucks NetManage stock - Shares of intranet software maker NetManage (NETM) jumped 10 percent in trading today, after the company said it will buy client-server software maker NetSoft, creating one of the largest vendors in the PC connectivity market. [News.com]

Ellison drops bid to buy Apple - Oracle CEO Larry Ellison announced today that he has dropped his much-publicized bid to buy Apple Computer. [News.com]

Microsoft eyes app server market - Microsoft is out to stake its claim in the application server market. [News.com]

Intel flash memory suit dismissed - Silicon Storage Technology said a patent infringement lawsuit filed against it by chipmaker Intel was dismissed by a U.S. District Court in Delaware, on the basis of jurisdiction. [News.com]

Sony to launch new PC in Europe - Sony will launch a new low-cost PC model in Europe tomorrow, at a time when things couldn't be worse because of severe downward pressure on pricing as manufacturers scamper to shift sales from dying markets in Asia. [News.com]

MS, Time, US West in talks - Microsoft (MSFT) is in talks with Time Warner (TWX) and US West (USW), two of the nation's largest cable operators, to create a high-speed Internet access service, according to reports citing industry executives familiar with the discussions. [News.com]

Microsoft site purging Java - If you're looking for Java on Microsoft's (MSFT) home page, you'd better look fast. [News.com]

3 firms weigh in with EDI products - As the Internet becomes more popular as a medium for commerce, three companies that make electronic data interchange software today released new versions to shore up their market position and secure a place atop the e-commerce wave. [News.com]

General Magic details strategy - Putting some specifics on a new strategy, General Magic (GMGC) is previewing a subscription-based service that lets mobile workers retrieve email, voice mail, and faxes using any information appliance, including a cellular phone. [News.com]

Softworks signs pact with IBM - Softworks said yesterday that it entered an agreement with IBM to integrate ten of its enterprise systems management products with IBM's operating system and software offering, OS/390 SystemPac, providing another avenue for product distribution. [News.com]

FCC: Let Bells build networks - Striving to speed up the Net, the Federal Communications Commission today proposed lifting restrictions on Baby Bells to spur their investment in high-speed networks. [News.com]

Firms release software for retailers - The summer fashions in retail industry-specific packaged applications hit the runway this week at the Retail Collaborative Supply Chain conference in New Orleans. [News.com]

Communicator buddies with AOL - Netscape Communications (NSCP) will post an updated Communicator client software bundle to its Web site this week. [News.com]

Photo finish for Sony alliance - Sony and PictureVision, a Herndon, Virginia-based maker of photo development software, are teaming up to sell turnkey digital photo finishing systems for camera shops and other photo developing outlets, which should ease the transition from print film to digital photography. [News.com]

Microsoft plays both sides of Java - Ask Cornelius Willis what he thinks of the Java programming language, and he sounds like a wholehearted convert to the Sun Microsystems technology. [News.com]

U.S. concerned by ITU meeting - The U.S. government has expressed concern about a meeting to reform the Internet's domain naming system. [News.com]

Longtime MCI exec to retire - A longtime entrenched MCI Communications executive announced he plans to retire at the end of this year from the recently merged MCI WorldCom. [News.com]

WorldCom offers $6.1 billion bond - WorldCom today sold $6.1 billion in debt to finance its planned $37 billion acquisition of MCI Communications, matching a record for the biggest corporate bond offering ever. [News.com]

ACLU slams library Net filtering - The American Civil Liberties Union, already pursuing a lawsuit against a Virginia library that filters Net access, today issued a report calling the mandatory use of blocking software at public institutions "inappropriate and unconstitutional." [News.com]

Compaq describes India market - Compaq Computer (CPQ) said it could double its investment in India by 2002. [News.com]

Calif. legislature ends with Net law - As lawmakers from California wrap up the legislative year, another law concerning the global network was sent to the governor while two more awaited approval. [News.com]

Web Diner may close on AOL - America Online (AOL) members are rallying behind one of the online service's last areas to get tips on designing Web pages. [News.com]

Free tools to boost Rhapsody - Apple (AAPL) says it will provide free software to attendees at its upcoming developers' conference, which will help programmers write applications for Apple's next-generation operating system, code-named Rhapsody. [News.com]

Aetrium to disappoint Street - Aetrium, a supplier of proprietary technologies and equipment that are used by the semiconductor industry, today announced that its financial results for the third quarter will be significantly lower than analysts' expectations. [News.com]

CA acquires Realogic - Computer Associates International said today that it had acquired Realogic, a consulting firm with expertise in corporate networking, software development, and systems integration. [News.com]

NEWS.COM wins industry awards - NEWS.COM swept all four categories it entered at the Annual Computer Press Awards this year, including best overall site. [News.com]

Compaq cuts home PC prices - Compaq Computer (CPQ) cut prices on its Presario line of consumer PCs by up to 25 percent, a move which kicks off holiday PC sales. [News.com]

Japan's server market surging - Strong demand from corporations is driving demand for server computers, according to a report in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Japans largest business daily. [News.com]

BackWeb buys Lanacom - In an effort to bolster its push technology offerings, BackWeb today acquired a small software company, Lanacom. [News.com]

Sun Ultras get 300-MHz chip - Sun Microsystems (SUNW) has introduced new workstations with a 300-MHz UltraSparc-II processor to bolster its high-performance lineup while cutting prices on older workstations by as much as 30 percent. [News.com]

Bell Atlantic earnings on target - Regional telecommunications powerhouse Bell Atlantic said it remains on target to achieve its double-digit earnings-growth objective for this year. [News.com]

Dow recovers, Nasdaq surges - The Dow ended higher today, with blue chips still a bit hesitant after their headlong 299-point plunge on Tuesday, while the Nasdaq stormed to its third-largest point gain ever. [News.com]

IBM may customize low-cost PCs - IBM is set to unveil fully loaded consumer PCs, some of which include a new 300-MHz processor from Advanced Micro Devices, even as it considers building customized systems in an effort to recover from last year's late start in the market for sub-$1,000 PCs. [News.com]

IBM jumps into sub-$1,000 market - IBM (IBM) finally jumped into the red-hot sub-$1,000 market today, introducing a low-end model with a 166-MHz K6 processor. [News.com]

Internet imaging players teaming up - Interactive Pictures and Live Picture have made up and are now in the process of making a new product together. [News.com]

IBM, SCO join forces on servers - The Santa Cruz Operation (SCOC) and IBM (IBM) said today that they will combine technological and marketing resources to promote SCO's Unixware on IBM's Intel (INTC) servers. [News.com]

Spam clogs Netcom lines - A mass emailing slowed down Netcom's Internet service yesterday, affecting about 5,000 customers, the company confirmed today. [News.com]

Warning issued for Office patch - The plagued short history of Microsoft's Office 97 service release pack 2 got a little longer yesterday as a bug-finding group issued a bug advisory for the patch. [News.com]

Downloads up for Real - Streaming media firm RealNetworks today announced 3.5 million users downloaded its RealPlayer software last month. [News.com]

Street, global markets recover - Wall Street soared today, tracking the big gains in global stock markets on news that central banks are rescuing the relentlessly battered Japanese yen. [News.com]

Bittersweet results for Rockwell - Rockwell International (ROK) reported higher fourth-quarter earnings, but warned that its profit growth for the coming year would slow from an expected 15 percent to less than 10 percent. [News.com]

Nomai ships super floppy amid legal wrangling - After months of legal wrangling between Iomega (IOM) and a European competitor, Iomega's popular Zip drive diskettes may have to make room for a lower-priced alternative. [News.com]

Singapore to issue digital IDs - Singapore's banks and the state-run National Computer Board will form a body to issue electronic identification certificates for Internet commerce, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said today. [News.com]

Ellison drops Apple buyout - Oracle CEO Larry Ellison has dropped his much-publicized bid to buy struggling Apple Computer, the third time that his Apple takeover plans have come to naught. [News.com]

Markets up on Greenspan hints - Wall Street stocks soared today, with investors banking on Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan's hints when he spoke before the Senate Budget Committee tody that a U.S. interest rate cut was imminent. [News.com]

Chip slump continuing - Global semiconductor sales continued their slump in June, slipping over 14 percent from the same period a year ago as regionalized economic disruptions continued to drag down worldwide revenues. [News.com]

Dell jumps ranks in notebooks - Amid a shakeup in their domestic market rankings, notebook vendors are focusing on inventory control and profitability at the expense of market share this quarter, a new report says. [News.com]

Asia-Pacific PC shipments up - Shipments of personal computers grew 23 percent in the third quarter of 1997 compared to the same period last year, research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) said today. [News.com]

MSNBC tech show off the air - The Site has gone dark. [News.com]

Chip sales continue rebound - Global semiconductor sales are continuing to rebound, with monthly figures rising by 3 percent to $11.41 billion in May, according to a new Semiconductor Industry Association's survey. [News.com]

Boeing to help build satellite network - Boeing (BA) announced today that it would invest up to $100 million for a ten percent stake in Teledesic and act as the chief contractor for the company's satellite network for telephony and Internet access. [News.com]

J.D. Edwards aims at front office - J.D. Edwards is looking toward the front of the corporate house. [News.com]

Excite localizes free email in U.K. - Leveraging the tremendous popularity of free Web-based email in the United States, Excite has introduced the service for users in the United Kingdom to further beef up its localized offerings overseas. [News.com]

Novell, Intel to serve Java - Network software maker Novell outlined plans to build a next-generation "virtual machine" based on the Java programming language with Intel, focused on fast delivery of server-side software applications. [News.com]

Social Security faces Y2K issue - The agency widely seen as best prepared for the millennium computer problem could still run into difficulties when the clock strikes midnight on December 31, 1999, a report said. [News.com]

Barnes & Noble lands new partners - BarnesandNoble.com, the division of Barnes & Noble (BKS), announced it has added two more online marketing deals to its war chest, cementing partnerships with search engine WebCrawler and yellow page directory InfoSpace. [News.com]

E*Trade makes the grade - Online broker E*Trade (EGRP) made analyst expectations today for its fiscal third quarter, and anticipation of positive results pushed the stock up over 11 percent in active trading. [News.com]

PointCast curries investor favor - PointCast chief executive Christopher Hassett told a roomful of investors today that the push technology vendor is rapidly growing its revenues and high gross margins. [News.com]

Soccer site kicks into gear - As America's Major League Soccer nears the end of its third regular season, it seems fitting that some of the neophyte league's closest coverage comes from an online outfit led by a college senior. [News.com]

Chip slide may have hit bottom - The semiconductor industry got a break today from the Wall Street bruising that began Tuesday, as market leaders regained some ground while looking forward to a new report that provides evidence of a rebound. [News.com]

Who will pay bills online? - A dozen panelists at a recent conference on Internet billing were asked how many consumers they expected to view and pay their bills online in the next few years. There were a dozen answers, ranging from 5 percent to 30 percent. [News.com]

Sheraton to offer in-room Net - ITT's Sheraton hotel chain will unveil new in-room technology today aimed at its core market of business travelers. [News.com]

Amelio: Jobs a cheerleader, not manager - If you had randomly tuned in to this morning's two-hour live interview with Gil Amelio, you might have thought that the ousted CEO of Apple Computer (AAPL) was still running the company. [News.com]

Sybase chairman resigns - Sybase (SYBS) chairman Mark Hoffman today resigned. [News.com]

Cisco merges network traffic - Interop Cisco Systems (CSCO) will use the Spring Networld+Interop '97 stage next week to unveil a new line of networking hardware that enables voice, data, and multimedia traffic to run over the same pipe, CNET NEWS.COM has learned. [News.com]

Will Cisco fill the breach for Ciena? - Will Cisco Systems fill the breach for Ciena? [News.com]

eSafe to ship antivirus gateway - Security firm eSafe Technologies will release Monday a new version of its software that works with firewalls to block computer viruses and malicious code from entering a network. [News.com]

Telcos hit snags in Net efforts - "I'm dialing up 911. I'm on the brink of trouble again. If you could change the time a little, then everything would be fine." --Cyndi Lauper, "911" [News.com]

Wall Street moving to Net - Retail stockbroking is quickly going electronic and brokerage transactions will be overwhelmingly done on the Internet in coming years, IBM chief executive Louis Gerstner said today. [News.com]

WebTV unveils major upgrade - Two leaders in the embryonic Net TV market have taken the wraps off new technologies this week as the market splinters into two incompatible camps, one led by Microsoft, the other by Oracle. [News.com]

Intel has bug-repair program - Intel (INTC) confirmed today that it has been operating a special bug-repair program for its chips on a limited basis for some time. [News.com]

Study dampens WebTV forecasts - Just because Microsoft (MSFT) bought WebTV, the success of simplified Internet access devices isn't necessarily a sure thing. [News.com]

Lotus: Price cuts for everyone - Lotus Development isn't happy with just enticing the huge customer base of cc:Mail customers with cheap upgrade offers for Notes and Domino. [News.com]

FTC unopposed to Nortel-Bay deal - Federal Trade Commission regulators will not oppose the pending merger of Bay Networks and Nortel, the companies said today. [News.com]

Oracle earnings on target - Oracle hit the mark with its quarterly earnings report today at 41 cents a share, slightly higher than Wall Street estimates. [News.com]

Big bankers flock to Silicon Valley - Merrill Lynch is belatedly joining the ranks of big-house banking firms opening up shop in Silicon Valley after finding that a San Francisco shingle just doesn't cut it in wooing technology clients. [News.com]

Intel debuts PC communications bundle - Intel (INTC) today announced a package of hardware and software for manipulating video and photo images. [News.com]

Motorola stock hits all-time high - Following a stock rally that brought Motorola (MOT) shares to an all-time high, the company announced after the market's close that a one-time charge cut into second-quarter profits. [News.com]

Sybase revamps C++ tool - Sybase (SYBS) is making good on its promise to revamp its tools line, one step at a time. [News.com]

A billion cell phone users in 2005? - Cellular phone giant Nokia said today it has raised its forecast for the world's mobile phone subscribers to one billion users in 2005. [News.com]

Sun software goes to India - Sun Microsystems will set up a software development facility in India, a senior company executive said today. [News.com]

Senate mulls spam issues - It doesn't matter that scores of Net users hate spam--it's still clogging their email in-boxes and the congressional schedule. [News.com]

Global chip sales up in September - September was another gangbusters month for the semiconductor industry, as worldwide sales grew almost 15 percent over last year, according to a trade group. [News.com]

Microsoft mints new Money - Microsoft (MSFT) will today roll out its latest personal finance management package, Money 98. [News.com]

Service reads email over phones - Just when you thought you had run out of technology to stay connected when you're off the network, Global Datalink has released Liquid Mail, a service that uses text-to-speech software to let subscribers access email and listen to messages over the phone. [News.com]

Free access gets another player - As a growing number of Internet service providers can attest, offering free Internet access has its costs--overwhelming customer demand and uncertain revenue potential among them. [News.com]

Senate to debate Net tax bill - A closely watched bill that would temporarily halt new taxes on Net access and services is scheduled for a Senate debate today. [News.com]

Windows 98 "enhancement" due - The first update to Microsoft's Windows 98 operating system will be available on the company's Windows Update site beginning August 18, according to a letter sent out to beta testers yesterday. [News.com]

IBM debuts cheaper workstations - IBM formally rolled out its new class of Windows NT workstations, the E Pro series, in an attempt to attract users who want the power of a workstation but not performance overkill. [News.com]

@Work Remote for telecommuters - @Work, the @Home division that provides high-speed Net access to businesses, said today it struck a deal with Tele-Communications Incorporated, Cox Communications, and Comcast Corporation to roll out @Work Remote, extending the local area network to telecommuters. [News.com]

Microsoft CFO "leery" of valuation - Microsoft's (MSFT) chief financial officer is "leery" of the current valuation of the company's stock, Barron's reported in its September 15 edition. [News.com]

Sun posts Java foundation class - Sun Microsystems (SUNW) and Netscape Communications (NSCP) today cemented their Java partnership, but Microsoft (MSFT) says it isn't joining their gang. [News.com]

Apple Tunes Up PowerBooks - Apple Computer (AAPL) will refresh its PowerBook 1400 notebook lineup with a 166-MHz model, the first significant addition to the line since it was introduced late last year. [News.com]

Most Net users can't watch video - On the heels of the online release of the president's videotaped grand jury testimony, a new study has found that fewer than 25 percent of U.S. home PC users have the technology to watch video content online. [News.com]

IBM ends Olympic sponsorship - IBM has decided to end its 40-year sponsorship of the Olympics after the Sydney 2000 Games, a company executive said today. [News.com]

DOJ, Greenspan at antitrust odds - Reinvigorated antitrust activity under the Clinton administration has forged its share of odd alliances and divisions, with the latest example being the public debate yesterday between the nation's top trustbusters and Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan. [News.com]

Lotus layoffs loom - IBM subsidiary Lotus has announced that it is laying off or transferring about 1 percent of its 3,000 software developers. [News.com]

Borland banking on Java tools - Borland International (BORL), still struggling to grow its software business after three years, will today unveil a product designed to tap the phenomenal demand for programs written in the Java programming language. [News.com]

HTML 4.0 public for first time - One of the main arbiters of Net standards has updated the basic publishing language of the Web, HTML. [News.com]

Bay in restart, CFO says - Bay Networks (BAY) expects to post revenues this year that will be largely flat from the previous year, according to chief financial officer David Rynne. [News.com]

EarthLink, Charter extend pact - EarthLink, an Internet service provider, and Charter Communications, a cable and telecommunications firm, said today that they have reached an agreement to deliver high-speed Internet service across the United States, extending an existing agreement between them. [News.com]

EDS chief exec to retire - EDS announced that chairman and CEO Les Alberthal informed the company's board of directors that he has decided to retire. [News.com]

Russia not taking Y2K seriously - Russia has yet to take the millennium computer bug problem seriously and could face catastrophic consequences if it does not act quickly, U.S. and Russian business representatives said today. [News.com]

Vitria ties it all together - Vitria Technology will on Monday announce a new entry in the growing category of software that links a hodge-podge of packaged applications, custom-written software, and database applications into one working business application. [News.com]

Oracle expands applications lineup - Continuing its push into vertical markets,Oracle (ORCL) today said it is adding more industry-specific applications to its business software roster. [News.com]

Time Warner, MGM to launch DVDs - Home video divisions of Time Warner and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer today announced a nationwide DVD launch for this fall, escalating the rollout of the closely watched technology. [News.com]

Dell follows workstation lead - Dell Computer (DELL), not one to buck trends in the PC industry, will make its first foray into the workstation market with systems based on Intel's Pentium II processor. [News.com]

Samsung sees chip glut easing - The years-old global memory chip oversupply will draw to an end by the second half of next year, helped by a massive shake-up in the industry now under way, a Samsung Electronics executive said today. [News.com]

How the Web is killing DCE - A grand scheme introduced in the early 1990s as a way to link disparate computer systems is being usurped by Web technologies popularized through the Internet's ubiquity. [News.com]

EU seeks to tax e-commerce - European consumers who buy and receive products or services over the Internet should pay value-added tax (VAT) on them, even if they order from an overseas supplier, the European Commission said today. [News.com]

First online bank's final withdrawal - Security First Network Bank (SFNB), the first Internet-only bank, will soon close its books for good. [News.com]

IBM redoes assembly scheme - IBM (IBM) is fine-tuning its distributed manufacturing scheme, a move the company believes will eventually shave the price of a PC. [News.com]

EU calls for market-driven Internet - European ministers issued a declaration supporting a market-driven Internet today, agreeing in principle with U.S. policies but leaving key issues such as encryption and content regulation open to further debate. [News.com]

Macromedia hit hard - Macromedia (MACR) posted a loss of $15 million today, the second loss in a row for the multimedia and Internet software company. [News.com]

China sets Y2K deadlines - China's State Council has announced nationwide deadlines on tackling the millennium computer bug and said officials who fail to do so could be punished, according to reports. [News.com]

WorldCom sees huge MCI charge - WorldCom said it expects to record charges of $6 billion to $7 billion in connection with its $37 billion purchase of MCI Communications and other big one-time costs could follow as the company ponders a post-acquisition restructuring. [News.com]

Micro Focus buys Intersolv - Development tool maker Micro Focus said today that it is acquiring data access technology maker Intersolv in a deal worth $534 million. [News.com]

Gap online store opens - One-pocket T-shirts and khakis have moved online. [News.com]

Yahoo stock stumbles - Pulling back on the reins of Yahoo's (YHOO) momentum, analysts issued a downgrade today, warning the stock is "ahead of the company's fundamentals." [News.com]

@Home IPO seen as hot money - @Home Network plans to set its much-anticipated initial public offering price Thursday, perhaps at more than $10 a share, sources said today. [News.com]

Market limited for data phones - Motorola (MOT) is planning to announce a new phone that will let users check email and surf the Web. But it doesn't want anyone to get too excited about it just yet. [News.com]

Austria plans global Net meeting - Austria has offered to host a conference next spring in Vienna to draw up a global charter on legal and technical issues affecting the Internet, Austrian Research Minister Caspar Einem said. [News.com]

C&W considers British ISP deal - Cable & Wireless Communications, which last month bought MCI Communications' entire Internet holdings for $1.75 billion, is considering entering into a partnership with Telewest Communications and NTL to create a national Internet service provider in Britain. [News.com]

Futures trading heads for Net - Trading via the Internet is on the verge of becoming an everyday reality, raising new challenges for market watchdogs, European and U.S. regulators told a financial industry conference today. [News.com]

Senate passes PC export limits - The Senate today voted in favor of legislation that contains a provision limiting export of next year's workstation computers and business servers. [News.com]

Hackers hit Coke site - Coca-Cola was forced to take down its Web site this weekend after being hacked. [News.com]

HP's goal: strongest workstation - Hewlett Packard (HPW) will commercialize advanced workstation technology early next year designed to reduce the time required to render complex graphical blueprints from hours to minutes. [News.com]

Mitsubishi to enter U.S. PC market - Mitsubishi Electric plans to enter the U.S. PC market, possibly as early as this year, making it the latest Japanese electronics giant to make a stab at the largest PC market in the world. [News.com]

Dell deals for Net access on PCs - Dell Computer today outlined a two-pronged strategy for making it easier for consumers and small-business users to get online, which it hopes will raise its status in one of the few markets in which it doesn't have a commanding presence. [News.com]

NEC wilts on chip, PC sales woes - Shares in NEC languished for the fifth consecutive session today, hitting a 22-month low amid worries over its loss-making U.S. PC unit and weak chip prices, analysts said. [News.com]

Telco speculation fuels Net stocks - Internet stocks surged today on renewed speculation that they may become the prey of telecommunications carriers and "old media" companies. [News.com]

AOL offers voice contest - If the folks at America Online (AOL) know the whereabouts of the guy who recorded the original "Welcome, you've got mail" greeting played millions of times a day, they're not telling. [News.com]

IBM spruces up Aptiva line - IBM (IBM) revamped its consumer Aptiva PCs with superfast 300-MHz Pentium II models and systems with processors from both Cyrix and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) as well as consumer-friendly features such as a new mouse design. [News.com]

Aria Web tool gets a tune-up - Andromedia will unveil a new version of its Aria Web site tracking software later this month that lets ISPs and hosting services monitor traffic on multiple Web sites. [News.com]

Net printing standard in queue - The Internet Engineering Task Force has announced that a new working group aims to establish a standard protocol for sending print jobs over the Internet. [News.com]

Malaysia steps up tech efforts - Malaysia's ambitious plan to create a futuristic "Cybercity" is a year ahead of schedule and its builders are confident they can still maintain the pace despite recent financial difficulties sweeping over Asia. [News.com]

Email bug found in Eudora - Strike three for email programs. [News.com]

Net quandary for Bells - "Shall we dance?" Internet companies can expect to hear that proposition increasingly from telcos and print media corporations seeking to expand in cyberspace. Today's report of AT&T tentatively bidding for America Online is just one case in point, and more are expected. [News.com]

Preventive care for groupware - Network security software maker McAfee Associates (MCAF) next month will roll out an antivirus package for Microsoft's forthcoming Exchange groupware server. [News.com]

VeriSign brings companies their own digital IDs - VeriSign, adding a new twist to its digital certificate offerings, today unveiled a hybrid product called OnSite, which lets companies issue their own digital IDs as a certificate authority. [News.com]

FileNet sees second-quarter loss - Document management company FileNet (FILE) said today it expects to report a second-quarter net loss of about $3.8 million or 25 cents per share, including restructuring and other charges of $6 million, on revenue of about $62.5 million. [News.com]

New spam filters arrive - Antispammers today unleashed more weapons to combat what has become the scourge of the Net: unsolicited email. [News.com]

China sets Y2K deadlines - China's State Council has announced nationwide deadlines on tackling the millennium computer bug and said officials who fail to meet them could be punished, according to reports. [News.com]

Chinese site urges hit standard - China's most popular Web destination, Sohoo, today announced steps establishing a national standard that would give advertisers accurate data for traffic on Chinese sites. [News.com]

Net ads top $351 million in quarter - Online advertising in the first three months of 1998 totaled $351.3 million, up just 5 percent from 1997's last quarter, according to figures released today by the Internet Advertising Bureau. [News.com]

Magaziner urges new antitrust policy - A senior policy adviser to President Clinton today recommended that antitrust policy be updated for the digital age. [News.com]

U.S. said to violate global crypto policy - The U.S. government is failing to live up to an international agreement it signed only six months ago, two privacy advocate groups charged today at a global conference on encryption. [News.com]

Bay makes a high-speed link - Bay Networks (BAY) will fill in another piece of its networking strategy next week with a new switch that can provide connections to large corporate networks. [News.com]

Xerox sues USR over patents - Xerox (XRX) said today that it is suing U.S. Robotics (USRX) in a patent infringement case involving two of its products. [News.com]

eBay ups price on eve of IPO - Online auctioneer eBay today priced its pending initial public offering at $18 a share, demonstrating strong demand for its shares despite recent volatility in the markets. [News.com]

Dutch step up child porn fight - The Dutch justice ministry, stung by criticism over its handling of child pornography on the Internet, is to increase the number of investigators working on it and boost cooperation between Dutch authorities. [News.com]

Flat-panel screens steal show - As their prices continue to drop, flat-panel monitors have become stars of this year's PC Expo in one of the industry's most radical design changes in recent years. [News.com]

Net tax pressure looms - As commerce becomes more widespread on the Internet, state governments are beginning to demand their cut of the revenues in the form of state sales taxes. But given the borderless nature of the medium, Net vendors can be difficult to pin down. [News.com]

Exponential sues Apple - Exponential Technologies, a now-defunct chip vendor that just a year ago represented the cutting edge in microprocessors, has filed suit against former ally Apple for allegedly breaking off a supply contract earlier this year and also interfering with sales to Apple clone vendors, a situation that ultimately forced Exponential to shutter most of its operations. [News.com]

FTC commissioner returns to law - The Federal Trade Commission's Internet guru, Christine Varney, will resign from her post in August, she said today. [News.com]

CIOs to cash in on e-commerce - The number of chief information officers using electronic commerce is expected to more than double in the coming year, despite security concerns, according to a survey by IDG Research. [News.com]

Security vendors discuss interface - Major Internet security vendors are discussing a common application programming interface that will let antivirus software and scanning products that block hostile Java applets work easily with firewalls, routers, VPNs, and other security mechanisms. [News.com]

Gateway picks Colorado for IT center - Gateway has selected Lakewood, Colorado, as the site for its new information technology (IT) development center. [News.com]

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