USB 2.0 Spec Unveiled
USB has a new speed--480Mb/sec. And a new name--USB 2.0.
The new target speed was announced today by the "big
seven", a group of companies that make up the USB
2.0 Promoter Group: Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Lucent,
Microsoft, NEC, and Philips. It's expected that this new target speed
will push USB into the mainstream for graphic intensive projects, data
storage, and interactive games and videos. USB 2.0 is 40 times faster
than its predecessor, USB 1.1.
This announcement comes with the release of the USB specification
draft so that companies can begin developing USB 2.0 products. This
increased bandwidth will allow PC peripherals to handle more demanding
tasks. According to the Promoter Group, video conferencing, digital
camera memory stick downloads, and scanner times will all be vastly
improved.
USB 2.0 should be completely compatible with existing peripherals.
Consumers will not be forced into upgrades right away, but will have the
option of purchasing the newer devices on the market. Vendors can also
integrate new equipment and cabling into the entire install base of
existing USB products.
10.12.99 12:42
Drew Carey Show To Be Broadcast On The Internet
ABC's hit television show, The Drew Carey Show, is coming to the
Internet near you.
On November 17, ABC.com
and Warner Brothers
Online will broadcast parts of an episode simultaneously on
television and the Internet, one of the first such moves by a primetime
show.
In the episode dubbed "Drew-Cam", Carey's character appears
as a pitch man 24 hours a day on a website created by the department
store where he works. In the show, strategically placed webcams follow
his every move. As part of the gimmick, exclusive footage recorded by
the webcams will be shown online. The URL? Win.Loud.com, in reference to
Winfred-Louder, the name of the fictional department store in the show.
The footage will be shown on ABC.com and WarnerBros.com as well.
According to a report in Variety, ABC opted not to simulcast the
entire episode online, fearing advertiser backlash. As a result, the
webcam online footage will be ad free.
| It's
a Bug! No, It's a Virus! |
|
| |
It's a buggy virus! Spanish Software
vendor Panda says the millennium bug may have an unusual
effect on some older viruses. One interesting example is
the "Friday the 13th" virus, which lies
dormant in a PC until a Friday the 13th, at which time
it destroys the boot sector of your hard disk. Panda
discovered that the virus isn't Y2K compliant, so
instead of triggering on rare Fridays that are also the
13th of the month, it may launch itself every day after
the new year. |
|
|
| |
|
|
* Windows NT virus
is now on the loose. Called WinNT.Infis, the memory resident
virus
is not
designed to cause damage, but can damage some programs anyway
because of
the way it infects them.
|
|
|
| |
| This
E-Mail will Self-Destruct in 5 Minutes |
|
| |
A new startup company cleverly named Disappearing
Inc. says they'll ship a product early next year
that enables you to send self-destructing e-mail. You
decide how long the message can survive, then it becomes
unreadable after that time. It works through an
encrypted electronic key that expires, and does not
require a special e-mail application, according to the
company. |
|
Well over 2,000 of the
stations offer live streaming of their signal over the
Internet.
|
|
| Internet
Tips Galore |
|
| |
Here's an excellent free newsletter packed with
tips for getting the most out of the Internet (and the most
fun!). It's called Neat
Net Tricks. Editor Jack Teems brings you the best sites,
great software and smart ideas. Check it out! |
|
| At
Last: Free Tech Support |
|
| |
You wouldn't believe the number of
requests I get from readers seeking my help with their
computers. Unfortunately I don't have time to provide free tech
support, but the brand-new MyHelpdesk.com
does. I can't vouch for the quality of the help, but if you're
in a pickle it's certainly worth a try. |
|
http://www.manishere.freeserve.co.uk/main/tips/tips.htm
|
ICQ
|
It's basically a deluxe version of an AOL IM (InstantMessager)
But you can contact anyone on the www and not just other AOL
members.
It will work with AOL's IM. In fact AOL now owns ICQ.
Here are some links about it and where to get it.
|
AMD's FAB 30 Now Open For Business
AMD unwrapped its new fabrication plant today in Dresden, Germany, and
announced that it plans to begin sampling Athlon processors using copper
interconnects before the year is out.
AMD's copper-based
Athlons are expected to hit speeds of 1GHz. They should be available by
the second quarter of next year.
The $1.9 billion Fab 30, the second of its kind, will be able to
produce .18-micron chips using copper interconnects licensed from Motorola.
Copper technology is expected to increase CPU performance because it is
a better conductor than aluminum, which is used in the majority of
today's CPUs.
Conspiracy theorists have united to wage a Spam protest against the
National Security Agency.
In a campaign launched last week on dozens of web sites and
newsgroups, the protestors attempted to flood the NSA's alleged e-mail
filtering system, codenamed "Echelon," and to cause the
organization's central computers to overload and crash. The protesters
allege that "Echelon" scans overseas e-mail looking for
subversive messages, terrorist threats, and terrorist activity. The
system apparently notes certain "red flag words," such as
"bomb" and "assassinate."
The NSA, which is prohibited by law from spying within the United
States, refused to comment on either the incident or its impact. A
spokeswoman did say that the agency will not "confirm or deny any
Echelon-type activity."
