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Anvil
Issue Twenty Two
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*Welcome to Anvil, a newsletter and Web site providing insight into
online industry news, issues and trends delivered in 30 minutes
or less, or it’s free!
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TOP
INDUSTRY NEWS
*Free Press?
*Banking On City Directories
DESIGN
*IE Opens Windows Wide Open
*Update: WebTV Is Jamming
HOSTING
*Satellites One Step Closer To Launch
*ISP Numbers To Dwindle
MARKETING
*Try Before You Buy New Guidelines
*Get The Latest AdTalk
TOP
WEB PICKS
*Absolut Panushka
*Gamelan
*PoliceScanner.com
*Pseudo Online Network
*Reel
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TOP INDUSTRY NEWS
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*Free Press?
The real-time nature of the Internet recently created problems for
Oklahoma City bombing suspect Timothy McVeigh. Late last week, The
Dallas Morning News published a purported confession online, potentially
against a judge’s orders. Rather than risk waiting for the story
to break in print Monday, they published the story online the previous
Friday. Once the story was published online, it could be printed
in ink with much less risk of a court injunction. The move circumvented
a "prior restraint" order not specifically designed for
the new online medium. Stephen Jones, McVeigh’s attorney, initially
denied the existence of the "confession," only to recant
and accuse the newspaper of breaking into the defenses’ computer
system and stealing the document. The bold move by Dallas Morning
News to print the story online is neither the first, nor the last
time the online medium will be leveraged for the dissemination of
sensitive information. Even if U.S. laws were tightened to include
the online paradigm in "print" restraining orders, the
information could still be "leaked" to an unnamed online
source or to International press, with virtually no legal repercussions.
http://interactive4.wsj.com/edition/current/articles/
SB857522340962693000.htm
*Banking
On City Directories
Online city directories, previously a service dominated by CitySearch,
Yahoo and Cox Enterprises, have gained in popularity in recent months.
Microsoft is entering the market with it’s own version of the service,
soon to include 15 cities by years’ end. The first city guide, Sidewalk
for Seattle, will launch late next month. The site will generate
revenue primarily from advertising from both local and national
sponsors. Microsoft recently announced participating national sponsors
including Bank of America, BMW, United Airlines and Visa. The primary
benefit to advertisers will be the regionally targeted nature of
the service. Digital City, another competitor, is also expected
to launch an online strategy next month.
http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,8412,00.html
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DESIGN
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*IE Opens Windows Wide Open
Microsoft has developed quite a headache in recent weeks with repeated
security breaches of the Web browser, Internet Explorer. Recently,
a few German hackers discovered a security flaw involving ActiveX
and Quicken. Early this week, students of the Worcester Polytechnic
Institute discovered another flaw in IE, this time involving "shortcut"
.url and .lnk files. A Web site can mask these "shortcuts,"
potentially running programs, transmitting viruses or deleting files
in the background while the user surfs a site. Microsoft scrambled
to put a patch together which notifies users of unknown "shortcuts"
prior to download. As if these developments weren’t enough for Microsoft
to handle, students from the University of Maryland discovered a
separate but similar hole that would allow hackers to remotely retrieve
files or run programs on a user’s PC. At this time, it’s still unclear
whether the flaw affects only Windows NT or Windows 95 as well.
Microsoft stresses that email, still largely unexplored by hackers,
has a much greater potential for transmitting rogue files and programs.
http://wsf1.usatoday.com/money/mds030.htm
http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,8511,00.html
http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,8567,00.html?nd
*Update:
WebTV Is Jamming
WebTV and Hewlett-Packard recently announced a partnership that
will result in printing capabilities to the TV-top Web browser.
The printers are reported to cost under $100 and should be available
in May. In related news, industry analysts believe WebTV is planning
on spinning off a non-IP-based network full of proprietary content.
The rumors were further fueled by the announcement of a new online
music network. JamTV will leverage Intel’s latest hybrid broadcast
technology to provide users with live pay-per-view concerts, merchandise,
CDs, and concert tickets. The WebTV-compliant Web site will generate
revenue from advertising, online sales and database licensing fees.
JamTV is supported by leading record distributors including Columbia,
Polygram, MCA and BMG. The new network will try to compete against
the nearly 20,000 music resource sites currently online. New players
are entering the market as well: MTV, Yahoo, AOL and Rolling Stone.
http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,8411,00.html
http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,8408,00.html
http://www.yahoo.com/text/headlines/970303/tech/stories/jam_1.html
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HOSTING
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*Satellites One Step Closer To Launch
Teledesic’s $9 billion plan to launch 840 satellites by 2001 has
taken one more giant step toward reality. Project founders Microsoft
and McCaw Cellular have partnered with aerospace giant Boeing for
space systems and integration management expertise. Once all the
satellites are up and running, 99 percent of the planet will have
high speed fiber-optic quality videoconferencing, paging, faxing
and voice communications. Analysts believe the once whimsical partnership
between Gates and McCaw is now validated with the addition of Boeing.
Along with managing the Apollo moon mission and International Space
Station, Boeing call pull experience from Rockwell International
and McDonnell Douglas to aid in the manufacture and launch of the
new satellites. Currently, there are over 2,500 satellites in orbit,
half of which belong to the former Soviet Union. This number is
expected in increase to 3,750 in the next three years.
http://www.nando.net/newsroom/ntn/info/030397/info17_19318.html
*ISP
Numbers To Dwindle
Similar to many early stage growth industries, analysts are predicting
a major shakedown of ISPs in the next three years. In 1993, there
were 90 ISPs. Today there are approximately 4,400. Forrester Research
estimates this number will drop to 100 by the year 2000. The surviving
ISPs will have a few characteristics in common: deep pockets and
niche, value-added service. Currently, ISPs specialize by service:
access or hosting, or by markets: individual consumers or businesses.
Due to relative size of market and profit potential, the largest
developing market right now is Internet access for small to medium-sized
businesses. Netcom recently abandoned offering Internet access to
individual consumers for the lucrative market. Level of service
will also be a major differentiator for which users will pay a premium.
http://192.215.107.71/wire/news/mar/0302isp.html
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MARKETING
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*Try Before You Buy New Guidelines
The Software Publishers Association (SPA) recently announced new
guidelines for "try-before-you-buy" (TBYB) programs. TBYB
applications provide limited-time or limited-functionality to users
for free, in an attempt to increase software sales. The announcement
follows the SPA’s October release of electronic software distribution
(ESD) guidelines. The new TBYB guidelines outline recommended methods
of distribution including subscription, pay-per-view and rent to
own. Most TBYB software relies on "digital wrappers" which
protect code as it travels over the Internet as well as post-installation
tampering. Skeptics of the new guidelines point out a lack of demand
and the potential for credit card fraud. The real issue is deciding
whether the increase in sales outweighs the loss in revenue from
repeated use of trial versions.
http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,8410,00.html
*Get
The Latest AdTalk
Marketers now have an online resource thanks to Ziff-Davis Publishing.
AdTalk, launched this week, provides original reporting, photography
and resource links for advertisers and marketers. Content is supplied
by a family of ZD publications including PC Magazine, PC Computing,
Computer Life and Family PC. ZD also partnered with Ad Age, Adweek
and Cowles’ Media Central for advertising and marketing-specific
content. Original content includes "The Buzz" by Richard
Morgan, former Editor-in-Chief of Adweek and "Guest House,"
which provides profiles on leading marketing executives.
http://www.adtalk.com
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TOP WEB PICKS
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*Absolut Panushka
Absolut Vodka, famous for showcasing artists worldwide, recently
launched the second phase of online animated films. Absolut Panushka
provides a gallery of Quicktime and Shockwave movies from artists
like Marjut Rimmimen and Stuart Hilton. While the movies make take
a minute or two to download, the wait is well worth it.
http://www.absolutvodka.com/
*Gamelan
EarthWeb’s Gamelan Web site offers a wide array of Java-based applets.
Whether you like playing Tetris or monitoring your investments online,
Gamelan has a directory of applets to choose from.
http://www-a.gamelan.com/index.shtml
*PoliceScanner.com
AudioNet, online resource provider of RealAudio Web sites recently
launched this site to appeal to die-hard "Cops" fans.
PoliceScanner.com provides real-time audio feeds of police scanners
in Los Angeles and Dallas. Pretend to be a cop while you sit safely
at work.
http://www.policescanner.com/index.html
*Pseudo
Online Network
Another RealAudio intensive site, Pseudo creates, produces, and
promotes live online programming. Surfers will find movies, 3-D
worlds and animation, chat rooms and games. The site is graphically
heavy and is challenging for the bandwidth disadvantaged.
http://www.pseudo.com/
*Reel
Surfers having trouble deciding what movie to see now have an online
resource. Reel Genius allows users to rate movies they’ve seen,
and the database will return suggestions for movies based on personal
preferences. While the movie database doesn’t include current theater
releases, the functionality provides a worthwhile experience.
http://www.reel.com/
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