Subject: Persembe Virusu (fwd)
From: Mustafa Akgul (akgul@Bilkent.EDU.TR)
Date: Fri 03 Sep 1999 - 22:54:44 EET DST
From: EDUCAUSE <EDUCAUSE@EDUCAUSE.EDU>
EXPERTS ASSESS RISKS SURROUNDING 'THURSDAY' VIRUS
The Thursday virus, initially discovered almost two weeks ago, is
being taken more seriously now after PCs at eight financial
institutions were infected over the past several days. The virus
has appeared in a total of about 5,000 systems in the U.S., the
United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Poland, Switzerland, Austria,
Germany, and Latvia. The virus is capable of erasing all files
on a computer's C: drive, and is scheduled to activate on Dec.
13. Currently, the virus is limited to Word 97 files and
possibly later versions of Microsoft Word. Symantec researchers
say the virus will not spread widely as it has no way of
distributing itself other than Word 97 files. In addition,
anti-virus updates that are currently available should be able to
detect and eliminate the virus. However, Network Associates did
change its warning on the Thursday virus from medium to high risk
after the financial institutions were infected. The high-risk
warning places Thursday in the same category as Melissa,
Chernobyl, and ExplorerZip. (PC Week Online 09/02/99)
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Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, an international nonprofit
association dedicated to transforming education through
information technologies.
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TOP STORIES for September 3, 1999
Tech Leaders Urge Congress to Increase Spending for Research
Will 9-9-99 Deep-Six Computerdom Next Thursday?
Apple Is Now the Champ in Computer Speed Wars
Microsoft to Offer Office Software on Internet
ALSO
Experts Assess Risks Surrounding 'Thursday' Virus
Online Auctions: Buyer Beware
Anti-Porn Law Under Fire
So Many Megabytes, So Little Space
TECHNOLOGY LEADERS URGE CONGRESS TO INCREASE SPENDING FOR BASIC
RESEARCH
IT experts gathered at a conference on Wednesday to urge the
government to boost spending on technology research. President
Clinton has proposed a plan called Information Technology for the
21st Century, which would increase federal research support by
$366 million in fiscal year 2000. This funding would be
distributed to such government agencies as the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency and the Department of Energy, which in
turn would provide the money to researchers through grants. The
proposed spending increase is not part of the Congressional
budget proposals at this time, due to spending caps designed to
keep the federal budget on track. Conference speakers from the
IT industry as well as academia argued in favor of increased
spending, saying the U.S. economy has benefited greatly from
high-tech industries in recent years. However, in order to
flourish, high-tech industries need government support for basic
research, with an emphasis on colleges and universities.
(Chronicle of Higher Education Online 09/02/99)
WILL 9-9-99 DEEP-SIX COMPUTERDOM NEXT THURSDAY?
Y2K planners from several industries will be testing backup
systems on Sept. 9, 1999, a date that may cause computer glitches
similar to those associated with Y2K. The date 9-9-99 could
result in problems if computers interpret it as the "9999"
command to stop programs. Although most experts believe no
severe problems will arise next week, many plan to use the
opportunity as a dry run for Y2K. The electric industry on
Wednesday will begin a drill of procedures for Dec. 31, while
several banks on Thursday will practice ways of finding and
reporting Y2K problems. President Clinton's Y2K advisory council
will gather status reports, and a global Y2K group will observe
the date's effect on other countries. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard
and the U.S. Transportation Department are deploying special
teams to attend to problems should they occur.
(Philadelphia Inquirer 09/02/99)
APPLE IS NOW THE CHAMP IN COMPUTER SPEED WARS
Apple Computer claimed the top spot in PC speed this week by
announcing a 500 MHz Macintosh based on Motorola's Power PC G4
chip. The company refers to its new desktop system, which proved
significantly faster than Intel's Pentium III processor in a
recent demonstration, as "a supercomputer on a chip." In
response, Intel says it is releasing its 700 MHz Coppermine
Pentium III by the end of October. Intel is also facing pressure
from Advanced Micro Devices' Athlon chip, which outperforms
Intel's fastest Pentium IIIs. Meanwhile, Apple has introduced
three new Macintosh desktop models based on the G4. The
currently available 400 MHz model uses an older design, so buyers
might consider waiting for the next two models, which will use
the new high-performance Sawtooth architecture. The first of the
Sawtooth-based models, a 450 MHz G4, will be released in a few
weeks, with a 500 MHz model following shortly thereafter.
(New York Times 09/02/99)
MICROSOFT TO OFFER OFFICE SOFTWARE ON INTERNET
Microsoft yesterday announced plans to provide online office
software based on Microsoft Office, following a Tuesday
announcement from Sun Microsystems that Sun will offer free
StarOffice productivity software on the Internet. Although
Microsoft President Steve Ballmer did not say when the services
would be available or whether they would be free, he did say the
services will be based on Microsoft Office. Noting that software
users are not likely to migrate to Sun's StarOffice, Ballmer
says, "What customers care about is the functionality and
compatibility of software and StarOffice has not been very good
at either." Meanwhile, Sun says StarOffice functions much like
Microsoft Office and is fully compatible with Microsoft Office.
However, Sun and Microsoft, like all software companies, face the
larger issue of whether users will want to buy and install
software on desktops or download it from the Internet in the
future. (Financial Times 09/03/99)
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ONLINE AUCTIONS: BUYER BEWARE
Upwards of 60 percent of the software being offered at the
auction sites of eBay, ZDNet, and ExciteAtHome is illegal,
according to a Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA)
survey. The survey scrutinized software products from
Macromedia, FileMaker, Adobe Systems, and Visio; these particular
software producers were chosen for the survey because they had
complained to the SIIA about problems with the auction sites.
The survey finds that illegal software was being offered in 109
out of 221 auction sales, while 72 offerings were legal, and 40
were of an undetermined nature. Most of the illegal software
being sold violated licensing regulations, the survey determined.
The SIIA, eBay, and other companies are holding talks about
coming up with a solution to crack down on illegal software
sales, says eBay's Jay Monahan. (IDG News Service 09/01/99)
ANTI-PORN LAW UNDER FIRE
The assault on the Child Online Protection Act (COPA) was joined
once again yesterday as an alliance of publishers, Internet
companies, and trade associations filed an amicus brief with the
Third Circuit Court of Appeals, asking for the upholding of a
previous ruling that deemed the law unconstitutional. The brief
claims that COPA targets AIDS and abortion information, movie and
audio reviews, and other forms of free speech on the Internet. A
Philadelphia judge, at the behest of the ACLU, had earlier ruled
that COPA was unconstitutional and prohibited its enforcement.
Content providers have no practical means to bar minors from
accessing harmful material without infringing on adults' rights
to free speech, the amicus argues. An appeals panel will hear
arguments on the issue this fall. (Wired News 09/01/99)
SO MANY MEGABYTES, SO LITTLE SPACE: GOAL IS GIZMO TO STORE ALL
DIGITAL DATA
Responding to consumer demand for storage products that
accommodate digital pictures and sound files, a variety of
vendors are releasing new storage tools that have larger
memories, smaller sizes, and cheaper prices. Several vendors,
including Sony, IBM, Lexar Media, and SanDisk are working to
establish a single storage medium for storing all types of data.
Such a product would make it possible to use the same storage
device in cameras, computers, VCRs, printers, stereos, and
handheld computers. Most of the new devices are based on flash
memory technology, which is very thin, fast, and able to store
data even when the power is off. Sony, for example, has created
the Memory Stick flash memory product, which accommodates digital
cameras and digital audio-video camcorders. IBM has released its
Microdrive, a tiny computer hard drive that is only slightly
larger and thicker than a flash memory system. However, the
Microdrive holds over twice as much data as flash memory,
accommodating up to 340 MB of data. Analysts say prices must
fall before such products become widely used.
(Wall Street Journal 09/03/99)
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UPCOMING EDUCAUSE CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS:
EDUCAUSE '99
"Celebrating New Beginnings"
EDUCAUSE Annual Conference
October 26-29, 1999, Long Beach, California
http://www.educause.edu/conference/e99/
The EDUCAUSE '99 information technology conference promises to
be one of higher education's preeminent educational events. The
conference will shape and define the agenda for the
transformation of education through information technologies
for the 21st century.
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