.net (French) 1996 November/.net Magazine (FR) - Issue 01 - Nov 1996.iso/mac/Courrier/Pegasus Mail v2.1.2 Folder/Mail/P081E0.CNM

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Subject: From the Newsdesk - April 14-20
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 1996 11:22:48 +0700
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Direct from Bangkok, after a SRO performance in the
Post Database technology section, 24 April 1996, it's
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       From the Newsdesk 14-20 April 1996
          Copyright (c) 1996 Post Publishing Co and by the author.

A review of what made technology news in Thailand, the region and
All The Rest Of The World during the past week.

This article is provided for information only and may not be reproduced in
any commercial publication or broadcast of any kind without permission.

Information on subscribing and unsubscribing below.
........................
THAILAND
INDUSTRY sources reported continuing pressure from the World
Trade Organisation to coax Thailand into "a truly liberalised
package" of telecoms reforms; analysts said there were two
chances Bangkok would offer such a package before the end of the
month as demanded: slim and fat.

   The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) put
up *five new objections* to a master telecoms plan already long
delayed; the Board wants the prime minister in charge of the
plan, not the communications minister; it also wants a whole new
telecoms law, not just amendments to current laws.

   Deputy Minister of Communications Sombat Uthaisang joined the
call for the government to open bids _now_ for the next 6 million
telephone lines; the Telephone Organisation of Thailand (TOT)
opposes it, until the so-called "master plan" for 1999 is
written.

   Samart Corp won Post and Telegraph Department approval for
supplying *pagers to the public;* the firm has been restricted to
sales to civil servants and state enterprise employees; Samart
expects 100,000 customers by year-end, up from the current
30,000. Thai Telephone and Telecommunication will build its first
Personal Handyphone System base stations in Chiang Mai, Hat Yai,
Korat and Surat Thani; calling charges will be *below the
cellular rate,* although the PHS system doesn't work as well.

   Two private mobile phone operators -- Advanced Info Service
and Total Access Communications -- are unamused by the decision
to allow fixed-line phone operators to run the Personal
Handyphone System; they demanded *new deals from the TOT;* Mr
Sombat said the issue is on hold. Shinawatra is within days of
signing a 20-year telecoms deal with Laos, the company said.

   Senior executive vice president Suchin Suwanacheep said his
Loxley Group is mulling over whether to make a bid to install 6
million new telephone lines; the company cited low return on
investment and Mr Suchin said project loans were uncertain; he
claimed there is little demand in a saturated fixed-line market.

   Today is *Professional Secretaries' Day;* if you have one, you
have to be nice today.

   The Export Promotion Department predicted a large rise in
air-conditioner exports this year. The international arm of
*Shinawatra Computer is selling* an unknown-sized stake in the
firm to Germany's Deutsche Telekom AG. Thai jewellery
manufacturers are turning to cyberspace as a major sales tool;
the goal is to cash in on the American economic upturn and
fascination with the Internet.

   The board of the Communications Authority of Thailand (CAT)
approved investment of 1.998 billion baht in an undersea cable
network to Thailand and Indonesia.

EAST ASIA-PACIFIC

   China continued steps to take over information: the state news
agency *Xinhua must approve every word* foreigners distribute in
China; all Internet users must register with the government. The
US again demanded China stop copyright piracy; Indonesia promised
to combat software piracy after US complaints.

   Indonesia has proposed that *a Ukrainian rocket launch* a new
communications satellite from the province of Irian Jaya. Indosat
has put in bids to operate a GSM cellular network and a central
telecommunications gateway in Cambodia. Singapore Broadcasting
began writing guidelines for Internet providers; they will be
effective in June, and make providers responsible for "abuse"
such as *pictures of naked people* and naked discussion of
politics.

   Yunnan will have a "sophisticated" pager system by June,
provincial authorities promised; Nokia won a Yunnan contract for
a $10 million expansion of the cellular phone network. Prices on
cellular *phones have been lowered* across China; Beijing media
said the idea was to remove them as a yuppie symbol and put them
in the hands of white-collar workers; China has more than 3.3
million cellular users.

   China has put up *roadblocks in Hong Kong* to the $52 million
merger of British Telecoms and Cable and Wireless.

   Ericsson will install its Intelligent Networks for Guangdong
Post and Telecommunications, the first such contract for the
European firm in China; the Swedish giant also won multi-million
dollar contracts to *expand cellular phone networks* in Guangxi
and Heilongjiang provinces. Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region is
building a 6,522-km optical fibre network, fifth longest in
China.

   Lockheed Martin opened its first China office, in Beijing; the
company is "confident" China will sort out the *problems with its
Long March 3B* rocket scheduled to launch a Lockheed satellite
next year. Cheyenne Software set up a sales and support office in
China.

   China aims to have *a telephone in every Beijing household* by
the year 2000. It predicted its telecoms turnover will triple to
$36.14 billion in the next four years; the industry has averaged
growth of 51 per cent since 1990, almost four times the national
economic increase. China will *lower international telecoms
rates* by an average of 20 per cent, beginning after July. _China
Daily_ reported "people's complaints" of noise pollution from
pocket pagers.

   Profits of Macao's Companhia de Telecomunicacoes de Macau,
owned 51 per cent by Cable and Wireless, were up 12.2 per cent
last year to 265.7 million patacas; each Macao resident talked
four hours on international lines last year, on average.

   Toshiba released a *spiffy new "ultraportable"* called
Libretto 20; it weights 840-gm, has a 6-inch colour screen,
Windows 95 and a 486 DX4 chip; with 8MB of RAM, an 88-key
keyboard and a 270MB hard drive, it sells for $1,870 in Japan.

   Japan feels good about the possibility of a *new semiconductor
agreement* with America, Tokyo's trade minister said. On the
other hand, it has no intention of deregulating Cable TV. Even as
US broadcasters viewed a digital TV signal at a Las Vegas
convention, Japanese broadcasters demanded their government
continue supporting the *analog high-definition standard.*
Japan's two largest portable phone providers cut call rates. NEC
showed off a new expressway emergency telephone for Windows 3.1
and Windows 95.

   Japan's Mitsubishi Materials will build a $130 million plant
in Alabama, in America, to make polysilicon for computer chips.
Japan expects *frequency shortages for portable* phones this
year; the ministry of telecommunications has a five-year plan to
expand cellular phone capacity sharply.

   Thirty South Korean telecom licences went up for bidding.

   IBM's Australian venture ISSC Australia officially announced a
tie-up with Telstra; it aims at becoming *Australia's largest*
communications and data processing centre. The Microsoft-Telstra
joint venture to market the Microsoft Network will cost several
Australian executives their jobs. Telstra privatisation will see
*30,000 jobs axed,* as well as a new managing director and a
reshaped board. Telecommunications group Optus Communications of
Australia will float a new shares issue within this year.

   An Australia doctor began selling his euthanasia computer
program called "Deliverance," apparently based on the FORMAT
command; you *fill up your intravenous drip* with pentabarbitone,
and the program -- which is not shareware -- asks you three
questions; the final one is, "If you press `YES,' *you will die,*
Do you wish to proceed? Yes/No."

   Open Networks won the New Zealand Stock Exchange contract to
supply a new router-based network.

   India failed again to get bids from private companies to
supply basic telecommunications services in nine regions; *only
one bid* was entered. The Indian unit of AT&T won an Indian
government contract to set up a network management system for 785
million rupees.

WORLD

THE law of unintended consequences was obeyed. Microsoft shipped
4,000 copies of a Word *virus in documents for programmers.* The
Netscape browser stopped working properly for millions because of
the switch to summer time in America. Proud new owners of
Microsoft NT discovered if they installed over Microsoft Windows
95, NT wipes out all their applications, which then have to be
re-installed.

   W magazine recognised the computer revolution; its cover story
is titled "De-Dorking Bill Gates;" it includes pleas to Mr Bill
to *lose the Beatles haircut,* collegiate sweaters and goggle
glasses, which, says W, "may be part of his whiz kid charm, but
it's time to move on." Another magazine ran a contest to name Mr
Gates' first baby (Ver 1.0), due soon although cynics said they
expected the delivery date to slip; the first suggestion was Perl
E. Gates.

   Two Gates software babies will be late. There will be no
Windows 96, and *probably no Windows 97;* Microsoft is aiming for
Windows 98; it also has slipped the shipping of the next Windows
NT version, Cairo, to 1998. Microsoft appointed Laura Jennings to
replace Microsoft Network head, Russ Siegelman. Microsoft bought
Exos, maker of a "precision game control" which allows users to
-- for example -- feel a virtual racing car's vibrations.

   US presidential candidate Bob Dole confirmed he is no geek;
spotting a high school student logged into the Web, Mr Dole
exclaimed, "That's my whatchamacallit;" he meant _home page._

   Novell started open *beta testing of NetWare Client 32* for
DOS and Windows; it provides fast 32-bit access to NetWare,
including simultaneous access to multiple directory trees; the
beta version is on the Web, from *http://netwire.novell.com.*
Best home page name of the year, for a place to search for health
and medical topics: Achoo; (Guesundheit;) the Web address is
*http://www.achoo.com/.*

   There's big money in little businesses, such as accessories
for the $944 million worth of tech gadgets sold last year; a
survey showed 4 in 10 cellular phone owners will buy extra
batteries and 6 in 10 will buy a cigarette lighter-charger for
the car; 5 of 10 video owners buy a head cleaner, and 50 per cent
of video camera buyers will purchase a tripod.

   Bill Clinton, who is the only president of a superpower
nation, is worried there are *bomb-making instructions on the
Internet;* very worried; way, way more worried than he is about
US government pamphlets and library books with bomb-making
instructions. Thanks to MCI and Rock the Vote, American youths
can register to vote for Mr Clinton or anyone else; but there's
*still no online voting* -- yet.

   It was a good week for *fans of Ned Ludd,* foe of the
industrial revolution. Author Cliff Stoll claimed people without
computer skills would have an _advantage_ in future job markets;
New Media Associates president Mark Stahlman predicted
advertisers will "dump the Web" in 1996 because they can't
manipulate the audience's unconscious fears like on TV; Russian
Internet bigwig Anatoly Voronov slammed the Web as "the ultimate
act of *intellectual colonialism"* because of all the English on
it; a director of Digital Video Investments scoffed at the
all-in-one PC-TV because computers are personal, and a family
logging into the Web together is "as aggravating as back-seat
driving."

   MCI and America's NBC TV network are testing the phone
company's high-speed, multimedia data communications system which
delivers *video on demand;* it could reduce satellite usage
substantially. MSNBC goes on the air in July; the Microsoft-NBC
cable TV network will feature news, a media show and a one-hour
talk show; it will be online on the Web.

   Some content will be by Ziff-Davis Publishing's new ZDTV,
which will produce television and Internet programming. The
Internet's Lycos search site and book publishers Simon & Schuster
will publish Internet-related books, *on paper and on disk.*
Microsoft is to publish online entertainment magazines in several
major cities. Prodigy will relaunch in a few months using
Internet-style technology.

   Apple Computer lost one-third of its sales to business
customers in the first quarter, compared to last year. Apple
promised to help develop Tower Records' Web site.

   *Apple Computer didn't lose $700 million* last quarter after
all; it lost $740 million; former Apple chief Michael Spindler
said in an interview it was all his fault; Apple lost another top
executive, research and development vice president David C.
Nagel, who left for AT&T; Apple will have an almost entirely new
management by next month, and fire 2,800 employees to boot. IBM
earnings were down 40 per cent compared with 1995, but still
showed a $774 million profit. Microsoft profits rose 42 per cent,
spurred by solid sales of desktop applications.

   IBM will spend $35 million to turn its disk drive plant in
Hungary into Europe's largest. IBM developed the first hard disk
capable of storing a *gigabyte in a square inch.*

   Webgods Netscape And Microsoft agreed on common "markup
language" standards for the World Wide Web; the result is that
all *browsers of the future* should work on all Web pages.
Microsoft released a beta of Internet Explorer Version 3, closing
the browser gap with Netscape. Netscape Communications branched
out a bit, joining General Electric's Information Services in
Actra Business Systems, a joint venture to market software
solutions for business-to-consumer transactions over the
Internet.

   Internet index site Yahoo, which grossed $2.5 million last
year, went public, and US stock investors *valued it at $750
million.* CompuServe is to drop the use of ASCII (text) entirely,
and use the text-graphics system known as Host-Micro Interface,
or HMI.

   Authentication specialists Security Dynamics bought
high-profile public encryption experts RSA Data Security for
about $200 million in stocks; the deal is all about *online
commerce security.* The chairman of Digital Secured Networks
Technology, Aharon Friedman, said the RSA-standard proposals to
guard Visa and Mastercard security on the Internet are flawed and
insecure. A new partnership, Tandem's Atalla Division and VLSI
Technology, started work on chip-level transaction security
products for business.

   A US student researcher surveyed Net junkies; he found *73 per
cent access smut,* 12 per cent have friends _only_ on the
Internet, and 30 per cent had tried to cut back their login time
but failed; of course, as tragic victims of Web dependence know,
*admitting a Net addiction* is the first step to finding more and
cooler Web Pages.

   The ominous-sounding World Wide Web Consortium and CommerceNet
are setting up Web payment protocols called the Joint Electronic
Payments Initiative; JEPI is the umpteenth attempt at secure
Internet payments.

   MurkWorks introduced 'Net BBS, a bulletin board system *(BBS)
which hooks directly into the Internet* and can be accessed via a
Web page link. Oracle, IBM and Sun Microsystems are setting basic
software design for that "$500 Internet computer;" Oracle's chief
executive, Larry Ellison, said Boeing Corp has already ordered a
"large quantity" of the vapour machines.

   Virus-expert McAfee Software was stunned when *Cheyenne turned
down its $1 billion* stock bid to buy the data storage management
firm. Last year was called the Year of Downsizing, but executive
pay at the largest US firms rose 30 per cent over 1994 to an
average $3.7 million; AT&T CEO Robert Allen, who got *$16 million
and fired 40,000* of his workers, said he "feels no pain."

   US Robotics announced a two-for-one stock split.

   Yet another study failed to show that electrical power lines
cause cancer; Americans depending on the lawsuits to finance
retirement grew nervous. Timothy Leary, who takes drugs and has
cancer, has threatened -- or promised -- to commit *suicide
online.*
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