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ACM TechNews - Friday, June 1, 2001



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ACM TechNews
Volume 3, Number 209
Date: June 1, 2001
Site Sponsored by Gateway (http://www.gateway.com)

Top Stories for Friday, June 1, 2001:
http://www.acm.org/technews/current/homepage.html

"Apache Survives Server Crack Attack"
"A Constitutional Right to Decode?"
"Report: Dot-Com Layoffs Slowing Down"
"Layoffs Lead to Revenge Hacking"
"Don't Lay Off Staff; Instead, Buy Fewer Computers"
"More Cuts in Tech Spending Mean Slump Will Drag On"
"For Efficiency, Light-Emitting Diodes May Turn to Carbon"
"For a Premium, INS to Expedite Visa Processing"
"Feds Raise Bar for Disabled"
"To Improve High-Speed 'Flip Chip,' Scientists Follow the
 Bouncing Droplets"
"High-Speed Links Fuel Electronic Commuting"
"ICANN's I Can't Attitude Alienating Internet Community"
"IBM, Others Aim to 'Refine Features' of Linux for Enterprises"
"Making IT Accessible"
"From the Dustbin, Cobol Rises"
"Israel on Edge"
"Engineering Complexities"

******************* News Stories ***********************

"Apache Survives Server Crack Attack"
The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) revealed Thursday that a
hacker had infiltrated its server.  The server in question
handles public mail lists, various Web services, and critical
repositories of source code for ASF projects, but ASF officials . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/0601f.html#item1

"A Constitutional Right to Decode?"
The federal appeals court presiding over the movie industry's
lawsuit against 2600 Magazine recently asked both sides critical
questions as to whether the DeCSS DVD-descrambling code in
question enjoys free speech protection.  In arguments on behalf . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/0601f.html#item2

"Report: Dot-Com Layoffs Slowing Down"
Layoffs in the dot-com sector decreased 24% from April to
May, according to a new report from outplacement firm Challenger,
Gray & Christmas.  Dot-com layoffs in May totaled 13,419,
compared with 17,554 in April, but still much greater than the . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/0601f.html#item3

"Layoffs Lead to Revenge Hacking"
According to a survey of 538 businesses, universities, and
government agencies by San Francisco-based Computer Security
Institute, 85% had their computer systems broken into last
year, and of the 186 companies that put a monetary value on the . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/0601f.html#item4

"Don't Lay Off Staff; Instead, Buy Fewer Computers"
Analysts say firms should be careful when considering layoffs
during the current economic downturn.  Instead, they should look
to other strategies to pare their costs.  Investing in
money-saving technology such as an integrated copier/scanner/fax . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/0601f.html#item5

"More Cuts in Tech Spending Mean Slump Will Drag On"
A recent Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown/CIO Magazine survey of 260
CIOs suggests that the tech slump could drag on longer than
expected, as many corporations are continuing to revise their
tech spending downward.  Because CIOs expect to do significantly . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/0601f.html#item6

"For Efficiency, Light-Emitting Diodes May Turn to Carbon"
New organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays promise to
enhance the resolution and energy-efficiency of electronic device
screens.  While older liquid crystal display (LCD) technology
uses small filters to block backlit light and produce images, . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/0601f.html#item7

"For a Premium, INS to Expedite Visa Processing"
The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has instituted a
new visa application process that could affect how quickly
foreign tech workers who are seeking visas under the H-1B process
receive approval.  Under the terms of the new process, certain . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/0601f.html#item8

"Feds Raise Bar for Disabled"
Legislation mandating that new electronics purchases by federal
agencies be accessible to the disabled is creating a stir in the
technology sector.  An amendment to the Rehabilitation Act, the
law goes into affect Jun. 21 and will open up government offices . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/0601f.html#item9

"To Improve High-Speed 'Flip Chip,' Scientists Follow the
 Bouncing Droplets"
The promise of flip-chips has Dataquest analyst Jim Walker
projecting that the presence of the technology will quadruple in
all chip-package types by 2004, up from only 2% last year.
Already in use in microprocessors such as Intel's Pentium II and . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/0601f.html#item10

"High-Speed Links Fuel Electronic Commuting"
Telecommuting experts say high-speed cable modems and DSL
connections are driving the work-at-home trend.  The
International Telework Association and Council says the number of
Americans involved in telework has risen 20% from a year . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/0601f.html#item11

"ICANN's I Can't Attitude Alienating Internet Community"
ICANN's board will be meeting in Stockholm starting June 1, and
this meeting has sparked a flurry of press releases, some
supporting and others denouncing ICANN.  VeriSign, U.S.
government officials, and ICANN officials tend to be ICANN's . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/0601f.html#item12

"IBM, Others Aim to 'Refine Features' of Linux for Enterprises"
IBM, Fujitsu, and NEC announced Wednesday they are combining
their resources to enhance the open-source Linux operating
system's suitability to large enterprise implementations.  The
companies' efforts will concentrate on improving the platform's . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/0601f.html#item13

"Making IT Accessible"
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that the United States has 60
million disabled individuals, 70% of whom say they are
underemployed or without employment at all because of that
disability.  Disabled individuals confront a particular challenge . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/0601f.html#item14

"From the Dustbin, Cobol Rises"
The IT industry is suffering an acute lack of programmers who
know Cobol, the 40-year-old language in which much of the world's
business data is written.  Gartner Group reports that 200 billion
lines of Cobol code existed as of last year, with an expected . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/0601f.html#item15

"Israel on Edge"
The escalating violence between Palestinians and Israelis has
many industry observers worried that Israel's tech sector could
be gravely damaged.  Israel, dependent on the latest technology
because of its unique security and military needs, has become a . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/0601f.html#item16

"Engineering Complexities"
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has grown
significantly from 12 years ago, when its 200-odd members met on
college campuses, to become an organization comprised of as many
as 8,000 participants spread across over 100 working groups.  . . .
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/0601f.html#item17


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