ACM TechNews - Monday, October 1, 2001

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ACM TechNews
Volume 3, Number 259
Date: October 1, 2001
Site Sponsored by Gateway (http://www.gateway.com)

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

"Spending on Computers Is Seen Slowing in Wake of the Attacks"
"Hill Puts Brakes on Expanding Police Powers"
"30,000 May Lose Jobs in Merger of HP, Compaq"
"Software to Track Customers' Needs Helped Firms React"
"Computer Robots Gather Intelligence"
"IBM Plans Energy-Efficient Chip to Counter High Electricity Costs"
"New Judge Urges Microsoft, DOJ to Settle"
"New Economy: Solidifying Trademark Protection In a Global Market"
"Telecommuting Won't Increase Without High-speed Internet Access"
"Up and Atom With Latest: Nanotechnology"
"Security Issues Overshadow Net Tax Debate"
"The Tech Sector's Latest Discovery: Managers Must Lead"
"Networks at Risk: Assessing Vulnerabilities"
"Machines With a Human Touch"
"Wizard of Redmond's Magic Show"
"The Paper Chase"
"Virtual Teams, Real Benefits"
"The Dangers of Modularity"
"Putting It Together"

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

"Spending on Computers Is Seen Slowing in Wake of the Attacks"
Computer-spending budgets are expected to slow down severely as a
result of the terrorist attacks, according to a survey conducted
by Ed Yardeni of Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown and CIO Magazine.
CIOs polled in the survey have downgraded their 12-month budget ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item1

"Hill Puts Brakes on Expanding Police Powers"
The Bush administration introduced an anti-terrorism package a
week after the terrorist attacks in New York City and the
District of Columbia, and the bill had a lot of support from
citizens who favored stronger police powers.  However, there is ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item2

"30,000 May Lose Jobs in Merger of HP, Compaq"
Merging companies Compaq Computer and Hewlett-Packard have
announced 15,000 expected job cuts, but that number could double
because of falling demand and similar products, according to
investors.  Analysts anticipate PC spending to decline due to the ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item3

"Software to Track Customers' Needs Helped Firms React"
Customer relationship management (CRM) software proved its
effectiveness immediately following the Sept. 11 attacks, as
businesses pulled up specific information about clients near the
World Trade Center in New York City.  CRM sales have slowed to ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item4

"Computer Robots Gather Intelligence"
The military is stepping up its development of software robots to
sort through intelligence and automate some of the tasks
traditionally handled by humans.  Because the U.S. intelligence
apparatus collects far too much information for human agents to ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item5

"IBM Plans Energy-Efficient Chip to Counter High Electricity Costs"
IBM is touting an energy-efficient microchip that will be
included in its new Regatta Unix server, which is slated to be
introduced this week.  The Power4 chip will be four times as fast
as the Power3 but consume one-third less power, making the server ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item6

"New Judge Urges Microsoft, DOJ to Settle"
The district court judge now presiding over the Microsoft
antitrust case has set a timeline for the two sides to reach a
settlement and has urged the two sides to work around the clock
to settle the case.  Unless a settlement can be reached by Nov. ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item7

"New Economy: Solidifying Trademark Protection In a Global Market"
The Internet and other types of electronic technologies are
helping to increase the value of U.S.-based brands and trademarks
in the global marketplace.  The International Trademark
Association, a global organization comprised of 4,000 trademark ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item8

"Telecommuting Won't Increase Without High-speed Internet Access"
Telecommuting without high-speed Internet access is problematic,
according to a techies.com survey of 1,953 technology
professionals.  Almost every telecommuter in the survey said
technical limitations were their biggest grievance.  Some 58 ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item9

"Up and Atom With Latest: Nanotechnology"
Nanotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, and bioinformatics are all
hot areas of investment for venture capitalists looking for big
payoffs.  Much of that investment is risky, especially in
nanotechnology, as the science behind them promises ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item10

"Security Issues Overshadow Net Tax Debate"
Congress is set to temporarily extend the Internet tax moratorium
by at least six more months so that it can concentrate on more
pressing legislative issues in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks, according to sources in Congress.  The Internet tax ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item11

"The Tech Sector's Latest Discovery: Managers Must Lead"
Technology companies are discovering the value of skilled
managers in light of the current economic environment.  Business
pressures are revealing another mistake often made by tech
companies--promoting technologically adept, but not necessarily ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item12

"Networks at Risk: Assessing Vulnerabilities"
The terrorist attacks underline the vulnerability of the global
telecommunications network.  But although U.S. intelligence and
security policy experts have long bemoaned the unpreparedness of
the Internet, little progress has been made to lessen the ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item13

"Machines With a Human Touch"
Neuromorphic engineers are taking cues from millions of years of
evolution to create more efficient robots.  The researchers "look
at brain structures such as the retina and the cortex, and then
devise chips that contain neurons and primitive rendition of ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item14

"Wizard of Redmond's Magic Show"
The 10th anniversary of Microsoft Research offered market experts
a glimpse of what the software giant envisions for the future of
computing.  Microsoft appears to be placing a heavy emphasis on
distributed processing and intelligence to include mobile and ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item15

"The Paper Chase"
H-1B visa holders continue to wait for the U.S. Immigration and
Naturalization Service (INS) to decide on whether to grant a
grace period to visa holders who are out of work.  Although the
INS was considering giving H-1B visa holders 60 days to find a ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item16

"Virtual Teams, Real Benefits"
Companies can save money, raise productivity, and extend
resources by organizing their IT professionals into virtual teams
that can concentrate on specific problems.  For instance, Bechtel
used a virtual team of system administrators to manage a global ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item17

"The Dangers of Modularity"
Harvard Business School assistant professor Lee Fleming and Olav
Sorenson of UCLA propose that true technological innovation
depends on products whose components show a certain degree of
interdependence.  But most companies favor modular designs so ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item18

"Putting It Together"
The Internet, rather than removing geographic boundaries, is
establishing them:  Certain people are being positioned into
highly interactive networks, while much of the world's population
remains disconnected for lack of money or skills.  A survey ...
http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2001-3/1001m.html#item19


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