A virus which can damage data and make PCs unable to start up is set to hit today, the 14th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, US security experts have warned. Although the CIH or "space filler" virus has been turning up in PCs for months, the version that could strike today is the most destructive. CIH routinely affects machines on the 26th of each month, but CIH 1.2, also known as the Chernobyl virus, makes only one appearance annually. Most up-to-date anti-virus software will detect the bug and many corporate computers are safe, having recently upgraded their protection due to the considerably more benign Melissa virus, according to Sal Viveros of Network Associates. The real risk, he said, is for home users, who haven't upgraded their security in some time. Indigo Inside: Dell Ireland and Indigo are to facilitate Net access by providing Indigo's ISP software with Dell's Dimension and Inspiron models which include modems and Windows 98. Once loaded, Indigo's Internet's access service will mean users are one click away from the ISP's online registration. Informix Up: Informix Software has announced the creation of 100 new jobs through a $2 million development of its International Shared Service Centre at Westgate Business Park, Dublin. The company also announced a 22 per cent increase in revenue for the first quarter.ICANN Do It: The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has selected five companies to help consumers register Web addresses, marking the launch of an experiment aimed at opening domain-name registration to competition. Network Solutions' monopoly has ended and consumers now have the choice of going with one of five companies, including AOL and Network Solutions. Nuclear Fear: The US government has expressed serious concerns over anticipated Y2K failures internationally, particularly among Russian-designed nuclear plants. In his latest report President Clinton's Y2K adviser, John Koskinen, said one of his greatest concerns was ensuring the safe operation of 65 such nuclear plants in the new year.As We May Think: The prize-winning Irish multimedia piece Born with a Broken Tongue goes on display in Dublin's Arthouse Gallery from tomorrow as part of an exhibition of the Dublin Institute of Technology Interactive Multimedia's graduate class. The exhibition As We May Think runs until Saturday and in addition to Martin Casey's exhibit - which topped the Europrix student category award in February - contains four other interactive media pieces by the recent DIT graduates.Big Blue Smiles: IBM has beaten most earnings estimates and reported net income growth of 42 per cent to $1.5 billion in the last quarter. The company's earnings-per-share, net income, and revenue results were all first-quarter records.Prize Open: The search is on for the 1999 New Science and Technology Journalist of the Year - an all-Ireland competition open to third-level students, promoted by the Irish Science & Technology Journalists' Association in association with ICL. Information is available from Dorothea Lewis at 01 402 5000 (Dublin), or Valerie Hicks at 01232 474200 (Belfast).Oh Kay, Computer: Kay Antonelli, one of the world's first programmers, is visiting Ireland this week and giving a series of public lectures. Born Kay McNulty in the Donegal Gaeltacht in 1921, she emigrated to the US and from 1945 played a leading role in developing the programs used on ENIAC, the first electronic digital computer. She married John Mauchly, inventor of ENIAC, and helped him work on programming its successor, UNIVAC. (See Computimes, November 30th, 1998)Kay McNulty Mauchly Antonelli (left) and another of the pioneering programmers, Jean Bartik, will be speaking at the University of Limerick today (Room 205, Schhman Building, 11.30), at Dublin City University tomorrow, and at Letterkenny Institute of Technology on Thursday. Their work is the subject of a documentary being produced by the Internet development company searc.ie and an interview with them is to be broadcast live on the Web on 44k.com on May 2nd. Info - www.ohkaycomputer.comIn Brief...Xerox has posted a 14 per cent increase in first-quarter earnings despite flat revenues, meeting analysts' estimates as the company benefited from restructuring aimed at turning its document business digital. . . Sun Microsystems has unveiled StorEdge Media Central Release 1.0, an open software platform for digital media management and audio/video distribution. . . Corel has announced an alliance with two major Open Source developer communities to advance the development of its proposed Linux distribution. . . Lotus Development has announced the delivery FastSite 2.0, software that enables users of Lotus SmartSuite, Microsoft Office and other popular desktop applications to move groups of files to intranet, extranet or Internet sites. . . Gateway has said strong US and Asia-Pacific sales helped it earn $99.6 million in the first quarter, up 31 per cent from the same period a year ago. . . Esat Telecom will market Webnote, a smart-card device aimed at making the Internet more simply accessible. . .DiaryWednesday - Thursday: Computing Solutions Show, Windows World, 1999 in the RDS. Info - www.infolive.ie/winworld.
Thursday: BEC-CBI joint business council is organising a North/South eCommerce/eBusiness Seminar in co-operation with Enterprise Ireland, Merrion Hall, Strand Road, Sandymount, Dublin 4. Info - 01-2066497 or aine.ryan@enterprise-ireland.comModem Worldwww.salmonpoetry.com/Nicely designed website of Salmon Publishers - one of the most important poetry publishers in Ireland - where sample poems from Rita Ann Higgins, Theo Dorgan and others rub shoulders with discussion forums, writers' advice, and information about the Writers' Place writing workshops and residencies.www.furrywaters.com A new e-commerce enabled music site, developed to promote and sell music by the Irish Internet-based artist Peter Quinn, has been launched by independent music Label Scobyco. start.at/irishsoccer The Irish Soccer webring, catering for those with an interest in local, national and international footie.www.irishferries.ie/swift/ The Dublin Swift's sailing from Australia to Dublin will take about four weeks, and you can track its progress, message the crew and enter a competition on the site.www.ecic.ie Website dedicated to consumers' rights which sets out in a user-friendly way guidelines on the legislation in place to protect consumers, as well as outlining the services provided by the European Consumer Centre. Textbites"I believe the board contacted the wrong sources. There was a lot of behind the back discussion. I would have expected more openness, and also I would have expected that after the March board meeting I would have had a chance to present a recovery plan."- Former Compaq Computer CEO Eckhard Pfeiffer interviewed by CNN putting some of the blame on Compaq's board for both troubles at the world's top PC maker and his dismissal.Top GamesThe top-selling PC CD-Rom games at Virgin Megastore are:1. Championship Manager 3 - £29.992. Civilisation: Call To Power - £34.993. X-Wing Alliance - £34.994. Grand Theft Auto London - £19.995. Rollercoaster Tycoon - £34.996. Premier Manager '99 - £19.997. Heroes of Might & Magic 3 - £34.998. Jimmy White Cueball 2 - £29.999. FIFA 99 - £19.9910. Alpha Centauri - £34.99Monitor compiled by Conor Pope. Page layout by Sarah Marriott. Text-only email to computimes@irish-times.ie preferred (rather than fax, post, phone). No attachments, please. Private correspondence should be marked "Not for publication".