More than 75 per cent of Irish parents believe they are unable to control and monitor their children's use of the Internet as they do not know enough about it, a new study has indicated. Carried out by Internet consultants Amβrach on behalf of the Internet Advisory Board, the study is the first of its kind in Ireland. Almost 80 per cent of parents say they have rules (mainly about forbidden websites) and 60 per cent say that they have discussed potential Internet dangers with children. However, 40 per cent of children who use the Internet at home say they usually access it when alone and only 60 per cent are aware of Internet access restrictions.
Unsurprisingly, access to pornography is the biggest parental concern. Other concerns include exposure to unsuitable people, such as paedophiles, and anti-social material. But the majority of parents are positive about the Net. Around 60 per cent agree that the positive aspects of Internet use among children outweigh the negatives, while 70 per cent of children say it is very important for their schoolwork. But then they would, wouldn't they.
SETTLEMENT UNLIKELY: As settlement talks get under way yet again in the Microsoft anti-trust case, legal experts are still doubtful about whether the company will reach a compromise with the US government. Despite strong exhortations to settle from US District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, Microsoft executives may still conclude they are better off holding out for a final ruling than making major concessions to the government, anti-trust attorneys have said. "I would be surprised if we saw a settlement in short order," said Andrew Gavil, a professor of antitrust law at Howard University in Washington. "Microsoft will only settle if it's in their interest to settle." Settlement talks in 1998 failed to stop the launch of the landmark antitrust case against the software giant. A one-day effort during the trial in 1999 also failed, as did over four months of mediation last year.
COMPAQ CALLBACK: Compaq is recalling 1.4 million power adapters used with some of its laptop computers, US federal safety regulators announced last week. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Compaq agreed to the recall after receiving five reports that the AC power adapters caught fire. No injuries were reported. The recall involves AC adapters used with some of its Armada, Prosignia and Notebook models, and were sold individually as well. The adapters were sold between September, 1998, and July, 2001.
3G LIFT OFF: The world's first 3G phone service has been introduced by Japanese telecom company NTT DoCoMo. Users of the new phone will be able to surf the Net and see pictures of the people they are talking to. They will also be able to download material from the Internet 40 times faster than they can now. Technical problems and an unstable network forced DoCoMo to postpone its original launch date in May. The Japanese telecommunications firm hopes to conquer the markets in Europe and America and snap up six million domestic subscribers by March, 2004. The service, named "Freedom of Mobile Multi-media Access", or Foma, will initially be limited to a 20-mile radius around a number of centres.
DELL DOES WELL: Mixed messages are coming out of the PC industry with Dell Computers saying its business is on track for its fiscal third quarter and Gateway warning its losses would exceed expectations. Both companies, as well as the number two PC manufacturer, Compaq, have said there was a drop in demand for PCs following the terrorist attacks in the US.
LOSS OF FREEDOM: Freedom Security and privacy software vendor Zero-Knowledge Systems is to discontinue its Freedom Network services which enable users to surf the Web and post messages or email anonymously. The Montreal-based company said the decision was made nine months ago and refuted speculation that it was due to US government pressure, or that it was a reaction to the September 11th attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Centre. "When we saw that there wasn't a big enough market for that feature, we decided to stop offering it," Austin Hill, Zero-Knowledge co-founder and chief strategy officer said.
INTEL'S LOSS OF DRIVE: Intel is asking large PC manufacturers to stop including standard 1.44 MB floppy drives, serial ports, and PS/2 ports in consumer PCs by the end of 2002. Corporate PCs will continue to ship with floppy drives. The Macintosh already lost its dependence on built-in floppy drives in a controversial move several years ago.
GLOBAL PARTNERS: High-speed communications network services company Global Crossing may merge with its majority-owned Asian affiliate, Asia Global Crossing, in a move to expand its network reach and cut costs as it combats falling prices, stiff competition and weak sales.
CHANGING FACE OF SECURITY: Viisage Technology is to install the first face-recognition system at a US airport, responding to heightened demand for better airport security following last month's attacks. Viisage, whose stock has skyrocketed since September 11th, makes systems that can cross-check surveillance-camera footage with criminal mugshots. The company said its system would be deployed within a month at a major US airport, but declined to give the location.
MS SECURITY: Microsoft has announced a new initiative to help customers improve the security of their networks after a string of high-profile viruses targeted Microsoft software used to run Web sites. The announcement follows a string of Internet worms and other security breaches, including the Code Red worm of August and Nimda worm in September. Those worms, which are self-propagating viruses, exploited holes in Microsoft's Internet Information Services server software and installed "backdoors" that left infected computers vulnerable to future hacking.
AMAZON'S PROFITS?: Amazon.com's chief financial officer, Warren Jenson, has claimed that the online retailer is well positioned to meet its goal for profits, excluding in the fourth quarter. But he cautioned that the economy was remained unpredictable.