Raw Data
Edited by Steve G. Steinberg
(Note: the graphs that accompany this article are available only in the print version of Wired.)
GPS Sales
GPS (Global Positioning System) uses signals from a network of satellites to pinpoint a user's location within a 100 meters. The technique has been used by the military for years - but plummeting prices and shrinking size are now bringing GPS receivers to backpackers and recreational boaters.
FCC Spending
Despite the talk about telecommunications deregulation, FCC spending has been steadily increasing since 1989. Critics point to the Cable Act of 1992 as an example of new and unnecessary regulations that have expanded the FCC's power - and their budget. Watch for GOP-backed cuts.
Home Shopping
The home-shopping industry remains healthy, but analysts fear that sales have reached a plateau. The industry is dominated by infomercials and the Big Two shopping channels, none of which has been able to break out of its low-cost, private-label niche. Will online shopping fare any better?
CD-ROM Economics
Last Christmas, the average CD-ROM retailed for US$39 - rock bottom for a product that sells in low volumes and demands Hollywood-style production. That makes it difficult for small CD-ROM publishers to survive. Especially when they must share their profits with a distributor.
Edited by Steve G. Steinberg SOURCES: GPS Sales: GPS Industry Council; CD-ROM economics: Multimedia Marketing Inc.; FCC spending: FCC / Heritage Foundation; Home Shopping: NIMA, HSN, QVC.
