__ Wired News __
__ Technophobes __
Redmond's earnings notwithstanding, Warren Buffet told Berkshire Hathaway shareholders that "technology is just something we don't understand, so we don't invest in it." Another Silicon skeptic - Ted Kaczynski - accused federal prosecutors of false statements about his political beliefs. The convicted Unabomber will have time to refine his antitechnology philosophy while he serves four life sentences.
__ Antitrust Rumble __
How do you ship an OS upgrade? Code till dawn, alert the press, and negotiate with the DOJ and 20 antitrust-happy state attorneys general. Both federal and state prosecutors delayed filing antitrust suits against Microsoft, and, in exchange, Redmond temporarily delayed the launch of Windows 98. Settlement talks continued.
__ High-Speed Chase __
Undaunted by the competition to bring video to homes by digital subscriber line technology, U S West announced an integrated digital TV and high-speed Net service in Phoenix, Arizona, based on very-high-speed DSL. The cable cabal answered with a cable broadband alliance with Microsoft, Intel, and the top dogs of tech. Get ready for the next round of Cable vs. Copper.
__ Usenet Hygiene __
Usenet's unofficial guardians - the altruists who prune newsgroups of junk postings - went on strike. Although the Usenet Spam Cancel Moratorium failed to unleash the predicted tsunami, smaller Internet service providers who rely on these volunteer despammers to keep their Usenet feeds clean were hit hard - hard enough, moratorium organizers hoped, to teach them the value of spam-filtering tools.
__ Cheap Talk __
The Federal Communications Commission won't hit Internet long distance providers such as Qwest and IDT with the same levies that traditional phone companies pay - yet. But in a report to Congress, the FCC suggested that the Net boys will soon be asked to pitch in on universal access charges. The tax ax is poised.
__ Who Bought What __
Disney gobbled up Paul Allen's remaining chunk of Starwave for an undisclosed sum, adding the Internet firm to its growing Cyber Kingdom.... Bill Gates bought the Winslow Homer seascape Lost on the Grand Banks for $30 million, adding the painting to his growing art collection.
__ Elektra Company __
Jennifer Edstrom, whose mother Pam is Microsoft's chief PR flack, cowrote Barbarians Led by Bill Gates. The book, which scrapes the gloss off Redmond and features dishy interviews with high-ranking employees, pissed off both Mom and Bill. "Let's put it this way," the young Edstrom said, "I wasn't invited to Easter brunch."
__ Spend Engines __
The recent surge in stock prices has left search-engine companies flush with cash - and looking for places to spend it. Infoseek dropped US$6.7 million in stock to buy WebChat Broadcasting System. Lycos bought intelligent-agent start-up WiseWire for $39.75 million in stock - and partnered with AT&T. As did Excite, days later. Call them ISSPs - Internet search and service providers.
__ Playing Monopoly __
The Federal Trade Commission prepared to charge chip giant Intel with strong-arming PC-makers by withholding technology and/or chip supply.... MCI's jilted pursuer, GTE, filed suit to block the WorldCom/MCI merger, charging that the combined company would constitute a Boardwalk and Park Place of the Internet.
__ The Bottom Lines __
Sun reported modest quarterly profits of $232 million, up from a year earlier ... Apple's revenues dropped, but Jobs & Co. still earned a second straight quarterly profit - of $55 million ... Still peanuts compared to Microsoft's three-month net: $1.34 billion.
__ Netscape Remake __
First a consumer software company, then a corporate networking player, Netscape rewrote its business plan again. "You will see us massively expanding in the media area," explained CEO Jim Barksdale. The first step: a partnership with USA.Net to offer free email service through Netscape's Web site. The second: a partnership with Excite to develop a Netscape search engine and a slew of content channels. In other words, Netscape wants a P/E ratio more like Yahoo!'s.
__ Steve Jobs Inc. __
Apple Computer shelved Rhapsody in favor of OS X, a more Mac-like system. Cupertino earned kudos for the speedy and sexy new iMac and for convincing Intuit to stick with Quicken for the Mac. The unrelated moves have one thing in common: Steve Jobs's fingerprints.
__ Quantifying Race __
Vanderbilt profs Donna Hoffman and Thomas Novak quantified the racial divide in technology access: 73 percent of white students own a home computer, compared with less than a third of black students.
