Gates wants 'trustworthy' Microsoft
Microsoft employees should focus on making the company's products more "trustworthy," said a memorandum by chairman Bill Gates that circulated company wide on Tuesday. The memo heralds a major strategy shift for the high-tech giant, which has suffered a series of setbacks related to the security of its new Windows XP operating system and other software. "If we don't do this, people simply won't be willing -- or able -- to take advantage of all the other great work we do," Gates wrote. Microsoft's recent focus had been on developing products, but Gates has ordered that Microsoft workers should stop working on new operating system software for the month of February. Microsoft will also send its 7,000 systems programmers to security training. Soon after Windows XP's launch in the fall, a serious security hole was found in its Universal Plug and Play feature, which allows the operating system to recognize devices that are attached to a computer.
Report: NIPC headed for overhaul
The head of the government's cybercrime agency told Computerworld that the agency is preparing for what could be a radical overhaul of how it operates. Ron Dick, director of the National Infrastructure Protection Center, said he has talked with the Centers for Disease Control and Protection and the National Communications System about how their structures might provide a model for NIPC. "We're going to adopt one of the two because those models have been out there for a long time," Dick told Computerworld. But he added, "We're still trying to figure out the best method to do that and keep the private sector on a level playing field." The NIPC, based at FBI headquarters, was formed in 1998 to watch over the nation's critical infrastructures. It is best known for issuing advisories about computer security.
China Internet users jump almost 50 percent
China's online regulator said the number of Internet users there increased by almost 50 percent during 2001, to about 33.7 million, according to the South China Morning Post. The numbers were part of the China Internet Network Information Center's ninth report on Internet use and development in the country. The number of computers connected to the Internet increased to 12.5 million, up 40.6 per cent over 2000 levels, and the total number of Web domain names using China's .cn country-code was 127,319. The report cities of Beijing and Shanghai led the country in numbers of users and Web sites. CNNIC began compiling new statistics on Internet activity in 1997, according to the South China Morning Post. China regulates Internet use heavily, and the government has been known to crack down on Web sites for their political, social or intellectual content.
Enron explored selling broadband sex content
Before it became a headline-grabber for its financial collapse, energy-trading company Enron considered selling sex videos online as part of its plan to make money offering broadband services, according to the New York Times. Mr. Van der Leun, vice president for Internet ventures at the General Media Corporation, said he was approached by Enron representatives who wanted to sell broadband programming by General Media, which owns Penthouse magazine. Van der Leun told the Times he was surprised Enron was stepping so far afield. "If someone goes to porn," he said, "they're desperate." Enron spokesman Mark Palmer confirmed that the company had looked into selling sex content as part of a separate business for video-on-demand, but its core broadband business was designed to make money by "trading bandwidth." A Playboy spokeswoman said her company also was approached for a similar deal, but nothing came of it.
Supreme Court gives boost to broadband rollout
A Supreme Court ruling Wednesday removed one hurdle for the cable industry's plans to extend the reach of its broadband services. The court ruled that the federal government can regulate how much utilities companies charge for allowing cable companies to attach broadband lines to their poles. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association, which brought the case to the court, said telephone companies were overcharging cable companies for pole rights as a way of discouraging competition for their own broadband services.
Web leaders offer good financial news
Yahoo and eBay were among the major Web companies to release encouraging financial information this week. Yahoo on Wednesday reported fourth-quarter results that beat analysts' expectations -- the company lost $8.7 million for the quarter, compared to $97.8 million a year ago. Its revenues, still stunted by a slow online advertising market, fell $188.9 million from $310.9 million a year earlier. The holiday season, meanwhile, helped online auctioneer eBay to record revenues and earnings for the quarter that ended Dec. 31. The company's revenues jumped from $219 million from $134 million a year earlier. EBay also said it added 4.8 million users during the quarter, bringing its registered total to more than 42 million.
(Compiled by Joe Warminsky in Washington.)
