The Project Gutenberg Weekly Newsletter For Wednesday, April 21, 2004 PT1
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1494 New eBooks So Far in 2004
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That's the 3.5 MONTHS of 2004 as Compared to ~27 YEARS!!!
Here Is A Sample Of What Books Were Being Done Around #1494
Nov 1998 Locrine/Mucedorus, Shakespeare Apocrypha [1ws48xxx.xxx] 1548
. . .[Various Editions of Shakespeare]
Oct 1998 King Henry VI, Part 1, by William Shakespeare [2ws01xxx.xxx] 1500
Oct 1998 Beacon Lights of History, by John Lord [V3 Part 2][32blhxxx.xxx] 1499
[Subtitle: Renaissance and Reformation] [Also see: #10532]
Oct 1998 Beacon Lights of History, by John Lord [V3 Part 1][31blhxxx.xxx] 1498
[Subtitle: The Middle Ages] [Also see: #10531]
Oct 1998 The Republic by Plato, Tr. Benjamin Jowett/see 150[repub11x.xxx] 1497
Oct 1998 Massacre at Paris, by Christopher Marlowe [CM #5][msprsxxx.xxx] 1496
Oct 1998 The Golf Course Mystery, by Chester K. Steele [glfmsxxx.xxx] 1495
Oct 1998 The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg Volume 2[2lotjxxx.xxx] 1494
Oct 1998 The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg Volume 1[1lotjxxx.xxx] 1493
Oct 1998 The Life of Columbus, [in his own words] by Hale [tloccxxx.xxx] 1492
Oct 1998 Letters to Dead Authors, by Andrew Lang [Lang #9] [letdaxxx.xxx] 1491
Oct 1998 The New McGuffey Fourth Reader[McGuffey Reader #2][4nmcgxxx.xxx] 1490
Oct 1998 The New McGuffey First Reader [McGuffey Reader #1][1nmcgxxx.xxx] 1489
Oct 1998 True Story of Christopher Columbus, by E.S. Brooks[ttsccxxx.xxx] 1488
Oct 1998 Perfect Wagnerite, Commentary the Ring, by GB Shaw[sringxxx.xxx] 1487
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79 Weekly Average in 2003
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***Headline News***
[PG Editor's Comments In Brackets]
>From Newsscan:
BERNERS-LEE WINS $1M TECHNOLOGY PRIZE
Tim Berners-Lee, the scientist credited with inventing the World Wide Web
back in the early 1990s, has been awarded the first Millennium Technology
Prize by the Finnish Technology Award Foundation, an independent fund
supported by the Finnish government and a number of Finnish companies
and organizations. The $1 million prize is among the largest of its kind,
and the prize committee noted that Berners-Lee's decision not to
commercialize or patent the technology for personal gain embodies
the spirit of the award. (AP 15 Apr 2004)
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20040415/D81VAMC00.html
APPLE COMPUTER: THE MUSIC COMPANY
Apple's profits nearly tripled in its second quarter, largely because
of continued strong sales of the iPod portable music player. Apple chief
executive Steve Jobs said, "We feel great. We sold a lot of Macs, but we've
sold more iPods in the quarter than all the Macs put together." But Apple is
resisting a proposal from RealNetworks suggesting the two companies form a
tactical alliance in the digital music business. Industry analyst Richard
Doherty of Envisioneering says: "Real understands how incredibly powerful
the Microsoft music initiative will be. I don't think that Jobs understands
this. He doesn't realize how big the juggernaut is about to get." And
RealNetworks chief executive Rob Glazer is stunned to find Steve Jobs so
adamant about keeping Apple systems proprietary: "Why is Steve afraid of
opening up the iPod? Steve is showing a high level of fear that I don't
understand." (New York Times 15 Apr 2004) http://tinyurl.com/3ch8y &
http://tinyurl.com/2xgz5
[Don't Let Them Confuse You With Statistics!
This is 40% of the 75% of the US that has an Internet connection at all.
Luckily 75% = 3/4. . .so it's easy to see that it is really only 30%.]
[More details below, and another article in the Edupage section]
BROADBAND GAINING BROADER APPEAL
About 40% of U.S. Internet users now have broadband connections at home,
with cable modems accounting for 54% of those and 42% connecting
through DSL. Those numbers -- part of a new report by the Pew Internet and
American Life Project -- represent a sharp surge in broadband penetration,
which was pegged at only 28% a year ago. And among those opting for
high-speed connections, DSL has made significant inroads from last May,
when only a third of broadband subscribers chose the telephony-based
service. That change is attributable to lower rates now charged by
telephone companies for DSL service, with SBC dropping its price to $27 a
month and Verizon to $35, according to Dave Burstein, editor of a DSL
newsletter. Pew senior research specialist John Horrigan says the increase
in broadband connections reflects Americans' rising frustration with slower
connections that they perceive as wasting their time. "People turn to
broadband over time as they expand the menu of online activities they do,"
says Horrigan. (AP 19 Apr 2004)
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20040419/D821R9Q00.html
[Here is a similar article from last year, not quite so misleading]
GROWTH IN RESIDENTIAL BROADBAND LEVELING OFF
The percentage of experienced Internet users who said they wish to upgrade
from dialup to broadband connections declined this year -- 43% compared to
53% last year -- in a development that signals the stabilization of the
residential broadband market. Pew Internet and American Life Project
director Lee Rainie said of the study's results: "The overall Internet
population has stopped growing in the United States. If there is no net
growth, you eventually run out of veteran users who have spent a couple of
years in dialup mode and want to move to broadband." The study also found a
slight shift among broadband users toward favoring cable modem connections.
In March, 67% connected via cable, compared with 63% a year earlier. In
contrast, 28% reported connecting via DSL, down from 34% the year before.
Although the percentage of DSL users dropped, overall growth is still up --
9 million users in March, up from 7 million. That compares with 21 million
cable modem users. Almost a third of Internet users now have broadband
connections -- up from 21% last March. (AP 19 May 2003)
http://apnews.excite.com/article/20030519/D7R4CV5O0.html
[And another related story]
ON THE INTERNET, SOME CHOOSE THE SLOW LANE
Is a higher Internet transmission speed worth what it costs? Many say no,
and concur with the feelings of an Internet user who says: "I resent it.
I don't do gaming. I don't download a lot of graphics. For the money I
would spend, I don't need it." Alex Pope, a retired attorney, explains that
to pass the time while he's downloading data over his slow connection:
"I bring a newspaper and sit and read," and Internet user Danielle Kolko
admits: "I have friends who are high-tech computer engineers who are
horrified by the fact I have dial-up. I just tell them I'm more patient
than they are." The Yankee Group, a research and consulting company,
says that the highest penetration of broadband access is among
upper-middle-class households -- a finding suggesting that price
remains a large factor in decisions to get high-speed connections.
(New York Times 19 Apr 2004)
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/19/technology/19DIAL.html
DENMARK BEST IN WORLD FOR E-COMMERCE, U.S. RANKS SIXTH
Denmark is the most conducive country in the world for e-commerce,
with the U.K. ranking second, followed by Sweden, Norway and Finland. The
U.S. ranked sixth -- down from third in 2003, according to a report by the
Economist Intelligence Unit. The company rated things like demand for
mobile phones and faster Internet connections, as well as access to cheap
and easy-to-use products and software. Another vital component in the
future of e-commerce development is the role of governments, and [the] EIU
suggests further cooperation between local governments, the information and
communications industries, and businesses -- something that's already
happening in the Nordic countries. EIU points out that the role of
government can be particularly important in so-called developing countries
where infrastructure is lacking. It points to India, South Africa and
Bulgaria as examples of countries that have managed to develop "niche"
industries in software development and services outsourced from the U.S.
(BBC News 18 Apr 2004)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3632027.stm
PAPER DVDS PROMISE INCREASED CAPACITY, SECURITY
Sony and Japanese company Toppan have developed a DVD made largely from
paper that can store five times as much as current DVDs. The paper
discs use blue-laser technology, which is being developed by
electronics manufacturers including Sony, Philips, Hitachi, and
Samsung. Compared to the red-laser technology on which today's DVDs
are based, the blue-laser format allows capacities of about 25
gigabytes per disc. Current DVDs have a limit of 4.7 gigabytes.
Because the new discs are made primarily of paper, they can easily be cut
with scissors, offering a simple and reliable way to dispose of the discs
and to destroy the data on them. Paper discs will reportedly be less
expensive to produce than current DVDs, though Sony and Toppan did not
say when the new DVDs would be available to consumers.
BBC, 19 April 2004
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3639585.stm
E-FILING TOOK THE LONG-LINES FUN OUT OF TAX DAY
IRS official Sam Serio said yesterday, "I haven't seen a line all day.
In all prior years, I have seen 200 to 300 people." Serio says that 51.8
million out of 89.4 million federal tax returns were filed electronically, a
12% increase over last year. (Washington Post 16 Jul 2004)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16353-2004Apr15.html
[And In A Related Story]
[61% of American Companies Paid No Income Tax From 1996-2000,
in response to claim that American companies pay 50% in tax.]
WORLDWIDE GROWTH OF PC SALES
Market research firms Gartner and IDC both say that worldwide PC
shipments continued double-digit growth this quarter as more businesses
replaced their older machines. The two firms use slightly different
measurement methods and yield slightly different results. IDC's figures
indicate that 45.3 million units were shipped in the first three months of
2004, representing a 13.4% increase from the previous year. The top five PC
makers were Dell (18.6 market share) and Hewlett-Packard (15.6%), followed
by IBM, Fujitsu and Acer. (Acer replaced Toshiba for fifth place.) In the
U.S., the top five vendors for the quarter were Dell, HP, IBM, eMachines,
and Gateway. (AP/USA Today 16 Mar 2004)
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techinvestor/2004-04-16-pc-sales_x.htm
AMAZON JOINS SEARCH ENGINE FRAY
Amazon is quietly revving up its new search engine, A9.com, as it
prepares to take on the likes of Google and Yahoo in the red-hot search
engine market. A9 -- still in the testing stage -- touts features geared
toward e-commerce that allow users to sift through search results, store
and view their search history, and locate books on Amazon related to query
terms. "We want to enhance the customer e-commerce search experience, so
we're using this beta iteration to gain firsthand commentary from our
users," says an A9 spokeswoman. A9 uses a combination of Google and
Amazon-owned technology, and some Google-sponsored ad listings are
displayed along with the results. Users can also search directly from a
browser's URL box by typing a9.com/query -- for example, www.a9.com/harry
potter. The service is available to current Amazon customers and others
who register with the site. (CNet News.com 14 Apr 2004)
http://news.com.com/2100-1038-5191661.html
IN INDIA, INFOSYS CELEBRATES BEGINNING OF "NEW JOURNEY"
Infosys Technologies, the Indian software services giant that does a
great deal of work outsourced by U.S. companies, has for the first time
posted more than $1 billion in annual sales, making it possible for chief
executive Nandan M. Nilekani to boast: "Today, we have the required size,
brand, compelling value proposition and ambition to build the
next-generation software, services and consulting company." The company,
which was founded in 1981 by seven entrepreneurs on an initial investment
of $250, specializes in performing data entry, programming and customer
technical support. Company chairman N. R. Narayana Murthy believes that
the $1 billion revenue milestone is the "beginning of a new journey."
(New York Times 14 Apr 2004)
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/14/business/worldbusiness/14rupee.html
A GO-SLOW APPROACH TO SPYWARE LEGISLATION
Spyware (the generic term for software that is surreptitiously
downloaded onto PCs when users are engaged in some activity such as instant
messaging or surfing for music or games) comes in two major varieties: the
relatively innocuous "adware" that places advertisements on people's
computers, and the more insidious kind that capture user keystrokes in order
to steal passwords or other private information. The Internet security firm
McAfee says the number of "potentially unwanted programs" on its customers'
computers grew from 643,000 in September 2003 to more than 2.5 million in
March. Still, Commissioner Mozelle Thompson, a member of the Federal Trade
Commission, warns against trying to solve the problem with hurried and
ill-conceived legislation: "There are some kinds of practices that we may
consider unfair or deceptive that we already have existing power to pursue."
His alternate solution is for technology companies to develop standards for
downloads that would distinguish them from spyware. Marc Rotenberg of the
Electronic Privacy Information Center scoffs: "To expect that market-based
solutions are going to protect the consumers, I think, is to misunderstand
the problem." (Washington Post 19 Apr 2004)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25231-2004Apr19.html
TV NEWS WHEN YOU WANT IT: IN THE MORNING
Researchers at Ball State University's Center for Media Design have found
that more TV viewers are tuning into early morning newscasts (6 to 10 a.m.)
-- a major shift in America's viewing habits. Ball State telecommunications
professor Robert Papper says: "Because of the introduction of new
technologies and cable television, consumers are taking control.
They are telling us that we'll consume the news when we want and
the shows or networks we want to watch.' If they want to watch the weather,
they can tune into the Weather Channel at any time of the day. Why should
they wait for the local news if a cable channel has it when they want to
watch?"
www.bsu.edu/news <http://www.bsu.edu/news>
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***
>From Edupage
AMAZON ENTERS THE SEARCH FRAY
Amazon.com has thrown its hat into the online search ring with a new
service called A9. Search results on A9 are provided by search-engine
leader Google, which also provides paid-search advertisements. Users of
A9 can also use Amazon's "Search Inside the Book" service, launched
last fall, which lets users view selected portions of books online. A
Google spokesman said, "Amazon's strategy ... with the technology" was
not immediately clear but said that Amazon is a valued partner of the
search firm. John Battelle, publisher of Searchblog, however, sees
Amazon's new service as a threat to Google. Comparing how Google
usurped Yahoo as the leading search provider, Battelle said the Amazon
service takes the best of Google and makes it better.
Reuters, 15 April 2004
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?storyID=4833073
[40% of What???]
HOME BROADBAND REACHES 40 PERCENT
Broadband penetration in U.S. homes has reached 40 percent, according
to new data released by the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
Contrary to predictions a year ago by the Pew project that the number
of broadband subscribers had reached a plateau, providers of broadband
have found significant numbers of new customers and customers willing
to upgrade from dial-up to high-speed service. Many of the new
broadband customers are taking advantage of lower prices, especially
for DSL compared to high-speed cable service, though relatively few
cited cost as the reason for switching. John Horrigan, senior research
specialist at Pew, said consumers are pushed toward high-speed
connections as they spend more time online, involved in a growing list
of online activities. Even if broadband costs more, consumers
understand that faster connections will allow them to waste less time
and save money in the long run.
San Jose Mercury News, 19 April 2004
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/8466355.htm
You have been reading excerpts from Edupage:
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***
More Headline News Mostly Avoided By The Major U.S. Media
WIPO Proposes Further Intellectual Property Extensions
A group of Oxford graduate students in law (including UPD volunteer
Tina Piper) have written an excellent academic analysis of the
Broadcast Treaty and the effect it will have on access to the public
domain. You can find it on the UPD site at:
http://www.public-domain.org/node/view/25
Union for the Public Domain
Oxford report analyses the Broadcast Treaty
Submitted by updadmin on Monday, April 19, 2004 - 11:37 Broadcasting
[Samples Below]
Among other points, they argue that:
* Granting too many privileges to broadcasters through the treaty may
lead to under-use of the very broadcasts the privileges are supposed
to promote.
* The proposal to extend broadcast ownership privileges to 50 years is
not justifiable for broadcasters to recoup their investment.
Their full report is available in HTML and PDF formats.
As far as the term of protection is concerned, the proposals advocate
a 50-year duration, when the existing international treaties protect
broadcasts for 20 years, as can be seen in Table C:
***
[I'm still working on more information for you on this subject]
[Yes, there is more this week]
I've been researching and reporting on "Stereolithography" or 3-D
printing for about 10 years, and still have very little in the way
of press coverage of a pretty exciting computer application. . .
"printing" actual 3-D objects from your computer.
[Here'e The Latest On The 3-D Computer Age, And, Again, Note They
Don't Mention How These 3-D Parts Actually Get Into The Real World]
3D SEARCHING
Researchers have developed new search engines that can mine catalogs of
three-dimensional objects such as airplane parts or architectural features.
For example, Purdue University professor Karthik Ramani created a system
that can find computer-designed industrial parts, and Caterpillar Inc.
engineer Rick Jeff says of Ramani's technology: "If you've got to design a
new elbow for an oil line, more often than not, we have a plethora of
elbows"; Jeff says the problem has been that each has to be examined
separately -- a tedious task "that isn't even performed that often, because
it isn't feasible or practical... It seems like there's ever-greater demands
for speed in product development, and it's those kinds of breakthroughs that
are needed to keep up. This would really just add to the efficiency."
Professor Ramani says happily: "I think this is the beginning of the
information age." (AP/San Jose Mercury News 16 Apr 2004)
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/8441476.htm
[From Newsscan, details above]
***
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pgweekly_2004_04_21_part_1.txt
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