7th March 1999 Archive

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Banana trade war threatens software sector

UK politician warns

The banana trade war could spread to the UK software industry, a leading UK politician warns. John Redwood, Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, said: "The last thing we want now is a trade war with America, which could spiral out of control, and damage more of our businesses." Speaking at the opening of new offices …

Business 7 Mar 1999, 11:38
Hands off our bananas

On networking hardware, Cuban sanctions and...

This story was filed originally in 1997 Following US complaints, The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has headed off a sneaky attempt by the European Union to reclassify networking hardware components as telecoms goods. This would have seen tariffs on non-EU imports on LAN hardware rise from 3 per cent to 7.5 per cent. However, …

Business 7 Mar 1999, 11:45
1394 Trade Association replies to Intel Firewire snub

Reader's Comment USB 2.0 only good for PC-centric peripherals, chairman claims

I have just read Intel Snubs IEEE 1394 for USB 2.0 by Tony Smith. On balance, I found it to be an accurate portrayal. I would like to add some more facts for your consideration. 1394 is the undisputed winner in the Consumer A/V realm. It is being promoted by the Federal Communications Commission for inclusion in DTVs. It has …

Business 7 Mar 1999, 12:25
IA-64 Architecture Innovations

Merced Track 2

This is a presentation jointly given by John Crawford, Architect & Intel Fellow at Intel, and Jerry Huck, leading architect at Hewlett Packard at the Intel Developer Forum. Because it is a long presentation, each of the files IA64-1.JPG to IA64-18.JPG contains three slides each. You can see photographs of the Merced package here …

Business 7 Mar 1999, 12:34
Microsoft outlines Win64 futures

But they'd better sort out beta three first

As reported here last week, Microsoft is to send out 100,000 copies of W2K Beta Three on 21 April. (Story: Microsoft to ship beta three on 21 April). But even before it has started shipping that beta, the Great Satan of Software has started talking about Win64. At the Intel Developer Forum, Oscar Newkerk, who runs the developer …

Business 7 Mar 1999, 13:18
Intel UK compares PIII serial number to car licence plate

100 years ago First car fatalities in UK make Chipzilla look highly insensitive

The oldest UK newspaper, The Observer, published only on Sundays, today quoted an unnamed Intel UK spokesperson as saying: "You have to put licence plates on your car if you want to drive, this development is the electronic extension of that." He or she was driven to say so because a reporter from The Observer was asking about …

Business 7 Mar 1999, 16:17
MS ID number system could track all Windows users

Redmond knows all about you - but it's not going to abuse the data, honest...

Earlier this year the built-in serial numbers in Intel's Pentium III caused a privacy storm. But now a software company has revealed that Microsoft has been running a rather more effective identification system since the launch of Windows 98. So Redmond knows a lot more about you than you might have thought. The point about the …

Business 7 Mar 1999, 16:17
Iridium losing some molecules

Has atomic element 77, so where are the missing sats?

A reader points out to us that Iridium, the element, has the atomic number 77, but, so far, has only launched 66 satellites. Where, we are bound to ask, are the missing 11 satellites? So far, Iridium is only Dysprosium, a rare-earth element found only in traces. We're tempted to compare the satellite system Iridium with …

Business 7 Mar 1999, 16:36
Materials go missing twixt desert and Harrow

Where's BOM?

Our materials from Palm Spring's IDF arrived back with the all-important foils about security missing. Section Five is titled Enabling the trusted, connected PC but these foils aren't there in our big thick folder....Now luckily, someone showed these to us before we left the desert. They outline Intel's further plans for …

Business 7 Mar 1999, 16:57
Dixons cleared of overcharging

No evidence of anti-competitive practices, says Sunday Times

Dixons does not charge too much for its PCs. And it's sort of official. The Office of Fair Trading will clear Dixons, following an informal three month investigation, the Sunday Times revealed today. An OFT search into Dixons "failed to turn up any evidence of anti-competitive practices and officials believe the enquiry is …

Business 7 Mar 1999, 20:53