eWEEK EDITORS

The signs of an economic slowdown—and specifically a cooling in many segments of electronic commerce—are everywhere. They all point to a moment of truth for IT and e-business managers. Not only are venture-backed dot-coms dropping like flies, but even some paragonsof the new economy are warning investors that growth is rapidly slowing. The latest was […]

General motors subsidiary on-Star says it has licensed Nuances speech recognition software to be used in the OnStar Virtual Advisor. The platform will deliver in-vehicle, hands-free, voice-activated access to a variety of Net-based services. This may be helpful to those who need a constant update of information while traveling, but we wonder what the voice-activated […]

Fat with capital, flush with ambition and happy with Congressional guarantees of a level battlefield on which to fight the regional Bells for local phone customers, competitive local exchange carriers shouldered their way onto Telecommunications Avenue five years ago. They were ready to make money by building voice and data networks, by reselling Bell services […]

For players in the communications revolution, Michael Powell could be either a liberator or a prophet of doom. As the newly inaugurated George W. Bush administration organizes its file cabinets, Powell is expected to loosen the reins on growing high-speed networks after his anticipated promotion to chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Nervously pacing the […]

Still Crazy After All These Years Theres something about having an almost mythological figure stand up and introduce a bunch of new stuff to remind you why being part of the technological revolution is cool. I mean, Ive heard Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates go on about the “digital nervous system of the future,” but it […]

True to form, Microsoft Corp. this week plans to announce a product that isnt expected to ship until at least the last half of the year. The product, VSA (Visual Studio for Applications), allows users to customize Web applications. VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) has been available since 1993 on the client side as a […]

Windows 2000 Professional is easy to install, and most integrators or technicians stave off boredom during the 30- to 60-minute installation process by using automated tools like Microsofts Zero Administration Kit or programs like Symantecs Ghost to place the new OS onto machines. Although some of these tools can roll out new versions of applications, […]

First the good news: A U.S. District Court dismissed 14 of 15 class-action shareholder lawsuits filed against PSINet because they failed to include facts that would support the allegations of securities fraud. Now the bad: Eight days later, several of the dismissed suits were amended and refiled. Most of the new suits represent former shareholders […]

I really meant to winterize my Colorado home by Thanksgiving, but I was having too much fun writing about all the exciting tidings in our industry and winning several pool tournaments. Then I got my December utility bill, which was 50 percent higher than the previous month. I didnt walk, but ran to the hardware […]

VerticalNet, which recently set a new corporate direction, now has a new driver to take it down that course. Having sold off its most successful exchange and positioned itself to compete as a software vendor, the Philadelphia-based marketplace operator said last week that its chief executive, Joseph Galli, was leaving to become CEO of housewares […]

Software maker Blue Martini Software, Microsoft, color company Pantone and data network QRS plan to announce this week that they will develop the National Retail Federations Product Attribute System — a kind of dictionary of consumer goods descriptions. The problem is simple: While the Internet has paved the way for information to flow freely within […]

Many kiosks dont do much to attract customers, boost marketing or raise sales, but examples of successful kiosks are emerging, according to Francie Mendelsohn. Her firm, Summit Research Associates, studies kiosks. Some of the best examples are in Europe, Mendelsohn says. Take Oscar, a kiosk found in Prague. It doesnt sell anything by itself. Oscars […]