56Kb--NOT!
Some truths about the much-hyped "speedy" 56Kb modems. There are no standards set yet, so manufacturers can say and do what they want. Modems from one manufacturer (e.g. USRobotics) currently won't work at 56Kb with those using a Rockwell chipset (e.g. Hayes). The 56Kb speed is one-way (download) only, with upload still limited to max of 33.6Kb. You're likely to have to pay a premium to your ISP for higher-speed access. 56Kb is an advertising hyperbole--the FCC limits the true max speed on U.S. analog lines to about 53Kb (it has to do with allowable voltage levels, and it's been that way for nearly 30 years). Only about

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20% of U.S. lines currently support such speed, and 20% never will. Several conditions have to be met to even have a chance of downloading at those speeds, and most of them are out of your direct control.

The Name Game
The good ol' Internet domain-type names (.com, .net, .org, .gov, .edu, .mil) will soon be joined by the likes of .firm, .store, .info, .web, .arts, .nom, and .rec (yep, problems here folks--"rec" is a world- recognized prefix for certain newsgroups). And, there will be 28 new companies responsible for domain name registration, instead of just one as exists now. The professed reason is that names in cyberspace are getting scarce, like old-style telephone area codes. But I don't think that's the real reason. I think it's DOLLARS. Now that Network Solutions (the current registrar) is charging $50/year for registration, everyone wants a piece of the action. When it was free, few wanted to get
involved.

What Size Image?
That's the question often asked when setting up your Web site. How big and what resolution should my graphic images be, and should they be JPEG or GIF? Well, at least one person is attempting to answer that by offering several different sizes and resolutions in the two formats on his Web page. You can see for yourself how download times are affected by changes in an image's particulars. Check it out at http://www.headfrst.com/~jimeaves/dontest.htm. (Thanks to Jim Eaves.)

No, We Won't Pay!
A recent survey asked Web users if they'd be willing to pay a fee for material found on the Web. 67.6 percent said no, they aren't willing to pay for material found on the Web. That's up from 65.0 percent who said no when asked five months earlier.

PC vs. TV
Personal computers will remain the premier platform for Internet access in 47 million households by the year 2002, according to Jupiter Communications. TV-based access devices, such as Web-TV, will emerge as the leading non-PC Internet access appliance, providing access in 12.7 million households (or 22 percent of the consumer on-line market) by the year 2002.Breach Plugged That security problem discovered last month with some versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer has been repaired. Download the patch file (ie301upd.exe) from their Web site ( http://www.microsoft.com ). It's right there on the front page.

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