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Study: IT budgets to stay squeezed
.S. spending on information technology in 2001 fell more than expected, and the rebound in 2002 will be disappointing, according to scaled-back predictions from market researcher Giga. Before the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Giga predicted that year-over-year IT spending would drop by 3 percent in 2001. In a report released Wednesday, Giga now expects a drop of 5 percent. Giga will also pare down its previous forecast of 7 percent growth in 2002. The figures are in stark contrast to the voracious growth rates of more than 20 percent in 1999 and 2000.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp02
FBI warns of Windows XP holes
The FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center has urged users of Microsoft's Windows XP operating system to disable a feature that could leave computers open to attacks from hackers. In a statement issued on Saturday, the FBI's NIPC, which usually leaves computer security warnings to the private sector, said it held technical discussions with Microsoft Corp. and other industry experts on Friday to identify ways to minimize the risk from security holes in the XP software, which was launched in late October. A Microsoft spokesman said he had no comment on Monday on the NIPC statement.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp02
Jupiter: Some pop-up ads don't count
Internet researcher Jupiter Media Metrix said Wednesday it would exclude some "pop-up" advertisements from its Web site rankings as part of an overhaul in the way it reports traffic figures. Pop-up ads and so-called pop-under ads automatically spawn new Web browser windows while people are surfing the Web that link to specific sites. For example, a person clicking through various pages on a Web portal may see a new browser window automatically appear on their screen pointing them to an online casino or credit card company.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp02
Video on demand the next killer app?
It's been the Next Big Thing for a decade -- but video on demand finally appears to be living up to at least some of its promise. An idea that has been hyped for years, video on demand -- the ability to call up a film or some other type of content through your television when you want and stop and start it -- is only now really starting to gain momentum, analysts said. It's happening, though, without much fanfare. Much of this progress arises from $50 billion in investments by cable companies to upgraded cable infrastructure in the United States during the last five years.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp02
Net merchants celebrate holiday sales
Harry Potter has made more than a few people happy lately. Retailers say the boy wizard -- along with video game consoles PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox -- helped boost holiday sales and bring online shops a strong finish to what many saw as a precarious holiday season. Yahoo reported an 86 percent jump in sales volume between Thanksgiving and Christmas compared with last year, and BizRate, a comparison shopping site, said Wednesday that online retail sales this season are up about 36 percent.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp02
'Legacy' game systems still reign
There is nothing quite so incessant as the plea of a young child to his or her parent, desperate for the latest video game system, and especially now, with the three most powerful video game systems ever competing head-to-head on the market. But these systems are not necessarily inexpensive -- $199 to $299 -- at a time when the economy may or may not be coming out of a recession and unemployment is at five-year highs. What is a financially strapped parent to do?
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...kpt=zdnnp1tp02
Ginger: Not your average scooter
Segway, maker of the newly, and now mundanely, christened Human Transporter, likens its forthcoming two-wheeled device to a pair of magic sneakers. But the machine's price tag may have many potential buyers saying they'd rather walk. Curious about whether the machine formerly known as Ginger lives up to its price and the tidal wave of prelaunch hype, and about what its inventor, Dean Kamen, has to say now that the long-secret machine is out in the open, CNET News.com sent me on a visit to Segway's headquarters here.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...100994,00.html
DOJ shines spotlight on Hollywood sites
The Justice Department has begun investigating two joint ventures run by major movie studios that plan to provide video-on-demand over the Web, sources familiar with the action said Friday. The DOJ may soon issue Civil Investigative Demands (CID) to film studios, requesting documents about the joint ventures to ensure they do not violate antitrust laws. The studios are split into two camps for ventures that deal with online movies on-demand. MovieFly, one of the upcoming services, is backed by AOL Time Warner, Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, Viacom's Paramount Pictures, Vivendi Universal, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The rival service, Movies.com, is a project from Walt Disney and News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/ne...101009,00.html
TiVo's holiday sales appear strong
A new funding source and strong holiday sales could bring good tidings for digital video recording company TiVo. San Jose, Calif.-based TiVo is one of the pioneers of digital video recorder (DVR) technology, which allows TV viewers to record shows to a hard drive and to pause live programming. The company has reached an agreement to sell to up $14 million in common stock to Acqua Wellington North America Equities Fund over the next 14 months. TiVo can use the proceeds to raise cash as working capital.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200...html?tag=mn_hd
Safety Net? Sites pick up insurance slack
When Laurie Anne Plax got laid off from her marketing job in November, she also lost her company health plan. Moreover, the COBRA federal health insurance program, for people who lose their company coverage, was going to cost a bundle -- $700 a month for her and her self-employed husband. Fortunately, the Chicago resident knew where to look for alternatives. "Thank God for the Internet," Plax said. And as it turns out, at least when it comes to health insurance, the Internet is practically synonymous with eHealthInsurance, a privately held firm that claims to handle 95 percent of all health policies purchased online.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200...html?tag=mn_hd
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