Radio days aren't on Broadway
Article Abstract:
Metricom's Ricochet wireless communications service provides access to the Web at prices that compare with traditional phone services. Ricochet is faster than hooking a modem to a cellular phone, or E-mail services that employ paging networks and cheaper than the faster telecommunications services. Ricochet employs a network of radio transceivers mounted on buildings or light poles. The Ricochet wireless modem weighs 14 ounces and runs about four hours on a rechargeable battery. Windows 3.1 or Macintosh software configures the modem and installs Netscape Navigator 2.02. Operation is similar to using a standard modem and performance speeds range from 14.4 Kbps to 28.8 Kbps. Metricom charges a $45 setup fee and a $29.95 monthly charge for unlimited service, including access to the Web and E-mail. The service is available in Eugene and Corvallis, OR, and the San Francisco Bay region, but not in New York.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1996
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Getting the mail resent
Article Abstract:
Users find it difficult to get E-mail forwarded to them after changing their E-mail address. The major on-line services do not let users forward mail to other on-line services. A few Internet access providers will forward mail for a period after customers close their accounts with that particular provider, but the majority simply cancel the address. USA.Net offers a partial solution, giving users a mailing address that can be used to forward mail. Users can change the address to which mail is forwarded at will. However, some correspondents may see the sender's real address, instead of the USA.Net address, as the return address, negating the value of the service. Alternately, users may choose to set up their own domain. Internet providers will host the domain for a fee. A name in the .com or .org domains costs $50 per year. Domains ending in .us may be available free, but they may not be movable.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1996
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Why Web search engines may speed past missing links
Article Abstract:
Web search engines, such as Altavista and Infoseek, are indispensable utilities that help users sift through the massive amount of information on the Internet, but they can also fail to locate data that exists on the Web. This is due to the nature of Web crawlers, which typically begin searching at a known page and follow links as they go. This strategy means that a Web crawler will never find a document if it has no references to the outside world. To solve this dilemma, search engines provide a form for submitting new addresses. Many omissions can be rectified via a difficult process. The majority of search engines ignore sites that require a password, even if the passwords are free of charge. Altavista is introducing its Livetopics option, which analyzes data from a search and creates categories to help users search effectively.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1997
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
- Abstracts: Simply a question of cultural barriers? The search for new perspectives in the transfer of Japanese management practices
- Abstracts: What is so hard about hardware? A user challenge: getting new modems up to speed. Of communications a la modem
- Abstracts: Bridging the Mac-Windows gap. Why Java may sound like magic. Gates describes the road ahead as noisy
- Abstracts: National Semiconductor says results won't meet forecasts. Citing low chip prices, Intel earns less than forecast
- Abstracts: Motorola's Scanlon quits for start-up; move could disrupt restructuring plans. Motorola's prospects are linked to new technologies; electronics giant has large, risky bets riding on unproven products