NOTEBOOK-FRIENDLY SKIES
Airlines are about to implement a power distribution system within their airplanes to provide power for the passenger's notebook PCs in first and business class sections. Power for this system will be generated from the plane's engines and will be distributed to two outlets located in each armrest. A standard format for the power adapter plug has not yet been reached by the industry, although it is expected that they will agree on the AR-INC-628 plug. The system has been designed to assure that sufficient power is available to the flight instruments at all times. Additional, the flight crew will have the ability to turn off the system in times of need. (Source: PCWeek, 6/2/1997).

U.S. HOUSEHOLDS WITH PCs
The number of households in the U.S. with a personal computer now exceeds 40%, representing some 38 million households. The growth rate has slowed recently, but some experts expect it will pick up with the number of new PCs on the market priced under US$1,000. Ownership of a PC is closely associated with household income. 60% of the households with an annual income over US$40,000 have a PC compared with 24% of those households with an annual income under US$35,000. (Source: Wall Street Journal, 6/11/1997).

MONITORS
Look for new advancements in the standard cathode ray tube (CRT) computer monitor in the very near future. The new generation of monitors will feature improved brightness and sharpness, lower energy consumption and at lower prices. Another improvement is the depth of the monitor will be reduced. Some of the new 17 inch models will now have the same depth as the old 14 inch models. (Source: Infoworld, 6/16/1997).

WEB SITE OF THE MONTH
Looking for information from a federal government agency? FedStats is a new search engine maintained by the federal government that makes locating information from over 70 different agencies much easier than browsing their individual web sites. Some of the agencies covered by FedStats include the Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Science foundation, National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau. FedStats is located at www.fedstats.gov (Source: Wall Street Journal, 6/5/1997).
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Technology Tidbits is published monthly by Jerry Price, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
© 1997 Jerry W. Price

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