SMART CARDS
Long predicted to replace cash and credit cards, smart cards are slowly being adapted here in the United States. The slowness is due in part to the various competing standards for the card readers, security features and data formats.

Similar in size to the credit card, the smart card features a microchip that is able to store up to 100 times the amount of information than the average magnetic strip found on the credit card. A special "button" can be built into the card that allows data transmission via telephone lines instead of the card reader. Smart cards also will have the owner's photograph and name embossed on the card.

The number of smart cards is expected to grow to 3.4 billion in 2001. The primary use of the card will be to store funds that have been downloaded from your account. The funds are then transferred to the store as you make your purchase. The funds are downloaded to your smart card at your bank, ATM machines or possibly through card readers attached to your personal computer.

There are a number of tests being conducted here in the U.S. Wells Fargo Bank has issued cards to its employees to be used with local merchants. Chase Manhattan, Citicorp, MasterCard and Visa USA issued 96,000 cards this year to residents of Manhattan's Upper West Side. American Express has agreements with Continental Airlines and Hilton Corporation. Burger King restaurants on Long Island, New York, is accepting smart cards. (Sources: Wall Street Journal, 10/8/1998 and Computerworld, 10/26/1998).

MICROSOFT.COM
Microsoft's web site has an average of 190 million hits a day with 32 million pages viewed and 5GB of data downloaded. The site contains 324,000 files and 307,000 images in either GIF or JPEG formats. There are 18GB of downloadable files. The site is updated every three hours. The site is run on more than 1,000 Compaq servers running Windows NT. Microsoft has contracted with Compaq to run Microsoft's domain and that of MSNBC. (Source: InternetWeek, 10/12/1998).

SALES OF PERSONAL COMPUTERS
Sales of personal computers grew by 13% from a year ago. The strong market in the United States and Europe more than made up for the declining sales in Japan and the rest of Asia. Compaq continues to be the market share leader followed by IBM, Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Gateway. (Source: Wall Street Journal, 10/26/1998)

WEB SITE OF THE MONTH
Looking for the perfect cliché to spice up your next speech or article? If so, Cliché Finder www.westegg.com/cliche/ is the place to begin looking. The site contains over 3,300 clichés, searchable by word or phrase. (Source: Wall Street Journal, 10/15/1998)
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Technology Tidbits is published monthly by Jerry Price, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
© 1998 Jerry W. Price

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