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TIME EUROPE DECEMBER 27, 1999 VOL. 154 NO. 26 Techwatch Millennium Plans on the Web: An Online Auld Lang Syne Advertising: Old Media, New Buzz Internet Charges: Unlimited Surfing Domain Names: Chinese Characters What's Next: Housework and Personal Computers MILLENNIUM PLANS ON THE WEB An Online Auld Lang Syne To the chagrin of party planners across the globe, the turn of the millennium may be more whimper than the blowout bash they had expected. More and more people, it seems, will be ushering in the year 2000 by quietly celebrating with friends. But thanks to the wonders of the Internet, even stay-at-home revelers can take part in the festivities. By logging onto www.firstpost2000.co.nz, visitors can arrange to receive the "first mail of the new millennium," postmarked from Gisborne, N.Z., "the first city in the world to see the sunrise each day." Www.heinekenoutreach.com allows cosmically minded surfers to broadcast a millennial message that will be transmitted into outer space. And for those still weighing their New Year's Eve options, Germany's www.tomorrow.de provides information on the best parties worldwide and allows people to post their contact details in the hope that someone sends them an invitation. An excellent guide to global goings-on can be found at www.timeout.com, which lists hot happenings year-round in 29 cities from San Francisco to Shanghai. And for specifically millennial listings, www.celebratey2k.com provides links to event sites and contact details. ADVERTISING Old Media, New Buzz Dot-com companies, in a sprint to establish their names as brands, have turned to traditional media to get the job done. That has helped boost advertising spending worldwide--a trend that's likely to continue through 2002, according to London's Zenith Media, the world's largest advertising service agency. But advertising on the Internet is also accelerating. Zenith projects that in the U.S. and several European countries, the Internet could soon grab 3% of total advertising spending. Zenith expects cyberadvertising to haul in $3 billion this year in the U.S., a one-year increase of 50%. In the U.K. Internet advertising is expected to soar by 218% in 1999 to $89.4 million, and in France a 164% jump to $50.8 million is projected. INTERNET CHARGES Unlimited Surfing Next spring, BT will introduce unlimited Net access in the U.K. for a fixed price, but consumer groups and ISPs like AOL complain the tariff will still be too high. AOL Europe ceo Andreas Schmidt says the next target is Germany, where AOL is about to launch a lobbying campaign to pressure Deutsche Telekom to do away with metered calls. DOMAIN NAMES Chinese Characters It is now possible to register Internet domains in languages other than English--even Chinese or Arabic--thanks to technology capable of recognizing a wide variety of scripts developed by Singapore-based iDNS.net International (www.idns.net). The company joins with ISPs to make domain names available to the public. WHAT'S NEXT Housework made easy-- Dyson has come up with an "autonomous" model of its bagless vacuum cleaner. The battery-powered DC06 has three computers which control its spiral path from walls to center, and help it decide what to do when faced with an armchair, child or flight of stairs. It knows when the task is finished, and even has a mood indicator light to alert the owner when trouble arises. The device is powered by an emission-free motor, but such convenience doesn't come cheap. It sells for around $4,000. Personal computers have never been a style statement--but this is beginning to change, according to a recent report from research firm International Data Corp. Many PCs are now being bought to provide Internet access at home, and shrinking components and flat-panel displays mean less bulk. "Style is becoming more important. There will be a change in the way everyone looks [at the PC]," says IDC's Roger Kay, who foresees the PC of tomorrow perched in the den or study--or more likely the kitchen, since that's where everyone gathers. They'll even blend in with the decor around them, and read out a recipe while you stir the pot. In kitchen or office, there's no more need for "beige boxes used as monitor stands," says Kay. TIME Europe home E-mail us at mail@timeatlantic.com COPYRIGHT © 1999 TIME INC. NEW MEDIA |
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