TIME EUROPE
FEBRUARY 28, 2000 VOL. 155 NO. 8
Techwatch
ONLINE RECRUITMENT
Finding Work Through the Web
Ingram Pinn for TIME |
With most online recruitment services, jobseekers must choose their words carefully, otherwise the search engine will never make the correct match. But Swedish start-up Wideyes (www.wideyes. com) relies on the human touch. The multilingual site, which made its U.K. debut this month, uses psychometric testing and a search engine that understands context to match people with jobs. The Wideyes service, one of dozens of new online recruitment agencies, encourages candidates to list their talents and personality traits as well as their qualifications, a feature the company says allows employers to judge whether the applicant fits the corporate culture. According to a survey by U.K. research group NOP, in the last six months of 1999 3.4 million Brits surfed the Net for jobs. Wideyes is free to jobhunters and charges companies based on results. Soon the service will be enhanced to send e-mail updates to candidates informing them of training opportunities and management program offers. For privacy, the company checks with the candidate before revealing his or her identity to potential employers.
VIRTUAL REALITY
Real E-motion
U.S. firm Motionware has developed a device that creates the actual sensation of movement as part of the virtual reality experience. Instead of relying solely on a computer screen to present the illusion of motion, the MotionWare headset employs a common medical technology that influences the user's sense of balance by stimulating the inner ear. By simulating actual motion, the device creates an enhanced sense of realism for VR players--and even combats the nausea often associated with many types of virtual reality games.
THE INTERNET
Swedes Lead
Sweden has surpassed the U.S. as leader in the global information revolution, according to the 2000 IDC/ World Times Information Society Index (ISI), an annual report that measures the ability of nations to access and effectively take advantage of information and information technology. The index measures 23 variables from PC ownership and e-commerce to press freedom and tertiary school enrollment. The U.S. still tops the ranking when it comes to computer infrastructure but can't match Sweden's high social infrastructure levels. In recent years computer and Internet penetration has also grown rapidly in Sweden, owing mainly to corporate initiatives such as Employee Purchase Schemes whereby companies sell computers to employees at reduced rates.
SITE SEEING
Grow your own--online For those with neither the time nor the space to garden for real, RealGarden (www.realgarden.com) provides an electronic alternative. People with frustrated green fingers can choose their seeds, plant them and then watch them grow in their own virtual garden--as long as they remember to water them daily.
A website offering political news and discussion is nothing new--except in Iran. For the first time voters were able to discuss the issues surrounding last week's election by logging on to www.iranelections.com, part of the Iranian search engine and portal www.IranMania.com.
WHAT'S NEXT
Stock market info in Taiwan can now be accessed through voice-activation, thanks to Hong Kong-based InfoTalk Corp. Callers can use any mobile or fixed-line telephone to obtain real-time stock quotes on any company listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. Just say the firm's name or abbreviation and the system retrieves the latest stock information and verbally transmits it to the caller. Before this system, users had to know the designated stock code or enter the Chinese characters on a keyboard.
The Tomorrow Times, (www.tTimes.com.tw), the first Chinese language online-only newspaper, was launched last week, providing breaking news that's updated every hour. The site also includes reader opinion pages for letters to the editor, as well as three live discussions per day with political, financial and entertainment figures who are making news. "The Chinese language [news] market is very mature and people are more apt to go online to look at the news than to buy a paper," says editor in chief Chen Yue-shing. The online paper plans to branch out into e-commerce in the second half of the year, allowing readers to trade stocks on the financial pages or order books after reading a book review.
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February 28, 2000
COVER STORY
What's Eating Leonardo DiCaprio?
Not too long ago, he was the king of the world. Now Leonardo DiCaprio returns, after much indecision, in the eagerly awaited film The Beach
EUROPE
Downed and Out
Germany's worst post-war political scandal claims yet another victim--former CDU leader Wolfgang Schäuble
It's Déjà Vu All Over Again
A collision between republicans and unionists over I.R.A. arms has blocked the path to peace
AFRICA
Falling Apart, Again
Even though democracy has returned to Nigeria, ethnic clashes still threaten to cripple the country
TIME DIGITAL
Not Very PC
A new generation of devices is moving computing power off the desktop and into everyday items--TVs, phones and even park benches--making access quick, easy and less costly
The Trillion-Dollar Secret
Beneath the hype, the Internet is fostering a silent revolution through online exchanges that allow fast and efficient trading among corporate IT systems
Down to the Wire
In many countries ultra-fast wireless systems are supplanting fixed-wire connections, speeding up Internet access and potentially putting these nations at the forefront of telecommunications technology
The Need for Speed
Driven by the mantra of first-mover advantage, Internet incubator units are both nurturing and nudging their dotcom start-ups into the online marketplace at a frenetic pace
This Year's Models
The latest gadgets can do everything from making dinner reservations to measuring stress
Home Improvements
In a London suburb, domestic bliss gets a boost from cyberspace
Trying to Build A Brand on the Web
BOL stakes its claim to the burgeoning online market for books, videos and music
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