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It seems a little scary that today’s internet world has forced the creation of a kids zone guaranteed free of violence and pornography. But considering the realities of the web, it’s necessary. NeuStar, a privately held communications company, will introduce the domain “kids.us” in September, acting on a direction from Congress last year. The company will monitor the sites to ensure that swearing, graphic violence, pornography and other adult material are not posted. Chat rooms, links to outside web sites and instant messaging on such sites are an obvious no-no. All content must be considered appropriate for kids 13 and under in order to be on kids.us. Parents can then set browsers to surf only those sites.
Study: Americans don't trust web for health info
The internet may be reliable for sports scores and weather updates, but Americans still don’t trust it for the really important things. Or at least they didn’t two years ago. A new study based on data gathered in 2001 finds that only one-fifth used the web to find health care information. The Journal of the American Medical Association published the study this week. Contrary to previous studies, which also found that between 75 and 80 percent of those with internet access sought general health information online, the new study says that just 40 percent of respondents had done so in the past 12 months. The study authors theorized that many people might be scared that information they’d receive online would be false. Comparatively, about 40 percent of the active internet population shops online; just 20 percent pay bills online. Just 5 percent of respondents said they had filled a prescription online and 6 percent had used email to talk to a doctor or pharmacist. Researchers say that these two areas have probably grown since 2001.
Nerd nirvana: Microsoft's new video game pairing
Fantasy sports and traditional video games will come together in a Microsoft marriage. The company said this week that it will debut eight new XSN Sports games, designed for Microsoft’s Xbox. The idea of the product is to get players to fashion their own fantasy leagues for game play. Online games are hardly an innovation any more in the $10 billion gaming industry. But the competitive aspect of the new XSN sports may appeal to the same people who have made fantasy sports leagues a national trend. Players can register for leagues on Xsnsports.com, which will keep a running tally of results and standings. New games in the XSN sports family include golf, snowboarding and basketball.
Google News goes global with five new nations
Google’s popular news site has added a few more destinations. The search engine will now offer global news service sites tapped in to Australia, Canada, the U.K., New Zealand and India. The sites will be available through the main Google News site, which electronically monitors more than 4,500 online newspapers and wire services. Similar services will become available on the various sites, sorted by news of interest to citizens in each location. For example, Indian citizens won’t just get news from India, they’ll also receive information from abroad about Indian issues. Google News debuted last September as a beta version. The company says that kinks are still being worked out and that the site will transition from beta soon.
Primedia introduces video on demand, on campus
Embattled Primedia may be selling off its magazines, but it’s still starting new initiatives via the businesses that remain. Video Magazine Rack has debuted a video on demand (VOD) service that’s currently testing at Duke University. Should the test be successful, the system will expand to other campuses this fall. Primedia has secured a deal with broadband entertainment network Cflix to distribute special-interest programs via local area network servers. A Video Magazine Rack channel available in 2,000 dorm rooms will offer more than 4,500 Duke students access to titles in areas like adventure sports and motor trend. A recent Jupiter Research report pegged the VOD market at $56 million this year. Jupiter predicts a 58 percent annual growth rate through 2007.
May 15, 2003© 2003 Media Life
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