Microsoft and AOL settle extended browser suit 
Microsoft and America Online are settling their differences on their own. In a settlement reached yesterday, the two sides agreed to cooperate on distribution of Microsoft technology through AOL online services. Microsoft will pay $750 million to AOL Time Warner, which brought the suit as a civil companion to the antitrust suit brought against Microsoft by the government last year. The two sides are the most dominant names in the computer industry, and many think that the deal could lead them to share technology someday. This brings to a close a nine-year saga during which AOL accused Microsoft, the producer of operating system Windows, of nudging AOL division Netscape to the sidelines of the online browser market. Microsoft controls 95 percent of the browser market now.

Europeans adopt broadband for porn reasons
Internet pornography is proving quite the boon for European broadband carriers. A new study from Nielsen//NetRatings says that interest in porn and music downloads is driving European broadband adoption. The number of at-home European broadband connections increased by 136 percent year-over-year in April, which NetRatings attributes in part to greater accessibility of adult web sites. The study found that pornography sites have increased their reach in every European country except for Italy, which has the lowest broadband accessibility rate on the continent. Broadband penetration tripled in Britain, where 3.7 million now have high-speed access. The Brits actually have the second-lowest penetration rate in Europe, 21.6, ahead of Italy’s 16.4 percent. France (39 percent), Spain (37.2 percent) and the Netherlands (36.6 percent) fill out the top 10. The U.S. has a 35 percent penetration rate with 38 million high-speed users.

The quick 'n' easy online divorce gains popularity
Perfect for the warring couple on the go: the internet now offers online divorce. The low-hassle procedure is becoming more popular, because it’s cheap and easy. Online divorces cost a mere $50 to $300, cutting out the expensive lawyer fees.  The service isn’t exactly new, as CompleteCase.com and LegalZoom.com have been around since 2000. But both companies, which report having about 20,000 clients each, say that interest has been increasing. Online divorce still requires a court appearance, but filers can do the paperwork and representation themselves. Understandably, some find this new trend perturbing, including the American Bar Association (ABA). The ABA has said recently that it’s concerned these dot.coms may be dispensing legal advice. What they are not saying is that an increase in this sort of attorney-free divorce could cut into lawyer profits. Religious groups, too, are upset because easier divorces may mean more people getting them.

Study: Video games may make kids smarter
Just what parents of kids who never go outside want to hear. Video games actually may be helping their children. A new study from the University of Rochester finds that young adults who played action video games had superior visual skills and were better able to process fast-changing visuals. They also kept track of objects appearing together better than non-gamers. The study suggested that video game playing could help visually impaired patients or combat soldiers, because those trained to play fantasy games had improved visual perception. Video games haven’t gotten much positive press the past few years, with the increase of school shootings and other violence sometimes blamed on the gaming culture. The families of several Columbine High School shooting victims, for example, took the entertainment industry to court a few years ago, alleging violent media sparked the 14 slayings. The case was dismissed. The Rochester study did not include any data on the effects of violent games.

Soccer fans get HD broadcast at Regal theaters
Major League Soccer isn’t exactly a ratings powerhouse on television, meaning that relatively few games are televised. So Regal CineMedia is betting that fans who can’t actually make it to the games would still like to see them when they’re not on TV. Regal Entertainment theater group will host a series of MLS games in high definition at New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Denver markets. Three of the games will involve the Los Angeles Galaxy, the defending league champions. The contests will be shown live in up to four theaters at each location, with prices about the equivalent to a movie ticket.

May 30, 2003© 2003 Media Life


Printer-Friendly Version |  Send to a Friend
Cover Page | Contact Us