from edupage

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

CYBERSPACE MERCHANDISING. The power of cyberspace as a market for
electronic products is showing: The Corner Store, which generates sales of
OS/2 through messages and BBSs, mainly over CompuServe, hasn't run a single
print ad since 1988 and boasts sales of $1 million. Indelible Blue Inc.,
which also sells OS/2 and applications software, should "easily" have
revenue of between $5 million and $10 million this year. An IBM spokesman
praised the trend, noting the two businesses are "the first true cyberspace
stores I'm aware of." (Wall Street Journal 1/17/94 B1)


CANADIAN INFORMATION HIGHWAY. Canada has signed a five-year R&D agreement
with the VISTAR division of Spar Aerospace, Quebec Telephone and the
Stentor alliance of phone companies that will see wireless information
highway technology developed in the government-owned Communications
Research Centre. (Ottawa Citizen, 01/15/94 E1).


DATA ENCRYPTION STANDARDS. Computer hardware, software, and communications
companies, as well a major bank, plan to begin selling products that embed
RSA Data Security's data encryption technology, which does not include the
"trap door" that the Clinton Administration wanted to allow law enforcement
agencies to eavesdrop on digital communications. The Administration's plan
was opposed not only by cryptographers but by civil liberties groups. (New
York Times, John Markoff, 1/14/94)