| This week's gainers |
| 1. |
ICQ 2002a: |
The popular instant messenger got another face-lift last week with the release of ICQ 2002a. Although our recent reviews of ICQ have been tepid, the ICQ community is nonetheless 130 million strong. The ayes have it--for now, at least. |
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| 2. |
KaZaa: |
Interest in the file-swapping client peaked again, as a Dutch appeals court overturned a ruling that threatened to smash KaZaa BV for copyright infringement. However, the decision may have little effect on the KaZaa against KaZaa. Meanwhile, KaZaa users learned Tuesday that the software has installed a KaZaa on their PCs. The network, set to switch on in about a month, will reportedly host and distribute other companies' content, such as ads or music.
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| 3. |
LimeWire: |
Another favorite file-sharing program drew buzz after the release of LimeWire 2.3.1, which provides better searching across the Gnutella network. With 10 million downloads from Download.com alone, people are clearly taking notice, though some are taking umbrage as well: LimeWire users report that the program is rife with KaZaa. |
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| 4. |
MP3: |
You say you want your MP3s? If Senator Ernest "Fritz" Hollings (D-South Carolina) has his way, you may be out of luck. Last week, he introduced the Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act, which would require all future PCs and MP3 players to include technology to prohibit unauthorized copying of files. I guess Fritz doesn't think he needs the college vote. |
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| 5. |
StarOffice: |
At the JavaOne conference in San Francisco, Sun Microsystems announced plans to aggressively promote its fledgling StarOffice software. The problem: StarOffice's prime competitor is a little software package called Microsoft Office; perhaps you've heard of it. |
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| 6. |
Zaurus: |
Sharp's new Linux-based Zaurus SL-5500 handheld could give Pocket PC and Palm OS devices real competition, with its good-looking screen, plenty of power, and a thumb keyboard. If only the name didn't sound like a character from a cheesy sci-fi movie. |
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| 7. |
e-Box: |
Seven companies--including Pioneer, Sharp, and Comcast Cable--are joining forces to produce the e-Box, a set-top box that uses the MPEG-4 compression technology to combine video-on-demand and interactive entertainment services. But don't pull out that credit card just yet. To succeed, the new company will need to convince cable operators to replace existing set-top devices with e-Boxes, a potentially pricey proposition. |
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| 8. |
Mozilla: |
Another historically delayed venture, the Mozilla browser project is readying its full 1.0 release. The open-source version of the Netscape browser now officially enters the browser wars--just six years after everyone else. |
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| 9. |
Internet Explorer: |
More trouble in Redmond, as Microsoft is sweating a few "critical" security holes in Internet Explorer. A patch has been released, but the company is still scouting a flaw that afflicts Windows NT and Windows 2000. Mozilla (No. 8) may have been wise not to rush to market after all. |
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| 10. |
CLIE: |
The Zaurus may have topped the new CLIEs on the Buzz Meter, but Sony's latest PDAs are every bit as innovative. The devices cram a 3.8-inch screen and a keyboard into an ordinary-sized PDA by allowing the display to flip up. (See our First Take of the Sony CLIE PEG-NR70V.) Of course, you'll have to wait for it. Japan gets all the good stuff first. |
How we calculate the Buzz Meter
Buzz Meter archive |
