Welcome to the IICS

SIGGRAPH '97 is the premiere computer graphics conference and exhibit. A Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), SIGGRAPH is attended by the "movers and shakers" in graphics. Plus, products and new technologies abound in the exhibit area.

With a new emphasis on interactive computer graphics, this is a must-see event.

Learn more about SIGGRAPH as an organization.

Find out about the conference and exhibit.

Have you considered going faster when using the Internet? You have!?! Then you can join the overwhelming majority of online users who are growing increasingly frustrated with analog modems and are hungry for bandwidth.

A couple of top modem manufacturer's seem to be riding to our rescue. USRobotics and Rockwell have 56k technology standards. But they are incompatible.

The Federal Communications Commission has also dictated that these new 56k technologies can have a maximum throughput of 53k. Oh yeah....that throughput is only downstream....the upstream is still at 28.8 or 33.6kbps.

In actual field trials, some Internet Service Providers have reported that over 80% of their users actually achieve between 40-50kbps----NOT 56 or even 53kbps.

So what gives? Should you get involved in this new technology? Or wait until the "jockeying for position" is over?

Find out for yourself by heading over to the 56K.COM site, written and maintained by Les Jones. He's done an outstanding job of clearly identifying the top issues and outlining pros and cons of 56k modem technology.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has announced the launch of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) to promote and achieve Web functionality for people with disabilities. Endorsed by The White House and W3C Members, the WAI will involve the establishment of an International Program Office (IPO) responsible for developing software protocols and technologies, creating guidelines for the use of technologies, educating the industry, and conducting research and development.

The W3C will be working with government, industry leaders, Web developers, content providers, and non-profit organizations, including the Yuri Rubinsky Insight Foundation, to lead the development efforts of the newly created Initiative.

To find out more, read the full release on the W3C site.

Internet governance has taken a major step forward, with the authorizing signatures applied to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which enhances administration and management of the Internet's domain name system.

The document is part of a plan developed by the International Ad Hoc Committee (IAHC), a group of Internet experts formed to consider issues brought on by the rapid growth of the Internet, that calls for the creation of additional top level names and the formation of a structure to allow competing companies to register Internet names.

Initial signers of the documents establishing the new system are the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), the Internet Society (ISOC), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the International Trademark Association (INTA). They will be joined by representatives from industry, government, and other organizations who have indicated their intent to sign and participate.

There is a complete article on the Internet Society site.

The Search Is On!

Sharpen your detective skills as you join us in the hunt for the Top 100 Multimedia Producers of 1997.

Suspects are specializing in:

Sales/Marketing

Presentations

Education

Training

Entertainment

Internet

Deadline for Nominations is July 1, 1997. Entries will be judged by a panel of recognized multimedia authorities. Nominate your favorite producer today!

Complete the Nomination Form and submit it today.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has excellent documents about the effects of new standards such as the HTTP Web protocol, Cascading Style Sheets and a new image format dubbed PNG (pronounced "ping").

If you are interested in staying up-to-speed about the important developments occurring in Internet technologies, stay plugged in to the W3C and start with this new information.

Dr. Ken's Crystal Ball. This is an article in The Library written by our own past President, Ken Christie. In it, he prognosticates about the future in interactive media.

As someone who has been close to the key decision-makers in the public and private sectors, he is someone worth paying attention to today.

Letter to Your Webmaster. Take a moment to let your webmaster know about your needs. Yes.....we DO make changes in the site after your input!

Site Structure is ©1997 by SmartMedia.