Last updated:Tuesday, March 18, 1997, 8:30 a.m.
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PointCast, one of the hottest companies out there, is the subject of buyout rumors. News Corp. is denying reports that it's trying to buy the privately-held service.

This time, they're serious: China's top PC maker, Legend, will pre-install the Chinese-language version of Windows 95 in its PCs and this licensing pact is being hailed as proof that China's serious about intellectual property rights.

Is nothing sacred? Nope, not even Usenet, the venerable aspect of the Net that connects like-minded individuals together (if they can stand the noise these days). Hackers are exploiting a security hole found in computers that carry the newsgroups. A software patch will be available by ftp later today.

Don't get spooked, but Bill Gates and Paul Allen have sold stock in Microsoft, their little joint project up in Redmond, Wash. That's not unusual, but the size of the sale is notable -- 3 million shares last month.

ISDN? Forget it: Cable modems fly and they're not much more expensive than unlimited telephone Net access, according to this story, which came out of a cable television convention.

Nothing like a T-1: And if you're an upscale nerd in New York, you too can afford to move into the $3,400 per month, one-bedroom apartments that are now installing the big pipes.

Never use version 1.0 of anything: That goes triple for beta, unless you're a willing guinea pig. Despite those common computing admonitions, buggy software is becoming the norm, as companies release products before tests are complete (or even started). What's a consumer to do? "I think customers should be looking for products with money-back guarantees,'' says one tester.

The Internet Engineering Task Force has written a standards draft for tracking cookies that would threaten the ability of DoubleClick and other Web ad agencies to silently track user movements between sites.

Novell hires a new CEO. It's Sun Microsystems Inc.'s chief technology officer, Eric Schmidt.

First Usenet, now e-mail: E-mail attacks, mostly by disgruntled ex-employees, have corporate IT managers worried. Just remember: E-mail isn't private and it may get even less private.

HTML overwritten: A group of academians and Internet bigwigs last week endorsed XML, a data formatting standard that serves an alternative to HTML.

We have enough trouble with reality, but if you're into virtual reality, you'll want to check out VR products of the year, as chosen by Cyberedge Journal. They'll be announced at an upcoming conference, but here are a few winners:
Hardware: Ascension Technology: MotionStar Wireless: tracking system
Virtual Space Devices: Omnidirectional Treadmill: for walking through virtual worldsVirtual Technology:
CyberTouch: tactile feedback system
Software: Kinetix: 3D Studio Max: 3D modeling software
Sense8: WorldToolKit, Version 6/Direct: worldbuilding software
Applications: Dr. Max North, et al, Clark Atlanta University: VR Therapy, a treatment for phobias
Virtual Presence: MIST VR: skills evaluation system for minimally invasive surgery
Art & Events: Virtuality, Motorola, Phillips, House of Blues, Riverworld: networked, virtual jam session