Tom Spring

Netscape Communcations Corp. is back with another update: The Netscape 6.1 browser is available for download free of charge. You'll notice marked stability improvements and compatibility with more Web sites over earlier beta versions.

Down-to-earth airfares may be taking off with the launch Monday of Orbitz LLC, a travel site operated by five major airlines. Competitors Travelocity.com Inc. and Expedia Inc. say they don't fear the new rival, but join some consumer groups who hope Orbitz won't get off the ground, warning of possible antitrust practices and eventual higher prices.

Instant messaging (IM) may be a handy and quick communications tool, but experts on the technology warn that it's also a security risk

Virtual PC from Connectix Corp., available now in a free beta version

The next time your boss tells you to use your head, say that you are

Don't say good-bye to that analog modem yet. For the 90 per cent of Web surfers who haven't, new dial-up technologies promise faster speeds and other features to improve surfing the old-fashioned way.

Millions of America Online Inc. and AOL Instant Messenger users were knocked off the popular instant messaging service on Thursday afternoon for at least 2 hours, with intermittent service after that.

You may use some of IBM Corp.'s most interesting technology without realizing where it comes from. Voice recognition, wireless communications, and some invisible middleware that connects disparate applications are likely to appear in products marketed in the coming months by IBM partners, who were checking out the selection at the annual IBM PartnerWorld 2001 confab in Atlanta last month.