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MODEM STILL THE MOST POPULAR

Anyone with broadband access to the Internet will tell you it's the only way to go online. Unfortunately, broadband services such as DSL and cable modem are available to a relatively small percentage of the total online population. The majority of people who access the Internet still use plain old telephone service modems. And although modems can't even approach the speed and abilities of broadband technology, they do continue to enjoy technological advances that help make their use a better experience to those of us who must remain broadband-challenged.

Currently, 56k modems remain the fastest standard available using an ordinary voice-grade telephone line. Complying to the v.90 standard insures these modems will work with each other regardless of their manufacturer. Internet Service Providers (ISP) must also use equipment that complies with the v.90 standard to take advantage of the additional speed. Otherwise, these modems will only work at best to the slower 33.6k speed. A newer v.92 standard was recently sanctioned and modems that support the newer protocol are beginning to appear from U.S. Robotics. The one caveat is that although these modems are available now and fully compatible with v.90, they won't be able to take advantage of the newer v.92 features until ISPs update their equipment to comply with v.92. According to U.S. Robotics, we should be seeing that happen by the end of the summer. It's a good idea to check with your ISP to find out when they plan to make the upgrade.

New features to be found in v.92 include Modem On Hold. This allows users to suspend an Internet connection when a Call Waiting signal is detected, answer the voice call and then reestablish the data call without losing the connection. U.S. Robotics modems also ship with their Internet Call Notification software that informs users when a call has come in while they are online. It also displays the incoming number and does not require the user to subscribe to Caller ID. Quick Connect shortens the modem's connection time to the ISP by remembering the line conditions and reconnecting with an abbreviated training sequence. V.PCM Upstream gives the user the ability tweak the effective overall speed of a job by trading off slower or faster download and upload speeds.

Owners of certain older model v.90 U.S. Robotics modems will be able to upgrade to the v.92 standard by downloading the newer software from the U.S. Robotics web site at no additional charge. U.S. Robotics offers a complete line of v.92 internal and external modems for PC and Macintosh. Check their web site for models and pricing at www.usr.com.

Tiny Hubbles

A hub is an electronic device that increases the number of peripherals that can be connected to a computer. But hubs are usually big and bulky. Now KeySpan has just unveiled a USB hub designed for portability. The travel hub is only one centimeter thick and about the size of a credit card yet it offers features found in the more bulky counterparts. A small section opens like a clamshell to reveal the cabled male plug that inserts into any available USB port. In return, the tiny hub gives you four additional ports with support for external or bus-powered modes. Works on PC and Macs. $49.

www.keyspan.com

Thin is in

Used to be that cost was the only factor keeping consumers from flat screen technology. But many of today's offerings are competitive to traditional CRT models when it comes to price. ViewSonic has just introduces their consumer orientated flat panel display in the VE150m. This 15 inch screen is only 1.3 inches thick, comes with built-in speakers and fits nicely on its stand. It's detachable so you can wall mount the screen if you like. Offering a 1024 by 768 resolution, the VE150m has an on screen display that lets users make adjustments but this model also introduces ViewSonic's 0-Touch auto tune. this feature provides the best possible image by monitoring the signals from the computer to which it's attached and optimizes the settings automatically. Works with PC and Macintosh. $499.

www.viewsonic.com