Virus Reports Reach All-Time High in JuneFor the period april through June 1997, the numbers of monthly virus infections reported to the Information Technology Promotion Agency, Japan (IPA), were the highest recorded since the IPA began taking virus reports in April 1990. This sudden jump began with March's 100 virus infections - nearly double February's 57 reports - then doubling to 200 in April. The 299 virus reports in June were the highest to date: 300% the March figure, and a more than 450% increase over the 66 cases reported one-year earlier (June 1996). The average number of cases for 1996 was 63 per month. For the January to June 1997 period, the average was 158 cases per month.According to the IPA, the greatest damage was caused by the MBDF virus (affecting Macs), which was inadvertently spread through 1,800 infected floppy disks passed out at a seminar. Microsoft Office application macro viruses continue to be the most widely reported, with 218 reports of 14 different varieties in June. Two of these macro viruses topped the June virus report list: the ExcelMacro/Laroux with 114 reports, and the WordMacro/Cap with 72 reports. First-time reported viruses in Japan for June were WordMacro/Rapi, WordMacro/Date, WordMacro/Divina, WordMacro/GoldFish, WordMacro/NiceDay, and Spirit (a boot sector infection). [Full virus list on the Subscribers-Only section of our website http://www.computingjapan.com-Ed.] Since macro viruses may be spread by MS Word and MS Excel files attached to e-mail, the IPA recommends scanning all such files before opening them. An add-on tool at Microsoft Japan's site (http://www. microsoft.co.jp/SECURITY/) will automatically scan these file attachments and warn the user if macros are present. The file may then be opened without reading the included macros. The anti-virus software products most often used to find the reported viruses, according to the IPA, were (with number of reported uses in parentheses) VirusScan (103), Scan Wakuchi (67), Virus Buster (50), XLSCAN.XLA (19), and Norton Antivirus (19). For information on viruses in Japan, or to report a virus, contact the IPA Computer Security office at phone 03-3437-2301, fax 03-3437-2537, or e-mail virus@adm.ipa.go.jp. You can access the IPA website at http://www.ipa.go.jp/index.html.
I Can Read It in Your EyesOki electric has developed a personal identification system that uses an individual's eye (iris) pattern as a biometric signature. Using a standard video camera, Oki's IrisPass can obtain a photographic image of a human iris at a distance of up to three feet. The system's processing unit then digitally encodes the image into an Iris Code, and stores the data in a file for future reference.To verify a person's identity, the system retrieves that individual's iris data and matches it with the iris image photographed by camera (using just 256 bytes per eye). The entire identification process takes just a couple of seconds, and the precision margin of error is said to be less than 1/100,000. Oki demonstrated a real-time user identification system using the IrisPass at the Electronic Banking Show held in Tokyo in July. An ID card corresponding to an individual's personal Iris Code can be issued, and then used to verify the individual's identity when he or she tries to make a transaction using a bank ATM (Automatic Teller Machine). Commercial shipment of the IrisPass system is scheduled to start in November.
Fujitsu Plays Japanese Distributor For Marimba's CastanetFujitsu has signed an agreement with Marimba, a California-based software company, to distribute Marimba's Castanet system in Japan and Southeast Asia. The two companies will also collaborate on localizing Castanet for the Japanese market.The Castanet system comprises a server software package called Castanet Transmitter and a client application called Castanet Tuner. The system is an innovative tool to create graphics-intensive applications for transmission over a corporate intranet or the Internet. Under the agreement, Fujitsu has begun sales of the English version of Castanet Transmitter in Japan, and is working with Marimba on localization of the product. The Japanese version of Castanet Transmitter is scheduled to be available before year-end; Fujitsu will handle its sales. Fujitsu also plans to combine Castanet into its own groupware product, TeamWARE, and system management product, MpWalker. Castanet Tuner is being distributed free of charge on the Internet. Fujitsu has made both English and Japanese versions available for download from its website (http: //www.fujitsu.co.jp/hypertext/softinfo/). In addition, Fujitsu is a Japanese distributor for Bongo, Marimba's visual interface for Java applications. Marimba was founded in February 1996 by Jonathan Payne, Kim Polese, Sami Shaio, and Arthur van Hoff, four members of the original Java development team at Sun Microsystems. Windows CE 1.01 J Greeted With Yawns"Too little, too late."That pretty much sums up industry reaction to Microsoft's Japanese release of its Windows CE operating system (OS) for handheld computers. Market release of the Japanese Windows CE lagged behind the English version by 10 months. And while the OS supports pen-based (handwriting) input, the initial release lacks support for color VGA screens. The limited specifications of Japanese Windows CE 1.01 are the result of a tradeoff between functionality and time-to-market. Windows CE version 2.0J - promised "within a few months" - is expected to be more flexible and will include more Windows 95-like functions. But the lack of color VGA support in the initial release is seen as a serious shortcoming, with some manufacturers complaining that the Windows CE 480x240-pixel screen format makes it difficult to view kanji characters. While Casio and NEC introduced CE-based mobile systems in late June, most other major Japanese makers (including Toshiba and Fujitsu) have indicated that they will hold off product introduction until version 2.0 of Windows CE, with at least 640x240-pixel resolution and better communications support, is made available. Electronics Product Recycling Is "In"During the next regular session of the Diet, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) is expected to propose a home electronics recycling scheme. The proposed measure is aimed at increasing recycling efficiency by making manufacturers responsible for collecting used home electronics equipment by the year 2000. The move is part of an overall effort to cut the government's tax-supported waste processing costs and improve the conservation of raw materials.NEC, meanwhile, has published its first-ever "Environmental Annual Report" detailing the company's environmental management and recycling/ waste reduction efforts for the past fiscal year. This move, said to be the first by any Japanese manufacturer, is in line with NEC's goal to be acknowledged as "Japan's most environmentally-friendly corporation." The company was ranked as such (among 260 major international corporations) by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun and Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun in March, and in June NEC won the Environmental Action Grand Prix 1st prize from the Mainichi Shimbun. According to the NEC report, the company is surpassing its targeted 50% reduction in industrial landfill waste (from 1991 levels) and is now pursuing an 80% reduction. Worldwide, 14 of NEC's operations have gained the international environmental standard ISO-4001 certification. NEC's report should be available in English from late August at http://www.nec.co.jp/english/profile/ kan/index.html. New Digital Video Extension Technology for TV BroadcastsMatsushita electric industrial has developed a digital video extension technology for use with the interactive video information services to be introduced in Japan by DirecTV. The new technology will enable viewers to retrieve full-color MPEG-2 still images and data, which can then be overlaid on the TV program being viewed.The technology uses the data carousel transmission method; still images and data signals for on-demand viewing are broken up into a series of packets, and the packets are transmitted in a cyclical carousel format. Using this basic technology, Matsushita has developed the Digital Video eXtension (DVX) system. The system consists of a DVX-format program authoring and transmission system, an operating system embedded in the receiver, and DVX software with which to play back the received data. In the future, Matsushita plans to apply the technology to ticket ordering and on-screen shopping. It will also propose the technology to other digital satellite and digital terrestrial broadcasters. Tariff-free Electronic Commerce?In a move that may surprise those inured to strict government regulation, MITI has tentatively expressed its support for making Internet-based electronic commerce tariff-free. In a press conference in early July, MITI vice minister Makino proclaimed that the ministry thinks it appropriate to "set the tariffs [on electronic commerce] at zero." He pledged that the Japanese government will "refrain from raising domestic taxes related to Internet trading from current levels."
These remarks are MITI's response to US President Clinton's recent call for creation of an Internet "free-trade zone." Makino assured the press that Clinton's proposal was "not astonishing." In fact, he observed, MITI issued a report on the future of electronic commerce in May that, "in terms of the basic thinking on the issue" was largely in agreement with the US proposal.
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