Jinfo: Newsletter No. 12

Newsletter No. 12

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                             Free Pint
          Helping you find quality information on the Web

ISSN 1460-7239                                      16 April 1998 #12
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                Welcome to Free Pint Number Twelve!

Please find here your next feature-packed free issue of Free Pint.
We start off with an enlightening guide to the confusing area of 
modem standards.  This is then followed by an excellent review of
a large number of Web sites to help you find science information on 
the Web.

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                           IN THIS ISSUE

                        TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
                "The Duffers Guide to 56K Modems!"
                          by John Garside

                          FEATURE ARTICLE
                "Sources of information on science 
                 policy and popular science topics"
                          by Alison McNab

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                        TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
                "The Duffers Guide to 56K Modems!"
                          by John Garside

Are you confused by the jargon in use to describe modern modems?
You'd heard of x2 and K56flex and you thought you were beginning to
understand that, but now they are talking about V.pcm and V.90!

Well, help is at hand.  Courtesy of Free-Pint we bring you the
Duffers Guide to 56K Modems.

------------------------
A simple guide to modems
------------------------

It will probably help some people if I explain just what a modem is
and, very basically, how it works. If you know this then skip to the
section marked "56K modems".

A modem is a piece of computer hardware that takes the digital data
from a computer and converts it into an analogue signal suitable for
transmission over a conventional telephone line. It MODulates and
DEModulates the telephone line.

Before it can send your data though it has to set itself up to make
the best use of the two telephone lines in use i.e. one at each end
of the link. Basically it applies amplification and tone correction
where needed.

Additionally a modem can take (Hayes or AT) commands from your
computer and use them to dial the number you require in a manner
appropriate to your local exchange.

----------
56K Modems
----------

Up until quite recently the maximum speed attainable using a modem
was the V.34 standard. It defined how modems worked together at
speeds of up to 33,600 bits per second (33.6Kbps). Notice the "up
to". The actual speed achieved will always be dependant upon the
quality of the telephone lines at either end. It was widely quoted
that this was to be the ultimate modem standard. It still is for
sending files from one PC or Mac to another!

As ISDN (fully digital telephone lines) became available, it occurred
to modem manufacturers that if they used an ISDN device at one end
(an access server) and a modem at the other end it would be possible
to send data faster in one direction (ISDN to modem) than the other
(modem to ISDN). This would mean that the average user could keep his
lower cost PSTN line and achieve high speed reception of data from
services like the Internet.

Unfortunately three different companies thought of the idea at the
same time and that is how we have ended up with competing but
incompatible implementations. US Robotics (now owned by 3com)
invented x2 and a partnership between Lucent (with V.flex*2) and
Rockwell (with K56Plus) created K56flex. 

K56flex and x2 are both designed to be able to transmit from the ISDN
end at up to 56Kbps and from the modem end at up to 33.6Kbps. In the
USA FCC regulations prevent them operating faster than 53Kbps!

As the technologies are incompatible if you have an x2 modem then the
fastest you'll work with a K56flex access server is 33.6Kbps. The
same is true the other way round.

About a year ago the standards organisation attempted to resolve the
conflict and set up a group to rationalise on a single standard. This
standard was originally referred to as V.pcm but now has an ITU-T
assigned number V.90. In February this year a vote was cast and
carried 25 to 5 for the new standard. Publication of the standard is
likely to occur in September 1998.

Essentially the two competing technologies still exist but when the
call is set up a technique is used to differentiate between the two,
this is known as V.8.

Upgrades to 56K modems are already starting to appear, usually
downloadable from the modem supplier.  This will alter the way the
chip in the modem works so that it conforms to the new V.90 standard.

According to published figures the number of K56flex modems shipped
already outnumbers x2 by 10 to 1. So I know which way I shall advise
my customers.

It may take a little time for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to
upgrade their Access Servers to V.90 but you should be able to buy
either modem type with reasonable confidence now, do check that it's
compatible with your ISP right now. Just ask the supplier if the V.90
upgrade is available yet. Don't upgrade until your ISP has done so.

Remember the only way to get guaranteed 64Kbps transmission in both
directions simultaneously is with ISDN. But, as they say, "that's
another story!"

John Garside

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John Garside is a data and telecommunications consultant with over 
thirty years experience in the Data Processing and IT industry. 
Twenty years of his career has been spent as a data communications 
specialist within ICL rising to Principal Consultant ISDN.  He has 
been running the Consultancy and Training company ISDN Services since
1993. He can be contacted by email at isdn.services@btinternet.com

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THE COMPUTER FORUM, the Institution of Electrical Engineers' inter-
active magazine-a place on the Internet where professionals in all
sectors working with computer-based systems can read about the latest
products and applications, see some in action and discuss their own
opinions and experiences. FORUM areas include Discussions; Library;
News;Careers Centre;Meetings.An e-mailed Newsletter gives the latest
information on new developments.Free subscriptions - visit at http://
forum.iee.org.uk/ - e-mail:forum@iee.org.uk - call 01438 767249.

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                   Have an idea for an article?
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                          FEATURE ARTICLE
                "Sources of information on science
                 policy and popular science topics"
                          by Alison McNab

When investigating Internet resources on science and technology topics
to use in a training/demonstration session which formed part of my
employers' activities during National Science Week
(http://www.setweek.org/) in March, I discovered a number of sites
which offer background information on scientific research, science
policy, and the public understanding of science.  This column features
a range of these resources.  I am grateful to members of the
lis-scitech (http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/lis-scitech/) discussion
list, who drew my attention to some of these.


Resource guides and databases

Random surfing of the Internet may be a popular pastime, but is an
inefficient use of bandwidth and time.  One of the most useful ways to
discover quality resources in a particular subject area is to use a
subject-based Internet gateway or directory.  Pinakes
(http://www.hw.ac.uk/libWWW/irn/pinakes/pinakes.html) is a new,
UK-based, resource which aims to catalogue the major subject gateways.

The major subject gateways in the science/technology area include:
ChemDex (chemistry) (http://www.shef.ac.uk/~chem/chemdex/),
EEVL (engineering) (http://www.eevl.ac.uk/),
the Math Forum (mathematics) (http://forum.swarthmore.edu/~steve/), 
OMNI (biomedicine) (http://omni.ac.uk/), 
and TIPTOP (physics) (http://www.tp.umu.se/TIPTOP/).

The Science Policy Information News (SPIN) database
(http://wisdom.wellcome.ac.uk/wisdom/spinhome.html), produced by the
Information Service at the Wellcome Trust, provides online access to
the abstracts of articles on science policy drawn from more than 150
journals. It is updated weekly.

The ScienceNet database
(http://www.sciencenet.org.uk/qpages/search.html) of scientific
questions and answers is split into nine broad subject areas. 
ScienceNet (http://www.sciencenet.org.uk/first.html) itself offers a
range of services designed for anyone with an interest in science,
technology, engineering or medicine.

The Technology Education Index
(http://www.technologyindex.com/education/) includes resources, online

projects, professional issues in technology education.


Newsletters and online publications

Science Insight (http://www.britcoun.org/science/insight/) is prepared
by the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) for the British Council,
and contains a selection of news items drawn from a wide range of
periodicals, newspapers, journals and press releases.

The British Association publishes SCAN, the Science Awareness
Newsletter (http://www.britassoc.org.uk/info/scan.html) which aims to
keep the Association's members up to date on new and on-going
initiatives in the public understanding of science.

New Scientist (http://www.newscientist.com/) is UK's weekly news
magazine devoted to science and technology and their impact on the
world and the way we live.  The NS Planet Science website is the
"online voice" of New Scientist, containing news, features, reviews
and comment drawn from the magazine.  It also contains an increasing
number of features developed specially for the site.  The Last Word
(http://www.last-word.com/) is an archive of hundreds of questions and
answers.

Most of the quality daily newspapers contain supplements which feature
science topics.  These include Online (http://go2.guardian.co.uk/)
from the Guardian and the Sunday Times Innovation Web
(http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/Sunday-Times/stiinncon01001
.html?1032133).

EurekAlert (http://www.eurekalert.org/) is a server for up-to-date
research in science, medicine and technology. News items are posted
daily by major research providers. The site includes press releases
and links to the home pages of both reviewed journals, and popular
science magazines.

ScienceDaily (http://www.sciencedaily.com) is an advertising-supported
online magazine, most of whose articles are news releases submitted by
leading universities and other international research organisations.
The site includes an interface to more than 200 science newsgroups
(http://www.sciencedaily.com/news_list_groups.asp).

The Scientist (http://www.the-scientist.library.upenn.edu/) website
contains the online version full-text of this fortnightly American
journal, covering all aspects of science and technology.

The Mill Hill Essays are published annually to promote the public
understanding of science.  They are written by members of staff of the
National Institute for Medical Research and guest authors, and are
designed to be accessible to anyone with an interest in science and
the natural world. Three volumes of essays have been published and are
available online (http://www.nimr.mrc.ac.uk/MillHill_Essays.html).


Statistics

Selected science and technology indicators (e.g. the number of
personnel engaged in Research & Development and national expenditure
for Research & Development) are available from the UNESCO website
http://unescostat.unesco.org/Yearbook/YBConsultST.asp?Table=SciEtTech


Funding opportunities for scientific research

CORDIS (http://www.cordis.lu/), the Community Research and Development
Information Service, is a European Commission information service
providing information on EU research and exploitation possibilities.
CORDIS is a central source of information for any organisation wishing
to participate in the exploitation of research results, participate in
EU funded research programmes and/or seek partnerships. Information on
all research and technological development activities in the EU is
provided through a range of databases
(http://www.cordis.lu/info/frames/if009_en.htm).

The UK Research Councils
(http://www.niss.ac.uk/education/rc/index.html) are responsible for
encouraging, planning and executing research in a variety of areas. 
Their websites include information on the grant application procedure,
and often disseminate the results of research they support.

The Wellcome Trust is a charity that provides funds
(http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/wellcomegraphic/a1/index.html) to support
research in the biomedical sciences and the history of medicine. Other
sources of R & D funding for higher education can be identified from
the NISS Information Gateway
(http://www.niss.ac.uk/education/funding/index.html).


Miscellaneous sites

The websites of New Scientist (http://www.newscientist.com/) and
Nature (http://www.nature.com/) and Scientific American
(http://www.scientificamerican.com/) contain science job vacancy
listings.

The EARLweb collection of links
(http://www.earl.org.uk/earlweb/science.html) on science and
technology (key resources, science in the news, scientists online,
magazines, mathematics & computing, space, the physical universe, life
on earth, humankind, and engineering) is impressive and worth checking
out.

Foresight (http://www.foresight.gov.uk/) is a UK programme which was
launched in 1994 to improve the competitiveness of the UK economy, and
enhance the quality of life, by bringing together business, the
science base and Government to identify and respond to emerging
opportunities in markets and technologies.  The programme is managed
by the Foresight Directorate in the Office of Science and Technology,
DTI.

The Why Files (http://whyfiles.news.wisc.edu/) is supported by the
National Science Foundation, and publishes feature articles on
"science behind the headlines" and new science discoveries.

The Local Heroes website
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/local_heroes/) corresponds to the BBC
programme about pioneers of science and invention. It includes a
timeline (http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/local_heroes/timeline.htm) of
featured "heroes".

A useful collection of links to science museums around the world
(http://www.ase.org.uk/museum.html) is available on the Association
for Science Education website (http://www.ase.org.uk/).

Finally, Freak Technology (http://sunsite.auc.dk/FreakTech/) is a
website devoted to revolutionary discoveries, inventions and
technologies.

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Alison McNab (http://www-staff.lboro.ac.uk/~lbasm/) is Academic
Services Manager in the Pilkington Library at Loughborough 
University.  In addition to managing Library services and materials
to support the Faculty of Science, she co-ordinates Information
Skills Training in the Library. In 1996 she co-wrote (with Ian
Winship) "The student's guide to the Internet", which is one of the
Library Association's best-selling titles; a revised edition will be
published later this year.  She is European Editor of "Online &
CD-ROM Review", Executive Editor of the "UKOLUG Newsletter", and
list-owner of lis-ukolug.

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Sue Hill Recruitment & Services Ltd for Information Jobs
Vacancies include 
Help Desk Manager - Online Service Provider - London - 25k+
Information Assistant '98 grad - Accountants - Edinburgh 13k+
Internet Content Author - Insurance Co - London 20k+
Customer Services - Online Provider - London - 18k+
Researcher - Commercial Information Service - London - 20k+
Tel 0171 732 6671 / Fax 0171 732 6718 Sue.Hill@suehill.com

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Hello,

I am a subscriber of your newsletter. The newsletter is really
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