The information gap mirrors the wealth gap.

The IDC/World Times Information Society Index ranks countries as "information-rich'' economies. The US, with the largest chunk of the world's GNP and information technology spending comes in at number one, followed by Sweden, Finland, Singapore, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Australia, Japan and Canada. The list tracks a total of 55 countries that account for 97 percent of GNP and 99 percent of IT expenditure. World Times noted that 150 countries are not included in the index, or 40 percent of the world's population.

The test of interactive television is not working out as expected in Hong Kong, according to The Economist magazine. Hong Kong has the world's largest interactive television network which gives access to the Internet "in a more powerful form than 99 percent of users in the world'' according to Microsoft's Bill Gates.

The network was launched last year by Hongkong Telecom, offering video and music on demand, along with high-speed Internet access, to 70 percent of the city's homes.

Microsoft jumped into the mix as an investor. However the test has fallen far short of the expected 250,000 subscribers. It has gained only 80,000 subscribers, paying an average of $35 ($500 in Bermuda). The service offers users two options -- a television connection for movies on demand or a high-speed Internet service which offers E-mail and PC-quality games. The problem, the Economist said, is you can't get all services on either television or the PC. Microsoft stepped in to fix the problem and is attempting to move the service to a computer-based one.

The article also noted that Singapore's vaunted Singapore ONE service, based on personal computers, is also failing to attract customers. The service only has 14,000 subscribers. Singapore Telecom said the lack of interest was because "Most people just don't want to watch movies on their PC.'' Singapore is moving to switch from a PC based service to one in which video on demand will be available through the television cable network.

Hong Kong under the guidance of Mr. Gates, is now doing the opposite. The Economist concludes: "Western executives thrilled by the vision of an interactive future should note the apathy in Hong Kong, and beware.'' An alternative to cable modem connections are the DSL connections to the Internet being offered by local telephone companies. DSL and cable connections are the rage now in the US and promise to bring the kind of speed, access and content that people want. Cable wire allows access to the Internet over the same wires that provide cable television service, and can mean speeds up to 500 times faster than a regular telephone connection.

An estimated half-million Americans are currently testing DSL or digital subscriber lines. Those speeds can reach about 12 to 25 times as fast as a regular connection. The connections are being provided by local telephone companies. While people are not downloading movies, they are getting instant access that's more reliable. They're using the Internet as a radio, newspaper, music player and communication device more frequently. The studies so far show that consumers are logging on more frequently but for shorter periods of time.

That is, getting on the Internet is becoming less and less like a special occasion, and more like a convenience and household appliance.

IBM has developed a security kit for your computer that uses a standard PC plug-in card and a digital card for your wallet. You plug the PC card into your computer or laptop. You then need to use your wallet-sized card to use the computer.

Sign of the times: John Dvorak column in the June 8 issue of PC Magazine was entitled "Film is Dead, Part II''. His discussion of the digital camera competition between Kodak and Olympus for dominance in the market included a hope that neither one wins. He wants the developments to continue as images get better and better.

One of my favourite sites on the Internet is the Space Telescope Science Institute (oposite.stsci.edu ) by NASA. The sites features photographs of space as seen through the Hubble telescope. The photographs are spectacular.

Check out the "Greatest Hits'' section. I like "Vast Stellar Disks Set Stage for Planet Birth'', "Looking Down a Barrel of Gas at a Doomed Star'' and "Behind a Dusty Veil Lies a Cradle of Star Birth''.

As the site explains this is a photo gallery of the universe. These images are available to the public almost as soon as they're taken. The site depends on the content for interest and doesn't have any of the flashy layouts and long downloads of many business sites. The text captures the excitement of discovery. For example, "The Cartwheel Galaxy Result of a Bull's-Eye Collision'' is a January 1995 photo of a "spectacular head-on collision between a spiral galaxy and a smaller intruder sends out a ripple of energy that triggers a firestorm of new starbirth, forming a dazzling ring-like structure.'' Not a well-formed sentence -- but you get the point.

Tech Tattle deals with topics relating to technology. Contact Ahmed at techtattle ygazette.newsmedia.bm or 295-5881 ext. 248 or 238-3854.