News Briefs

Although usually fierce competitors in the credit-card market, Visa and MasterCard agree on one thing: Electronic financial transactions on the Internet offer opportunity. Consequently, the two companies have agreed on a joint standard for encrypting credit-card numbers so they can be safely used over the Internet.

If you signed up to supply content for the upcoming Microsoft Network, you've probably already received a subpoena from the Justice Department. Justice is trying to determine how many users Microsoft and its information suppliers estimate will sign up with the new network. The big issue, of course, is whether or not bundling Microsoft Network access with Windows 95 gives Microsoft an unfair advantage.

Fuji Xerox has established a new lab next door to Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) that will focus on developing new systems, products, and technologies for the office of the future.