@ In an botched attempt to ban untaxed gambling in gaming arcades the Greek government passes draconian legislation banning all computer games including those played in Internet cafes to general disbelief. In another, arguably even more difficult, attempt the government tries to officially segregate smokers from non-smokers in cafes. @ Napster, a free on-line music swapping service that 2 years ago shook the world music industry, looses last hope as takeover by media group Bertelsmann is disallowed. Record companies rejoice. @ Amazon may take over the book selling arm of troubled Bertelsmann. @ US Senate votes to ban mercury fever thermometers. @ Auction giant ebay launches travel section, what's next for auction? @ Pretty good new vulnerability in the Pretty Good Privacy PGP encryption software is announced. @ The once dominant, independent, now AOL-owned Netscape Browser tries for the seventh time with version 7.0 @ The Direct Marketing Association (U.S. Telemarketers) urges members to avoid sending unsolicited email and telephone marketing messages on 11th of September. How about the rest of the 364 days? @ Browser wars I: BBC reports that Chinese authorities blocked access to Google and Alta Vista, but not Yahoo. @ Browser wars II: Meanwhile Google's global usage share continues to rise reaching 53.2 percent with Yahoo the second most popular search engine with 20.4 percent. THE GEORGE ORWELL COLLECTION: George goes trackin' "Girl to get tracker implant to ease parents' fears" "The parents of an 11-year-old girl,
in Reading UK, are to take the extraordinary step of
having her fitted with a microchip so that her movements can be traced if
she is abducted. Danielle Duval will have the device implanted in her arm in
the next few months, the scientist assisting the plan claimed yesterday. The
miniature chip will apparently send a signal via a mobile phone network to a
computer, which will be able to pinpoint her location on an electronic map.
"...If a car is stolen, it can be fitted with a
computer to enable it to be tracked - so why not apply the same principle to
finding missing children?" Mrs Duval said. " Copyright © 1999-2002 ECOCLUB
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