Surf these sites: Is RealNetworks a RealSpammer? -- The streaming media firm sends out up to 60 million promotional emails at a time. Many bounce, many more are unwelcome, and the anti-spammers have had it. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] $600 DVD PCs from eMachines -- The low-cost PC maker rolls out sub-US$600 computers with DVD drives and 400-MHz processors. Also: Dell will start selling boxes with a beta version of Windows 2000 pre-installed. [Wired News] Über Plants in Space -- An experiment during a shuttle mission indicates that genetic alterations of plants are more successful in low gravity. "Edible vaccines" could be in the future. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] ''A Flaw Worse Than Melissa'' -- A Windows bug permits an attacker to take control of an entire PC, and all the owner has to do is open an email message. By Declan McCullagh. [Wired News] ''Airbag'' Vest Protects from Falls -- Construction workers in Japan are being safeguarded by a vest that expands before impact. The vest detects drops of more than 2 meters to help reduce fatalities from falls. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] ''Cloned'' Beef Scare Lacks Meat -- Have Japanese consumers unwittingly been eating cloned beef? Japanese consumer groups think so, but animal scientists say it''s all a misunderstanding. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] ''EBayla'' Bug Strikes eBay -- Bidders on the online auction might unknowingly share their passwords with a snoop, thanks to a few lines of JavaScript that can lurk on an auction page. By Michael Stutz. [Wired News] ''Eve'' Is the Root of All Plants -- Scientists working on the Deep Green project say new research indicates that all green plants have a common ancestor. The group is busy mapping the shrub family tree. By Joe Ashbrook Nickell. [Wired News] ''Eye'' Chip Tracks Movement -- Researchers at Johns Hopkins University are developing a chip that helps cameras see and interpret movement. Minirobots, smart toys and life-saving medical techniques may be next. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] ''Killer'' Virus Targets Asia -- Word of the "July Killer" is spreading faster than the macro virus itself. True, it can wipe out hard drives. But it only attacks Chinese and Japanese versions of Microsoft Word. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] ''Maglev'' Dreams Floating on Air -- The idea of magnetic levitation trains is not a new one, but the technology behind them up has always been too costly. That may be about to change. By Heidi Kriz. [Wired News] ''My Portal'' Meets My Money -- Start-up VerticalOne wants you to be able to see your bank balance, cell-phone log, and credit-card limit next to your customized news on My Yahoo. With US$12 million in seed money, it thinks it''s got the system. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] ''Second Childishness'' is Science -- A 20-year study shows the progression of Alzheimer''s disease mirrors childhood development, except in reverse. [Wired News] ''Take Me, You Slimy Hunk!'' -- Scientists discover the chemical cocktail made by male salamanders that gets their females in the mood more quickly. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] ''The Other Y2K Problem'' -- Get ready for some millennial fireworks: Solar activity hits an 11-year peak next winter, disrupting satellites and creating a spectacular northern light show. [Wired News] ''Wells'' Spotted on the Moon -- A mapping mission in 1998 showed previously overlooked craters on the Moon that could contain water. Could this be an important step toward Moon colonization? [Wired News] 2000: An Automobile Odyssey -- New car models for the millennium will soon appear in showrooms. That means a dazzling array of new technologies are ready to roll. By Joe Nickell. [Wired News] 3-D Images, Without the Glasses -- A new computer screen can generate three-dimensional images using standard software and no additional hardware. And you don''t need those goofy glasses, either. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] 3Com Patent Hangs onto Packets -- The hardware manufacturer scores the rights to technology it claims will lessen packet loss, avoiding drop-off in Internet phone calls. [Wired News] 4 Legs Good, 2 Legs Bad -- Scientists at Harvard genetically engineer a chicken embryo to grow legs instead of wings. [Wired News] A Battery That Can Take a Bullet -- Wearable electronics will let tomorrow''s soldiers ascertain their locations -- and those of their enemies -- in an instant. But the snazzy mobile gear needs a special kind of battery. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] A Better Look at Heart Disease -- A new, noninvasive diagnostic tool for coronary artery disease could replace conventional angiograms. Patients breathe a sigh of relief. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] A Big Show of Tiny Technologies -- Microsystems created for the nation''s defense can also be handy around the house. Just think, your own toxic gas scanner. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] A Call for Public Cell Studies -- Just how safe are cell towers in church steeples or, for that matter, cell phones near your ear? Speakers at a public forum say it''s time to answer those questions with public research. Chris Oakes reports from Tiburon, California. [Wired News] A Creepy Way to Save Lives -- Engineers have designed a pipe-crawling robotic caterpillar that could seek out human victims in destroyed buildings. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] A Cure for the Common Cold? -- No, not a cure -- but researchers have found a drug that eases the pain, and lops off a few days from those intermimable winter colds. [Wired News] A Field of Physics -- What does it take to knock down Terrell Davis? It''s all about momentum, one physicist says, and not the kind sportscasters usually talk about. By Pete Danko. [Wired News] A Good Swing Saved -- To the uninitiated, golf may be a game played by a bunch of fat guys in bad clothes. Slowly but surely, those fat, tacky guys are using technology to refine their game. Steve Kettmann reports from Pebble Beach, California. [Wired News] A Hand in Every Game -- Meet Charles Moore, football veteran. He has never run back a kickoff, has zero yards per carry, and has never completed a pass. Still, his contribution is critical. By Dan Brekke. [Wired News] A Linux Support System -- A new company provides full-time tech support, helping to bring the free operating system out of the closet. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] A Network in Every Home -- Intel joins the raft of companies with networking products that share Internet access in the home. Yet another reason for families and parents not to talk to each other. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] A New Chip Off an Old Block -- Pioneer chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices unveils its K6-3 microprocessor, a product aimed squarely at Intel''s new Pentium III. Analysts are ready with buckets of cold water. [Wired News] A New Computer Age Dawns -- The silicon chip will one day be regarded as a lumbering dinosaur, made extinct by tiny molecular "logic gates" that will dramatically shrink computers while making them still more powerful. [Wired News] A New Weapon for Killing Tumors -- The Millennium MLC-120 directs a precise beam of radiation at difficult tumors, allowing doctors to increase the dosage and raising new hopes in the treatment of cancer. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] A Nuts-and-Bolts Housekeeper -- To hell with your Hoover. A new domestic robot will vacuum your floor and carry the dishes for you. But your new housemate is a long way from having a personality. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] A Palm in the Tool Belt -- Construction workers are using PalmPilots onsite to download blueprints and help plan for the weather. Staying connected is yielding concrete results. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] A Prescription for Telemedicine -- The American Medical Association recognizes telemedicine as legit as it rolls out new Net guidelines. A new site, meanwhile, promises that its 500 physicians will be more than pill pushers. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] A Real Dilemma for Webcasters -- When RealNetworks sent out an email this month offering a cool software tool that blocks banner ads, it probably wasn''t expecting a client revolt. By Christopher Jones. [Wired News] A Recipe for Life on Mars -- By simulating conditions on Mars, scientists manage to sustain microbial life forms on a diet of ash, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and a dash of water. [Wired News] A Search for Intelligent Searchers -- SETI''s collaborative search for alien intelligence has been hit by a down-to-Earth problem: an overwhelming response from volunteers. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] A Search for the Highest Bidder -- You know what you''re looking for. Will you find it once AltaVista finishes selling its most-requested search terms? By Polly Sprenger. [Wired News] A Weekend on the Moon -- Buzz Aldrin suggests that tourism could boldly take space exploration where NASA failed to go, and studies show a market exists for such pricey travel. [Wired News] ABC Site Falls to Crackers -- A group calling itself the United Loan Gunmen replace the home page for the ABC Television network with an anti-corporate call to arms. By James Glave. [Wired News] AIDS Mystery Solved -- University of Alabama researchers pinpoint the origin of the virus that causes AIDS. An African chimpanzee who died in 1985 provides the definitive clue. [Wired News] AOL Blockades Yahoo and MSN -- Microsoft and Yahoo irritate AOL by launching compatible messaging clients this week. Hours later, the services stop communicating. Fingers are pointed at AOL. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] AOL Disconnects MS Messaging -- AOL took its fight over instant messaging into Microsoft territory Friday, knocking MSN chat users off their own service if they dared to chat with AOL customers. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] AOL Insta-Spams MSN Messenger -- AOL continues its spat with Microsoft. A mass instant message to MSN Messenger users says don''t use unauthorized software, use ours. [Wired News] AOL Reworks Spam Team -- Long praised for cracking down on spammers, AOL is now cutting back its junk email task force. Does a reorg mean more or less spam for the Net? By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] AOL Uses Apple to Send Message -- America Online partners with Apple on instant messaging products while continuing to turn its back on Microsoft. By John Gartner. [Wired News] AOL''s Chat and Mouse Game -- Microsoft releases another patch to get around America Online''s instant messaging service blockade. How long will this one last? By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] AT&T to Build At Home''s Backbone -- The company that offers Internet access over cable now says super-fast fiber will enable it to handle 5 million broadband customers. Now all it has to do is find them. [Wired News] AT&T-BT Pulls in Push Chief -- PointCast''s Dave Dorman will head the two telecom giants'' joint venture, returning to the industry where he flourished. [Wired News] ATM Wants to Be Your Friend -- A new biometric ATM prototype named Stella can see, hear, and talk to its customers. With machines like these, who needs friends? By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] Acid Rain Redux -- Rain falling on Midwestern cities is contaminated with levels of mercury far exceeding those considered safe for humans. A new campaign to clean the rain is under way. [Wired News] Adding ROM to Your DVD -- The wildly popular format isn''t just for movie-watching. Developers and backers want their DVD-ROM, and they want it now. Andy Patrizio reports from the DVD Forum Conference ''99. [Wired News] Adobe Unleashes ''Quark Killer'' -- Adobe CEO John Warnock climbed the main stage at Seybold/Boston to unveil K2, the much anticipated QuarkXPress killer. By Jill Priluck. [Wired News] Advertising Comes to Software -- First there was free content on the Internet. Then free access. Followed by free computers. What''s next? Free commercial software -- with a catch, of course. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Advocate Issues Windows Warning -- A privacy watchdog says Microsoft''s user registration and pay-as-you-go plans for Windows 2000 could result in the unprecedented collection of user data. No way, says Microsoft. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] After the Fix: Lockdown -- Indications are that many companies, having addressed Y2K, are clamping down on further capital investment until after the turn of the millennium. [Wired News] Agriculture from an Armchair -- The farmer in the dell, the farmer''s on the cell. Tomatoes on line one, and cattle on line two. Tania Hershman reports from Israel. [Wired News] Alerta Joins the Giveaway Rush -- Startup Alerta jumps on the free-product bandwagon, offering wireless information services with no subscription fee. Also: Britain''s NTL won''t charge extra for long-distance. [Wired News] All Eyes on Columbine -- Crime''s down, but fear''s up -- especially in Littleton, Colorado. So Columbine High kids are returning to school watched by video cameras and carrying ID cards. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] All Eyes on Hotmail Audit -- With Microsoft agreeing to an unprecedented audit of its security, self-regulation proponents and critics argue the merits of this latest case study. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] All the News That''s Fit to Wear -- A German company develops the ultimate tool for reporters: a wearable device that delivers you-are-there coverage of breaking news. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] All the Web That''s Fit to Shrink -- Nokia and Ericsson lend a hand to put browsing on cell phones. Also: NetRatings and ACNielsen get together on tracking Web traffic.... Sea Launch rocket is delayed. [Wired News] Alliance to Create Smartphones -- IBM, Nokia, and SABRE Group say they''re working on a phone system that would allow travelers to get up-to-the-minute flight information -- and change their plans -- at a moment''s notice. [Wired News] AltaVista Crawls Deeper -- One of the founding search engines is exploring new Web turf, and giving MP3 addicts another tool to play with. By Christopher Jones. [Wired News] Alzheimer''s Vaccine Being Tested -- An Irish pharmaceutical company has come up with an experimental therapy that could lead to the first Alzheimer''s disease vaccine. [Wired News] AmericaOne, Tech Everything -- The America''s Cup has become much more than a race testing nautical skills and physical endurance. Laser technology and computer modeling will play a huge role in 2000''s event. By Steve Kettmann. [Wired News] Amiga Boots Two Execs -- Amiga says its president and communications chief resigned for other opportunities, but the now former spokesman says the departure was less than voluntary. By Andy Patrizio. [Wired News] Amiga: The OS that Wouldn''t Die -- A German enigma promises products for the long-neglected platform, and fans hope for a Mac-like renaissance. But their hopes could be dashed. By Andy Patrizio. [Wired News] An MP3 for Every Occasion -- A European company has an all-in-one MP3 system under development, and has plans to get record labels and retailers in on its game. By Christopher Jones. [Wired News] Anonymous Web Surfing? Uh-Uh -- It''s not easy to cover your tracks on the Web. Services that promise to deliver anonymity admit there are flaws, but insist underlying technologies are partly to blame. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Another Big Step in Cancer War -- Researchers successfully gave cancer to human cells in the lab for the first time. What does that bode for oncology research? By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Another Chance for Gene Therapy? -- An 18-year-old man has died after undergoing experimental gene therapy for a rare metabolic disease. Researchers say it shouldn''t stigmatize all gene therapy. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Another Cheap Y2K Knockoff -- 9 September 1999: the COBOL code for "shut down." Will computer systems crash Thursday? Don''t hold your breath. [Wired News] Another Privacy Hole in IE 5.0? -- When users bookmark a Web page with Internet Explorer 5.0, a new feature in the software notifies the site. Consumer advocates say software makers need to get a grip on the privacy implications of their code. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Anti-Spammers Opt for Opt-In -- Marketers want to send commercial email, but fear the spam label. A new company full of spam-fighters sets out to do bulk email right. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Apache Now in Good Company -- The free Web server that has always had the lion''s share of the market now has a corporation behind it. The nonprofit company is being run by Apache''s founding fathers. [Wired News] Apple Bets Magic Will Continue -- The computer maker will use its jubilant developers conference this week to showcase updates to its operating system -- and maybe even roll out a new notebook. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Apple Defends Open-Source Move -- Open-source leaders question Apple''s licensing constraints in a letter to the company. Apple says it''s acting in good faith. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Apple Frees Streaming Server -- Apple joins RealNetworks and Microsoft in the streaming-video market and hopes to boost its effort by giving it away under open-source license. Leander Kahney reports from Cupertino, California. [Wired News] Apple Lifts License Restrictions -- Apple shows its willingness to listen to critics by amending its open-source license. And developers are warming to the company''s software. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Apple Opens OS Code -- Apple is jumping on the open-source bandwagon -- at least with one foot. The company will make parts of Mac OS X code available to developers and promises friendly licensing practices. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Apple Selling Out of iMacs -- IMacs are flying off the shelves, and Apple is having difficulty refilling them. Is it their overwhelming popularity? Or something sexier, like new machines? By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Apple Tackles Net TV -- Apple takes on RealNetworks and Microsoft in the race to popularize video on the Net. Jobs says the world will be peppered with QuickTime servers to speed Netcasting. Leander Kahney reports from New York. [Wired News] Apple Updates OS, PowerBooks -- Steve Jobs unveils the slimmer, faster notebooks and the upgraded Mac OS 8.6 to the delight of attendees at Apple''s annual developers'' conference on Monday. Leander Kahney reports from San Jose. [Wired News] Apple''s Open-Source Movement -- Steve Jobs and Eric Raymond join hands to present part of the new MacOSX server to the open-source community. Linux fans may not welcome the move with open arms. By Leander Kahney and Polly Sprenger. [Wired News] Apple''s Open-Source Movement -- Steve Jobs and Eric Raymond join hands to present part of the new MacOSX server to the open-source community. Linux fans may not welcome the move with open arms. By Leander Kahney and Polly Sprenger. [Wired News] Apple, Adobe Show Off at Seybold -- Apple figures to spice up this year''s Seybold publishing conference by releasing new chip architecture, and Adobe releases its Quark killer. Leander Kahney reports from San Francisco. [Wired News] Apple: Upgrade Never Promised -- Did Apple cripple its blue and white G3s to keep them from being upgraded with its new G4 chip? For the first time, Apple tackles the controversial issue -- sort of. [Wired News] Are You Who You Say You Are? -- Sure, concern about data privacy is an impediment to luring shoppers online. But a survey says Web retailers also need to think about proving their identity to shoppers. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Armchair Astronomers'' First Stop -- Brainiacs and science enthusiasts, rejoice! NASA''s new all-in-one Web site aims to be a gold mine of cosmological data for scientists and laypeople. By Joseph Rose. [Wired News] Asteroid, Inbound, 2044 AD -- An astronomer working out of his backyard helps researchers track an asteroid that is hurtling toward a planet near you. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] Attack of the Frankenfish -- Don''t worry, they''re perfectly harmless, say the creators of a genetically modified salmon. Consumer groups wonder, What are they trying to feed us? By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Aussies: Open Access Not Hard -- While AT T and other broadband cable owners complain that sharing their networks with other ISPs is too hard, an Australian utility is proving just the opposite. Stewart Taggart reports from Canberra, Australia. [Wired News] Averting Digital Death Signals -- Heart and brain monitors may get their own broadcast frequencies -- for good reason -- if a Washington congressman has his way. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Award from an Unlikely Source -- Richard Stallman, enemy of the software industry, takes home a prize sponsored by Microsoft and Sun. His acceptance speech criticizes their most powerful tool: patents. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Backaches a Financial Headache -- With back pain the prime cause of lost workdays and workers'' compensation, the United States stands to gain a lot from a little preventative medicine. [Wired News] Ballmer: Prepare for Rent-An-App -- Microsoft''s president says forget software on CD: Net distribution will soon be where it''s at. Microsoft will be ready for the subscription model when broadband arrives. Andy Patrizio reports from Marina del Rey, California. [Wired News] Bandage Feels Your Pain -- The latest open sores development: smart bandages with built-in sensors that detect healing. The newly patented technology lets doctors track your progress. [Wired News] Beaming Is Believing -- Teleportation isn''t just Star Trek fare anymore. New research says practical applications for quantum transport are closer than we think. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] BellSouth, 3Com Get Speedy -- The phone company wants to make digital subscriber lines accessible in the South, so it''ll offer 3Com modems and joint sales, online and off. [Wired News] Berlin Subways Smarten Up -- A new smartcard system on Berlin''s subway, tram, and bus lines will give riders even more reasons to use public transport. [Wired News] Better Odds for Kidney Patients -- An experimental process that filters out antibodies may increase the chances of survival for kidney transplant patients. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Better Weather with Tech -- Powerful computers and new satellites will allow meteorologists to peer further into the future. Could this actually bring meaning to the five-day forecast? [Wired News] Big Blue Does Digital Broadcast -- The computer giant said it will team up with five companies to secure digitally broadcast content... Also: Owners of the mighty Rio MP3 player can now dress up the device. [Wired News] Big Bucks for Big Numbers -- An anonymous donor is backing a contest that fosters cooperative computing as a solution to unraveling technical Gordian knots. Though the exercise itself -- discovering the biggest prime numbers ever -- is largely an academic one, the cooperation''s the thing. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Bigfoot Users Get a Hotfoot -- Users sending email to Bigfoot''s customer service department now have something else to complain about: a copy of the Happy99 worm that found its way into Bigfoot''s servers. By Deborah Scoblionkov. [Wired News] Bighearted Big Blue -- To persuade leery competitors to adopt its critical new chip-making technology, IBM is giving it away. It''s a step that will benefit the whole industry. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Biometric Banking Bides Time -- The next generation of banking systems will store your fingerprint, voice, and other biometric information alongside your available cash balance. By Christopher Jones. [Wired News] Biometrics Breaks Into Prisons -- Sophisticated technology allows inmates to be identified by scanning their irises or taking their voice prints. Corrections officials say this is more reliable than fingerprinting, but privacy advocates worry. By Vince Beiser. [Wired News] Biotech Quits Cancer Drug -- Bristol-Myers says developing the promising remedy with EntreMed proved too difficult and leaves the fledging pharmaceutical to make a go of it alone. [Wired News] Birth of an RFC Nation -- What better way to celebrate the anniversary of the Internet''s mundane but pivotal collaboration process than by creating an RFC about it? Those engineers sure know how to party. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Black Holes of a Different Color? -- What color is a black hole? It''s not a trick question. Astronomers claim they''ve found bright-pink black holes in galaxies that are more than 1 billion light-years away. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Blockbuster to Rent PC Games -- Blockbuster rolls out PC videogame rentals with a Net twist: The games include antipiracy software that must be unlocked by a Web site. Smells like DiVX. By John Gartner. [Wired News] Blood Treatment on the Go -- A medical device developed by a research team in Washington state may be able to deliver constant, portable treatment to patients suffering from leukemia and AIDS. [Wired News] Boeing: ''Sea Launch'' Is On -- A grand jury is reportedly probing data transfers to Russia and Ukraine. But the company says it''ll go ahead with plans to launch satellite-carrying rockets from converted oil platforms. [Wired News] Bogus Email Eats MS Data -- An email carrying a dangerous data-eating attachment is circulating the Net, and making Microsoft miserable. Guess who the sender is? By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] Boosting Biometric Privacy -- An industry association releases a set of biometric guidelines designed to protect the privacy of retina scans, voice prints, and other personal data. Critics see holes. By Heidi Kriz. [Wired News] Boston''s Digital Dash -- Is your cousin from Duluth keeping to his six-minute mile? Microchips affixed to every runner will let you follow the 1999 Boston Marathon in near-real time. By Josh Lucas. [Wired News] Boycott Targets Intel -- Electronic privacy activists, appalled by the implications of the unique identifier in the company''s next-generation chip, say they''ll try to persuade the firm to change course. [Wired News] Brain Surgery Sans Scalpel -- New imaging technology and gamma-radiation treatments could make the surgical skull saw as obsolete as leeches. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Brain Waves Key to Memory -- Researchers have located the brain waves that seem to play an important role in how humans navigate. The discovery could lead to treatments for epilepsy and other disorders. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Brains: Use ''Em or Lose ''Em -- The best defense against brain disease in old age? A stimulating childhood environment and lifelong learning. [Wired News] Break It to Me Gently Online -- A new study finds that electronic communication makes correspondence more honest. Or does it simply break down inhibitions? By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Breaking the Language Barrier -- International scientists test a translation system that can convert the babble of up to six languages. A wearable version is aimed at travelers. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] Breast-fed and Fit for Life -- Children who are exclusively breast-fed in their first few months are significantly less likely in later life to become obese or suffer from a variety of illnesses, a new study shows. [Wired News] Bringing the Web Closer -- Akamai launches a service for building a faster Net: a thousand points of content that moves the Web closer to users. [Wired News] British Inventor Eyes Linux -- British icon and inventor "Uncle Clive" Sinclair is tinkering again. This time, he promises a cheap, portable Linux PC. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Brits on Net: Jolly Good -- Ten thousand new Britons log on each day, a new poll reveals. German newbies nip close at their their heels, but France has a ways to go. [Wired News] Broadband to the Kitchen Sink -- Now that networking giant Cisco is looking to the home market for growth, other Internet infrastructure companies are likely to follow suit. By R. Scott Raynovich. [Wired News] Bubble Baths Are for the Birds -- No more wrestling soapy seagulls. Scientists find a way to dry clean birds caught in oil spills. [Wired News] Building a Better Mouse Brain -- Scientists have genetically engineered mice to learn faster and retain intelligence-building skills into adulthood. The findings could lead to new Alzheimer''s drugs. [Wired News] Building a Self-Actualized Web -- Web documents are dumb about the content they contain. XML backers are looking for ways to let electronic documents work smarter. Chris Oakes reports from San Jose, California. [Wired News] Building the Better Behemoth -- That rumbling sound you''ll hear during Super Bowl XXXIII on 31 January is not an earthquake. It''s the sound of carefully engineered offensive and defensive linemen moving down the field. By Polly Sprenger. [Wired News] Bulletproof Email for the Masses -- The privacy benefits of fully encrypted email hover just out of reach of all but the techno-literate. But Hushmail is out to change that. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] Burn Relief -- Current burn treatments are as painful as the injuries themselves. Lidar technology promises a new level of precision for removing damaged tissue to promote healing and reduce infection. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Buying Time for Stroke Victims -- Telemedicine helps doctors to evaluate and treat stroke patients remotely, saving time and, ultimately, lives. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] C&W''s High-Bandwidth Gambit -- Cable Wireless promises to deliver broadband access to 60 US cities by 2001. The US$670 million investment paves the way for the Next Generation Internet. [Wired News] CPU Contests No Trivial Pursuits -- Forget scientific discoveries and cash prizes. Distributed computing contests are all about bragging rights. People will do anything to top the charts. By Andy Patrizio. [Wired News] Cable Boxes See What You See -- The next generation of standard cable boxes can be used to create profiles of your viewing habits. Even cable companies worry about the privacy implications. By Polly Sprenger. [Wired News] Cable Modems Going Retail -- Hardware vendors and cable operators are building compatible products that should arrive in stores soon. Good-bye monthly rental fees. By John Gartner. [Wired News] Calling Dick Tracy -- Lucent Technology zeroes in on a phone-cum-wristwatch. Also: iMac colors coming to clone PCs, and an email appliance for the technology averse. [Wired News] Can Boeing Rescue Globalstar? -- Boeing will launch 24 satellites this year and four more in 2000, to help a struggling Globalstar get its global cellular network up and running. [Wired News] Can the Internet Drive You Mad? -- The Internet may be like communism for paranoid psychotics. Patients diagnosed in the Web age are replacing the Red Scare with "Internet fear." By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Cancer Detection by Computer -- New imaging technology could help specialists interpret mammograms more accurately. But doctors worry about the price of being too precise. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] Cancer Drug Too Strong for Kids -- A new type of cancer treatment prevents tumor growth but also inhibits bone development. That makes the experimental drugs too risky for children and pregnant women. [Wired News] Car C230, Where Are You? -- Mercedes jumps on the wireless wagon, becoming the latest automaker to install emergency navigation and communications systems. By Christopher Jones. [Wired News] Casinos Fight Back with Tech -- The gambling industry has been slow to adopt cutting-edge surveillance technologies to combat snake-eyed scam artists. But now the house is on a roll. Vince Beiser reports from Las Vegas. [Wired News] Casting New Light on Dark Stars -- Startling new astronomical research suggests black holes may produce far more power than scientists ever dreamed. [Wired News] Cell Phone for Calling Up Tunes -- Samsung launches a cell phone in Korea that can store up to 15 minutes of music files. A US version will be ready for people to rock in the New Year with MP3s. By Jennifer Sullivan. [Wired News] Cell Study: Hazards Are Real -- Studies questioning the health dangers of cell phone use aren''t new. But industry-funded studies supporting those findings are. Chris Oakes reports from Long Beach, California. [Wired News] Cell-Phone Calls Streamed on Net -- Basement webcasters are using an AOL-owned streaming service to pipe private cellular phone conversations out onto the Net. AOL is digging into the issue. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Cells Curse the Promised Land -- Israelis love their cell phones, but many are casting nervous glances at the thousands of antennas sprouting like weeds on their rooftops. Tania Hershman reports from Jerusalem. [Wired News] Cells May Grant Viral Immunity -- A new study shows injecting specialized cells can temporarily boost immmunity. Researchers hope it could lead to vaccines for cancer, herpes, and HIV. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Censoring Censorware -- One University of Massachusetts student is so opposed to the idea of censorship that he''s offering software code to disable the blocking software provided by Internet Explorer. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Centraal Piggybacks on Inktomi -- Centraal inks a deal with the search tech company that takes keyword browsing a big step closer to Web ubiquity. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Chat Users Get Voicemail -- If your chat pal isn''t online or answering the phone, a new service will send a voicemail to his inbox. Although the call is free, the Fone427 service isn''t. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Cheap PC Doesn''t Do Windows -- A California computer maker is offering a PC with a fast processor for only US$299. How do they do it? They dump Microsoft Windows. [Wired News] Cheap PCs Tied to Rental Apps -- A Utah company is selling personal computers at a loss, hoping to attract subscribers to its Internet-based software-leasing program. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Chemical Erector Set for Release -- A new drug for impotence provides the same uplifting results as Viagra, but without the frightening side effects. Uprima is undergoing trials before being presented to the FDA. [Wired News] Chiapas'' Well-Connected Rebels -- For four years, the Zapatistas have used the Internet to fight the Mexican government in real time. Now, foreign groups are lending a hand, over shortwave radio. By Christopher Jones. [Wired News] China Satellite Deal Shot Down -- The Clinton administration reportedly reverses itself amidst charges that US satellite sales to China could harm national security. [Wired News] Chip Accelerates Drug Screening -- A new chip technology helps scientists match drugs to genetic mutations in humans. It may better arm doctors to recommend treatments. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Chip Blocks Cell-Phone Emissions -- A new chip has been developed to protect users from cell-phone radiation. Litigation-conscious phone manufacturers are wary. By Polly Sprenger. [Wired News] Chips Ahoy -- Sony unveils its new PlayStation super-chip and wows an annual gathering of leading processor designers. Leander Kahney reports from San Francisco. [Wired News] Chips Track Rogue Elephants -- Officials in Thailand are trying to limit the stampede of illegal elephants in Bangkok by implanting microchips under their thick hides. The smuggled pachyderms are being used to panhandle tourists. [Wired News] Chit-Chat: Whenever, Wherever -- Coming to a Palm or pager near you: your buddy list. AOL, Microsoft, and Yahoo pair with communications vendors to provide instant messaging. By John Gartner. [Wired News] Cisco Strikes Back -- The network-hardware vendor responds to Lucent''s acquisition of Ascend with a few juicy tidbits about a superfast new routing architecture. Details are scant so far. By Joanna Glasner. [Wired News] Click Here for a Privacy Policy -- Microsoft rolls out the Privacy Wizard, a pre-fab privacy service meant to proliferate privacy policies across the Web. Observers cautiously see it as a decent start for building privacy into the Web''s data structure. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Clone OS to Run Windows Apps -- A Tasmanian company joins the growing ranks of developers cooking up programs that will run Windows applications without requiring software from Microsoft. By Joe Nickell. [Wired News] Cloned Back to Life? -- The Tasmanian Tiger has been extinct for three decades, yet some scientists think they can bring it back to life with some perfectly preserved DNA. Stewart Taggart reports from Australia. [Wired News] Code-Breaking Record Shattered -- In only 22 and a half hours, a bulky, homebrew computer cracks what was once the gold standard cipher for scrambling government data. The winner takes home US$10,000. By James Glave. [Wired News] Collective Computing Breaks Up -- Their little project tapped the power of idle computers on the Net to crack encryption codes in record time. Now the founders of Distributed.net go their separate ways. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Colorado Girl Wins Science Prize -- A 14-year-old particle physics student wins the Intel Science Talent Search, the youngest winner ever in the prestigious contest. [Wired News] Coming Soon: Back Orifice 2000 -- The Cult of the Dead Cow preps a new, more powerful release of its notorious hacking program -- just in time for Def Con 7. By Niall McKay. [Wired News] Coming Soon: Movies On Demand? -- French TV viewers will be able to download movies at their discretion. Also: Simon Schuster takes the e-book plunge. [Wired News] Communicator Sings and Shops -- What can you possibly add to a browser these days to make it hip? Netscape Communicator 4.7 tries shopping and music. [Wired News] Compaq Adds Security to Handheld -- Compaq debuts a handheld device with a built-in smart-card reader. Also: FedEx will provide package tracking to users of wireless handheld devices. [Wired News] Compaq Seeks Broadband Edge -- The computer maker ships machines with the gear needed to support high-speed Internet access to the home. When it gets there. [Wired News] Computer Theft Hurts The WELL -- One of the online world''s oldest communities is the victim of a thief who absconds with around 2,700 credit card numbers belonging to members. By Chris Gaither. [Wired News] Confusion Over ''Cyberwar'' -- In late December, a group of computer crackers declared cyberwar on Iraq and China, triggering a worldwide backlash. Was it the work of cyber imposters? By James Glave. [Wired News] Cooking Without Thinking -- A smart microwave oven will read cooking instructions and alert consumers to hazardous ingredients. Now those sumptuous TV dinners can be automatically cooked to perfection. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] Cops Covet DNA Chip -- Police may soon be able to compare corporeal evidence to a national database right at the crime scene. Law enforcement loves the tech, but privacy advocates are strongly opposed. By Vince Beiser. [Wired News] Corel''s Linux Open to Question -- Corel releases its Linux for the masses, and open source advocates are alarmed by its licensing restrictions. The company says it''s just a misunderstanding. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Correction -- On 1 April, Wired News ran an erroneous report that a company named WebNode.com had won a contract to sell nodes on the US government''s Next Generation Internet. Wired News congratulates the pranksters and regrets being suckered into it on as obvious a day as 1 April. Pfft! [Wired News] Cosmonauts Say Goodbye to Mir -- The Russian-French crew prepares to abandon the aging space station. It could be the final farewell for Mir, which will crash to earth next year unless last-minute funding comes through. [Wired News] Counseling Can Help Fight Cancer -- A new study affirms the mind''s ability to heal the body. Researchers say that counseling is beneficial to breast cancer patients who have had surgery. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Court Clears PlayStation Clone -- Sony fails to block a startup company from releasing software that clones its PlayStation game console on PCs. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Crab Nebula''s Glowing Heart -- The Chandra orbiting observatory captures some spectacular images of the remains of a centuries-old cosmic explosion. [Wired News] Cracked: MS'' New Music Format -- Microsoft unveiled its long-awaited alternative to MP3, and a cracker quickly unleashed his program to get around MS'' copyright restrictions. By Jennifer Sullivan and John Gartner. [Wired News] Cracker Sentenced to Prison -- A Rhode Island cracker will serve one year and pay a fine for a spree of invading university and corporate Web sites. His pals say he''s a scapegoat. By James Glave and John Gartner. [Wired News] Crackers ''Update'' Symantec Site -- Crackers deface the Web page managed by a leading security and antivirus software firm. The site is fixed, but questions linger. By James Glave. [Wired News] Crackers Call Off ''War'' -- Responding to protests from hackers worldwide, the Legions of the Underground calls off its information war against Iraq and China. By James Glave. [Wired News] Cracking Tools Get Smarter -- The latest sniffing tools make network spying easier and far more stealthy, say experts at a security briefing. Thankfully, the same tools work for the watchdog, too. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Cracking the Mind of a Hacker -- At the RSA Data Security Conference, a psychologist paints the typical network intruder as a socially inept, obsessive-compulsive geek. Hackers beg to differ. James Glave reports from Silicon Valley. [Wired News] Cranking Up the Windup Computer -- The South African company behind the windup radio will bring a new human-powered generator to laptop computers. Meanwhile, it''s talking with Apple. By Joseph Rose. [Wired News] Crisper, Cheaper Pix of Earth -- The burgeoning market for satellite images of the world is driving the need for affordable software to process them. Enter a new open-source project that does just that. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Cruising the PCExpo Gadgetfest -- New battery technology adds 16 hours to your unplugged laptop.... The Son of Microsoft Bob appears.... And a rewriteable DVD drive makes its debut. John Gartner reports from New York. [Wired News] Crypto Bound for Museum Bins -- Technology marches on. The US government''s former gold-standard cipher is now fit only for a museum, according to a tongue-in-cheek Internet Draft document. By James Glave. [Wired News] Crypto Set for a Quantum Leap -- Scientists borrow a chapter from the field of quantum physics to build a secret so random even code-cracking supercomputers won''t be able to touch it. By Niall McKay. [Wired News] Custom-Made Body Parts -- Researchers are using MRI and CT scan images and industrial manufacturing techniques to create new plastic models that can help doctors better diagnose disease and injury. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] Customers Rule on the Web -- The Web transforms the role of patients in the health-care system. That may mean a new approach to marketing by drug companies. [Wired News] Cutting Through the DVD Matrix -- Renting the latest DVD flick doesn''t mean you''ll actually get to watch it. DVD players have trouble playing The Matrix and other interactive titles as software outpaces hardware. By Andy Patrizio. [Wired News] Cutting the Cords -- Computer companies agree on a common wireless language allowing PCs, TVs, phones, and other home electronics to talk to one another. [Wired News] Cutting-Edge Surgical Robots -- They say nothing beats a robot for precision. That''s why Computer Motion, a medical-devices company, is trying to get surgeons to embrace the idea of operating room robots. But will any doctor willingly give up the scalpel? By Michael Stroud. [Wired News] DOD Scientist: Lose the Humans -- The Department of Defense''s chief scientist wants to take people out of the computing equation and give more control to smart processors that control robots. Niall McKay reports from Seattle. [Wired News] DTV Could Be DOA -- Digital television is hitting the airwaves, but no one is getting the message. The nation''s largest broadcaster says the standard is flawed and threatens to jump ship. By Joe Nickell. [Wired News] DVD Audio: The Sound of Silence -- Convincing consumers to upgrade from CDs is not going to be easy. Even backers of DVD-Audio admit that the subtle sound improvements might not be enough to sway music lovers. Andy Patrizio reports from Rancho Mirage, California. [Wired News] DVD''s Fragmented Future -- Watching movies will continue to be the most popular use of DVD for the foreseeable future. DVD music, however, won''t be popular anytime soon, according to an industry expert. Andy Patrizio reports from Rancho Mirage, California. [Wired News] Dangerous Email Worm Crawls Net -- Intel and Microsoft switch off their email in an effort to control a dangerous new Internet worm that deletes Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. By James Glave. [Wired News] Dangerous Email Worm Crawls Net -- Intel and Microsoft switch off their email in an effort to control a dangerous new Internet worm that deletes Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. By James Glave. [Wired News] Data Privacy Is Percolating -- Java programmers have a new place to brainstorm about how to give consumers an edge in the battle for their personal data. By James Glave. [Wired News] Deadly Scourge Was Common Flu -- Scientists unlock the mystery of the 1918 epidemic that claimed up to 40 million lives worldwide. Lab tests show they were victims of ordinary swine flu. [Wired News] Death Stars Make Winter Summer -- Scientists discover stars similar to our sun that emit superflares that wipe out nearby planets. How does our solar system compare? By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] Debate Flares over MS ''Spy Key'' -- Security experts aren''t satisfied with Microsoft''s denials that it had left a back door open in Windows for a US spy agency. That''s plain nuts, others say. By James Glave. [Wired News] Deep Blue Goes Far and Wide -- IBM''s Deep Computing Institute gives top researchers the supercomputing power they need to tackle the world''s thorniest problems. It will also offer open-source modeling software. [Wired News] Def Con: Bring in Da Noise -- The annual hacker convention kicks off in Las Vegas Friday. Some will be here for talk of exploits and scripts. Others just want to party. By Polly Sprenger. [Wired News] Deja News Communities Bug Out -- As its conference threads disappear from view, Deja News adds another problem to a string of recent snafus and shutdowns among Web-based discussion services. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Deja News Monitors Email Links -- Someone emails you about your Usenet posting listed on Deja News, but before you receive the message, the Deja News server knows it''s on the way. Is it a case of sloppy code or is it a privacy invasion? By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Detectives in the Digital Age -- In the online crime world, the guys in white hats are ahead of the guys in black hats. But computer security experts warn that online criminal activity is increasing, and the perpetrators are growing more sophisticated. [Wired News] Devising the Sense of Touch -- An MIT grad student invents an implant that may make artificial limbs able to feel. It all started with an Erector set. [Wired News] Diabetes Drugs: A Better Way -- Doctors say there are plenty of promising treatments to replace Rezulin, which the FDA restricted last week after some patients suffered liver damage. [Wired News] Diabetes Mystery Solved? -- Scientists identify the protein that may cause "juvenile" diabetes. Further research could lead to a treatment for one in 10 diabetes sufferers. [Wired News] Did MS Dig Its Hotmail Hole? -- Microsoft may have created the massive Hotmail security hole by leaving a backdoor script up on its servers. That''s an all-too-common flub, according to the experts. By James Glave. [Wired News] Digging for Big Bang Fossils -- Hoping to find answers about the Big Bang that some believe created the universe, scientists will launch a satellite designed to sift through light waves in search of hydrogen, a primordial element. [Wired News] Digital Evolution Enters Debate -- Scientists observe evolution in progress with a computer program that creates digital organisms. It gives you the feeling you''re not in Kansas anymore. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Digital Music Do-Alls -- A new entrant in the MP3 portable market blurs the line between music player and personal organizer. [Wired News] Digital Signatures for the Palm -- PenOp releases the first electronic signature application for the Palm platform. Also: LookSmart will provide directory content for Excite. [Wired News] Digital TV Gets Small -- Microtune has figured out a way to shrink the critical electronics of DTV onto a single chip. Pretty soon, you might be able to watch high-res ER on your cell phone. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Digitally Detecting Forgeries -- Bankrolled by the US Department of Justice, researchers at the State University of New York at Buffalo are developing software to seek out phony signatures. By Joe Ashbrook Nickell. [Wired News] Dinosaurs: Long-Necked Cows? -- New research shows dinosaurs were more like cows than giraffes. Their long, graceful necks were used to graze on grass, rather than treetops. [Wired News] Docs to Jocks: Heads Up -- New research shows that football and soccer players risk permanent damage from concussions on the playing field. [Wired News] Doctors to the Stars -- Injuries, major and minor, are the football player''s lot in life. When he goes down, the athletic trainer is the first friendly face he sees. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Dolly''s DNA Damaged -- Scientists who cloned the first mammal say her source material''s age has affected her DNA structure. This could make researchers sheepish on cloning clones or older adults. [Wired News] Domain Lookup Site ''Vanishes'' -- Internic has been absorbed by Network Solutions'' corporate Web site. Critics say it''s unfair to claim a Net resource. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Domain Name Glitch Plagues Users -- Competition in the domain name registration market couldn''t come soon enough for some people. Network Solutions'' latest gaffe allows unauthorized users to make Web site changes, while many sites'' contact information mysteriously disappears. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Domain Name List Is Dwindling -- A Wired News investigation found that the .com versions of nearly all popular words have been taken. Of 25,500 standard dictionary words we checked, only 1,760 were free. By Declan McCullagh. [Wired News] Don''t Break It to Me, Doc -- People at risk inherited cancer would rather not know about it. In a new study, more than half opted to avoid tests to show their genetic disposition. [Wired News] Don''t Mess with ''Melissa'' -- Part virus, part spam, "Melissa" is lying in wait for MS Outlook users. But software security experts say it''s easy for users to stop her cold. [Wired News] Down Under and Out of Reach -- RSA Data Security Australia neatly skirts a US government chokehold on crypto exports -- and snags two leading engineers in the bargain. By James Glave. [Wired News] Dr. Robot, Report to the OR -- A new heart surgery procedure using remote-controlled robotics could help heart surgery patients to heal faster and feel less pain. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Dressed to the 9-9-99s -- Is 9-9-99 a significant problem date for the world''s computers or a non-event being exploited by the power industry to calm doomsayer fears? By James Glave. [Wired News] Drug Calms Pitter-Pattering Hearts -- A drug used to treat irregular heartbeat proves to be highly effective in a recent study. It offers options other than the standard electrical shock treatment. [Wired News] Drug Helps Kick the Habit -- French scientists have developed a drug that stimulates the pleasure center and reduces the craving for cigarettes and cocaine. [Wired News] Drug Revives Failed Hearts -- Congestive heart failure hospitalizes hundreds of thousands of people every year. Now doctors think a kidney drug can bring tired hearts back from the brink. [Wired News] Drug Targets Early Breast Cancer -- A new drug has been shown to increase cancer survival rates. The FDA will decide whether to approve it as the new first-line breast cancer treatment. [Wired News] Dyslexia Found in Genetic Jungle -- An international team has found a gene to go with dyslexia, a common brain condition that can cause problems with reading and writing. [Wired News] E-Books Taking Shape -- A new standard for creating electronic books should give authors and manufacturers a sense of stability as the nascent market tries to mature. [Wired News] E-Books: Read ''em and Keep -- Adobe''s new encryption technology protects copyrights and boosts the struggling market for digital text, while Fatbrain tries to help writers find an audience. Jennifer Sullivan and Leander Kahney report from San Francisco. [Wired News] E-Books: The Next Killer App -- For 50 years, tech gurus have promised that the next invention will make paper books obsolete. But the buzz on e-books at Seybold means this time, the hour may be nigh. Leander Kahney reports from San Francisco. [Wired News] E-Commerce Hole Exposed -- Security experts have uncovered a hole in e-commerce software from Microsoft that can expose sensitive information such as names, addresses, and credit card numbers. [Wired News] E-Commerce Sites: Open Sesame? -- Microsoft is scrambling to fix a significant flaw in its Internet Information Server that could open e-commerce sites to remote control by crackers. By Niall McKay. [Wired News] EBay Browser Tracks Auctions -- A new Web browser designed specifically for eBay users lets buyers and sellers keep track of multiple bidding wars at once. You''ll never miss an auction again. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] EMFs: Are Kids More Vulnerable? -- The decades-long controversy over whether electric and magnetic fields cause leukemia in children continues with new evidence of a possible connection. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] EMI to Sell CDs on Demand -- Coming to a music store near you: kiosks that download tunes and spit out freshly minted CDs at your request. By Oscar S. Cisneros. [Wired News] Earth''s Oceans Washing Away? -- The planet''s oceans are slowly draining into the Earth''s interior. Within a billion years they could disappear completely, just as they have on Mars. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] Electric Gene Therapy Approved -- A new cancer therapy that uses an electric pulse to aid in the injection of DNA into tumors is ready for use in Europe. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Electronic Ink Makes Its Mark -- The first thin, flexible display based on electronic ink technology made a splash at a JCPenney store on Monday. Though it looks like a regular store poster, it can be updated using the Internet. [Wired News] Electronic Nose Smells Illness -- An electronic nose that can detect an infection by smell is in the works. With the potential to cut waiting times for lab tests by half, the Diag-Nose is nothing to sneeze at. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Eliminating a Deadly Cancer -- Scientists say a vaccine currently being tested in several countries holds great promise for eradicating cervical cancer, the second-biggest killer of women. [Wired News] Email For Your Grandparents -- The MailStation is a no-brainer Net appliance that does one thing: send and receive email. All right, two things. It''s a technophobe''s delight. A Wired News product review by John Gartner. [Wired News] Empty Mir a Danger, NASA Says -- Russia''s plan to leave Mir unmanned while the search for funding the aging craft continues is unwise, and possibly unsafe, a NASA director warns. [Wired News] Energy, Physics, and Soda Pop -- Don''t worry about gas supplies, and never mind pollution. The fuel of the future is Mountain Dew. Declan McCullagh reports from the Conference on Future Energy. [Wired News] Enhanced MRIs Zero In on Cancer -- Inert gases are being used to produce clearer MRIs that could enable doctors to use safer surgical procedures. By Heidi Kriz. [Wired News] Erasing Email Trails -- News from the ISP convention in Baltimore, Maryland: The Freedom Network, a privacy washer for protecting email, is born. And Inktomi and Sandpiper plan to integrate their technologies. [Wired News] Europe Halts Genetic Corn Trade -- In the midst of transatlantic trade woes, the European Commission halts approval of a genetically engineered crop that could prove lethal to Monarch butterflies. [Wired News] Everest Trek Prepares for Mars -- Members of the Everest Extreme Expedition ''99 are using the rooftop of the world as a space travel training ground. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] Every Web Site a Chat Room -- When you land on a Web site, you''re not alone. Gooey, a new hybrid chat-Web service, shows you who else is there so that you can strike up a chat. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Evidence of Plate Shifts on Mars -- New data indicates Mars has geographic scarring similar to that found on Earth, a further indication that the red planet once contained water. And perhaps life. [Wired News] Evolution vs. Creation, Round 2 -- A group of creationists challenge the curriculums of Kansas schools, claiming the theory of evolution is highly speculative and confusing to religious children. Education officials will vote for changes on Friday. [Wired News] Excite.com Goes to Illinois -- A resident of a Chicago suburb woke up Wednesday to find he owned excite.com. It was news to everyone involved and highlights the weakness of the Net''s name registration system. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Exploiting the Fungus Among Us -- Yeast may hold a significant key to helping scientists understand how certain drugs work. [Wired News] Extending a Palm to the Masses -- 3Com''s newest version of the Palm Pilot is aimed squarely at the frugal -- mainly newcomers to the handheld market and students with little money in their jeans. [Wired News] Exterminating Mechanical Mice -- Microsoft is replacing its mechanical mouse with a more durable, optical version. Good news for users with dirty desks. [Wired News] FAA on Y2K: Ready for Takeoff -- Go ahead and book that millennium vacation. Air traffic control computers pass a Y2K compliance test at Denver International Airport. [Wired News] FAO Schwarz Springs a Leak -- Did you buy a Furby from the toy store''s e-commerce site? If so, your home phone number, address, and email might have been exposed to the world. By James Glave. [Wired News] FBI Warns of Melissa Virus -- The National Infrastructure Protection Center issues its first computer virus warning, cautioning network administrators to take the Melissa virus seriously. [Wired News] Fake Brains a Smart Idea -- British scientists build a better brain, at least for testing cell-phone emissions. Now, living subjects don''t have to be subjected to potentially harmful radio waves. By Louise Knapp. [Wired News] FasTV Hopes for a Fast Start -- The startup wants to be to online video what Yahoo is to Web indexes. A lot of things will have to go right before that happens. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Fashions for the Radiation Age -- Manufacturers offer an array of products to stop electromagnetic rays in their tracks. And a brand new study says you may need them. By Katie Dean. [Wired News] Fast Net Standards in Place -- The ITU finishes the long-awaited ADSL standards. The technology can speed data over plain, copper phone lines -- but creating a standard is only the first step. Now vendors have to get on the bandwagon. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Faster Notes for the PalmPilot -- The PalmPilot''s character recognition software is nifty, but slow. But a new program will bring Piloteers up to pen-and-paper speed. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Feds Pay to Push Genome Project -- The Human Genome race pits a government-funded consortium that aims to keep gene data public against a private research company that wants to own the findings. The future of medical research is at stake. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Feed Your Head -- The food in your future is as likely to come from a laboratory than a farm. Nourishment won''t be enough. Food will make you smarter and prevent disease. [Wired News] Fiber Cut Slows US Networks -- A cut to a fiber optic line in Northern Ohio slows networks of several Internet service providers. [Wired News] File Storage Matter of Trust -- I-Drive wants to host your personal files so that others can read them from any browser. The company says it''s not liable if files are compromised, raising privacy concerns. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Fill ''er Up: With Hydrogen -- Ford opens up a filling station for its electric cars of the future. Instead of regular or premium, customers will choose between liquid or gaseous hydrogen for refueling. [Wired News] Finger(print) of Fate -- The revamped FBI criminal database features software that allows cops in the field to instantly check the identity of motorists, via fingerprint, that they pull over for traffic violations. By Craig Bicknell. [Wired News] Fire Knocks Out Net, Phones, 911 -- A major blaze at a Toronto switching center wreaks havoc with communications in Canada''s largest city. Internet access, telephone lines, and ATMs go dead. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] Firm Sidesteps Intel on Chip ID -- Power Technology says it has come up with a way to beat back software pirates without violating end-user privacy. Intel calls it comparing apples to oranges. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] First Clone from Male Cells -- Researchers have created a clone using cells from a male mouse, marking the first time they''ve gone outside the female reproductive system for source material. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] First Steps for Bionic Woman -- Researchers have successfully grafted mammal cells onto silicon, an important development in creating artificial replacement limbs. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Flaccid Flowers Bloom on Viagra -- A horticulturist finds that a dash of the impotence drug keeps aging blooms from wilting. It''s promising news for the floral industry. Tania Hershman reports from Jerusalem. [Wired News] Flash Dips a Toe in Java, MP3 -- Macromedia upgrades the music in its animation software. Developers can now stream MP3 files in Flash, but the new player won''t compete with Winamp. By Oscar S. Cisneros. [Wired News] Flower Power for the iMac -- It had to happen sooner or later: an iMac accessory that lets users stop and smell the roses. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Fly Into 2000, If You Dare -- The two biggest US air carriers foresee no Y2K problems. Then again, United Airlines and American Airlines say they don''t have all the information they need about the rollover. [Wired News] Flying Car Set for Takeoff -- The world''s first flying car to take off vertically will make its maiden flight in a matter of weeks. For US$1 million you can soar above traffic jams. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Free Spam Killing for the Masses -- Spam-fighting service Bright Light licenses its tech to ISPs. To expand its sales reach, the company now gives away the tool to individual Net users. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] From Pentium to PlayStation -- Another company is posting software to run PlayStation games on computers -- this time for Windows PCs. Will Sony sue again? By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Furby: It''s Not Just a Toy -- A Furby helps teach an autistic child to speak. The boy''s mother appeals to hackers for ways to improve the toy''s vocabulary. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] FusionOne''s Cool New Hot Sync -- A start-up introduces free synchronization technology that can connect a user''s PC, handheld, and other devices over the Net. [Wired News] GM Pollen Getting Around -- A BBC program shows evidence that pollen from genetically modified crops is not being contained within mandated limits meant to keep non-GM crops safe from contamination. [Wired News] GM Watches You Drive -- Privacy activists sound the horn over a General Motors in-car surveillance device that records a driver''s speed and actions in the event of an accident. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] Galaxies'' Urge to Merge -- The Hubble Space Telescope catches a dozen or so galaxies in the act of merging. Scientists say they''ve never seen galaxies colliding at such a fast and furious rate. [Wired News] Game Boy Gets the Net Picture -- Nintendo is updating the popular portable game player with connections to the Net and digital cameras. It''s time to reallocate the babysitter budget to the phone bill. By Andy Patrizio. [Wired News] Geeks to MS: We Don''t Do Windows -- A cheerful but resolute Linux group drops in on Microsoft in search of refunds. Redmond offers them cold drinks instead of cold cash. Judy DeMocker reports from Silicon Valley. [Wired News] Gene Therapy for the Bald -- Forget the Hair Club for Men. Gene therapy may someday help bald men to grow new hair. Scientists graft tiny bits of human scalp to mice in an effort to develop a method of delivery of genetic material to hair follicles. [Wired News] Gene: I Wanna Be Like Mike -- A recently identified gene with jumping tendencies now bears the name of the famed vertical leaper. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Genome Map Gets E-Biz Boost -- Another company adds itself to the list of those offering a proprietary gene database for cash. Federal researchers, contrary to popular belief, are all for it. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Genome Researchers in the Chips -- Scientists have created a faster, cheaper DNA chip that promises to offer researchers of all stripes access to the secrets of the genome. All it took was a little overhead projection. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] Germans Make Mac Micro Browser -- Munich developer iCab has written a small browser for Power Macs that supports the latest Web standards. By Joseph Rose. [Wired News] Gesundheit -- When you get the flu, you call in sick and go to bed. When a Pittsburgh Steeler or a Miami Dolphin gets the flu, he goes to the trainer, who pumps him full of fluids and gets him back on the field. Fast. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Get Ready for Surround Video -- A new immersive video technology lets users explore 360 degrees of live action video. The inventors want it for entertainment. The military wants to put it in missiles. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Getting Zapped for Better Z''s -- Relief is on the way for chronic snorers and their partners. A new therapy uses radio waves to treat the breathing disorder known as sleep apnea. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Getting a Jump on Breast Cancer -- A new test reveals hidden cancer cells in breast cancer patients. It could mean more accurate therapies that don''t necessarily include chemotherapy. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] Getting the 411 in a Flash -- A new mobile-phone service that can track your location will find you the closest burger shack and steer you away from traffic jams. By Oscar S. Cisneros. [Wired News] Ghosts in the Machine -- Fact: PCs come with dangerous security holes -- Compaq''s Presario is only the latest example. But companies and consumers are blind to the danger until someone happens to notice. Is there a better way? By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Giving Voice to Net Security -- The Home Shopping Network is going to use voiceprint technology to recognize customers on the phone. HSN says it''s convenient and secure. It will also allow the network to hone its customer database. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] Global Credit Card Network Fails -- Discover Card''s authorization network failed for nearly three hours Wednesday, knocking out retail sales for Bravo Card as well. [Wired News] Globalstar Gets Off the Ground -- After months of setbacks, the satellite phone company consortium successfully launches four satellites from Russian soil. By Polly Sprenger [Wired News] Going with the Flow -- A new site offers water lovers and researchers the chance to find out, in near real time, how low the rivers are flowing or how dry the desert is. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] Growing New Spinal Cells -- Scientists have found a way to activate cell regeneration in the central nervous system, holding out hope for people with serious spinal cord injuries. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] HIV Won''t Go Quietly -- New research concludes it may take a decade of treatment for drugs to eradicate the AIDS virus, while another study says current treatments may not work at all in the long run. [Wired News] HP''s All-in-One Music Box -- Hewlett-Packard releases a CD burner that simplifies copying all kinds of digital music, and includes safeguards to protect copyrights. By Andy Patrizio. [Wired News] Handhelds Beaming Up a Coke? -- New vending-machine technology may let you buy sodas using your PalmPilot or cell phone. But be prepared to pay for the convenience. By Louise Knapp. [Wired News] Handspring Handheld Debuts -- PalmPilot creators Donna Dubinsky and Jeff Hawkins are the force behind "the Visor," a lower-price, more expandable system aimed at the mass market. It might grab some Palm buyers, but both companies'' real target is Microsoft CE. [Wired News] Have I Got an E-Deal for You! -- An increasing number of consumers are using the Net to research a car purchase, so car dealers are trying to simplify the process to help reel them in. [Wired News] Headaches for Super-Aspirin? -- British researchers claim a new breed of "super-aspirin" will do more harm than good. Two have already been approved by the FDA. [Wired News] Heartfelt Electronics -- Miniature defibrillators implanted in the chest or shoulder combat sudden cardiac arrest in high-risk patients. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Here Comes SDMI, Ready or Not -- The Secure Digital Music Initiative unleashes its controversial digital music framework for the world to see. A finished spec it ain''t. By Chris Oakes. [Wired News] Herpes Attacks Zoo Elephants -- A study shows that African and Asian elephants are swapping strains of the virus, creating a deadly interchange and devastating zoo populations. [Wired News] High-Speed AOL Goes West -- America Online will work with SBC to offer speedy connections to the western United States. The company made a similar East Coast deal with Bell Atlantic. [Wired News] High-Tech Cancer Link? -- Working at chip plants exposes workers and their offspring to significant health hazards, according to a new report. Class-action suits are pending against IBM and National Semi. By Lindsey Arent. [Wired News] High-Tech Skinny on Skin Grafts -- A new method of creating skin from living human cells may one day replace the painful and time-consuming therapy currently in use in most hospitals. By Kristen Philipkoski. [Wired News] Hits Keep On Coming Against MS -- Discussion groups are ablaze with tales of Microsoft security flaws; one company program manager even ''fesses up. By Declan McCullagh. [Wired News] Hormone Therapy Not So Risky -- Post-menopausal women often worry about the increased risk of breast cancer while undergoing hormone replacement therapy. A new study shows that in fact the treatment only raises the probability of a treatable form of the disease. [Wired News] Hotmail Fallout: A Mere Trickle -- Sure, it was probably the most significant public security breach in the short history of the Net. Will Microsoft''s reputation suffer? Not likely. By Craig Bicknell. [Wired News] Hotmail Hackers: ''We Did It'' -- A hacking group claims responsibility for publicizing the Hotmail security hole, which Microsoft says is most decidedly not a ''backdoor.'' By James Glave. [Wired News] Hubble: Just Point and Shoot -- The Hubble telescope gazes at a galaxy far, far away.... Exactly how far away will be determined by you, as NASA lets the public vote on which galaxy the telescope will focus on next. By Heather McCabe. [Wired News] Hughes May Get a Sky-High Bill -- The deadline approaches for Hughes Electronics to get export licenses from the government to complete a Chinese satellite deal. Hughes may face an expensive bill if it fails. [Wired News] Human Gene Research Accelerating -- The research into classifying human genetic structure -- The Human Genome Project -- is going so well that the cooperative Anglo-American effort should be finished a year ahead of schedule. [Wired News] Human Genome Count Rising -- Scientists claim humans may actually have double the number of genes than previously thought. The race to finish mapping the human genome could get even hotter. [Wired News] Hut, Hut ... Huh? -- The NFL used them this year, and now it''s time for the junior ranks to test onfield wireless communication systems. Football purists may balk, but the days of hand signals and huddles may be numbered. By Christopher Jones. [Wired News] I Think, Therefore I Move -- In a breakthrough for artificial limbs, scientists have rigged a robot arm to a lab rat''s brain so the animal can translate thoughts into action. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News] I Want My Inmate TV -- Criminal court proceedings and prisoner visitations are now being telecast by many US correctional facilities. But the video is not for "real TV" dramas -- it''s to save money. Vince Beiser