Web Digest, March 2003


    ==== 2003-03-31 ====

    == CNET / ZDNET ==

    Wider-Fi
    A little-known standard called Wi-Fi turned into the hottest
    technology of the year and shook the wireless industry to its
    core. Now its successors hope to leave Wi-Fi in the dust. Forbes
    Details..

    Perspectives: Unix's war on Linux
    Charles Cooper says the lawsuit filed against IBM by SCO is a
    stalking horse for a deeper struggle between proprietary and
    open-source software.
    Details..

    == Bizjournals ==

    Franchising isn't always all you'd expect
    Details..
    It has definite attractions for those who want to start their own
    businesses. But franchising isn't always the answer.
    Read this before you make the franchise leap.

    Finding the remedy for an ailing team
    Details..
    Here's how you fix a team that's coming unglued.

    You can be replaced, you know
    Details..
    There is no such thing as an indispensable employee.
    Keep that in mind and you may do fine.

    == iafrica ==

    What's life like in Baghdad, one might wonder as images of explosions
    in the Iraqi capital are broadcast to the world... Well, for one account,
    take a look at "Salam Pax's" (a play on the words for peace in Arabic
    and Latin) site, a kind of online diary of what it's like to be living
    in that city right now. What's known about him is that he's 29-years-old,
    educated and has a wry sense of humour. His English is also pretty good.
    Riveting reading!
    Details..

    == M&G ==

    Baghdad assault intensifies
    Fresh waves of air strikes rocked Baghdad today as US-led bombing squads
    struck surface-to-air missile sites, a presidential palace and the main
    training ground for Saddam Hussein's fedayeen paramilitary forces.
    Details..


    == CNN ==

    CDC: SARS SPREADS MORE EASILY
    The mystery illness that has sickened 1,550 people worldwide appears to spread
    more easily than was first thought, said Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the
    U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    Details..


    == BBC ==

    US forces target key town
    The US sends thousands more troops to secure Nasiriya on the
    vital supply route to Baghdad, where bombing is intensified.
    Details..

    'Hardest battle yet' for UK marines
    UK forces have fought a day-long battle against hundreds of
    Iraqi troops, supported by tanks, outside the city of Basra.
    Details..

    Parkinson's drug 'highly promising'
    A new treatment pumped into the brains of patients with Parkinson's
    disease has produced highly promising results in early trials.
    Details..

    Classroom behind the check-outs
    Computerised learning centres in supermarkets are being promoted as
    a cheaper rival to private tutors.
    Details..

    ==== 2003-03-28 ====

    == M&G ==

    Mail & Guardian (SA) Special Report: Iraq
    Details..

    == iafrica.com ==

    WAR ON IRAQ
    Details..
    Experts warn of costly Battle of Baghdad


    As the number of civilian casualties mount, many are worried that the
    Battle of Baghdad will leave a casualty toll that could shock the world.
    Experts are also divided on the tactics required to overcome the city.
    But regardless of the tactical choices, military expert Jay Farrar warns:
    "This is going to be pretty messy, to say the least. It's been messier
    so far than most in the press and the public thought it would be.
    And it's going to get messier."

    BREAKING NEWS (GMT)

  • 06h09: Iraqi Kurds make major advance towards Kirkuk
  • 03h48: US death toll in Iraq at 28 - Pentagon
  • 02h21: Cruise missiles fired on Baghdad
  • 00h08: Basra residents helping coalition forces arrest fighters - US
  • 22h31: Charity drops appearance by anti-war actress Susan Sarandon



    US curtails official travel over SARS
    The United States is set to curtail government visits to China, Hong Kong,
    Singapore and Taiwan and to warn Americans against travel there due to
    the outbreak of a mysterious new deadly respiratory disease, US officials
    said on Thursday.
    Details..

    War dims Africa growth prospect - AFB
    The US-led war against war is blurring further growth outlook for Africa,
    already reeling under droughts and conflicts that cut average growth to
    2.8 percent in 2002 from 3.5 percent a year earlier, the continent's
    main bank head said on Thursday.
    Details..

    == BBC ==

    US gears up for long campaign
    The US military admits that Iraqi resistance is slowing the push to
    Baghdad as battles rage around key southern towns.
    Details..

    UN nears new Iraq aid deal
    UN Security Council members agree on a draft resolution to restart the
    huge Iraq oil-for-food programme.
    Details..

    == CNN ==

    'BUNKER-BUSTER' BOMBS BLAST TARGET IN BAGHDAD
    "Bunker-buster" bombs target Baghdad communications U.S. plans new bombing
    against Republican Guard Pentagon to send 130,000 more troops to region
    British: Iraqi forces firing on civilians trying to flee Basra Pentagon: 12
    Marines missing near Nasariya New airstrikes target Iraqi troops in north
    Details..

    REPUBLICAN GUARD TARGETED
    The Pentagon is collecting new intelligence information ahead of a new bombing
    campaign by coalition forces against Iraq's Republican Guard surrounding
    Baghdad, a senior U.S. military official told CNN.
    Details..

    N.Y. ANTIWAR PROTESTERS STAGE 'DIE-IN'
    Protesters blocked two lanes of traffic and a busy intersection Thursday
    morning in Midtown Manhattan as part of a planned "die-in."
    Details..

    QUARANTINE ORDERED OVER MYSTERY VIRUS
    Hong Kong has ordered all schools closed until April 6 and invoked a
    quarantine law as part of intensified efforts to contain the spread of a
    deadly pneumonia virus that has killed at least 50 people worldwide.
    Details..


    == BBC ==

    Schools 'face meltdown' by 2030
    Traditional schools could shed most of their functions to become
    'learning brokers', a report says.
    Details..

    Cut exam burden say heads
    Head teachers say their campaign to reduce the number of exams children
    sit is being held back by a lack of trust in teachers.
    Details..

    Children 'having sex at 11'
    More than a quarter of 11-year-olds in the UK know someone their age who is having sex, according to a new survey.
    Details..

    Early diet 'crucial for babies'
    Babies who do not eat much in the first fortnight of life may be set up for better heart health throughout life.
    Details..

    == CNET / ZDNET ==

    IBM breaks silence on server speed

    IBM posted long-awaited performance scores Wednesday for its
    x440 server with 16 Intel Xeon processors, a system Big Blue
    is using to try to impose itself on a key part of the server
    market. The system was able to perform 151,000 database
    transactions per minute, according to the scores. That's
    ahead of a rival 8-Xeon Hewlett-Packard DL760 G2 that clocked
    in at 115,000, but still behind the 32-Xeon Unisys Orion 230
    that racked up 234,000 transactions.
    March 27, 2003, 11:53 AM PT
    Details..

    AOL Time Warner pulls free Net magazines

    AOL Time Warner will move the free Web sites for a number of
    magazines into its America Online proprietary service,
    signaling the media giant's attempt to fortify AOL with
    exclusive content. Beginning Sunday, the popular magazines
    People and Entertainment Weekly will no longer offer content
    on their Web sites for free. Content will be accessible only
    to magazine subscribers and AOL members. Newsstand buyers are
    granted access to content on the publication's Web site, but
    only for the duration of the magazine edition they purchase.
    March 27, 2003, 8:57 AM PT
    Details..

    Reinventing IT services
    After a hard fall, providers of IT services face demands for
    more value at lower prices.
    The McKinsey Quarterly--free registration required
    Details..

    Gartner casts doubts on IT outsourcing
    The market research firm says 50 percent of outsourcing deals will be
    considered unsuccessful when it comes to delivering the expected value.
    Details..

    Perspectives: Pay attention to BPM
    Venture capitalist J. William Gurley asserts that a new
    category of enterprise software offers the potential to
    revolutionize white-collar business processes.
    Details..

    Briefly:
    Watchdogs: Cable gouges broadband users
    Details..
    Xerox: Let everyone have fiber
    Details..
    Macromedia frees Flash from the browser
    Details..
    OpenOffice ready for world tour
    Details..
    Seven days of headlines
    Details..

    Make the connection with CGI
    Common Gateway Interfaces (CGI) provides a liaison between your applications and Web servers, which
    allow users to access dynamic data on your site. These programs can help build, test, and implement
    Web forms and other CGI scripts easily.
    Details..

    Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.2
    Tired of unwanted guests invading your computer? Spybot can prevent uninvited adware from sneaking in,
    and clean program and Web usage tracks from your system. This tool can be especially useful if you
    share your computer with other users.
    Details..

    Outlook SpamCatcher
    Filter: Block spam from Microsoft Outlook with this maintenance-free filtering program.
    Details..

    WebWarper
    Internet: Surf the Web faster by compressing Web pages into ZIP format.
    Details..
    ==== 2003-03-07 and earlier ====


    == KidsHealth.org ==

    "How can I tell if I'm depressed?" If you've ever asked yourself this, you're
    not alone. TeensHealth gives the answers to questions that teens like you ask
    us all the time. Check to see if we've answered one of yours in Q&A.
    Details..

    Getting Along With Your Teachers
    Think your teachers are from outer space? Actually, they're real people who
    can help you to learn and become an adult. Read about developing relationships
    with your teachers in this article.
    Details..


    Migraine Headache
    If you've ever had a migraine, you know that these headaches can cause severe
    pain and other symptoms. Read this article to learn about what causes
    migraines, migraine treatments, and lots more.
    Details..