Oct./Nov. 2003 Web Digest


    ==== 2003-11-28 ====

    == ICT WOrld

    M-Web CommerceZone smashes the R10bn transaction barrier
    M-Web CommerceZone, an independent local business-to-business
    e-marketplace, saw its transaction volumes smash through the R10bn mark
    this week, defying common opinions that e-business is floundering.
    Link..

    IBM's new software ideal for cost-conscious SA mid-market
    IBM's new DB2 Content Manager Express solution, designed specifically
    for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), arrives at a time when
    cost-conscious local businesses are becoming aware of the very
    considerable savings that they can achieve by managing their information
    and documentation more efficiently.
    Link..

    == CNN

    [collection of space images]
    Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell, who have created perhaps the
    largest and most celebrated collection of space images on the
    Net, have picked the best of the best for the book, which they
    recently talked about with CNN.com.
    ... http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/11/21/book.apod/index.html



    ==== 2003-11-27 ====

    == Jobserve

    Interview Tips
    How to make sure you get the job you want.
    Link..

    Britons 'work an extra day a week in unpaid overtime'
    Calculate how much your unpaid overtime is worth with the TUC Overtime
    Calculator
    Link..

    I'll work it my way
    New report identifies four distinct personalities in the workplace
    Link..

    Senior staff 'more prone to bad behaviour on last day'
    One in 10 have regrets, says study
    Link..

    Good night, sleep tight, mind your boss doesn't bite
    New research reveals sleeping on the job costs British bosses £20m a
    year
    Link..

    Face up to offshore IT challenge
    Compete on our strengths - not the competition's, says BCS
    Link..

    Broadband enabled jukeboxes bring new lease of life to pub music
    The new hi-tech juke can play pre-released tracks, sell you the album
    or email your favourite track
    Link..

    Technology isn't working at work
    Britain's 'lost generation' of low-tech managers to blame, claims new
    research
    Link..

    Weak US anti-spam bill will make it worse
    Activists are angry by the inclusion of an opt-out clause which
    appeases the direct mail industry.
    Link..

    Global server market grows beyond expectations
    Linux sees big gains
    Link..

    ==== 2003-11-26 ====

    == M&G

    Survey: SA men lack business savvy
    South Africa lags behind other developing countries in entrepreneurial
    activity because too few young men believe they have the necessary skills
    to set up business, says the South African report in the 2003 Global
    Entrepreneurship Monitor.
    Link..

    Countdown to extinction for world's great apes
    Gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans -- the closest living
    relatives of humanity -- could vanish from the wild within 50 years,
    say United Nations leaders meeting in Paris on Wednesday. They have
    appealed for $25-million to save the world's great apes from extinction.
    Link..

    == BBC

    Film and TV archives put on web
    Some of the UK's best-loved and most influential films and TV shows
    are put on the internet.
    Link..

    Bumper Christmas for online shops
    Online shopping is becoming a key part of preparing for Christmas,
    with many e-tailers expecting a bumper season.
    Link..


    ==== 2003-11-25 ====

    == KidsHealth

    Breathing Problems During Sleep and Daytime Behavior Problems
    Sleep-disordered breathing problems such as snoring and interruptions
    in breathing are common in young children. Researchers examined the
    relationship between sleep-disordered breathing problems and behavior
    in children.
    Link..

    == TechRepublic

    3 QUESTIONS: HTTP COMPRESSION SPEEDS PAGE DELIVERY, CUTS COSTS
    Are you wasting bandwidth by not using HTTP compression? Read what the
    COO of a top software company has to say.
    Link..

    BUSINESS FORCES SPURRING IT CAREER CHANGES
    Three business forces, including outsourcing, will have a material
    impact on the work of IT professionals during the next five years,
    according to Gartner, which has outlined eight guidelines to help
    you develop your career.
    Link..

    VISIT BUILDER.COM'S REVAMPED WEB DEVELOPMENT LIBRARY
    Builder.com's Web Development Library was recently overhauled. Some of
    the exciting highlights include 250 job aids, reference materials such
    as a script library and a list of HTML tags and attributes, links to
    relevant articles on other Web sites, and much more. Start benefiting
    from the wealth of information in our Web Development Library today!
    Link..

    HOW HIS CYBERCAFE DEALS WITH VIRUS THREATS
    When one company had to balance customers' wide-ranging Internet needs
    with virus protection, it couldn't rely on the old standby methods of
    firewalls and filters. Here's one member's story of how he kept his
    system secure and his customers happy.
    Link..

    HOW TO TELL IF A MALFUNCTIONING PC HAS A VIRUS
    When is a hardware or software problem a virus? It's often hard to say,
    but your odds of sniffing one out will be greater if you have a better
    understanding of the common symptoms of a virus infection.
    Link..



    ==== 2003-11-24 ====
    == CNN

    UNITED STATES: The Love Him, Hate Him President
    Americans adore Bush or loathe him -- how the U.S. became a
    nation divided
    Link..

    HOUSE PASSES ANTI-SPAM BILL
    Link..


    == MHN

    Small, But Promising, Advances in War Against Alzheimer's
    FRIDAY, Nov. 21 (HealthDayNews) -- Alzheimer's is a horribly intractable
    disease.
    Link..


    The Use-It-Or-Lose-It Defense
    FRIDAY, Nov. 21 (HealthDayNews) -- With all the talk of amyloid precursor
    protein, gene alleles and cholinesterase inhibitors, some Alzheimer's
    researchers have bucked the trend by setting their sights on something far
    simpler..
    Link..

    Test of one blood drop can stop mental retardation
    Technology that allows the screening of newborns for several rare genetic
    diseases at once can help prevent mental retardation and other
    complications more effectively than conventional tests done after symptoms
    develop, researchers say.
    Link..


    New Imaging Reveals ADHD Kids Have Smaller Brain Area
    THURSDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDayNews) -- Researchers have gotten the best-ever
    brain images of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
    (ADHD), an achievement in basic science that they hope will lead to better
    treatment of the condition.
    Link..


    National Roundup : Children Higher risk of abuse for disabled
    Disabled children are at least three times more likely than other children
    to become victims of physical or sexual abuse and are less likely to get
    support from child protection services, the NSPCC has warned.
    Link..

    ==== 2003-11-17 ====

    == TechRepublic ====

    ADD VALUE TO IT AMID THREATS OF LAYOFFS
    Rather than waiting for his entire department to be eliminated, this IT
    manager decided to initiate ways for the company to operate more
    efficiently and help other departments do the same.
    Link..

    THREE QUESTIONS: MIXING IT UP WITH WIRELESS
    The Center for Wireless Telecommunications at Virginia Tech is studying
    wireless technologies. Read this short interview with three key
    researchers.
    Link..


    ==== 2003-11-11 ====

    == ITWeb ==

    From Free to Fee
    Online news publishers News24 and Mail & Guardian Online have joined forces to charge overseas-based readers for access to premium areas of their Web sites. Tracy Burrows reports.
    Link..

    Outsourcing: The big excuse
    Two incidents have left Georgina Guedes with a pathological fear of the frequently touted corporate trend - outsourcing.
    Link..

    E-mail, Net abuse increases in UK workplace
    Misuse of e-mails and the Internet in the workplace has become a problem for British employers, says LexisNexis Industrial Relations Services, a publication that covers human resources issues. [Tuesday, 11 November 2003]
    Link..

    Tshwane hopeful of metro licences
    Tshwane Metro Municipality, having piloted powerline communications (PLC) equipment supplied by Grintek Telecoms, says it is treading water while hoping for municipal telecoms licences. [Tuesday, 11 November 2003]
    Link..

    TelePassport issues LCR fraud warning
    TelePassport has issued a warning to local least-cost routing (LCR) users to be on the lookout for thieves posing as technicians. [Tuesday, 11 November 2003]
    Link..

    Notebooks face challenge from portable desktops
    The portable desktop market is set to challenge notebooks in the mobile computing market, says Dean Johnstone, product manager at Square One Solutions. [Tuesday, 11 November 2003]
    Link..


    ==== 2003-10-31 ====

    == BBC

    Thirsty Africa faces food crisis
    Growing water scarcity means African crop yields may fall by almost a quarter by 2025, researchers say.
    Link..

    UK STANDARD OF EDUCATION

    Abbott speaks out on school row
    Labour MP Diane Abbott says sending her son to a £10,000-a-year private school is "indefensible".
    Link..

    'Myth about poor London schools'
    London schools czar says it is a myth that the capital's schools are under-performing.
    Link..

    Super-teachers raising standards
    Teaching standards in schools have risen with the introduction of advanced teachers.
    Link..

    =====

    Scientists attack Blair over GM
    More than a hundred scientists write to Tony Blair, complaining about the government's handling of the debate on GM crops.
    Link..






    ==== 2003-10-30 ====

    == CNN

    SUN DELIVERS ANOTHER SHOT AT EARTH
    The sun unleashes another huge flare that could trigger more
    geomagnetic storms on Earth, one day after hurling a monster
    flare that sparked auroras and jolted satellites and power grids.
    Solar scientists said the second explosion is among the top 20 on
    record, and is moving "very fast."
    Link..

    REPORT: BABY BOY FOR MCCARTNEY
    Former Beatle Paul McCartney's wife Heather Mills has given birth
    to the couple's first child, a baby boy, a British newspaper
    reported on Thursday.
    Link..


    ==== 2003-10-29 ====

    * First look at future of Windows *
    Microsoft has given programmers a look at an early version of its next
    incarnation of Windows.
    Link..


    Ginger 'could halt bowel cancer'
    Ginger may protect against bowel cancer, and a Chinese herb against prostate cancer,
    scientists claim.
    Link..

    Bullies targeted by children's charity
    One million booklets dealing with problems such as bullying and racism
    are being sent to schools by the NSPCC.
    Link..


    ON THIS DAY 28th October
    * 1962: World relief as Cuban missile crisis ends *
    The world has breathed a collective sigh of relief after the Soviet President Khrushchev agrees to dismantle missile bases in Cuba.
    Link..

    ==== 2003-10-27 ====

    == KidsHealth.org ==

    Depression
    Depression is very common and affects as many as one in eight people
    in their teen years. For more information about how depression is
    diagnosed and treated, check out this article for teens.
    Link..

    All About the Heart
    We see and hear about hearts everywhere. But do you really know
    what's going on while your heart is pumping? Our article for kids will
    tell you all about it.
    Link..

    Chemotherapy
    Chemotherapy is a big word for treatment with medicines used to help
    people who have cancer. This medicine kills the cancer cells that are
    making the person sick.
    Link..

    What's Cholesterol?
    Chances are, you've heard about cholesterol a lot lately, but you
    might be wondering what it is. Here's your chance to get the lowdown in
    our article just for kids.
    Link..

    == Cooltech ==

    Sustainable living: self-sufficient house
    I was reminded of this family anecdote when I read this week's feature
    Link..
    , which highlights an increasingly important topic:
    the need for sustainable living. The story follows a Thai architect
    Soontorn Boonyatikarn, who has built a self-sufficient house that is
    15 times more energy efficient than its neighbours, plus all sorts of
    other things that I'll let you read about...
    It's a fascinating story, I think. It made me realise yet again,
    how much we waste Earth's precious resources - particularly water and
    energy - and how much we need to change our approach to living, if we
    want to carry on living at all.
    --- iafrica.com Cooltech Newsletter editor