Saturday, May 24, 2003

California Grape Rush of 90's Withers as Prices Collapse. The grape has taken an ignoble tumble from its vaunted position as the state's signature agricultural product and farmers are suffering. By Dean E. Murphy. [New York Times: NYT HomePage] 12:53:51 PM

Exploring Myst's Brave New World. When the enigmatic video game arrived a decade ago, millions booted up to explore lush forests, ancient cities and mysterious ports. Now Myst's creators are at it again, with Uru: Ages Beyond Myst. By Suzanne Ashe from Wired magazine. [Wired News] 8:56:02 AM

Can a Keyboard Light the Way?. From cell phones to PDAs, entering data can be a chore. A virtual keyboard could help speed up the process (not to mention make it more comfortable), but skeptics wonder if the technology will ever catch on. By Katie Dean. [Wired News] 8:55:49 AM

Uber-Soldier Needs Much Debugging. Nanotechnology could help futuristic battle suits protect troops from bullets and chemical weapons. But for now, simply keeping grunts dry would be a big accomplishment for MIT's new Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies. Noah Shachtman reports from Cambridge, Massachusetts. [Wired News] 8:54:54 AM

A Sickly Economy, With No Cure in Sight. Even if tax cuts represent a sensible form of insurance, they seem unlikely to accomplish the ultimate goal: the creation of a truly healthy economy. By David Leonhardt. [New York Times: NYT HomePage] 8:54:33 AM