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May 3, 2003
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Casualties of Blogging
Sina is still in prison after his arrest on 20 April. The authorities have given no indication of what he is accused of or whether he will be released soon, creating an atmosphere of fear and worry among Iran's estimated 10,000 other bloggers.
His Persian website, www.rooznegar.com, has been taken offline by his family, worried that criticism of the Iranian Government posted there by supporters will harm his case.
An online petition organised by another Iranian blogger, Pedram Moallemian, has attracted over 2,000 e-signatures calling on human rights organisations to press for Sina's release.
Sina's arrest, publicised online by his wife and fellow blogger Farnaz Ghazizadeh, is just the latest of many attempts by the Iranian Government to control the media.
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MSN UK tests potty surfing
MSN UK is creating what Microsoft calls the world's first Internet outhouse, or iLoo, complete with flat-screen plasma display, wireless keyboard and broadband access. MSN UK spokesman Matthew Whittingham described the portable toilet as the first "WWW.C," referring to the term W.C., or water closet.
"This is another demonstration of Microsoft moving into new product areas to expand its revenue base," said IDC analyst Roger Kay.
The iLoo isn't Microsoft's first attempt at a festival-oriented public PC. "We've had the world's first-ever cyber park bench we launched two years ago," Whittingham said. Like iLoo, the park bench served up Internet access.
The portable lavatory is being tested and will debut at festivals around Great Britain this summer. Microsoft plans to build a single prototype MSN iLoo that will travel the festival circuit, and may build more if the response to the pioneering potty warrants it, Whittingham said.
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Rowling Takes to Stage to Launch Fifth Potter Book
J.K. Rowling is to take to the stage to launch the latest Harry Potter saga in front of 4,000 young fans who will have to win tickets in a school lottery.
To mark the publication of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the author will be appearing in the grandiose setting of London's Royal Albert Hall to answer questions on the most eagerly awaited book of the year.
The first four books about the teenage wizard have now sold almost 200 million copies in 55 languages and 200 countries. But desperate young readers have had to wait three years for the latest saga about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
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Beware cracking your Powerbook 17 screen
There's a salutory tale on Macnet for owners of the bright and shiny 17-inch Apple Powerbook.
This tale concerns a chap who tried to open the latch on his notebook one morning and had some trouble opening it up.
He pushed a little hard and heard a small cracking noise and when the latch finally opened he saw his Powerbook screen was broken.
Apple says the problem is his fault and he's discovered he's going to have to lash out well over one thousand bucks to fix the problem, which he believes his not his fault.
Notebooks are fragile creatures indeed, and he's discovered his insurance doesn't cover the problem either.
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Taiwan Firm Hopes Diamond Cellphones Will Dazzle
Ask the young and fashionable in Taiwan if they've heard of DBTEL Inc and the answer will likely be no. But mention diamond-studded cellphones and eyes gleam and heads bob in recognition.
Without a household name such as Nokia or Motorola, DBTEL's strategy for survival in a saturated global handset market is to turn the mobile phone into a luxury fashion item, says DBTEL Chairman Michael Mou.
His company, Taiwan's largest own-brand handset maker, launched a series of handmade diamond phones in January, including what Mou says is the world's most expensive. The gold-colored item with a sparkling diamond-encrusted flip cover and a three-carat center piece costs$28,736, or about twice as much as a family car in Taiwan.
"We view the mobile phone as very personal stuff and it's a fashion statement for many, like watches and clothes," said Mou, 53, sporting a gold watch himself.
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Asteroid named after Mister Rogers
"Misterrogers," formerly known as No. 26858, honors Fred Rogers, creator and host of public television's "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." Rogers died February 27 at age 74.
"I doubt that there are many who have not been touched in some way by the life and work of Fred Rogers," said John G. Radzilowicz, director of the Henry Buhl Jr. Planetarium & Observatory at the Carnegie Science Center, which made the announcement Thursday.
The science center worked with Family Communications Inc., the production company Rogers founded, to produce a planetarium show for preschoolers called "The Sky Above Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." The show now plays at 15 planetariums across the country.
"Misterrogers" can be found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, and is about 218 million miles from the sun, which it takes about 31/2 years to orbit.
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