Cyberspace Is Surfing You

As Robert S Boyd of Knight Ridder Newspapers discovered, cyberspace can be as interested in you as you are in it ...

WASHINGTON -- For better or for worse, it's rapidly becoming easier for others to know where you are, sometimes 24/7.

Thanks to the explosive spread of wireless technology -- particularly cellphones, car-navigation systems and Global Positioning System (GPS) devices -- parents, employers, detectives and government agents can track your movements, with or without your being aware of it.

Many people don't realize that a cellphone, Blackberry or wireless laptop computer constantly broadcasts its location whenever its power is on, even if a call isn't in progress.

This has led to "a new, unique ability to automatically identify somebody's location," Jed Rice, vice president of Skyhook Wireless, a three-year-old location-system provider in Boston, told some congressional aides last week. "This obviously raises privacy issues."

Indeed, the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Democracy and Technology warned in a February report, "The type of location tracking possible in the 21st century is quite different from anything previously available to government agents."

Widespread wireless

More than 214 million Americans -- two of every three -- are wireless subscribers, according to the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, the wireless trade organization.

In addition, more than 1 million cars and trucks are equipped with on-board location devices, such as the OnStar system available on many General Motors and some Acura and Isuzu vehicles. OnStar provides drivers with navigation maps, handles phone calls and sends signals if vehicles are involved in emergencies.

Several state transportation departments are beginning to monitor wireless devices in moving cars to detect traffic slowdowns and issue advisories to drivers.

Three basic techniques can be used to determine the location of a wireless phone or laptop within about 20 yards:

- GPS compares the timing of radio signals from three or four satellites in space.

- Triangulation collects directional signals from two or three cellphone towers.

- Wi-Fi local area networks track high-frequency radio signals from millions of transmitters in urban areas.

"There are 40 million Wi-Fi access points, 500,000 in downtown Chicago alone," Rice said. "We know where they are, [but] we have no record of who you are. The information is anonymous."

A growing number of companies sell tracking services.

In April, WaveMarket launched a "Family Locator" service that lets a parent pinpoint the location of a child using Sprint or Nextel cellphones.

Sprint sells a "Mobile Locator" service that it says can "monitor employee location in real-time, either singly or within a group, on a zoomable online map."

Trucking companies use GPS technology to track drivers' movements. The boss knows when a driver takes a break, violates the speed limit or departs from his unauthorized route.

John Morris, a privacy expert at the Center for Democracy and Technology, told about a rental-van company that tracked a driver going 80 mph. "They charged him three $150 fines," Morris said.

Sensitive information

In its report, the center acknowledged that location information is valuable for law-enforcement and intelligence purposes.

"With newer technologies, tracking can be done automatically by a remote computer, making it possible for law enforcement to monitor the movements of many more people for longer periods of time," the report said. But it cautioned that tracking "reveals sensitive information about a person that may have no relation to criminal activity."

The federal privacy laws that cover common carriers, which handle traditional telephone calls over landlines, don't cover most wireless communications. Wireless companies set their privacy policies.

"There are no [government] rules that apply to us," Skyhook's Rice said. "We're not a common carrier."

An exception is emergency calls to a 911 number. Federal regulations require that a wireless company be able to locate callers who dial 911 so they can be helped.

Some labor unions and privacy experts have objected to the Big Brother implications of location tracking.

"One might think it does not matter if their employer knows that he goes to Starbucks every morning before work or that they spend Sundays at his girlfriend's house," the National Workforce Institute, a nonprofit training organization in Austin, Texas, said in a recent policy paper.

"If someone has the ability to know the real-time location of a person around the clock," the statement said, "they learn everything about that person, much of which is highly personal and private in nature."

A Credible Data Base for Natural Products

Sandra G Boodman of The Washington Post has found a boon to those seeking reliable wellness references ...

Consumer Reports, the bible of independent consumer ratings, has introduced a new database of information on thousands of herbs, dietary supplements and other natural medicines, a response to the enormous growth in the use of these products.

The new database -- unveiled last month and believed to be the most comprehensive of its kind -- contains detailed and easily accessible information on the safety, effectiveness and possible harmful interactions of nearly 14,000 supplements. It is available for a $19 annual fee, which also gives users access to Consumer Reports guides to prescription drugs and medical treatments.

The database, officially known as the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, is the product of the Therapeutic Research Center in Stockton, Calif., which analyzes prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Like Consumers Union (CU), which publishes the monthly Consumer Reports magazine and does not accept advertising, the center receives no funding from pharmaceutical companies, according to its chief, Jeff Jellin.

Jellin, a former professor of pharmacy, said that the center is funded by subscriptions to two newsletters it publishes: the Prescriber's Letter and the Pharmacist's Letter. The consumer database is adapted from these newsletters, which circulate to medical schools, hospitals, doctors and pharmacists.

For several years CU has provided information to subscribers about prescription drugs through a partnership with the Bethesda, Md.-based American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

"We decided to do this because we get calls all the time" about natural medicines, said CU project manager Nancy Metcalf.

Demands for Supplements

A 2002 survey found that an estimated 19 percent of Americans take at least one supplement -- ranging from ginkgo to improve memory to St. John's wort to treat depression.

Many users erroneously regard these products as safe because they are "natural" and do not consider them to be drugs, Metcalf noted. In fact, the efficacy of many products is untested, their purity unknown and their safety uncertain because they are largely exempt from the scrutiny of the Food and Drug Administration.

Even so, demand for natural medicines seems insatiable: Americans now spend an estimated $20 billion annually on herbal remedies for weight loss or to treat back pain, dementia or cancer, studies have found. Yet credible information about supplements remains scarce and what exists may require parsing complicated scientific studies. Many Web sites and guides offer information about such medicines, but much of it is produced by groups that have a financial interest in selling the products, experts say.

"CU does a good job," said Candy Tsourounis, an associate professor of pharmacy at the University of California, San Francisco. Tsourounis, an expert in the use of herbs and natural medicines, called the guide informative and "very user-friendly."

CU's database lists approximately 100 brands of supplements that contain garlic, often taken to reduce cholesterol or blood pressure, for which it is rated "possibly effective." The site warns users that garlic supplements could interfere with the effectiveness of birth-control pills because they speed the breakdown of estrogen and may interact with statins, which are broken down by the liver.

Theoretical vs Actual Harm

Alternative medicine specialist Adriane Fugh-Berman, an associate professor of complementary medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine, said that while the CU directory is " much more accurate than many other resources," it fails to distinguish between theoretical risks various supplements may pose at a cellular level and actual harm seen in human studies.

"Extreme caution can work against public-health outcomes," said Fugh-Berman, who has written about the benefits of some herbal medicines. If consumers are told "everything interacts with everything, people will just stop listening."

Jellin said that such distinctions appear on the professional version of the database, but not on the consumer Web site.

"We put forward what we think is the best advice," he said. If a theoretical harm is deemed potentially significant, such as increased bleeding associated with ginkgo ingestion, it is posted in the interest of consumer protection.

A distinctive feature of the database is its ability to quickly check interactions between herbal supplements and prescription drugs.

The listing for the popular antidepressant Zoloft, for example, shows interactions with more than 80 supplements and herbs, including vitamin E, which is often taken to protect the heart.

Jellin said his employees combed through 1,450 scientific studies of supplements last year, and he expects the number to be higher this year because of growing scientific research in herbal medicine. The guide is continuously updated.

"Had I known 10 years ago how much work this would be," he quipped, "I never would have done it."

Microsoft Eases the Upgrade to Vista

Returning to the home base of Microsoft, Benjamin J Romano of the Seattle Times has found that the software giant is taking extra measures to ensure the rollout of its Vista operating system ...

For most people, the normal time to upgrade to a new operating system is when they get a new computer.

Some hardware makers and Microsoft see that changing with the forthcoming Windows Vista operating system.

They envision a way for more customers to move to Vista on their existing machines by upgrading specific hardware components such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM, pronounced dee-ram) and graphics cards.

"An investment in DRAM and graphics will quickly get many computers into a high state of readiness for Vista," Tom Trill, director of DRAM marketing for Samsung Semiconductor, said Wednesday at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in Seattle.

With previous Windows operating systems, fewer than 10 percent actually upgrade their PC to the next version, said Greg Sullivan, group product manager with Windows Marketing Communications.

"The vast majority get their copy of Windows on a new PC, or through a volume licensing agreement," he said.

Still, Microsoft has upgraded versions of its operating systems to serve the technology enthusiasts who want to put a new version on an old machine. Even though it's a small market, this group is strategically important to the company, Sullivan said, because they influence their friends and associates.

Upgrading to Vista -- due out in fall for business customers and in January for consumers -- is being designed to be easier than it was with previous operating systems, and Sullivan said the company expects to see "a significant number of upgraders" beyond the enthusiast crowd.

"It's a more viable scenario than it has been previously because of the tools that are in place" to assist with upgrading, he said.

Vista is the first Microsoft operating system to scale itself based on the amount of computer memory. The minimum requirement is 512 megabytes, but to run the snazzier display a computer needs at least 1 gigabyte.

Last week, Microsoft introduced a test version of a program, Upgrade Advisor, to scan a computer and determine if it has the hardware and systems to run Vista.

At Samsung's booth, Trill demonstrated three computers equipped equally, except for their DRAM and graphics capabilities. The computers with more memory and better graphics cards scored progressively better on the Upgrade Advisor.

But having new silicon installed may be more trouble, and expense, than it's worth to most consumers, said Jim McGregor, a principal analyst at research firm In-Stat.

"I think that's highly optimistic," he said. "It just seems unreasonable in most cases and a lot of it gets down to price."

With computers costing in the low- to mid-hundreds, many will opt for a new machine, McGregor said.

"Most consumers realize you're almost better off sticking with what you've got -- especially if it's working fine -- rather than upgrading, until you upgrade your entire solution," he said.

Include Your PC in Spring Cleaning Chores

The Daily Telegraph of London has added a useful feature for the casual cyber-populace ...

It's a blog entitled Boot Camp 425 by Rick Maybury, the theme of which is to offer general advice and information to those for whom a computer is a normal tool for daily use, but who are not geeks. As an example of his fare, here's his entry promoting the obvious task of maintaining an orderly collection of data, which will result in a faster and more efficient computer:

It's time to tackle the nasty mess on your hard disc drive. Hard drives are a lot like office filing cabinets. They start off tidy and organised, with plenty of free space, but they fill up and quickly become cluttered with unused and dislocated files until eventually you can't find what you are looking for and the only solution is a thorough clear out.

If you don't look after your PC's filing system in just a few months it can become clogged with redundant files, disused downloads and bits of old programs, all of which are wasting space and slowing your PC down. However, it's the potential for these fragments to cause program conflicts and crashes become far more likely as time goes by.

Disc spring-cleaning is best tackled in stages and you should begin by taking an inventory of what's on your drive. Open Windows Explorer, right click on your C: drive icon, select Properties and this will display a pie chart showing how much free space remains. Make a note of it and later on we'll come back and see just how much rubbish you have managed to remove. While you are at it you could also jot down the time it takes for your PC to boot to a useable state; it will be interesting to compare it with a reboot when you have finished the cleanup.

The Properties pie chart only gives a relative indication of what's on your drive and you will get a much better idea of what you are dealing with by running a disk viewer application like SpaceMonger or Windirstat (both freeware), these will show up the programs and files that are taking up the most disk space.

Before you start removing files you should take a few precautions. Firstly make sure that all of your irreplaceable data is safely backed up and if you are using Windows ME or XP set a new System Restore Point by going to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools.

Once that's done begin with Windows own built-in cleaning utility, which will get rid of a lot of the detritus created by the operating system. You'll find Disk Cleanup in Programs > Accessories > System Tools. Start with a basic scan and this will find and remove old Temporary files (see also this week's Top Tip), web downloads and the contents of the Recycle Bin. It's perfectly safe and nothing it deletes is going to harm your PC so you can tick everything and click OK.

When it has finished go back to Disk Cleanup and select the More Options tab and there you will find buttons that take you to the Add/Remove Programs utility in Control Panel, for removing old programs that you no longer use, Windows components and old System Restore Points. I would leave the Windows section alone and only delete Restore Points (RPs) if your PC has been behaving normally for a while. The most recent RP will be retained so you can go ahead and click the OK button.

If you are planning to remove a lot of old programs then it is better to do so one at a time and reboot afterwards to make sure your PC is operating normally. Not all programs show up in Add/Remove Programs, some have their own uninstaller, which you should find in the program's folder. If you can't find one do not be tempted to delete the program folder, this could have serious repercussions as data files and Registry entries will not be removed.

Program uninstallers rarely do a complete job and the files they leave behind have a nasty habit of causing trouble, sometimes months or even years afterwards. This next step is optional because there is always a risk in tinkering with the Registry but if your backups are up to date and you set an RP all should be well. I suggest using a freeware utility called RegSeeker. It has its own backup facility so in the unlikely event of anything going wrong any changes can be undone. However, before you use it reboot the PC and set a new RP. Afterwards open Windows Explorer and check your hard disc Properties pie chart to see how much free space you have managed to reclaim.

If you are planning to remove a lot of old programs then it is better to do so one at a time and reboot afterwards to make sure your PC is operating normally. Not all programs show up in Add/Remove Programs, some have their own uninstaller, which you should find in the program's folder. If you can't find one do not be tempted to delete the program folder, this could have serious repercussions as data files and Registry entries will not be removed.

When you have finished your cleanup operations it is a good idea to let things be for a day or two, to make sure everything is okay. When you are sure that your PC is working normally carry out one more pass with Windows Disk Cleanup, reboot and run the Defrag utility (Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools). Reboot again and with luck you should notice a small but worthwhile improvement in boot up time.

Hydrogen As Fuel Is Coming Back

David Pitt of the Associated Press has found a possible partial solution to the energy crisis in the middle of the USA ...

While much of the world fumes over escalating fuel prices, a small company in north central Iowa is quietly hoping to make gasoline obsolete as an engine fuel.

Research at the Hydrogen Engine Center Inc is done in an early 1900s red brick armory at the Kossuth County fairgrounds.

There, a clean six-cylinder engine that looks like it could have been pulled from a Ford pickup has been running for 110 hours, not quite half the 300 hours it must continuously run for certification. The company, led by a retired Ford Motor Co. engineer, hopes to meet Environmental Protection Agency automotive 2007 emission standards.

All 81 parts are original Oxx Power, the brand name the company has given all its engines.

The engine can run on a number of fuels including hydrogen, ethanol, natural gas, propane or digester gas from landfills.

The company, started by Ted Hollinger, 65, is initially focusing on making more efficient, environmentally friendlier engines to replace those used in generators and in forklift trucks, airline ground equipment, irrigation pumps, tractors and buses.

Ford, General Motors and Chrysler have dropped industrial engine production as they've cut costs, leaving what Hollinger said is a ready-made market for his fledgling company.

"Our engine has to bolt in where the old engine went and can't be a thread off," he said. "If you do that and you make improvements in it so that it gets rid of emissions and it's more efficient, then I think people are going to like it."

The company incorporated in Iowa in 2003 and two years later in Canada. It merged with Green Mt. Labs in August 2005 and became a publicly traded company under the name Hydrogen Engine Center Inc and the OTCC sybmol HYEG.OB.

Hollinger said he insisted that his company have a product to sell from day one instead of starting up as a research and development firm.

The company's products include a six-cylinder engine and a three-cylinder version for small engine applications.

The company has found immediate interest in its hydrogen-powered generators that use five engines.

Brad Van Horn, an engine distributor with Northern Power Productions of Minneapolis, said some orders are already placed for the generators as they approach the production phase.

"The level of excitement is huge," he said.

Van Horn, who sells in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska, said he gets calls daily from companies running irrigation equipment in Nebraska. Airports needing to replace the Ford engines in their baggage handling and other ground service equipment will also be a large market.

The company said American Airlines alone has 9,500 vehicles likely to be converted to alternative fuels over the next decade.

While the engines drive a revenue stream for the company, engineers are working to improve the technology of engines that run on hydrogen and other clean fuels.

Bob Mendlesky, another retired Ford engineer, light ups when he describes the potential for the engines his shop is developing.

He said there are obstacles to making cars powered with hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines. To carry enough hydrogen, the fuel tank would have to be under extremely high pressure, he said. In addition, tanks made to that specification cost as much as the engine to power the car.

Hydrogen technology is better suited for generator applications and for industrial uses at its current stage of development, he said.

A better solution may be engines that run on ammonia, Hollinger said.

Development of ammonia as a fuel must include ways to improve its combustibility. Ammonia does not readily spark like other fuels, but Hollinger is determined to overcome some of the obstacles.

"I tell people that I'm no dumber now than when I was at Ford Motor Co. If I can invent at Ford, I can invent here," Hollinger said. "I don't think that there's any reason we can't. Will we? I don't know."

Hollinger said he doesn't expect his small company to make major breakthroughs in the automotive propulsion, but he's willing to work with Ford or any other company working on clean fuel technology.

"I hope in the future the automotive people will look at our stuff and incorporate some of our ideas," he said. "Somebody needs to do something now."

20 Ways to Be Healthier

Frank Greve of Knight Ridder Newspapers has researched a pertinent topic for us all and provided this report ...

What preventive measures would keep us healthiest for the least money?

Former Surgeon General David Satcher led an alliance of health insurers, state health departments, academics and trade groups as they tried to answer that question by reviewing more than 8,000 preventive-medicine studies.

Below are their top 20 preventive measures in order of rank. Preventive measures that are ignored by more than half of those who would benefit from them are indicated by asterisks.

The list

1. Daily aspirin to prevent heart attacks and stroke in men older than 40 and women older than 50.*

2. Childhood immunizations for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, hepatitis B, etc.

3. Tobacco-use screening and brief counseling by doctors.*

4. Routine colorectal-cancer screening for adults 50 and older by any recognized method.*

5. Hypertension screening via routine blood-pressure tests and medication if necessary.

6. Annual flu shots for adults 50 and older.

7. Immunization of adults 65 and older against bacteria that cause pneumonia and related diseases.*

8. Screening of problem drinkers and brief counseling by doctors.*

9. Vision screening for adults 65 and older.*

10. Cervical-cancer screening for sexually active women and women older than 21.

11. Cholesterol screening for men 35 and older and women 45 and older.

12. Routine breast-cancer screening for women 50 and older, and discussion with women ages 40 to 49 to set an age to begin screening.

13. Routine chlamydia screening for sexually active women younger than 25.*

14. Calcium-supplement counseling for adolescent girls and women.

15. Vision screening for children younger than 5.

16. Routine folic-acid-supplement counseling for women of childbearing age to prevent birth defects.

17. Obesity screening for adults and high-intensity diet and exercise counseling for the obese.

18. Depression screening for adults.

19. Hearing-impairment screening for adults 65 and older.

20. Promotion of child-safety measures such as car seats, pool fences, bicycle helmets, poison control and curbs on scalding-water burns.

Talk about it

"Next time you're at the doctor, you can use this list to start a conversation about preventive health actions," said the study's co-author, Ashley Coffield. Coffield is senior analyst for the group, the Washington-based Partnership for Prevention.

Analysts quantified the health gains in terms of longer life and better quality of life for each measure. They also compared cost-effectiveness of each intervention. Finally, they combined the two rankings into one score that measures bang-for-the-buck for the top preventive-care options.

Of the 10 preventive measures that promise the greatest gains, six are ignored by more than half of Americans who would benefit from them, according to the study, reported Wednesday on the alliance website and published in the July issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The World's Most Advanced Digital Theater

The latest 'ultimate' in home entertainment is on the way ...

Brier Dudley of the Seattle Times reports on the coming of 'super hi-def video' ...

"How do you make a geek drool?

"Show him or her the stuff being developed at the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology, a collaborative research venture of the University of California campuses at San Diego and Irvine.

"A tour of the institute Monday began in what center director and supercomputing luminary Larry Smarr described as the world's most advanced digital theater.

"Each seat has a gigabit Ethernet connection and power jacks, and the big screen displays images from the first "super-high-definition" projector system installed in this country. The projector was provided by Sony, which is trying to sell it to the movie industry.

"Super-high-def video is four times the resolution of standard high-def.

"Its cameras put out 6 gigabits of content per second, compared with 1.5 gigabits per second with regular high-def.

"A demonstration video, scanned from a 65-millimeter Imax film on India, was so crisp, vibrant and deep, it seemed like 3-D.

"'This is a new medium,' Smarr said during the tour, part of the Future in Review (FiRe) conference organized by Friday Harbor technology commentator and investor Mark Anderson.

"Technology investors, entrepreneurs and journalists attending the conference murmured in awe at the theater demonstrations, then crowded into smaller laboratories to peer at ultra-high-resolution screens and experience a wallsize virtual-reality display.

"When combined with superfast Internet connections like the ones at the theater, it enables applications such as super-realistic videoconferencing that Smarr calls 'telepresence.' The building has 100 gigabits of bandwidth and could, in principle, be configured to have as much capacity as every cable-modem equipped home in the U.S.

"Other gee-whiz demonstrations included a 24-channel digital surround-sound system and a prototype of a circa 2015 personal computer with a 100 million-pixel display.

"The PC was actually a stack of 55 flat-panel displays powered by a cluster of 28 Linux PCs, plus a 29th PC that served as a sort of controller.

"On the big screen, Smarr displayed the system's power by casually showing a visual model of the forces and weather that create a tornado.

"He also showed plain old high-definition video of hydrothermal vents filmed 2.5 miles below the ocean's surface by a University of Washington oceanography professor, John Delaney.

"'With this [broadband network], any schoolchild can see in live time this kind of thing,' Smarr said.

"Would a 4x high-def system be perfect for Seattle's Cinerama theater?

"The theater's owner, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, a conference attendee, noted Smarr didn't provide the system's price."

Leaky Wiki

Wikipedia is a great idea for an ideal world ...

It markets itself as a 'free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.' Fair enough. However, as Pablo Bachelet of Knight Ridder Newspapers found, sometimes those doing the editing have an agenda that is far from impartial:

"WASHINGTON -- One editor complained that Havana sympathizers were transforming a scholarly enterprise into 'their own private Fidel Castro fan page.' A user was tossed out after threatening to sue another for libel.

"The fuss is over the Cuba entry in Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia created, edited and administered by volunteers with the aim of becoming a Web-based knowledge repository for humanity.

"But the Cuba entry, like those on President Bush and abortion, has been snared in intense political divisions over everything from the impact of U.S. sanctions on the communist-ruled island to whether it should have a separate section on its human-rights record. Russia and North Korea do not.

"There have been so many dueling edits -- 30 entries April 27 alone -- that the article has been placed off-limits to first-time or unregistered users. The article has notices alerting readers that the neutrality of four sections is under dispute.

"A central tenet of Wikipedia is that articles must be written with a neutral point of view. But, as the debate on the talk page attached to the Cuba article demonstrates, neutrality is often in the eye of the beholder.

"The debate over Cuba turned intense after Adam Carr, who identifies himself as having a doctorate in history from the University of Melbourne in Australia and as a gay-rights activist, introduced this sentence high in the article: 'Cuba is a socialist republic, in which the Communist Party of Cuba is the sole legal political party, and is the only state in the western hemisphere that is not a democracy.'

"This prompted responses that went from scholarly citations of political scientists with definitions of democracy, to accusations of not-so-hidden political agendas.

Bruce Hallman wrote that calling Cuba undemocratic is a 'logical fallacy' because it applies 'capitalistic values' in the context of a socialist society.

"'Might it be possible to write the article without using the word 'democracy' at all?' he suggested.

"'Sorry, comrade, no dice,' answered Carr, one of the few writers who posts a description of himself. 'These comments show quite clearly that you are a communist, or at least someone who actively supports the Castro dictatorship.'

"With neither side giving in, a 'mediation cabal' -- an informal mediator -- joined the discussion because the talk page had become 'huge.' The cabal suggested citing reputable sources to back the Cuba-is-not-a-democracy sentence.

"'If we need a citation that Cuba is not a democracy, then maybe we need citation that Cuba is in Latin America,' retorts CJK, another user.

"'Cuba is a dictatorship, plain and simple,' says Carr, calling Castro's foreign supporters 'gullible idiots.'

"Failing to produce an agreement, the cabal departed after complaining that several editors were being rude.

"Scott Grayban, a talk-page writer who identifies himself as a U.S. Air Force veteran, calls Carr "nothing more than a pro-Bush hate-Cuba type person" and in a separate e-mail threatened to sue Carr for libel. An administrator promptly banned Grayban for life from editing Wikipedia.

"Other users also have been banned, including 'Comandante,' who has changed the Cuba article more than 700 times.

"A few years ago, online discussions of this sort would have gone unnoticed. But Wikipedia is now the 17th most visited site in the world, according to Alexa Internet, a Web-ranking outfit owned by Amazon.com.

"Created by Web entrepreneur Jimmy Wales, who heads the foundation that oversees the site, Wikipedia is an example of the power of "social computing," or the ability of users to create their own content without relying on the filters of newspaper or hard-copy encyclopedia editors.

"'The beauty of this sort of technology is that it's editable and that the community will police itself,' says Peter Kim of Internet research firm Forrester Research."

CBS Launches Online Programing

Chris Gaither and Meg James of the Los Angeles Times have taken note of the first move in what will most likely be a stampede of television networks moving content into cyberspace ...

"CBS has continued its aggressive push online by launching a broadband channel with its own slate of shows -- a move that leapfrogs it ahead of other broadcasters in the search for Internet audiences.

"Named Innertube, the Web site is the network's latest bid to goose Internet advertising revenue and attract younger viewers to its on-air programs.

"CBS executives said the site, at cbs.com/innertube, will also become a clearinghouse for free viewing of TV reruns, including current, classic and canceled shows -- once the network reaches an agreement with its affiliates over which shows they can use.

"'We want our content to be all the places our viewers are -- and they are certainly on the Internet,' said Nancy Tellem, president of the CBS Paramount Network Television Group.

"The unanswered question as big networks join upstarts in putting uncountable hours of video online: Who's going to watch all this stuff?

"'If you're a broadcast network, you're one of maybe 200 channels,' said Jupiter Research analyst Todd Chanko. 'On the Web you're one of an infinite number of choices.'

"CBS executives counter that they will promote the service on TV, and their free online broadcast of the NCAA basketball tournament in March showed they could attract big audiences online. Users of March Madness on Demand watched 19 million streams of live and archived games, and the online effort pulled in an additional $4 million in ad revenue.

"'They are throwing stuff against the wall to see what sticks,' said Stacey Lynn Koerner, a president at Interpublic Media. 'That's the beauty and the frustration of the times that we live in: It's not one-size-fits-all anymore.'

"CBS plans to roll out new broadband shows through the summer, including a dating show and entertainment magazine.

"Innertube will also include promotional material for TV shows, including features that currently appear on CBS.com. Those include a behind-the-scenes look at 'Survivor,' an online talk show about 'Big Brother' and recently, footage from rock band Pearl Jam's performance on 'Late Show with David Letterman.'

"The quickly changing landscape is causing pain for television station owners and Hollywood guilds, which are both trying to ensure they receive their fair share of the digital revenue.

"With the production costs for online shows much cheaper, CBS executives said they can target much narrower audiences than on broadcast television, where shows need millions of viewers to survive."

10 Natural Products You May Have Missed

When freelance writer Irene Lacher sought the newest of the natural, she went where she could be immersed in the organics of progress and filed this report ...

"The pesticide-free lifestyle is all the rage, judging from the galloping growth of the natural-products industry. 'Natural' personal-care products alone are a $5 billion industry, which has been mushrooming at the healthy rate of 15 percent a year, according to the National Nutritional Foods Association.

"Consumers want to look good and feel good. Naturally, so do we, so we recently trolled the aisles at the Natural Products Expo West in Southern California to track down some of the more intriguing offerings in the booming market.

"Juniper Ridge Incense, Soaps, Tea and Sachets Break out the sunscreen if you ever join Hall Newbegin's social circle. The owner of Berkeley, Calif.-based Juniper Ridge Western Wild Goods rounds up his friends for foraging forays into the mountains and deserts of the West Coast to gather juniper, prickly pear and white sage. Newbegin, who calls himself the 'head wildcrafter,' cooks them up into wild plant products that really smell like the great outdoors -- more so, he says, than perfumey products on the shelves of chain natural-foods stores. Try the spicy Port Orford Cedar sachets culled from the Klamath-Siskiyou forests along the coast of Southern Oregon and Northern California."

Heini's Cheese Chalet

"Everything old-fashioned is new again. Heini's Cheese Chalet is located in Holmes County, Ohio, which claims the world's largest Amish community. And in these days of global warming and other high-tech headaches, the sect's distaste for modernity is looking good. Amish farm milk has none of those nasty, newfangled artificial growth hormones, and it's all Heini uses in crafting its different varieties of cheese -- yogurt-cultured, lacey baby Swiss and Amish milk-can cheddar. Fortunately, though, Heini's doesn't deliver by horse and buggy."

Himalaya Dental Cream

"This takes the competition for cool-toothpaste-that-doubles-as-bathroom-decor to a new level. Vintage, French, been there, done that. Himalaya Dental Cream is not only exotic, it uses dandy ingredients based on ayurvedic principles, such as neem, which is said to fight germs, and pomegranate, which tightens gums. After all, does Crest have meswak and babool?"

Happytails Dog Smog Remedy

"No reason your puppy shouldn't benefit from herbal ingredients such as dandelion, rosehips, red clover and skullcap. Happytails, a canine 'spa' line, offers such natural elixirs as Perky Pup, Fur Butter, Sleepytime Tonic and, for the true 'muttrosexual,' Dog Smog Remedy, which promises to freshen your pooch's breath -- and any other emissions that may occur."

Tender Tush Organics

"No organic baby would be complete without diapers made of organic cotton farmed near the West Indian coast. Gail Cameron started Tender Tush in Astoria after the birth of her son, Andy. She wasn't happy with the organic diapers on the market, so she made her own. Cameron says her products don't have the allergens of conventional diapers that might irritate your favorite little tush. And it's never too early for your brood to help save the planet. Cloth diapers don't pile up in landfills, and Tender Tush supports a farm that doesn't use child labor."

Wild Juices

"First there was free-range chicken. Now there's juice on the loose. Pure Fruit Technologies says that none of its antioxidant-rich juices are of the caged variety. That is, you're not likely to find the juices of mangosteen, goji berry, gac fruit and seabuckthorn berry in the freezer of your corner grocer. Pure Fruit Technologies blends juices to create concentrated liquid supplements, which are to be sipped just one preservative-free ounce a day. Choose from Mango-xan Antioxidant Formula, Goji-Zen Longevity Formula, Gac-Chi Heart & Vision Formula or Seabuck-7 Rejuvenation Formula."

Wrinkle Quencher

"You thought it was bad enough that the relentless march of time was playing havoc with your skin? Apparently, time has a co-conspirator that you probably haven't even considered: bad vibrations. But stress not. Aroma Crystal Therapy Ltd, which uses what it calls 'the tools of vibrational science' -- hey, it only sounds like an oxymoron -- says it will fix them by tapping into 'these powerful frequencies: Rife technology, light, sound, color, bio-magnetics, intent and crystal energy spectrums.' So you think collagen and peptides are enough to stave off crow's feet? Ha. Pony up for Wrinkle Quencher Formula and Gardener's Dream Cream 'for broad spectrum results.'"

Now this is our idea of Health Food

"Toast your health with a screwdriver made with organic vodka -- Altitude Spirits' pesticide-and-chemical-additive-free Vodka 14, which for some reason attracted one of the largest crowds at the expo. Follow that up with a nice juicy hunk of Vintage Natural Beef with no added hormones or antibiotics.

"Finish with a serving of chocolate, which has all those groovy antioxidants. Bissinger's Naturals practically prescribes them. On the back of its bags of yummy chocolate-covered walnut crunch, the company officially lets you off the hook by noting that, 'your daily calorie intake may allow for 165 to more than 250 discretionary calories.' Let's see, at 45 calories per crunch, that comes out to ..."

Kona Deep

"No list of natural products would be complete without that most natural of products -- water. But as you've doubtless surmised, merely drinking water from sparkling, stream-fed springs in the upper reaches of the Alps doesn't cut it anymore. Now drinking water must come from Hawaii, and not just Hawaii, but the undersea currents of the Global Conveyor Belt 3,000 feet below the surface. 'At this depth, the pristine deep seawater is unspoiled, electrolyte-rich and aged for millennia,' says Kona Deep's parent company, Deep Seawater International."

Pillow Talk Ergonomic Cushions

"These days it isn't enough to be politically correct. You must be ergonomically correct, especially if you're engaging in that particular form of athleticism known as Tantra. Yogis have blocks, and now fans of Tantric sex have pillows -- Pillow Talk ergonomic cushions, which come in all shapes and sizes. You also can use the pillows for yoga, Pilates and birthing."

How to Protect Yourself Against Cyberstalkers

Cyberspace has its crazy elements, to no one's surprise, so it's a good idea to be sure that you have taken measures to avoid them ...

Eric Gertler of the United Feature Syndicate offers these tips:

"Cyberstalking is on the rise. Today, most states -- including Washington -- have laws addressing the problem. Washington's law, passed in 2004, defines cyberstalking and classifies it as either a gross misdemeanor or felony, depending on the circumstances. President Bush also recently signed new federal legislation against cyberstalking.

"Follow these steps to maintain your privacy as you communicate online:

- Use services with background checks. Some new dating sites perform background checks on everyone who uses them. For example, the dating site www.true.com says it will conduct a check on anyone seeking to make a connection, and claims it will prosecute anyone who misrepresents themselves on the site.

- Conduct your own background checks. If the site does not provide this service, try to learn more about someone by checking public records, such as marriage certificates, felony convictions, real-estate documents and so forth. If you are really concerned, don't continue the online relationship.

- Don't reveal your real name or other personal information in your posting. Instead, select a username, which is a unique word or phrase that may describe your personality or what you're looking for in a match. Your username should not correspond in any way to your e-mail address.

- Protect your personal information. Be cautious about revealing it until you are comfortable with the person you are e-mailing.

- Communicate carefully. When you are ready to communicate outside the security of the online-dating service, continue to be cautious. Use your cellphone to make the call, or, if you make the call from a landline, sign up with your phone company for call blocking beforehand so your number won't appear."

DXinOne: Business Perspective Required

I continue to monitor the DXinOne system ...

I am even more firm in my belief that its proprietors --- Global Digital Transfers Inc ('GDT') --- are creating one of the more unique businesses in cyberspace, well-suited for the 21st century.

There are now thousands of cybernauts who have become involved in the system. My research, though, indicates that many of them haven't fully considered the responsibilities they owe themselves and the system before becoming involved.

For example:

* Have they studied and accepted the known premises of the DXiO system?

* Have they considered the mission statement of DXiO and compared it to their own interests and capacities?

* Have they assembled a business plan that is practical for them?

* Have they allowed the means to cover for contingencies?

* Have they considered whether they want their involvement to be active or passive?

While the mechanics of operating within the DXiO system are absolute, the means of doing so varies with each individual.

What's right for one person isn't necessarily what's best for you. That is why I'll contribute comments here but refrain from giving advice.

From that perspective, my observations in business have overwhelmingly indicated that those who post risk capital under the auspices of 'money they can afford to lose' will usually lose it. Why? Because they have established a mentality that 'failure is fine,' whether the fault lies with themselves or the overlying business.

That mindset may be acceptable to gamblers and cottage-industry hobbyists, but it's not very sound as a business philosophy.

To my way of thinking, if an interesting opportunity presents itself and I am satisfied with the results of my research into it, my preference is to seize the moment. Find a means of incorporating your DXiO activity into a viable financial format which will allow it the time to mature and prosper. In the meantime, the balance of that financial format will support it.

A sound concept is to use a minimum 4:1 cover of liquidity against the total value of your DXPortfolio. Given the hot market that is the world of commodities these days, you do this by incorporating your DXiO holdings into a portfolio of precious metals holdings, which is a proven investment platform and with which you can have success in the long term (just ask Graeme Irvine over at Longer Life's Bourse page). Proper management of those holdings can provides you with more than enough headroom to cover the monthly service fees.

Furthermore, as DXiO unveils their suite of services, you'll have the time and the means to logically and viably incorporate them into your existing DXiO holdings, if you so desire.

Now, what if a current participant in DXiO doesn't currently have such a support system?

Let's consider a scenario where one already has become involved in DXiO and is struggling with issues involving system requirements, such as monthly service fees. It would seem the logical avenue of recourse is to study the historical average of portfolio gains for those activities already functioning within DXiO and then reverse-engineer a support system for it.

We have firm evidence that the DXConcierge and DXBlueChip elements are each performing well above a return rate of 1.5% per month. We know that revenues from DXConcierge can be utilized to cover service fees. We know that DXBlueChip has a separate cash flow avenue that allows for reliable withdrawals in a timely manner.

Thus, the first task is to calculate the amount of funds necessary to become involved in those aspects of DXiO. An optional task is to determine whether there exists an unrelated, but historically present, investment opportunity with which you would be comfortable. If so, calculate the amount of funds necessary to generate the revenues necessary to provide a level of viable support for your service fee obligations.

Given that DXBlueChip requires a $25,000 minimum investment, these are calculations to be taken seriously.

However, given that historical revenues generated have been well in excess of 1.5% per month, the aspect of utilizing credit facilities to seize the moment becomes a logical consideration.

Americans have a wonderful opportunity to pursue this avenue by means of the Small Business Administration. That agency exists to provide guarantees to proposals such as this. Given that the new services being introduced by DXiO are --- by the SBA's definition --- small business, they would be more than pleased to entertain a comprehensive application which includes the incorporation of DXiO's already-successful elements. The SBA is there to assist those who have the desire, the preparatory ability and the initiative to succeed, but who need the means to proceed.

Similar programs exist in other countries. The key is to ensure that monthly capital repayment costs don't exceed 1.5% of capital dedicated to DXBlueChip and/or unrelated supporting investments.

If an individual is in the position to obtain such credit privately, so much the better.

There is nothing radical or revolutionary in this scenario. The only element it requires is an individual's resolve to pursue it, if they truly wish to make a commitment to DXiO as a business.

Otherwise, accept that DXiO is only a divertissement to you and light a cigar with the money you've committed.

Online Shopping Tips

A recent review of several online-shopping Web sites by Consumer Reports found that the "terms and conditions" on these sites detail loads of protections — but they're for the seller, not the buyer.

Read these terms and you may discover that everything is sold "as is," or that purchasers must abide by rules of a distant state, where you agree to go if you sue. And many sites have disclaimers that seem to erase protections you get at the retailers' brick-and-mortar establishments.

For example, at Target.com you assume the risk of loss or damage to merchandise when the shipping firm picks it up, not after delivery.

It might be a safer bet with these retailers to buy goods — especially big-ticket items — at the stores, not the Web. Also:

• Check return policies. Some sites charge restocking fees as high as 25 percent, and others don't accept returns of opened merchandise. Also, if you return items that came with free shipping, chances are you'll have to pick up the cost for the trip back.

• Pay with the right plastic. When you pay by credit card, your liability for unauthorized purchases is $50. Also, you can dispute charges for items that arrive broken or aren't what you ordered. You can't do that with a debit card. Likewise, debit cards may not cover fraudulent charges if you don't act fast enough.

• Don't do business with a Web site if it doesn't list the owner's name, address or phone number, or if it's full of spelling errors.

Tips to Reduce Junk E-Mail

Eric Gertner of the United Features Syndicate was asked how spammers acquire e-mail addresses and what can be done to reduce their bilge in everyone's inbox ...

Here's his advice:

"The average American gets more than 10 times as much junk mail as regular mail.

"Wondering how these companies find you? Think of yourself as an entry into multiple computer databases managed by thousands of different companies. As soon as you write your name and address on any form, some company will enter it into its database. In addition, direct-marketing companies scour sources of public information, including marriage or divorce records, voter and vehicle-registration records, business or professional associations and memberships — even the phone book.

"Junk mail is an inconvenience. But if sensitive information in this mail gets into the wrong hands, it can also lead to identity theft, credit-card fraud and other invasions of privacy.

"To reduce the amount of junk mail you receive, take the following steps:

• Sign up for the Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service (MPS). The MPS is largely a do-not-mail list. Send a postcard or letter containing your name, home address and signature to DMA Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512. It's free. Or, for $5 you can register online at www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist.

• Reduce all pre-approved credit-card offers you receive in the mail by calling the consumer credit reporting industry at 888-567-8688. The first option lets you remove your name for two years; the second option, which takes your name off these lists permanently, requires you to complete a form.

• Contact Acxiom, one of the largest direct marketers, by leaving a message on its consumer advocate hotline at 877-774-2094, or send an e-mail to optout@acxiom.com.

"Call any company that sends you a lot of junk mail and ask them to stop. Also, do not complete warranty cards and do not enter sweepstakes, contests and other games that are designed to get your information."