TECHNOLOGY TIDBITS
November 1999
Number 47
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U.S. CITIES WITH THE MOST ADULTS ON THE INTERNET
There are now five U.S. cities with over half of their adult population using the Internet. Washington D.C. leads the nation (pun intended) at 59% followed by San Francisco (56.1%), Austin (55.5%), Seattle/Tacoma (53.3%) and Salt Lake City (50%). Rounding out the top ten are Dallas/Fort Worth (49.6%), Denver (49%), Houston (48.8%), Los Angeles (48.7%), Norfolk/Newport News (48.5%). The rankings are based on a survey conducted by Scarborough Research of over 170,000 adults. (Source: www.computerworld.com, 10/18/1999).

INTERNET SCENTS
If DigiScents is successful, computers will soon have the ability to provide a scent to go with the sounds and images. The Oakland California based company is developing an accessory that would plug into your computer that would release different scents based on digital clues programmed into games, Web sites, advertisements, music and movies. On-line shopping could be enhanced as the aroma of freshly brewed coffee is released as you check out the various coffee sites or the smell of a freshly printed book as you browse through your favorite on-line bookstore.

The technology is based on work done by Joel Bellenson who once ran a lab specializing in DNA synthesis at Stanford University. DigiScents founders, Mr. Bellenson and Joel Bellenson, also started Pangea Systems, a leading producer of software and technology for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. (Source: www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news, 10/14/1999).

ON-LINE PURCHASES
Not surprisingly, books are the most popular item purchased on the Internet today. What else are consumers purchasing on the Internet today? Music CDs are a distant second to books followed by computer software, travel services, computer hardware, clothing, office supplies, car parts, flowers and greeting cards, collectibles, pet supplies, gifts, sporting goods, movies and videos and stocks and bonds. (Source: Wall Street Journal, 11/22/1999).

WEB SITE OF THE MONTH
The world's smallest Web server http://www-ccs.cs.umass.edu/~shri/iPic.html has certainly captured people's attention. Created by Hariharasubrahmanian Skrikumar, a student at MIT, the Web server is about the size of a dime and on works on a microprocessor the size of a match head. The site contains some remarkable photos and a wealth of technical information on Web server as well as a number of ways on how such a device could be used in our everyday appliances (e.g., alarm clocks, coffee makers, television, VCR, etc.). (Source: Inside the Internet, December 1999).
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Technology Tidbits is published monthly by Jerry Price, Eau Claire, Wisconsin © 1999 Jerry W. Price

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