I'm getting tired of reading frequent news stories about laptop computers lost, stolen, or left in the back seats of cabs by company or government employees, supposedly exposing untold thousands of social security numbers, insurance records, or other sensitive, private information to identity thieves and other miscreants

Most spam is simply annoying - a waste of time, effort, and computer resources, to be sure, but not usually dangerous. However, a small but significant number of spammers go beyond being merely misleading or offensive by actively trying to defraud people

As I packed for a trip last June, my wife looked into my suitcase. She noted that while she usually brings extra clothes and accessories when traveling, "you seem to pack wires." Sure enough, my shirts, pants, and toiletries were shoved into a corner, overwhelmed by an Ethernet hub and cables, a USB trackball, a keyboard, headphones, and assorted unidentifiable Mac flotsam

For a long time, digital video editing seemed more work than it was worth, and I let Apple's DV train pass right on by. Recently, I was forced to catch up all too quickly, but I managed to do it without emptying my bank account on new hardware and software. The Train Has Left the Station -- One of my jobs is being a drummer for a retro-'60s faux British Invasion band here in Vancouver called The Neurotics. In spring 2001, our booking agent arranged to have one of our larger performances professionally videotaped by a camera crew

Word processing on a Palm OS-based handheld device seems a silly idea. A tiny, 160 by 160 pixel screen, limited font support, and no hard drive or keyboard? Processor speed and RAM put to shame by a Mac from 1993? Yet here I am, composing this article on a Palm IIIxe - and not just to prove a point