August 5, 1999
NewsBytes
Things that change the way you live
Better mousetrap: The Computer Mouse-trap attaches to the side of your desktop monitor with double-sided tape. It has adjustable, articulated arms that will make sure your mouse stays put while keeping your work space nice and tidy.
The Mousetrap costs $16.90, including shipping and handling. It is sold by the ESP catalog, which specializes in products and accessories for home offices and small businesses. Call (800) 284-5577 and ask for part number BB7360, or go to www.esp-2000.com.
Brite spot: More than 60 different Web sites are devoted to Rainbow Brite and collecting the dolls, books and other items. The online auction site eBay has more than 200 listings for Rainbow Brite items each month.
Most sell for $5 to $15, but a 1983 Rainbow Brite play set with a dozen dolls sold for $71, and a shoulder purse sold for $61. Rainbow Brite was developed by Hallmark and licensed to other companies. After being discontinued for several years, new Rainbow Brite dolls were produced from 1997-98 by a New York manufacturer that has not renewed the license, Hallmark representative Kathi Nestor said.
Need a word? You get one every day (via e-mail), along with its definition and other language tidbits, when you subscribe to Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, www.m-w.com/service/subinst.htm. A similar service is Wordsmith.org's A.Word.A.Day, www.wordsmith.org/awad/subscribe.html. Both services are free.
Horror flicks: Summer is the season of the horror movie marketed to teens. Now, such movies are the subject of a Web site called the 11th Hour. The site features reviews of such recent horror flicks as Lake Placid and The Blair Witch Project. You'll find this site at www.the11thhour.com
Internet auctions: OpenSite Technologies, based in Durham, N.C., is growing rapidly, helping people put up auction Web sites. You can learn about this company in the August issue of DigitalSouth magazine. OpenSite is led by 30-year-old Michael Brader-Araje, who has raised $30 million in venture capital for his company.
More on MP3: You've heard all about MP3 technology. Now learn how it works on the Mac. The July issue of MacWorld features an article that explains what MP3 is, how it works and where you can find it to download music from the Internet.
Ready for football? It's never too hot to play football, especially if it's indoors on a Sony PlayStation. Publisher 989 Sports has released a sequel to its game NFL Xtreme. The sequel, called NFL Xtreme 2, includes 350 animations of real players doing taunts and other actions. NFL Xtreme is available only for PCs with Windows 95 or higher.
-- Compiled by Nancy Berlier
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