Computer Expo Looks at 21st Century
It’s not about the gizmos of today, tomorrow or even next year. When legions of technology visionaries gather in San Jose later this week, they’ll be talking about what high technology will bring to you in the next century. The Assn. for Computing Machinery opens its 50th-anniversary conference--titled “ACM97, the Next 50 Years of Computing”--on Saturday at the San Jose Convention Center. The conference brings together such well-known computing pioneers as Robert Metcalfe (the founder of 3Com and the event’s chairman); Gordon Bell (formerly of Digital Equipment and now of Microsoft); Vint Cerf (one of the architects of the Internet); and Vice President Al Gore. Besides panels and presentations, the conference includes a five-day technology expo that is free and open to the public. Registration information for the conference is available at https://www.acm.org/acm97
Closer to home, UC San Diego is hosting a conference today titled “California and the Future of American Innovation.” The regional summit, which begins with a keynote address by Gov. Pete Wilson, will bring together leaders of government, industry and academia to discuss the future of research and development and make sure California remains at the forefront of innovation. The forum will be held at the Hyatt Regency in La Jolla.
Also in San Diego, the Software Publishers Assn. is putting together “Breakthrough Thinking in the Internet Age.” The four-day conference begins Saturday and will discuss trends in Internet commerce, electronic software distribution and the business strategies of Internet leaders, including Microsoft, Netscape, Oracle, Apple, IBM and Intuit. It will be held at the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina.
CYBERSPACE
* Today, 4 p.m.: Stan Lee, Mr. Marvel himself, also known as the guiding light behind Spiderman and the Incredible Hulk, on America Online. Keyword: Marvel.
* Wednesday, 5 p.m.: Charles Schulz, the creator of the Peanuts comic strip, on America Online. Keyword: Culture Finder.
* For a daily Webcast extravaganza that culminates with the Grammy Awards on Wednesday, tune in to https://grammy.apple.com. The site will feature a live chat with Beck, a tribute to Phil Collins, a feature on the Smashing Pumpkins and more.
* Read essays on the controversy over Ebonics or search the Library of Congress’ Resource Guide for the Study of Black History and Culture. In celebration of Black History Month, the Norm Net has posted a resource guide to more than 30 black history Web sites at https://www.thenorm.com/bhm.html
* If you believe surfing the Net is a way to goof off, you can get started at https://conk.com, a Web site that advertises itself as just that. It lists fun places on the Net and provides its own sarcastic look at the day’s headlines. For the more serious-minded, it offers links to publications ranging from the Jerusalem Post to the Korea Herald and more than a dozen U.S. newspapers.
* Looking for info on where to shop or what to do on the Westside? Try https://www.310.net and its counterparts in other area codes, 213.net, 818.net and 714.net. The sites are a sort of online yellow pages with information ranging from local government to health clubs.
* For a discussion of state and local issues, education, arts and the environment, go to the California Community Network Assn. (https://www.calcom.org), a nonprofit group dedicated to the state’s community, cultural and educational development.
* If your interests are of a more aquatic nature, https://www.seaweb.org will educate you about the fate of the vanishing abalone and Stellar sea lion.
Site suggestions can be sent to cutting.edge@latimes.com
