Execs Get a Sneak Peek at Demo 98

Leaders in the field of personal technology are already gathered at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort in Indian Wells, Calif., where they have been invited to an executive conference for a sneak peek at products selected for their potential to affect future generations of products and people.

Demo 98, which runs through Thursday, allows developers, venture capitalists, Fortune 500 executives and other key industry figures to get one-on-one demos of 60 emerging technologies and products, such as the U.are.U fingerprint identification technology for securing Internet transactions.

For more information on Demo 98, call (800) 633-4312 or visit the Web site at https://www.demo98.com

CYBERSPACE

* Shadow Dancing: Today is Groundhog Day, and you know what that means: The nation will be holding its collective breath, waiting to see if the little furry fella sees his shadow. Want to know where Groundhog Day came from? Check out https://www.groundhog.org, a Web site from the Chamber of Commerce in Punxsutawney, Pa., where it all started. The site also has a schedule of Groundhog Day events. The Committee for the Commercialization of Groundhog Day (https://www.groundhogsday.com/)is another place you can hang out while you wait for Phil to emerge from his hole. The group wants Groundhog Day to get the recognition it deserves--it is, after all, a “two-pronged holiday.” What does that mean? Check out the site.

* Dollar Value: This week in 1690, the colony of Massachusetts issued America’s first paper money. (It was used to pay soldiers fighting a war against Quebec.) And it was also this week in 1868 that the United States discontinued the greenback. In honor of those two money milestones, we offer you the U.S. Mint (https://www.usmint.gov/) and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (https://www.bep.treas.gov/). The U.S. Mint site has information about the 50 states coin program, which will produce commemorative quarters starting in 1999; a history of coin denominations; and facts about the Mint, bullion and coin production. The bureau’s site has currency facts, info for collectors and a special page for kids.

* Happy Birthday, Mr. Ex-President: Ronald Reagan is celebrating his 87th birthday Friday. You can read about our 40th president and his achievements at https://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/glimpse/presidents/html/rr40.html. Although the real thing is in Simi Valley, the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library is also at https://sunsite.unc.edu/lia/president/reagan.html. You’ll find hours, directions and a description of the library’s holdings.

* He’s a Dickens: One of the most famous writers of the Victorian age--Charles Dickens--was born 186 years ago Saturday. The Dickens House Museum in England (https://www.rmplc.co.uk/orgs/dickens/) let you take a virtual tour, check out related links or get info on exhibitions and events. You can also now read (or download) full texts of “Great Expectations,” “A Christmas Carol” and “Tale of Two Cities” at https://www.literature.org/Works/Charles-Dickens/. And some of Dickens’ more famous quotations are at

https://www.cyber-nation.com/victory/quotations/authors/quotes_dickens_

charles.html

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