Want to see Mir? A web page showing good viewing times can be found at . Mir is typically visible for only 4-7 minutes per night. [David Coombs , 22Oct97.]

The Mars Pathfinder lander is not answering, and has most likely succumbed to temperatures of -22 F in the afternoon and -58 F at night. Soon it will get colder as the Martian summer comes to an end. "Sojourner, the rover, is presumably circling the dead mother ship, Bambi-like, waiting for instructions." [Robert L. Park, WHAT'S NEW, 31Oct97.]

French scientist Jacques Blamont says that small probes could be sent to Mars for $15M, compared with $270M for the Pathfinder mission -- itself an impressive bargain. Blamont would launch a 115kg probe and 65kg of fuel in two of the eight "piggyback" small-mission compartments of an Ariane 5 rocket. The probe would circle Earth waiting for a Mars bypass, then head for Mars and descend by balloon. [Mark Ward, New Scientist. SJM, 24Oct97, 8E.]

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Inst. of Technology have developed a specialized self-repairing, self-replicating computer based on "biodule" cells. Each biodule processor can be rewired by software to assume new functions. If cells fail, their functions are taken over by nearby spare cells. [Science, 26Sep97. NewtNews. Bill Park.]

Intel and Digital are settling their lawsuits, with Intel paying $700M for Digital technology and Digital agreeing to develop Intel-based computers. This may mean the end of Digital's Alpha processors. [NYT, 28Oct97. EduP.]

The US will issue approximately 11K software patents in 1997, increasing to 15K in 1999. Increased US patent filings and decreased staff have created a backlog, lengthening patent evaluation to about 2.5 years. Even copyright filings are taking 18 weeks. [AP and the Internet Patent News Service. SJM, 29Oct97, 1C.]

Greater Los Angeles wants everyone to know that its 770+ digital multimedia companies employ 133K people, more than in NY and SF/Northern CA combined (at 264 and 558 multimedia companies). LA's digital information industries also dwarf those of Seattle/WA (88), Austin/TX (106), and Boston/MA (138). Lack of press recognition may be costing Los Angeles investment and business opportunities, not to mention talent. However, the activity is spread out "from Culver City to Santa Monica to Venice to Burbank to Hollywood," and the companies tend to operate independently or in turf wars. LA also lacks Northern CA's infrastructure of venture capitalists and startup lawyers (e.g., willing to work for deferred payment). Various groups in LA are working on the infrastructure problems, from high-bandwidth communications to multimedia incubators. (USC's Annenberg Incubator Project is one seed for a multimedia park.) They're just not sure whether to call the region Silicon Beach or the Digital Epicenter. [Carronade Group, 1996 statistics. Rick Wartzman, WSJ. Bill Park, 28Oct97.]