Newsweek 1996. (nem teljes évfolyam) [antikvár]

BURMA Same Old Taste Pepsi has revealed it has decided to sell its stake in a soft-drink joint venture in Burma. In 1990 the beverage firm had been among the first multinationals to open in Bunna. More recently it has been singled out by human-rights activists for its wiUingness to trade \Wth one of Asia's most repressive regimes. Actually, few locals will likely notice anything after Pepsi pulls out. Thant Zin Tun, a member of the family that controls Pepsi-Cola Products Myanmar, told Newsweek that the parent company would continue selling beverage syrup to his firm and permit it to operate under the Pepsi name. Among democracy activists, this sweet victory could leave a bad aftertaste. Pepsi workers in Rangoon Investigating an explosion at a Barclays branch in Ealing CRIME Terror Arrives by Post Has the unabomber inspired a copycat? for more than a year, British police have been stymied by a mystery terrorist who has targeted Barclays Bank. Since Christmas 1994, when he sent six small letter bombs to Barclays bank managers in West London, he has struck 25 times. Police have dubbed him "Mardi Gra," after the logo stamped on some of his early devices: "Welcome to the Mardi Gra experience." No one has yet been fatally in-jmred, but the bombs themselves—disguised in video boxes and books—have grown more sophisticated, and the bomber has threatened to build more lethal devices. Mardi Gra's motive appears simpler than Unabomber suspect Theodore Kaczynski's, but his fantasy is just as outlandish. He wants Barclays to permit him to withdraw limitless sums from its accounts. Police suspect their man will turn out to be a former bank employee or disgruntled customer. CONVENTIONAL WISDOM WATCH U.S. Auction Edition The Kennedys made millions on Camelot castoffs. So why not whittle down the national debt by selling off a few of America's own threadbare treasures? Arrows indicate pre-auction buzz. Liberty Bell ^ What's a minor crack? Jaclde's stained foot-* stool fetched $33,350.________________ B-1 bomber ? Billion-dollar cold-warrior never got off ground. Would add pizzazz to a sultan's A.F. Hours of listening pleasure with no expletives deleted. Your bid, Mr. Stone. Nixon tapes ^ Manhattan ^ O.J. ^ Most Americans despise this Trumped-up isle. But Eurobidders will go well past $24. A ratings booster for global media mogul. Bloody glove sold separately. AUTOS Birchmobile IMAGINE SOMEDAY LEAVING your old clunker of a car on the compost pile instead of at the junkyard. Researchers at Sweden's University of Ostersund have devised a method of forming wooden auto parts. The idea is to replace body panels— hoods, trunk lids, doors—with parts constructed of lightweight strips of pressure-treat-ed birch. Wooden parts would be biodegradable, plus they'd weigh 50 percent less than steel ones. Members of the project team plan to visit Volvo next month to discuss the technique's commercial feasibility. PRODUCTS 3-D Computing IMMERSION CORP. OF San Jose, California, is selling a software and hardware package called MicroScribe-3D, which allows users to create detailed three-dimensional computer models by tracing the surface features of actual objects. Hardware includes an articulated arm made of high- strength graphite that is ergo-nomically designed and counterbalanced for easy manipulation. Targeted for use by computer animators, engineers, artists and industrial designers, MicroScribe-3D can copy any size object, according to the makers. Sensors monitor the position of the stylus to within 0.005 inch for nearly exact modeling. Cost: $2,400. Don't Get Burned IF YOUR MOTHER DOESN'T happen to be around to tell you that you're getting sunburned, Saitek of Torrance, California, is marketing a device that monitors how long you've been in the sun and warns you if you're getting too much exposure. The user enters his skin type, after referring to a skin-analyzer chart, and the sun protection factor (SPF) of his sunscreen. An ultraviolet-B sensor keeps track of the sun's intensity; an alarm sounds when the rays reach dangerous levels. The de™e can be worn on a neck strap or wristband and doubles as a watch. Cost: $40. M.^hk Fhankel and John Wojno