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Outlines 10 trends to watch in the high-technology sector. Significance of tiny wireless remote sensor networks called 'smart dust' in revolutionizing monitoring and gathering of data; Rise of China as potential leader in technology; Emergence of open-source operating systems like Linux as serious competition for Microsoft; Continued success of eBay; Other trends.

Profiles Lowry Mays, founder and chief executive officer of Clear Channel, which owns 1,233 radio stations. Effect of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which lifted restrictions on radio ownership, on the industry; Scope of the Clear Channel company; Role of Mays' sons Mark and Randall; Critics of Clear Channel, including musician Don Henley; Biographical information about Lowry Mays and how he got involved in the radio business; Purchase by Clear Channel of SFX Entertainment.

Discusses people to watch in business for 2003. Andrew Lack; Leslie Caldwell; Bill Gross; Susan Lyne; Robert Johnson; Paul Pressler; Barry Diller;Eric Schmidt; Bill Ford Jr.; Arun Sarin; Jonathan Miller; Mark McClellan; Rupert Murdoch; Dieter Zetsche.

Profiles billionaire businessman Craig McCaw. Communications businesses he owns, including XO, Nextel, New ICO, and Teledesic; Financial troubles at his companies as a result of a recession; His optimism about the telecommunications industry; His belief that satellite communications will help people in developing countries by giving them access to the Internet.

Discusses the $15 billion dollar bailout of the airline industry by the United States federal government. How the airlines are getting the cash with virtually no restrictions; Desperation of airlines following September 11, 2001, where many are flying at less than half of their capacity; Topic of the consolidation of a number of airlines; Idea that the industry will end up having far fewer airlines and higher prices.

Focuses on the economic impacts of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States. Comment that the terrorists destroyed a symbol of American capitalism, the World Trade Center, but not capitalism itself; How the disaster ended an era of perceived U.S. frivolity and self-absorption; Question of whether traditional responses to a slowing economy will suffice in this case; Impact on investor confidence; How the government and companies should respond; Speculation about the economic outlook.

This article offers update on TiVo as of March 2001. TiVo calls its product the personalized video recording (PVR), a technology and service that enables viewers to watch what they want, when they want, not to mention skip the commercials. Ever since TiVo hit the U.S. market, consumer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The response from television and advertising executives has been more wary. Presently, however, TiVo finds itself in an uncertain situation. On one hand, the company is the leader in PVR, having won its highly publicized battle with rival ReplayTV, which stopped selling to the consumer market in the fall of 2000. On the other hand, Wall Street refuses to share the enthusiasm. After reaching a high of $72 three months following the company's September 1999 initial public offering, the stock came crashing down by 94 percent and now trades at $4 a share. Moreover, TiVo probably would not turn a profit for at least three more years. And although TiVo boasts 153,000 subscribers, that falls far below previous expectations. INSET: My Life With TiVo.

This article discusses the trends that are expected from the U.S. high-technology industries and the performance of technology stocks in the market as of March 2001. Telecommunication companies are allotting large budget for the rights to mobile-telephone franchises, in anticipation of selling Short Message Service or wireless Web surfing to families. Companies are waiting in line to fill houses with Internet appliances, game consoles, wireless home networks, high-definition television, DVD, compact discs, and MP3. The expansion of consumer spending on technology devices occurred over a period of unprecedented economic growth. However, consumer confidence, as measured by the Conference Board, has declined for five straight months; that usually portends a slowdown in discretionary spending. Meanwhile, a limited number of voice calls have been zapped across the Internet for years. But now, the sound quality has improved. That makes new-economy voice of interest to a growing lineup of players. Battling over voice marks a departure for telecommunications.

Focuses on Hughes Electronics Corp. and its DirectTV satellite broadcast service. Data on the company's financial status and link to parent company General Motors; Background of the company and its founder Howard R. Hughes Jr.; Transformation of the Hughes firm into a media company through deals with America Online and others; Possibility of the sale of DirectTV.

This article focuses on the financial performance of Internet retailer Buy.com as of November 2000. The company's stock is hovering at $2 per share, down 93% from its high of $27.50 on February 9, 2000, the day after its initial public offering. And as the Internet shakeout continues, the upcoming holiday season may be its last chance to prove that it is a viable business. The company posted $190 million in revenues this past quarter, slightly better than last year but not as good as any of the previous three quarters. By contrast, Amazon.com's third-quarter revenues were up 79% from last year. By the end of this year Buy.com expects to have $80 million left in cash, which at the present burn rate will keep it in business for roughly another year. INSET: WHY BLUM ISN'T GLUM.

Focuses on the Canadian telecommunications equipment maker Nortel. Growth the company has experienced; Reasons for this growth; Risks taken by the company's chief executive officer (CEO) John Roth; Outlook for Nortel.

Presents a list of 50 privately-held United States companies deemed by 'Fortune' magazine to promote diversity in their minority employment practices. Criteria for evaluation, including minorities as a percentage of new hires and minorities in leadership positions; Details of the diversity of Advantica, Levi Strauss & Co., Fannie Mae, and others. INSETS: Levi's mends the social fabric, by Natasha Tarpley;Hyatt gets cooking in high school, by Natasha Tarpley;US West has the tools, by Feliciano Garcia;Montoya and his shadows, by Feliciano Garcia

Introduces a series of articles on race relations in the United States workplace. Statistics regarding job satisfaction among minority executive employees; Competitive advantages represented by a diverse work force; Incidence of discrimination against minority executives; Importance of promoting a message of minority success in corporate culture; Corporations which promote multiculturalism, including Shoney's and others.

Focuses on Qualcomm, the digital cellular technology firm based in San Diego, California. Public notoriety of chief executive officer Irwin Jacobs; Applicability of Qualcomm's wireless technology to the Internet; Agreement reached with Ericsson and other wireless companies to create a higher standard for wireless networks; Competition with such companies as Nokia and Motorola; Appeal of Qualcomm's code division multiple access (CDMA) systems.

Focuses on MCI WorldCom, one of 'Fortune' magazine's Fortune 500 companies for 2000, which are large and economically sound corporations in the United States. Description and history of the telephone company; Details on chief executive officer Bernie Ebbers; Outlook.

Presents a list of companies on 'Fortune's' e-50 index which was developed to offer a way for investors to track the performance of Internet-related stocks. The four difference sectors the companies are divided into; Why dozens of Internet companies were not included on the list; The shared attribute of the companies.

Discusses the growing trend among individuals investing and choosing their own stocks. Author's experience of interviewing the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, and others and their interest and experiences pertinent to investing; Changes in the culture of Providence; Profiles of other investors, including David Civetti. Civetti's history of investments. INSETS: Ballplayer, San Francisco, by Angela Key;Evangelist, Mississippi, by Carol Vinzant;Business Students, Alaska, by C.V.;Wall Street Wannabes, Alabama, by C.V.

Discusses a growing trend among individuals in the United States who control their own stocks and stock trades. Statistics on households with stocks and the number of assets invested online; Trend the result of competition with traditional brokerage firms and brokers; History of online trading; Statistics on online trading, including the growth of the industry; Future directions of online trading.

Major blackouts can be major headaches for people, but for Nextel Communications such problems mean opportunity. Long the mobile service of choice for construction workers and cabbies, who rely on Nextel's Direct Connect--a walkie-talkie service that allows immediate contact among multiple users--Nextel is focusing on the white-collar world. It is finding customers in companies and public agencies worried about terrorism, disasters, floods, hackers, or any other event that can disrupt business. Nextel must move fast because giant rivals are closing in on its niche. By financial measures, Nextel excels. The company sells to big businesses that buy in bulk, and Nextel users can Direct Connect only with each other, locking them into the service. To build revenues chief executive officer Tim Donahue urges salespeople to make themselves indispensable to customers. Some 10% of Nextel's users are government workers, and Donahue expects that part of the business to grow. That business is largely centered around emergency-service providers.

Focuses on issues related to instant messaging (IM). Inroads made by IM into the business world; Information provide by market research firm Osterman, that 18% of the working population uses IM today, compared to a mere 8% two years ago; Campaigns rolled out by Microsoft Corp., Yahoo! Inc. and AOL Time Warner Inc., to target the enterprise software market.

Discusses possible financial problems at United States television stations for the fall of 2001. Expected impact of the economic slowdown on advertising revenue; High expenses for the networks for television shows; Lower ratings of news divisions.

This article presents a travel guide to the African safari. The first order of business of travelling to a safari is to decide where to go. Safaris usually take place in or near national parks in two regions of Africa: Southern and East Africa. Southern Africa is no jungle, but vegetation tends to be thicker and more lush than East Africa. The weather is milder and more consistent year-round. Some tour operators recommend going to South Africa and Botswana in July and August because this is the dry season. The few remaining water sources attract more wildlife, and the spare foliage makes its easier to view animals close up. Meanwhile, East Africa's main attraction is the migration of herds of animals in the plains of Kenya and Tanzania. It occurs twice a year, after the rainy seasons. In the late spring, herds of wildebeests, antelopes and zebras leave the Serengeti in Tanzania and arrive in Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve in late July. After a shorter rainy season, the animals turn around in late October and return southwest to Tanzania. INSET: Medication.

Discusses an effort by Microsoft Corp. to study the so-called Net Generation, the group of workers and consumers born after 1977. Establishment of Microsoft's Next Generation Consumer Strategy division to study the habits and ambitions of the younger generation in order to gauge their perceptions of Microsoft and its products; Role of Tammy Savage in the initiative, and her career and Microsoft; Comfort level young adults have with technology.

Presents news briefs related to the Internet and web sites as of July 10, 2000. Impact of stock market volatility during 2000 on the initial public offering (IPO) plans of Internet-based companies; Charts and statistics regarding the habits of average United States Internet users; Details of venture capital funding for new Internet businesses; Others.

Focuses on Internet traffic and how Web surfers are quick to abandon a slow-loading Web site. How the average person will wait for eight seconds before giving up on a Web site; How Internet site access speeds have improved significantly even while under the strain of traffic growth.

Reports on the prevalence of Internet-related crime used to disable computer systems. High number of unpublicized incidents of computer crime that occur; Results of a study by the Computer Security Institute and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation; Financial losses that result from computer crimes; Examples of offenses, such as the Melissa virus and the destruction of a US Coast Guard personnel database.

Focuses on World Wide Web-related topics. Comparison of 50 electronic commerce sites in categories including site navigation, product availability and return policies; Returns of mutual funds with Internet-only stock portfolios; Attitudes about the importance of electronic commerce; Use of Internet job sites; Internet firms' patent infringement suits; Site visitation statistics; Other items.

Discusses the outlook for investors of the proposed merger between America Online (AOL) and Time Warner. Inability of analysts to project to potential of the possible merger; Details of the merger, and questions surrounding AOL's decision to offer one and a half of its shares for one of Time Warner's shares; Market capitalization of AOL Time Warner; Price to earnings ratio for the company; Accounting practices at AOL Time Warner; Speculation as to the return after twenty years for investors.

Examines a number of products invented in the twentieth century that have had a huge impact on society. Products in the play group, including Legos, the Kodak Brownie camera, and the JVC videorecorder; How travel has been changed by the introduction of the DC-3 jet, the Ford Model T automobile, and the skateboard; Home products that have changed our lives such as the vacuum cleaner, the home air conditioner, and Amana's microwave oven.

Outlines 10 trends to watch in the high-technology sector. Significance of tiny wireless remote sensor networks called 'smart dust' in revolutionizing monitoring and gathering of data; Rise of China as potential leader in technology; Emergence of open-source operating systems like Linux as serious competition for Microsoft; Continued success of eBay; Other trends.

Profiles Lowry Mays, founder and chief executive officer of Clear Channel, which owns 1,233 radio stations. Effect of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which lifted restrictions on radio ownership, on the industry; Scope of the Clear Channel company; Role of Mays' sons Mark and Randall; Critics of Clear Channel, including musician Don Henley; Biographical information about Lowry Mays and how he got involved in the radio business; Purchase by Clear Channel of SFX Entertainment.

Discusses people to watch in business for 2003. Andrew Lack; Leslie Caldwell; Bill Gross; Susan Lyne; Robert Johnson; Paul Pressler; Barry Diller;Eric Schmidt; Bill Ford Jr.; Arun Sarin; Jonathan Miller; Mark McClellan; Rupert Murdoch; Dieter Zetsche.

Profiles billionaire businessman Craig McCaw. Communications businesses he owns, including XO, Nextel, New ICO, and Teledesic; Financial troubles at his companies as a result of a recession; His optimism about the telecommunications industry; His belief that satellite communications will help people in developing countries by giving them access to the Internet.

Presents a listing of the most admired corporations in 2002, according to an annual survey by 'Fortune.' Companies, such as General Electric and Wal-Mart Stores, which are on the All-Stars list that spans all industry groups; Companies that did well in countries such as Fance and Japan; The least and most admired firms in terms of qualities such as innovation, employee talent, and social responsibility.

Discusses the $15 billion dollar bailout of the airline industry by the United States federal government. How the airlines are getting the cash with virtually no restrictions; Desperation of airlines following September 11, 2001, where many are flying at less than half of their capacity; Topic of the consolidation of a number of airlines; Idea that the industry will end up having far fewer airlines and higher prices.

Focuses on the economic impacts of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States. Comment that the terrorists destroyed a symbol of American capitalism, the World Trade Center, but not capitalism itself; How the disaster ended an era of perceived U.S. frivolity and self-absorption; Question of whether traditional responses to a slowing economy will suffice in this case; Impact on investor confidence; How the government and companies should respond; Speculation about the economic outlook.

Focuses on Hughes Electronics Corp. and its DirectTV satellite broadcast service. Data on the company's financial status and link to parent company General Motors; Background of the company and its founder Howard R. Hughes Jr.; Transformation of the Hughes firm into a media company through deals with America Online and others; Possibility of the sale of DirectTV.

Focuses on the Canadian telecommunications equipment maker Nortel. Growth the company has experienced; Reasons for this growth; Risks taken by the company's chief executive officer (CEO) John Roth; Outlook for Nortel.

Focuses on Qualcomm, the digital cellular technology firm based in San Diego, California. Public notoriety of chief executive officer (CEO) Irwin Jacobs; Applicability of Qualcomm's wireless technology to the Internet; Agreement reached with Ericsson and other wireless companies to create a higher standard for wireless networks; Competition with such companies as Nokia and Motorola; Appeal of Qualcomm's code division multiple access (CDMA) systems.

Profiles Steve Jobs, the chief executive officer of Cupertino, California-based Apple Computer. Evaluation of software products during meetings with the staff; Reputation of Jobs for his high-technology showmanship; Involvement in the design of Internet services.

The article focuses on the FCC'S decision in mid-October to endorse the rollout of broadband service by utility companies. Suddenly the tech world is buzzing that broadband over power lines (BPL) will be the next big thing. The idea is simple: Utilities would send out radio signals over electricity lines, then BPL customers would plug their computers straight into any socket for instant Internet. Right now there are several BPL rollouts across the country (including a partnership of Con Edison, Earthlink, and Ambient that will bring BPL to New York City in November), and the FCC ruling is bound to spur more investment. Then there are the downsides: stiff competition, especially from WiMax and Wi-Fi, which can easily reach unwired homes. In terms of technology, BPL still has a way to go. Early trials demonstrated major airwave interference, and ham radio operators have been particularly vocal about their opposition to BPL. BPL also recently lost steam when AT&T, as part of Ma Bell's strategy to focus on business customers, pulled out of a Silicon Valley trial with PG&E.

The article analyzes the implications of the merger of rival PDA makers Palm and Handspring, and looks at two share offerings to investors. In the summer of 2001, FORTUNE recommended that rival PDA makers set aside their differences and get hitched to split R&D costs and to avoid a price war. More than two years later, after a brief engagement, they finally took our advice. On Oct. 28 not only did the two companies complete their corporate marriage, but they also produced offspring. That gives adventurous investors two new ways to play Palm. The union of the money-losing handheld-device makers, called PalmOne, will continue to focus on hardware. And the Palm division that licenses its operating system has been spun off as a separate software company named PalmSource. So which stock should investors bet on? Either one presents a high risk. The early response to PalmSource shares reflects the company's potential for licensing software to PalmOne's rivals in this growing market. Overseas the competition might be even stiffer. PalmOne, meanwhile, is off to a decent start in the smart-phone market.