2007-03-21

In this issue:  Checks will clear more quickly, and the
information the government collects about you.

Merchants can now start clearing your checks electronically,
which will remove funds from your bank account more
quickly.  Consumers can opt out of the back-office
conversion process, but Motley Fool says you'll have to ask
the retailer or merchant how to do so.
  http://MagPortal.com/nr/rdir.php?w=289738
  similar: http://MagPortal.com/cgi/sim.cgi?w=289738

Want to know what information the government is collecting
on you and what it's doing with it?  InternetNews says the
government isn't very forthcoming.
  http://MagPortal.com/nr/rdir.php?w=289965
  similar: http://MagPortal.com/cgi/sim.cgi?w=289965

You probably haven't yet seen a robot plane overhead.  But
Popular Mechanics says more are flying all the time, and
their promise is such that, like computers, they could move
beyond commonplace to ubiquitous.
  http://MagPortal.com/nr/rdir.php?w=290206
  similar: http://MagPortal.com/cgi/sim.cgi?w=290206