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Reports on the author's experience of testifying before the United States' Senate Judiciary Committee regarding Microsoft Corp's alleged monopoly over the computer software industry. Things noticed by the author; What he told the committee.

Discusses the Hewlett-Packard PhotoSmart printer and the system's five basic components. Digital camera; Scanner; Printer; Editing; Digital photo album; Advantages of system.

Considers whether the government is under-counting labor costs. The signs of rising pay pressure; The interpretation of the employment-cost data; How to determine what is really going on in the labor market.

Presents information on the challenges facing the world's leading personal computer maker, Compaq Computer Corp. Earnings of Compaq in the first-quarter; Acquisitions that have proved to be a failure for Compaq; Decline in the number of support staff in Compaq; Selling strategy of Compaq; Comparison of Compaq with Dell Computer Corp.; Dangers facing Compaq in the future.

Opinion. Discusses the author's experience with being stalked on the Internet by a group of people who stalk people who say bad things about Apple Computer or the company's Macintosh computers. The author's article badmouthing Apple as triggering the group to send e-mail to the author; The effort of Guy Kawasaki, who has taken it upon himself to organize the rapid supporters of the Macintosh into a grass-roots marketing force.

Considers who benefited more from the balanced budget agreement, the Democrats or Republicans. The concern of Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio that the Republican party is suffering from victory disease; The biggest beneficiaries of the agreement; What Republicans have gained from the agreement.

Opinion. Presents the case of the October 1996 initial public offering (IPO) of international telecommunications company Viatel as a cautionary tale for investors considering investing in other IPOs. The backing Viatel received from George Soros and Comsat; The popularity of the stock at the time of the IPO; Founder and CEO Martin Varsavsky; A decline in Viatel's stock price immediately after the IPO; What investors can learn from the story.

Discusses the debate within the United States federal government over a reduction in the capital gains tax in 1997. The belief of some that such a reduction is inevitable; Doubts expressed by others, such as Mark Bloomfield of the American Council for Capital Formation; The views of believers in such cuts compared to the beliefs of non-believers; The views of Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and Representative Bill Archer.

Considers the impact of the Small Order Execution System (SOES) on Nasdaq (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations). Traders of Nasdaq stocks who buy and sell in lots that never exceed 1,000 shares; Supposed to help investors automatically execute small orders with little bother; Legality of activities of SOES traders; Assertion by SOES traders that they do not cause volatility; Nasdaq's problem.

Describes the pandemonium of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The internet as a marketing tool; Multiplayer online gaming as the next arcade boom; Virtual reality; Sega's weakening financial base; Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks SKG.

Offers investment advice to persons in their 20s, known as `Generation X.' Time as an ally to young investors; 401(k) plans; Mutual funds; Life insurance.

Informs on how voice calls on the Internet can be made using the microphone and speakers that come with most PCs and Internet Phone software from VocalTec, an Israeli company with offices in Northvale, New Jersey. Equipment that is needed to call anywhere in the world for about $1 for one-way-at-a-time conversations; The hitches.

Focuses on the changes occurring in the airline industry, as some airlines by-pass the formula for profit by linking cities with frequent flights almost like a shuttle. Importance of keeping tight schedules and budgets; Success of Southwest Airlines Co.; Fears of Europe's airlines from the U.S. airlines; List of top fifty airline companies ranked by revenues.

Focuses on steps taken by the automobile maintenance company Ford Customer Service to win over customers. Efforts made by the company to make maintenance and repair service a competitive weapon; Ways in which the company ensure repeat visits by customers; Information on name-change of a division of the company.

Presents information on all jobs employing more than 150,000 people in the United States. Increase in the jobs as calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics; Projection of growth in the number of jobs from 1990 to 2005; Details of different types of jobs.

Lists the top 50 airline companies and gives information on 1991 revenues, profits, passenger miles and comments. The first seven in revenue order are AMR, Air France Groupe, UAL, Japan, Lufthansa, Delta and British Airways. Forces driving consolidation; Two years of losses; Outlook for 1992; Comments on individual airlines.

Presents a listing of the companies included on `Fortune' magazine's Global 500 Index. The companies are listed alphabetically, by corporate name.

The article reports on the survey findings of California's South Coast Air Quality Management District on the cost of cleaning the polluted air in Los Angeles, California. The body estimated that the undertaking will cost a minimum of 13 billion dollars a year. It estimated further that the benefits of reducing air pollution-related sickness is more than 9 billion dollars per year.