Mike's List is Back!  

After a three-month hiatus, I'm bringing America's Favorite Newsletter out from hibernation.

The dot-com company I helped create more than a year ago, crashed and burned at the end of September. The company was well ahead of its time (many of the valley's Internet companies didn't die until November or December...). I've spent the last three months building a consulting business, which is now humming along fine. So - as I promised on the Mike's List web site - I'm sending out this issue "before the end of the year." 

I'd like to extend both thanks and apologies to everyone on the list, especially to those of you who sent me e-mail inquiring about the newsletter's mysterious disappearance. 

And now: The last Mike's List of 2000: 

Robot Walks the Walk, Talks the Talk
Honda's soccer-playing robot, named "ASIMO," which walks like a human, will be given voice-recognition ability and made available for rent to corporations and museums for long-term contracts. The robot can already respond to both orders (stop!), as well as cheesy pickup lines (you are pretty!). But as of yet, the multimillion dollar robot is overpriced, unavailable to most people and, well, completely useless. Watch this creepy video of ASIMO, and you'll see how bipedal locomotion makes a robot seem more human. 

Chinese Theater to Zap Cell Calls
Management of the Shanghai Grand Theatre plans to block cell phone calls using a special ray gun. The prestigious theater has tried to persuade audience members to turn off phones and pagers, but many ignore their requests. Bad cell phone manners have given Chinese audiences, who tend to yammer away on cell phones during plays and concerts, one of the worst reputations in the world, according to many international performers. You can bet we're facing a cell-phone arms race, as loquacious Chinese inventors toil away to develop a ray gun that zaps the anti-cell ray gun. 

Finally: A Useful Wireless App
A company called YadaYada Inc., which offers OmniSky-like wireless service for Palm and Pocket PC handheld computers, offers a new service called Bathroom Finder, which locates - and even rates - public restrooms in New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Chicago, San Francisco and seven other cities. The service uses the Best Toilets database. 

Mike's Wacky Web List
Just in time for New Year's Day, here's the skinny on all known hangover cures. 

The Canadians MUST BE STOPPED before they take over the world! This wacky web site advocates Canadian World Domination!

Mike's Number List
10 hours, 4 minutes - The average amount of time per month that American residents spend on the Internet per month. 

10 hours, 13 minutes - The average amount of time per month that Hong Kong residents spend on the Internet

25% - Number of workers who use the internet during office hours for personal reasons for at least 10 minutes each day. (vault.com)

13% Number of employees say they surf for more than 2 hours a day at the office. (vault.com)

Mike's Reading List
Annual Murky Awards put the 'silly' back into Silicon Valley - San Jose Mercury News

New-Economy Magazines Can Learn From Old-Economy Mistakes - San Francisco Chronicle