Subterranean Inculcation

Dude, Where's My Digital Car? -- It isn't news that the South Koreans have embraced the digital future, but sometimes, when news like this comes out, it makes you wonder -- just what kind of future awaits us out there? Kart Rider is a popular online car racing game. So popular that at any time, as many as 200,000 South Koreans are online driving. So popular that online drivers can make a living from it by driving all day, becoming an expert, a racing champion, and getting real world sponsors to slap virtual ads on their virtual cars. I have this feeling that there is a big part of the future I'm going to be missing out on.

When Your Name is Mud, Advertise -- What happens when your company runs afoul of the law? When your CEO is being arraigned on charges of sticking it to the shareholders? You don't go into a period of quiet, shunning the limelight -- no, you advertise a positive image! Read how companies are going on the offensive when they run into a legal setback.

Is Heart Surgery Worth It? -- Modern medicine has set some great expectations. Today, many of us don't put up with the slight aches and pains that accompanies life, and instead run to the nearest medical establishment for the latest cure -- and there we encounter a medical industry that is only too happy to provide some pills or carve us up on the meat slab. What happens however, when the cure may be worse than the ailment? There is new data that is now questioning whether heart surgery may be good for patients. There is no real evidence that it extends life for a certain segment of the population -- pointing to the fact that may an ounce of prevention may really be worth a pound of cure.

Honing its Digital Game -- South Korea aims to keep its leadership status in technology, and is doing so by investing heavily in a program, IT839, to propel the country beyond the reach of global competitors. The government, along with industry partners, are cooperating in an initiative to focus on eight services, three infrastructure projects and nine new or upgraded devices.