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Germany’s Chaos Computer Club has created a cool blinking light display using 144 rooms of an office building. Here’s more from Wired News. They even have an editor for Windows or Macintosh to create your own animations and submit them for possible use on the building.

Some company called Applied Digital is getting way too much attention for their microchip implant ID technology. Aside from the frightening implications, what’s the big deal? My dog already has one. NewsFactor’s article is rational and evenhanded, while the LA Times article gleefully mentions Kevin Warwick and quotes a “futurist” who says teenagers will love it.

Google‘s Groups section, formerly Deja News, now has a 20 year archive of newsgroup messages. Their search interface could use some improvement, but you can’t beat the sheer volume of available messages. Here’s their announcement, and what appears to be my first newsgroup posting ever, from 1992.

Dean Kamen’s mystery invention (code-named IT or Ginger) was the subject of much hype and speculation early this year, much to the inventor’s annoyance. The truth is now revealed – it’s a $3000 scooter. One that would be incredibly impressive, actually, if not for the “world-changing” hype. Here’s Time Magazine’s report.

The LA Times has an interesting report on how hard it is to truly erase information that has been published on the Web. Meanwhile, Napster alternative KaZaA has been ordered to do the impossible: prevent millions of users who’ve downloaded their peer-to-peer software from using it. Details at ITworld.com and The Register.