Business 2.0: March 2003 -- Issue Highlights.

Business Editors

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 19, 2003

Business 2.0:

COVER STORY

"Meet Your Next Customer," by Julian Dibbell, page 70

Driven by the conviction that we'll all someday socialize, play, and conduct business in realistic virtual worlds, Internet startups have been heralding the arrival of their "metaverses" for as long as there's been an Internet. But none of them has ever come to market so broadly prepared for the job as There Inc. There came out of stealth mode on Jan. 8 and got its first public viewing at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It is clearly the most realistic and commercially sophisticated virtual world ever created, and big brands like Nike and Levi's are already trying it out. Now the company has just one challenge left: Convince a world still painfully hung over from the sweeping technological visions of the Internet boom that yet another sweeping technological vision--There's--is precisely what it's looking for.

OTHER FEATURED ARTICLES

"What Are You Worth?," by Phillip Longman, page 78

Most people would say that today's job market stands somewhere between dismal and disastrous. But Business 2.0's first annual employment survey tells quite a different story. We examined salaries and growth projections for 100 professions--with emphasis on five industries that played central roles in the 1990s boom: software, hardware, media, telecom, and health care--and found that prospects in most fields have held up remarkably well. While some sectors are clearly still in the dumps (sorry, telecom workers), the good news is that if you still have a job, it's probably more secure than it was a year ago. And if you thought you weren't going to get a raise this year ... well, you may be in for a pleasant surprise.

"The New Military-Industrial Complex," by Ian Mount, Matthew

Maier, and David H. Freedman, page 102

The next time American armed forces go to war, the nature of the battle will be unlike anything the world has ever known. A major assault by combined American forces will provide a full demonstration of the military's new doctrine of faster, lighter, smarter warfare--combat in which cutting-edge technology becomes U.S. troops' deadliest weapon. The Pentagon calls this new doctrine RMA, for "revolution in military affairs," and it's made possible not just by fresh thinking in the Pentagon but also by a subtle shift in the ranks of U.S. defense contractors. In building its high-tech arsenal, the United States has also created a new military-industrial complex with more efficient weapons for combat by land, sea, air, space, and information network.

"How a Banana Saved a Company," by Andy Raskin, page 96

Japanese toymaker Takara was almost bankrupt. Then it made a bold bet on a piece of fruit--and its employees' passion. In the three years since he took over the company his father founded, CEO and prodigal son Keita Satoh has doubled Takara's sales and tripled its stock price. The ascent began with a wildly popular banana-shaped cell-phone handset; the company's products now include a dog-to-human translator (called Bowlingual) and an electric car for adults modeled after a line of toys. Andy Raskin takes a look at a company that's thriving in a struggling economy--and having a blast doing it.

"That's Advertainment!," by Warren Berger, page 90

With the rise of the TiVo personal video recorder and its ability to let television viewers effortlessly skip commercials, advertisers are desperately seeking alternatives to the traditional 30-second spot. Former Sony studio head and Hollywood mega-producer Peter Guber (Midnight Express, Flashdance, Batman) thinks he has the answer, in the form of a brand-new genre that seamlessly blends advertising and entertainment. But is the world ready for a blockbuster film starring a tube of toothpaste?

COLUMNS

The Point, by John Battelle, page 128

The founder of publishing phenomenon the Industry Standard sounds off on the notion that Internet business is dead. In "Alive and Well," he contends that, from content providers to dog-food retailers, Internet businesses have moved to a new stage of stable growth. "That's the real story," Battelle says, "so why aren't we hearing it?"

What's Next, by Rafe Needleman, page 43

Captology is the science of using technology to modify behavior. Scary stuff? In the wrong hands, it most certainly could be. Then again, Needleman says, "if I have to choose between a bloodless computer and nagging phone calls from my mother, I'll take the computer any day."

The Human Factor, by Jeffrey Pfeffer, page 66

This month Pfeffer asks, "Do stock options really motivate?" Corporate chiefs everywhere still argue that handing out options leads to great companies. The problem, Pfeffer says, is that reams of evidence suggest otherwise.

Plus: Titans of Tech: Earthlink CEO Garry Betty explains how his company fights in the shadows of AOL and MSN; Employee of the Month: How Global Crossing CEO John Legere is leading the beleaguered company out of bankruptcy; Working Spaces: The design secrets of Apple's best-performing retail boutique; Dirty Laundry: Fuzzy math at the White House; Fitness: Why do-it-yourself medical testing can help your doctor to help you; Money Maker: How Procter & Gamble's Swiffer has inspired a nation of neat freaks; Investing: Should you buy shares of companies marred by scandal?; The Best: Six vacations that let you have fun and still do some good; Speed Reading: Two new books reveal very different sides of Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina; Gizmos: The first disposable cell phone, a handheld personal lie detector, and more.

The March 2003 issue is available on newsstands Feb. 24. For more information, or to schedule an interview with a Business 2.0 writer or editor, contact Marlene Saritzky at 415-293-4839 or [e-mail]; Karen Palmer at 415-293-4837 or [e-mail]; or Laura Goldberg at 212-725-2295 or [e-mail] .