Slashdot Mirror

An anonymous reader writes "TriWest, a federal contractor providing healthcare to the military, had computer hardware stolen from one of their offices. Social security numbers, credit card numbers, and healthcare information about 500,000 US military personnel and their families is contained on the stolen hardware. The AP picked up the story. The theft is also being covered by the Salt Lake Tribune and the Arizona Republic. This opens the door to speculation about who would be interested in the data held by a military contractor and what they will do with the information."

Sean Fitzpatrick writes: "From this article on www.arizonarepublic.com: The future has been postponed, at least slightly. Bluetooth, the wireless technology to link computers, home entertainment appliances and other gadgets will not debut this summer as some manufacturers had hoped. Story at http://www.arizon arepublic.com/news/articles/0721bluetoothon.html (free registration required)." The registration isn't too onerous, but be warned: it's a short article. The upshot is that Bluetooth won't arrive to Jes' Folks until at least the (actual) turn of the century, according to Joyce Putscher, director of a an Arizona research firm called Cahners In-Stat Group, and "several [unnamed] manufacturers." A shame, but when was the last time cool technology arrived conspicously early? If wishes were horses, then we'd already have Bluetooth.