Monday, March 12, 2001		Lens on IT

Russian President Vladimir Putin sits in front of a laptop computer during an online interview in Moscow last week. Putin answered questions live on the Internet in an unprecedented Webcast from Kremlin and said he would protect democracy and market reforms in the country.

An Internet surfer watches an online interview of Russian President Vladimir Putin at an Internet cafe in Moscow.

Nintendo promotion girls Ruriko Harada (L) and Jun Suzuki show off Game Boy Advance, a next-generation hand-held player, at a press preview in Tokyo last week. Game Boy Advance, successor to the world's top-selling Game Boy portable player, uses a 32-bit processor, is Internet-enabled, and is due to hit stores in Japan on March 21 for 9,800 yen ($ 82.59). Sales in the USA, Europe, and Australia are set for June, Nintendo said.

Japanese game enthusiasts try out Nintendo's next-generation hand-held player Game Boy Advance at an unveiling in Tokyo. 

Yahoo! Chief Executive Tim Koogle will step down from that position, but will remain as chairman, it was announced in Palo Alto, California. Yahoo! warned that its first-quarter revenues and earnings will fall well short of Wall Street expectations. 

— Reuters photos