1. Diffraction grating The laser is split into seven beams; each one reads a separate track 2. Two-way mirror The seven rays pass through the mirror on the way to the CDs surface 3. Shaping the beams The lenses focus the rays, ensuring that they strike the CD correctly 4. Redirection After the beams are reflected by the CD, the two-way mirror deflects them toward the … 5. Multibeam detector, which reads the seven rays simultaneously, resulting in greater speeds

HUMORFrom the ’60s With Love

Can’t wait for the “Austin Powers” sequel? “The Spy Who Shagged Me” opens in June, but by the end of May fans of the randy British agent can download a demo of Austin Powers: Operation Trivia (operationtrivia.com), a fun and flip trivia game from the makers of You Don’t Know Jack. Here’s a sampling of questions, which cover the 30-year span during which Austin Powers and his nemesis, Dr. Evil, were frozen.

  1. Austin Powers’ License Plate Reads:

  2. Dr. Evil Proposes Plot to:

  3. Pick The Items That Are in Austin Powers’ Jet.

a) Bean Bag Chair

b) Lava Lamp

c) “Hand” Chair

d) Fax Machine

Answers are at the bottom of this page

SITE SPECIFICDigital Destinations for Time-Crunched Women

The Internet isn’t just a boys’ locker room anymore; about 48 percent of people online today are female. A handful of sites cater to their needs, and a long-anticipated women’s supersite, called Oxygen.com, will begin to roll out in May. The softer side of cyberspace:

iVillage.com

WHO’S THERE: 29-to 45-year-old women ’looking for solutions to problems’ because they’re busy WHAT’S THERE: Communities of women helping each other, plus expert advice and interactive tools BEST FEATURE: The well-managed message boards are the draw. Time-consuming but rewarding.

Women.com

WHO’S THERE: Aggressive, educated, moneyed thirtysomethings who are busy, busy, busy WHAT’S THERE: Original writing supplemented by 11 Hearst women’s magazines (Redbook, Cosmo) BEST FEATURE: Lots of magazine-like information that’s pleasing to look at and easy to navigate

MSN WomenCentral

WHO’S THERE: Did we mention that women are busy? This site targets 25- to 40-year-olds who work. WHAT’S THERE: Most of the content is licensed from Women.com but linked here to MSN’s offerings BEST FEATURE: UnderWire, a cheeky section of the site that’s exclusive to MSN. Nicely written, fun.

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