In & out

Group, Jul/Aug 2001

in

lacrosse

the weakest link

low-rise jeans

mcCafe

out

soccer

xfl

levis's 501s

starbucks

spy kids

Schools across the country are investing in software programs that help parents keep closer tabs on their kids. Parents receive a password that allows them to access a Web site where teachers post daily information on grades, attendance, and homework assignments. Parents can also monitor or limit cafeteria-line choices to make sure teenagers eat healthy foods. "Our parents don't need to know everything we do all the time," says one 15-- year-old, quoted by CBS News. "High school's supposed to be a time when you're starting to get out on your own."

simply friends

The Sims, the popular PC game where a solo player creates characters that inhabit an open-ended soap opera, will be moving to the Web early next year. The new multiplayer version, The Sims Online, will give gamers the opportunity to form friendship networks of up to 30 members. Players will decide each other's power, wealth, relationships, and popularity, with typed-in dialogue appearing in bubbles above the characters' heads.

let the games begin

Going toe-to-toe this fall

with Sony's PlayStation 2 are two highly anticipated new video game systems, Nintendo's GameCube and MicroSoft's Xbox. Heightening the competition, Sony will be launching a generation of games that takes advantage of PS2's full capabilities for the first time. All three systems deliver movielike graphics and action, so the winner is likely to be the one with the most exciting software. However, cost may also play a part, which gives GameCube the edge because of its lower price tag: $199 compared to $299 for Xbox and PS2.