A Young Doctor Evil or the Next Bill Gates?
It just goes to show that teens are smarter than adults think. For weeks a quickly spreading computer virus called the Sasser worm had people cursing their computers and IT guys shaking in their boots. The last place they all expected the highly annoying bug to have originated is from the brain of an 18-year-old whiz kid. Sven Jaschan confessed to masterminding the whole thing when German authorities arrested him last Friday.
Police suspect Jaschan developed the virus to help drum up business for his mom's tech-help store. His parents, however, claim that the teen meant no harm. "He said he really wanted to develop an antidote to the virus. He said he didn't want to cause any damage," his father, Rainer Jaschan, told Reuters.
The boy's stepmother also says that he promised them he'd never do anything destructive. Jaschan currently faces damage claims from a ton of Sasser victims, including Delta Airlines, Goldman Sachs, and the British Coast Guard. So much for promises.
Your Wallet Will Thank Us
Back in the day, students used to groan at the prospect of spending their summer flipping burgers at the local McDonald's or folding sweaters at the Gap. Nowadays those jobs are increasingly hard to come by. Last week, the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University reported that — big surprise — teens are facing another sucky summer job market. Just like last year, only 37% of teens will find work this summer. So instead of scaring you to death about your employment prospects, we thought we'd give you a few resources that will brighten up your job search.
gotajob.com Why We Like It: If your biggest concern is snagging a weekly paycheck, then this Web site should do the trick. The super user-friendly site fills you in on a slew of summer job listings in your area. Just plug in your area code.
The Downside: The offerings aren't especially fun. We found a ton of openings for gigs at fast food chains like Chuck E Cheese and 7-Eleven and retail stores like Bed Bath & Beyond.
groovejob.com Why We Like It: This site has a really good variety of jobs, whether you're looking to have a college-application-boosting job or to explore your future career interests. Groove Job also features tips on how to have a great job interview and a directory of summer internships.
The Downside: We haven't found one yet.
coolworks.com Why We Like It: This Web page is geared toward outdoorsy types and offers job listings for amusement parks, resorts, campgrounds, and National parks.
The Downside: The summer postings only cover a handful of states. So unless you already live in places like Maine, California, Virginia, Colorado, North Carolina, and Florida, you might have to do a lot of traveling to get there.
What We're Talking About This Week: Are They or Aren't They?
Rumors that Jay-Z and Beyoncé have secretly wed are spreading faster than a brushfire. Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez has suddenly replaced the huge rock Ben Affleck gave her with a new one from Marc Anthony. Hmm.
The Biggest Proof That Girls Rule:
Between Mean Girls, New York Minute, and 13 Going on 30, chicks are ruling the box office right now.
