July 3, 2003

New York State Appeals Court rules that Maxine E Allen is not entitled to unemployment insurance from state because she worked for Reuters America on Long Island via the Internet from Florida, where she moved in 1997 when her husband changed jobs; decision could have wide implications for employees who increasingly use Internet to work far away from employers; photo (M)

Hybrid camera phones are quickly gaining popularity, with 42 million expected to be sold this year and huge increases forecast in coming years; gadgets are potentially powerful as witnesses to news events, but some people fear they can be used for prying or voyeurism because they are small and look innocuous; Howard Rheingold, author of Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution, predicts technology will change news landscape, as more users document events; photos (M)

Article on three-year effort, nearing completion, to preserve 190-year-old Star Spangled Banner, 30-by-34-foot American flag that flew over Fort McHenry during War of 1812 and inspired Francis Scott Key's 1814 verse which later became national anthem; conservators at Smithsonian Institution are not only examining and preserving frail flag but are also trying to figure out how to encase it in way that allows access for continued conservation and maintenance as well as public viewing; photos (M)

Rain at Wimbledon postpones men's quarterfinals matches between Sebastien Grosjean and Tim Henman, Alexander Popp and Mark Philippousis, Andy Roddick and Jonas Bjorkman and Sjeng Schalken and Roger Federer; photo (M)

Market researchers are increasingly relying on online questionnaires; surveys are intended to be simple and entertaining to entice people to return to share more opinions; findings do not represent cross-section of nation because they are all people with Internet access and are self-selected; Laurence N Gold of Inside Research newsletter anticipates online market research will account for 33 percent by 2006, compared to 10 percent in 2000; potential is intriguing to long-established Zogby International, which predicts it will become most efficient tool for surveys; Consumer Reports conducted part of its annual survey of products and services online last year; photos (M)