Spotlight on Office Email
With email messages from high-profile witnesses like Monica Lewinsky and Bill Gates turning up regularly in court, more American companies say they are keeping an eye on employees' email. Email monitoring is the norm at 20 percent of American companies, says the American Management Association. Experts say many people don't realize that email is never completely deleted from a hard drive.

A Lighter Touch
A new keyboard design can eliminate the hand and wrist pain and numbness experienced by many daily computer users, according to a new study. The keyboard, called Protouch, softens how keys are hit and lets fingers rest lightly on keys without activating them. The study originated at a large manufacturing chain whose secretaries had a high rate of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Disabled-Friendly Copier Debuts
In the wake of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, Pitney Bowes has rolled out a new copier that will make copying easier for disabled workers. The machine is at a wheelchair-accessible height and has a Braille keyboard. By 2000, all federal offices must provide equipment accessible to workers with disabilities.

Motorola Cries Foul on Headhunting
The Illinois-based computer company Motorola is suing Texas rival Intel, claiming that Intel has been wooing Motorola's high-tech workers in order to snag trade secrets. Sixteen Motorola employees have signed on with Intel since last September. Motorola's standard employee agreement bars revealing company information, but the former workers did not sign a "non-compete" agreement.