Who's Savvy Now?

Open Packet from the HotWired network of websites and you'll find a smart new webzine offering five daily columns that take a brainy — and often humorous — look at the pundits and products that make up the Internet universe. The techno musings, all by regular contributors to Wired magazine, run the gamut from newsworthy (John McChesney's RealAudio Q&A with Netscape's Marc Andreessen) to gossipy (Ned Brainard dishing on AOL chief Steve Case's penchant for self-promotion) to downright nerdy (Simson Garfinkel's ''geek field trip'' to a West Coast computer-networking station where, he observes, ''the red cables [carry] enough current to kill everybody in HotWired's offices''). Sure, the site probably appeals most to the pocket-protector set, but the witty style and uncluttered design should attract those who want to learn more about new media but find the higgledy-piggledy mix in most techzines a drag. Point your browser to www.packet.com to find your inner geek.