Hot Topic
Giving Technology Sight
The folks at Silicon Valley start-up
Tyzx aim to break the monotony and guesswork of security surveillance with new computer vision technology that sees in 3D. The company says the technology lets computers spot and track individual people in a crowd -- eliminating the middleman in surveillance, for example. Tyzx reps also say the 3D technology, shrunken onto a chip, is cheap enough and flexible enough to make its way into a variety of applications, such as smart pool sensors that can differentiate between a pet and a family member, virtual keyboards, virtual joysticks, and much more.
Hot Click
Bumpy Road for Segway Scooter
It was first known by the code name "Ginger." Then it was called "It." Now we all know it as
Segway, or, more officially, the Segway Human Transporter -- the self-balancing transportation device unveiled last year after months of speculation and rumor. Postal workers and policemen around the country are testing Segway right now, and its manufacturer says it will hit the consumer market next year. Tonight's "Tech Live" takes a look at the invention that aims to change the way people get around.
More From This Episode
'Brain Vacuum' Could Save Lives
A miniature device that might be able to quickly suck the blood clots from the brain of a stroke victim is currently undergoing clinical trials at some American hospitals. If it works, patients would see a faster restoration of blood flow and minimized damage from what can be life-altering strokes. The system, created by
Possis Medical, received FDA approval in 1997 for use in removing clots in other parts of the body and it has helped a number of patients.
Tech Giants in TroubleThings are not looking good for
AOL and
WorldCom. On Sunday, WorldCom filed for Chapter 11 -- just days after AOL lost its CEO. The two companies do a great deal of Internet business together. Some analysts are worried about the impact of WorldCom's bankruptcy on AOL and other Net services in the long run, particularly their email services. Tonight's "Tech Live" takes a look at the possible impact of WorldCom's bankruptcy filing.
Sony DPP-MP1 Digital Photo Printer
When the "world's smallest and lightest" digital photo printer arrived, it caused a bit of technolust. The $280 DPP-MP1 is small enough to stash in your pocket and uses dye-sublimation technology to output sharp and colorful business card-size prints. Next to other tiny dye-sub printers, such as
Canon's CP-10 and
Olympus' P-330, the Sony is a waif. Without the detachable and protruding paper tray, the DPP-MP1 measures a slight 4.5 inches by 2.4 inches by 1.5 inches (width by depth by height) and weighs a mere 11 ounces. Add the optional battery pack and you've got a fully portable printer weighing 1 pound.
Security Alert
Virus Dials 911A new virus has hit some WebTV devices, and its effects could have ramifications for the emergency phone network. Reportedly, once an attachment is opened using the WebTV set-top box, the virus dials 911.
Cutting-Edge Consumer
Roll-Up TVs ComingYou may soon be able to roll up your television set when you're done watching. Britain's
Cambridge Display Technology has created a TV that can be printed onto thin plastic. The screen technology is called light emitting polymer (LEP). The glowing plastic creates a picture when hit with electricity. The green color was discovered in 1989, but it took more than a decade to figure out how to get blues and reds. These roll-up TVs should hit the market in 2004, or as soon as industry develops a plastic that can protect the chemicals from corrosion by oxygen and water vapor.
Solar-Powered Plane Doubles as Cellphone TowerImagine how good your mobile phone reception would be if cellphone towers were 12 miles tall? An unmanned, solar-powered plane, Pathfinder-Plus, is the equivalent of a 12-mile tall cellphone tower. It can fly at 65,000 feet for several hours. It's a joint project between
SkyTower and
NASA. A recent test also verified the world's first transmission of HDTV from the stratosphere.
Cutting-Edge Entertainment
Little Mouse Sinks a Submarine ThrillerStuart Little 2 squeaked past the competition at the box office this weekend, beating out the Tom Hanks mob movie,
Road to Perdition. The two films tied for the top slot, making almost $16 million each.
K-19: The Widowmaker, the Harrison Ford Russian submarine flick, sank with a surprisingly low $13.1 million in ticket sales.
Public Enemy Helps Amateurs Break Into Hip-HopPublic Enemy's new album, Revolverlution, comes out tomorrow. In it you'll find four unusual remixes. Each one came from an online contest earlier this year. More than 11,000 would-be musicians downloaded an a cappella tune by front man Chuck D. They then added their own music and submitted their remix online. The four winners get a credit on the new album, plus royalty checks!
Alan Lomax PassesMusic archaeologist
Alan Lomax passed away this weekend in Florida at the age of 87. Lomax helped create the most important historical archive of American music. His collection of samples, ranging from Depression-era blues to chain gang work songs, inspired a recent state-of-the-art digital archive with the
Library of Congress. The digital archive was the impetus for the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack.
News from our Bureaus
RealNetworks Introduces HelixPlus, Bush continues push for Homeland Security, Industrial Light and Magic switches to Dell, and more.
Cool Stuff
Check This OutClick on the link below for the website featured on the show.
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