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NOVEMBER 17, 2000 VOL. 26 NO. 45 | SEARCH ASIAWEEK
GADGETS: Drama on the Small Screen For serious electronophiles, there's nothing like that moment when friends first gasp in awe at a new gadget. It's worth sleeping on the couch for a few days while the spouse gets over the fact that there is no money left for rent. And for those people there is the Samsung SyncMaster 240T, the world's first 24" high resolution analog/digital LCD monitor. Among other things, with its 170-degree viewing angle and an active resolution of 1920 x 1200, it is capable of displaying high definition television in all its glory. It also works with a regular VCR, DVD player and computer. In fact, you can view two different input sources side-by-side on a split screen. That's sure to draw plenty of gasps. And at $6,000, you'll likely hear a few shrieks as well. FLASH: I Brake for Internet Cafes Regular sports utility vehicles are fine for the outdoorsy masses, but today's Net-savvy he-man wants something a little more — well, techie. Something like Project Ironman. The rugged concept car is the first made-to-order vehicle designed with direct customer input over the Internet. Computer design techniques helped make it a reality within 90 days — a fraction of the 12 to 18 months it usually takes to design and build a car. Billed as "the ultimate adventure vehicle," Project Ironman has a stainless steel safety structure, center driver's seat and high ground clearance for racing over all those sand dunes on the way to the office. It was created by Model E, an Internet firm that specializes in delivering custom-made high-end vehicles, like souped-up BMWs and Porsches. The company is waiting to see how many people are really interested in placing orders for the $100,000 Ironman before it commits to manufacturing any more. Check it out at Modele.com. It could be coming at you soon, straight down the Information Superhighway.
IBM's jewelry phone gives a whole new meaning to the term "ring." The prototype looks like regular silver jewelry, but it's actually a functioning phone. Instead of hearing that tinny rendition of Shiny Happy People when you have an incoming call, a small light on the ring will blink silently. You can then see the caller's number displayed on the watch, which also has a button you press to answer the phone. The earring houses a tiny speaker and the necklace a miniature microphone. There are still a few obstacles though. IBM hasn't come up with an acceptably powerful battery for the telephonic accessories. And while male earrings may be all the rage in the dotcom crowd, what's a conventional suit-and-tie guy to do? INTERNET: Co-ed Smut-Surfing in Taiwan The Internet has proven to be a powerful tool for educating students worldwide. But Taiwanese pupils are apparently logging on for more than just academics. A recent survey by Tamkang University found that 25% of them access pornography over the Net. More than half of high school seniors discuss porn sites with peers. Among junior high school students, that number is 38.1%. Parents are presumably in the dark about their children's pornographic pursuits. Only 10.6% of them are even familiar with the Internet. Write to Asiaweek at mail@web.asiaweek.com
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