OUTLOOK
NOVEMBER 30, 1998 VOL. 3 NO. 7
World Watch
From the lonesome hearts of Indian village women to the schoolboy fantasies of Japanese boys, digital technology satisfies not just our intellect but our desires as well. Here are the latest developments:
WITH REPORTING BY MICHAEL BRUNTON, TIM LARIMER,
A Pageant for the New Millennium
Contestants in the latest beauty contest in pageant-mad Thailand, where everyone from monkeys to transvestites competes for this or that crown, had to parade their Web pages and flaunt their chat-room exploits. The Miss Internet Thailand contest in early November, for girls and women ages 16 to 25, replaced the traditional swimsuit competition with one featuring sports attire and business wear--but that didn't stop contestants from posting glam photos on their home pages. After all, looks matter--even in cyberspace.
The Demise of a Virtual Idol
Shiori Fujisaki may have been nothing but a mirage, a computer-generated virtual girlfriend in the game Tokimeki Memorial, but she enabled Japanese boys to live out their fantasy of winning the heart of the most beautiful girl in town. Until she became a porn star, that is. Cashing in on the success of a game that sold 1.5 million copies, a videomaker based in Tokyo turned the virgin idol into the nude star of an animated video. The gamemakers have blocked sales of the movie, but Shiori's reputation may be tarnished forever.
Kiss Your Key Ring Goodbye
Tired of carrying around a pocketful of keys? Euronetics France has developed a new type of key and lock that combines mechanics and digital electronics to enable a single key to open any lock in your home, office or car. Euronetics keys are much smaller than ordinary ones. Unlike those of today's master-key concept that rely solely on mechanics, the new keys contain a digital code that, when the key is inserted in a given lock, instructs the lock to open. Copies can be programmed for permanent, cyclical or temporary access.
A Secret Weapon to Thwart Kidnappers
Israeli scientists are marketing a microchip that, implanted under the skin, will protect film stars and millionaires from kidnap gangs. The chip emits a signal detectable by satellite to help rescuers determine a victim's approximate location. Originally developed to track Israeli secret-service agents abroad, the $5,000 battery-less Sky-Eye chip sold by Gen-Etics runs solely on the neurophysiological energy generated within the human body. Gen-Etics won't reveal where the chip is inserted but says 43 people have had it implanted.
Executive-Class Jail Cells
Being in prison might not be so bad if you lived in Dubai. Its new prison, due to open in March 2000, will feature five-star accommodations, complete with air-conditioning, television sets, telephone and fax services, computer courses and possibly even Internet access. Why such luxury treatment? The government wants its "guests" (as inmates are called) to be able to run their businesses from their prison cell so their families will not suffer any financial loss. After all, being in prison is so inconvenient.
Rail Travel Gets Safer
Train crashes could decrease sharply if a system developed by Vector Technology in Wales takes off. Its OptraLink system uses lasers and modems to relay high-quality video feeds of the track ahead or around corners to monitors in the driver's cabin. By being able to see as far as 100 yds. ahead or behind them as they pull in and out of train stations, drivers can make sure that passengers are safely aboard or supervise the loading of precious cargo. The system is especially helpful on blind curves and in stormy weather.
Video E-mail Comes to the Villages
For years, Indian village women trying to reach their husbands working in Bombay had to wait two weeks to receive a letter. Now they can use video e-mail and receive a message in seconds. India's National Association of Software and Services Companies has begun putting computers in villages and charging 30 to send a short message to a loved one in Bombay. "The Internet can reach out to the poorest and most illiterate in this country," says executive director Dewang Mehta, who plans to expand to 200 villages.
With reporting by MICHAEL BRUNTON, TIM LARIMER, NICK LE QUESNE, AMANY RADWAN, SARITHA RAI, SACHIKO SAKAMAKI and PEGGY SALZ-TRAUTMAN
--NICK LE QUESNE, AMANY RADWAN, SARITHA RAI, SACHIKO SAKAMAKI AND PEGGY SALZ-TRAUTMAN EDITED BY ANITA HAMILTON