All Blog Posts from Tech Talk

"Look, two million Americans lost their homes to foreclosure. Losing your TV signal for a couple of days because you waited too long and didn't get it. This is not the end of the world. There are bigger issues, let's focus on them." That's what the president of the Consumer Electronics Association, Gary Shapiro, said to me in an interview before Congress passed the delay for the analog to digital switchover. And while there are plenty of people who agree with him, there are countless others -- maybe millions -- who could be left without a reliable source of news when as many as 600 broadcasters move ahead with the transition anyway this Tuesday, Feb. 17. We'll have the story tonight on the CBS Evening News.

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Most everyone in tech agrees: lasers are cool. These days a red laser pen is sort of 2003. A green laser pen is very 2007. ThinkGeek has blue laser pens for 2008 costing about $900 each. But what would you pay for a laser that when turned on -- even for a fraction of a second -- is 2,000 times more powerful than all the power plants in the U.S.? Does $7 million seem reasonable? You can read more about the work being done at Unveristy of Texas at Austin here.

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It's Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008. Approximately 253 days have passed since the season finale of "Lost" aired. But who's counting? In the spirit of my, I mean, that sci-fi-fantasy-mystery obsession may I present a little Web exploration. Actually, I have no idea how they're connected. Well, sort of. Anyway, as incentive there's a secret "Lost" site embedded in the words below. (Come on, play along and don't just drag your cursor over the links!) Ready, set, click...

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Justin Kan wants you to watch. Everything. And I mean everything. He's the guy behind Justin.tv, which is a postmodern, surreal and mildly entertaining site that broadcasts his every move, 24 hours a day, 7 days week. (I know what you're thinking: Yes, even when he goes to the bathroom.) It's all done with a camera attached to his head and a laptop, and in odd mirror-in-mirror moments you see him working on the Justin.tv site or chatting with viewers.

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720 or 1080 resolution? When it comes to High Definition TVs, what to get, wonders CBS News video editor Charlie Wilson. Very little content is available in 1080, but will that be the common standard in a few years?

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CBS News video editor Charlie Wilson warns of an upcoming digital TV deadline that most people are probably unaware of. It could create problems for low-income people unable to afford upgraded TVs or cable services.

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