Your Technology

By Lev Grossman

IN BRIEF

TAKES A CLICKING The quest for Dick Tracy-level technology has reached a watershed with the new Timex Internet Messenger watch ($99), which is capable of receiving (but not sending) e-mail and pages, plus news, sports and weather headlines fresh from the Internet. It sets itself automatically, compensating for time-zone changes and daylight saving time. Best of all, it's surprisingly slim. With all that going on, you would expect it to be the size of a hand grenade.

THE MEDIUM IS THE MARTYR In an attempt to combat what it calls a disturbing "lack of confidence" in the Internet, a group of online businesses, including the Web portals Excite and iWon, has proclaimed April 3 "Back the Net Day." On that date, chosen to commemorate a vicious drop in the NASDAQ last year, Web surfers are encouraged to show their appreciation for the Internet by buying online, donating online and generally doing as much of their daily business as possible on the Internet. Says organizer Michael Tchong: "We must band together and send the world a loud, clear message that the Net will not only survive but thrive."

BIT ACTOR Not all the stars of the next installment of the Star Wars saga, due out in spring 2002, will be human. Or droids. Or even wookies. In an interview with the technology-news website CNet, Rob Coleman, one of the wizards at George Lucas' famously secretive special-effects shop Industrial Light & Magic, confirmed that this time around, a computer-generated character will play a lead role, not just a sidekick--a first for a full-length live-action film. (Insert obligatory Jar-Jar Binks joke here.)

--By Lev Grossman