Prominent university computer-science departments, including Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech, MIT, and Stanford, are conducting research projects in the area of wearable computing, and presented projects at the symposium. On the hardware side, research areas include more streamlined wearable displays built into regular eye-glasses, the use of textiles (computational fabrics) for accoutrements like smart suspenders and vests, smart cards, wireless connectivity, and improved battery technology.

On the software side, the focus is on the concepts of "context awareness" and "augmented reality," giving users information about their surroundings or superimposing additional information on the real world that users see. An example of augmented reality is superimposing a map on the actual landscape seen by users, with landmarks identified by labels appearing on monitors (identifying targets in enemy territory is a possible application, though the Chinese embassy bombing in Belgrade is an example of this technology gone awry).

Perhaps the most practical product demonstrated was NCR's M-Bracelet, a wristband allowing users to connect to the Internet and perform other electronic activities, such as ATM transactions, electronic purchases, or storing and transmitting subway tokens, similar to the electronic bridge tolls for automobiles. Another potential application is the storage of personal information on the M-Bracelet, which could be transmitted to other M-Bracelet users (for example, exchanging electronic business cards). For more information, see http://iswc.gatech.edu/ or http://www.ieee.org/.

Computer Lemon Law May Debut in Pennsylvania

Worried about getting stuck with a defective computer? If so, consider relocating to Pennsylvania, where legislation is pending making it the first state to have a computer lemon law, similar to the automobile lemon laws enacted in many states. State representative T.J. Rooney introduced the bill after hearing horror stories from constituents regarding defective computers which were never successfully repaired by the manufacturer, even during the warranty period. "Right now, personal computer consumers have little or no recourse when manufacturers refuse to back up their products and warranties," said Rooney in a prepared statement (http://www.pahouse .com/rooney/pr/).

The computer lemon law would require manufacturers to repair defects found within two years of purchase and to provide a full refund or replacement computer if a second repair is ineffective or untimely. They would also be required to pay shipping costs. The law would apply to consumers with fewer than 30 computer workstations. The law sounds like a good idea, but could be hard to enforce on suppliers who go out of business, which happens all too often in the computer market. And it appears to cover only hardware, not software.

Inventor of Huffman Encoding Dies

David Huffman, a professor of computer science at the University of California, Santa Cruz, died recently at the age of 74 after a 10-month battle with cancer. Huffman is best known for developing the compression algorithm known as "Huffman Encoding." (For a concise summary of Huffman Encoding, see http://www.ee.uwa .edu.au/~plsd210/ds/huffman.html.)

Huffman had a long career in computer science, starting in 1953 when he became a member of the faculty at MIT. He came to UC-Santa Cruz in 1967 as the founding faculty member of the computer-science department. Huffman won numerous awards for his contributions to information theory and encoding, signal designs for radar communications and applications, and design of asynchronous logical circuits. He was a charter recipient of the Computer Pioneer Award from the IEEE Computer Society.

Green Cards, Not Guest Visas

Paul Kostek, president of the IEEE-USA, has called on the Clinton Administration to support issuing more permanent employment visas (green cards) to foreign high-tech workers rather than issuing more than the authorized number of H1-B temporary visas. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) is authorized to issue 140,000 green cards per year, but only issues about half that many, meaning that roughly 70,000 green card visas go unused each year. At the same time, the INS issued more than the 115,000 H1-B temporary visas mandated by the U.S. Congress, which could result in litigation and the revoking of thousands of those temporary visas. According to Kostek, the H1-B policy has created a bureaucratic mess that could be easily resolved by issuing more permanent green card visas to qualified foreign workers. See http:// www.ieeeusa.org/ for more information.

Online Forums on Electronic Recycling

The National Recycling Coalition has launched a series of Internet-based discussions on electronics recycling through its Electronics Recycling Online Forum. The forum is open to anyone interested in learning about ways to manage electronic equipment at the end of its life cycle. Previous topics have included: "Trends in Electronics Recycling" and "State and Local Policy Initiatives." Future topics will include: "Proper Management of End-of-Life Electronic Equipment," "Contracting for Proper Recovery and Recycling," "Procurement of Electronic Equipment," and "Certification of Electronics Recyclers." To join the discussion, go to http://www.nrc-recycle.org/ Programs/electronics/.

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