Tech Talk

(Cute title, huh?)

There have been some new developments in the technology field lately. Here are a few of them.

• Pac-Man is 25. A designer at the Japanese company Namco, Toru Iwatani, was inspired by a pizza missing a slice. Originally called Puck-Man, the name was changed when brought to the USA in 1980. Already begetting a romantic interest (Ms Pac-Man), an offspring (Junior Pac-Man), and a pop music hit ("Pac-Man Fever" by Buckner and Garcia in 1982), the company has further variations on a theme for this year, including "Pac-Mania 3D" and a silver anniversary edition of the original. (AP)

• College graduates who used to flock to high-tech jobs are now dwindling in numbers. It seems that many positions are now being shipped overseas. "The research firm Gartner Inc predicts that up to 15 percent of tech workers will drop out of the profession by 2010. Within the same period, worldwide demand for technology developers is forecast to shrink by 30 percent." (AP)

• Mauritius expect by early 2006 to become the first nation with coast-to-coast wireless Internet coverage. Located off the eastern coast of Africa, the island nation is forty miles long. (Chicago Tribune)

• CVS Pharmacy has introduced a disposable video camera that records for twenty minutes, with results printed on a DVD. That twenty continuous minutes. No pause or stop button. (CVS)

And finally...

• I'm among the last people in my office to upgrade from a Macintosh G4 to a G5. This includes a new monitor that will take up less than half the space of the behemoth I currently use. Conversion is slated for later this week. Stay tuned...