portable devices

It's election night, and CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer is in New York talking to an Obama campaign strategist in Chicago.

But instead of the split screen or window TV viewers might typically see during live remote interviews, the Obama spokesperson will be projected as a three-dimensional hologram, making it appear as if he or she is in the Manhattan studio with Blitzer. The network plans to conduct similar holographic interviews with representatives from the McCain campaign in Phoenix.

At this week's Intel Developer Forum in Taiwan, Intel conducted its first public demonstration of Moorestown -- a new Mobile Internet Device (MID) platform that company executives say will "increase battery life an order of magnitude" in a variety of portable devices.

With the launch of Moorestown, Intel is on track to reduce "idle power by more than 10 times compared to the first-generation MIDs based on the Intel Atom processor," said Intel Senior Vice President Anand Chandrasekher, who is also general manager of the company's ultra mobility group.

Mobile Internet

In an era of dazzling battery-powered portable devices including iPods, computers and cellphones, it's hard to imagine what it's like to be unable to catch the news and entertainment anytime and anywhere we want.

But millions of people who own portable televisions, including those who depend on them when they flee their homes or lose power during hurricanes and other emergencies, may soon return to the dark ages.

Though it has only been available since the start of September, the new beta version of Google Chrome is already attracting a following. As of Wednesday evening, about one percent of Internet surfers were using Google's open-source browser, according to Net Applications. By comparison, the longtime Opera browser had a 0.74 percent share of the global browser market in August.

M2Z is a small wireless start-up with a big goal: free broadband for the masses.

Milo Medin, M2Z's chairman and co-founder and a broadband pioneer, wants the ad-supported service to ultimately be available to 95 percent of the USA. To make that happen, the company must snag a chunk of wireless airwaves being auctioned next year by the Federal Communications Commission. If all goes according to plan, free broadband could be available as early as fall 2009.

Data breaches remain a significant problem for any company that manages information about personal identity. In recent weeks, widely publicized data breaches have hit Lending Tree, Hannaford Bros. Co., and the Bank of Ireland. Past data breaches at ChoicePoint, TJX Cos., and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have resulted in large, class-action lawsuits with claims for or settlements in the millions of dollars in some cases.

Blockbuster Inc. said Monday it has offered to pay more than $1 billion for struggling Circuit City Stores Inc., but the nation's second biggest consumer electronics chain questioned whether the movie-rental company can finance the deal.

Blockbuster Chief Executive James Keyes said combining the companies would create a chain that could sell portable devices and entertainment for them, much like Apple Inc.'s stores.

Keyes said the offer is supported by Blockbuster board member Carl Icahn, who could be a source of financing for the deal.