
##2002360 What happens within my computer when it locks up or crashes ? And why do some operating systems seem inherently more stable than others ? TONY ROSE Iqaluit , Nunavut , Canada All computers lock up or crash , and no operating system is immune ( as a matter of fact , we crashed once as we wrote this answer ) , but singling out specific reasons oversimplifies the issue , explains Daniel Jackson , a computer science professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . The underlying cause , Jackson says , is that hardware and software developers are trying to bring products to market in " Internet time " -- that is , hyperfast . The result : Quality and reliability suffer . Consider an operating system . These enormous programs are written by hundreds of programmers and contain millions of lines of code . Bringing the work of so many people together is daunting , and the end result is rarely perfect . To find the software glitches , developers hire testers when the program is nearly complete . When problems are found , patches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to correct them . They indeed stop the crashes , but the original code is never deleted . Also , Jackson says , " testing does n't emphasize design-level flaws . " There are three main sources of crashes : applications , device drivers , and operating systems . The vast majority are caused by the first two . An application often fails when it tries to access or modify another program 's memory ; if , for example , Microsoft Word began using the memory space reserved for Microsoft Excel . This scenario is akin to a chess game in which one player starts moving the other player 's pieces -- once the other player or a judge notices , it 's " game over . " The failure of a word processing or browser program theoretically should n't cause the entire computer to crash , but often does . That 's because the operating system is like the aforementioned judge . It notices one application modifying another application and blows the whistle because it can no longer vouch for the integrity of the computer . Different operating systems respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Windows , for example , respond with the " blue screen of death . " More robust operating systems , such as Windows XP and Linux , build virtual walls around each application , so that even if one program does not perform as intended , it can not disrupt other programs or cause the entire computer to freeze . Device drivers are programs that allow the operating system to communicate with the computer 's hardware . Bugs are often discovered after a product is released , and it 's common for manufacturers to release updated drivers years after a piece of hardware was introduced . Newer applications ( image-editing programs come to mind ) usually require the most up-to-date driver . To help eliminate driver-inspired freezes , Windows XP -- which Microsoft asserts is 10 times more reliable than older versions -- automatically checks the status of drivers . Drivers for older computers can be found at the manufacturers ' Web sites . Your operating system rarely causes a crash directly , but there are several ways it might . It could , for example , misplace a program in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the memory , it soon becomes unstable . Operating-system bugs can also be exacerbated by hardware and software add-ons . I found a strange stone on Toronto 's Woodbine Beach that looks like it contains fossils . How could such a stone have been formed ? WILLIAM XUAN Toronto , Ontario , Canada Indeed , several fossils are visible on the surface of the rock you found . We forwarded pictures of it ( one of which is at right ) to Laurel Bybell of the United States Geological Survey . Bybell and several of her colleagues theorize that the rock was formed more than 260 million years ago during the Paleozoic Era . That might make it an old-timer at Woodbine Beach , but it 's not all that ancient in geologic time . The Geological Survey scientists concluded that the exposed fossils were most likely crinoids , also known as sea lilies . These creatures , which are related to starfish and sea urchins , are flower-shaped animals that live at the bottom of the ocean and filter their food from the surrounding water . They nearly became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their fossils are fairly common among the rocks that were formed then . Your rock is classified as sedimentary , which means it was formed from particles of older rocks that were broken apart by wind or water . Sedimentary rock accumulates at Earth 's surface , when dust or mud settles in layers and hardens . According to Bybell , this process , which occurs over millions of years , is still taking place around the globe . Does aspirin really prevent heart attacks ? If so , how ? DENNIS HORTON Cutchogue , N.Y . A daily dose of the household analgesic could indeed save your life . In addition to easing inflammation , fever , and pain , aspirin taken regularly reduces the risk of heart attack in people with heart disease . ( Heart disease remains the number one killer of both men and women , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . ) In addition , recent research based on data from five major trials suggests that aspirin can reduce the risk of heart attack and sudden cardiac death by 28 percent in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . The research first appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine , on Jan. 15 , 2002 . The researchers also found , however , that aspirin 's anticlotting properties increased the occurrence of stroke from hemorrhages and gastrointestinal bleeding . Aspirin can also induce stomach irritation , allergic reactions , and the bruising of internal organs . Aspirin blocks an enzyme needed to activate small blood cells called platelets . This action prevents the platelets from sticking together and forming clots , which can block blood flow , thereby causing a heart attack . Scientists also believe that by reducing the inflammation in damaged artery walls , aspirin helps hinder the buildup of the dangerous fatty substance called plaque . Researchers recommend consulting your physician to make sure that the benefits of taking aspirin daily outweigh the risks . PUZZLE MAKING THE CUT THE RULES At a birthday party , three cakes are cut in straight lines to give each of 34 children a single slice . If the slices do not have to be the same size , what is the minimum number of cuts required ? Each cake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . In the above problem , some of the slices are larger than others -- a few children might feel cheated . A second version of the problem requires identical slices . How many cuts would then be needed ? This puzzle , says its creator , Ivan Moscovich , author of 1,000 Playthinks , is a simple example of a branch of mathematics called combinational geometry , which features a fascinating interplay between numbers and shapes . THE SOLUTIONS The minimum cuts required to produce 7 ( above ) , 11 , and 16 slices in the 3 cakes are 3 , 4 , and 5 , for a total of 12 cuts and 34 pieces . Each new cut must traverse all the lines already cut , and at least some must avoid the center of the cake . This can be considered the minimal " best " solution , but there are other solutions that could make greater use of more conventional cuts -- where all cuts pass through a single point . For example , the cakes could be cut by 2 conventional , 4 conventional , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 22 slices . For identical slices , each cake must be cut 6 times , into 12 slices each . " That leaves two extra slices , one for you and one for me , " says Moscovich . Illustration <p> 
##2002362 Thanks to a technological blizzard , there has never been a better time to slide on planks . Aerospace manufacturing processes and materials are ushering in a new crop of radical skis with unprecedented versatility , and snow-boards with the durability and flexibility of Black Hawk helicopter blades . What 's next ? Experts predict a slew of year-round skiing solutions ( like those on page 38 ) , and increased integration of the boot and binding . skiing THE SMARTEST SKIS It 's almost impossible to choose bad blades these days thanks to masterful production technology , carve-maximizing designs , and electrical innards . The real question : Are they the right skis for you ? So check your style , then check your ski . 1 STYLE : ASPIRING SKIER SKI : HEAD MONSTER I.M 85 This ski 's piezoelectric fibers transform mechanical energy into electricity , then send the information to a microchip . The chip fires back a counterforce to correct for torsional instability and vibration . Price : $550. www.head . com 2 STYLE : INTERMEDIATE PLAYER SKI : NORDICA BEAST 69 The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with " expert " and " easy carving " settings marked on the ski . Ride forward for ice , or sit back for powder . Price : $935 ( with bindings ) . www.nordica.com 3 STYLE : BACKCOUNTRY SKIER SKI : GOODE CARBON COMPOSITE SKI At under 5 pounds , these backwoods specialists are less than two-thirds the weight of conventional skis . The secret : a to-the-core flexible carbon composite body that turns easily but maintains lateral rigidity . Price : $790. www.goode.com 4 STYLE : EXPERT CARVER SKI : BLACK DIAMOND CROSSBOW Unlike traditional fat skis , the Crossbow -- with a 3-D asymmetrical bow across its body -- increases stiffness edge-to-edge without giving up tip-to-tail flex . That means less chatter on pack and better float in powder . Price : $500. **29;2479;TOOLONG 5 STYLE : COUNTRYSIDE CRUISER SKI : FISCHER NORDIC CRUISING ORBITER The Orbiter 's extra-fat middle gives the rider a more stable platform for control , while a unique crown pattern on the flip side under the foot grips the snow for better climbing " kick . " Price : $230. www.fischerskis.com 6 STYLE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ski stable enough for hard landings but light enough for big air spinning . The Teneighty 's space frame enables Salomon to alter the ski 's shape and wall thickness throughout , for a wide platform and light tips . Price : $675. www.salomonsports.com snowboarding 4 Innovations Coming Down the Pipe A new core for your board , the best outerwear , and a life-saving shovel . BURTON ANALOG CLONE MD No more fumbling for buttons : Burton 's Analog Clone MD jacket has controls for power , volume , and track changes built into its sleeve . Just slip the ( included ) Sony Net MZ-N1 MiniDisc Walkman into its breast pocket and plug it in . Only 100 jackets will be produced initially -- hence the $1,000 price -- but Burton is hinting at a cheaper version with multiple player options next year . www.burton.com BURTON T6 159 ALUMAFLY CORE SNOWBOARD What do a Black Hawk helicopter blade and a Burton Alumafly Core snowboard have in common ? " Both need to be long , thin , flexible , and yet superstrong , " says engineer Scott Barberi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same honeycomb-patterned aluminum found on the chopper . The result is a lightweight , flexible board with great acceleration and one of the best strength-to-weight ratios on the mountain . Price : $600. www.burton.com SALOMON 3-PLY PRINTED PANT They do n't call it shredding for nothing : A good morning of hardcore carving and big air can leave your pant cuffs looking like they 've been through an Enron office . Salomon 's new snow trousers have thermoplastic scuff guards ; run a warm iron over them and the tears disappear . Price : $240. www.salomonsports.com DEMON ESCAPE SHOVEL A shovel is standard equipment for backcountry snowboarders , in case someone gets trapped in the deep stuff . This one 's built for the task . Demon 's 1.8-pound aluminum Escape breaks into three pieces , is adjustable up to 12 inches , and has a compass and thermometer embedded in the handle . It 's also perfect for building jumps . Price : $50. www.demonsports.com emerging sport NEXT BIG THING WATCH : SKI-BIKING Winter-X-Bike 's $300 Ski-M-X kit converts any mountain or BMX bike into a high-performance ski-bike . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the forks , and slide the foot pegs through the crank housing . Ski-biking is now permitted at nearly 50 U.S. resorts , including Big Bear , Telluride , and Vail . www.winterxbike.com wild idea The Run That Never Ends You do n't ski the mountain . It skis you . If the builder can overcome the remaining structural hurdles , a proposed 13-story indoor Ski-Trac could debut in Wales within three years . The idea : Skiers travel counterclockwise down the revolving slope -- which is supported by magnetic levitation -- at the same time it 's moving clockwise , prolonging the ride to the bottom . During each revolution , the 570-foot-diameter metal deck travels through a 5F snow chamber for a blast of fresh powder . According to Australian inventor Kevin Ferris , who has successfully tested a one-tenth-scale model , if the slope were to spin at max speed , nearly 19 miles per hour , riders would never reach the bottom of the 0.2-mile decline . Price : $233 million to build it ; $20 per hour to ski it . www.ski-trac.com resort tech The White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.K. and Asia , but the runs are lame -- no moguls , jumps , or pipes . The exception : Briton Engineering 's 12 Snowflex centers in the U.K. Here , the turf-like surface is slippery for forward motion but has lateral resistance for carving . The trick : It self-lubricates every 4 minutes . The first U.S. Snowflex center should open next year ; the location has n't been announced . www.snowmaker.com 5 FOR YOUR SLIDE GEAR YOU DO N'T NEED , BUT PROBABLY WANT NO-SWEAT WATER BACKPACK The Camelbak Rocket 's contoured H-shape polyethylene frame and Air-Mesh pads anchor the pack away from the body , keeping sweat to a minimum . Available in February . Price : $75. www.camelbak.com KNEE-FRIENDLY BINDING Line 's Reactor 12 is the first binding that can pivot and release from the toe , meaning less knee strain if you fall backward on the slopes . Price : $350. www.lineski.com WATCH MADE FOR THE MOUNTAIN The Suunto S6 's built-in altimeter and clinometer measure degree of slope , speed , and total vertical drop for each run . Price : $369. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is just 11 millimeters around and two-thirds lighter than aluminum poles . A twist of the shaft lets you adjust length up to 18 inches . Price : $135. www.goode.com PERFECT-FIT BOOTS Plug Tecnica 's Icon Alu HotForm boots into a wall outlet , and in 10 minutes the pliable liners mold to your feet and to the inside of the boots , improving energy transfer to the skis . Price : $775. www.tecnicausa.com Illustration <p> 
##2002363 Will Airports Ever Be Safe ? I really enjoyed the article " Blueprint for a Sterile Airport " Sept . . I travel extensively on business and feel that our country 's airport security systems are in the lower percentile when compared with those of the rest of the world . Even the poorer countries I visit have implemented far better security measures than those in the States . I applaud your in-depth research into a possible solution . Technology is available today to make it much more difficult for the world 's nefarious factions to strike us at home . I look forward to seeing more on the subject in the future . Thom Harman Richardson , Texas Thank you for the enlightening article on the monumental task of securing our airports . Although it seems clear that a 100 percent secure airport is years away , it is important to realize that the technology is in the works . This fact alone should breed confidence and enthusiasm among American workers to continue developing new technologies that will help the U.S. remain strong and prosperous . David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the article on airport security are exciting . They would do wonders to ease the general public 's concerns regarding safety and go a long way toward relieving the molasses-like pace of current security implementations . Unfortunately , because the suggestions presented would make sense , save time , be efficient , and help everyone , there 's no way the government will go for it . Nice work , though . Gabriel Cortes San Jose , Calif . Two Sides on ID Cards I do n't know why some people are upset about something that will have no ill effects if they have nothing to hide " Your ID Please , Citizen , " Sept . . If it will increase the security of our country , I say go for it . Everyone should have a national identification card , from the cradle to the grave . Gene Highsmith Grand Prairie , Texas I enjoyed your article about national ID cards . While I thought the technology angle of the story was very interesting , I was left with a question : If you 'll need this ID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you prove who you are in order to obtain the ID card ? It seems possible that a national card program could end up issuing valid IDs to untrustworthy individuals based on false information they provide . Would we really be better off ? J.B. Flankowski Hartford , Conn . Deterrents to Peace Regarding the question " Can Science Make Us Safer ? " Sept . : There is no security without peace , no peace without justice , no justice without caring concern for the well-being and dignity of all humankind . One of the greatest , if not the greatest , deterrents to peace is the enormous profit that industrial nations derive from the manufacture and sale of armaments . Wilbur N. Rhodes Kittery , Maine After reading your security issue , I wanted to do just one thing : Run and hide -- preferably on a remote island where I would n't be a part of the future society you describe . Dave McCarty Columbus , Ga . No Space Litter , Please As the engineer who led the windshield replacement task force at Kennedy Space Center following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wholeheartedly agree with her when she says that weaponization of space is a bad idea " Will Military Operations Litter Space with Junk ? " www.popsci.com/exclusive , Sept . . The fleck of paint that cratered the Challenger 's windshield in 1983 was a harbinger of things to come . Today , between one and three $80,000 Shuttle windows and a large number of heat-shielding tiles are replaced after each flight . Debris impact management is a major factor in space station design and operation . Fortunately , space junk damage has so far been limited to monetary losses , but surely the day will come when a space-walking astronaut is struck and killed by one of these buzzing bees ( remember that even a small washer has the impact energy of a cannonball at orbital velocities ) . Objects in orbits higher than 700 kilometers will remain there more than 1,000 years . If debris growth continues unchecked , before the end of this century the density of debris objects will reach critical mass -- debris will beget more debris by mutual impacts . If that happens , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debris around Earth that no spacecraft , manned or unmanned , civilian or military , can safely penetrate . And the space age will be over . Ray Erikson , Principal Engineer The Flight Materials Group Wakefield , Mass . It 's a Plane ! It 's a Bird ! I loved the article comparing Stephan Wilkinson 's hawk experience to aircraft " Got a Stuka on My Hand , " Man &; Machine , Sept . . My many years around naval aviation led to a fascination with birds and a second career as an ornithologist . I 've learned to ID many birds by comparing them to planes I knew well . Unlike the writer , I believe raptors deserve to be free and have never been tempted to try falconry , though I love to watch the birds work . Now , as a raptor biologist and bander , I often use aviation terms to succinctly describe a bird 's flight -- although the raptors do it so much better than anything man has built or flown ! John A. Gregoire ( USN Ret . ) Kestrel Haven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miller of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center implies that gun ownership causes an increase in child suicide " Child Suicide , by the Numbers , " NewsFiles , Sept . . The statistics , however , do not show causation but rather correlation . Looking at the states sampled , one could also make a case that latitude or residence in states that end in " A " has an effect on child suicide . When using statistics , it is important to distinguish between causation and correlation , else we use poor judgment in assigning blame . Joel Smith Blacksburg , Va . C2C Car a Team Effort I was thrilled to see the article on our C2C project " Coast to Coast on a Single Tank ? " Citizen Science , Aug . . I realize the column singles out individual inventors and amateurs , but the C2C is really quite a team effort . The C2C 's aerodynamic design and styling is entirely the concept of third-generation automobile designer Len Stobar , a professor at the Art Center College in Pasadena , California . Interested readers can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about all the other notable people who are volunteering their efforts to help turn Stobar 's exciting idea for a breakthrough in commuting efficiency into a reality . Douglas Malewicki C2C Chief Engineer Irvine , Calif . CORRECTION The photograph for " Name the PopSci Battle Bot " ( Test Pages , Oct. ) was taken by Leslie Williamson . <p> 
##2002364 Kathleen Budz had been at the slots in the New York-New York casino for only a couple of hours when the big money came along . The Chicago grandmother was seated at one of four chattering Wheel of Fortune games in the Big Apple-themed casino -- a rococo affair with a mock Empire State Building , Statue of Liberty , and Coney Island roller coaster . The gambling device in question is a fairly typical modern Vegas slot . Three spinning reels occupy the center of the machine . Players can wager as little as a quarter , and small jackpots -- a dollar or 10 -- come along frequently enough to keep the action going . But the huge bonus prize is the real draw -- announced by an electronic display that resembles the ticking wheel on the TV game show , placed just above eye level . As her losses mounted to more than $200 , Budz fed the machine $5 tokens , pressing the Spin button almost rhythmically -- no serious slot player touches the pull handle on a one-armed bandit . To Budz , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just entertainment . " Then it happened : The symbols on the three reels matched , and the digital Wheel of Fortune began to spin , indicating a win . On the top of the machine , the jackpot was posted : $4 million . Budz could n't read the total ; she 'd forgotten her glasses . But her husband , standing behind , did . " Seven digits , " he yelled . " Seven digits ! " Not long ago , a scene like this would have been incomprehensible . No single slot could pay out $4 million . Not physically , and not practically . Even in constant use , it would be impossible for any single machine to collect sufficient incoming wagers to make such mammoth paydays happen . What made Budz rich , and what has made casinos even richer in recent years , are new digital networks that connect virtually every slot machine in every casino in the country . Wheel of Fortune , for instance , is part of the MegaJackpots system , a network within 18 states and one Native American reservation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them in Nevada . Because all these slots are wired together , every coin and bill inserted is monitored and tallied by banks of central computers , often hundreds of miles away . The maximum jackpot , advertised in flashing digits above each cluster of machines , mounts identically and simultaneously with each spin . The networks behind these monster jackpots are the essence of modern Vegas , a city already so wired , and so primed for more , that it 's become a proving ground for digital tech at the crossroads of money , profit , crime , entertainment , illusion , and delusion . Surveillance systems , more tested and proven than those used against terrorists , track and trade biometric data about cheaters , hackers , and scam artists . Software monitors and rewards customer loyalty . Equipment companies tinker with concepts like digital , networked blackjack . Billboards and signs are linked , controlled by remote overseers who immediately dispatch repair technicians whenever there 's a glitch . And , by most accounts , over the next several years , Vegas ' obsession with technology is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could become the most wired city on Earth , as many of the now discrete networks connect , grow , and spread via the Web . Nice to see you again , Mr. Smith , and welcome to Net Vegas . Other than Kathleen Budz and her husband , the first to know about the $4 million payday were the on-duty monitors at the Reno , Nevada , headquarters of International Game Technology , the world 's largest gaming device manufacturer and the owner of most of the MegaJackpots slots in Vegas . IGT collects the revenues , pays the winners , and gives host casinos a cut . As soon as the jackpot hit , IGT 's monitors showed which machine , in which casino , at which moment , had won , and how much the payout would be . On the playing floor , New York-New York employees -- who had just received a phone call from IGT -- rushed to cordon off the winning machine . Congratulations were low-key : All jackpots need to be confirmed . " We try to keep the players cool , " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible for getting the big jackpot winners on the front page of the local paper ) . Drinks were offered to the nominal millionaires . Meanwhile , one of IGT 's local " jackpot response representatives " arrived at the hotel with a winner 's kit that contained an oversize bank draft ( for show ) and a regular check ( for real ) , along with legal documents and tax forms . With her was the key player in the drama , a technician who opened up the machine and began a 30-minute run of diagnostics . Finally the prize was verified . At IGT 's headquarters , technicians rewound the progressive prize to base level : $1,000,000 . The next big payout would come along in about 10 days . The odds of winning change constantly , but Fox says a single pull generates roughly the same likelihood of victory as the California lottery -- about 15 million to one . Net Vegas was conceived in the early 1980s . Linked slots did n't yet exist , but for the first time mechanical units were being replaced by electronic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the arcades . The era began with an attempt to dispense with traditional spinning slot machine reels in favor of video displays . It did n't go well , initially . Outside of a military battlefield , there is probably no harsher testing ground for new tech than a gambling floor . " A game , " says the R &D; director at IGT , Bill Wells , " needs to be productive the moment it hits the casino floor . " The reel-free slots were odd-looking . Players hated them . Meanwhile , Wells and his team had developed their first notions of networked jackpots . But the rejection of video systems raised a problem : It was physically impossible to load a standard 20-inch reel with enough symbols -- or stops -- to get the odds needed for networked , multiplayer play ; there were too few stops on each reel . " You ca n't create odds of millions to one on three or four spinners , " Wells says . Five-reel units were tested . They yielded enough permutations , but confused players . The solution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1984 , the Norwegian scientist -- who 'd left IBM to work for Bally 's in Reno -- was granted a patent for an Electronic Gaming Device Utilizing a Random Number Generator for Selecting the Reel Stop Positions . The language Telnaes used to describe his Eureka concept was dry : " Players perceive larger machines , " he wrote , " as being less ' good ' in terms of winning and payout chances . . . . Large physical machines and a large number of reels develop an attitude in the player which . . . may be more influential on whether or not the machine is played than published figures showing the payoff odds . Thus , it is important to make a machine that is perceived to present greater chances of payoff than it actually has , within the legal limitations in which games of chance must operate " ( italics added ) . That last sentence is the guiding principle of Net Vegas . Every game -- slots , cards , sports betting , even bingo -- is now attempting to adapt a Telnaes-style solution : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bigger prizes , which increases -- by staggering quantities -- the amount of money people are willing to gamble : In gambler-think , 10 bucks for a shot at a few thousand dollars is one thing ; a hundred bucks for a shot at millions is another , even if the odds are much , much worse . The Telnaes system , bought by IGT and licensed to other manufacturers , essentially uses one virtual slot machine reel -- with a large number of stops -- to control the more limited permutations of each traditional mechanical slot machine reel . The stopping point of the microprocessor-driven virtual reel is determined by a random number generator ; the relationship between the many stops on the virtual reel and the fewer stops on the mechanical reel is predetermined by a formula , and weighted to ensure that " near misses " appear to happen often . The gambler , in other words , is playing against three random number generators while looking at the sort of old-fashioned , mechanical spinning reels that seem to communicate a reassuring , physical limit to the odds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a spinning reel . Telnaes ' invention enabled Net Vegas to emerge . Mechanical slots with electronic odds and every conceivable theme , from Hollywood Squares to Sinatra 's signature tunes , were soon linked to one another , casino by casino , offering million-dollar payouts . This was the money machine that built today 's flashier Las Vegas . In 1974 , before networked slots , Vegas had about 24,500 slot machines , an average of about three for every four hotel rooms . Last year , there were 158,000 slots for 136,000 rooms . And today 's slots work much harder -- earning six times more per room than 25 years ago , generating $4.8 billion in 2001 and accounting for almost two-thirds of the city 's total gambling revenue ( in 1974 , it was less than 27 percent ) . With all this cash pouring into the new Vegas , it was inevitable that thieves of all stripes -- from armed robbers to hackers -- would see the city as the mother lode . " I used to think I was chasing the real criminals , " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LVPD , who spent the early days of his career pursuing drug dealers and now runs the town 's financial crimes unit . But " these guys , " he says of the casino crooks , " are calculating . They plot everything out . They 're efficient . " None more so than Ronald Dale Harris , whose job as a software engineer for the state Gaming Control Board was to write slot machine anti-cheating software . Harris surreptitiously coded a hidden software switch -- tripped by inserting coins in a predetermined sequence -- that would trigger cash jackpots . After retooling more than 30 machines , Harris and accomplices made the rounds , walking away with hundreds of thousands of dollars . Harris was caught when one of his confederates implicated him after being busted in Atlantic City for rigging a Keno game . In 1998 , Harris was sentenced to seven years . Harris ' conviction has n't stopped copycats . The Internet is filled with pitches for devices -- some costing as much as $500 -- that claim to fool slot machines into giving bigger payouts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't . Recently , scammers have used the infrared ports on their Palm organizers to trigger the coin chute door , operated by IR technology , to remain open and release more money than the machine was supposed to . One of the newest scams involves teams of cheaters at the blackjack table , operating with high-tech equipment and a high level of coordination . The scheme starts when a player -- a miniature camera and transmitter sewn into the sleeves of his jacket -- sends pictures of the action at the table to an accomplice parked outside . The accomplice runs the card sequences through predictive software on a laptop and transmits the odds to a third hustler -- or several -- inside the casino who is wearing a pager watch . Information is relayed to the player by either hand signals or whispers . It all happens in seconds , and from time to time the caper pays off in a big way . " These people are real , real good at what they do , " says Michael Thomson , director of surveillance at the New Frontier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a covert Net Vegas : grids of new eavesdropping tools to monitor everything that goes on in and around the town 's largest hotels . The casinos use various systems , but the mechanics of surveillance are basically the same : hundreds of cameras linked to banks of video recorders , software that can match physical characteristics to shared databases of the faces , names , and histories of suspicious individuals -- all run from hidden control centers . The most sophisticated operation is probably at the Bellagio , a relatively new casino where tens of millions of dollars are spent monthly in the Italianate parlors , restaurants , and shops . Images from 1,900 cameras cycle across approximately 100 video displays , which show up to 25 different views at a time . Any view can be transmitted to a quartet of oversize plasma screens where surveillance officers can get the big picture on just about anything happening in almost any area of the hotel ( not suites , mind you , but public restrooms are under the eye ) . The cameras trained on the Bellagio 's driveway can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mile . About 850 video recorders tape all the action . Usually , three to 10 surveillance experts watch the screens . " We 're looking for telltale body language , for acting oddly , " says Pat Fischer , the hotel 's surveillance director . Giveaways include shadowing a legitimate gambler too closely ( called rubbernecking ) ; moving methodically up and down slot rows ; wearing a jacket too bulky for a desert city . Once surveillance operators decide you 're worth watching , they try to figure out who you are . Facial recognition technology scans faces to see if they match computerized records of suspects obtained earlier . This sort of technology has shown mixed results in airports and public buildings , but it 's a backbone of Net Vegas security . " The key is the quality of the database , " says Bob Schmitt , general manager of Biometrica , a division of Viisage , the Littleton , Massachusetts , company that supplies many Nevada casinos with the gear . Five years ago , when the first facial recognition products were introduced to gaming operators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the world 's largest photographic database of known cheats and hustlers -- about 2,500 records in all . That collection -- dubbed the Surveillance Information Network ( SIN ) -- is now shared among 160 casinos worldwide . A cheater spotted in one casino on a Saturday night will have his digital image uploaded to the network with an alert . ( Though no casino officials will publicly discuss it , many are believed to also use the system to store digital images of known high rollers so they can be treated like VIPs when they walk in the door . " It 's just as embarrassing to not recognize your best customer as it is to miss a cheater , " Schmitt says . ) " As soon as we get a clean picture , " says Tom Pohlman , director of surveillance at the Tropicana , " we freeze the image and map the face . " If the cameras do n't get a clear picture , there may be hundreds of matches , but the search can be narrowed based on profiles and behaviors -- a predilection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot easier than pinpointing a terrorist at an airport using the same technology , says Pohlman , because " we 've got more time and the ability to search an entire database . " One of the most dramatic uses of casino surveillance systems occurred in June 2000 , when a pair of armed robbers rushed a cashier 's cage at the Bellagio . Seconds before the heist , a video surveillance officer had spotted a man with a gun . Via radio , the officer instructed casino personnel not to resist the robbery . The thieves grabbed all the cash and chips they could hold and ran out of the building , not knowing that their faces were being captured , their movements tracked by camera after camera as they headed for the exits . Outside , they jumped into a minivan -- whose license plates were also recorded on casino videotape . " Their pictures and plate numbers were on the six o'clock news that night , " Fischer says . The robbers were arrested three days later . The next generation of surveillance technology will be more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ software built in . " It works unattended , " says Schmitt . Likely positioning : at the top or bottom of escalators , where people are generally looking straight ahead . The SIN database is also being expanded to include full-motion video . Meanwhile , almost every game in Net Vegas is hurrying to catch up to the slots . Bingo 's version of networked slots , for instance , can be found at the Station casinos -- a group of 10 modest gambling halls popular with local players . Most of the Station 's bingo rooms have PC-like terminals that let people play many games simultaneously , without ever physically touching an old-fashioned printed Bingo card . But the real excitement comes from the Jumbo games , which allow all players at Station properties to participate in remote , virtual Bingo action that is broadcast onto computer monitors . A huge pot is spread across multiple locations , Bingo 's version of a progressive payoff , with a top win of more than $100,000 . In a sharp break with the past , casinos are even making plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in San Juan Pueblo , New Mexico , is testing Digital 21 and SlotJack units that eliminate cards entirely . A live " dealer " hits a button , and cards appear on individual monitors -- one for each player -- and on an overhead screen . Larry Martin , vice president of Digideal in Spokane , Washington , the company that invented the cardless gaming system , plans to have a licensed Nevada distributor by the end of this year . Casinos like these games because they cut down on math errors and cheating . Marking , memorizing deck locations , and dealer-player collusion still dog the casinos even with today 's mechanical card sorters , but it 's much harder to hide a virtual card up your sleeve . Could the human dealer get the heave-ho ? Not likely : Table gamblers want the human interaction , just as slot players like the illusion of the mechanical reel . Bill O'Hara , a former senior vice president for sales at PDS Gaming , a previous distributor of Digideal 's cardless systems , envisions a future card host who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to add , shuffle , or know the rules . He ca n't cheat or make mistakes . All he has to do is engage with the customers . " The dealer becomes a Vanna White while the action -- the winning and losing -- is in the circuitry . Why on earth would card players go for this bloodless digital scenario ? The same reason slot gamblers like networked play : Cardless systems , like networked slots , can layer on additional action , like supplemental bets , bonus prizes , and , of course , progressive jackpots . Play at the electronic 21 tables is amazingly fast ; some casinos report increases in the number of hands per hour of as much as 75 percent . The next step for Net Vegas will be to weave the town 's networks together . Right now , the slots do n't talk to the digital cards ; surveillance does n't talk to bingo ; casino security systems are only beginning to communicate with one another . ( One exception is Harrah 's , which has 26 casinos nationwide and tracks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through " club " cards . ) But the Internet is already enabling casinos to link disparate databanks and surveillance systems , and it will expand the notion of where Las Vegas itself begins and ends . Net Vegas , fully assembled , will spread beyond the Nevada desert and into your home . The long view : You 're playing online in your house in Los Angeles and reach a certain level of winnings . Suddenly , the hotel sponsoring your game makes an offer : Come for three days , everything covered . You 'll see some shows and continue where you left off . In other words , a lifetime running tally . And it may come soon . Nevada recently legalized online gambling , and though it 's still forbidden by the federal government , three casinos -- MGM , Hilton , and Station -- are already gearing up with " play " versions planned for their Web sites . In this scenario , the physical elements of Las Vegas -- glitter , volcanoes , lap dancers , lion tamers -- do not vanish . But , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dealer who does n't really deal at a digital card table , physical Vegas becomes vestigial , a kind of appendix in a gaming world that has moved to a new level . Not farfetched if you remember that Las Vegas was a sleight-of-hand play from the start : a city where no city should be , a promise of riches to all comers that statistically is never kept . Remember the brutal efficiency Las Vegas lives by . " Does it make more money ? " Bill O'Hara asks . " If the answer is yes , it happens in Las Vegas . It has to . " Dan Koeppel , a contributing editor at National Geographic , has written for Wired and Star Trek : The Next Generation . He lives in Los Angeles . HOW LOOSE ? Some casinos lure customers by touting how loose their slots are -- that is , what percentage of the take is returned in winnings . Nevada law requires at least 75 percent payback ; major casinos swing the odds from the mid-80s to the low 90s . The actual data , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a former federal actuary used spec sheets and computers to calculate looseness in popular nickel slots . Gamblers had long speculated on how slots are tuned -- loose off the main strip and tighter than a drum at McCarran Airport , where captive customers test 11th-hour luck . Turns out they were right . But slots ca n't be adjusted at a casino 's whim . " It 's not like turning a volume control , " says Bill Wells , IGT 's R &D; director . The numbers are monitored by state officials ; to make a change , casinos must undergo a rigorous approval process that ends with the installation of a hardware upgrade . Quote : A LONE SLOT CA N'T PAY MILLIONS . NETWORKED SLOTS CAN . NET VEGAS SPRANG FROM AN IDEA PATENTED BY A SCIENTIST WHO MOVED FROM IBM TO RENO . THE GUY WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO WRITE ANTI-CHEATING SOFTWARE CODED IN A SWITCH THAT ALLOWED HIM TO MILK 30 SLOTS FOR BIG MONEY . CASINOS ARE EVEN MAKING PLANS TO DIGITIZE TABLE GAMES LIKE 21 . IT 'S HARD FOR A CHEATER TO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 
##2002366 The most insulting thing you can call a paramedic or EMT is " ambulance driver . " He or she despises the term , for drivers are the bottommost link on the medical food chain , dangling directly below the people who rinse out bedpans . I never wanted to be a doctor but always wanted my very own siren , so I 'm proud to say I am an ambulance driver . For 36 hours a week , I wear a pager and an EMS uniform and stand watches as a volunteer driver for Covac -- the Cornwall Volunteer Ambulance Corps -- in a placid upstate New York town . The control knob in fact reads " siren/wail/hyperwail , " and there 's a button that blows the wonk-wonk air horn . I 'll see your cop car and raise you three strobes , though I 'll fold in the face of a fire engine . Dedicated ambulances like the two gaudy , strobe-bedecked but top-heavy lumps that I drive are a surprisingly recent phenomenon , dating back only to the late 1960s . Until then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade called " Cadillac station wagons , " while others called on morticians to do double duty with their hearses . That 's when a few companies started to build modular ambulances -- a purpose-built box for medical equipment , a stretcher , and attendants atop the frame rails of a standard light truck . Surprisingly , the basic design has n't changed much since then . The quality of the box and the crash safety it affords for the EMTs working back there have increased dramatically , but it 's still a rolling cubicle sporting cabinets , drawers , cubbies , and compartments filled with basic emergency medical equipment plus a portable stretcher and the greatest possible space in which to work on the unfortunate occupant . Crash safety is no small thing . The safety record for ambulances is dreadful . There is no national standard for ambulance driver training , and many are either well-meaning volunteers or ill-paid professional EMTs or paramedics with no relevant driving experience . They command an ill-handling truck and a siren that adds 15 mph to their adrenaline-fed throttle foot . I learned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to see Covac 's newest piece of equipment come down the assembly line at Medtec Ambulance . It was the $100,000 rig I 'll be driving in a few months , but it looked like a bread truck , the poor thing -- the module a shiny , unpainted aluminum-covered box with crayon scrawls of trimming instructions , the cab still plain refrigerator white . Good ambulances are handmade , and the amount of work that goes into a job like Covac 's new rig is impressive . In the case of Medtec , some of it is done by local Amish -- bearded men doing precision cabinetry while bonneted , plain-shifted women assemble circuit boards and wiring harnesses . " The Amish have great mechanical aptitude , " Medtec General Manager Tim McDonald says . " These are people who live in homes without electricity and make it work . And when something breaks , they do n't just run down to the store , they fix it . " The module is a double-walled structure as joisted , studded , and braced as a small house , hand-welded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distortion or burn-through . A huge harness runs inside the roof panels to feed the ambulance 's exterior and interior lights -- a good module can be made almost as bright as an operating room -- as well as pumps , chargers , defibrillators , and radios . Every seam is sealed , and the rubbery floor laps up the sides where it joins the cabinetry like the tiled deck of an Australian pub designed to be hosed out after an evening of what the Aussies call chundering . Blood-borne pathogens are one of an EMS worker 's biggest fears , and a good ambulance has nowhere for bodily fluids to hide . ( One of an ambulance driver 's least favorite duties is swabbing out and disinfecting the rig after a gory run . ) Security is newly important too . Even Covac , operating out of Mayberry , USA , services one nearby small-city hospital where our rig must be physically guarded outside the ER entrance lest the rolling pharmacopoeia be pilfered by stoned locals . And now we 're hearing that terrorists are looking for ambulances to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , since the Blue Oval seems to be the only company that cares about the tiny ( 6,000 new units a year ) ambulance trade . Ford installs the huge alternators that ambulances need and routes heating and air-conditioning lines aft for easy connection to the module . Ours will be an E350 dualie . It will also have an odd snowchain system that we 'll need for the small but steep snowbelt mountains hereabouts , a system that in my truck-deprived life I 've never seen before . At the flip of a switch , two motors that spin pinwheels of short , straight chains like crazed ninja devices drop down so that the chains are rapidly flung in an endless whirl under the rear tires . Commercial ambulance services that need to make a per-run profit use ordinary Ford vans with raised roofs , which can be bought for as little as $50,000 . The community volunteer corps that charge nothing for their services but can make a fervent pitch to a prosperous town board or city council are usually awarded enough money to buy a good box-on-frame rig @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Big Dogs are the ADs -- " additional duty " ambulances . Many local fire departments have less to do than in the past , because stiffer building codes and wiring standards make residential fires infrequent . Your basic community ambulance might answer 10 calls for every fire engine run . Result : The firefighters , looking for business , are increasingly getting into the EMS act . They 're ordering up buff , outta-my-way " rescue trucks " -- mini-Macks smaller than a fire engine but way bigger than an ambulance . These ADs typically go for $150,000 to $175,000 , " but we 've built them for as much as $200,000 when they 're loaded , " McDonald says . And loaded constitutes " custom compartments , power seats for the EMTs , custom mounts for extrication tools , a water tank and pump for car fires , a $15,000 generator just to power floodlights , an onboard oxygen-refill system , television cameras for monitoring the module and for backing up . " Hey , I can dream , ca n't I ? Get the author 's attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our rig must be guarded lest the contents of the rolling pharmacy be pilfered by stoned locals . Illustration <p> 
##2002367 Take one digital video capture card , a big cheap hard disk , a home-brew infrared receiver , and a seven-year-old PC out of your nearest closet or dumpster . Add some free software and -- voila ! -- you have a personal video recorder , your own homemade Tivo . As with Tivo , watch what you want , when you want . Thumb your nose at the head of Turner Broadcasting or whoever else is angry that you have broken your " contract " to sit through commercials and are " stealing " programming if you do n't . Know that you have built this insidious entertainment appliance yourself . Which you can do if you 're literate enough to run a few basic Web searches , do not run for cover at the mention of Linux , and know which is the business end of a Phillips-head screwdriver . Of course , you could buy a similar personal video recorder ( PVR ) unit from Sony or Philips or Sonic Blue . Or wait for your cable company to install one . Or buy software @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 's sprung up to let you convert your new $1,000 PC into a good imitation of a $200 VCR . But where would be the fun in that ? Klaus Schmidinger runs a small software company about an hour from Munich . He and 90-odd of his closest friends on the Net have spent thousands of hours -- " Do you ever sleep ? " asks one e-mail correspondent -- developing open-source software , and a little bit of hardware , to let any Linux box record and play back digital TV signals ( for an overview and the download , go to www.cadsoft.de/vdr ) . You can do all the things you can do with the commercial versions , such as scrolling through lists of programs and selecting the ones you want . Plus , you can make new copies of recorded programs with the commercials edited out ( or , for that matter , create video files with nothing but commercials ) . And if there 's a feature you want that 's not there , you can fire up a text editor , rewrite the code , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with your Linux recorder , with the exception of rebroadcasting or selling digitized shows , is still mostly legal . That may change ( in the United States at least ) if entertainment industry lobbyists get their way : On tap in the current Congress , for example , is one bill that would require any digital device capable of storing copyrighted material to abide by whatever restrictions publishers decide to impose on how the material can be viewed , played , or copied . Another would permit registered copyright owners to hack into any computer they believe might be involved in illicit reproduction of their property , to prevent that computer from sharing the owners ' copyrighted material . The move to increase the power of content publishers has raised the ire of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ( www.eff.org ) , a nonprofit organization that battles restrictions to Internet information flow . When he started the project back in late 1999 , none of these issues really occupied Schmidinger 's attention . The idea of competing with the newly introduced Tivo or ReplayTV machines was n't important back then either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have built a PVR that ca n't be silently " up-graded " by the manufacturer to record shows you would never ask for or to record every button you press , for evidence in a lawsuit . Schmidinger was working on a completely different hobby project -- building a personal full-motion flight simulator -- when he read in a German computer magazine that a couple of enterprising brothers , Marcus and Ralph Metzler , had written a Linux driver for a digital video card . Five months later he had a prototype that could record video and play it back . Forty versions and two years after that , the first " official " version was done . Download it , compile it , install it on your Linux box , and the catchily named " vdr " program will help you build a list of programs to record -- with priority rankings in case more than one show you want is scheduled at one time and you do n't have multiple video cards . Then whatever you can fit on your hard drive at the rate of 2GB per hour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ( VDR is the acronym for video disk recorder , which is what Europeans call our personal video recorders . Transatlantic incompatibility lives on . ) The VDR takes input from a regular PC keyboard . You can even control it from anywhere on the Internet , although Schmidinger 's manual advises caution and a short list of authorized hosts to log in from , else your hacking buddies can order you up a full day 's supply of Fishin ' with Bob Dillow while you 're on the road . You can also install $20 or so worth of infrared receiving gear and then use a remote like any normal television viewer . Do n't worry about losing geek cred here : In addition to its usual functions , the remote will be able to call up a customizable Command menu that executes any program or script you have the temerity to put in its configuration file . Indeed , Schmidinger built his own remote-control receiver , complete with LED readout to display the current channel , before learning that other hackers ( Linux Infrared Remote Control , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " But then again I learned a few things by doing this myself , " he says with a rueful grin . There are still some rough spots in the vdr software to be worked out . For example , the apostrophe in Dawson 's Creek stuns the Unix parsing algorithm that sets up files for programs to be recorded , and you ca n't easily record multiple shows at the same time during bad weather because a signal dropout on one channel can cause the software to reset all of its feeds . ( Reading e-mail discussions at linuxtv.org gives you new respect for the programmers of commercial PVRs . ) Other glitches are n't the fault of Schmidinger 's team . Most broadcasters , he says , have yet to master the arcane task of starting and ending shows at their scheduled times , so the software has to build in a few minutes ' margin of error on either side . And although there 's an international standard for transmitting the electronic program guide ( EPG ) data that tells your computer which programs will air when ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , getting that right eludes broadcasters too . Worse yet , it 's almost impossible to buy a computer case that looks even remotely attractive in your living room . For those who have found that grail , or have resigned themselves to kicking back in a living room that looks like the back office of a defunct dotcom , a machine that is running vdr can become a complete multimedia hub -- much like the ones you 'll be able to get soon from about half a dozen competing manufacturers . Schmidinger is revamping the structure of his code to accept plug-in modules that will graft on whatever functions hackers want to write without bloating the basic system . Already you can find open-source patches to modify vdr for playing DVDs and MP3 files . As all this code continues to evolve , you 'll be able to feel the warm glow of firing up hardware components made by high-tech giants to play video and music produced and distributed by megaconglomerates -- but with the software , at least , firmly under your design and control . THE PVR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 PC with a large hard drive ( at least 10GB ) running Linux ( kernel 2.4.10 or higher ) 1 vdr program from www.cadsoft.de/vdr 1 Digital Video Broadcasting driver ( from either linuxtv.org or www.cadsoft.de/vdr ) 1 ( At least ) " full featured " DVB card ( either DVB-S , DVB-C , Or DVB-T for satellite , cable , or terrestrial reception , respectively ) 1 . Install the DVB card in your PC. 2 . Download the driver and VDR software and compile the vdr source code . 3 . Load the driver and run vdr ( as explained in the Install files that come with the software ) . 4 . Connect a TV set to the A/V output of the DVB card . You may have to adjust the channel settings ( in VDR/channels.conf ) to your local broadcasters . With this basic setup , you control the VDR via the PC 's keyboard . For a more practical setup , you 'll need to get yourself a remote control and install the LIRC hardware and software ( see lirc.org ) . Quote : For now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change if the entertainment industry gets its way . Illustration <p> 
##2002369 See also page 120 of same issue As I bend toward the sink of the Munich hotel bathroom to rinse my face , the arching swan-neck spigot smotes me square in the forehead . I 'd already scalded myself in a shower modulated by an aerospace-grade , color-coded contraption marked in tiny Centigrade numerals . That was after I finally located the utterly counterintuitive water tap in the first place and then flooded the bathroom floor with a flexible-hosed nozzle that found every gap in the sharp-edged chrome-and-glass tub door . I wanted to shake Germany by the shoulders and say , " Do the words shower curtain mean anything to you ? " Through my personal pain , though , I 've gained a deeper understanding of the German pursuit of high-style technology , in which precision and complication sometimes trump good old utility . Which is why I am in Munich in the first place . When it introduced its iDrive system to American and U.K. drivers earlier this year in the $70,000 flagship 7 Series sedan , BMW took an expensive and controversial step toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ POPULAR SCIENCE , had praised the car but used the occasion to take potshots at Version 1.0 of the iDrive system , complaining that it was , well , rather like that Munich bathroom . Yet BMW 's mission is important : to save the complex modern car from turning into a rolling information appliance , to simplify and heighten the driving experience . iDrive offers a taste of the future of automotive interior design : a strictly delineated driver-hugging cockpit , a high-visibility data screen , and a single easily manipulated data-and-command input device . BMW will introduce modified versions of iDrive in the rest of its line , and other luxury and leading-tech car companies , like Audi and Mercedes , are developing competitive systems . BMW chose to make this radical move because by 1994 , when work began , a 7 Series sedan had 35 different gauges and indicator lights and a staggering 66 manual controls . " There has always been a trend toward more controls , " iDrive interface engineer Hermann Kuenzner tells me in Munich . " We need an indicator for this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the buttons in the driver area were of minor importance , and it was time to make a new start . " iDrive decreases the number of controls and indicators in what Kuenzner calls " the driving zone " to a level very close to that of the 1952 BMW , which had 16 controls and 11 indicators ; the 2002 745i has 29 and 17 , respectively , according to BMW 's own tally -- yet it 's of course a vastly more complex machine . The heart of iDrive is a big , multimodal joystick/knob on the 745i 's center console , where the gear selector used to live . With a push , turn , or shove , this automotive supermouse controls 700 functions , which are displayed in menus on the screen above . Most features that 7 Series drivers had previously selected and modulated via switches , knobs , sliders , pushbuttons , and stalks are now operated by the knob . Overcomplication is , of course , the bane of user-friendliness , and no friend to driver safety . As cars and systems have become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control , the cockpit array has begun to resemble that found in an old jet , this even as jet cockpits have evolved toward simpler designs with a minimum of clear , graphic displays , plus -- in the case of fighter cockpits -- intuitive fingertip controls for both hands . At the same time , cars retain an array of ego-gratifying but archaic gauges and instruments , the functions of most of which -- oil pressure low , brake on , engine redlining -- could be assimilated into a single , more effective warning-light display ( in a complex jet aircraft , such an indicator is called a master caution light ) . Overcomplication is born of lazy thinking , then raised to a new level by marketing instinct : New features and buttons dress up appliances and machines like lights on a Times Square billboard . Cheap computer chips breed wacky options : Nobody asks why anybody who simply wants to defrost a hamburger patty would need to program a microwave oven for a month in advance . Nor do they ask why hundreds of city halls clutter the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cellphone , and climate-control systems have become particularly complicated over the years . The purpose of iDrive is to keep more of the driver 's brain-bandwidth devoted to the job of driving . As a cognitive theorist working on U.S. Navy jet cockpits wrote in 1999 , " It is crucial for the users to directly interact with the task domains , not the interfaces mediating the systems . " Translation : The pilot -- or driver -- should be operating the machine , not struggling with the system . After almost a year on the market , does iDrive deliver ? To find out , I first flew not east to Germany , but west to California , and Jef Raskin . Jef Raskin has spent most of his adult life making computers easier to deal with . He created the first PC that was built from the interface out , Apple 's Macintosh , and contributed many of the features of today 's GUIs -- the " gooeys , " or graphical user interfaces , with their now-familiar mouse , click-and-drag , and desktop-and-icons concepts that released computer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strings to call up programs or actions . Raskin is a go-to guy when it comes to interface design , and so , with BMW 's help , I put him into the iDrive-powered 745i sedan for a couple of days , then joined him as a passenger . Raskin , it turns out , is not a happy camper . We 've climbed into the car and fired it up , and the cabin fills with a high-pitched beeping . Parking brake on ? Seatbelts off ? Engine fire ? Eject ? Nope . It 's the park distance monitor in the front bumper telling us the car is smack up against some shrubbery in the driveway of Raskin 's rustic Pacifica , California , home . As Raskin backs away from the bushes , the monitor continues to beep , though at a diminishing pace . " How hard could it be , " Raskin asks , " to program the system to know that you 're starting up from where you previously parked and do n't need the proximity warning ? And that you 're unparking and backing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point in giving you diminishing warnings ? " Clearly we have a tough customer here . Raskin does like the fact that BMW has moved the 7 Series gear selector to the steering column to make room for the big iDrive knob on the central console , and that the unobtrusive shifter is little more than a toggle switch with three positions -- D , N , and R. " They 've finally admitted that an automatic transmission can operate automatically , and it 's about time . But they should have gone one step further and eliminated N. There 's no reason that the car ca n't automatically go into neutral whenever you stop . " As we travel down Highway 1 , I throw Raskin a problem . " What would you do right now with the iDrive to tune the radio to . . . well , let 's say a National Public Radio station ? " The iDrive knob must first be manipulated into the entertainment menu ( one of eight modes , which include Navigation , Communication , Car Data , and Settings ) , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and then into manual-tuning mode with a series of twists and clicks to finally find the station . Admittedly , Raskin has had the car only two days , but he 's perused the 216-page owner 's manual as only a computer geek who enjoys reading documentation can . The radio assignment does not produce an easy , automatic response with the iDrive knob . ( During my visit to BMW 's design center in Munich , BMW PR man Alfred Broede will tell me , " I do n't know any iDrive owner who used their manual . Most people play with the system a little bit , they do n't read the book with hundreds of pages . They learn it very easily by playing with it . " ) " OK , I 'd pull over , " Raskin says , which he does , whacking the big 745i across a pothole in the weedy turnout that suddenly appears . " But this is where you have to use a menu , and menus are a big mistake , because you have to look at them . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a conventional radio -- he finds the FM band and locates the station . ( Much later I discover a discrete knob and button on the dash that allows smooth station scanning , begging the question of who would use the multimode iDrive knob for tuning at all . ) " This radio selection could be easier , " Hermann Kuenzner will later admit . " We know that in the United States , AM and FM are both important functions . In Europe , we have AM , but nobody listens to it . " Raskin attacks the premise : " Why distinguish between AM and FM ? You do n't care what the frequency band is , you want this station or that station . The difference between AM and FM is a holdover from a previous era , when you had to actually physically reconfigure the radio to get one or the other . " Next assignment : Program in my San Francisco hotel as a navigation-system destination . Raskin pulls over again , fiddles with the iDrive knob , and a menu comes up on the screen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now we 've got to get out of this , " he says . He turns to his 17-year-old son in the back seat , just as you or I would if we traveled with a computer-savvy teenager . " Aza , how do I get out ? " Hit return , Aza says . There 's more discussion as Raskin begins to sweat a bit . Hit destination , star , whatever . Hit that top button and tell the voice recognition system , " guidance on . " For some reason the system does n't recognize the command . " Cancel , " Raskin says . ( iDrive includes a voice recognition system for many commands as an alternative to the iDrive knob , but software remains imperfect and requires the user to remember commands like " destination input " and " route guidance on . " This can arguably require more cognitive resources than does moving a controller , especially if the system does n't understand what you 're asking the first time , as is sometimes the case with the BMW : A rolling car can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knob , we reach a point where Raskin can begin to spell out S . . . A . . . N . . . by clicking on individual letters and then searching through a list of destinations . Unfortunately , the number of California towns and cities named for Saint-whatever is long , and more tedious iDrive scrolling is necessary . Is this a satisfactory system , I ask Raskin ? " If this were my car , I 'd say forget it , go read a roadmap . There 's no reason they could n't use the same simple interface they have on MapQuest , where I just type in the address and it gives directions to me . " Should the car have a keyboard , to make that possible ? " Why not ? " he asks . To illustrate , he mock-types on the flat , easily accessible surface atop the steering column . BMW has retained an analog climate-control panel in the 745i , below the iDrive display screen , and Raskin approves . " For many things , digital controls are a nuisance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the iDrive screen , which is directly abeam the main instrument cluster . " The display is clear and easy to read , and you can see at a glance where you are if a map is up . I do n't think it 's a distraction . " He 's not so sanguine about the rest of the iDrive interface , however . " There are too many menus . You should be able to use an interface habitually , the way you do the brake and the accelerator , which never change their positions or functions . An interface user 's gesture or motion should elicit the same response every time . Turning the iDrive knob should n't mean different things in different modes . You should n't need to stop and ask , ' What mode is this thing in right now ? ' You can never train a person to not make mistakes when there are modes . " Raskin 's final judgment of iDrive , as we pull back into his driveway : " It 's somewhere between silly and wonderful . It 's more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good ideas , a few good features , and a whole bunch of bad implementation . " He particularly likes the new 745i 's automatic parking brake , which sets itself firmly when the ignition is switched off . Unfortunately , the car 's default settings disable the feature , which must be re-enabled every time the engine is started . " I forgot to turn it back on yesterday and began to step out of the car on a steep slope assuming it was active , " Raskin says . " I made a ' mode mistake ' that could have been the end of my iDrive experience right there . " If obese passengers are required to buy two airline seats , BMW engineer Hermann Kuenzner should be charged for two rows : He 's beanpole-skinny but more than 7 feet tall , with legs nearly as long as a BMW Mini 's wheelbase . This says volumes about the superb driver 's accommodations in the new 745i , because Kuenzner spent many hours in the car as the director of the group of five engineers and designers who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went to British Aerospace to see the Eurofighter , " Kuenzner says . " They are designing the cockpit strictly to ergonomic guidelines . They have seven displays , because this is the most that a pilot can hold in his mind . We have eight menus , " he laughs , " because we think our customers are more intelligent than pilots . " You might think that the solution to having a potentially distracting display screen in a car would be to mount it down low , out of the way . Kuenzner and his group disagree , and the result is the iDrive 's nearly line-of-sight screen just to the right of the driver 's instrument cluster . " If you position the screen in this area , " Kuenzner explains , " you are always aware of it in your peripheral vision , even if you are looking at the speedometer . " And if the driver turns a bit to the right to look at the screen , that 's the direction from which most road hazards appear . Why not put the screen dead ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speed readout could be provided by a small digital display , perhaps a head-up hologram . A tach is extra baggage in an automatic transmission luxury car . " OK , you do n't need the tachometer , but it is part of the sporty character of the BMW , " Kuenzner admits . " But for the speedometer , there 's always an extra little calculation that you have to do when you see only a digital readout . ' I 'm driving 72 . Is that higher or lower than 60 ? How much higher ? ' " Why not simply make the iDrive system simpler ? Does a driver really need 700 computer-controlled functions ? Kuenzner laughs . " The people who designed the interface , we did n't need 700 functions . We always discussed whether we need this function or that function , because it would have made it for us much easier to build a simpler system . But OK , if our marketing department says we need it , we design it in . " When I 'd asked Jef Raskin if competition would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Audi , Mercedes , and inevitably the Japanese , he laughed . " Oh , no . It 'll get worse . Marketers are features-driven people . It 's true in the personal computer industry . Computers are harder to use than ever . " Yet iDrive is not simply a luxobarge conceit . BMW will likely trickle some of its capabilities down to 5 and 3 Series sedans . The system will be adaptable to BMWs with manual transmissions , and certainly the company 's continuing development of paddle-shifted sequential manual transmissions could dovetail nicely with iDrive installations . Some have complained that simply manipulating the iDrive knob is too complex , since it not only rotates but pushes in , it can be displaced longitudinally and laterally in eight directions to select menus , and it also increases resistance to give haptic ( tactile ) feedback . " A manual gearbox is a good comparison , " BMW spokesman Broede avers . " You have six or seven directions you can go , from first gear to sixth and reverse , and you use that system without looking . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States , Kuenzner says , it is already apparent that West Coast early adopters " love the iDrive from the beginning , " while the East Coast Luddites " are much more conservative . " The dominant screen , particularly , delights the former and is off-putting for the latter . One criticism of the iDrive system is that a large part of the market for luxury sedans consists of middle-aged people who have never even bothered to develop computer literacy . " Those people who ask me , What does somebody who does n't know computers do with this car , " Kuenzner says with a laugh , " I tell them , Put a lid over the screen and enjoy driving . " Contributing Editor Stephan Wilkinson is a longtime automotive and aviation writer . His first assignment , in 1975 , was to visit an innovative car company called BMW . He still has a soft spot for the blue-and-white spinner . Jef Raskin 's Rules for Interface Design The BMW 745I , interface designer Jef Raskin says , " is a fabulous automobile . The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fantastic . " And he 's not opposed to a car that requires a learning curve . " The more a product is improved , the stranger it will seem . You may even have to read the manual . " But , he argues , the BMW 's interface design does not keep up with the superb engineering . A few Raskin guidelines for iDrive 2.0 : Assume the driver is blind . Raskin believes the BMW designers adapted inappropriate approaches from visually oriented computer interfaces . He designs for the blind , and suggests BMW should study that discipline because " when in motion , a driver should not look at -- should be blind to -- the display screen , keeping his or her eyes on the road . " Pick your best mode and run with it . " There are often three or even five ways of doing the same thing . The cognitive phenomenon of interference means that if you have to learn two methods to do the same thing , you are less likely to remember either one . " Engineers should test various @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to produce errors . Control knobs are n't necessarily bad . Often , they 're better than buried screen menus . " One guiding principle is that everything has a distinct feel , and can be operated by touch . " For climate control , for example , " there is not much wrong with controls in today 's simpler cars . Make the fan knob look and feel like fan blades , make the temperature knob slide up and down like a thermometer scale . " Voice recognition is good , but underutilized in the 745i . Voice recognition cleverly combined with the haptic ( tactile feedback ) knob could overcome the confusion of so many modes and options : The car would audibly guide you to your next choices as you operated the iDrive knob by touch . Illustration <p> 
##2002370 CORRECTION : Published January page 11 : CORRECTIONS Best of What 's New More information about the Arbortech Allsaw 150 " Go Ahead , Take the Plunge , " Nov. ' 02 can be found at www.arbortech.com.au tools Go Ahead , Take the Plunge It 's not often that the average do-it-yourselfer embarks on a job that requires deep , precise holes in brick , mortar , drywall , or wood . But when that time comes , you 'll want the ferocious-looking twin-blade Arbortech Allsaw 150 . Teeth at the blade tips enable the hammer-type saw to plunge 5 inches into any dense material , while an internal V-belt drive slips the blades to prevent kickback . The manufacturer claims the saw 's elliptical percussion wo n't allow it to tear into soft material like human flesh , but we decided not to test this feature after the saw diced through a padded office chair . The tool could go on sale by February , possibly under another brand . Price : $580 for the pro version , with consumer models to follow . www.arbortech.com water safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that goes beyond life saving : It carries equipment to help you alert rescuers . The 3.12-pound StayAlive life jacket has 11 survival tools built into its Velcro-lined flaps , including a sound-signaling device , floating distress flag , and mirror for daytime hours ; plus a waterproof flashlight , flares , and phosphorescent light sticks for use after dark . A floating line and buddy lanyard keep everyone together . Price : $180. www.stayaliveinc.com strength training Spot-less Free Weights Say goodbye to your weight training spotter : ProSpot Fitness ' new P-500 Grab and Go home gym system wo n't let the barbell fall on you , no matter how far you push yourself . The key : A cable on each side of the barbell ( and running through it ) generates a small electric field , which the device monitors to anticipate your next move . To start a set , just grab the bar and it automatically unlocks . Raise it half an inch and it 's free . When you 're done with your reps , you simply open your hands and the spring-loaded system locks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The inner rod is split into two pieces , so if one hand slips the barbell still locks up . Price : $3,295. www.prospotfitness.com telephones CORDLESS CATCHES BIGGER AIR Cordless phone or cellphone ? It 's getting harder to tell the difference . New cordless phones from VTech and Uniden operate at a frequency of 5.8GHz , which means they 'll likely work a half-mile from their base stations ( inexplicably , the companies refused to release precise ranges ) . They 'll also be subject to far less interference because , unlike 2.4GHz phones , which compete on that band with your microwave and wireless network , there 's virtually nothing else operating at 5.8GHz . The VTech 5831 ( $199 ) is the first to transmit at the new frequency ; Uniden 's TRU5865 ( $149 ) and TRU5885 ( $169 ) are the first to send and receive . www.vtech.com and www.uniden.com FROM CLOSE CALLS TO CALLS FROM THE WILD Date : 1978 Frequency : 27MHz Range : Less than 100 ft . Date : 1986 Frequency : 49MHz Range : Up to 500 ft . Date : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Date : 1998 Frequency : 2.4GHz Range : Up to 2,200 ft . Date : 2002 Frequency : 5.8GHz Range : Up to 3,000 ft . ( PopSci estimate ) digital cameras Camera for the Surf ( and Turf ) Sealife 's ReefMaster Digital DC100 Land and Sea is the first digital camera engineered exclusively for underwater use . The 1.3-megapixel snapper , rated to 100 feet , features a Sea shooting mode that automatically adjusts aperture and shutter speed to compensate for low-light conditions . But it 's comfortable above sea level too : Switch it to Land mode , remove the housing , and it works like a traditional digital . Price : $449. www.sealife-cameras.com inventions The Multiple-Outlet Extension Cord Kevin O'Rourke 's battle with Christmas lights was the last straw -- too many cords and too few outlets . His resulting ElectraTrac is a 125-volt indoor-outdoor extension cord with multiple outlets at 8-foot intervals along its body . LED lights at each indicate power is flowing . Available in 25-and 50-foot lengths . Price : $25 to $70. www.nextep1.com prototype SNAP-ON SCUBA FLIPPERS Scuba takes a page @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . The two-piece fin 's soft neoprene booties have hard plastic bottoms with special bindings ; step on the fin and the bindings snap shut -- a breeze even while sitting on a swaying deck in full scuba regalia . The Seal 's twin-blade design also delivers a more powerful kick . No production plans yet . www.scubazombie.com photo archiving Self-Feeding Scanner Got a shoebox full of old 4-by-6 photographs ? Turning them into digital files is quick with Hewlett-Packard 's HP Scanjet 5500c scanner , the first with an autofeeder . You can stack up to 24 4-by-6s or 3-by-5s in the feeder ; come back in 4 minutes and your digital files will be ready . The 2,400 dpi , 48-bit color scanner also comes with a slide and negative adapter . Price : $299. www.hp.com cordless tools It Saws , Then Sands Black and Decker 's diminutive Zip Saw makes use of its reciprocating action to serve as a jigsaw , a sander , and , of course , a reciprocating saw . Though we found the sanding attachment a bit small for finishing flat surfaces , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as between chair spindles or stair rails . Accessories include a wire brush for deburring pipes . Price : $55. www.blackanddecker.com SMART OR STUPID ? DRESSING FOR DUMMIES Remember Garanimals ? U.K.-based Marks &; Spencer department store is developing the adult version . The idea : Microchip-rigged clothing will tell you if they coordinate or clash as you try them on , or as you scan them on the floor . The store says the technology could be ready within five years . www.marksandspencer.com update Robo-Vac Is Finally Here Eureka wowed us three years ago with a robotic vacuum that not only swept the floors clean but was smart enough ( thanks to radar ) to avoid furniture and walls " Best of What 's New , " Dec. ' 99 . That device is now shipping in Europe , but there are still no U.S. plans . Now there 's another option : iRobot 's Roomba Intelligent FloorVac is n't as sophisticated , but at just 4 inches high it can slip under most beds and sofas . And its edge brush , which handily passed our impromptu mashed-Cheerio test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . The Roomba runs for 90 minutes on one charge , long enough to clean two 16-by 20-foot rooms . Price : $199. www.irobot.com combo devices JACK OF BOTH TRADES The Kyocera 7135 is the first combo cellphone-PDA that does both jobs equally well . On the phone side , it has a full keypad , headphone jack , and access to Verizon 's high-speed network for the Web . As a PDA , it runs all the Palm apps , supports MP3 playback , and incorporates an SD expansion slot . Only downsides : It 's a tad bulky at 3.97 by 2.43 by 1.17 inches , and the 160-by 160-pixel screen disappoints . www.kyocera.com computing World 's Smallest ( Full ) Computers Pentium power in the palm of your hand . Forget one-size-fits-all laptops and desktops . Three new handheld computers out by the end of the year -- each running full operating systems and incorporating 10-gigabyte hard drives or better -- offer unprecedented versatility . Here 's how to pick . Antelope Mobile Computer Core ( MCC ) BEST FOR : Versatility -- it can become a handheld @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 5 by 0.75 inches WEIGHT : 9 ounces PROCESSOR : 800MHz Crusoe TM5800 BATTERY : 3 hours PRICE : MCC , $2,600 ; desktop cradle ( left ) , $495 ; handheld cradle ( below ) , $1,400 Tigit Eightythree BEST FOR : Heavy travelers who send a lot of e-mail . It ca n't convert to a desktop , though it has a PC Card slot SIZE : 5.9 by 4 by 1.1 inches WEIGHT : 20 ounces PROCESSOR : 300MHz Pentium-class National Geode BATTERY : 4 hours PRICE : $1,000 to $1,500 OQO PC BEST FOR : Those who want quick access to information -- pen-and-thumb keyboard makes typing a pain . Built-in 802.11 and Bluetooth keep you connected SIZE : 4.1 by 2.9 by 0.9 inches WEIGHT : 9 ounces PROCESSOR : 1GHz Crusoe TM5800 BATTERY : 8 hours PRICE : $1,500 Illustration <p> 