Your Technology

  • Don't Surf, Ride!
    Harley-Davidson fans who are moving their hands away from the throttle and onto the mouse worry M.Z. Berger & Co., maker of Harley watches. So the company plans to lure the riders away from computers and back to bikes. Those who send in their computer mouses will be rewarded with watches and other Harley apparel. No word yet on free tattoos.

    Virtual Clerk
    If you're sick and tired of trying to pry the local video-store clerk's attention away from Austin Powers to your movie needs, help is on the way. ObjectSoft's FastTake video kiosk, coming to video outlets this month, lets you search a retailer's listings by title, actor, director, rating or genre. The computer will suggest films you might like--and won't sneer at your choices.

    A Safer Trunk
    Last summer alone, 11 children died in the U.S. because they locked themselves inside car trunks while playing. In response, General Motors has developed a child-resistant trunk kit that contains an illuminated yellow escape handle. A latch must be reset manually for the trunk lid to close, and a strap prevents kids from entering the trunk through the backseat. The $50 package can be installed by a dealer on most 1990 or newer GM cars.