SPECIAL REPORT

Take A Picture That Can Fly (Inventors & Inventions/Inventions)

Ricoh's new digital camera delivers much more than pretty pictures. It ushers in a whole new era of wireless imaging by letting you post photos to the Web--then send them as e-mail to your friends

Coming Up Next (Inventors & Inventions/Inventions)

Voice recognition

A New Factory For A New Age (Inventors & Inventions/Inventions)

For 70 years, making machine parts has been a crude business. Now three New England inventors have built a factory the size of a cabinet--and industry may never be the same

A Winning Combination (Inventors & Inventions/Inventions)

Two Americans working in the Alps come up with a plan to merge two widely used scanning devices--the PET and the CT--into one

Inventors Beware! (Inventors & Inventions)

If some promotion firm says it'll make you millions, odds are it won't

The Multimillion-Dollar Dash (Inventors & Inventions)

Darien Dash wants to help blacks in poor urban areas hop on the information superhighway. But a shortage of capital threatens his vision

Lonnie Johnson (Inventors & Inventions/Inventors)

Soaking in Success

The Virtual Thomas Edison (Inventors & Inventions/Inventors)

Machines already play a part in the creative process. Someday they will be equal partners

What Will They Think of Next? (What Will They Think of Next?/Inventions)

Here's a TIME sampler of some of the more interesting new inventions from the 2000 crop

THE ARTS

For Him to Poop On! (The Arts/Show Business)

TV's reigning comedy writer expands his empire with a book, a movie and a profane puppet show

Pale Shades Of Blue (The Arts/Books)

Two writers try to explain what made Miles Davis' classic so special. But all you really need is ears

The Burdens Of Genius (The Arts/Books)

A dazzling novel about a child prodigy explores the power of myths, mathematics and Kurosawa films

Top Of The List (The Arts/Books)

Ring Lardner Jr. recalls an unusually charmed life

Year Of The Tiger (The Arts/Cinema)

High art meets high spirits in a rapturously romantic epic that really kicks butt

Wrapped And Strapped (The Arts/Music)

Neosoul divas beware: Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun shows she's still at the head of the class

WORLD

Into The War Zone

Palestinians are now directly attacking Israeli settlements. It's a new--and dangerous--tactic

BUSINESS

Remaking Wu

The Diggs brothers are part of a famous rap group. But they'd rather run a profitable conglomerate

Amtrak's Last Train

The flashy new Acela is the carrier's final shot at proving it can run a you-know-what profitably

Purging Chrysler

German bosses trusted the automaker's American managers. Now the company needs an overhaul

Show Them the Money

Then show them the jet, the suite and the lackeys. Stars' demands are setting records for arrogance

SOCIETY & SCIENCE

Tech Guide (Tech Guide)

Whether you shop online or go to the mall, you'll find a wondrous array of gadgets. Here are our picks for every age group on your list

TIME's Guide To Shopping (Web Guide)

The new century has produced an explosion of online shopping opportunities--and a batch of new high-tech products that make great gifts. Here's a list of top web-sites to browse, plus some good gadgets to buy. We hope it helps your holiday shopping.

TIME BONUS

A New College Test (Time Select/Families)

Experts attempt to assess quality by measuring how deeply institutions engage students

Fit For Life (Time Select/Families)

More than ever, American kids need to exercise. The Rx: a kinder--and healthier--"New PE"

Start Your Modems (Time Select/Families)

As travel consumers learn their way around the Web, online bookings are taking off

The Young At Art (Time Select/Families)

American families are flocking to art museums--and feeling right at home

PERSONAL TIME

Family Flame War (Personal Time/Your Family)

An e-mail list can be a great way for far-flung siblings to keep in touch--if they do it by the book

Cheney's Choice (Personal Time/Your Health)

The vice-presidential candidate knew just what to do when he felt those chest pains. Would you?

House Guess (Personal Time/Your Money)

Will your insurance policy pay the entire cost to rebuild your home? Better check now

Cell-Phone Zapper (Personal Time/Your Technology)

I had everything I needed to put a stop to too-loud public blathering--except a battery pack

In Brief (Personal Time/Your Technology)