Using mirrors and lenses, the light from an object is projected to the space above the pedestal where it sits. The 3D images are now popping up as advertising displays in shopping malls and airports around the globe. Dimensional Media plans to start testing the first 3D computer monitors next year, for use by the military and medical professionals. The proposed images will be the first to give viewers a 360-degree view of the object in question. Now that's using the Force.
Microchips appear to be headed back to the plastic age.
A U.K. company called Plastic Logic says it is on the verge of creating a plastic chip that could be useful in all kinds of everyday items. Most semiconductors today are based on silicon, which, while relatively cheap, requires pricier production methods than the average model car kit. The cheap chips could be put in luggage tags to help track the bags. Or chip-laden grocery items could radio their price to scanners while still in the cart. The profession that has been snickeringly compared to assorted plagues, now seems to be the target of one.