In Brief

By Anita Hamilton

TECH TV If computers are the wave of the future, shouldn't every kid--rich or poor--be surfing the Web? In the two-hour PBS special Digital Divide: Technology and Our Future, airing this Friday at 9 p.m. E.T., pundits on all sides wrestle with the issue. Low-techs complain that we put too much emphasis on computers at the expense of basics like reading and writing; high-techs argue that technology can enhance kids' learning experience without breaking school budgets. The documentary is up to PBS's usual high standards, and it's narrated--get this--by rapper Queen Latifah.

GRANNY SPECIAL When Sony released its $1,000 digital picture frame last year, it got lots of oohs and aahs but few takers. Now come the clones: Idea Grove is hawking a $250, 7.7-in. frame (see CEIVA.COM) that plugs into a phone jack and dials in to the Internet to receive digital images sent by friends and family anywhere in the world. It rotates up to 10 pictures at a time and has a $3 monthly fee. Digi-Frame plans to offer a similar display this spring for $400 that uses Smartmedia and CompactFlash cards to load new pics.

LOOK OUT, AMAZON If you thought Amazon was the best place for discount books, CDs, movies and video games, think again. Half.com lets visitors buy and sell used books, CDs, etc. for half price. Sellers pay a 15% commission; buyers get a money-back guarantee. As a promo gimmick, the site got a small town in Oregon to change its name to Half.com for the year in exchange for some free PCs.

--By Anita Hamilton