In Brief

By Lev Grossman

SMELL THE FUTURE A company called DigiScents is developing an olfactory peripheral for home computers called the iSmell. It's like an audio speaker, but instead of sounds it makes smells. Sound crazy? Not everybody thinks so. Retail giant Procter & Gamble has signed on as a partner, and DigiScents is currently creating smells to accompany the best-selling computer game Tomb Raider. Get ready to experience Lara Croft in two separate scents: "regular" and "sweaty." Can't wait.

NO MORE "I LOVE YOU" This week Microsoft is offering a download that will update Microsoft Outlook Express, its popular e-mail software, to guard against more viruses like the Love Bug. The upgraded Outlook will no longer accept attachments that contain executable code, like the bug's, and it will warn you if another program on your computer tries to rummage through your address book. Check www.microsoft.com for the upgrade. Thanks, Bill.

THE SIXTH SENSE Sometimes you've got a hunch--call it intuition, an educated guess--but you just can't quite be sure: Is he? Is she? Now technology is finally eliminating the guesswork. A Toronto firm called Gaydar Direct has created a simple device for gay men and women that's designed to help them identify others who share their sexual preference. Gaydar ($69) is a battery-powered, key-chain-sized device that buzzes discreetly when it comes within 20 ft. of another Gaydar. What happens next is entirely up to you.

--By Lev Grossman