In Brief

By Lev Grossman

THE TOYS OF SUMMER Going, going, gone...but just how far did it go? At this summer's Home Run Derby, held this week in Atlanta, baseball fans will finally know for sure. The event features new technology called True Track that instantly measures home runs to within a foot using a system of cameras and special 3-D modeling software. And get this--it'll even tell you how far a shot off the foul pole would have traveled.

BIG MOTHER IS WATCHING It's like James Bond meets Mommie Dearest. This summer families visiting Colorado's Hyland Hills Water World can rent watchlike gadgets ($3 a day) that track each family member's movements anywhere in the park. The watches send out regular signals that are picked up by 14 sensors located throughout the park. A central computer triangulates the wearer's exact location, which is then displayed on a map at special kiosks. From now on, "Stay off the roller coaster" really means "Stay off the roller coaster."

PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM A new technology called NUON is turning ordinary DVD players into PlayStation-style game consoles. NUON is a graphics chip that will come in some next-generation DVD players, such as Samsung's Extiva DVD-N2000 ($499), out this month. Add NUON, plug in a game controller and pow!--your DVD deck plays video games.So far the games are nothing special, but if you're looking for an all-in-one entertainment machine, NUON is an option to watch.

--By Lev Grossman