In Brief

By Lev Grossman

TAKING CHARGE

It never fails: just when you need it most, your cell phone runs out of juice. For moments like that, keep handy the new Instant Power Charger ($10, plus $20 for a connecting cable) from Electric Fuel. It generates power chemically, no wall socket required, and it packs enough punch to recharge your phone three times over. Best of all, it fits into your shirt pocket. For more info, charge over to www.electric-fuel.com

THE WIZARD OF ID

The idea of a national ID card system has been around for decades, but the recent terrorist attacks--and an unlikely champion--have given it new life. According to the San Jose Mercury News, Larry Ellison, zillionaire CEO of software titan Oracle, met with Attorney General Ashcroft last week to drum up support for his scheme: all immigrants and consenting U.S. citizens would be issued a "smart card"--like a credit card with a microchip--linked to federal records of their vital statistics, including their thumbprint.

IN SEARCH OF...

In the weeks following the attacks, several Web search engines noted that the word sex had dropped off the list of Top 10 search queries for the first time in memory. Among the hottest search terms on Google.com anthrax, counterstrike and Nostradamus.

--By Lev Grossman