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U.S. Army Begins Incinerating Chemical Weapons; Scientists Rescue Beached Wales; RIAA Targets Internet Providers For Users IP Addresses

Aired August 09, 2003 - 15:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, HOST: After a dispute that has lasted more than a decade, the U.S. Army began incinerating thousands of tons of chemical weapons at a facility near Anniston, Alabama, this morning. The U.S. military says these limited burns are safer than leaving the deadly agents in concrete bunkers.
But critics have long argued that the risks to the community are enormous.

Atticus Rominger from our affiliate WBRC looks at how today's first effort unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATTICUS ROMINGER, REPORTER, WBRC-TV: Well, the Army is just wrapping up the destruction of a second M-55 rocket. The project manager here at the incinerator says it went well, as well as this morning's incineration of a chemical weapon, which he says he was flawless.

You know, it took about 13 years to get this incinerator project permitted, built, and operating. It took about 36 minutes this morning to destroy one M-55 rocket containing the nerve agent GB, which is also known as sarin.

The Anniston Army Depot houses thousands of chemical weapons in bunkers, hundreds of thousands of tons of GB, VX, and mustard gas. They've been housed here since the '60s. It will take seven years to destroy them all.

Army officials started with GB rockets because, of the 800-plus rockets found to be leaking, more than 700 contained GB.

Friday, local opponents lost a last-minute bid to halt the project when a federal judge in Washington refused to grant a temporary restraining order. The Army began transferring 90 rockets to the incinerator shortly after word came down.

TIM GARRETT, ARMY PROJECT MANAGER: Once those munitions were in that container that it's brought to the -- the weapons were brought to the plant in, and once it's in the facility, there is almost no risk that remains.

ROMINGER: The first rocket was destroyed around 9:45 this morning. Now, the actual nerve agent was not burned. It was drained off and collected. And once, in about a month's time, they have collected enough of the nerve agent, they will burn that.

Today, though, they did burn the actual housing of the rocket, the explosives, the propellant. It was burned, and that -- what is left over will be collected, boxed up, and eventually shipped off to a landfill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. That from Atticus Rominger.

Thousands of Anniston residents have been given protective gear, such as gas masks, just in case there is an accident.

WHITFIELD: Music downloaders, beware. The Recording Industry Association of America, the RIAA for short, is sending out hundreds of subpoenas to Internet service providers seeking the names of individuals who have been sharing music files on the Internet.

But if and when the RIAA decides to Sue those people for copyright violations, it will do that in a civil court.

Joining us now is Representative Howard Berman of California, who is a co-sponsor of a bill in the House of Representatives that would make uploading songs to the Internet a felony.

Congressman, thanks for joining us.

REP. HOWARD BERMAN (D), CALIFORNIA: Good to be here.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, specifically, how would this proposal work?

BERMAN: Well, basically, this proposal would make a presumption. Then when somebody uploads their music files onto a publicly accessible peer-to-peer system and makes those music files available to hundreds of millions of people all around the world, that the presumed value of that upload is greater than $2,500.

WHITFIELD: And what would be the penalty?

BERMAN: The penalty would range from up to five years in jail. Notice, no death penalty, but it's part of our effort to send a message that that which is already illegal, and that which is criminal, should be avoided. It is part of a process of trying to educate people that this music that they're trading on these file- swapping systems, is -- they're not authorized to trade.

WHITFIELD: Well...

BERMAN: It's illegal. And that there can be serious consequences for doing it.

WHITFIELD: Haven't you received the sentiment that five years is rather steep? Why not a hefty fine? Why five years' jail time?

BERMAN: Look, the primary purpose of raising the issue was to let more people know what the surveys indicate that they don't know. They don't understand, one, that what they're doing violates the law. They don't understand that there are penalties for violating the law. And they -- to the extent that they understand both of those, they feel like they can never get caught.

And part of this came from the fact that people now want their music online. And perhaps too slowly, but now very rapidly, the music companies and others who own copyrighted content are making it available online, legally and with licenses. People have alternatives to get this music the way they want it, through their computers...

WHITFIELD: Well, how (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

BERMAN: ... in their cars.

WHITFIELD: And how would you propose that it would actually be enforced? Wouldn't be -- wouldn't part of the trick be trying to locate these individuals and then actually trying to enforce this law?

BERMAN: Well, there are many reasons why people should be wary of using these peer-to-peer file-swapping systems. The potential for their own privacy is very endangered, because the makers of the software allow the individual's computer to be used to disseminate pornography and unauthorized materials that they don't even know about.

There are security problems as well as privacy problems with using this software.

And all we want to try and do through this introduction of this measure, not so much is to pass it into final law, this is not a bill that's going to go -- this provision is not going to move quickly through the Congress. It's to help create an educational process that lets people know there are legal, online ways to get digital music, and they don't need to use risky and dangerous systems that are presently illegal to get that.

WHITFIELD: And congressman, what's the timeline on this proposal?

BERMAN: Well, we're going to have hearings, and we're going to talk about it a lot. And there are a number of other provisions in the bill that you haven't mentioned that give the consumers who download the software, make them consent to allowing their computers to be used to disseminate materials they don't know about and provide more consumer notice and education.

WHITFIELD: All right. Representative Howard Berman, thanks very much for joining us.

BERMAN: Sure.

WHITFIELD: Well, we've been talking about new moves against online music sharing. Well, people who depend on the Internet for free music are not the only ones opposed to criminal prosecution of uploaders. Critics say such tactics are an attack on privacy and technological innovation.

Joining us now to talk about such concerns is Wendy Seltzer, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation in San Francisco.

Good to see you, Wendy.

WENDY SELTZER, ATTORNEY, ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, it's an attack on privacy and technological innovation. Sounds like a fancy way of just saying, We don't want it.

SELTZER: This is a pretty dangerous bill. I heard the congressman talking about this as a means of education, and it's a pretty expensive way to educate the public to make 60 million Americans criminals, felons. And it's an attack on fundamentals of the Internet too.

WHITFIELD: And...

SELTZER: In the course of going after these people, they're breaking the infrastructure that we depend on for a lot more than music...

WHITFIELD: You heard from the congressman...

SELTZER: ... (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

WHITFIELD: ... though, a bit ago, who said it's important to criminalize this act because it's costing an awful lot of money. And these people know they're doing something wrong. So a serious message has to be sent.

SELTZER: Well, the first response to that is that it's already a criminal violation, and the music industry has plenty of tools at their disposal, as they've shown in subpoenaing names from Internet service providers. And they've told us that they're going to file civil lawsuits at the end of this month against uploaders.

When the government -- when the country has so much else to focus on, it's hard to see shifting resources to prosecution of our sons and daughters.

WHITFIELD: So Ms. Seltzer, what would be your suggestion on the message that should be sent to discourage this kind of abuse that many in the recording industry are saying is taking place?

SELTZER: Well, I think we need to take a step back and look at the problem that we're trying to address, which is the problem of getting artists paid and making file-sharing legal. The number of people who want this technology to work and to be available tells us that it's not education that's needed, but (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a change in the copyright law.

WHITFIELD: So you think a steep fine would be more of an incentive for people to walk a straight line, versus criminalizing it by dangling jail time, potentially five years of jail time, in the face of those abusers?

SELTZER: No, I don't think either of those is the right solution. I think we need to fundamentally rethink how we're going to get the artists paid by changing the way the compensation works. For example, some sort of licensing scheme that would make the file- sharing legal and give people a way to pay for this kind of activity, get the money to the artists and the copyright holders, and let people continue to enjoy this library of music that they've been making available already.

WHITFIELD: All right. Wendy Seltzer, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, joining us from San Francisco. Thanks very much, good to see you.

SELTZER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Well, lions tigers and bears and sharks, what mighty creature takes far more human lives than all of them put together?

With West Nile virus back in the news, joining us today is Dr. Andrew Spielman. He studies tropical diseases at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. He's also the co-author of "Mosquito: The story of Man's Deadliest Foe."

Dr. Spielman, we already know that West Nile has claimed hundreds of lives just in the past year alone. What is it about this illness that has certainly made a comeback by way of mosquitoes traveling?

ANDREW SPIELMAN, HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Well, it's our first urban infection of this kind. It was introduced into North America back in 1999 in the shadow of La Guardia Airport, and has been taking off in an unprecedented and rather spectacular way.

WHITFIELD: Well, what is it about mosquitoes that seem to be such good incubators of bad stuff? We already know that malaria is spread through mosquitoes. Malaria has killed thousands of people on several continents. What is it about this bug that seems to be able to hold onto such bad stuff and then pass it on to humans?

SPIELMAN: Mosquitoes are like our human environment. In Africa, it's the hut, the mud hut with burrow pits that you use for making the mud, and the open eaves that open the way for the particular mosquito that is so deadly there. And we have at least a million lives being lost in Africa to malaria each year, one estimate is as high as 2.7 million lives.

That's a function of this business of the vector mosquitoes, those mosquitoes that are responsible for transmission, being so exquisitely adapted to the human environment.

WHITFIELD: By way of birds and mosquitoes now on this continent, it's West Nile that seems to be of such grave concern to so many people. Are we any closer, or are scientists any closer to a cure or a treatment to try to do something about stopping the rapid growth of the spread of West Nile?

SPIELMAN: No vaccine is in hand now, and estimates are that it will be at least 10 years until one is at hand. That's second-hand information on my part.

The kinds of sprays that are being used have not been adequately evaluated. Other antimalaria measures -- that is, antimosquito measures, are not -- are similarly not adequately evaluated. So that we're sort of playing it by ear at the moment. We're doing what we think ought to be effective, but without real confidence.

WHITFIELD: There's the ongoing argument that, you know, everything has a reason. We know that in the bug species out there, or bug population, we know that bees pollinate, they're some -- they sting us, but they pollinate, and so they -- someone argued they do something good. Mosquitoes, is there anything that they do that's good, and why we need to have mosquitoes anyway, have such staying power?

SPIELMAN: Well, nothing is pollinated, as far as I know, by mosquitoes. What good does a mosquito do? Well, that's a function of your attitude. If you're a malaria parasite, they're absolutely essential. But, of course, from a human point of view that is...

WHITFIELD: The last I checked-

SPIELMAN: ... is not saying very much.

WHITFIELD: ... it wasn't good to be a parasite either. All right. Well, thanks a lot, Dr. Andrew Spielman. Thanks very much for joining us and educating us on mosquitoes, the mystery of.

SPIELMAN: Sure, you're awfully welcome.

WHITFIELD: This month is an exciting time to look up into the night sky. Not only is Mars closer to earth than it's been in 60,000 years, but every year around this time, the heavens light up with an impressive number of shooting stars known as the Perseid meteor showered.

Well, joining me now from Miami is astronomy -- astronomer, rather, Jack (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- Horkheimer. Boy, these names are killing me today, Jack, I'm sorry about that. First of all...

JACK HORKHEIMER, STAR GAZER: That's all right. It's the Perseid meteor shower (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

WHITFIELD: Oh, thank you. I was hoping you were going to correct me on that one too.

HORKHEIMER: That's all right, it...

WHITFIELD: But that's -- what is it? HORKHEIMER: It -- the Perseid meteor shower is the best meteor shower of the year, and it occurs annually every, just (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the beginning of the second week of August.

And what's wonderful about it is, is that it is the best we can rely upon, and we've had records of it since 36 B.C. by the Chinese.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

HORKHEIMER: And every year, well, the last few years, the last few years, it's been spectacular. Now, this year it should also be very good except for one thing, we have a full moon on the peak night. The peak night is this Wednesday, Wednesday morning a.m. So we're suggesting that you go out the next few mornings, the best time to look is (UNINTELLIGIBLE) is about two hours to an hour before sunrise.

WHITFIELD: OK.

HORKHEIMER: And just have a lot of patience, look all over the sky. And this year you may see three or four fireballs before sunrise.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

HORKHEIMER: Even though there will be some moonlight, that's your best chance. I'd even start observing tomorrow morning.

WHITFIELD: OK, so a couple hours before sunrise, peak time Wednesday. You're saying we could start looking, you know, as early as tomorrow morning. Same kind of thing, a couple hours before sunrise, the best time to see?

HORKHEIMER: Right. That's because before sunrise, our earth is turned directly into the meteor stream, and the meteors will be higher overhead.

Now, these meteors are noted for leaving long, persistent trains, and you may see some fireballs. Of course, the Perseids are nothing more than pieces of comet debris, comet litter, that slam into our earth's atmosphere at 37 miles per second. So what we're seeing when we see a meteor is the earth's upper atmosphere gases ionize and leave a trail of light like a neon light...

WHITFIELD: Wow.

HORKHEIMER: ... blazing across the sky. Each tiny meteor is a tiny piece of comet litter plunging to its fiery doom here on earth.

WHITFIELD: Wow, neato stuff. Now, are there certain folks -- certain parts of the country that will be able to see it better? And don't tell me those that don't have the cloud cover, but you know what I mean.

HORKHEIMER: No, not this year, really. The peak is around 1:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight time Wednesday. But as I say, because of the full moon, you want to go out about a couple of hours before sunrise the next few nights, and you'll have a chance to see maybe three or four fireballs if you hang outside for a couple hours at a time.

WHITFIELD: All right. All right. All right. Well, Jack Horkheimer, thanks very much for joining us. And we'll be talking about and looking for these Perseids.

HORKHEIMER: OK. My pleasure.

WHITFIELD: And their shower. All right, thanks a lot.

From projections to LCDs, Plasma, and HDTV, the screens and displays on our cell phones, televisions and computers just keep getting better. So, what could possibly be next for you? Well, soon you may be reading your favorite book or electronic paper -- on rather electronic paper or checking your shopping list from the notes you downloaded to your sleeve.

CNN technology correspondent, Daniel Sieberg, joins us with the next generation of digital displays -- Dan.

DAN SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka, that's right, they're calls organic light-emitting diodes or displays or displaces or OLEDs as they're often referred to and they're touted as the future of display technology. It could be in everything from cell phones to your clothing in the near future. But, what does all of this mean?

Well, I'm going to bring in a guest, now, and her name is Janice Mahon, she is from a company called Universal Display.

And, you're developing some of this OLED technology. I want to point out, first of all, CNN does not endorse any particular product, but you're here talk about some of these devices. What is the promise of OLEDs, first of all?

JANICE MAHON, UNIVERSAL DISPLAY CORP.: The promise of OLED technology is brightness, tremendous beautiful brightness, power efficiency -- better power efficiency than LCDs, today, and in the near future, flexibility.

SIEBERG: Flexibility. Well, let's talk about some of the products you've brought in here, we have an array of different things. Let's start with this, what looks like a fanny pack. And you've got an example of one of the screens that's in it. Is it really this thin? How do you get that technology in there?

MAHON: This is really very thin. The device itself is one ten- thousand, the thickness of the human hair. So, the thickness of the finished display is really a function of the thickness of substraight that it's on. In this particular case we're talking about thin plastic.

SIEBERG: And, this is the screen right here, which is actually in this fanny pack, as well. This is not in color, but it could be in color -- is that correct?

MAHON: It absolutely could be in color. Our partners who will manufacture these types of displays in the future take our red, green and blue materials and will turn those into full-color displays.

SIEBERG: Now, this is a flexible one. Do you have an example of what a hard one would look like, as well? What is the difference between the two?

MAHON: Today OLEDs are being commercialized by companies like Pioneer, Kodak, a company in Taiwan called Wright (PH) Displays who are starting can glass-based displays. So, this is what it looks like basically, it's two pieces of glass that have been sealed around the perimeter to protect the underlying OLED. So, this is about one and a half millimeters thick.

SIEBERG: And, we also have -- we can talk about other product that you've got here. We talked about the idea of putting it in your clothing. This sounds like a bit of a challenge to get this technology into the marketplace and make it more accessible to people and let people know that it's out there. What are some of the limitations you face with these products?

MAHON: Well, this technology will take a good three to five years before it's in the marketplace. It's largely dependent on the need to develop better plastics, the underlying substraight. However, today cell phone displays made of glass are in the marketplace. We're starting to see larger and larger prototypes, so this technology is going to be in laptops, TVs within the next several years.

SIEBERG: All right. Well, speaking of future , you've brought something along with you as well, that seems pretty futuristic, this is a prototype, right? It's not an actual working product, but what is this going to do in the future? It looks something of a rollout newspaper.

MAHON: Yes, you're right, Daniel. This is what we call the Universal Communication Device. It's meant to be a cell phone, for example. However, if you think about our cell phones today, we're getting more and more information from those phones. However, the display is too small. So, the concept here is to have a flexible display that will roll out and offer a large high-information content full-color display to someone when they need a lot of information.

SIEBERG: Now, potentially this could be updated, then, by a wireless means if you're getting information on it, it could be changing, could that be possible?

MAHON: Oh, absolutely. You can download information the same way our cell phones can receive information, today.

SIEBERG: Now, what about expensive? How expensive is this technology going to be? Is it going to add something to the price of a cell phone or any other device that this is going to be in?

MAHON: That's one of the fabulous things about OLED technology. Intrinsically it should be more cost effective than LCDs are today. However, it's a young technology and will take a bit of time before it's at the same maturity level that LCDs enjoy, today. SIEBERG: All right, well now, we've got a couple of other products. Maybe you can show us what this a -- what this keyboard is all about. What is this about?

MAHON: Well, this is simply to show that there will be a number of ways of interfacing with a fanny pack. We've had a lot of fun with this fanny pack, showing the lightness and thinness, the safety of a flexible display in a wearable, electronic gadget. We all think about interface. How are you going to communicate with that? There will be optical keyboards, there will be keyboards built on fabric, so we're going to have a number of ways to try to make our lives easier as we're collecting more and more electronic gadgets.

SIEBERG: Beyond just clothing and cell phones and other devices, could OLEDs be on a wall, for example, or in any sort of space? What are the limits for this?

MAHON: Well, from my perspective there really are few limitations. One of the exciting technologies that we're developing is called TOLED or transparent OLEDs which mean when the display is off, the glass or plastic surface is clear. So, we really will, in the future, have displays in windows, in windshields much as Tom Cruise used in his movie "Minority Report" last summer.

SIEBERG: Right, Well, it does sound futuristic. But, thanks so much for joining us in the present. Janice Mahon from Universal Display.

MAHON: Thank you.

SIEBERG: Thanks so much for being here to talk about some of these different devices. So, we've talked a little bit about what OLEDs are and had a look at what they can do. There are other companies out there, though, that are working on this technology aside from Universal Display, companies like Eastman Kodak and Cambridge Display. And, how will these products make a dent in a marketplace that is already saturated with a similar type of device.

But, we're going to bring in our guest, now to talk about this. His name is Robyn Peterson, and he is a editor at "PC" magazine. Robin, let's start off by addressing just why would a consumer decide to purchase an OLED product in the future?

ROBYN PETERSON, EDITOR, "PC" MAGAZINE: Well, it's a very interesting technology. And right off the bat, you're going to -- I mean, you can see from these products that they are thinner. The color displays, you couldn't tell in these products, the color displays have the potential to be brighter and better contrast. Now, my guess is the displays that you have in front of you are green because green is the easiest color to put in an OLED, right now. Red and blue have been quite a challenge, and blue hasn't really been solved except for in the last six or -- six months to a year. So, as you can see, there are quite a few research and development hurdles that still have to be overcome.

SIEBERG: Yeah, it does seem like a lot of people are sort of in love with this technology, they see it as being a fairly widely adopted one in the future. But, what are some of the limitations, perhaps, in terms of the performance or the degradation of these screens. Tell me about that.

PETERSON: Well, that's a good point. These screens tend to degrade a little faster than LCDs and also, what are called CRT monitors, and those are those really big monitors that most of us have on our desks. They're degrading faster and unfortunately right now they are not degrading gracefully, which means that some colors will disappear faster than other colors. Blue is a very intensive color to display on these, it takes more energy than, say, a green would, so if you lose blue first, well, your color balance is thrown off, and then when you have a display in something like a digital camera, you really need those colors to be on. So, this degradation that's not graceful tends to be problematic.

SIEBERG: All right, well, we've got an example of a couple of cameras that are comparing the two different things. We have an LCD camera, I believe, and we have one with the OLED technology from Eastman Kodak. Is the resolution better in an OLED display, Robyn?

PETERSON: Well, potentially it can be better, especially two to six years from now when they're really going to break into the marketplace. But, I think, in my mind, the greatest advantage to an ODED display is the fact that its power consumption is a lot lower than LCDs, it's at least two times lower. So, portable devices like digital cameras, cell phones, PDAs are going to last a lot longer. Right now, with LCDs, the biggest battery drain is the screen. So, if we can get this OLED display into these devices, batteries are going to last maybe two times longer.

SIEBERG: All right, well, we're seeing an example now, of this OLED technology in an Eastman Kodak camera. Are these companies racing to compete with each other? How is each one going to shape out or compete with each other in the marketplace when these products are more widely adopted?

PETERSON: Well, that is the first -- world's first digital camera with an OLED display. So, that's an impressive product that you have right there. All of these companies really are racing to the market, but there's -- you know, almost like a sense of helpfulness to each other. They really are trying to develop this technology quickly. They're helping each other make some advances, but, you know, companies like Kodak own most of the patents, so they're going to have to be dealt with by most of these companies before they get products out on the market.

SIEBERG: All right, Robyn. We'll say it's a complex subject; we thank you so much for breaking it down a bit. Can you tell us where can people go fore some information? I think "PC" magazine has some information up on a web site?

PETERSON: Well, that's exactly right. That's exactly right. We put together a page at PCmag.com/OLED, and at this page you'll find links to our recent coverage of the OLED technology. SIEBERG: All right, and finally, Robyn, just what is your thought on OLED technology? Is this the next big thing? Everybody wants to know.

PETERSON: Well, I really do think it is. These research and development hurdles will be overcome in the next two to six years, and I think this is really what you're going to see coming out. I mean, these electronic newspapers, who wouldn't love to read one of those on the subway in the morning.

SIEBERG: All right, some futuristic concepts and ideas. I want to thank you so much for joining us, Robyn Peterson from "PC" magazine to talk about this OLED technology. Thanks so much for joining us.

PETERSON: Thanks for having me.

SIEBERG: That's going to do it for me, Fredricka, talking about this OLED, organic light-emitting diodes, We'll just have to wait and see how widely they'll be accepted and where they'll be, whether they're on your clothing or your cell phone in the near future. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Unbelievable, Dan. I know I should be excited about all of this new technology, but already the field is too crowded, you know we just got too many options, it's getting confusing.

SIEBERG: Right, exactly. Too many options or simply not enough, they just have to have everything at once.

WHITFIELD: But you're here to help break it down.

SIEBERG: Always.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks a lot, Dan.

SIEBERG: All right.

WHITFIELD: Well, when we come back, we'll tell you how a Europe's heat wave is affecting a famous landmark.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANN KELLAN, CNN SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT: Two male water striders are duking it out over a female, all on the surface of the water. These familiar aquatic bugs skim across ponds, lakes and oceans and have existed on the planet for at least 200 million years. They do more than fight. They can also walk on water. How?

Using high-speed video cameras, scientists, for the first time, are getting a close look. They even created a robot version, the first step in creating other robots that could one day helping skim the water, too, helping in search and rescue missions and surveillance work. According to researchers, these six-legged creatures don't make waves to stay on top, as once thought, they use their middle two feet and row, just like oars in the water. Reporting findings in the "Journal of Nature," MIT researcher, John Bush says, it's the circular rowing action that keeps water striders trucking. And, these bugs are fast, moving nearly four feet a second. Even though they range in size from a half to a whopping ten inches long, researchers say they have the perfect dimensions to stay on top.

Ann Kellan, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, time now for a check of some "Next News" headlines. Iceland says it plans to resume whaling despite a worldwide ban on the practice. Iceland says it killed 38 Minky whales this year for scientific reasons. The government says it wants to study what's in the stomachs of the whales to see how many fish they're eating. Iceland's economy depends heavily on fishing. The leftover whale meat will be sold for food, and that leaves critics to allege that Iceland is really resuming it's whale hunt for commercial reasons.

The famed Matterhorn is losing permafrost as Switzerland endures its hottest summer in 250 years. The melting ice is causing land slides. Last month the Matterhorn was declared off-limits to climbers for several days while work crews shored up rock faces.

San Diego Zoo officials say Bai Yun, the panda, is pregnant with twins. An ultrasound, a week ago, showed Bai Yun could deliver as early as this month. What the zoo doesn't know, however, is who the father is. In March Bai Yun mated with a newly arrived panda, Gao Gao. But, when he lost interest, she was artificially inseminated with sprem from a former partner Shi Shi. Well, when the cubs are born, officials will do DNA tests to determine which panda is the papa. My, my.

Well, in Japan, Buddhist priests and businessmen gathered on Friday for a sort of funeral for old pinball machines. The Pachinko machines were honored with prayers and incense before being retired. Pachinko is enormously popular in Japan with earnings estimated at around $240 billion a year. One executive says the ceremony was held to tell the machines thank you for your hard work.

When we come back, a pod of whales in the Florida Keys faced a life-threatening situation in April. Well, now five of them might get a second lease on life. The story is about to have a happy ending. We'll be right back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID KIRKPATRICK, "FORTUNE" SR. EDITOR: One of the real challenges that everybody has is -- how do you know what's out there that you might be interested in?

People are getting more and more of our entertainment, our information off the internet. There's this company called ChoiceStream, and what they do is have software that basically asks you a variety of questions about your entertainment interests. They focus on TV viewing. What kinds of shows do you like -- news, sports, comedy? What kind of movies do you like? Do you like action movies, horror movies, foreign films? They may send you an e-mail everyday that tells you exactly what's available on your own cable system, shows that you are likely to like based on what they've learned about you, and in my experience, the ones they've sent me have truly been useful.

Another place where we've all seen personalization is at amazon.com. Amazon has -- from its beginning, really, done a pretty good job of giving us recommendations of things we might want to buy based on things that we've bought in the past. That is personalization technology. ChoiceStream is personalization technology for entertainment. If you want to try the new ChoiceStream technology and if you're not an AOL subscriber, you can go onto the internet to www.mybestbets.tv and that will allow you to basically start using this service.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: For the first time in the U.S., five pilot whales are to be released back into the wild simultaneously. They'll be freed nearly four months after stranding themselves on the beaches, there. Well, dozens of volunteers have been working around the clock, along with sciences to help rehabilitate the whales and somehow it looks like it's worked already, at least for five of them.

CNN's John Zarrella is tracking the story from Big Pine Key, Florida, and I know they're already starting to celebrate even though they haven't quite released the whales just yet.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka, it's already been a success story, the fact that they've been able to rehabilitate these five whales. And, behind me, what you're seeing now, are the final hours of preparations by the NOAA Marine Fisheries scientists and the team of volunteers. Here are those multicolored slings you see out there are what the whales will be loaded into tomorrow and then taken 12 miles offshore, where they will be released. Now, a little while ago -- a couple hours back, they actually did a dry run, put people in the slings to see how it all worked, and we're told that everything went well. It looks like they are now on target for that release sometime tomorrow. They plan to leave here very early in the morning.

The whales have been here since April. Right now there, it's pretty hot for everybody, out here. We can't see them, they keep popping up periodically, from the water over here, but right now no sign of the whales, they're down there, though. But, once they are released, this will become the largest number of whales to ever survive and be rehabilitated and put back into the wild from a single stranding event.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA (voice-over): They go by numbers, not names, four girls and one boy. The oldest are teenagers. The Florida Keys has been their home since April 18th when they and 23 other pilot whales stranded themselves in the shallow waters. Becky Arnold was one of the first humans on the scene.

BECK ARNOLD, MARINE MAMMAL RESCUE TEAM: It was a very devastating sight. There were several very large animals; almost all of those animals were on their sides, high and dry in less than a foot of water. It was heart-wrenching.

ZARRELLA: More than a dozen either died or were euphonized, nine made it back to deep water. These five suffering sunburn and dehydration were rescued by volunteers and marine mammal experts. They are now, the experts hope, fully recovered and ready to return to the sea. Each will be fitted with a satellite tracking device.

JEFF FOSTER, NOAA CONSULTANT: It gives us that baseline information that we don't have of this species, how deep, how long do they stay down, what are the movement patterns.

ZARRELLA: Sunday the teams of volunteers and scientists who have cared for, watched over, and fed the whales around the clock will hoist the remaining five into giant slings, take them 12 miles offshore and release them. For residents and visitors, the whales in the lagoon have been a must-see attraction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, look, there's one blowing water.

ZARRELLA: No one knows why the original pod of 28 whales beached themselves. The experts say the elders may have been sick and the others followed them into shore. No one knows why these youngsters survived. For the volunteers and experts, months of hard work and endless hours are about to pay off.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA: Now, the scientists say they really hope to learn a lot about the whales from this experience because what they know is about 3 percent of all the knowledge of whales, because that's how much time the whales spend on the surface, 3 percent of the time, 97 percent of the time they're underwater. We know nothing about that amount of time. so with the research that's coming up and with the tracking devices that the whales are going to have mounted on them, they really hope to gain some valuable insights into whale culture and how they live and how they survive and eat in the deep.

This is John Zarrella reporting live from Big Pine Key.

WHITFIELD: All right, John. Well, that explanation explains why we're not seeing those whales, now. We saw them on the surface a bit earlier today. Well, thanks a lot, John.

Well, that's all we have time for today. But "NEXT" will be back tomorrow at 5:00 Eastern time. Among the stories we'll be covering to you, if you think the price of printer ink amounts to highway robbery, well, some authorities say you're right. Are the cheaper generics just as good as the more expensive name brands? We'll talk with an expert about the fight to keep ink prices down to earth. That story and more coming up tomorrow, hope you'll be watching. And thanks for joining us, today.

Ahead on CNN, "CNN Live Saturday," coming up in just a moment, in about a half an hour, in the "Dollar Signs" segment we'll be taking your calls and e-mails on saving for college. That's followed by "People in the News" at 5:00 Eastern, with profiles of Kobe Bryant and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Then it's "CNN Saturday" at 6:00 Eastern time with results of a new CNN poll about the California governor's race. First a quick break and we'll be telling you what's happening at this hour. We'll be right back.

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Rescue Beached Wales; RIAA Targets Internet Providers For Users IP Addresses>

Aired August 9, 2003 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, HOST: After a dispute that has lasted more than a decade, the U.S. Army began incinerating thousands of tons of chemical weapons at a facility near Anniston, Alabama, this morning. The U.S. military says these limited burns are safer than leaving the deadly agents in concrete bunkers.
But critics have long argued that the risks to the community are enormous.

Atticus Rominger from our affiliate WBRC looks at how today's first effort unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATTICUS ROMINGER, REPORTER, WBRC-TV: Well, the Army is just wrapping up the destruction of a second M-55 rocket. The project manager here at the incinerator says it went well, as well as this morning's incineration of a chemical weapon, which he says he was flawless.

You know, it took about 13 years to get this incinerator project permitted, built, and operating. It took about 36 minutes this morning to destroy one M-55 rocket containing the nerve agent GB, which is also known as sarin.

The Anniston Army Depot houses thousands of chemical weapons in bunkers, hundreds of thousands of tons of GB, VX, and mustard gas. They've been housed here since the '60s. It will take seven years to destroy them all.

Army officials started with GB rockets because, of the 800-plus rockets found to be leaking, more than 700 contained GB.

Friday, local opponents lost a last-minute bid to halt the project when a federal judge in Washington refused to grant a temporary restraining order. The Army began transferring 90 rockets to the incinerator shortly after word came down.

TIM GARRETT, ARMY PROJECT MANAGER: Once those munitions were in that container that it's brought to the -- the weapons were brought to the plant in, and once it's in the facility, there is almost no risk that remains.

ROMINGER: The first rocket was destroyed around 9:45 this morning. Now, the actual nerve agent was not burned. It was drained off and collected. And once, in about a month's time, they have collected enough of the nerve agent, they will burn that.

Today, though, they did burn the actual housing of the rocket, the explosives, the propellant. It was burned, and that -- what is left over will be collected, boxed up, and eventually shipped off to a landfill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. That from Atticus Rominger.

Thousands of Anniston residents have been given protective gear, such as gas masks, just in case there is an accident.

WHITFIELD: Music downloaders, beware. The Recording Industry Association of America, the RIAA for short, is sending out hundreds of subpoenas to Internet service providers seeking the names of individuals who have been sharing music files on the Internet.

But if and when the RIAA decides to Sue those people for copyright violations, it will do that in a civil court.

Joining us now is Representative Howard Berman of California, who is a co-sponsor of a bill in the House of Representatives that would make uploading songs to the Internet a felony.

Congressman, thanks for joining us.

REP. HOWARD BERMAN (D), CALIFORNIA: Good to be here.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, specifically, how would this proposal work?

BERMAN: Well, basically, this proposal would make a presumption. Then when somebody uploads their music files onto a publicly accessible peer-to-peer system and makes those music files available to hundreds of millions of people all around the world, that the presumed value of that upload is greater than $2,500.

WHITFIELD: And what would be the penalty?

BERMAN: The penalty would range from up to five years in jail. Notice, no death penalty, but it's part of our effort to send a message that that which is already illegal, and that which is criminal, should be avoided. It is part of a process of trying to educate people that this music that they're trading on these file- swapping systems, is -- they're not authorized to trade.

WHITFIELD: Well...

BERMAN: It's illegal. And that there can be serious consequences for doing it.

WHITFIELD: Haven't you received the sentiment that five years is rather steep? Why not a hefty fine? Why five years' jail time?

BERMAN: Look, the primary purpose of raising the issue was to let more people know what the surveys indicate that they don't know. They don't understand, one, that what they're doing violates the law. They don't understand that there are penalties for violating the law. And they -- to the extent that they understand both of those, they feel like they can never get caught.

And part of this came from the fact that people now want their music online. And perhaps too slowly, but now very rapidly, the music companies and others who own copyrighted content are making it available online, legally and with licenses. People have alternatives to get this music the way they want it, through their computers...

WHITFIELD: Well, how (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

BERMAN: ... in their cars.

WHITFIELD: And how would you propose that it would actually be enforced? Wouldn't be -- wouldn't part of the trick be trying to locate these individuals and then actually trying to enforce this law?

BERMAN: Well, there are many reasons why people should be wary of using these peer-to-peer file-swapping systems. The potential for their own privacy is very endangered, because the makers of the software allow the individual's computer to be used to disseminate pornography and unauthorized materials that they don't even know about.

There are security problems as well as privacy problems with using this software.

And all we want to try and do through this introduction of this measure, not so much is to pass it into final law, this is not a bill that's going to go -- this provision is not going to move quickly through the Congress. It's to help create an educational process that lets people know there are legal, online ways to get digital music, and they don't need to use risky and dangerous systems that are presently illegal to get that.

WHITFIELD: And congressman, what's the timeline on this proposal?

BERMAN: Well, we're going to have hearings, and we're going to talk about it a lot. And there are a number of other provisions in the bill that you haven't mentioned that give the consumers who download the software, make them consent to allowing their computers to be used to disseminate materials they don't know about and provide more consumer notice and education.

WHITFIELD: All right. Representative Howard Berman, thanks very much for joining us.

BERMAN: Sure.

WHITFIELD: Well, we've been talking about new moves against online music sharing. Well, people who depend on the Internet for free music are not the only ones opposed to criminal prosecution of uploaders. Critics say such tactics are an attack on privacy and technological innovation.

Joining us now to talk about such concerns is Wendy Seltzer, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation in San Francisco.

Good to see you, Wendy.

WENDY SELTZER, ATTORNEY, ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, it's an attack on privacy and technological innovation. Sounds like a fancy way of just saying, We don't want it.

SELTZER: This is a pretty dangerous bill. I heard the congressman talking about this as a means of education, and it's a pretty expensive way to educate the public to make 60 million Americans criminals, felons. And it's an attack on fundamentals of the Internet too.

WHITFIELD: And...

SELTZER: In the course of going after these people, they're breaking the infrastructure that we depend on for a lot more than music...

WHITFIELD: You heard from the congressman...

SELTZER: ... (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

WHITFIELD: ... though, a bit ago, who said it's important to criminalize this act because it's costing an awful lot of money. And these people know they're doing something wrong. So a serious message has to be sent.

SELTZER: Well, the first response to that is that it's already a criminal violation, and the music industry has plenty of tools at their disposal, as they've shown in subpoenaing names from Internet service providers. And they've told us that they're going to file civil lawsuits at the end of this month against uploaders.

When the government -- when the country has so much else to focus on, it's hard to see shifting resources to prosecution of our sons and daughters.

WHITFIELD: So Ms. Seltzer, what would be your suggestion on the message that should be sent to discourage this kind of abuse that many in the recording industry are saying is taking place?

SELTZER: Well, I think we need to take a step back and look at the problem that we're trying to address, which is the problem of getting artists paid and making file-sharing legal. The number of people who want this technology to work and to be available tells us that it's not education that's needed, but (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a change in the copyright law.

WHITFIELD: So you think a steep fine would be more of an incentive for people to walk a straight line, versus criminalizing it by dangling jail time, potentially five years of jail time, in the face of those abusers?

SELTZER: No, I don't think either of those is the right solution. I think we need to fundamentally rethink how we're going to get the artists paid by changing the way the compensation works. For example, some sort of licensing scheme that would make the file- sharing legal and give people a way to pay for this kind of activity, get the money to the artists and the copyright holders, and let people continue to enjoy this library of music that they've been making available already.

WHITFIELD: All right. Wendy Seltzer, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, joining us from San Francisco. Thanks very much, good to see you.

SELTZER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Well, lions tigers and bears and sharks, what mighty creature takes far more human lives than all of them put together?

With West Nile virus back in the news, joining us today is Dr. Andrew Spielman. He studies tropical diseases at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. He's also the co-author of "Mosquito: The story of Man's Deadliest Foe."

Dr. Spielman, we already know that West Nile has claimed hundreds of lives just in the past year alone. What is it about this illness that has certainly made a comeback by way of mosquitoes traveling?

ANDREW SPIELMAN, HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Well, it's our first urban infection of this kind. It was introduced into North America back in 1999 in the shadow of La Guardia Airport, and has been taking off in an unprecedented and rather spectacular way.

WHITFIELD: Well, what is it about mosquitoes that seem to be such good incubators of bad stuff? We already know that malaria is spread through mosquitoes. Malaria has killed thousands of people on several continents. What is it about this bug that seems to be able to hold onto such bad stuff and then pass it on to humans?

SPIELMAN: Mosquitoes are like our human environment. In Africa, it's the hut, the mud hut with burrow pits that you use for making the mud, and the open eaves that open the way for the particular mosquito that is so deadly there. And we have at least a million lives being lost in Africa to malaria each year, one estimate is as high as 2.7 million lives.

That's a function of this business of the vector mosquitoes, those mosquitoes that are responsible for transmission, being so exquisitely adapted to the human environment.

WHITFIELD: By way of birds and mosquitoes now on this continent, it's West Nile that seems to be of such grave concern to so many people. Are we any closer, or are scientists any closer to a cure or a treatment to try to do something about stopping the rapid growth of the spread of West Nile?

SPIELMAN: No vaccine is in hand now, and estimates are that it will be at least 10 years until one is at hand. That's second-hand information on my part.

The kinds of sprays that are being used have not been adequately evaluated. Other antimalaria measures -- that is, antimosquito measures, are not -- are similarly not adequately evaluated. So that we're sort of playing it by ear at the moment. We're doing what we think ought to be effective, but without real confidence.

WHITFIELD: There's the ongoing argument that, you know, everything has a reason. We know that in the bug species out there, or bug population, we know that bees pollinate, they're some -- they sting us, but they pollinate, and so they -- someone argued they do something good. Mosquitoes, is there anything that they do that's good, and why we need to have mosquitoes anyway, have such staying power?

SPIELMAN: Well, nothing is pollinated, as far as I know, by mosquitoes. What good does a mosquito do? Well, that's a function of your attitude. If you're a malaria parasite, they're absolutely essential. But, of course, from a human point of view that is...

WHITFIELD: The last I checked-

SPIELMAN: ... is not saying very much.

WHITFIELD: ... it wasn't good to be a parasite either. All right. Well, thanks a lot, Dr. Andrew Spielman. Thanks very much for joining us and educating us on mosquitoes, the mystery of.

SPIELMAN: Sure, you're awfully welcome.

WHITFIELD: This month is an exciting time to look up into the night sky. Not only is Mars closer to earth than it's been in 60,000 years, but every year around this time, the heavens light up with an impressive number of shooting stars known as the Perseid meteor showered.

Well, joining me now from Miami is astronomy -- astronomer, rather, Jack (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- Horkheimer. Boy, these names are killing me today, Jack, I'm sorry about that. First of all...

JACK HORKHEIMER, STAR GAZER: That's all right. It's the Perseid meteor shower (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

WHITFIELD: Oh, thank you. I was hoping you were going to correct me on that one too.

HORKHEIMER: That's all right, it...

WHITFIELD: But that's -- what is it? HORKHEIMER: It -- the Perseid meteor shower is the best meteor shower of the year, and it occurs annually every, just (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the beginning of the second week of August.

And what's wonderful about it is, is that it is the best we can rely upon, and we've had records of it since 36 B.C. by the Chinese.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

HORKHEIMER: And every year, well, the last few years, the last few years, it's been spectacular. Now, this year it should also be very good except for one thing, we have a full moon on the peak night. The peak night is this Wednesday, Wednesday morning a.m. So we're suggesting that you go out the next few mornings, the best time to look is (UNINTELLIGIBLE) is about two hours to an hour before sunrise.

WHITFIELD: OK.

HORKHEIMER: And just have a lot of patience, look all over the sky. And this year you may see three or four fireballs before sunrise.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

HORKHEIMER: Even though there will be some moonlight, that's your best chance. I'd even start observing tomorrow morning.

WHITFIELD: OK, so a couple hours before sunrise, peak time Wednesday. You're saying we could start looking, you know, as early as tomorrow morning. Same kind of thing, a couple hours before sunrise, the best time to see?

HORKHEIMER: Right. That's because before sunrise, our earth is turned directly into the meteor stream, and the meteors will be higher overhead.

Now, these meteors are noted for leaving long, persistent trains, and you may see some fireballs. Of course, the Perseids are nothing more than pieces of comet debris, comet litter, that slam into our earth's atmosphere at 37 miles per second. So what we're seeing when we see a meteor is the earth's upper atmosphere gases ionize and leave a trail of light like a neon light...

WHITFIELD: Wow.

HORKHEIMER: ... blazing across the sky. Each tiny meteor is a tiny piece of comet litter plunging to its fiery doom here on earth.

WHITFIELD: Wow, neato stuff. Now, are there certain folks -- certain parts of the country that will be able to see it better? And don't tell me those that don't have the cloud cover, but you know what I mean.

HORKHEIMER: No, not this year, really. The peak is around 1:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight time Wednesday. But as I say, because of the full moon, you want to go out about a couple of hours before sunrise the next few nights, and you'll have a chance to see maybe three or four fireballs if you hang outside for a couple hours at a time.

WHITFIELD: All right. All right. All right. Well, Jack Horkheimer, thanks very much for joining us. And we'll be talking about and looking for these Perseids.

HORKHEIMER: OK. My pleasure.

WHITFIELD: And their shower. All right, thanks a lot.

From projections to LCDs, Plasma, and HDTV, the screens and displays on our cell phones, televisions and computers just keep getting better. So, what could possibly be next for you? Well, soon you may be reading your favorite book or electronic paper -- on rather electronic paper or checking your shopping list from the notes you downloaded to your sleeve.

CNN technology correspondent, Daniel Sieberg, joins us with the next generation of digital displays -- Dan.

DAN SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka, that's right, they're calls organic light-emitting diodes or displays or displaces or OLEDs as they're often referred to and they're touted as the future of display technology. It could be in everything from cell phones to your clothing in the near future. But, what does all of this mean?

Well, I'm going to bring in a guest, now, and her name is Janice Mahon, she is from a company called Universal Display.

And, you're developing some of this OLED technology. I want to point out, first of all, CNN does not endorse any particular product, but you're here talk about some of these devices. What is the promise of OLEDs, first of all?

JANICE MAHON, UNIVERSAL DISPLAY CORP.: The promise of OLED technology is brightness, tremendous beautiful brightness, power efficiency -- better power efficiency than LCDs, today, and in the near future, flexibility.

SIEBERG: Flexibility. Well, let's talk about some of the products you've brought in here, we have an array of different things. Let's start with this, what looks like a fanny pack. And you've got an example of one of the screens that's in it. Is it really this thin? How do you get that technology in there?

MAHON: This is really very thin. The device itself is one ten- thousand, the thickness of the human hair. So, the thickness of the finished display is really a function of the thickness of substraight that it's on. In this particular case we're talking about thin plastic.

SIEBERG: And, this is the screen right here, which is actually in this fanny pack, as well. This is not in color, but it could be in color -- is that correct?

MAHON: It absolutely could be in color. Our partners who will manufacture these types of displays in the future take our red, green and blue materials and will turn those into full-color displays.

SIEBERG: Now, this is a flexible one. Do you have an example of what a hard one would look like, as well? What is the difference between the two?

MAHON: Today OLEDs are being commercialized by companies like Pioneer, Kodak, a company in Taiwan called Wright (PH) Displays who are starting can glass-based displays. So, this is what it looks like basically, it's two pieces of glass that have been sealed around the perimeter to protect the underlying OLED. So, this is about one and a half millimeters thick.

SIEBERG: And, we also have -- we can talk about other product that you've got here. We talked about the idea of putting it in your clothing. This sounds like a bit of a challenge to get this technology into the marketplace and make it more accessible to people and let people know that it's out there. What are some of the limitations you face with these products?

MAHON: Well, this technology will take a good three to five years before it's in the marketplace. It's largely dependent on the need to develop better plastics, the underlying substraight. However, today cell phone displays made of glass are in the marketplace. We're starting to see larger and larger prototypes, so this technology is going to be in laptops, TVs within the next several years.

SIEBERG: All right. Well, speaking of future , you've brought something along with you as well, that seems pretty futuristic, this is a prototype, right? It's not an actual working product, but what is this going to do in the future? It looks something of a rollout newspaper.

MAHON: Yes, you're right, Daniel. This is what we call the Universal Communication Device. It's meant to be a cell phone, for example. However, if you think about our cell phones today, we're getting more and more information from those phones. However, the display is too small. So, the concept here is to have a flexible display that will roll out and offer a large high-information content full-color display to someone when they need a lot of information.

SIEBERG: Now, potentially this could be updated, then, by a wireless means if you're getting information on it, it could be changing, could that be possible?

MAHON: Oh, absolutely. You can download information the same way our cell phones can receive information, today.

SIEBERG: Now, what about expensive? How expensive is this technology going to be? Is it going to add something to the price of a cell phone or any other device that this is going to be in?

MAHON: That's one of the fabulous things about OLED technology. Intrinsically it should be more cost effective than LCDs are today. However, it's a young technology and will take a bit of time before it's at the same maturity level that LCDs enjoy, today. SIEBERG: All right, well now, we've got a couple of other products. Maybe you can show us what this a -- what this keyboard is all about. What is this about?

MAHON: Well, this is simply to show that there will be a number of ways of interfacing with a fanny pack. We've had a lot of fun with this fanny pack, showing the lightness and thinness, the safety of a flexible display in a wearable, electronic gadget. We all think about interface. How are you going to communicate with that? There will be optical keyboards, there will be keyboards built on fabric, so we're going to have a number of ways to try to make our lives easier as we're collecting more and more electronic gadgets.

SIEBERG: Beyond just clothing and cell phones and other devices, could OLEDs be on a wall, for example, or in any sort of space? What are the limits for this?

MAHON: Well, from my perspective there really are few limitations. One of the exciting technologies that we're developing is called TOLED or transparent OLEDs which mean when the display is off, the glass or plastic surface is clear. So, we really will, in the future, have displays in windows, in windshields much as Tom Cruise used in his movie "Minority Report" last summer.

SIEBERG: Right, Well, it does sound futuristic. But, thanks so much for joining us in the present. Janice Mahon from Universal Display.

MAHON: Thank you.

SIEBERG: Thanks so much for being here to talk about some of these different devices. So, we've talked a little bit about what OLEDs are and had a look at what they can do. There are other companies out there, though, that are working on this technology aside from Universal Display, companies like Eastman Kodak and Cambridge Display. And, how will these products make a dent in a marketplace that is already saturated with a similar type of device.

But, we're going to bring in our guest, now to talk about this. His name is Robyn Peterson, and he is a editor at "PC" magazine. Robin, let's start off by addressing just why would a consumer decide to purchase an OLED product in the future?

ROBYN PETERSON, EDITOR, "PC" MAGAZINE: Well, it's a very interesting technology. And right off the bat, you're going to -- I mean, you can see from these products that they are thinner. The color displays, you couldn't tell in these products, the color displays have the potential to be brighter and better contrast. Now, my guess is the displays that you have in front of you are green because green is the easiest color to put in an OLED, right now. Red and blue have been quite a challenge, and blue hasn't really been solved except for in the last six or -- six months to a year. So, as you can see, there are quite a few research and development hurdles that still have to be overcome.

SIEBERG: Yeah, it does seem like a lot of people are sort of in love with this technology, they see it as being a fairly widely adopted one in the future. But, what are some of the limitations, perhaps, in terms of the performance or the degradation of these screens. Tell me about that.

PETERSON: Well, that's a good point. These screens tend to degrade a little faster than LCDs and also, what are called CRT monitors, and those are those really big monitors that most of us have on our desks. They're degrading faster and unfortunately right now they are not degrading gracefully, which means that some colors will disappear faster than other colors. Blue is a very intensive color to display on these, it takes more energy than, say, a green would, so if you lose blue first, well, your color balance is thrown off, and then when you have a display in something like a digital camera, you really need those colors to be on. So, this degradation that's not graceful tends to be problematic.

SIEBERG: All right, well, we've got an example of a couple of cameras that are comparing the two different things. We have an LCD camera, I believe, and we have one with the OLED technology from Eastman Kodak. Is the resolution better in an OLED display, Robyn?

PETERSON: Well, potentially it can be better, especially two to six years from now when they're really going to break into the marketplace. But, I think, in my mind, the greatest advantage to an ODED display is the fact that its power consumption is a lot lower than LCDs, it's at least two times lower. So, portable devices like digital cameras, cell phones, PDAs are going to last a lot longer. Right now, with LCDs, the biggest battery drain is the screen. So, if we can get this OLED display into these devices, batteries are going to last maybe two times longer.

SIEBERG: All right, well, we're seeing an example now, of this OLED technology in an Eastman Kodak camera. Are these companies racing to compete with each other? How is each one going to shape out or compete with each other in the marketplace when these products are more widely adopted?

PETERSON: Well, that is the first -- world's first digital camera with an OLED display. So, that's an impressive product that you have right there. All of these companies really are racing to the market, but there's -- you know, almost like a sense of helpfulness to each other. They really are trying to develop this technology quickly. They're helping each other make some advances, but, you know, companies like Kodak own most of the patents, so they're going to have to be dealt with by most of these companies before they get products out on the market.

SIEBERG: All right, Robyn. We'll say it's a complex subject; we thank you so much for breaking it down a bit. Can you tell us where can people go fore some information? I think "PC" magazine has some information up on a web site?

PETERSON: Well, that's exactly right. That's exactly right. We put together a page at PCmag.com/OLED, and at this page you'll find links to our recent coverage of the OLED technology. SIEBERG: All right, and finally, Robyn, just what is your thought on OLED technology? Is this the next big thing? Everybody wants to know.

PETERSON: Well, I really do think it is. These research and development hurdles will be overcome in the next two to six years, and I think this is really what you're going to see coming out. I mean, these electronic newspapers, who wouldn't love to read one of those on the subway in the morning.

SIEBERG: All right, some futuristic concepts and ideas. I want to thank you so much for joining us, Robyn Peterson from "PC" magazine to talk about this OLED technology. Thanks so much for joining us.

PETERSON: Thanks for having me.

SIEBERG: That's going to do it for me, Fredricka, talking about this OLED, organic light-emitting diodes, We'll just have to wait and see how widely they'll be accepted and where they'll be, whether they're on your clothing or your cell phone in the near future. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Unbelievable, Dan. I know I should be excited about all of this new technology, but already the field is too crowded, you know we just got too many options, it's getting confusing.

SIEBERG: Right, exactly. Too many options or simply not enough, they just have to have everything at once.

WHITFIELD: But you're here to help break it down.

SIEBERG: Always.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks a lot, Dan.

SIEBERG: All right.

WHITFIELD: Well, when we come back, we'll tell you how a Europe's heat wave is affecting a famous landmark.

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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANN KELLAN, CNN SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT: Two male water striders are duking it out over a female, all on the surface of the water. These familiar aquatic bugs skim across ponds, lakes and oceans and have existed on the planet for at least 200 million years. They do more than fight. They can also walk on water. How?

Using high-speed video cameras, scientists, for the first time, are getting a close look. They even created a robot version, the first step in creating other robots that could one day helping skim the water, too, helping in search and rescue missions and surveillance work. According to researchers, these six-legged creatures don't make waves to stay on top, as once thought, they use their middle two feet and row, just like oars in the water. Reporting findings in the "Journal of Nature," MIT researcher, John Bush says, it's the circular rowing action that keeps water striders trucking. And, these bugs are fast, moving nearly four feet a second. Even though they range in size from a half to a whopping ten inches long, researchers say they have the perfect dimensions to stay on top.

Ann Kellan, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, time now for a check of some "Next News" headlines. Iceland says it plans to resume whaling despite a worldwide ban on the practice. Iceland says it killed 38 Minky whales this year for scientific reasons. The government says it wants to study what's in the stomachs of the whales to see how many fish they're eating. Iceland's economy depends heavily on fishing. The leftover whale meat will be sold for food, and that leaves critics to allege that Iceland is really resuming it's whale hunt for commercial reasons.

The famed Matterhorn is losing permafrost as Switzerland endures its hottest summer in 250 years. The melting ice is causing land slides. Last month the Matterhorn was declared off-limits to climbers for several days while work crews shored up rock faces.

San Diego Zoo officials say Bai Yun, the panda, is pregnant with twins. An ultrasound, a week ago, showed Bai Yun could deliver as early as this month. What the zoo doesn't know, however, is who the father is. In March Bai Yun mated with a newly arrived panda, Gao Gao. But, when he lost interest, she was artificially inseminated with sprem from a former partner Shi Shi. Well, when the cubs are born, officials will do DNA tests to determine which panda is the papa. My, my.

Well, in Japan, Buddhist priests and businessmen gathered on Friday for a sort of funeral for old pinball machines. The Pachinko machines were honored with prayers and incense before being retired. Pachinko is enormously popular in Japan with earnings estimated at around $240 billion a year. One executive says the ceremony was held to tell the machines thank you for your hard work.

When we come back, a pod of whales in the Florida Keys faced a life-threatening situation in April. Well, now five of them might get a second lease on life. The story is about to have a happy ending. We'll be right back.

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DAVID KIRKPATRICK, "FORTUNE" SR. EDITOR: One of the real challenges that everybody has is -- how do you know what's out there that you might be interested in?

People are getting more and more of our entertainment, our information off the internet. There's this company called ChoiceStream, and what they do is have software that basically asks you a variety of questions about your entertainment interests. They focus on TV viewing. What kinds of shows do you like -- news, sports, comedy? What kind of movies do you like? Do you like action movies, horror movies, foreign films? They may send you an e-mail everyday that tells you exactly what's available on your own cable system, shows that you are likely to like based on what they've learned about you, and in my experience, the ones they've sent me have truly been useful.

Another place where we've all seen personalization is at amazon.com. Amazon has -- from its beginning, really, done a pretty good job of giving us recommendations of things we might want to buy based on things that we've bought in the past. That is personalization technology. ChoiceStream is personalization technology for entertainment. If you want to try the new ChoiceStream technology and if you're not an AOL subscriber, you can go onto the internet to www.mybestbets.tv and that will allow you to basically start using this service.

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WHITFIELD: For the first time in the U.S., five pilot whales are to be released back into the wild simultaneously. They'll be freed nearly four months after stranding themselves on the beaches, there. Well, dozens of volunteers have been working around the clock, along with sciences to help rehabilitate the whales and somehow it looks like it's worked already, at least for five of them.

CNN's John Zarrella is tracking the story from Big Pine Key, Florida, and I know they're already starting to celebrate even though they haven't quite released the whales just yet.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka, it's already been a success story, the fact that they've been able to rehabilitate these five whales. And, behind me, what you're seeing now, are the final hours of preparations by the NOAA Marine Fisheries scientists and the team of volunteers. Here are those multicolored slings you see out there are what the whales will be loaded into tomorrow and then taken 12 miles offshore, where they will be released. Now, a little while ago -- a couple hours back, they actually did a dry run, put people in the slings to see how it all worked, and we're told that everything went well. It looks like they are now on target for that release sometime tomorrow. They plan to leave here very early in the morning.

The whales have been here since April. Right now there, it's pretty hot for everybody, out here. We can't see them, they keep popping up periodically, from the water over here, but right now no sign of the whales, they're down there, though. But, once they are released, this will become the largest number of whales to ever survive and be rehabilitated and put back into the wild from a single stranding event.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZARRELLA (voice-over): They go by numbers, not names, four girls and one boy. The oldest are teenagers. The Florida Keys has been their home since April 18th when they and 23 other pilot whales stranded themselves in the shallow waters. Becky Arnold was one of the first humans on the scene.

BECK ARNOLD, MARINE MAMMAL RESCUE TEAM: It was a very devastating sight. There were several very large animals; almost all of those animals were on their sides, high and dry in less than a foot of water. It was heart-wrenching.

ZARRELLA: More than a dozen either died or were euphonized, nine made it back to deep water. These five suffering sunburn and dehydration were rescued by volunteers and marine mammal experts. They are now, the experts hope, fully recovered and ready to return to the sea. Each will be fitted with a satellite tracking device.

JEFF FOSTER, NOAA CONSULTANT: It gives us that baseline information that we don't have of this species, how deep, how long do they stay down, what are the movement patterns.

ZARRELLA: Sunday the teams of volunteers and scientists who have cared for, watched over, and fed the whales around the clock will hoist the remaining five into giant slings, take them 12 miles offshore and release them. For residents and visitors, the whales in the lagoon have been a must-see attraction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, look, there's one blowing water.

ZARRELLA: No one knows why the original pod of 28 whales beached themselves. The experts say the elders may have been sick and the others followed them into shore. No one knows why these youngsters survived. For the volunteers and experts, months of hard work and endless hours are about to pay off.

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ZARRELLA: Now, the scientists say they really hope to learn a lot about the whales from this experience because what they know is about 3 percent of all the knowledge of whales, because that's how much time the whales spend on the surface, 3 percent of the time, 97 percent of the time they're underwater. We know nothing about that amount of time. so with the research that's coming up and with the tracking devices that the whales are going to have mounted on them, they really hope to gain some valuable insights into whale culture and how they live and how they survive and eat in the deep.

This is John Zarrella reporting live from Big Pine Key.

WHITFIELD: All right, John. Well, that explanation explains why we're not seeing those whales, now. We saw them on the surface a bit earlier today. Well, thanks a lot, John.

Well, that's all we have time for today. But "NEXT" will be back tomorrow at 5:00 Eastern time. Among the stories we'll be covering to you, if you think the price of printer ink amounts to highway robbery, well, some authorities say you're right. Are the cheaper generics just as good as the more expensive name brands? We'll talk with an expert about the fight to keep ink prices down to earth. That story and more coming up tomorrow, hope you'll be watching. And thanks for joining us, today.

Ahead on CNN, "CNN Live Saturday," coming up in just a moment, in about a half an hour, in the "Dollar Signs" segment we'll be taking your calls and e-mails on saving for college. That's followed by "People in the News" at 5:00 Eastern, with profiles of Kobe Bryant and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Then it's "CNN Saturday" at 6:00 Eastern time with results of a new CNN poll about the California governor's race. First a quick break and we'll be telling you what's happening at this hour. We'll be right back.

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