In Brief: Dec. 3, 2001

COURTESY CALL In a belated effort to improve relations between cell-phone addicts and the people who sit near them, Nokia has begun a campaign to silence phones during theater performances. Its public-service announcement, which debuted Nov. 3 at a Dallas Opera production of Verdi's Simon Boccanegra, began with increasingly annoying rings, then urged the audience to switch phones to "vibrate." It was met with wild applause, and Nokia is now taking its show on the road.

FEEL THE BURN Are the VCR's days numbered? Pioneer and Philips have introduced the first DVD "burners" to create discs that can be read on most DVD players. Though built using competing technologies, Pioneer's DVR-7000 and Philips' DVDR1000 have one thing in common: a daunting $2,000 price tag.

LOCATION, LOCATION It's a great idea: when you get lost in the woods, your cell phone tells you--and your rescuers--exactly where you are. The FCC now requires carriers to offer a phone that doubles as an emergency locator beacon, and Sprint PCS is the first wireless service to sell one. Its GPS-equipped SPH-N300 ($150) will go live next week in Rhode Island. By the end of 2002, all Sprint phones will have GPS capability.

--By Wilson Rothman