Seoul, South Korea -- As Cho Won Hee zips effortlessly from one Web site to another, his doting mother at his side, it is easy to understand why Silicon Valley views South Korea as the promised land of instant access to the Internet.

The Chos' high-speed digital line -- 100 times faster than the typical dial-up connection in the United States -- is their zippy gateway to home entertainment, education and shopping, all for $32 a month.

8:46:06 PM    

AP via USA Today:

The supermarket of the future has wireless express checkout, smart shelves that alert staff to expired cream cheese and a "VeggieVision" produce scale that sorts pears from peaches with a digital camera. At least that's the vision the German retail chain Metro is promoting with a new store that showcases a number of new technologies under a single roof.

For the benefit of journalists on Monday, the supermarket used supermodel Claudia Schiffer to demonstrate the system.

8:27:15 PM