In Brief

By Lev Grossman

YODA MACHINE

Buy me, you will. This summer's most hotly anticipated toy is the Interactive Yoda ($39.99) from Tiger Electronics, the same evil geniuses who brought us Furby. There's definitely a family resemblance. Standing about 8 in. tall, Interactive Yoda can move his eyes, mouth and ears in a reasonably lifelike fashion while mumbling cryptic epigrams about the Force. He comes with a miniature light saber (it's about a foot long), and if you stand in front of him and wave it around, he'll critique your Jedi technique. Parents beware: kids may resort to Jedi mind tricks to get one.

SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINK

Sure, you've bought a few CDs on the Internet, but have you ever signed a lease online? Closed a mortgage? You will. Last week Congress passed a bill that will make electronic signatures as legally binding as the pen-and-paper kind. If it becomes a law, you'll be able to sign sensitive legal documents--like a check or a life-insurance policy--using encryption technology that legally certifies that you are you. That technology is already built into major Web browsers, and this fall Sony will market a device that enables users to sign documents with a thumbprint. Although the bill is a big win for e-commerce, some consumer groups have expressed concern about the potential for online fraud. For good or for ill, President Clinton is expected to sign the bill (presumably the old-fashioned way); it could go into effect as early as Oct. 1.

--By Lev Grossman