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May 10, 2003
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Eye implant shows promise
Blind patients given a pioneering retinal implant have managed to receive and decipher pictures sent from a video camera.
The artificial implant receives visual signals then converts them into an "image" which is transmitted into remaining healthy retinal cells via 16 electrodes.
So far patients, in the first trials of the device, have been able to distinguish between everyday objects such as a cup or a plate.
However, they have not yet "seen" these objects entirely through their own eyes - the pictures are taken by a video camera then sent to the implant.
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California eyes more Internet taxes
The California Senate passed a measure Thursday that would force some out-of-state businesses, such as the No. 1 personal computer maker Dell Inc. , to collect tax on sales made on the Internet to residents of the nation's most populous state.
The amendment to the state's tax code, which passed on a 23-4 vote, would require out-of-state companies that hire local firms to install or service products such as computers to collect sales tax.
Passage of the bill, which now heads to the Assembly, comes as state lawmakers attempt to plug a $35 billion budget gap over the next 15 months.
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