Representatives of African countries, ASEAN, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organization of American States pleaded for debt relief and efforts to narrow the "digital divide" -- the fast-growing gap between nations with access to information technology and those starved of IT.

CNN: Just do it

But the quality gap will shrink, along with the cost gap, as cheap, film-quality digital schemes such as Foveon's work their way into future camcorders.

FORBES: The Cheap Decade

They stuck a digital camera in the gap and shot pictures that showed a well-preserved 15th century Italian fresco.

BBC: NEWS | Europe | Pigeons find hidden Spain fresco

Another example of the closing gap between the worlds of gaming and grown-up simulation is the decision in May by Digital Sandbox, a supplier of simulation software to America's defence department, to set up a consumer division to make computer games.

ECONOMIST: Serious games