"We already have a functional link running in the lab, and we are aggressively moving to higher bandwidths, " said Mario Paniccia, director of Intel's Photonics Technology Lab.

WSJ: IBM Claims Breakthrough in Laser-Based Chips

Back in the early 1980s, this media guru drummed up some money from a lot of publishing, entertainment and technology companies and set up the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

ECONOMIST: A survey of E-entertainment

Last December, Linden Lab's chief technology officer and one of its first hires, Cory Ondrejka, walked away from the company.

FORBES: Magazine Article