IEEE 1394 is a multimedia connection that enables simple, low-
cost, high-bandwidth isochronous (real-time) data interfacing
between computers, peripherals and consumer electronics products
such as camcorders, VCRs, printers, PCs, TVs and digital
cameras. With IEEE 1394-compatible products and systems, users
can transfer video or still images from a camera or camcorder to
a printer, PC or television, with no image degradation. It's a
standard used by many components in today's media asset
management systems. Apple Computer, which conceived the
technology in 1986, calls it "Firewire." Sony calls it "i.LINK."
But geeks call it by its official name, IEEE 1394. The IEEE
(pronounced by insiders as "Eye-triple-E") stands for Institute
of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a nonprofit, technical
professional association that turned Apple's technology into an
official standard in 1987. With native IEEE 1394 support now in
both the Microsoft Windows and Apple OS X operating systems, the
technology has expanded to ma