OTHER TECH

1. The gas leaks out of plasma TVs, so you have to get them refilled every couple of years.

Plasma TVs are one of the coolest technologies to come along in a while, but their revolutionary use of ionized gas to make a picture has spawned what is likely the industry's most pervasive urban legend. If you haven't heard the version quoted above, you might know the common variation that runs, "If you tip a plasma TV over, the gas will spill out, and you'll have to throw the set away."

Fortunately, there's nothing to either rumor. The truth might not be as exciting, but it should reassure anyone who's forked over thousands of dollars for one of these sleek beauties. As Jeffrey Dickson, plasma-display marketing manager at Pioneer, explains, "These displays create images by bombarding phosphorous material with electrons, causing it to glow and thus give off light. Part of the process involves mixing neon and xenon gases in a controlled environment where no gas siphons off. You no more need to refill the gas in a plasma set than you need to refill the gas in a fluorescent light bulb, since they both use the same type of reaction to create light. Under normal conditions, a plasma TV should last for decades."

This legend probably has a nefarious origin - disingenuous salesmen pushing extended warranties on people who've just spent $5,000 or more for a TV. While additional protection might be worth considering when you're buying something this expensive, using these kinds of scare tactics to convince people of the need to buy it is downright devious.