Gasoline prices jump with cost of crude oil

Los Angeles — Gasoline prices have climbed nearly 8 cents a gallon in the past two weeks because of record-high crude oil prices, and they are likely to continue rising, an industry analyst said Sunday.

From Sept. 24 through Friday, the combined national average for all grades of gas rose from $1.94 to $2.02 a gallon, said Trilby Lundberg, who publishes the semimonthly Lundberg Survey of 7,000 gas stations across the country.

Self-serve regular, the biggest seller, averaged $1.99 a gallon Friday, midgrade was $2.09, and premium was $2.18, Lundberg said.

Prices are likely to continue climbing in the short term along with rising crude oil prices, which hit $53.31 per barrel Friday. But prices may come down after hurricane-damaged petroleum facilities in the Gulf of Mexico are repaired, Lundberg said.

Technology

Toshiba developing new flat-panel TV

Tokyo — Toshiba Corp. has a new flat-panel TV that delivers clear imagery comparable with the old-style cathode-ray tubes by using similar beam-emitting technology.

Unlike liquid-crystal and plasma displays popular in today’s flat-panel TVs, images on the new panels don’t get jagged even when relaying sports and other fast-moving objects.

The technology, called SED for surface-conduction electron-emitter display, is being developed by Toshiba and Japanese camera company Canon.

Toshiba plans to market SED TVs by April 2006 and says they will be compatible with next-generation DVDs called HD DVDs.

The company also plans to sell liquid-crystal and plasma displays, with SED technology meant for 40-inch and larger models.