By Vivian Yeo
Wednesday, August 06 2008 04:51 PM
URL: http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/business/0,39044229,62044566,00.htm

"Faster, Higher, Stronger" is the motto of the Olympic Games. The organizers of Beijing 2008 appear to have taken the motto to heart, already scoring some "firsts", making the Beijing Olympics special for a variety of reasons.

For one, it is the first Games to be held in China. Secondly, there are a number of firsts on the technology end--the IT systems have open source elements, RFID (radio frequency identification technology) is embedded in tickets and official accreditation passes, commentators can remotely access real-time results and data feeds from their home countries, among others.

This week, ZDNet Asia puts the spotlight on the Beijing Olympics--and technology in particular.

We trace the technology development leading up to the Games, bring you behind the scenes at the Technology Operations Center and showcase the Olympic experience for stakeholders including athletes and billions of viewers worldwide.

Before you dive into our Olympic spread, here's a look back at some key headlines in the weeks leading up to the Games: