New electric Chryslers

The Chrysler 200C EV concept car shown at the Detroit Auto Show is an extended-range electric car with a small gasoline engine that would not drive the wheels, but would provide power to stretch the range of the electric motor by charging its battery.

The car was equipped with a large touch-screen on its dashboard as part of a new type of system for controlling its audio and cellphone capabilities. Its Uconnect features would let users build a network of “buddy vehicles,” whose locations could be tracked on a dashboard screen; allow parents to set strict limits on how their teenagers drive and where they go; and provide a slide-out computer for a front-seat passenger.

Chrysler hasn't yet decided whether to produce the vehicle and gave no timeline for when they might make a decision.

The car is supposed to be a midsize sedan and Chrysler's plans for that segment are up in the air. The company has been working on a so-called Project D, that is supposed to yield a midsize sedan that can compete with the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

The 200C is separate from Project D, and is conceived as a premium model that would likely sell in lower volumes than the mainstream car Project D is supposed to produce.

The 200C was unveiled alongside a battery-powered prototype Jeep Patriot and three electric-vehicle concepts first shown to the public in September. Those included electric versions of the Town & Country minivan, Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Circuit, a two-seat sports car.

Chrysler has formed a special development group, called ENVI, to work with partners to produce electric vehicles. It assembled a working prototype of the Dodge Circuit sports car by using major components produced by outsiders, such as an underbody made by Lotus and batteries from A123 Systems Inc. The Circuit runs on battery power alone and is supposed to run for up to 200 miles before needing a recharge. (info from The Wall Street Journal & The New York Times; photo from The Times)

Dancing Obama iPod speaker dock

If the traditional dull iPod docks don't inspire you, you may soon be able to get a dock with an animated sculpture of the 44th president, who can boogie along with your music.

Unveiled at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Obama dock comes from Ozaki, a company that also offers iPod docks with animated pandas, lions, frogs, pink bears and dogs.

The Obama iPod speaker dock includes a radio, alarm and speakers. Suggested retail price is $99. We don't know when it will be available.

If there isn’t music playing to motivate the Obama doll to shake his booty, a microphone picks up ambient sound, and Li'l Barack will start dancing. The demo model had a “Change” shirt and played a video of will.i.am, a noted Obama supporter.

We don't know if Ozaki was working on a McCain or Palin dock, just in case. (photo % info from The Wall Street Journal)

Super-useful new Palm has new O.S.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Palm showed a new slider smart phone that lets users access their email, contacts and calendar schedules from multiple sources, as the company attempts to take back share in a market it once dominated.

Palm said its new device, Palm Pre, was designed to help users organize the data and information they may have scattered over multiple Websites and software programs and consolidate them so they can be accessed through one software application.

Palm Pre is built on a new operating system, which is called the Palm webOS, that the company says will make it easier for developers to create applications for Palm devices.

"We think it is the first device that will automatically navigate the Web," said Jon Rubinstein, Palm's executive chairman. The device is Palm's latest attempt to make headway in the smart-phone market. Palm was once a trendsetter in hand-held computers, and helped pioneer the smart-phone category earlier with the Treo device, but it has since been squeezed by competition from Blackberry and Apple's iPhone.

Unlike previous Palm devices, the Palm Pre can consolidate contact information from sources such as Microsoft Outlook email, Facebook and Google's Gmail, while eliminating duplicate data. Palm said Sprint Nextel will be its exclusive US network provider when it launches the phone in the first half of this year. Palm didn't disclose a price for the phone.

Connected calendars and contacts -- Pre uses the Palm® Synergy™ feature to bring your Outlook®,2 Google, and Facebook® calendars together for one logical view of your day. And if you have the same contacts in different places, Pre can link them together, making it easy to find the information you need.

Notifications bar -- Things like text messages and calendar appointments appear as notifications at the bottom of the screen. You’ll know what’s going on without being completely interrupted or losing your train of thought.

Universal search -- Simply start typing to begin searching your contacts, applications, Google, or even Wikipedia. Universal search narrows down the possible results as you type, so it’s easier to find what you need.

Email, Wi-Fi, and GPS -- Check email from Outlook® or personal accounts like Gmail, AOL, and Yahoo!. Take advantage of Wi-Fi hotspots. And look up directions or nearby points of interest using GPS.

Web-connected applications -- A fast browser brings you full websites the way they were meant to be seen. Plus, the applications on the phone are connected to the web and constantly updated, so you get the latest information without having to work for it.

Combined messaging -- Thanks to Synergy, all your conversations with the same person are grouped together in one chat-style view. (Even if it started in IM, for example, and you want to reply with text.) You can also see who’s online right from contacts, and start a new conversation with just one touch.

Slide-out keyboard -- Slide out the keyboard for faster and easier texting. Close it up and rotate Pre for music, websites, photos, and videos in full widescreen. (some info from The Wall Street Journal)

Super-thin plasma HDTV from Panasonic

A year ago, Panasonic showed a 150-inch plasma TV -- the world's biggest -- at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

This year, instead of going evem bigger, the company is showing what it says is the world's thinnest plasma TV.

Panasonic has developed new thin-profile display panel technologies for both plasma and LCD HDTVs, with affitional advancements in picture quality and environmental performance.

The newly developed NeoPDP technology has been incorporated into two types of PDPs. The first is a super high-efficiency 42-inch PDP that achieves triple luminance efficiency, while reducing the power consumption to 1/3 of the 2007 models, yet achieving the same brightness. The second is an ultra-thin 50-inch PDP just 8.8 mm (approximately 1/3 inch) in profile at it's thinnest point. This ultra-thin panel delivers the world's highest moving picture resolution*3 of 1080 lines.

Panasonic's newly-developed NeoLCD technology is integrated into a super energy-efficient 90kWh per year 37-inch LCD panel, that achieves moving picture resolution of 1000 lines, close to that of a PDP. The company said it has the lowest energy consumption of any LCD HDTV in the world, cutting the energy requirement almost in half compared to the previous model.

Employing newly developed materials, such as discharge gas and phosphor for electron generation source has improved discharge efficiency and cell structure. The introduction of a new circuit drive method has cut the electricity loss to one third and enabled low-voltage drive. The triple luminance efficiency technology has reduced the number of components and enabled a higher integration of components. As a result, the technology has been incorporated into a 42-inch Full HD PDP.

Further advancements made to the panel structure and circuit layout have lead to an even thinner profile. While a full HD PDP has a moving picture resolution of more than 900 lines, the newly developed drive technology and materials to shorten the afterglow have attained the world’s highest moving resolution of 1080 lines, realizing precise reproduction of full HD programs of any speed without loss of detail.

The super-thin panel also allows users more setup flexibility including wall mounting and suspension from the ceiling. It also has WirelessHD-based transmission system, wide viewing angle, high contrast ratios, and newly achieved moving resolution of 1080 lines.

IPS alpha LCD panels in NeoLCD provide a high light transmission rate and low power consumption due to its panel structure. In addition, these panels feature high moving picture resolution and a wide viewing angle for displaying images that are truly natural when viewed from any angle.

Adoption of the new IPS alpha panel with improved light transmission rate and LED backlighting allows for local lighting control according to the brightness of the picture scenes. With precise control, the panel dramatically improves contrast with its tight black expression. This panel cuts power consumption in half compared with the 2008 model and consumes only 90 kWh per year, which is said to be the world's lowest power consumption level.

A high-speed drive technology for LED backlight, developed by Panasonic, allows for precise control with 1000 lines of moving picture resolution, far exceeding the current models. As a result, the panel is capable of reproducing fast-moving pictures with unparalleled clarity and high contrast ratios that are close to that of PDP panels.

The best thing about January is February candy

January is named for Janus, the Roman god of doors. I'm not sure why the Romans needed a door god; but they had loads of gods, so they could certainly spare one to watch the door. Maybe Janus was the first bouncer.

Anyway, January is the door to the year, and I like January a lot. Each day we get a few more minutes of daylight. Five PM now comes during the day, not at night. The earth is warming. Spring is coming. Crocuses will be popping soon. In about 85 days, the cover comes off the pool.

But the best thing about January can be found in chain drugstores like CVS. That's where you can get JuJu Hearts, the magical chewy-gooey red cherry candies I've been addicted to since babyhood. If I close my eyes when I open the package, the sweet aroma transports me to Cherry Blossom Time in Washington DC, or at least to my grandmother's apartment in the Bronx.

When I was a kid, my Grandma Del would buy pounds and pounds from Krum's -- the pre-eminent candy store in the Bronx, or maybe in the world. Some years she even arranged to buy the huge pile of hearts on display in the window, at a special price after Valentine's Day. We grandchildren would get a few pounds in February, and Grandma would stash the rest in her freezer, to be gradually defrosted and doled out throughout the year. (In later years, when Grandma Del moved to Florida, I provided JuJu Hearts for her.)

Krum's was famous for its candies and ice cream sodas, and used to be on the Grand Concourse between 188th Street and Fordham Road. In the front of the store was a huge display case of chocolates and other candies, and farther back you could sit and slurp. The landmark Lowe's Paradise Theater was across the street, and before McDonalds and Taco Bell came to town, teenagers went to Krum's for a post-picture snack.

The Lowe's Paradise has been reincarnated as a mostly-Latino concert venue, Grandma Del and Krum's are long gone, but JuJu Hearts are as good as ever. The price has gone from 15 cents a pound to 99 cents for a 9 ounce bag. Each year, we get a bit less for our money, but addicts don't care about the cost of their fix. (If you're willing to buy 30 pounds, you can get JuJu Hearts for as little as $1.28 per pound from Metro Candy & Nut. I haven't tried them.)

JuJu Hearts' taste and texture are unique: sweeter and softer than red hot dollars, but not as sweet or slimy as Gummi bears or worms. Strangely, the JuJu Heart formula doesn't seem to be used for anything else, at any other time of year -- not even for JuJubes or Jujyfruits. But that's OK. JuJu Heart season is only a little longer than the bloom of the Cherry Blossom. The rarity makes them more special, and less destructive to teeth and glucose levels... and freezers make it possible to prolong the pleasure.

---

JuJu history

• The JuJu name apparently comes from the jujube, a red fruit first cultivated in China over 4,000 years ago, that can be used for tea, wine, and throat medication, or eaten as a snack.
• A jujube tree in Israel is estimated to be over 300 years old.
• The jujube's sweet smell is said to make teenagers fall in love, and in the Himalaya mountains, young men put jujube flowers on their hats to attract hot Sherpa babes.
• In West Africa, a Juju refers to the supernatural power ascribed to objects or fetishes. Juju can be synonymous with witchcraft, and may be the origin of the American voodoo.

Some of the first JuJu Hearts were made by the Henry Heide Candy Company, founded in 1869 by Henry Heide, who immigrated to New York from Germany. Heide Candy became known for Jujubes, Jujyfruits, jelly beans, Red Hot Dollars, Gummi Bears and Mexican Hats, which have been perennial favorites in movie theaters and five-and-dime stores.

The business stayed in the Heide family through four generations, and was sold to Hershey Foods in 1995. In 2002, Farley's & Sathers Candy Co. acquired the Heide brand products from Hershey.

While Farley's & Sathers makes lots of candy, they apparently do not make JuJu Hearts. The hearts come from Canada and are distributed by Mayfair Candy, in Buffalo, NY. Beware of imitators. Over the years, I've encountered some really crappy copies. Mayfair has the real thing. My dog loves them, too -- and he's very picky. Strangely, there are two (maybe more) kinds of JuJu Hearts distributed by Mayfair. The "original" version is sold by Rite-Aid (and possibly others). I discovered another inferior version for the first time in 2007, at CVS. The individual candy pieces are smaller than the originals, and they have a second heart shape molded onto the front of each piece. They don't taste nearly as good as the originals: they're too sweet and not as chewy. Strangely, the same packaging, with same ingredients and same stock number, is used for both.

---

Special thanks to Philip Heide,
and Roger McEldowney of Mayfair.

Apple lowering some iTunes prices and dropping copy protection

Apple unveiled significant pricing and copyright changes to its iTunes Store, at the Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco Tuesday. Changes include a new three-tiered pricing plan for songs, instead of the 99-cents fixed price Apple has used for most songs, and the end of copy protection from all of the songs it sells.

Some of Apple's moves appear to be a response in part to shifts in the digital-music market. Growth in paid downloads slowed significantly in 2008, rising 27%, compared with a 45% increase a year earlier.

New online-music rivals have also emerged, including Amazon.com, which sells many songs at a lower price than iTunes and without copy protection, giving users more freedom with the songs they have purchased.

The moves by Apple could prompt others in the online music industry to also explore new ways to sell music. Apple last year surpassed Wal-Mart as the world's largest music retailer. Digital-music retailers in the US sold more than one billion songs in 2008. Apple said it has sold six billion songs since the iTunes Store launched in 2003.

Under Apple's new pricing plan that will take effect in April, songs will cost 69 cents, 99 cents or $1.29. Apple said the "vast majority" of the songs will cost 69 cents, though people familiar with the matter said the most sought-after songs -- which generate most of the sales on the service -- will likely cost $1.29 as both Apple and the major record labels try to boost revenue growth.

Apple also said it is dropping digital rights management, or copy protection, from eight million songs in its catalog effective immediately, and from the remaining two million in its catalog by the end of March.

Apple's DRM has made it complicated for iTunes customers to use competitors' products, like SanDisk music players or Microsoft's Zune. Among the limits imposed by the software locks, it is difficult or impossible to play songs purchased from the iTunes Store on devices other than the iPod or iPhone.

Apple already sells songs from some record labels, including EMI Group and many independent labels, without DRM. Now it is moving to selling everything, including the catalogs of the other three major labels -- Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group -- the same way.

Users can also pay 30 cents a song to upgrade previously purchased songs in their iTunes library to a DRM-free version.

Starting Tuesday, Apple said iPhone 3G owners will also be able to download songs from the iTunes Store via their cellular networks instead of having to connect to a wireless Internet network. The company said the price, selection and quality of the songs would be the same as they are online. (info from The Wall Street Journal)

WOW! Dual screen laptop from Lenovo

Multi-tasking road warriors and folks with split personalities will appreciate the new Lenovo ThinkPad w700ds, being shown this week at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Lenovo says it's the first dual-screen mobile workstation. The w700ds will have a 17-inch primary screen and a 10.6 inch secondary screen that slides out to the right.

The unit is no lightweight. It will weigh about 11 pounds and retail for $3,600.

OTOH, Lenovo is also improving its lightweights. For example, the S10 netbook ($350) has Quick Start, a function that lets you access frequently used applications faster. It has a 10.2-inch display, weighs about 2.4 pounds and comes in black, white, red, blue and pink.

Last-minute reminder:Super-easy way to make charitable donations, and maybe get a free vacation.

Last-minute reminder:
Super-easy way to make charitable donations, and maybe get a free vacation.


As the year ends, you have only a few more hours to make tax deductable donations to charity. It's not a big deal to write a couple of checks, and lots of charities accept credit card donations and have convenient websites. However, if you want to spread money around, AmEx makes it extremely easy -- and personally profitable.

The Giving Express program connects you to over a million charitable organizations! You can search for them by name, keywords, location, or use an extensive list of categories such as performing arts, education, health care, housing, human rights, disaster relief, religion and much more. The AmEx website has financial reports, mission statements, contacts, and other information regarding the organizations.

Donating online helps nonprofit organizations reduce administrative costs so that they can do more with the money. Your dollar donations are tax-deductible and you’ll receive an e-mail receipt for your records.

• Give to one or more charities and nonprofit organizations
• Donate dollars with your American Express Card
• Donate Membership Rewards points
• Set up recurring donations

When you make a donation, you'll get an immediate e-mail confirmation for each transaction. AmEx will post a detailed record of all your donations on your password-protected Giving History web page, if you need a record for an IRS audit in the future. CLICK

TI calculator is vital for anyone who sells stuff

Texas Instruments would probably prefer to be known for its pioneering work in transistors and integrated circuits. The company makes advanced semiconductor products that are used in cellphones, satellites, cars, computers and Hi-Def TVs. They also make an incredibly useful $25 calculator that belongs on the desks of everyone who buys and sells things.

TI's BA-20 "Profit Manager" has been made for 10 years or more in several versions, but its important special functions have remained, providing easy answers to pricing decisions for merchants.

Preprogrammed functions quickly provide cost-sell-margin solutions; enter any two variables and the third appears instantly.

If you know your cost, and desired profit margin, you tap some brainy buttons and it tells you how much to sell an item for.

If you know your cost, and the selling price, you tap some brainy buttons and it tells you what your margin is.

Less useful, if you know your selling price, and your margin, you tap some brainy buttons and it tells you what your cost might have been.

It's solar powered, has readable buttons and display digits, and does basic math, too. My oldest one even has a digital clock. Highly recommended. Available at Amazon, Staples and other office suppliers.

EnGenius long-range cordless phone

Most cordless phones can work a few hundred feet from their base. That's fine for most homes and offices, but not nearly enough for a ranch, farm, car lot, campus, warehouse or a big office building or store.

EnGenius Technologies has been marketing long-range cordless phones in the US for about a decade. EnGenius is part of Senao, a Taiwanese manufacturer of phones and wireless data equipment. Some Senao phones can go dozens of miles, but they're not legal in the US. The EnGenius phones are legal here, and can usually reach a mile or more. They have more "horsepower" than other cordlesses, and can even punch through metal walls.

The first generation EnGenius was independently tested to have a five-mile range. Unless you live in death valley, you probably won't reach that far, but coverage of 12 floors in building, 250,000 sq. ft. in a warehouse, and 3,000 acres on a farm, ranch, car lot or campus is not unusual. That's more than 130 million square feet!

EnGenius was one of the first companies to offer a cordless phone with a separate base that can be positioned for maximum range, while the handset needs just a charging cradle, but no phone jack. They were also one of the first companies to offer multi-handset cordless phone systems with handset-to-handset intercom.

EnGenius "DuraFons" are extremely rugged. They are industrial strength phones, built to be dropped and splashed. In addition to providing phone service, they also act as walkie-talkies, and provide paging from one handset to multiple handsets.

Several DuraFon systems are available, for 1, 4 or 32 lines; and up to 9, 32, or 90 handsets. A DuraFon can be connected directly to phone company dialtone, or used with another phone system. Many accessories are available, including an external range-boosting antenna. More info is at www.engenius.info.

Flashing red BatPhone can be delivered before Christmas

Now everyone can have a red phone with a flashing light like Batman.

When there’s trouble in Gotham City, Police Commissioner Gordon calls caped crusader Batman, the secret alter ego of millionaire Bruce Wayne.

At Wayne Manor, the flashing red Batphone is answered by Alfred the butler, who tells Wayne about the trouble. Then Wayne and his young ward Dick Grayson put on their superhero costumes. As Batman and Robin, they race from the Batcave in the Batmobile to battle evil-doers, or rescue citizens in distress.

Now everyone can have a bright red flashing Batphone just like a superhero. When an emergency call - or even an ordinary call - comes in, a bright red light centered in a shiny chrome ring starts flashing to attract attention.

The Batphone has classic sixties styling, with heavy-duty construction, a two-year warranty, and is made in the USA. It gets all of its power from the phone line, and doesn’t require a power cord or batteries. It can work on an ordinary home phone line, or on an "analog extension port" in a business phone system.

The phone rings when the light flashes, unless a purchaser prefers the bell to be disconnected for silent signaling, or an optional high-pitched "BatSignal" or buzzer to be installed instead of the bell. Price with the bell is $122, including "ground" shipping to all 50 states. Fast shipping for delivery by Christmas costs extra.

Order online at www.GetABatPhone.com, or call toll-free 1-888-225-3999.

Now everyone can have a flashing red phone like Batman

When there’s trouble in Gotham City, Police Commissioner Gordon calls caped crusader Batman, the secret alter ego of millionaire Bruce Wayne.

At Wayne Manor, the flashing red Batphone is answered by Alfred the butler, who tells Wayne about the trouble. Then Wayne and his young ward Dick Grayson put on their superhero costumes. As Batman and Robin, they race from the Batcave in the Batmobile to battle evil-doers, or rescue citizens in distress.

Now everyone can have a bright red flashing Batphone just like a superhero. When an emergency call - or even an ordinary call - comes in, a bright red light centered in a shiny chrome ring starts flashing to attract attention.

This new phone, developed by AbleComm, Inc., has classic sixties styling, with heavy-duty construction, and a two-year warranty. It gets all of its power from the phone line, and doesn’t require a power cord or batteries.

The phone rings when the light flashes, unless a purchaser prefers the bell to be disconnected for silent signaling, or an optional high-pitched "BatSignal" or buzzer to be installed instead of the bell. Price with the bell is $122, including shipping to all 50 states.

Order online at www.GetABatPhone.com, or call toll-free 1-888-225-3999.

Heavenly Phone can give anyonea direct line to God.

Some clergy men and women have claimed to have a "direct line to God," and other people merely act that way. Now anyone can have a high quality communications device that implies a direct link to a Higher Power.

Imagine the reaction of visitors when the phone rings, and you answer, "This is your humble servant, how may I assist you?"

It's a great Chanukah/Kwanzaa/Christmas gift for any lay person or clergy person with a sense of humor, or buy one for yourself.

AbleComm's GodPhone is non-denominational, and suitable for rabbis, priests, pastors, chaplains, padres, preachers, ministers, cardinals, imams, monks, nuns, gurus, or any spiritual leader. You probably shouldn't give it to an atheist.

The phone is "office quality," not a toy, made in the USA, and has a seven-year warranty. The phone does not have buttons for dialing out. It will generally be used for answering calls or just as a passive prop.

It can be connected to a phone system with automatic dialing and programmed to call a specific number when the handset is lifted. You can also get an upgraded version with internal memory for automatic dialing, but as with prayers, there is no guarantee that God will answer you.

Price of the standard GodPhone is $100. The Auto-dial GodPhone costs $240. Both models get free shipping anywhere in the USA. CLICK for more info and ordering. AbleComm also manufactures the BatPhone, PizzaPhone and Presidential HotLine phone.

Great gift idea: Pizzaphone automatically calls for food

An exciting alternative to the traditional ties and wrench sets that often appear at this time of year, the PizzaPhone® is a unique gift for Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Christmas or almost any day. It can be easily programmed to call a favorite pizzeria, and the number is dialed as soon as the handset is lifted.

If another restaurant becomes the new favorite, it takes just a few seconds to re-program the phone’s memory. A manually-dialed PizzaPhone is also available.
The PizzaPhone is the ultimate status symbol for a college dorm, fraternity or apartment, or an executive office; and it's a great "power tool" for garage or basement.

It's also good for a lodge or club, the kitchen or break room at work; and although women can use it, it will be particularly appreciated anywhere hungry guys hang out.

The PizzaPhone is a great gift for others, but people can also use it to reward themselves. If a husband puts it on the kitchen wall at home, it might even encourage his wife to cook more. Or he might get hit with the phone.

PizzaPhone easily mounts on a standard "RJ11W" wall phone jack. It works with an ordinary analog phone line, or VoIP, or cable TV phone service, or in a business or institution's phone system. It can also be installed in a hotel or motel lobby or on a military base. PizzaPhone is powered by the telephone line. No AC power or battery is required.

Two models are available. The automatic-dialing PizzaPhone, which can be easily pre-programmed by the user to call a favorite restaurant, sells for $177, with free shipping anywhere in the United States, and has a two-year warranty. The manual-dialing PizzaPhone, which can also be used as a conventional telephone, sells for $77, with free shipping anywhere in the 50 states, and has a five-year warranty. It can even be used to order Chinese or Mexican food. Both phones can answer incoming calls.

The PizzaPhone is a product of RedHotPhones, the developer of the BatPhone, the GodPhone and the Presidential HotLine Phone. CLICK for more information and ordering.

Hundred-buck 3G wireless netbook at RadioShack

RadioShack is now selling its first netbook, the Acer Aspire One. This is the first time Acer is offering a 3G-capable version of its One in the US market. (The Shack model may not be blue as in the photo above.)

The Shack will offer the device at $99.99 for customers who sign up for a qualifying two-year AT&T DataConnect mobile broadband service agreement with plans starting at $60/month. Price is $499.99 without the service plan.

The 2.44-pound netbook features 1GB memory, 8.9" screen, 160GB hard drive, built-in memory card readers and Windows XP software. The unit has integrated 3G functionality in addition to full Wi-Fi capability. CLICK for more. (info from TWICE)

Great deals on refurbed hi-def TVs at Tiger

I'm a big fan of Tiger Direct.

Over the years they've been my main source for bare-bones and complete PCs, components for PCs, monitors and printers, and a bunch of ready-to-use desktops and laptops. Their regular prices are very good, but I've often taken advantage of their big bargains on refurbished equipment for my office.

Yesterday I ordered a refurbished flatscreen Vizio HDTV for a guest room, to replace one of the last CRT TVs in the house. They have a variety of sizes and other brands include Toshiba, Samsung, JVC and Sharp. There are also discounts on wall mounts, Blu-ray players, cables and remotes.

I've never regretted buying refurbished electronic products, and I assume this TV will be just about perfect. It was probably returned to Costco or Sam's Club by someone who was too stupid to realize he needed an HDTV signal to see hi-def.

Shipping charges are reasonable. You probably won't have to pay sales tax. And with a Tiger credit card, you can pay over a few months with no interest.

Quanities are limited. Act fact. You can get delivery before Chanukah. CLICK

New favorite salsa and chips are both from Costco

Ola Senor y Senorita!

I eat lots of salsa and tortilla chips, and I've tried lots of brands over the years. Many salsa brands, including Chi-Chi's and Ortega are acceptable to me -- especially if I have to grab a jar at a nearby 7-11 or Mobil Mart for late-night motel munching.

For the last year or so I had standardized on Santa Barbara salsa from Costco, and the ubiquitious Scoops chips made by Frito-Lay. Their spoon-bowl shape made lots of sense, and they tasted fine. I also like the fresh-made freebie chips served at On-The-Border restaurants, and usually order a refill towards the end of a meal, so I know I'll have some left-overs that they'll pack for me to take home. My wife complains that they're too salty, but she usually scarfs down the contents of the doggie bag before I get a chance. She doesn't like salsa, tho.

I'm a big Costco fan. I'm there twice a week for food, electronics, office supplies, books, DVDs, tools, car stuff, garbage bags, clothes, everything. The constant stream of new products, good value, great customer service, plus free food samples make an unbeatbale combination. I'm also a member of BJ's and Sam's Club, but Costco is always my preferred warehouse destination.

A couple of weeks ago, one of their nice old ladies served me a free sample of their own Kirkland brand organic salsa, on their own Kirkland brand organic tortilla chips. I was immediately impressed, and bought a bag and a big bottle. Yesterday I bought another bag and bottle. They are my new standard, and I highly recommend them.

The chips are not as convenient as Scoops, but the superior taste makes up for having to use a spoon to spread the joy. Of course, you can rough-it and just shove a chip into the salsa. I prefer spreading to dipping.

I buy them for the flavor, but they're also organic. If that impresses you, you'll have two reasons to buy them. And because they're from Costco, you'll save money and have fun shopping, so you'll have four reasons.

CHIP HINT: invariably, as you progress to the bottom of the chip bag, the pieces get smaller and smaller and eventually the pieces and crumbs are just too small to put salsa on. Here are two ways to prolong the joy and minimize the waste. (1) Put the small pieces in a bowl so your dog can eat them. (2) Put the small pieces in a bowl, mash them up with a spoon, pour on the salsa and mix it up and eat with a spoon. YUM.

New movie recommendation service is powered by people

Clerk dogs believes that people give the best movie recommendations and has a search system powered by human beings, not algorithms.

Its database is made up of hundreds of thousands of individual recommendations from dozens of former video store clerks. The former clerks, who should understand why customers like movies, have analyzed the characteristics of movies to create a database that is said to be much richer and deeper than collaborative filtering engines. The system was designed to allow customers to interact with the database and to take control of their movie selection experience.

The movie genome project that powers Clerk Dogs was started when Stuart Skorman opened a brick-and-mortar video store in 1985, and moved to the web in 1995 when he founded Reel.com. Two years ago he reunited the original writers from Reel.com to create the new movie recommendation site.

Skorman says he designed the search engine for the movie buffs who have seen so many movies that they’re having a hard time finding new ones (or old ones) that they will really love.

QUICK TEST RESULTS:

A search for Bedtime for Bonzo turned up nothing.

A search for Back to the Future showed the sequels. No surprises there. However, when I clicked on "Mash It" I reached a deeper analysis page with slider controls that allowed me to adjust such characteristics as "action" and "screwball humor" to reveal more recommendations, including Miss Congeniality and Blue Streak.

More clicks provide additional movie data, and ordering from Amazon.com

Super deals from Herrington. ACT FAST!

The Herrington Catalog, seller of all kinds of cool Big Boys Toys (as well as clothing and household items), is having a warehouse clearance sale, with discounts of 25 - 50% or more.

CLICK

New Monster-size pizza from the Hut(but it's not really bigger than their Bigfoot)

Having grown up in New Haven, and having recently returned to the area after a 37-year absence, I am a pizza snob.

New Haven pizza, as pioneered by Pepe's and Sally's on Wooster Street, spelled "apizza" and pronounced "ah-beetz," is the real thing.

I regard most pizza, particularly mass-produced chain pizza from Domino's, as little more than cardboard with ketchup.

"California" pizza, laden with pineapple, barbecued ferns, tofu, frog vomit, sun-dried twigs and organic pebbles should be illegal.

I am offended by "white pizza" because the essence of pizza is the sauce. If it's not red, like a Ferrari, it's not pizza.

I never order "extra cheese." A traditional New Haven apizza (sometimes called a "tomato pie") has grated cheese, but no mozzarella ("mootz") on it. You can get mootz, but it's an extra-cost topping.

Nevertheless, despite its lack of authenticity, I have enjoyed the pizza-like food that comes out of the non-brick ovens at Pizza Hut. It tastes fine IF I don't think of it as pizza. As Cynical Cousin Dave explains, "It's not pizza, it's Pizza Hut."

Back in 1993, PH offered a giant rectangual pie aptly called the BIGFOOT. It measured two square feet, and cost $10.99 with up to three toppings. CLICK to see a commerical. It was great for parties, but despite many enthusiastic customers, the product disappeared. It may have been a PITA to produce.

Now PH is trying again, with their PANORMOUS pizza. They say it's
biggest pan pizza they've ever made. I don't think it's really bigger than Bigfoot, but it's over 40% bigger than PH's large pan pizza. Price is $12.99 with one topping per "side."

Like Bigfoot, it may not be available for long. Some PH employees are already grumbling about having to assemble yet another size cardboard box.

FREEBIE MUSIC BONUS: if you order Panormous online, you can get 75 free MP3s for yourself from eMusic, plus 75 free MP3s for five friends. (I'm not sure if they each get 75, or if you divide up the 75 among them.)

BULLSHIT REPORT: Actually, Panormous doesn't have two sides. And actually, it's not one enormous pizza like Bigfoot was. Panormous is two separate 8-slice pizzas sold in one box.