Real men don't wear pants (maybe)

OK, men, here's your chance to replace your Dockers with something that will really attract the women. In fact, they might even want to wear your new clothes.

Scots have been wearing skirt-like kilts for centuries. Designer Marc Jacobs has been wearing kilts ever since his September women’s show in New York, and recent Paris fashion show runways have featured men in skirts.

I think I'll dig out my toga. (photos from The New York Times)

Warning about emergency dialing pendants

If any of you have an elderly friend, neighbor or relative who has a pendant that can be used to summon emergency help, pay attention.

Last weekend I visited an old lady (my mother) who was wearing the pendant in her house, and kept it on when we drove to a restaurant about five miles away.

When I asked Mom if she meant to keep it on, she said she needed it so she could call for help if she fell.

I tried to explain to her that it has to send a radio signal to a box connected to the phone line in her den, and it was extremely unlikely that the signal would reach five miles.

I also told her that even if the signal was strong enough to activate the automatic dialer, there was no way she'd hear a voice coming out of the box back at home. Nor would the dispatcher hear her voice if she tried to speak.

And finally I told her that even if the signal was strong enough to activate the automatic dialer, and a dispatcher did not hear her voice and sent an ambulance, the paramedics would go to her house -- not the Chinese restaurant where we were eating.

I made the mistake of asking her how she thought it worked, and she (the mother of the phone maven), replied: "magic."

Throughout our unpleasant interrogation, she kept insisting that the salesman told her it would work "outside."

I told her that "outside" probably meant her front driveway or back yard. Typical range on these things is 75- 200 feet. I urged her to keep a cellphone in her pocketbook.

BUT WAIT. IT GETS WORSE. The next day I visited my aunt. It turns out that Mom had told her about the magical lifesaver that works outside, and my Aunt in turn told some of her friends about it and some want to replace their indoors-only pendants for one like Mom has.

Mom also had trouble with her TV remote control.

Senate wants to delay analog TV end until June

The Senate voted on Monday to delay next month’s transition to digital television until June 12 because some viewers would not be ready for the switch.

The voice vote followed a call by President Obama’s administration to postpone the Feb. 17 date for major TV stations to stop sending traditional analog signals. Similar legislation awaits action in the House today.

Democratic Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, of West Virginia who leads the commerce committee, said last week that he had reached agreement with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, the top Republican on the panel, on the legislation. Some Republicans had opposed a delay, saying it would cause confusion by changing a long-planned date.

A federal program to subsidize digital equipment that some viewers will need has fallen short of money, and last week the government reported a waiting list of 1.4 million households.

More than 6.5 million homes are not able to receive digital TV programming, the Nielsen Company said last week. The figure is a decrease from last month, when Nielsen said almost 8 million could not receive it. (info from The New York Times)

More about bogus savings at Circuit City

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The best thing about January is February candy, but 2009 is an inferior vintage

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.

Unfortunately, I am sad to report that the 2009 vintage is not up to the previous standards. The current crop comes from Brazil, not Canada like last year. The hearts are a bit bigger, and not as good. They are less sweet, and have a somewhat waxy taste. I did buy ten bags on the first day, and managed to eat eight and give away two, but it was a lot less delicious than in the past. Better luck next year.

---

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 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.

Shop Carefully at Circuit City

Circuit City begain its going-out-of-business sales last Saturday, and it could take until the end of March to sell out enough to lock the doors and walk away.

You can save money durign a "G-O-B" sale, but be careful.

There have been reports that merchandise that had been previously discounted was marked up to list price, and then discounts were offered. But the resulting price may be higher than CC was selling the items for last week, and higher than you'd pay elsewhere.

During the course of the G-O-B sale, discounts gradually increase as selection gradually decreases, so pay attention. Right now some of the biggest "bargains" are on stuff that few people want to buy at any price.

New "AT&T" cordless system has repeaters to extend range. Cool phone has horrible model number.

Advanced American Telephones is part of VTech and makes AT&T-branded telephones under license from AT&T.

At the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, the company previewed the SB67118, a unique four-line corded/cordless system that offers talk range said to be up to about 3,000 feet. It's aimed to take business from the Panasonic KX-TG4500 and EnGenius DuraFon 4X.

The system offers expandability up to 10 handsets and other technologies that help people communicate clearly and faster in environments such as multi-story buildings, garages and warehouses.

It uses DECT 6.0 "zero blind-spot technology," which allows the system to
strengthen the radio signal in areas that normally have a weak signal. It is said to be the only product of its kind to offer repeaters that can extend range up to approximately 3,000 feet.

In addition, the SB67118 enables 10 handsets to be in use simultaneously, while
standard DECT systems allow only five. This system also has push-to-talk (PTT) to communicate with any or all extensions, three-party conferencing, auto-attendant,
voicemail and a base speakerphone.

FEATURES:
• 1 to 4 line capability
• 10 speed dial and 10 intercom number locations
• 3-party conferencing
• Selectable ring tones
• Headset compatible (2.5mm jack)
• Rapid scroll
• Memory loss protection
• Last 10-number redial
• Unsurpassed range
• Music on hold
• Chain dialing
• DECT zero blind slot technology
• Expandable to 10 handsets
• Push to talk between base and handsets
• Caller ID/call waiting*
• Auto attendant-individual voicemail for each extension
• 100 minutes of digital recording time
• Remote access with programmable options

It should be available mid-year for about $500 for the base with an un-specified number of cordless handsets (probably one). Additionally handsets will probably cost about a hundred bucks.

FUCK YOU, LensCrafters

I recently misplaced -- or actually lost -- the eyeglasses that I use when working at my computer.

After a couple of frustrating days searching my house, office and cars, and suffering with an old inadequate pair of glasses, I declared them officially gone.

I didn't need a complete pair of glasses -- just lenses that would fit into any of several no-longer-used eyeglass frames.

Not wanting to prolong the agony, I went to my local LensCrafters. I've bought from them before and was pleased with the product selection, quality and fast service -- but my wife said I paid too much.

The company advertises that they can make glasses "in about an hour" and has perpetual sales like the mattress stores. Their regular price seems to be their 25%-off price and they have lots of two-fers.

LensCrafters is part of a huge vertically integrated Italian company, Luxottica -- the biggest eyewear company in the world, with many stores and many brands, including Ray-Ban.

The company makes glasses sold with lots of "designer" labels such as DKNY, Polo and Versace. They operate the eyeglass departments in Sears, K-Mart and Target, plus their own LensCrafters, Pearle Vision and Sunglass Hut stores. With over 6,000 retail outlets and dozens of brands, it's hard to not buy from Luxottica.

There's probably no company that can make frames and lenses as inexpensively as LensCrafters. The corporate websits brags that Luxottica has "lowest production costs and the highest margins."

I expected to pay a bit extra for quick service and an expensive mall location -- but I had no idea I'd get fucked as badly as I did.

Even with my 15% AAA discount, a pair of basic single-vision lenses, with no special coating, would have cost a whopping $192.

If I was willing to buy a complete pair of glasses to take advantage of the alleged 25% discount, and settle for an ugly frame from the closeout section, the total would have been $215.

I left and ordered a perfect pair of complete glasses at Costco for $59. I had to wait about 10 days for them, but I'd rather be part blind than a complete idiot.

According to a study by MIT, a typical pair of lenses costs two bucks to make. The raw material in the frame and lenses is worth pennies. At least one online source will sell me a complete pair of glasses for under ten bucks.

I certainly don't mind if Luxottica makes a profit. But if they get greedy, I walk away.

And if the greedy bastards are stupid enough to brag about their high profit margin, I'll tell everyone to stay away.

Blockbuster goes online in a big way

Following the lead of competitor Netflix, Blockbuster plans to expand its digital reach by offering access to its video library through a variety of electronic devices.

The company is expected to announce today a partnership with Sonic Solutions to offer movies for rent and for sale on a variety of broadband-connected digital devices, including personal computers, cellphones, Internet-connected televisions and Blu-ray disc players.

The library of offerings will be a combination of titles from Blockbuster and CinemaNow, the movie downloading service Sonic acquired late last year.

Blockbuster is attempting to match the advances of Netflix, which has struck deals to make its online video service available on devices such as Microsoft's Xbox 360 game console, Blu-ray disc players and television sets. Netflix also offers its titles on TiVo digital video recorders.

Blockbuster intends to make the content easily transferable between devices. For example, by registering the device and account, a consumer would be able to start watching a movie on an Internet-connected Blu-ray DVD player and later watch the remainder of it on a personal computer. Blockbuster will also allow users to download a rented video and watch it on a device not connected to the Internet. (info from The Wall Street Journal)

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.