Your Technology

FIT FOR AN iMAC While the original iMac won raves for its design, owners of Epson's Stylus Color 740 ink-jet printer were dismayed to learn that a special software upgrade was needed to get the devices to work together. Apple made the fix, and now Epson is returning the favor by minting the printer in all five iMac colors. Available May 23 for $280, it offers 1,440 x 720 resolution and prints up to six pages a minute. Blueberry is standard; other colors are $15 extra.

DOUBLE-DECKER Airbus Industrie, the world's second largest plane manufacturer, announced plans last week to build the world's largest plane, a two-level superjumbo jetliner, code-named A3XX, that will seat 550 passengers (100 more than today's biggest jets) and offer such amenities as a gym, a theater or a kids' play area. The $200 million plane won't take flight until 2005, by which time competitor Boeing may have its 800-seater ready.

A PENNY SAVED... Tired of wondering whether you're being swindled by your long-distance phone carrier? You might want to pick up a new gizmo called Phone Genie by MediaCom ). Every time you dial long distance, the $200 device scans a directory of 20 discount carriers, including Sprint and MCI, to find the lowest rates available that month. About the size of a deck of cards, it plugs into any phone jack and will work on all the phones in your house. MediaCom chairman and "Miser in Chief" Bob Pokress claims the Phone Genie can find rates as low as 6[cents] a minute.