Tech News

By Anita Hamilton; Wilson Rothman Sunday, July 13, 2003
    • A Cell Jukebox
    It's a cell phone. It's a wireless music player. It's both. At the end of July, Sprint plans to become the first carrier to let subscribers play full-length songs on its phones, radio-style. Those who've signed up for the high-speed Sprint PCS Vision service will get to choose from 50 different songs from Sony and Warner Music. There's almost no delay before the tune starts playing, thanks to streaming technology. But we found the sound quality to be a bit wobbly on the phone we tried. If you like what you hear, you can download a 15-sec. clip to use as a ring tone for an additional $2.50.

    Electrifying Fun On Wheels
    Obesity statistics be damned! Oh, sure, your children can huff and puff as they vigorously pedal a Razor USA three-wheeler or push along the popular scooter to school. Or they can cruise down the sidewalk in style, powered by an electric motor attached to this year's models. Targeted at youngsters ages 6 to 11 and capable of going as fast as 10 m.p.h., these revved-up rollers will leave foot-powered versions in the dust. There's even a new Electric Punk mini-bike, at right, in the family. Each model runs for approximately 30 min. between charges — which take about 6 hours — and has a surprisingly quiet motor. Just make sure the kids wear a helmet, since these zippy roadsters (from $119 to $179) may tempt them to try more daring feats than ever.

    Sound Track To Go
    For aspiring auteurs, there's no shortage of moviemaking software. But try to cut your film to match a song in your MP3 library, and it gets more difficult. SmartSound Movie Maestro ($50) makes it easy by automatically layering in your sound track. The basic software package offers a fair variety of styles, from Blockbuster (heavy orchestra, eerie synth) to Vacation (steel drums, Dixieland brass), but the best stuff comes from the six optional Movie Music CDs ($30 apiece). The drawback is that you're stuck with their music; the program doesn't enable you to use tracks from a personal collection. But if you want a snap-to-fit sound, this is a good match. -- Wilson Rothman