OTHER TECH

Convergence Is Alive and Kicking Remember how "convergence" was going to make all technologies mutually compatible? Well, that was as much of a dream as seeing the Nasdaq hit 5,000, but the iPod is giving manufacturers all kinds of reasons to reach out and converge with it. Case in point is Onkyo's Remote Interactive (RI) Dock, or DS-A1 ($99), which the company said would be available by the end of May. Onkyo has cranked out some five million receivers and other components worldwide over the past decade. Wouldn't it be great if you could connect your iPod to them? The DS-A1 is a ministand that charges your iPod while letting it interface with your Onkyo component's IR system. This means you can play your iPod through a receiver while controlling it using the receiver's remote. Onkyo is the first company to offer this kind of convergence, but look for others to follow. -K.P.