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The music-industry trade groups that have launched mass lawsuits against consumers may be about to become three-legged stools. EMI, of the four largest music labels, may be moving to cut its funding for the Recording Industry Association of America and its British cousin, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.

Sometimes it makes me nervous to lift an iPod-compatible compact audio system out of the box. There are plenty of them out there and I want to review only the exceptional ones. From time to time I pull off the wrapping and know I'm looking at a loser before the iPod even touches the docking connector. Flimsy construction usually leads to flimsy sound. On the other hand, some systems also make a fine first impression. The Tannoy i30 is a case in point. It was packed better than most of the surround receivers I reviewed, in charcoal-colored non-disintegrating foam. At a solid eight pounds, it felt good in my hands.

The Blu-ray folks who have been guzzling champagne for the past week might want to put the cork back in the bottle and put it in the fridge. Yesterday's raft of Apple announcements included the company's entry into high-def movie downloads and deals with several major studios.

<I>Seale Moorer's life|ware product makes home automation more accessible, affordable, and sophisticated.</I>