Other Tech

1. SMALL WONDERS Most multimedia speakers make audiophiles laugh, but the Spherex 5.1 Surround Sound System ($500) - based on Mirage's critically acclaimed Omnisat 6 home theater speakers (reviewed in "Thinking Outside the Box II," May 2003) - is worth a serious listen.

The ongoing iPodification of audio has generated a huge number of products designed to sync up with, amplify, and otherwise expand the possibilities of Apple's ubiquitous player. Many first-wave iPod add-ons got the cosmetic part right (white plastic cabinet? check!) but failed to impress when it came to music reproduction.

If you're shopping for an HDTV, you've probably noticed that the news stories and Sunday circulars all seem to focus either on expensive flat-panel plasma and LCD sets or on more affordable LCD or DLP rear-projection TVs.