Other Tech

Let's face it: compared with lust-inducing gear like big-screen plasma TVs, feature-filled digital surround receivers, and 7.1-channel speaker systems, power accessories are about as sexy as dentistry. But if your house should ever get hit with a huge voltage surge, you might find having a tooth or two pulled a lot less painful than replacing your gear.

Conspiracy theories are like computer problems—almost everyone has one. From JFK's assassination to the demise of TWA flight 800, it's rare that everyone will accept the simplest explanation as the truth. Consumer electronics has its fair share of conspiracy theories, as well. They may not be as complex as a Louisiana district attorney's triangulated-bullet-trajectory theory, but they exist, nonetheless. What do you expect to happen when a large number of obsessive-compulsive personalities have too much free time and join a chat room?

Over 10 million of them have been sold, and it seems like everybody has one. Some are pink, some are green, some are blue, some are black, but most are white. Owners caress them, lovingly running their fingers back and forth across "my precious." Some can hold 10,000 of your favorite songs, and they'll follow you wherever you go.

Cable Cutoff

Q. What is the maximum length for an HDMI cable? Alan F. Wufsus Via E-mail

TV Freeze Out

Q. I have a three-season home that's closed up and unheated during winter months. Early HDTVs (LCD/plasma) couldn't be guaranteed free of damage by their manufacturers if their screens were subjected to temperatures at or below freezing. A neighbor recently bought a plasma screen, believing it wouldn't be susceptible to such low temperatures.