iTunes:
Not Just for Apples Anymore
Most Mac users have heard of Apple's iTunes Music Store. At 99 cents per song, it created a legitimate and affordable source for online music downloads. Once an Apple-only product, iTunes opened shop for Windows users as well. You can use your PC to buy hundreds of thousands of songs - and more than 5,000 audiobooks. iTunes is easy to use. Just browse for the songs and albums you want, and click "buy song" or "buy album." It will be charged to the credit card you specify in your account. You can download an entire music CD in seconds. iTunes can help you create playlists based on your listening preferences. You can even burn songs to CD.
Price: Software is free; songs 99 cents; albums around $9.99; audiobooks vary.
Where to buy: Free download from www.apple.com
Freshen Up
Keep your cab smelling fab with new device
Getting tired of those pine tree air fresheners? Here's a new way to keep your cab smelling fresh. And the best part is, it's an adjustable air freshener that plugs into your truck's cigarette lighter. DriveFresh is made by Aries Manufacturing and features a woodgrained holder. If you've got a woodgrained dash, it's a snazzy accessory. And if you don't, it's still a bit more classy than a cardboard tree cutout.
Price: $7.95 for the initial unit, with refills costing $2.50 for a pack of three. Each gel pack works for about 45 days. The unit can also use refills from Glade® PlugIns® and Renuzit®.
Where to buy: Go to www.drivefresh.com or call (800) 959-2743.
TiVo Series2 DVR
If you're on the road and don't want to miss the big game, or the upcoming episodes of your favorite shows, you need a TiVo. TiVo is a gadget and a service that automatically finds and digitally records your favorite shows every time they air, even if the schedule changes. There are no tapes and no timers. You can pause a show if the phone rings. You can rewind and freeze-frame if you want a recap. The new TiVo Series2 DVR has two models: one that holds 40 hours of recording for $199, and an 80-hour model for $299. Besides the TiVo unit, you'll need a television, a phone line (it won't interfere with your phone service), a program source (like a cable box, satellite receiver, rooftop antenna, etc.) and a subscription to the service ($12.95 per month). Learn more at www.tivo.com.
Price: $199-$299, plus $12.95 monthly subscription
Where to buy: www.tivo.com
Caffeinated Soap
Ever been so sluggish in the morning that you can't even get the coffee maker going? Now you don't have to wait for that cup of java to kick in to wake up. Shower Shock is a bar of soap infused with caffeine. You don't eat it, the caffeine is absorbed through your skin. Each 4-ounce bar delivers approximately 200 milligrams of caffeine per use (about 50 percent more than in a cup of coffee).
Price: $6.99
Where to buy: www.thinkgeek.com
Digital Camera Key chain
If you've been holding off on a digital camera because of expense, here's a fun new model that won't break the bank. This tiny digital camera hangs on a key chain, handy for those unexpected Kodak moments. You can take up to 26 high resolution photos or 104 low resolution snaps, plug into your computer and email away! The camera comes with a USB cord and Windows-compatible software.
Price: $50
Where to buy: Brookstone, www.brookstone.com
