Technology For You

Save to notebook Email article Print article More articles

DVDs for backseat movies

For long car trips with kids, playing I-spy and license-plate bingo aren't enough to keep kids entertained. In-car video systems can be the answer. The average car DVD entertainment system now runs about $640, according to market researcher NPD Group.

You can get a portable, battery-operated DVD player for as little as $200 and use it on airplanes as well as the car. Or you can pay thousands for the fanciest in-car system.

"Home theater in a bag" systems are helpful. They include a player, flat video screen you hang from a front-seat headrest, and speakers or headphones. They come in a zippered nylon carrying case.

Legal downloads for less

Wide availability of music from Apple's iTunes and others convinced music fans to buy over 30 million downloads last year. More music stores are on the way.

Among the new contenders is Magnatune.com, whose motto "We Are Not Evil" lets listeners know that it was founded by musicians and musicians get half the purchase price of each tune.

Walmart's new music download Website boasts tunes for 88 cents for Windows users.

Weedshare.com allows users to download a song using its Windows software and play the song three times before they are prompted to buy it. Users can also distribute the Weed file to anyone they want. Then, if the new user buys the tune, the original buyer gets a commission.

Long Island Technology Articles > Technology For You