The trick is in organizing MP3 files and playing them on something other than tiny computer speakers. ReQuest, a small company based in Troy, N.Y., has an answer, the Audio ReQuest system. This device looks and acts like a rack stereo component, but it can store and play up to 300 hours of digital music. Users can download files from their computers to the Audio ReQuest system, organize them into catalogs and playlists, and encode their own MP3 files from audio tapes, records or the system's built-in CD player. The Audio ReQuest player can connect to a television set and will play animated graphics that pulse to the beat of the music.
Users can catalog and sort their music from their computer or television.
Unfortunately, the company says the next shipment of devices won't be made until January, but it is accepting orders before Christmas. MP3 audiophiles probably won't mind the wait. The Palm Glove Palm Pilots and other handheld devices are often a techie's constant companion. But if you can't afford to, or don't need to, buy a device, there's a variety of accessories that will make your techie happy. Palm Computing recently made a deal with Body Glove, the company that makes wet suits, to create waterproof Palm carrying cases.