The James Logan Courier

By Wailin Wong
Chicago Tribune (MCT)

CHICAGO — The wall-outlet crawl is a familiar dance that takes place in cafes and airport terminals: laptop computer and cell-phone users desperately hunting for a place to plug in their gadgets, rearranging furniture or settling uncomfortably on the floor to access an outlet.

If only there were a way to pull electricity out of the air, letting consumer electronics operate and recharge while untethered.

Scientists are now hot on the trail, trying to do for electricity what Wi-Fi did for the Internet. The idea is to perfect a transmitter that sends electricity coursing through a room to gadgets, eliminating the need for messy and inconvenient cords.

By Rick Bentley
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)

FRESNO, Calif. — The biggest change in television since the invention of color is coming Feb. 17, 2009. That's when local television stations make the change from broadcasting analog signals to digital.

The mandated change has caused some confusion.

Some viewers fear they will not be able to watch television after the switch.

Others are confused by government coupons, converter boxes and all of the other aspects of the arrival of the digital era.

Stop beating yourself over the head with your TV remote. If you are still boggled by the impending change, the following provides answers to some of the most often asked questions. They should help make the transition a little less confusing.

Q. What is going to happen Feb. 17, 2009?
A. All full-power television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting in their current analog format and switch to digital.

Q. Will everyone be affected?
A. Yes, everyone with a TV.

By Noah Matthews
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)

Getting a leg up on high school has many advantages, and "High School Advantage 2008," which covers 10 courses, with thousands of lessons, exercises, tutorials and quizzes, is a good way to get ready for fall semester and the SATs. The tutors on this DVD for Windows PCs patiently guide students through courses that have practical applications. In other words, High School Advantage will prepare students for the classroom, SATs and the real world.

Subjects include Algebra II, geometry and trigonometry, English composition, economics, U.S. government (political science), world history, typing, biology, chemistry and physics along with rudimentary courses in Spanish, French, German and Italian. It also has games and cell phone ringtones.

By Eric Gwinn
Chicago Tribune (MCT)

Things have changed a lot in the past 12 months since our 2007 back-to-school guide to laptops costing $1,000 or less. A new class of mini-laptops _ less-than-$500 machines small enough to fit on a sheet of paper — has taken off. Microsoft recently ended sales and support for Windows XP, while Apple last fall updated the Mac operating system. And the solid-state hard drive is gaining steam as an alternative to the heavier, hotter and power-gulping hard drive we know and love.

But one thing hasn't changed in the past year: It's a pain to sift through all the specs and models to find a computer for you or your student.

Ta-da! Behold our 2008 back-to-school guide to laptops.

By Kristine Hansen
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (MCT)

MILWAUKEE — Around-the-clock Internet access, and a wealth of information online, quickens the pace at which consumers decide to buy — whether it's a handbag, vacation or a house.

Househunters and their realty agents who use online tools strategically are a step ahead of the game. Listings can now sparkle, dazzle and convince. A deal can swim through faster than the old days of faxed listings, with the potential buyer having little more than a piece of paper in hand before the first showing.

By Craig Crossman
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)

Now that you've owned a digital camera for a while, chances are your collection of digital photographs is growing to the point where they're becoming completely unmanageable. If you find yourself drowning in a sea of digital images and you just can't remember where you stored that picture of cousin Betty at the beach that you took on your vacation two years ago, you might want to consider the benefits of tagging.