BETTER, FASTER, MORE COLORFUL
$49 or $79 • www.hp.com
The eternal promise of gadgetland -- that devices will keep getting cheaper and better -- continues to play out among low-end printers.
Hewlett-Packard's newest printer for families, students and the home office, the $49 DeskJet D2560, and a multitasking sibling that also does scanning and copying, the $79 F4280, were announced last week and will ship this spring. They focus on being simple and reliable, without camera-card slots, wireless features or display screens -- just a single USB port.
HP says these printers are built to last, and standard replacement cartridges will cost $33. It might make sense, for a few dollars more, to buy a whole new printer every year.
CHILDREN'S FAVORITES ON COMPUTER
$79 a year • www.pbskidsplay.org
Next week, preschoolers can watch "Curious George" and "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" on their computer screens as part of PBS Kids Play, a subscription-based service that mixes 14 games with clips from these and other shows. After you download the necessary software (a 3MB file) for Windows computers, you get free access for 15 days, but then must pay $10 a month or $79 a year.
Subscription-only access to children's content is now common with services such as those from Disney (www.preschooltime.com) and Nick Jr. (www.mynoggin.com), but Kids Play signals a new path for a nonprofit such as PBS, according to Benjamin Grimley, senior director for PBS Interactive Businesses.
It's too bad that the late Mr. Rogers, who was known to be an early adopter of new technologies such as e-mail, isn't around to offer his thoughts on this new type of Web-based neighborhood.
NEW YORK TIMES
LEAVE THE TANGLE BEHIND
$65.50, www.idaptweb.com
The area on and around many modern bedside tables has become a rat's nest of charger wires for phones and other gadgets. The Idapt intends to change that with a unique triple charger.
