Electronic Equipment

HD Radio, introduced amid much hype in 2004 as a way to digitally improve the sound of FM and AM stations, has never much caught the ears of U.S. radio listeners. Special receivers -- most of which are relatively expensive, tabletop models -- have to be bought to pick up the HD Radio signals. And the sound improvement, while noticeable, is not all that startling on FM. "For most people, FM is quite sufficient," said Richard Robinson, an analyst at research firm iSuppli Corp.

Nostalgic for cassette tapes but love the convenience of iPods? Now you can have them both in one product. A pair of Canadian designers are recycling cassette tapes into iPod cases. Called the 45nano, it appears to be a normal, unrecorded cassette on one side. But flip it over and you'll find a hollowed-out area that fits the latest iPod Nano. The designers -- Nathan Lee and Trevor Coghill of Contexture Design -- also put in some cushioning foam and a plastic sleeve to protect the Nano, while still making it possible to work the touch-wheel.

A few weeks ago, Pasquale Castaldo was waiting at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport for a delayed flight when a man sitting across from him pulled out an Amazon Kindle book-reading device. "Gee, maybe I should think about e-books myself," thought Castaldo, 54. He didn't have a Kindle, but he did have a BlackBerry. He pulled it out and looked for available applications. Sure enough, Barnes & Noble Inc. had just put up an e-reading program. Castaldo downloaded it, and within a minute, began reading Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice."

An upgraded iPod Nano -- with video camera, FM radio and other niceties -- in a slimmer, flashier package is the highlight of Apple's new product lineup.But the fact that it's an upgrade is telling -- Apple Inc. revealed no brand-new products at Wednesday's long-awaited unveiling. The rumored tablet-style computer that's supposedly in the works was not mentioned. "We didn't see anything bleeding edge or real 'out of the blue,' " said Gartner Inc. analyst Mike McGuire. "We saw logical extensions."

In a public demonstration that hope springs eternal, Microsoft on Tuesday introduced the latest version of its Zune portable player. As mighty as Microsoft is, the odds are not with it in this venture. If the Zune were an ancient myth, it would be Sisyphus forever trying to roll a giant stone up a hill. If a comic-strip character, Charlie Brown trying to kick a football, and if a politician, Ralph Nader running for president. All have little hope of triumphing, but they try over and over again.

Here's maybe the best reason yet to make sure your Wi-Fi connection is secure from snoopers. A French technology company called Withings has introduced the first bathroom scale with Wi-Fi capability. And if that wasn't enough, it also has an iPhone app. All you do is step on the scale, and your weight shows up on a personal Web page (hopefully, that's secure too) or the phone screen, where you can compare it with past readings. You can even get a graphic showing weight loss -- or gain -- over time.

Barnes & Noble Inc., looking ahead to the next chapter in digital publishing, took the wraps off an electronic book reader, dubbed "nook." Anyone who has read Dr. Seuss' "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish" will recall Theodor Geisel's Nook who took a look at the book on a hook. For Barnes & Noble's $259 device, the hook is its ability to let users lend their books to their friends for up to 14 days at a time. Using the LendMe feature, nook owners can send a copy of their digital titles to their friends' iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry or computer.

Apple Inc.'s iPhone has been a ringing success wherever it has been launched. But in China few are picking up the buzz. Challenged by high pricing, missing features and stiff competition, iPhones have logged only 5,000 sales since the handset debuted Oct. 30 in the world's biggest cellphone market. By comparison, more than a million units were sold in the first three days when the latest iPhone was launched in North America and Europe in June. One major hang-up might be the price.

A New Zealand man who bought an MP3 player from a thrift shop in Oklahoma found 60 U.S. military files, including names and phone numbers for soldiers who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, TV One News reported today. Chris Ogle said he found the files when he linked the device to his computer. Details of equipment at bases in Afghanistan and a mission briefing were found too, the report said. In 2006, the Los Angeles Times found stolen flash drives containing secret military data for sale at Afghan shops.

Felix Savon, the saving grace. At the end of a surprisingly shabby day of gold-medal fighting and unsurprising dodgy scoring Saturday at Alexander Memorial Coliseum, Savon did what Savon usually does: He rose above it all, above the politics and the protests, the Cuba bashing, the Cuba praising and the Cuban expectations of a shower of gold.