In Brief: Mar. 4, 2002

LITTLE SHOT In the ever escalating race to build a smaller camera, Minolta’s new DiMage X ($399) is the current flyweight champ. It’s the size of a deck of cards, weighs in at just 4.8 oz., stands about 3 in. tall but takes relatively hefty 2-megapixel pictures. It can also shoot a 35-sec. movie and comes with a 168-MB media storage card that holds a whopping 130 images. It’s the perfect pocket partner for big shots on the go.

LOUD PLEASER Looking for a better way to listen to all the music stored on your PC? Check out the DAL 150 EzLink from Harman Kardon, which at $149 may be the cheapest solution yet. The Palm Pilot-size device hooks up your computer to your stereo via a USB connection and coaxial cable. Then it converts the digital files back into analog songs, which is something only your stereo speakers–and true audiophiles–can love.

JUST LOOKING Lots of people watch DVDs on their computers. Microsoft’s free media player for Windows XP, on 17 million PCs, is a popular way to do it. It turns out, though, that Microsoft has been logging what people are watching, and even what songs they’re listening to, according to the Associated Press, which got Redmond to fess up. Microsoft says it’s updating the player’s privacy disclaimer to warn users. But it won’t rule out selling the information to advertisers down the line. Talk about paying the peeper!

–By Roy B. White