Best Buy

So you want to give a desktop computer to a kid? [In a past article], I wondered whether to go used, new from a major manufacturer, or new (and relatively easy to assemble) from parts.

Before I go any further, it's worth pointing out that the price of laptop computers has fallen so low that you really don't save much money -- as used to be the case -- by opting for a desktop system.

If you're buying new, by the time you add a flat-screen monitor to your desktop PC box, you're taking about $450 minimum from Dell, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard or Acer.

The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) in Washington ruled Thursday that music publishers and artists are entitled to a royalty payment of just more than nine cents for each track sold online. In addition, the CRB established a royalty rate of 24 cents for content used as ringtones.

The ruling is the first to formally establish a rate for digital downloads. Until now, online stores such as Apple's iTunes Store had been paying the same rate paid to artists for CD tracks. The new ruling will remain in place until 2012, bringing a level of predictability to the online music industry.

Will a small microSD card save the album/CD music format? That's the provocative question raised by SanDisk, which announced Monday that it has struck deals with music-industry leaders to release DRM-free MP3 music on slotMusic cards.

Will a small microSD card save the album/CD music format? That's the provocative question raised by SanDisk, which announced Monday that it has struck deals with music-industry leaders to release DRM-free MP3 music on slotMusic cards.

Owners of MP3 players and microSD-enabled phones will soon be able to listen to their favorite tunes without Digital Rights Management issues, passwords, or even an Internet connection.

SanDisk, together with Sony, Universal and Warner Bros., has developed microSD cards called slotMusic cards with "more stuff in less space." The new cards will allow users to listen to preloaded music, videos and images from Sony, Universal, Warner Bros. and EMI.

Consumer electronics giant Best Buy announced Monday that it will acquire digital-music pioneer Napster for $121 million. Under the terms of the agreement, Napster shareholders will receive $2.65 for each outstanding share. The companies expect the purchase to be completed in the fourth quarter.

Brian Dunn, president and COO of Best Buy, said the deal will give the retailer's customers an expanded range of options for the delivery of electronic media.

The digital-content landscape could look very different in the months ahead if a group of more than 20 companies has its way.

The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE), a consortium that includes seemingly all the major players except Apple, officially announced Monday plans to define and build a new digital-media framework using industry standards. The goal is to allow consumers to acquire and play content across a wide range of services and devices.

Within three days of its release, Apple sold 1 million iPhone 3Gs.

Such widespread excitement over a product means that scammers have a new opportunity to rip off unsuspecting consumers, and the Better Business Bureau is providing advice on how consumers can protect themselves from the many schemes associated with the product.

When it comes to hot, new technology that has everyone buzzing, consumers can get caught up in the craze and let their common sense lapse.

If you want a better desktop computer than the guy next door, now is the time to start looking and buying.

In previous months, PCs from the major makers were offering 2 to 3 gigabytes of RAM with dual-core Intel and AMD processors. You need that kind of power to make the Windows Vista operating system run well.

But in the past few weeks, I've seen a major uptick in desktop PC specifications -- and prices.

As part of its new $300 million marketing campaign and image makeover, Microsoft Corp. plans to deploy its own customer-service representatives at retailers like Best Buy and Circuit City to help people with their PC purchases.

The world's largest software company plans to have 155 "Microsoft Gurus" in U.S. stores by the end of the year, and expand based on the project's success, Microsoft's general manager of corporate communications, Tom Pilla, said Friday.