The National Association of Broadcasters sends word that it will be visiting several locations in the Dallas area over the next week to explain the 2009 switch from analog to digital over-the-air television broadcasts.

The association says that 21 percent of Texas households rely on over-the-air broadcast programming on analog televisions, and those are the people whose sets will go dark on February 17, 2009 unless they buy a digital-to-analog converter, purchase a digital television, or start subscribing to cable or satellite TV service.

There will be informational kiosks at each event, literature, games and NAB personnel will be on hand to answer questions.

But the best part about the roadshow is the 20-foot television that’s traveling with it.

Dubbed the “DTV Trekker,” the gigantic display will be a beacon to all those searching for digital TV enlightenment.

Click on to see the list of local stops.

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Deutsche Grammophon has just launched a Web shop with songs from 2,400 of its albums — including 600 that are no longer available on CD. Albums cost $11 or $12. Songs cost $1.29 each.

Each song comes without any annoying copy protections so you can move the song freely among your various devices. Better still, all the files contain 320 kb of information per second of music played, more than double the iPod standard of 128 kb per second. Higher kb rates equate to much better sound…

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Even with 2 laptops in my house, I still pay very little for electricity. I guess it coz I have this little magic gadget that is supposed to clean out the noise on my power lines and make it cleaner, thereby lowering down my bills. Well, if you are not as crazy as me, then the energy meter Efergy will help you monitor your exact energy use in real time. It plugs onto your mains cable, and also features a wireless, standalone display helps you become more energy efficient, less wasteful and save money at the same time.

Having a visual display showing exactly how much electricity is being consumed at any one time means it’s easier to turn off what is not essential, such as little-used printers or gadgets plugged in even if they are fully charged, as well as switch off unnecessary lighting.

via Energy meter Efergy

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Whenever I get demo sets sent to my house, I always have trouble opening the packaging. Some of them are packed very tightly and its hard to even cut through sometimes. Fret not, here’s a cure for sore thumbs. The Open It is the only tool that has everything you need to open any package. Groups of women known as

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Google Finance, launched in March last year, has failed to

put a dent in Yahoo Finance

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Folks who usually run up credit card debt to finance their Christmas presents may profit from a lower interest alternative: person-to-person lending.

A number of Internet sites already match would-be borrowers with willing lenders. The largest such business here is the U.S. is Prosper.com, which uses online auctions to set interest rates and claims some 490,000 members.

Now, the Wall Street Journal reports, a company that has been operating in Britain for two years is moving to the U.S. with a slightly different model.

Zopa is working with existing credit unions here to offer CDs backed by five-year loans. Borrowers pay interest rates between 8.75 percent and 16.99 percent, depending up their credit histories. The CD interest rates are currently capped at 5.1 percent, but unlike loans made through companies like Prosper, they are insured through the credit unions so lenders cannot lose capital if borrowers default.

The appeal of these person-to-person lending sites is purely financial. Borrowers pay lower interest rates than they would on credit cards or unsecured bank loans. Lenders make higher interest than they can on other investments with similar risk profiles.

Zopa will begin U.S. operations next week.

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If you’re looking for a sleek, low-power laptop that can easily slide into a backpack or purse, you have lots of options right now.

If you’re in a charitable mood, you can participate in the One Laptop per Child’s “Give One, Get One” program until December 31. For $399, one of the Linux-powered laptops will be sent to a child in a developing country, and you’ll get one machine for yourself.

If you’re looking for a device with a little more horsepower for Web surfing and moderate office work, the Eee PC from Asus is available starting from $299. But the Eee — which was designed to run Linux but can also run Windows XP — has proven hugely popular since its launch several weeks ago, and finding a unit before Christmas could be tough.

Finally, a little farther down the road will be Intel’s Classmate PC. While the device is currently only available in developing countries (really, it’s Intel’s attempt to head off the unexpected competition from the OLPC folks), it will likely be sold in the U.S. before long, as well.

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Nokia launched N81 8GB and N82 just not long ago, but yet there is already an argument around my friends on which is better. Well, both phones looks sexy, though it is again the standard Nokia candybar/slider

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One of the biggest barriers to the widespread adoption of Web-based word processors has always been the need for constant Internet connection. No longer. Team Zoho has just announced that its Writer program now lets users view and edit documents offline.

Here’s a basic explanation of how it works…

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