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Product Pipeline

Let the MP3s Play: Rio's new line of digital audio players includes both hard-drive and flash devices, as well as one that offers an innovative new storage format. The $299 Rio Nitrus (left) is among the first players to feature the new Cornice Storage Element, a small device thinner than a flash memory card. The Nitrus has 1.5GB of storage, enough to hold about 375 typical songs, and is smaller than a deck of playing cards. The $399 Rio Karma, meanwhile, presents a 20GB hard drive in a square package that is somewhat thicker than the Nitrus. Both devices support USB 2.0 for quick and easy transfer of music files.

See-Through Scanner: The HP Scanjet 4670 scanner saves plenty of space with its unique, vertical, ultrathin design. The $199 device includes a transparent, scratch-resistant window that allows you to see objects as they're being scanned. It also features 2400-dpi resolution and 48-bit color, and it includes ArcSoft Panorama Maker software to assemble scans of large items done in sections.

Disposable Digicam: Ritz Camera Centers has unveiled a single-use digital camera that costs only $11. The Dakota Digital Single-Use Camera features 12MB of internal memory to capture up to 25 snapshots, plus an automatic flash, but you must return it to Ritz to obtain prints and a photo CD of your photos.

Untangle Yourself: Keyspan's Zip-Linq retractable cables are available for cell phones, PDAs, USB devices, and other products. The small Zip-Linqs fit in your palm and unwind to reveal at least 30 inches of cable. Prices range from $14 up to $29.

Tidbytes

Spam Watch: Ever worried that your spam protection could be too powerful? False positives, legitimate e-mail that is incorrectly identified as spam and blocked, could be just as problematic as unsolicited messages: Ferris Research reports that false positives will cost U.S. businesses almost $3.5 billion this year alone.

Don't Be Afraid: Linux isn't just for geeks anymore. Doing office tasks such as composing e-mail, creating files, and copying CDs was only slightly more difficult for a group of novices using Linux-based systems than for one using Windows XP-based PCs, according to a recent study by Relevantive, a German research firm.