Technology: Ring In the New Year

Staying on the cutting edge of the digerati these days means more than owning a slick cell phone or a hi-res digital camera. It means having a zippy cell-phone ring tone as well. Research firm IDC estimates that Americans spent more than $57 million on ring tones in 2003, up from $16 million in 2002. Hip-hop songs like 50 Cent's In Da Club are among the most popular tunes, but there are thousands to choose from. You can even get prepaid cards at Wal-Mart and 7-Eleven stores just for buying ring tones. So how can you make your jingle stand out...