Your Technology Jul. 20, 1998

FRY YOUR EGGS, NOT YOUR HAIR

You may not be able to do much about the occasional bad-hair day, but a new hair dryer from Philips can help keep your locks from becoming dry and brittle. Its new SensorCare line uses infrared sensing technology to monitor hair temperature constantly and decrease the heat incrementally from 180[degrees]F to 135[degrees]F as your hair goes from wet to dry. Available in three models from $49 to $59, SensorCare dryers will be in stores this August.

SPRECHEN SIE KIDSPEAK?

Experts say a child's brain is better wired for learning new languages than an adult's, so why not give your youngster a head start? New KidSpeak software from Transparent Language offers lessons in 10 tongues for pupils ages 6 to 12 ($40). Clever animated characters like Budi (who teaches Indonesian) and Lin Lin (Mandarin Chinese) guide kids through vocabulary, counting and other games that we found are fun for grownups too.

HOUSE HUNTING ON THE NET

In its relentless quest for world domination, Microsoft has staked its claim in the burgeoning market for home and mortgage websites. HomeAdvisor homeadvisor.com covers every step of the buying process, from researching neighborhoods to scanning more than 500,000 current listings, to applying for a mortgage. It's a great resource, but it doesn't offer as many local listings as brick-and-mortar real estate offices.

--By M.M. Buechner and Anita Hamilton