Your Technology Oct. 5, 1998

A CONVENIENT WAY TO SNOOP

Want to keep an eye on the parking lot or the babysitter? FoneCam from Moonlight Products is a fixed digital camera that can send color snapshots to any computer or Web page every 30 seconds. Unlike similar products that must be tethered to a PC just a few feet away, the $300 FoneCam (available at fonecam.com simply plugs into a phone jack and uses its built-in modem to send pics to any computer across the country. Software is included to let owners schedule the frequency of photo transmissions.

FUNERAL-PLANNING SOFTWARE

As if you needed reminding that your days are numbered, Power Solutions in St. Louis, Mo., has released funeral-planning software called PreNeed ($40). It not only lets you specify a preference for cremation or entombment but also includes entries for comparing funeral fees and writing your obituary. All that's missing is a fill-in-the-blanks will.

CALLER ID GETS SMARTER

The problem with caller ID is that anyone can block it from revealing his number. Now phone company Ameritech in Chicago has a service called Privacy Manager that intercepts unidentifiable calls before the phone rings and prompts the caller to identify himself. If the caller refuses (as telemarketers are likely to do), the call disconnects. Otherwise, when it rings through, subscribers can listen to the recorded name and decide whether to take the call. Cost: $4 a month plus caller-ID fees.

--By Anita Hamilton