Your Technology May 31, 1999

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LISTENING FRILLS For those nights when the rest of the house doesn't want to fall asleep to the roar of the Jurassic Park sound track, Sony has come out with the wireless MDR-DS5000, the first headphones that reproduce Dolby surround sound--offering that "you are there" feeling when it's time to be quiet. If that's music to your ears, you might consider the price tag--$550--and opt instead for 75 trips to the multiplex.

STARTING TO CLICK Grandma's In box will never be the same. Digital cameras, once just a techie's toy, are being snapped up by the mass market. According to a new study by IDC, a Massachusetts-based research firm, falling prices and improved quality will drive shipments to 22 million by 2003. The new cameras are popping up everywhere; even Barbie has one. Still not convinced? Say cheese. Grandma wants to get that on disk.

A NEW SPIN When CD players first arrived in 1982, audiophiles complained that the tinny digital recordings lacked the warmth of analog LPs. Now Super Audio CD, a new format co-created by Sony and Philips, uses a simplified digitization process to put the subtlety of LP sound on clear, hiss-free compact discs. SACD debuts this month in Japan, and will go on sale in the U.S. in the fall. The true test? Whether a generation raised on Discman can tell the difference.

--By Rebecca Winters