BC-KRT-PLUGGEDIN-BJT — wire, lifestyle (920 words)

Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service

PLUGGED IN Budget for Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2006

Plugged In is a premium package of technology, gaming and entertainment stories targeted toward 18- to 34-year-old readers.

TOP STORIES

From the CES exhibit floor: They’re reading my mind!

PLG-EWORLD:TB—Doesn’t it feel weird when you hear someone say exactly what you were thinking? It’s eerie and reassuring all at once. That’s sort of the feeling I got at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Sure, CES was a big deal. Nearly 150,000 gadget freaks from all over the world walked through the doors of what amounts to a crystal ball bigger than 50 football fields. Gearmakers trotted out ideas and devices they think we’ll crave this year.

750 by Eric Gwinn. MOVED

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Tech-savvy drivers load up on the latest toys

PLG-CARTECH:SP—Nobody, it seems, wants to just gaze at the open road anymore. The humble motorcar has recently morphed into a digital nerve center with all manner of electronic gadgetry for navigation, communication and entertainment.

Go into electronics stores and you’re besieged with car-tech options: satellite-navigation gear, iPod-friendly audio systems, wireless cell-phone setups, back-seat DVD and video-gaming gear, satellite radio — even satellite TV.

If you have money to burn, electronics experts will even create customized car-tech systems for each of your cars. Holy Mobile Digital Hub, Batman! What’s going on here?

1600 by Charles Laszewski and Julio Ojeda-Zapata. MOVED

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Global gaming: Microsoft works to broaden the appeal of Xbox Live

PLG-XBOXLIVE:SE—It's a brutally cold day in Stalingrad and in the past 15 minutes I've been killed a dozen times. I'm playing with six people from around the world, and though we could talk to each other no one says anything. The violence is too intense and fast-paced for socializing. I'm on Xbox Live, playing the World War II shooting game "Call of Duty 2." The aim of this level is simple: Kill everyone you see.

Microsoft launched Xbox Live in 2002, and since then has been a favorite of the hardcore-gaming crowd, the players (mostly male) that just wanted to whup the virtual tar off of each other in shooting, driving and sports games. That's more of a niche audience than Microsoft was hoping for, and so with the November release of the Xbox 360 video game console, it remodeled Xbox Live to make the service more friendly to nongamers. The service is another example of Microsoft's focus on delivering services over the Web.

1150 by Kim Peterson. MOVED

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VIDEO GAMES

PLG-CIVIV-REVIEW:TB— Just throw away the history books. 400 by Levi Buchanan. MOVED

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PLG-FIGHTNIGHT-PREVIEW:KRT—A sneak peek at an upcoming video game: Next round of ‘Fight Night’ is a stunning victory. 550 by Game Informer magazine. MOVED

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PLG-GAMEINFORMER-GEAR:KRT—A gadget from Game Informer magazine: Soup up your 360 with a universal remote. 200. MOVED

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PLG-GAMEINFORMER-TOP10:KRT—This week’s list from Game Informer magazine: Top handheld games. 50. MOVED

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PLG-INSIDER:TB—Tidbit on video game news. 50 by Levi Buchanan. MOVED

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ONLINE

PLG-BLOGIT:KRT—Blog review moves every other week.

PLG-GOOGLEZEITGEIST:KRT—A weekly summary of the Google Zeitgeist results on Google.com. 250. MOVED

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PLG-WEBWATCH:PH—Site to see: Silly sci-fi. MOVED

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DVD/VIDEO

PLG-TVONDVD:AK—A look at the latest TV shows on DVD. This week: British shows invading DVD. 750 by R.D. Heldenfels. MOVED

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PLG-TIVOLIST:KRT—TiVo Top 25. 100. MOVED

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PLG-NETFLIXLIST:KRT—Netflix top 10. 50. MOVED

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PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY

PLG-EWORLD:TB—This week’s column is listed above, under “Top stories.”

PLG-GADGETADVISER:TB—Gadget Adviser: You've got (Internet voice) mail! 850 by Eric Gwinn. MOVED

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PLG-LIFEHACKER:KRT—Download of the day: Remove LCD image burn-in. 150. MOVED

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PLG-CNET-PAVILION:KRT—Reviews of the latest products in personal technology. This week: HP Pavilion a1250n. 250 from CNET.com. MOVED

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PLG-CNET-NAPSTER:KRT—Reviews of the latest products in personal technology. This week: Napster 3.5. 300 from CNET.com. PHOTO. MOVED

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PLG-ITUNES-LIST:KRT—Top iTunes downloads. 100. MOVED

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WHAT IS PLUGGED IN?

Plugged In — a weekly package of columns and art targeted toward readers age 18 to 34 — features content from top KRT contributors, including the Chicago Tribune, The Seattle Times and the Akron Beacon Journal.

Text moves Wednesdays on AP and is posted Wednesdays to KRT Direct (krtdirect.com/pluggedin/live.htm). All photos and illustrations are available Tuesday on KRT Direct (krtdirect.com/pluggedin/pluggedinphotos.htm).

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© 2006, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

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