Basics: The Hunt for Gotta-Have-It Gadgets. First adopters willing to pay a premium for the exotic notebook computers, cellphones and tech toys can turn to businesses that specialize in finding objects that are not sold in the United States. By PETER WAYNER.

Basics: What’s the Setting for a Snowy Beach at Dusk?. The computing power inside even the cheapest digital cameras allows a photographer to get even better pictures — if they can decipher the myriad shooting modes built into the devices. By IVAN BERGER.

Basics: The Next Leap for Linux. Until recently, major PC makers shied away from Linux. Now the industry is watching as Dell is selling two Linux-equipped desktop models and a notebook PC. By LARRY MAGID.

Basics: PCs to Be Seen, Not Heard. Computer users who want silent offices and living rooms are starting to ask for quiet computers. Manufacturers are taking notice. By PETER WAYNER.

Basics: Navigating With Feedback From Fellow Drivers. The Dash Express not only receives location data from the satellites of the Global Positioning System, but it also broadcasts information about its travels back to the Dash network. By ROY FURCHGOTT.

Ping: When the Military Needs It Yesterday. Soldiers increasingly want their civilian technology partners to deliver solutions quickly, even if the devices are far from perfect. By G. PASCAL ZACHARY.

Economic View: In Search of Wireless Wiggle Room. Will the F.C.C. open new doors to spectrum access? By JUDITH CHEVALIER.

Q & A: Tip of the Week: Satellite Images. The latest version of the Google Earth features historic maps, information from National Geographic and Discovery Networks on geographical and historical sites around the world By J. D. BIERSDORFER.

Q & A: Face Detection Can Be Plural. Does the face-detection software on digital cameras work if there are a lot of people in the picture? By J. D. BIERSDORFER.

Q & A: Getting Prognosis on Battery Life. Rechargeable batteries are given a certain number of “charge cycles” before they wear out, but what exactly is a charge cycle and how can I find out how long my battery will last? By J. D. BIERSDORFER.

State of the Art: Apple Offers New Goodies in Leopard System. Apple’s new version of Leopard lists 300 new features, including a Braille font and a Danish spelling checker. By DAVID POGUE.

Copy Video From Your PC, and Then Watch It on Your TV. SanDisk’s Sansa TakeTV is aimed at people who want to take digital video from their computers and watch it on their TVs, without getting too high-tech about it. By STEPHEN C. MILLER.

A Walkman With Flashy Features to Compete With Those ‘i’ Devices. Sony Ericsson W580i Walkman has many similar features for those who want a phone that offers music, the Internet, pictures, organizer functions and, oh yes, calls. By STEPHEN C. MILLER.

Grab Those Free HDTV Signals and Feed Them to Your PC. The PCTV HD Ultimate Stick, which sells for $130, includes a telescoping antenna for broadcast television. By J. D. BIERSDORFER.

To Point the Naked Eye, or Certain Telescopes, a Guide to the Stars. The Meade mySKY device gives you guided tours of the night sky, leading you to specific celestial objects and presenting facts and folklore about them. By IVAN BERGER.

Off the Couch, Potato: The Programs You Crave, Relayed From Home to Your Handy Traveling Laptop. Slingbox Solo connects only to a single audio/video source, but with the current crop of digital HD/DVR set-top boxes, that’s all most consumers need. By STEPHEN C. MILLER.

Game Theory: In 1 Box, 3 New Games Filled With Puzzles and Fights. Orange Box actually consists of three separate new games developed by Valve Software, and it also comes with a couple of old games for good measure. By CHARLES HEROLD.

Basics: Digital Music to Please Even the Snobs. Serious music lovers probably fancy digital music servers — a jukebox for digital music files, a hard drive to store the files and software to pump it through an existing stereo system. By LAWRENCE M. FISHER.