Noise-cancelling headphones make it possible to listen to CD and MP3 players in-flight without hearing the constant drone of an airplane's engine. In an informal test, Bose’s new Quiet Comfort 3 headphones were able to turn a noisy simulation of a crowded plane into a delightful utopia of silence. The headphones are much improved over earlier versions. They are smaller, at two inches thick, and lighter, at about six ounces. A battery pack, which lasts about 20 hours on each charge, pops out of the top of the right headphone. Cushioned ear pads block out most external noise, and active noise-canceling technology scrubs out anything else that could get between you and a good audiobook. Bose also crammed in sound-processing technology that improves both bass and treble and simulates surround sound. The headphones collapse for easy storage and include a 5-ft cord, an adapter for some airplane audio jacks and a home stereo adapter. Say that to their face The Picturephone service from AT&T appeared to have died a quick death soon after its introduction at the 1964 World's Fair in New York, but the concept actually just went into suspended animation. Today instant-messaging services that can also do voice and video are growing fast, and Microsoft is rolling out the first Webcams that bear its name.The Microsoft LifeCams, the VX-3000 and the VX-6000 are made to work with Windows Live Messenger, the company’s new instant-messaging software, available now for Windows PC’s only. Users can click a button on the LifeCam to see a list of their friends who are ready to receive video calls. Pan, tilt and zoom controls are built into the Live Messenger window. Picture quality from the LifeCams rivals that of digital cameras; depending on the model, still-image resolution ranges from 1.3 to 5 megapixels. The cameras, which are due out later this summer and can be ordered now on Amazon.com, also feature a noise-canceling microphone. Built-in software lets the camera lens follow you as you move around - perfect for those days when you feel the need to gesticulate wildly.—NYTMust click off now, need my mouse backIn Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,, the crew travels back in time to 1986, and Scotty tries to communicate with a computer by picking up a mouse and talking into it. Sony’s new MouseTalk won’t allow you to talk to your computer, but it will let you talk to your friends over the Internet.The optical mouse, smaller than a standard desktop version for easy portability, connects via a USB port. It has the usual two buttons and a scroll wheel. But if you want to make an Internet telephone call, the mouse transforms into a flip phone. The scroll wheel becomes the volume control, and if you click it, it mutes the call. To make this work, you need to install some software, which Sony provides, to control the phone functions and you need an Internet phone service. The MouseTalk is certified by Skype (skype.com), one of the most popular of these services. One drawback is that while you are on the phone, you cannot use the mouse as a mouse.—NYT
