The computer continues to insert itself into every aspect of daily life. Now it is a source for music from one's hometown—whether that town is across the state or across the ocean.

Last week, <A HREF="http://www.edig.com">e.Digital</A&gt; announced a licensing agreement to incorporate Sony's ATRAC3 sound-compression technology into e.Digital's portable Internet music-player designs. e.Digital claims that its multi-codec platform, including ATRAC3 support, can be incorporated into a variety of products including portable digital music players, home and automotive stereos, and functionally enhanced wireless phones.

When <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/showvote.cgi?135">polled</A&gt; earlier this month, <I>Stereophile</I>'s online readers were split on the topic of DVD-Audio's surround capabilities: 30% expressed interest, but an equal number were not so thrilled with the idea. While the release of the official high-resolution DVD-A format is still several months away, some record labels have been quick to capitalize on the ability of current DVD players to play compressed AC3- and DTS-encoded audio DVDs, in the hopes of developing a market for a lower-fidelity surround-sound format.

For <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//finetunes/212/">"Fine Tunes" #16</A>, Jonathan Scull offers sage advice on handling the often ephemeral problem of microphonics in audio systems. "So here I am expounding on the tendency of audio components&mdash;especially tubes, capacitors, and resistors&mdash;to become microphonic, and you're wondering how you can find out if there's any of that shakin' goin' on in your system. And <I>you</I> want to do it easily and for next to nothing," he sez. The solutions await.

Record producer and critic John Marks, whose writing has appeared from time to time in <I>Stereophile</I>&mdash;his March <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//asweseeit/208/">"As We See It"</A> triggered a deluge of letters&mdash;has started <I>John Marks Recommends</I>, a free e-mail newsletter on music and the arts. "Talking about my own work will be the exception rather than the rule," says Marks. "I tell people about great recordings, books, and videos, recipes, and an occasional wine recommendation."

The legal molasses in which <A HREF="http://www.mp3.com/">MP3.com</A&gt; is mired got thicker and deeper in mid-March, when MPL Communications launched a lawsuit against the Internet music company. MPL, ex-Beatle Paul McCartney's publishing house, joined the attack begun months ago by the <A HREF="http://www.riaa.com/">Recording Industries Association of America</A>. McCartney's firm filed suit in a New York US District Court against the San Diego&ndash;based startup over copyrights on intellectual properties owned by MPL, whose catalog includes McCartney's solo work, as well as the works of Buddy Holly, Hoagy Carmichael, Sammy Cahn, and other songwriters and performers. MPL was joined in the suit by Peer International, which owns the work of the late Latina star Selena.

Time magazine has chosen Albert Einstein as the Person of the Century. As the great man said, everything's relative, so in this installment of "Fine Tunes" I'll cover a few relatively inexpensive tips for homeowners, or those building their own audiophile domiciles.

One of the world's largest semiconductor manufacturers is making a move into digital audio. <A HREF="http://www.ti.com/">Texas Instruments</A> announced March 16 that it has acquired Toccata Technology ApS, a small, privately held company based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Toccata is "one of the leading developers of digital audio amplifier technology and board solutions," according to a TI press release, and will become part of TI's Digital Speakers Business Unit, continuing to operate from Denmark.