Dave's Download

So I get my high-definition programming free, tapping new digital, over-the-air broadcasts. But recording them has been a bear. I've tried a rare DVD recorder that has a digital tuner, which is what's needed to pull in those new broadcasts, and found it disappointing. I've tried assembling my own, TiVo-like PC that acts as a digital video recorder, and that's been a struggle. Now TiVo itself may finally come to my rescue.

The best brand in TV recording, TiVo said this week that it would soon ship a $300 "TiVo HD" that can record high-definition programming. That's not cheap, but it's a lot cheaper than TiVo's only other HD offering, the Series 3, which costs $800. "We'll still offer the Series 3 but expect it will be more for more for high-end customers, such as those using custom installers," says Jim Denny, TiVo's vice president for marketing.

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Our phone numbers become part of our identity and, for those working from home, part of a business identity. Now 200,000 customers find that piece of their selves thrown into limbo with reports that SunRocket, one of the biggest independent sellers of "voice-over-Internet" services, is shutting down operations. I'm anxious to see what happens to the company's customers, and particularly their phone numbers—although, of course, not as anxious as the customers themselves.

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