GAMESGet a Lode of This
You know you’re a child of the ’80s if… you remember the original Lode Runner. The newest incarnation of the game, Lode Runner 3-D for Nintendo 64 ($49.95; ), retains much of the original version’s best features. You can’t fall off platforms, and you have to dig your way to get the treasures. The 3-D environments are fantastic–but not dizzying. It’s bound to hook another generation of addicts.
HARDWAREHome Network Without Fuss
You bought a second computer so the family would stop bickering over using the PC. Now they all want to get online at the same time. Intel, the chip maker, has a solution. Its AnyPoint home networking product ($189 for the two-PC kit) lets you connect the upstairs PC to the one in the den–without having to install any new wiring. Mom can now check e-mail and stock quotes while the kids chat online with friends (yes, simultaneously), using just one modem and Internet account. The PCs can also share printers, CD-ROM drives and hard-disk space.
AnyPoint, the first product that Intel will sell directly to consumers, is remarkably simple. In the box, you get a pair of “external adapters.” You’ll need one adapter for each PC you want to network; the adapter, which looks like an audio speaker, sits on your desk. Attach the AnyPoint adapter to the parallel port on the back of your computer. Then plug the adapter into a phone jack and electric socket. Install the software, and repeat the process with a second PC. You’re done. Because the AnyPoint devices use your existing phone line, you don’t need to bother with scary new wiring. About 15 million homes in the United States have two PCs. Intel wants to bring all those lone computers together.
