LATEST ADDITIONS

Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service <A HREF="http://www.echostar.com">EchoStar Communications Corporation</A> and French multimedia conglomerate <A HREF="http://www.vivendi.fr">Vivendi Universal, SA</A> have entered an alliance that should benefit both of them.

Sherwood With built-in bass management for its multichannel analog inputs, the Sherwood Newcastle R-963 may be the first digital surround receiver that's truly ready for the DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD formats.

Back in September, <A HREF="http://www.dtsonline.com">DTS</A> announced that Pioneer and Denon were planning to be the first companies to incorporating the new 96kHz/24-bit high resolution surround sound technology in their flagship A/V receivers. It would appear the companies have made good on that promise, with some help from integrated circuit manufacturer <A HREF="http://www.analog.com/">Analog Devices</A>.

When it comes to defining the cutting-edge gift list for tech enthusiasts, gadget-heads, and just about any person over the age of 14, you probably couldn't do much better than to ask 1,000 computing professionals&mdash;folks who live and breathe technology&mdash;to pick their top five tech gifts.