The best products of 2000 III

　　Pretty Baby

　　3Com's (COMS) snazzy Net appliance, Audrey, simplif ies Web access. Plug it into an electrical outlet and a phone jack, tap on the screen, and you can send e-mail, view Web pages, even coordinate with a handheld compute r's calendar and address book. It's a pricey $499. (htt p://www.3com.com/)

　　Putting Hackers on Ice

　　Twenty-four-hour Internet connections such as DSL a nd cable modems give computer hackers constant access t o your machine—even when the browser is turned off. A $ 40 software program, Black ICE Defender, creates a barr ier for unwanted visitors. Installation now requires ju st one set-up screen to put protection in place on most Windows machines.(

　　The>http://www.networkice.com/)

　　The Beat Goes On

　　Polar Electro's newest heart-rate monitor, the $210 , records performance based on heartbeats, not on time spent exercising. It estimates oxygen uptake—crucial to jocks—but even a flabby novice can use the $180 device. Sit for five minutes; it calibrates your training range . (

　　Funny>http://www.polarusa.com/)

　　Funny Noises

　　The $50 Intel Sound Morpher can help your kids make fun of you. The device records sounds that can be alter ed by, say, adding an echo or changing pitch. Your darl ing children can load your nagging voice onto their com puter and then edit the words, so that "Didn't I tell y ou to clean your room," comes out "I didn't tell you to clean your room." (

　　Hiker>http://www.intelplay.com/)

　　Hiker Chic

　　ZoZa.com offers a unique line of high-fashion appar el made exclusively of fabrics found in outdoor wear. T hey're comfortable, wrinkle-free, machine-washable, and ,yes, even attractive. Among the offerings are a $250 e vening dress that rolls up into a bag and a $245 fleece blazer suitable for office wear or hiking. For the gadg eteers, there are even shirts and jackets with hidden p ockets for cell phones.

　　to be continued