| Refurbished iPod nanos priced from $79
Apple's online store is offering a variety of iPod nanos in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB capacities at discounted rates. The company's 2GB iPod nanos are available in silver for $79, storing up to 500 songs and offering up to 24 hours of music playback on one battery charge. Reconditioned 4GB iPod nanos are priced at $99, hold up to 1,000 songs, and are available in silver as well as blue and pink. Apple's 8GB iPod nanos, avialable in black for $149, holds up to 2,000 songs while offering the same battery life ad the company's 2GB and 4GB models. Apple's latest iPod shuffles are also available with 1GB of storage capacity in silver, pink, blue, green, and orange for $49 each. .
Star time for Feist
Despite well-received appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live and a thriving career in Canada, Leslie Feist seemed destined to be no more than a cult artist in this country. That is, until a TV commercial for the iPod Nano began featuring the childlike indie-pop tune "1234" from her masterfully executed 2007 release The Reminder. That coast-to-coast corporate boost, along with a note-perfect performance of the track on Letterman, was exactly the push the clever Canadian needed. Today, she sells out pretty much every venue she plays. The depth Feist displays on The Reminder shouldn't surprise anyone. Her work with Broken Social Scene, former roommate Peaches and musician/producer Gonzales, as well as stints in touring Canadian punk and indie-rock bands, demonstrates that she's always been game for musical experimentation.
Tech shares keeping U.S. markets afloat
Technology companies and utilities, the pillars keeping the U.S. bull market from collapsing, are trading near their most expensive valuations in at least three years. The last time the market was so dependent on computer-related companies and power producers was in the three months ended March 2000, just before the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index began a two and a half year, 49 percent plunge. "It's a time to be careful," said John Carey at Pioneer Investment Management in Boston. Valuations for technology companies and utilities "from a historical standpoint seem high." Technology in the S&P 500 traded at an average 29.1 times earnings this month, the most since 2004. .
Book lovers: Recommendations from the Millicent Library staff
For this week's book list, I hit up Millicent Library in Fairhaven and found a whole bunch of book lovers with a whole bunch of recommendations. Not only did I get an awesome list of books, but Library Director Carolyn Longworth had a great tip for traveling book lovers: "I'm headed to England on vacation, so instead of lugging five books with me on the airplane, I downloaded a bunch of books to my iPod." A novel idea — pun very intended. Ms. Longworth is leaving Monday for a two-week vacation to Stratford-on-Avon, birthplace of The Bard himself, Will Shakespeare. For the occasion, she downloaded five books and two Shakespearean plays to her iPod from www.audible.com. Books from the site work with iPods or other MP3 players. It's $7.49 for a three-month subscription.
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