DON KOHLBAUER / Union-Tribune Suzanne Owens of Encinitas chats with a friend as they play Halo online through Microsoft's Xbox Live service.

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Have you heard?

By Christopher Rhoads
and Li Yuan
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

In recent months, several companies have joined the fray of competitors offering voice over the Internet. Services include calls using a normal phone hooked up to the Internet, or via a headset plugged into a computer. Others offer conversations between computers, often linked to instant-messaging chat services.

lan Hoffman
NEWHOUSE NEWS SERVICE

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates calls it a sea change in the software business. Web-based software and services, designed to mimic the look and feel of personal computer software sold by Microsoft and other companies, are gaining lots of attention.

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TiVo said it will begin testing a feature to let some subscribers transfer recorded television programming to Apple iPod digital music players or Sony's PlayStation portable devices.

Marc J. Kligman is a San Diego sports agent and criminal defense attorney. Kligman, along with San Diego Deputy District Attorney Dwain Woodley, recently started In The Know, a Sunday night radio show on KCBQ-AM 1170 that features topics targeting adult men, such as sports, parenting issues and technology.