Board skims scores off the Net

I played two seasons of Little League in Queens under a cigar-chomping manager named Morty Silver. My sole distinction was winning a trophy for Best Sport, which Morty gave me for crying the least after striking out. The only other thing I remember were the scoreboards at the better fields: They were all bulbs in the days before monster television screens.

The Attleboro technology firm Vroop hopes to tap our nostalgia for old scoreboards with its 4.2- by 7-inch LED LiveBoard (myliveboard.com), a Bluetooth device that skims sports scores off the Internet and displays them in real time.

It offers a few, simple display options, which you control with Vroop software. In "simple mode," you set your home team, and the board (if your team is playing) shows the current score, inning, count, and base occupancy. But if the Red Sox, for example, are not playing, you can switch to "full mode," in which LiveBoard displays data from a game happening within your home team's division.

LiveBoard (about $300) comes with a USB wireless adapter and software CD. There are no subscription fees. It's only for PCs at the moment, but Vroop plans a Mac version. Vroop is also working on a software update to let you cycle through all Major League games in progress at any given time.

Mobile Entertainment

Here's a portable DVR player you can take on those long summer rides

If you need some backseat entertainment for those long rides to the Cape, Blue Raven Technology (blueravengear.com) of Wilmington has two portable 7-inch DVR players you can connect directly to your TV or TiVo, to capture movies for playback on the road.

The MediaMate 7000 includes a headrest mount and a car power adapter. Its control buttons are located on either side of the device's display screen.

One model stores 40GB of media, and costs $379. The other, an 80GB model, holds up to 100 movies in DVD-quality video, and sells for $429. The 80GB MediaMate can also store up to 22,000 songs. (Where do people get these massive music libraries? I've got about 300 on my iBook.)

MediaMate also has a three-in-one card reader if you need a place to back up your weekend photos.

Digital Cameras

Lots of options, but easy to figure out

When it comes to digital cameras, I'm a big Fujifilm fan. My primary picture-taker is a Fujifilm 3800. Despite its excruciatingly slow shutter speed, lust for battery power, and occasional inability to recognize my 1GB memory card, it has been a faithful companion for three years.

But it is remarkable to see how far digital cameras have evolved since (smaller, more powerful) and just how cheap they've become.

The Fujifilm FinePix Z5fd (about $230) is a 6.3 megapixel camera with so many options -- high speed and continuous shooting, "face detection," and multiple video settings -- that you can fairly accuse Fujifilm of feature creep. But the Z5fd's menus and options are easy to figure out. No need to open the manual yet.

The Z5fd, available in red, brown or silver, is pretty. Its sliding faceplate protects and reveals the camera's flashbulb and lens. The "Z5" imprinted on the faceplate is backlit -- a classy touch for this cigarette-pack-size camera. The Z5fd has a single compartment with two slots to accommodate the camera's rechargeable battery and an xD-Picture Card.

Fujifilm calls the Z5fd's 2.5 LCD scratch-resistant. But unless you keep a cover over the camera at all times, keys and coins will scratch the glass.

One more nuisance: The Z5fd's power adapter falls out easily, and it covers the tripod mount, so you will have to find a place to charge the device where it will not get jostled.

Innovative Last Week

A way to practice golf in cramped quarters

Most of the golfing I've done has been at the driving range, where I've tried to nail the caged ball-collecting tractor that's 150 yards out. Now I can bang out a bucket of balls, virtually, without leaving my living room. Better still, with the Golf Launchpad/XTV Experience, I will soon be able to hit alternate versions of professional courses. The update to the Gold Launchpad, slated for release this summer, measures your swing force and angle against a tethered ball, and renders it through EA Sports' Tiger Woods PGA Tour game.

MARK BAARD