TECHNOLOGY

My Voice

Karaoke software

$29.95, for Windows 98 and up

eMedia Music Corp

http://emediamusic.com/notation

The fact that it works as advertised is perhaps the most striking thing about this inexpensive software created in France and sold through eMedia in the U.S.

Put a CD in the computer, select a song track and My Voice will use audio tools to reduce to a whisper the performer's own voice. The user can then sing over the music, producing a performance with an amateur's voice accompanied by the professional musicians on the song.

It works great with ballads, rock and country music and greater still with bass-heavy grinders in hip-hop cuts. Here's your chance to chant the words to Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold Heart" over Jamie Foxx's next single.

One feature lets a user type in lyrics to a song, and the software displays them over artwork on the computer screen to let those who don't know the words sing along.

Beyond this karaoke stuff, My Voice will fascinate anybody curious about digital music techniques, garage bands included.

My Voice comes with a stage-style microphone with a long chord and built-in electronics that nicely dampen outside noise and give added power to the software when it masks the original singer's whisper with the user's own rendition.

Advanced features permit limited but significant sound tweaking and remixing. A final recording can be dressed up with effects. An equalizer covers 10 bands to meld the effects into a final performance.

The software also handles ordinary CD ripping and burning, including turning out CDs with the user's words. Both MP3 and WAV formats work, and the software can convert between them if desired. My Voice

BOOKS

Keeping computers safe from hackers

A new book by Chicago-based computer security expert Joel Dubin (www.joeldubin.com) shows corporate chiefs how to block computer break-in attempts. That means, of course, that there's a lot of stuff that both ordinary office denizens and hackers-in-waiting can learn.

Dubin provides advice on how to pull off hacks, like spam bombs, phishing and spoofing, to show IT folks how to stop these nasty schemes.

Called "The Little Black Book of Computer Security" (Preston Technology Media, $19.95), there's superb advice for both sides in this thin volume. BOOKS

ABSOLUTE SOFTWARE

Stolen laptops call for a safe return

Since August, Gateway Inc. has been among computer-makers that booby-trap laptops sold to business users, so if stolen the computers will call home and give their present location the first time the thief goes online.

Absolute Software's Computrace technology is built into the chips, so that even the best hacker can't foil the feature. Details and a large number of anecdotes about arrests are at www.absolute.com.

The software also handles ordinary CD ripping and burning, including turning out CDs with the user's words. Both MP3 and WAV formats work, and the software can convert between them if desired. My Voice