What kinds of innovations delight a personal technology enthusiast?

Try routers that extend the range of a Wi-Fi network halfway down your street.

Or a universal remote control you can easily set up, thanks to an assist from cyberspace.

And a (fully legal) music emporium that gives you access to a boatload of tunes — for a mere song.

These and other standout technologies and services are the backbone behind my Baig's Best choices.

Apple and Sony each contributed multiple products to the list. But lesser-known startups, such as Sonos, also made the winner's circle.

Many other potential winners showed promise but were left off the roster for one or more reasons. On technology alone, I might have included the Sprint Music Store. It cleverly lets you download songs directly to a compatible cell phone "over the air" — less than a minute after you've ordered it. But at $2.50 a tune (plus a monthly data plan), the price is out of tune.

Cell phones geared for kids, such as the Enfora/LeapFrog TicTalk and Firefly Mobile's Firefly, that help you restrict to whom your little one can talk, also showed potential. But programming hassles and other annoyances kept them off the list.

Even Baig's Best winners typically carry a few blemishes. And I offer a disclaimer: I choose products I find cool or useful — not because I think they'll become runaway best-sellers (though some inevitably do).

So with that, in alphabetical order (by company), the winners, please.

APPLE'S NEW IPODS

Along with the Nano, the video iPod rocks.

I'll admit it: I can't choose between the stunning video iPod and the remarkable Lilliputian Nanos. Of the two versions of Nano ($199 or $249), the pricier one can hold more than 1,000 songs, podcasts or audiobooks, plus pictures. Yet both versions are so tiny and unobtrusive, I thought I'd misplaced them when they were actually in my pocket.

Apple was confident enough in the Nano to use it to replace the top-selling iPod Mini. Though tiny, Nano preserves the look and function of its grown-up siblings, down to the familiar click wheel. Nanos come in traditional white or black (but, alas, may be prone to scratches).

Moving up in size and weight, the new full-size iPods ($299 or $399) are thinner than their predecessors. That's true even though they can now handle up to 15,000 songs and 25,000 pictures. But the real bonus is video. Downloadable short films, music videos and episodes of "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" (all available at the iTunes Music Store at $1.99 a pop) look smashing on iPod's 2 1/2-inch display.

SONY PLAYSTATION PORTABLE

Known by the initials PSP, this beautifully designed handheld makes a splendid portable game machine. It also plays full-length Hollywood movies on its lovely screen. And it can handle music and digital images. (Movies are stored on a new medium known as Universal Media Discs, or UMD.) Still, those who aren't PlayStation 2 console junkies will face a learning curve on PSP's controls. And the device doesn't perform its non-gaming functions as well.

LOGITECH HARMONY 880 ADVANCED UNIVERSAL REMOTE

The Harmony remote keeps the peace at home. It's an ideal product for anyone who's heard a spouse wail, "I can't figure out how to turn on the %*$& television."

This nifty $250, 8-inch-tall, rechargeable, universal remote doesn't force you to fish around for infrared codes to tell your remote control how to communicate with electronics components. Instead, just hook Harmony up to the Web via a USB computer connection. Information about your home theater gear is seamlessly transferred to the Harmony. (The online database is constantly upgraded with information on new components.) Once the setup process is complete, you can tame your home theater through Harmony's intuitive display.

SONOS DIGITAL MUSIC SYSTEM

This elegant, easy-to-set-up, audio-only system lets you pump music wirelessly from multiple computers (PC or Mac) throughout your home — even onto the patio. The computer (or networked device) that stores music need not be in the room where you're listening. And Sonos works over either a wired or wireless home network. A basic two-room system costs about $1,200 and includes a pair of bread-loaf-size, 10-pound audio players called Zone Players and a remote control, called the controller. The price climbs with the number of rooms you want to cover. Sonos says the system can handle up to 32 rooms and 16 computers. You can play the same track in each room or different songs in different rooms — all simultaneously.

MICROSOFT XBOX 360

It's the video game fanatic's dream system. Xbox 360's dazzling cinematic graphics and Dolby Digital surround sound especially come alive when this souped-up console is connected to a high-definition television. The system comes with a free basic subscription to Xbox Live, Microsoft's online gaming network. Subscribe to Xbox Live "gold" ($50 a year) and you can compete in multiplayer games and online tournaments. New Xbox 360 games typically cost $50 to $60.

The machine is also an entertainment hub. It can function as a progressive-scan DVD player. It can rip songs onto a 20-gigabyte removable hard drive. (The hard drive is included as part of the $400 "premium" edition.) Xbox will also play songs stored on portable music players and (through a connected TV) display photos from digital cameras. As part of a home network, it becomes a Media Center "Extender" that lets you stream pictures, music, videos and high-def movies from a Windows Media Center PC in another room.

APPLE OS X TIGER

The rock-solid, virus-free Macintosh operating system has added teeth. (Apple has long displayed an affection for big cats; previous iterations of OS X software carried the names Cheetah, Puma, Jaguar and Panther.) Among more than 200 new features in OS X Tiger, check out the speedy desktop search through what's called Spotlight, and the Dashboard widgets. The widgets are tiny but handy applications ranging from a dictionary to a weather tracker. Tiger is preloaded on new Macs. You can upgrade an older computer for $129.

MIMO ROUTERS

It's pretty geeky stuff; the term stands for multiple input, multiple output. But think of MIMO as Wi-Fi on steroids. Routers based on this technology (pronounced MY-moh) can eliminate wireless dead spots in your home. I was able to stick a Linksys Wireless-G MIMO router in my basement and still have a strong signal in an upstairs bedroom, the backyard — and, yes, halfway down my block. With differing approaches, all the leading Wi-Fi suppliers are bringing out their own MIMO-based devices. Prices vary. But you'll pay a premium over regular Wi-Fi routers.

YAHOO MUSIC UNLIMITED

Through such services as Napster To Go and RealNetworks' Rhapsody To Go, this was the year online music subscription plans became a tempting alternative to Apple's conventional 99-cents-per-download purchase plan. With the subscription system, you can "rent" songs you prefer not to buy and transfer them to portable music players.

Among rental services, some will prefer Rhapsody's interface. I'm choosing Yahoo because it's so economical. You can access more than 1 million songs on your PC for just $60 a year and, for $120 a year (a recent price increase), you can transfer songs to a portable music player. Subscribers can also buy songs for 79 cents each. Also, you can listen to tunes that Yahoo Messenger buddies are taking in and search for members with similar tastes. Downside: You can't transfer subscription music to an iPod.

SONY HDR-HC1 HANDYCAM

Want to watch something really special on your high-definition TV? Shoot your own high-def footage. Using this light (1 1/2 pounds) and comfortable camcorder, you can capture video treasures on standard MiniDV cassettes. The camcorder's round Carl Zeiss lens sticks out at one end of a long barrel. What you can't do is record in high-def with the Sony and play the tape back on an ordinary MiniDV camcorder. Warning: At a list price of $2,000, it'll cost you, especially considering that excellent (but non-HD) digital camcorders can be had for a fraction of the price.

RIM BLACKBERRY 8700C

I'm picking this latest handheld because it nicely dresses up the traditionally shaped BlackBerry device, which remains a robust gadget for delivering e-mail. (It's still not the ideal phone, though.)

The new BlackBerry is lighter and more stylized than its predecessors. It has added convenience keys for making and ending calls and launching applications. The boldest enhancement is a bright, color, LCD screen (resolution: 320 by 240 pixels) visible indoors and out. Cost: $300, plus a data plan from Cingular Wireless.