Modern electronic devices can be a nauseating bowl of alphabet soup.

MP3, DVR, HDTV, PSP, Wi-Fi – it’s enough to make the casual consumer queasy.

For music lovers, it was the record player for years and years. Then came, for a time, the 8-track tape player, then its offspring, the cassette player. Then the compact disc, which trumped them all, arrived on the scene.

And now, it’s the iPod, if the aging music fan can figure out how to coax the songs from a massive playlist in cyberspace into a device the size of a credit card. Take a few tentative steps into modern times, and before long, there’s no need for all that storage space for CDs or possibly even LPs.

Just when you’re getting the hang of your cell phone, or your Palm Pilot, along comes the BlackBerry, which is a combination of both and more.

With technology developing at such a dizzying pace, many are struggling to play catch-up – let alone get ahead of the curb.

Just ask John Kupsch. He’s the technical director for the Good Housekeeping Institute. That’s the product evaluation arm for the magazine of the same name. The institute tests products for the magazine and also awards the Good Housekeeping seal. This is a limited two-year warranty for approved products, which guarantees replacement or refund if the product is found to be defective.

In short, Kupsch sees much of the new technology, often before the public does: “We are actively involved in all products in the home, and are involved with trends and what consumers are using.”

As for consumer feelings about today’s miracle gadgets, which would have seemed like something out of a science fiction novel during the Space Age in the 1960s and ’70s, Kupsch feels that many are adrift. He pointed to a survey that the institute presented at a national consumer-electronics show, which revealed that 62 percent of the respondents felt that technology was advancing more quickly than they could incorporate it into their lives.

Kupsch said the survey also revealed that consumers resist what they perceive as change for the sake of change.

“It found that 77 percent believe manufacturers add features to generate sales, with consumers in general left behind,” he said.

What do manufacturers need to do for people to embrace their technological advances? Kupsch’s advice: K.I.S.S. – keep it simple, stupid.

“Most consumers feel that companies can make features easier to use, and do a better job explaining them,” he said. “If they want consumers to feel comfortable trying an innovation, there shouldn’t be a lot of reading and time involved.”

Kupsch doesn’t buy the theory that technology usage is age-based, with those under a certain age more likely to try new things. He points out that his institute’s surveys include a wide variety of ages.

“A product has to be particularly innovative to change people’s behavior,” he said. “The more user-friendly it is, the more likely it is to be adopted by the consumer.”

Some people flat-out refuse to change, with the rationale that what has worked for x number of years is good enough, or that more gadgets means more clutter. Hence the blinking clock on too many people’s VCRs.

George Quinn, who retired from the military and started a new career at Best Buy in Bangor, disagrees.

“You can use technology to simplify your life,” Quinn said. “Whether it’s paying bills online, or shopping online, I’m using it to my advantage.”

For those willing to explore this brave new world, capsule descriptions of some of today’s newest electronic devices appear inside.

MP3 Player

What is it: A device that plays music digitally.

How it works: The player is connected by a transfer cable to a computer’s USB port. Songs can be downloaded, for $1 a pop, from Apple’s iTunes or the new Napster Web sites. Sites such as LimeWire and Kazaa offer software for free music downloads, but are technically illegal.

Who makes them: Apple’s iPod is the most well-known, so much so that it has become synonymous with the MP3 player, but any reputable electronic manufacturer will offer an MP3 player.

How much: $100-$400.

Digital video recorder

What is it: DVR is a recording device, just like a VCR, only it records digitally for better sound and picture clarity.

How it works: In one of two ways. A DVR can record on an internal hard drive, containing anywhere from 40 to 80 hours. It can also record onto a DVD. Generally two hours fit on a DVD, but different recording speeds are available. Some DVD formats are for one-time use, while others can be rewritten (recorded over). Some combination units have both a hard drive and DVD record, so it’s possible to record something from the internal memory onto a DVD. These all also play DVDs.

Who makes them: TiVo offers a monthly subscription service for such special features as Season Pass, which when programmed records a series for an entire year, and pausing live TV. But both TiVo and DVR models from other manufacturers will work like an old-style VCR, receiving a signal and recording it, without all the bells and whistles.

How much: A straight DVR, which ran about $1,000 three years ago, is now $170-$300. A DVR with built-in hard drive will cost $400 to $600 based on the size of the memory. A DVR-VCR combo unit will run $220 to $310.

High-definition TV

What is it: Blame the feds. In April 1997, the FCC announced that, by 2006, all TV broadcasting would be digital. One form of digital broadcasting is HDTV (High Definition Television), which provides the highest resolution quality picture. Some existing sets will require a set-top converter box to change the digital signal to analog, as many TV signals are now.

How it works: Most of today’s big-screen sets are equipped to receive an HDTV signal. But there are several choices for types of TVs: the traditional cathode ray tube, the waning rear projection, liquid crystal display (like computer screens), plasma and the latest, digital light processing. Some sets are still wide at the base, while others are as thin as a painting, and can be hung on the wall.

Who makes them: Many, many manufacturers, but with the investment involved, it’s best to stick with the more established names.

How much: $800-$9,500, depending on size, with screens ranging from 13 to 61 inches in diameter.

PlayStation Portable

What is it: A handheld gaming system.

How it works: A spinoff of Sony’s popular PlayStation 2 home system, PSP logically plays specially formatted games, including game sharing among two or more players. But it does so much more, including wireless connection to the Internet, playing MP3 files, showing movies in the PSP, or universal media disc, format, viewing Power Point presentations and displaying photos from memory sticks.

Who makes it: Sony.

How much: $250-$300, depending on accessory package.

Wi-Fi

What is it: Short for wireless fidelity, it’s a method of gaining wireless access to the Internet. It gives mobility to laptop users.

How it works: Businesses, such as Internet cafes, install a router that emits the radio frequency of 802.11 megahertz. Laptop users, with DSL or cable modems, go to these “hot spots” in order to use their computers. Access isn’t yet nearly as widespread as that of cell phones.

Who makes it: Most any laptop on sale today is Wi-Fi compatible.

How much: $800 and up.

Cellular phone

What is it: It’s a wireless phone, which uses signals on particular frequencies, depending on the service provider.

How it works: It’s a relatively old idea, but cell phones are improving all the time. A channel on a tower that used to handle three phones at a time can now handle 20. Higher digital frequencies result in greater call quality and reliability. The latest phone features include voice command (speak a number or a name and the phone will dial it), speaker phone, up to 500 stored contact numbers, the ability to take and send photos, wireless data service and e-mail downloads from Internet providers. Bluetooth technology allows for wireless earphones and hands-free car kits.

Who makes it: Each cellular phone service has its own selection of phones from various manufacturers.

How much: Free to $249, depending on which calling plan is chosen at which provider.

BlackBerry

What is it: An amalgation of cell phone, laptop and personal digital assistant.

How it works: Also equipped with Bluetooth, a BlackBerry device can access e-mail wirelessly, place and receive phone calls and send text messages, store calendar, address book, memo pad and task list like a PDA, serve as an Internet browser and provide instant messaging.

Who makes it: BlackBerry.

How much: $250 and up.

Dale McGarrigle can be reached at 990-8028 and dmcgarrigle@bangordailynews.net.