Q: My
wife loves her iPad, but she wants to print things she sees on the
Internet - something the iPad isn't equipped to do. Is there a wireless
printer that's compatible with the iPad?

A: Boy, are you in luck. By the time you read this,
Apple may have released iOS 4.2, an update to the operating system that
runs the iPad and newer models of the iPhone and iPod Touch. One of the
features of iOS 4.2 will be AirPrint, which will let you print Web
pages, photos, e-mail, etc. directly to any printer on a wireless home
network. As I write this, there's no word on whether or how much Apple
will charge for the update.

By the way, iOS 4.2 also will add multitasking, folders for apps, keyboard enhancements and other goodies to the iPad arsenal.

Q: I've been meaning to get a microchip
implant for my dog, but I'm not clear how it would be any better than
just having a collar with an ID tag. What exactly are the benefits of a
microchip? Also, do they use GPS to locate the pet?

A: Let's tackle the "how it works"
part first. Microchip implants don't use GPS. They rely on
radio-frequency identification, commonly known as RFID.
This is the same technology that many retailers use to track
merchandise (and prevent it from being stolen). If an animal shelter
takes in a lost pet, a scan of the microchip will bring up the owner's
name and contact information.

Microchips are most often implanted on a dog's back between the
shoulders. The implant is the size of a grain of rice, and is inserted
with a syringe. The procedure should cost less than $100, plus you'll
have to pay to "activate" the implant by registering your information
with a kennel club or the company that made the implant.

Implants are most beneficial for people who travel with their dogs.
If you never take your best friend out of town, a collar with an
up-to-date ID tag is just as good. Maybe better, because someone can
return the dog without taking it to a shelter.

For true GPS, you'll need a GPS collar that can track the location of
your dog and alert you via a handheld receiver or smart phone if it
strays outside a specified perimeter. But these collars are expensive -
they start at around $200, and you must a pay a monthly service fee.

For my money, the best approach is a good-looking collar with shiny
dog tag, and maybe a microchip implant as a backup if Fido tends to
wander.