My previous post dealt with a bit of the history of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL online edition. I see that The New York Times online edition is doing some rejiggering, too. David Pogue, the leading writer at the "print" CONNECTIONS section, announced that his new blog and his reviews can now be read for free online with a free login (rather than having to pay for such readings).

Much like the wsj.com experiment in "opening the site," this action by the Times could be an admission that the stringent control of this fine site might be changing.

Here is Mr. Pogue's explanation of the aforementioned changes. It will be interesting to see how these experiments work for both august publications.

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1. From the Desk of David Pogue: The Tech Section Reborn
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Happy Rebirthday!

I'm not saying that to anyone in particular, but to a Web site. It's http://www.nytimes.com/tech, which was reborn last week. Technology fans, Pogue fans and Circuits fans have a lot to celebrate.

Here are some of the changes you'll find in the new Technology section of The New York Times on the Web:

* I'm going to be a lot more involved. In addition to my two weekly columns (this one and the one that appears in the paper), I'll also be writing a daily blog entry, starting soon. I will point out cool links, focus on emerging tech trends, answer reader mail, share funny tech experiences, and so on.

Watch for a regularly updated list of picks and pans, too.

* And though it may be risking overexposure, I'll also be filming a one- or two-minute video each week. It'll be a great chance to show you on camera whatever it is that I've reviewed that day in Circuits, or to present topics that work better live than in prose.

In fact, I posted my first one today -- an on-camera review of the Oqo ultrapersonal computer, which I reviewed in print in Circuits today. You can watch the movie at http://www.nytimes.com/videopages/2004/10/13/technology/20041013_STAT_VIDEO.
html

All of this stuff is free.

* And speaking of free: The entire archive of previous Circuits articles is now FREE! Not just mine, but also Basics, Online Shopper, What's Next, Game Theory and more. The days of having to pay $3 per past article are over.

I'm thrilled by this development for two reasons. First, I've always
wondered why my reviews of new computers, gadgets and software cost money, when book reviews, movie reviews and restaurant reviews were a free resource for all. Second, it means that I can stop having to send out copies of past columns to readers who can't find them anymore, or bumming them out by saying, "You'll have to cough up the three bucks."

To browse a list of past columns, go to NYTimes.com/circuits. Under my photo on the right side, you'll see links to my six most recent columns. Or click More Columns to view the entire list, going all the way back to 2000. (This is the best method if you want something you remember reading, say, last month.) From there, you'll find links to archives of all the other Circuits columns.

Or, to search the full text of all columns, use the Search box at the top. Fill in the columnist's name plus the product you want, using plus signs before each word (+pogue +tivo) to ensure that your search
includes both terms.

* All of my e-mail columns are also online and free! At the moment, many of them do not, however, show up in the search results (The Times is working on it). The e-mail columns DO show up if you know the date. You just have to know the formula for the column's Web address.

For example, my October 7, 2004 email column would have this address:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/07/technology/circuits/07POGUE-EMAIL.html

(See how you have to put the actual day of the month, 07, in two different places?)

* The site has a new design with five buttons across the top: Technology Home, Circuits (the section of the paper I write for), Product Reviews, How To's, and Deals. The Reviews and Deals sections, in particular, are enriched by a new collaboration with CNET. You'll find both Times and CNET product reviews in this mix.

That's a lot of stuff, I realize. But take it slowly, experience in
moderation, and I think you'll find this to be a rebirthday well worth
celebrating.

Where's the party, anyway?