January 2, 2003

Digital pianos can help speed process of learning to play with variety of built-in accessories and tutorials; one device called Music Tutor can simulate experience of playing duets and slow music down to easier tempo; other electronic teaching tools noted; some piano teachers have embraced technology, while others are slower to do so; photos; drawings (M)

Article on possible corporate mergers in 2003 in telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods and financial services industries; Thomson Financial reports merger activity in US in 2002 fell to $458 billion, from $771 billion in 2001; photos (M)

Article on whether stock market will rebound in 2003 after three years of decline; says to some bulls, real issue is not so much whether economic outlook is bright, but whether share prices fell far enough to more than compensate for remaining risks; holds it has been seven decades since last time market went down for four consecutive years, as would happen if 2003 turned out to be bad year; adds it has been more than six decades since third year of presidential election cycle brought lower share prices; says big bear markets are usually followed by bull markets with leadership that is different from previous bull market; graphs; charts; drawing (M)

William C Rhoden Sports of The Times column contends that tailback Maurice Clarett's resentment towards Ohio State University for not flying him home from site of Fiesta Bowl, where Ohio State will play Miami University for national championship, to attend funeral of friend is both justified and unreasonable, as he neglected minutiae of qualifying process; praises Clarett for being athlete with some sense of priorities; photo (M)

Footlights comments on collaboration of Amy Scurria and Steve Heitzeg on composition about Battle of Gettysburg for Philadelphia Orchestra and Minnesota Orchestra, selection of Gish Jen ane Claire Messud as recipients of this year's Strauss Livings awards for writers, one-night-only benefit concert performance of 1974 musical Mack and Mabel, and retrospective of Bob Fosse films; photo (M)

Vanu Bose is gaining recognition for radio-design technology; his company Vanu Inc is prominent innovator in effort to use software rather than hardware to control how radios, cellphones and all other wireless communications devices recognize and manage signals, making such devices easily upgradable and able to communicate; goal is to develop software and related components that recognize various wave forms at any frequency in radio spectrum and choose appropriate applications to process them, allowing, for example, single device to provide cellphone service without regard to format or frequency; photos (M)

Cynthia Crier, Manhattan architect and sister of Catherine Crier, Court TV anchor, doubles size of her sister's house in Katonah, NY, doing everything from supervising contractor to stocking shelves; renovation builds better relationship between sisters as well as better home; photos (M)

Joyce Purnick Metro Matters column comments on apparent dichotomy between fiscal policies discussed by New York Gov George Pataki during recent campaign and realities he faces in his third term; says during campaign, he stayed away from what he calls 'gloom-and-doom' talk, making only modest moves to stave off effects of recession and rejecting projections of $10 billion budget gap; notes his use of word 'crisis' in inaugural address and wonders how he will address looming problems (M)

George Pataki is sworn in for third term as governor of New York; challenges New Yorkers to confront state's dire fiscal problems with courage and unity; calls for bipartisan cooperation from Albany's lawmakers to close shortfall of $2 billion this fiscal year and $10 billion next year; Lt Gov Mary O Donohue, who won re-election on Pataki's ticket, Comptroller Alan Hevesi and Attorney Gen Eliot Spitzer are also sworn in; ceremony described; photos (M)

Dallas Cowboys and Bill Parcells, former New York Giants, New York Jets and New England Patriots coach, agree to approximately $17 million, four-year contract for head coaching job (M)

Article profiles Isaiah Owens, Harlem undertaker whose artistic preparation of bodies for viewing is well known; what separates Owen from others is highly developed aesthetic sensibility and boundless sympathy for bereaved; photos (M)

Researchers say global warming is forcing species around world to move into new ranges or alter habits in ways that could disrupt ecosystems; two new studies, reported in journal Nature, are said to provide clearest portrait yet of biological world driven into accelerating flux by warming caused at least in part by human activity; rising concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases cited; in some cases, species' ranges have shifted 60 miles or more in recent decades, mainly toward poles; in others, timing of egg laying, migrations and like has shifted weeks earlier in year, creating potential to separate species, in both time and place, from their needed sources of food; two studies conclude that result in coming decades could be substantial ecological disruption, local losses of wildlife and extinction of some species; photo (M)