Bits & Bytes isn't coming to you from the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas, but the team at Powercast, formerly known as FireFly Technologies, debuted at this year's extravaganza to showcase their technology that aims to make cumbersome battery charges for cell phones, PDAs and even hearing aids obsolete.

The Ligonier-based Powercast uses radio waves to recharge these energy-sucking gadgets -- an innovation that had the blog world abuzz this week.

Back on the Pittsburgh home front, a flurry of e-mails urged locals to go to CNet.com and vote for Powercast for the "People's Voice Award" for 2007's most innovative gadget. Powercast, headed by John Shearer, didn't win that award, but it did win the "Best Emerging Technology Award."

Phone companies' showdown with cable TV operators -- and each other -- to hold sway over America's remote controls continued this week.

While bloggers and industry insiders were wondering why the pickings were slim at the Las Vegas showcase for clever new Internet-based television technologies -- maybe because everything was eclipsed by Apple's unveiling of the iPhone -- the February 2007 edition of Consumer Reports gave Verizon's high-speed "FIOS" broadband Internet service its highest satisfaction scores for speed, reliability and technical support, said Verizon spokesman Lee Gierczynski.

He also noted that Verizon's TV service, which is going head-to-head with rival Comcast, should be on the air by the end of this year.

To be fair, AT&T, which is unavailable in these parts, also earned kudos for its broadband service.

As if there weren't enough ringtones to run up your credit card bill each month, now "There she is, Miss America," the famous pageant tune, is available to download from the Country Music Network.

Industry insiders are saying that it's the pageant's ploy to stay in the ratings race, since no one seemed to watch it when it aired on ABC. Now that Miss America has moved to her new home at CMT, it has become the network's most-watched show, according MediaNewsDaily. Ringtones, marketing gurus are saying, might maintain the momentum.

Artes Medical Inc., a San Diego-based portfolio company of Downtown private equity firm iNetworks LLC and headed by Anthony Lacenere and Charlie Schliebs, completed its initial public offering this week.

The maker of the controversial wrinkle-smoother ArteFillR, which is designed to plump up smile lines, sold 4.6 million shares of common stock at $6 a share, plus another 690,000 shares upon the exercise in full of an overallotment option by the underwriters of the offering.

Artes had planned to offer its shares for $12 to $14, but slashed the price late last year to attract more investors. Artes' shares are listed on the Nasdaq under the trading symbol "ARTE."

Research firm Friedman Billings Ramsey boosted its year-end earnings predictions for C-Cor Inc., the State College-based maker of equipment for cable TV operators. After the company said it would exceed its original guidance for its second-quarter results, to be released on Jan. 25, FBR said it expected C-Cor to deliver between $12 and $14 per share by the end of its fiscal year.

For interesting chatter and a good laugh, listen to local tech celebrity Glen Meakem turn the tables on tech consultant and investor Mark Desantis on his podcast.

Mr. Desantis is managing director at Angle Technology Group-USA, a Downtown consulting firm that was one of the finalists being considered by the panel of Pittsburgh tech investors to run the just-launched angel fund.

The pair of tech experts whooped it up this week waxing on such disparate topics as transportation and the nature of power and politics (www.newsmakersgroup.com/)leadershipradio/podcast.php).