Amplifier

POLICE LOG* Oakland Mills: 7000 block of Oakland Mills Road: Trespassers roamed a vacant warehouse Thursday, but there was no sign of forced entry, police said.* Kings Contrivance: 9500 block of Nightsong Lane: Someone smashed a rear windshield of a red 1989 Ford Mustang Friday and stole a speaker and amplifier valued at $500.

POLICE LOG* Oakland Mills: 5700 block of Stevens Forest Road: A red 1992 Buick Century with Maryland tags ZXN072 was stolen Tuesday or Wednesday.* Long Reach: 8700 block of Cloudleap Court: A stereo, amplifier and equalizer were stolen from a blue Datsun 200 Wednesday. The stolen property was valued at nearly $500.

POLICE LOG* Linthicum: Someone stole $1,600 worth of stereo equipment from a North County High School student's car as it sat parked in front of the school Tuesday morning. The student told police the driver's-side window of his 1987 Nissan Pulsar was smashed and that a speaker, amplifier and equalizer were missing.

POLICE LOG* Harpers Mill: Someone stole an amplifier and a speaker worth a total of $220 Sunday morning from a car parked in the 600 block of Crucible Court.

* Jessup: 9900 block of Guilford Road: Someone smashed the passenger side vent window on a 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. Thursday, and stole a $300 speaker and a $350 amplifier.9900 block of Guilford Road: Someone smashed a window on a 1988 Ford Mustang between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday, and stole a $600 Kenwood AM-FM CD radio, a $400 amplifier and 12 CDs valued at $120.9900 block of Guilford Road: Someone smashed a window on a 1979 Pontiac Firebird between 8:30 p.m. Wednesday ad 5:30 a.m. Thursday.

POLICE LOG* Jessup: 8300 block of Route 1: Someone tampered with three trucks at Chesapeake Supply between Thursday and Friday.8900 block of Oakwood Way: Someone used a sharp object to scratch a 1993 Ford between 6:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Thursday.* North Laurel: 9300 block of Northgate Road: Someone broke a rear passenger side window on a 1985 Ford Blazer between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. Sunday, and stole a $304 Sony power amplifier.

POLICE* New Windsor: A resident of the 4100 block of Sams Creek Road told state police that someone broke into his 1990 Ford truck on Dec. 3 and removed a stereo and speakers, damaged the amplifier, and stole a car vacuum and a spotlight. He estimated the loss at $1,993.

POLICE LOG* Ellicott City: 3700 block of Saint Paul Street: Jewelry and other items were stolen from a home after someone broke through a front glass door Dec. 20 or 21.3200 block of Normandy Woods Drive: A stereo, two speakers and an amplifier were stolen from a blue Toyota Celica on Dec. 21, police said.

* North Laurel: 9200 block of Traders Crossing: Someone broke into a Geo Tracker on Monday and stole a $129 amplifier. The thief was unsuccessful in trying to steal a radio and speakers.* 10600 block of Glen Hannah Drive: Someone cut the plastic rear window to a 1992 Isuzu Amigo between Sunday and Monday and stole a $229 MTX speaker, a $399 car stereo and a $179 amplifier.* 9200 block of Old Lantern Way: Someone broke the driver's side front window of a 1989 GMC truck Friday.* 7900 block of Tralee Court: Someone sprayed black paint on the driver's side door of a 1987 Nissan Sentra between Friday and Sunday, and also dented the door.

POLICE* Elkrige: 6900 block of Ducketts Lane: A .32-caliber automatic pistol worth $500 was stolen from a 1991 Ford truck Monday or Tuesday.* Ellicott City: 4900 block of Alice Avenue: A $300 Pioneer equalizer, a $500 speaker box and a $450 amplifier were stolen from a 1990 Jeep Wrangler Tuesday or Wednesday.8700 block of Old Annapolis Road: A $300 speaker box, a $500 Alpine amplifier and a $550 JVC pullout compact disc player were stolen from a 1983 Chevrolet truck Wednesday.10000 block of Carrigan Drive: Someone entered an unlocked 1990 Chevrolet Beretta Sunday or Monday, and stole 24 cassette tapes, valued at $7 each.

As digital music drifts further down the audio chain into cellphones, here comes a freaky little desktop amplifier called the Nuforce Icon that'll stop the MP3 generation in its tracks. The Icon, no bigger than Madonna's little black book (the paperback version), suggests what music in the home might become if we don't devolve into a nation of iPhone or iPod or iTouch speaker-dock addicts. At its best, this $249 device summons something far greater than dock-quality music. The lowly 12-watt Icon is not out of its league, away from the desktop, paired with $3,000 speakers in a full-blown sound system.

THE FUNNY part is, I think it was just a box of chips. I'm not sure, because I didn't want to stare too hard and give the impression I was eavesdropping. Even though I was, in fact, eavesdropping. But even from a distance, I'm reasonably sure it was a 60-count box of chips, like you'd buy in a warehouse store. Which, as it happens, we were in. My son and I, that is. We were out shopping when we passed this couple in the aisle. The guy was holding up the box, apparently explaining to his wife why they should buy enough chips to provision a Scout troop.

POLICE LOG* Linthicum: Someone stole $1,600 worth of stereo equipment from a North County High School student's car as it sat parked in front of the school Tuesday morning. The student told police the driver's-side window of his 1987 Nissan Pulsar was smashed and that a speaker, amplifier and equalizer were missing.

POLICE LOG* Oakland Mills: 7000 block of Oakland Mills Road: Trespassers roamed a vacant warehouse Thursday, but there was no sign of forced entry, police said.* Kings Contrivance: 9500 block of Nightsong Lane: Someone smashed a rear windshield of a red 1989 Ford Mustang Friday and stole a speaker and amplifier valued at $500.

POLICE LOG* Harpers Mill: Someone stole an amplifier and a speaker worth a total of $220 Sunday morning from a car parked in the 600 block of Crucible Court.

POLICE LOG* Oakland Mills: 5700 block of Stevens Forest Road: A red 1992 Buick Century with Maryland tags ZXN072 was stolen Tuesday or Wednesday.* Long Reach: 8700 block of Cloudleap Court: A stereo, amplifier and equalizer were stolen from a blue Datsun 200 Wednesday. The stolen property was valued at nearly $500.

POLICE LOG* Ellicott City: 3700 block of Saint Paul Street: Jewelry and other items were stolen from a home after someone broke through a front glass door Dec. 20 or 21.3200 block of Normandy Woods Drive: A stereo, two speakers and an amplifier were stolen from a blue Toyota Celica on Dec. 21, police said.

POLICE* New Windsor: A resident of the 4100 block of Sams Creek Road told state police that someone broke into his 1990 Ford truck on Dec. 3 and removed a stereo and speakers, damaged the amplifier, and stole a car vacuum and a spotlight. He estimated the loss at $1,993.

POLICE LOG* Jessup: 8300 block of Route 1: Someone tampered with three trucks at Chesapeake Supply between Thursday and Friday.8900 block of Oakwood Way: Someone used a sharp object to scratch a 1993 Ford between 6:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Thursday.* North Laurel: 9300 block of Northgate Road: Someone broke a rear passenger side window on a 1985 Ford Blazer between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. Sunday, and stole a $304 Sony power amplifier.

* Jessup: 9900 block of Guilford Road: Someone smashed the passenger side vent window on a 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. Thursday, and stole a $300 speaker and a $350 amplifier.9900 block of Guilford Road: Someone smashed a window on a 1988 Ford Mustang between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday, and stole a $600 Kenwood AM-FM CD radio, a $400 amplifier and 12 CDs valued at $120.9900 block of Guilford Road: Someone smashed a window on a 1979 Pontiac Firebird between 8:30 p.m. Wednesday ad 5:30 a.m. Thursday.