New Gadget Strikes a Chord

One less thing is standing between you and a perfect jam session: tuning your electric guitar. A newly launched battery-powered compact device that mounts on the instrument's body is accurate to within 2% of a note, reports the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "It's just a dream, being able to pick up the guitar and see whether it's in tune or tune it quickly," says a beta user.

The N-Tune, the brainchild of an ex-Microsoft employee, uses red LED lights to show that the string being tuned is sharp or flat, and a green light to indicate it's on pitch. The gizmo costs $80 to $100, and the 2-year-old Seattle-based startup behind it, Zero Crossing, has deals in place for 10,000 units. Getting the neighbors not to squawk when the tunes start flowing is the customer's responsibility.