But when you get there and pop it into the little player on your desk, you hear a voice say, 'We're sorry, but you are only authorized to play this disk on up to two CD players.

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Sliding in the cell locks it in place, where a swipe of the lock lets it pop out so that you can grasp it with your fingers -- it's usually an easy task, but sometimes the battery doesn't pop out enough to get a grip on it.

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Other observers note that while it's the flashy product roll-outs that get the attention -- pop stars Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga already have made appearances this week -- it's the deal-brokering among tech players behind the scenes that truly matters.

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If you have the software and are about to buy a book from Amazon, say, a box will pop up to tell you that you could get it cheaper elsewhere.

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For one thing, it's hard to get airplay where radio stations prefer saccharine pop music.

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PopOff: For-profit Web sites will hate you, but if you use this free utility it will shut down pop-up advertisement windows before they get in your way.

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But it violates federal law to secretly install software that forces consumers to get pop-ups that disrupt their computer use.

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