TOYOTA have taken the pain out of parallel parking and developed a car that parks itself. The Prius is a world first because it uses electronic sensors to avoid obstacles and guide it into spaces.

Drivers don't even need to touch anything as the car will do it all by itself.

However the most interesting thing about it is the new engine. It runs on electricity and petrol by combining an internal combustion engine with an electric motor.

The car maker says it is much more fuel-efficient and therefore greener than other models.

Toyota (www.toyota.com) says that due to growing demand for cars which are less harmful to the environment, it expects to sell around 76,000 of the Prius worldwide in 2004. It aims to produce 300,000 a year by 2005 or 2006.

THE world's largest record company has announced plans to cut the price of albums by up to 30 per cent.

Universal (new.umusic.com), who have artists like U2 and Sir Elton John will reduce the "suggested" price for most CDs to $13 (£8.25) -- down from $17-19 (£11-£12).

The music industry says it has lost out to free, unauthorised song-sharing websites and the proliferation of CD-copying. The industry also has to take into account the legitimate online services like Apple's iTunes, which allows songs to be bought for $0.99.

Although this decision will only affect US sales, it is only a matter of time before European music lovers begin to look at ways to enjoy the price cuts.

And something will have to be done on this side of the Atlantic as the UK singles market saw sales down 37 per cent during 2003.

THIS is the kind of website that will keep you entertained for ages. The Protozoo Mutant (www.protozoo.com/mutant) digital toy lets you muck about with the faces of famous people such as George W Bush, John Lennon and Andy Warhol.

You play a virtual Frankenstein by dragging a photo on to the easel and then you choose from a selection of eyes, noses and mouths.

You drag and drop them on to the base image in the appropriate spot et voila, you can make Einstein look like Raquel Welch.