Still have dreams of being the next Jimi Hendrix or Elton John? But your guitar or piano/keyboard is now gathering dust in the corner because you don’t have the time or the money to spend taking lessons, right? Well, dust it off, because online lessons may be the answer to your dilemma.  Online lessons are much cheaper than in-person lessons, which typically cost $50 or more an hour; you can take a lesson at home whenever you want, or even on the go with a laptop and portable instrument; and with streaming video you can see exactly how your instructor plays the melodies and chords. Also, unlike package deals that send you DVDs and books, online material is not static—new lessons are continually added, and in some cases you can select from a variety of instructors. Online lesson forums also allow you to get feedback from your teachers and have them or other students answer your questions, listen to your music, and more.

 Ever since 1914, when president Woodrow Wilson declared that the second Sunday in May would be a U.S. national holiday in honor of mothers, people have gone nuts trying to pick the perfect present for the moms in their lives. But fret no longer -- whether your mother is a hardcore techie, somewhat tech-savvy, or totally uninterested in the world of bits and bytes -- we’ve found a great gift for her.