J&R Music and Computer World reopened its store in N.Y.C. Mon., having been closed since World Trade Center attack on Sept. 11. On day of WTC attack, cloud of black soot blew through doors and settled inside DVD players and PC hard drives, company said. Rescue workers also opened some doors and set up triage center that got little use. All 300,000 sq. ft. feet of retail space, housed in several buildings, are less than one-quarter mile from WTC. Workers spent much of last month replacing about 3,000 sq. ft. of carpet, painting walls, vacuuming ash from 5 escalators and cleaning credit card terminals and cash registers. Privately held J&R, with 650 employees and revenue of more than $300 million, lost millions in sales while store was closed, industry sources said. It offset some of lost sales by continuing to operate small satellite store near Columbia U. and catalog and warehouse operations in Maspeth, N.Y. In ads trumpeting reopening, all DVDs and music CDs were on sale and T-shirts featuring American flag and letters “NYC” were being offered free with $50 purchase plus $1 donation to Twin Towers Fund. Reopening will include ribbon cutting Thurs. featuring N.Y.C. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

Shorter window between rentals and sales of video titles is expected to be announced in U.K. this week by Universal. Studio is expected to cut window to 4-8 weeks from 4-6 months for DVD and VHS beginning in first quarter, British press reported. Studio contends shorter window will stimulate consumer awareness of titles after theatrical release and said consumers’ intent to rent remained greater than intent to purchase.

PC game Zoo Tycoon from Microsoft started shipping at $29.99. E-rated (Everyone) simulation-style title, developed by Blue Fang Games, challenges players to turn bunch of animals into money-making machine by building profitable animal park. Microsoft PC Games Div. Gen. Mgr. Stuart Moulder said company expected game to be one of its biggest titles this holiday season. After buying game, players can download new content including completed zoos and new animals via Zoo Tycoon Web site, www.microsoft.com/games/zootycoon/.

Disney’s classic animation Dumbo was to make DVD debut today coinciding with movie’s 60th anniversary.

EA Games division of Electronic Arts said E-rated PC game Motor City Online went gold and will ship Oct. 30 at $39.99. Title allows players to build and race own collection of custom cars with thousands of other players online. Separately, EA updated its official Web site for upcoming PlayStation 2 game James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire with new details. Update included first look at “Cold Reception” first-person action level set in Swiss Alps and “Night of the Jackal” first-person action level set inside and outside British Embassy in Bucharest. Also given was sneak peek of 3 female villains from game -- Twins and Carla the Jackal. T-rated (Teen) game will ship Nov. 13 at $49.99.

European technology associations are to open Web site showcasing digital tools available for compensating copyright owners for private copying without penalizing consumers. European Information, Communications & Consumer Electronics Technology Industry Assn. (EICTA) and Belgian Multisector Federation for Technology Industry will roll out site, www.eicta.org/levies, Nov. 6 in Brussels, they said. Site will show why existing levy system and its extension to digital equipment is “outdated and unfair to rights holders, consumers and the European ICT industry,” they said.

Jay Samit, senior vp for new media, EMI Recorded Music, named keynoter for Surround 2001 conference, Dec. 7-8, Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills.

Sony is shipping version of Cli? handheld PC that doubles as 4-function remote control for more than 20 brands of A/V receivers, DVD players, TVs, VCRs. PEG-T415 ($299) has extended reach of Cli?’s infrared port -- previously used for exchanging data between handhelds -- to 15’ and added software containing product codes. Number of product codes available and how much of Cli?’s 8 MB memory they consume weren’t available at our deadline.

Sony, fresh from signing long-term licensing pact with TiVo, also has struck agreement for personal video recorders (PVRs) with Gemstar-TV Guide International, which is suing TiVo for patent infringement. TiVo countersued Gemstar seeking damages for antitrust violations.

Zight reached agreement with Baranti to work on design of its microdisplays targeting “wearable” PCs and home entertainment products. Baranti previously had worked on Zight’s reference design for near-eye applications such as head-mounted displays (HMD) using 0.47” microdisplay with 800x600 resolution. At same time, volume production of 0.25” microdisplay with 320x240 resolution is set for Nov., said Mktg. Dir. Rainer Kuhn, who declined to identify manufacturer. Zight began sample production of 0.25” at Hana MicroDisplay in first quarter and was expected to offer volume manufacturing in following quarter. Meanwhile, Zight is “still moving forward” with Polaroid, despite latter’s recently having filed for bankruptcy protection, Kuhn said. Polaroid has shown digital camera with 0.47” microdisplay as viewfinder. I/O Display also is expected to ship i-Glasses HMD with 0.47” in Nov.