PLUGGED IN : NEWS BYTES.

GLARE AFFAIR: More and more of us spend more and more time staring at computer monitors, and the result is eyestrain, headaches and blurry vision.

A couple of companies are making coated glass filters that fit over monitors and - as the name filter might suggest - screen out much of the glare. A recent study at Cornell University indicated that the products substantially cut, while not eliminating, complaints from computer users.

Companies making the filters include Glare Guard/OCLI (reachable at 800-545- 6254 or 707-545-6440) and Ergo View (800-888-3537).

Family PC magazine suggests that the filters may not be a great solution if you have a child who likes to touch the screen. It needs to be clean and fingerprint-free.

A TICKET TO WRITE: Writer's Market long has been one of the premier publications for budding and working writers, especially the proverbial free-lancer looking for places to sell material.

Now, no surprise, the book is on CD-ROM.

The 1997 Writer's Market lists 4,000 places to sell material - or at least try. This electronic edition also adds features not available in its print counterpart. For instance, the CD-ROM gives you a database to record submissions and - for optimists - track earnings. It retails for $39.99.

WEB LINKS

Arthritis.com: The Arthritis Connection includes an online group http://www.arthritisconnection.com meant to provide tips for dealing with arthritis. Features of the Web site include information on improving diet, strength and endurance, and reducing pain.

Among the other sites linked to the Arthritis Connection is the Arthritis Foundation http://www.arthritis.org, the Arthritis Information Page from SkyDancer (http://www.netshop.net/nsardy/dancer/asmp.html and the American College of Rheumatology http://www.rheumatology.org.

LATIN LIVES ON: Latin is at its liveliest on the grex Latine loquentium (the Latin speakers' group), or more fondly grex noster (our group), a bulletin board with only two rules: 1) Any topic may be discussed as long as the discussion is in Latin, 2) When in doubt, refer to Rule 1.

A rich classical store can be tapped at World Wide Web sites like Perseus http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/ a collection of resources for Greek art, archeology and literature, or the classics home pages of the University of Michigan http://rome.classics.lsa.umich.edu/welcome.html and Oxford University http://units.ox.ac.uk./departments/classics/.

RANDOM ACCESS

SEE ME, SCAN ME: Like other new, PC-type devices, the scanner has been rapidly moving from the league of unaffordable extravagance toward the land of consumer commodity.

Scanners, which turn pictures and text into those cute little zeros and ones that computers can handle, have been catching on with consumers. That increased popularity is clearly related to the dip in the price tag.

Just months ago it was impossible to find a scanner for less than $1,000. Now, you can buy a new OpticPro 4800P from Plustek, a color scanner, for less than $400.