Jun. 24--THE GIZMO: Two weeks in the consumer- electronics industry is like a year in some other businesses, in terms of breaking news. Consider the following head spinners that fell out of the sky while your Gizmo Guy was out on vacation (but still paying attention).

CONGRESS ON THE PHONE: Last Friday, AT&T and Apple started selling the new iPhone 3GS models offering faster data processing, video recording, better battery life and voice-activated calling and music controls. And no surprise, folks lined up for hours to buy one. In the first three days, more than one million units were sold. It took 74 days for the first iPhone to reach that pinnacle.

But the latest launch has raised a red flag from Congress, the Rural Telecommunications Alliance and the Federal Communications Commission.

Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps told a conference last week that the FCC will soon open a proceeding to "closely examine" such exclusive relationships between makers and sellers of wireless handsets, to determine "whether these arrangements have adversely restricted consumer choice, or harmed the development of innovative devices. And we should take appropriate action if it finds harm."

No surprise, AT&T argues the opposite effect.

Said spokesman Mark Siegel, "One of the things that our exclusive arrangement with Apple has created is innovation that has spurred other companies, as you have seen, to come out with their own innovative devices."

He continued, "Consumers have more choice, and that's what competition is supposed to do."

NO MORE SHOUT-OUTS? Some advertisers still take a sledge-hammer approach to getting your attention, cranking up the volume on TV commercials. More desperate-sounding today than ever (maybe it's the economy), this assault to the senses has sparked members of Congress to rally behind a bill (HR-1084) that effectively bans loud commercials.

"If passed, I suspect this bill will become as popular as the 'Do Not Call Act' " [which bans most phone calls from telemarketers], said House Communications Subcommittee chairman Rick Boucher (D-Va.) at a recent hearing on the subject.

Broadcasters addressing the subcommittee acknowledged problems and are now "motivated to act," said NBC Universal engineer Jim Starzynski, with a soon-coming signal monitoring and modulating solution.

COMMERSHILLS, YOUR WAY: Advertising targeted to viewers' specific demographics and interests may soon be popping up on TVs connected to Echo-star and (later) DirecTV satellite boxes.