THE GOODS : A Mini Dose of Sound

Sanyo has introduced a high-tech boombox that really cooks--musically.

Weighing just 15 pounds, the versatile MDC-2000 is the first portable music system to include AM/FM, compact disc and cassette recorder/player plus MiniDisc recorder/player.

Compact by boombox standards (18 inches wide, 8 1/2 inches high, 11.3 inches deep) the MDC-2000 makes recording from CD to MD as simple as possible with one-touch digital recording. Just load a blank MD and prerecorded CD and press the button.

A record-editing feature allows you to tailor the order in which tracks are recorded from a CD to an MD. A disc-title-insertion feature allows the name of the disc to be included in the MiniDisc recording. The MDC-2000 also plays prerecorded and user-recorded MDs.

One-touch synchronized dubbing simplifies recording from a CD to a cassette as well.

Other features include AM/FM digital tuning, dual cone speakers, seven-level spectrum analyzer, a large florescent dot matrix display with scrolling capability, wireless remote, clock and sleep timer.

The MDC-2000 (suggested retail: $1,000) is available through Sharper Image stores and selected audio and music stores.

*

Dry Goods: Flower drying just got a whole lot easier with a new process that lets you use the microwave.

Just out from Botanical Science in Santa Ana is a new flower drying kit that includes silica gel and a microwaveable tray. You simply pour half an inch to 1 1/2 inches of the gel into the tray (larger flowers need more gel) and place flowers face up so they’re not touching each other. With a spoon, gently cover the flowers with more gel.

Then place the uncovered tray in the microwave with a glass of water. Using the high setting, the flowers will take from two to five minutes, depending on size, to dry. Small flowers, such as violets, baby’s breath and pansies, can take as little as a minute. It requires 10 to 15 minutes for the silica gel to cool, so you can remove the flowers with a spoon. A soft brush, which is included, will help you brush off any crystals remaining on the flower.

Botanical Science President Marcel Ford recommends using his dried-flower spray, a new, clear floral sealer, on your newly preserved flowers. Nontoxic and odorless, the water-based spray protects them from moisture, keeps them intact and preserves color, he says.

The flower-drying kit, which includes 1.5 pounds of silica gel, sells for $9.99, plus $3.75 shipping and handling. The 16-ounce bottle of spray is $5.99, plus $3.75 shipping. Or both are available for $15.98, plus $4.75 shipping. Contact Botanical Science at 3421 Fordham Ave., Santa Ana, Calif. 92704; (800) 889-7771.

*

A Real Softy: Car owners will thank Pittards, the British chamois maker, for its unusual new chamois, Dry Soft. It’s billed as the first chamois that dries completely soft after every use.

Although Pittards won’t give away its process, its reps say that the company uses an “exclusive process” of tanning the sheepskin that enables Dry Soft to keep its softness and absorbency longer than other chamois.

Dry Soft, which requires no maintenance, can absorb as much as six times its weight in water, which will reduce car-drying time considerably.

Dry Soft is available locally at Pep Boys and at other auto parts stores. It comes in sizes ranging from two feet (about $12.95) to five feet (about $29.95). If you can’t find it in your area, contact the U.S. Pittards office at 8 Essex Center Drive, Peabody, Mass. 01961; (800) 971-0074.