TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says that no matter what happens with the Fed, this sector will prosper, and one conference call explains why.

In the midst of the Fed morass, where the quarter-point/half-point fight rages, I need you to think of tech.

Tech can survive with either, tech can prosper with either.

I say that because of the Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) (Cramer's Take) call last night.

One of the things that has been most exciting about this moment is that there has been no real let-up in tech worldwide. And by the way, I still insist that Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) (Cramer's Take) quarter was not that bad and the emerging growth and financial services businesses aren't enough really slowing or are slowing less than people think.

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says a comment by the Cisco CEO about systems spending caused more damage than it should have.

Everyone thinks we lost tech. That's because everyone was hiding in tech. They thought it was "safe."

Perhaps we confused tech with Coke (NYSE: KO) (Cramer's Take) and Pepsi (NYSE: PEP) (Cramer's Take).

First, the root cause of all of this is the somewhat off-handed comment about how the financial services industry has cut back on spending for systems.

We never want to hear any company say anything about spending cuts by customers. It is intriguing that the only place where spending was hit was by these customers. It was enough to kill all tech, though.

Is it right? If tech hadn't been so hyped and if tech wasn't so linked to financial services, I don't know how much we would be down.

The Volatility Index for S&P 500 Options (VIX) is down 0.52 to 14.44.

Louisiana Pacific (NYSE: LPX) call volume Heavy, volatility Higher on renewed Chatter. LPX is recently up .28 to $20.77. LPX has been frequently mentioned as possibly returning cash to shareholders or as a candidate for private equity LBO bid. LPX had 2006 total revenue of $2.2 billion. LPX has a market cap of $2.1 billion with long term debt of $644 million. LPX call option volume of 6,927 contracts compares to put volume of 164 contracts. LPX April option implied volatility of 32 is above its 26-week average of 29 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

Houston Wire & Cable (NASDAQ: HWCC) volatility Flat; call volume heavy on secondary offering. HWCC offers specialty wire & cable. HWCC is recently up .78 to $27.46. HWCC announced a secondary offering of 5.5 million shares to 6.5 million shares. The price of the offering was set at $25. HWCC has a market cap of $569 million with long term debt of $12 million. HWCC reported 2006 total revenue of $323 million. HWCC call option volume of 2,275 contracts compares to put volume of 23 contracts. HWCC May option implied volatility of 47 is near its 26-week average according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price risks.

Option volume leaders today are: Beazer Homes (NYSE: BZH), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) and United Therapeutics (NASDAQ: UTHR).

The Daily Option Update is provided by Stock Options Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

If you've been following my blog, you know I've recommended Napster Inc. (NASDAQ:NAPS) twice. Once was last June when it was around $3, and again in October when it had gained 50% to $4.50. I had predicted it could get to $6, and I still believe that.

The stock has lost some value since then, but it jumped again earlier this month when it was announced that AOL would make Napster its exclusive provider for AOL Music. Formerly provided by AOL Now, the service has more than 300,000 subscribers and will provide a nice revenue bump for Napster.

The stock has dipped again since the announcement, but I think that was investors taking profits and that doesn't worry me. Napster is still a stock that can continue to make you money. NAPS is still operating at a loss, but its numbers are improving. Revenues for the first two quarters of 2006 were up over the same quarters in 2005. For the six months ending Sept. 30, 2006, earnings were up 20% and operating expenses were down 25% compared to the six months ending Sept. 30, 2005. The digital music industry doubled in 2006 to $2 billion, but it still represents a small percentage of sales, which means there is still plenty of room for growth in this side of the business.

Yes, there certainly is risk here. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) continues to dominate the market, and competition is fierce from rivals like RealNetworks and Rhapsody. But Napster still has a recognized and solid brand name, and is still rumored to be an acquisition target for a company that can use its revenue stream and brand.

Type of stock: A digital music company with growing revenues, a good brand name, and the potential for acquisition.

Price target: I think Napster is still a good buy at $4; especially if you're willing to be patient. If you want to be
more careful, wait for it to drop to $3.50. The stock should hit $6 in 2007.

Hilary Kramer is a financial editor and money coach for AOL and an authority on investing. Visit her at www.hilarykramer.com.

My colleague Melly Alazraki wrote a post today about a bar in Des Moines, Iowa, that decided to have a little "iPod Monday" party. Patrons could show up, have a few beers and share their latest playlists or podcasts. Not my idea of a jolly time, but they probably don't have a lot to do out in Des Moines on Monday nights.

Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) somehow got wind of this event, which amused maybe 45 people at most, and issued a cease and desist email to the bar owner telling him to stop using Apple's trademarked names. Jeez. Overreact much? I wonder how much Apple legal counsel bills for this sort of thing.

Seems a lot of companies, in their zeal to protect themselves, shoot themselves in the foot with this sort of small thinking. Word gets out about the company's silly over-reaction, and people start to lose respect. Eventually this takes its toll. Just look at Disney. So much as put a Princess on a Girl Scout flyer and it will swoop down upon you like the Angel of Litigation. Okay, I exaggerate here, but the Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) is known for its ruthless copyright protection. For a brand built on cartoon characters, it doesn't have much of a sense of humor.

These companies have a right to protect their brands, of course. But a little perspective is in order. Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA)'s got a big problem with its product going up for free on YouTube. Apple should not have a problem with a bunch of good ol' boys in Des Moines crying into their beers while listening to Patsy Cline on their iPods.

PR and advertising execs know all about the damage bad public perception can wreak on a company. Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE:WAL) should understand this, too. Apple has the reputation of thinking big. It should stop acting small.

Ok, this is really confusing. Apple Inc. (Steve Jobs's company) has ended a legal dispute with Apple Corps (remember the Beatles' record label...) which represents the Fab Four's business interests. The end of the legal wrangling perhaps paves the way for Beatles songs to be available on iTunes. For now, they remain a glaring omission from the site. You can download over 100 different Don Ho songs, but no Beatles.

A spokeswoman for Apple declined to comment on whether a deal was forthcoming, but Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs has said that brining the Beatles to iTunes is an important goal for the company.