By K.C. Jones, TechWeb News

IBM and Virgin Entertainment Group have teamed up so shoppers in New York City`s Times Square can sample more than 250,000 CDs, 11,000 DVDs and 7,000 games.

IBM announced Tuesday that it has installed 150 customized Anyplace Kiosks, allowing consumers to preview virtually all of the CDs, DVDs and console games available in Virgin Entertainment`s refurbished, three-story flagship. Shoppers can preview CDs, watch video trailers or see reviews and screenshots in America`s largest music entertainment store.

The sleek, tapered kiosks combine a 1.3 GHz processor, advanced infrared touch screen display and optional peripherals. They replace older and slower kiosks and listening stations that performed limited functions. Virgin Entertainment eventually plans to use what it calls its Virgin Vault Kiosks for a ``guided selling`` application, which will recommend products based on preferences and past purchases.

``Virgin is committed to being a leader in using advanced technology in the retail space,`` Robert Fort, director of information technology for Virgin Entertainment`s North America division, said in a written statement. ``