Logarithmic L^p bounds for maximal directional singular integrals in the plane

We discuss the L^p-boundedness of maximal singular integrals in the plane over a finite set V of N directions. Logarithmic bounds are established for a set V of arbitrary structure in the 2<=p<infinity range. Sharp bounds are proved for lacunary and Vargas sets of directions. The latter include the case of uniformly distributed directions and the finite truncations of the Cantor set. We make use of both classical harmonic analysis methods and product-BMO based time-frequency analysis techniques. As a further application of the latter, we derive an L^p almost orthogonality principle for Fourier restrictions to cones.