Signals

I am a fan of 1More. Their wired earphones have provided me with audiophile playback quality at reasonable price points. In particular, their triple-driver earbuds have been a personal favorite of mine. Now, this design, and others, will be available in a wireless format.

When I entered the Hi-Res Audio pavilion, my eye was immediately attracted to the Lincoln Continental parked there. This $70,000 vehicle is a luxury looker, and since it was sitting in an official Hi-Res area, I suspected it would sound good too. My suspicions proved correct.

CES, of course, is all about consumer electronics. And as you've probably noticed, today's cars are jam-packed with electronics. But that's nothing compared to what's coming down the road in the near future.

I was late to class that morning. So I was a bit over the speed limit, astride my trusty BMW R50/2 motorcycle, heading into town and onto campus. I spotted something shiny lying in the middle of the highway. No time to explore — I was late. But on the way home that night, my weak headlight (6-volt, you know) saw that glimmer again, now on the side of the highway. I braked and circled back...

Ground control to Major Tom. Ground control to Major Tom. Take your protein pills. And put your helmet on. Your roadster is washed and waxed. Turn your stereo on. That's earth in your rear-view mirror.

I once observed that the business of running a recording studio was like renting out a Gutenberg Bible for parties. Your upfront costs are enormous, the anticipated income is relatively slight, and the potential downsides can be tragic. Largely because of that terrible business model, the studio business has changed dramatically.

“The Quality Goes in Before the Name Goes On.” If you are of a certain age, that trademarked slogan is imprinted in your brain. It was marketed relentlessly. And it was a darn good slogan. It assured you that any product with the company’s name on it was of high quality. It also redirected your attention to the importance of the name of the company itself; you didn’t need to know anything else about the product; the company’s name ensured that it was good. My, how times have changed.