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Who Invented Headphones?
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 16, 2011
As someone whose job involves filtering massive amounts of hype to isolate the tiny tidbits of information readers may care about, I must admit that at times my filter gets clogged. So I got a kick out of reading Mark Schubin's essay "Headphones, History, & Hysteria" as he doggedly pursued a seemingly simple question: Who invented headphones?

Well, one website says it was John C. Koss in 1958. And if it's on the internet, you know it must be true. But wait! The Beyer website says it was that company in 1937. And if it's on the internet.... But wait!

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Blu-ray Review: Hall Pass
Josef Krebs  |  Jun 16, 2011

The starting point of Hall Pass, the latest comedy from writer/directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly, is the same as that of most current TV sitcoms: Gone-to-pot, sex-mad, middle-aged suburban American husbands — who’ve been infantilized by their disappointed, slightly contemptuous, much more attractive wives — yearn for freedom (and more sex) via younger, even hotter women.

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Ask S&V
Pioneer vs. Elite AVRs, DVD Recorders, 1440p
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 15, 2011
Should I get a Pioneer or Elite brand AVR? Are there DVD recorders with an HDMI input? Is 1440p real?
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Ask S&V
"Reference" Products
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jun 15, 2011
I have often seen products with "Reference" in the name, such as "Professional Reference Speakers." Exactly what does that mean? Is it a standard or just hype to sell a product.

Terry Bavousett

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Blu-ray Review: Red Riding Hood
Rad Bennett  |  Jun 15, 2011

Fairy tales have been reinterpreted throughout history, often with great success. Little Red Riding Hood has been updated by artists from Tex Avery to Stephen Sondheim; it was even presented as a very funny Fractured Fairy Tale on the Rocky and Bullwinkle show. Unfortunately, Catherine Hardwicke’s new version doesn’t belong in such high-class company.

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Review: Klipsch Image One
Michael Berk  |  Jun 15, 2011

Klipsch's Image One, the company's first on-the-ear headphone design, following in the footsteps of their successful Image line of in-ear models, are - like the Bowers & Wilkins P5 and Monster's Beats by Dr. Dre line - headphones conceived as lifestyle objects for the iPhone era, with all mod cons onboard, and styling points aplenty.

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Audio Video News
Free Audiobook: "Go the F--- to Sleep"
Ken Richardson  |  Jun 15, 2011

 

"A children's book for grown-ups! I really did laugh out loud. Hilarious!"

That's none other than David Byrne singing the praises of Go the F--- to Sleep, which was published yesterday by Akashic Books.

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Audio Video News
TiVo Aims at Cable Ops
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 15, 2011
TiVo aims to capture the attention of the cable TV industry with two new cable compatible products as well as an update of its iPad app.

The TiVo Premiere Q boasts four tuners for recording and viewing multiple streams, while the TiVo Preview is the first TiVo HD product not to have a DVR.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Harry Potter Years 5 and 6 Ultimate Editions (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jun 15, 2011
At the end of the Goblet of Fire, Harry witnessed the return of Lord Voldemort and barely escaped with his life. The Ministry of Magic doesn’t believe Harry's tale and is doing everything within their power to keep the wizarding world from knowing the truth by orchestrating a smear campaign against the boy who lived and Professor Dumbledore. Furthermore, the ministry is taking an active role in educating of the students at Hogwarts by appointing Dolores Umbridge as the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. When she refuses to teach practical defensive magic, Hermoine convinces Harry to form Dumbledore’s Army with a select group of students in order to give them a fighting chance.

Director David Yates takes over the helm inheriting the legacy of Chris Columbus, Mike Newell, and Alphonso Cuaron. From a pure directorial aspect, I think he did an excellent job, but my biggest complaint with this movie lies in the writer, Michael Goldenberg, who replaced Steven Kloves who penned the first four movies.

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Other Tech
Streaming for the Masses
David Vaughn  |  Jun 14, 2011
Streaming video has gone mainstream. Are you ready?

Once upon a time, outside factors controlled when and where you could watch a TV show or feature film. Over the past 35 years, that’s evolved dramatically. The revolution began with the introduction of the VCR in 1976. Its ability to record and archive broadcast TV shows and movies on magnetic tape burst open the floodgates for entertainment in the home. Other formats followed, all the way up to our present-day high-density Blu-ray Discs. One thing they’ve all had in common, though, is their physical nature. That’s all changing now. Like it or not, we’re entering a transition phase from physical media to streaming and the cloud. Looks like a revolution all over again.

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