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CES 2011
A Tight Piece of Glass
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Jan 08, 2011
Greensound Technology unveiled a line of three speakers and a subwoofer made of glass. The speakers are said to produce sound from 70 Hz to around 17 kHz. Round holes strategically cut into the glass cause the upper frequencies to be emitted by the upper portion of the glass panel with the lower frequencies emanating from the lower region. Pricing ranges from $4,000 to $19,000/pair.
CES 2011
2D to 3D in Real Time
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Jan 08, 2011
VideoEFx showed a prototype of a small box that takes any 2D HDMI source and converts the image on the fly to a simulated 3D that can be viewed on any 3D HDTV. The company demonstrated the device with the same football game running on a 2D HDTV sitting next to a 3D HDTV. I must say that, although the effect didn’t have quite the depth of video shot in 3D, it was surprisingly good. The estimated retail price is targeted to be $399. No word on when the product will be available since it has not yet been approved by the FCC.
CES 2011
Wireless (sort of) Speaker Mount
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Jan 08, 2011
Running wires to the rear speakers of a 5.1 or 7.1 system is always problematic. Several companies demonstrated wireless add-on devices, but the Link-Mount is the most unusual and clever solution I’ve seen so far. The wireless receiver/amp is built into a universal speaker wall bracket. A DC power cord is then run through the wall to a termination plate where you connect the wire to a transformer plugged into an electrical outlet. Since it’s DC running through the wall, no electrician is necessary. Pricing is in the $400 range for a pair of brackets and a transmitter.
CES 2011
I’ll Take Fanhattan
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Jan 08, 2011
Watch out, Google TV. Fanhattan is a new service scheduled to launch in early 2011 that uses a very simple and easy-to-use UI to let you surf the world of video entertainment. It not only makes it easy to find the TV shows and movies you want to watch – it also lists the various services that provide that content and the prices charged (in the case of movies, for instance). Fanhattan will also provide a bunch of options having to do with the main content, such as related movie synopsis, bios, and YouTube videos.
CES 2011
The Glamorous Life of a Member of the Press
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Jan 08, 2011
In case you thought being an esteemed member of the consumer press corps was a ticket to luxury, here’s an image of the phenomenal lunch spread that awaits you in the press room. At least it was free…
CES 2011
Onkyo Rockets Into Wireless Audio
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Jan 08, 2011
Onkyo announced that they are partnering with Rocketboost for use in a slew of new wireless products to come in 2011. All Onkyo AVRs introduced this year will be Rocketboost-ready via a transceiver module connected to the AVR through a proprietary U-Port connection. The wireless transmission can be used for a second zone of audio or for wireless rear channel speakers. All Rocketboost accessories are compatible regardless of manufacturer.
Blue Man Group
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 08, 2011
Photo by Barry Willis

While I'm in Vegas for CES, I always try to see one show with my friend Melinda DeNicola of the PR firm Detail in Design; this year, it was Blue Man Group at the Venetian. I'd seen the show some years ago at the Luxor, and it was loud, so I decided to see just how loud this time with my Larson Davis Model 700 SPL meter.

The RMS average sound level (technically called Leq) over the entire hour-and-a-half duration was 92.3dB (A-weighting, slow response), while the highest RMS maximum (technically called Lmax) within a 1-minute interval was 104.5dBA, and the highest instantaneous peak was a whopping 137.5dBA. The sound level exceeded 97.5dBA 10 percent of the time, 91.0dBA 33 percent of the time, and 82.5dBA 50 percent of the time. Fortunately, I had my custom-molded earplugs with me, which cut the levels reaching my ears by 25dB.

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Analog Devices ADV 8002 Video Processor
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 08, 2011
Analog Devices is known mostly for I/O (input/output) chips, but the company is showing its new video processor at CES. The ADV 8002 includes two scalers, motion-adaptive deinterlacing, noise reduction, and video enhancement, and it can pass 3D without processing it. The production version will have at least two HDMI inputs and two outputs as well as all the standard analog-video inputs, and it will be able to process two different programs independently and simultaneously—for example, sending 1080p to an HDTV and 480p to an SD display in another room. This processor should be shipping in consumer products this spring, though the company rep would not reveal from whom.
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Analog Devices Electrooculogram
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 08, 2011
Chip maker Analog Devices has some interesting demos in its booth, such as this electrooculogram (EOG) system that tracks eye movement based on tiny voltages generated by the eye muscles. Other than medical applications, such as lazy-eye rehabilitation and quadriplegic assistance, such a system could be used to control game play or even an entire home theater. Of course, wearing those electrodes wouldn't fly with consumers, but a future version could incorporate them into a goggle headset.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Backdraft (Blu-ray)
David Vaughn  |  Jan 08, 2011
Two siblings carry on a family tradition as Chicago firefighters and must overcome their rivalry in order to find an arsonist who's torching the city. A twist of fate lands Brian (William Baldwin) in the investigators department working under veteran Donald Rimgale (Robert DeNiro) and is taught what it means to be a firefighter.

I've seen this at least 5 times over the past 19 years and have always enjoyed the characters and the awesome pyrotechnic displays. The plot is loaded with clichés with the sibling rivalry, crooked politicians, and a story line that only has maybe one degree of separation between each of the characters, but hey, it's Hollywood!

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