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Signals
Can Your Phone Do This?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  May 10, 2013

Would you dunk your entertainment electronics toys in water? Probably not, unless you’re running some kind of insurance scam. Don’t worry. Most of my gear doesn’t like being underwater either. Trust me, if you try to play an LP record at the bottom of your pool, bad things happen. Really bad things. The jacuzzi isn’t good either.

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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Guts and Glory: 10 Great Comic Book Movies on Blu-ray
Chris Chiarella  |  May 10, 2013
When an older and quite esteemed film expert asked me not long ago what my favorite genre was, I was honestly flummoxed. Pixar isn’t a genre, and I’ve just seen too many lame science-fiction flicks. Looking back over a life of film fandom and the past decade in particular, I finally came up with an eyebrow-raising response: comic book movies.
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Ears On
Getting to Know Your Surround Receiver
Mark Fleischmann  |  May 10, 2013
Someday I'll write a blog headlined Why Surround Receivers Are Cooler Than Ever. But before I get to that one, I'd probably better write one called Getting to Know Your Surround Receiver. Lots of folks dread the whole idea of buying an audio/video receiver because they fear that the getting-to-know-you phase will scar them for life. So here's what to do when you take your new receiver out of the box. This is not a detailed step-by-step guide. You'll have to infer the smaller steps yourself, refer to the manual, or buy a book on the subject (hint hint). But the following may make it a little easier to get started.

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Soundbar Reviews
Atlantic Technology FS-7.1 Soundbar Speaker System
Chris Chiarella  |  May 10, 2013
FS-7.1 Soundbar
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
SB-900-BLK Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value
Price: $1,300 At a Glance: Multichannel speaker reproduces all seven channels • No onboard amplification or processing • Optional subwoofer

Writing about consumer electronics for the past two decades has taught me a few things: Always take good notes, don’t believe everything you read in press releases, and at least try to keep an open mind. Case in point, the soundbar. The very idea of a single box containing the amplification, processing, and all of the loudspeakers necessary to adequately present home theater audio was met with early disdain. But hearing was believing, and now it’s a viable (and thriving) product category.

Then a crate recently arrived containing the Atlantic Technology FS-7.1, a redesigned, upgraded version of the company’s well-regarded FS-7.0 seven-channel home theater soundbar.

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Headphone Reviews
Review: Klipsch Image One Bluetooth
Brent Butterworth  |  May 09, 2013

It's not so easy to convert a headphone to Bluetooth. You've got to find space for the amplifier, processing circuitry, radio transceiver, and battery-and all that stuff taking up space inside the earpieces can change the sound a lot. Plus you kinda have to have a cabled mode, because you can't use Bluetooth on airplanes.

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Grace Notes
The Pyle BlueReach PBTR70 Bluetooth Adapter
Leslie Shapiro  |  May 09, 2013

Dust off your recently-obsoleted 30-pin Apple docks – Pyle Audio has come to the rescue. Just when you thought you were reduced to connecting to your collection of Apple-ready speaker docks by a lowly audio cable, Pyle has released the BlueReach PBTR70, an adapter plugs into any 30-pin speaker dock to receive Bluetooth from any Bluetooth-enabled audio device.

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Audio Video News
Coming Attractions
HT Staff  |  May 09, 2013
A 3D camcorder plus a high-end soundbar, wireless music system, and serious digital music player from three classic audio brands, and other cool stuff...
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New Products
NuVo Technologies Wireless Audio System
Bob Ankosko  |  May 09, 2013
NuVo Technologies, a company with roots in the music business that date back to 1924, was onto something when it introduced its first multi-zone home audio system back in 2002. A decade later, the company offers a lineup of wholehouse audio systems designed for professional installation and recently introduced the NuVo Wireless Audio System, its first DIY consumer product.
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Desktop Speaker Reviews
Review: B&W Z2 AirPlay dock
Michael Trei  |  May 09, 2013

Most of us who write about technology tend to become the go-to guy when friends and family seek gear recommendations. Last Christmas, my 16 year old niece wanted to know about speakers to use with her iPod Touch. When I asked whether she wanted a dock or something that used a cable to connect, the look she shot back told me that I might as well have asked if she wanted 8-Track or cassette.

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HDTV Tech
Tech Trends 2013: Video
Al Griffin  |  May 09, 2013

In this four-part article, Geoff Morrison examines the future of Ultra HD and OLED TV (below); Al Griffin looks at the latest developments in Smart TV; Geoff gives us an update on what's happening with plasma TV; and Al finishes with a discussion of the devices and technologies that will deliver 4K Ultra HD content to homes.

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