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With Petcube, You and Your Pets Can Play, Even When You're Away
Lauren Dragan  |  Jul 09, 2016
If your household has a furry family member, you know how hard it is to leave them home alone. Even if you have a caregiver stopping by, summer day-trips and weekends away can make you fret over how they’re doing. If you’ve ever wished you could just peek in and say hello, or maybe play a quick game of chase, you are going to love Petcube.
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Audio Video News
July 2016 New Gear
SV Staff  |  Jul 08, 2016
Dashbon Flicks Boombox Projector
Many of today’s Bluetooth speakers have put a new face on the classic boombox, but Flicks pushes the concept to its logical conclusion: a portable movie theater! Measuring 11.7 x 5.3 x 6.5 inches, this boombox packs an LED-based, 720p DLP projector that can display a 100-inch image from just over 8 feet away, plus the requisite speakers—in this case, two full-range drivers plus a “subwoofer” and bass radiator.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Black Mass
Josef Krebs  |  Jul 08, 2016
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In this Goodfellas-wannabe drama, in order to go after and finally bring down the Mafia in the North End of Boston, the FBI are willing to make an “alliance” with South Side–controlling Irish-American gangster Jimmy “Whitey” Bulger. The Feds, in exchange for information about the Italians, are willing to look the other way on the activities of Whitey’s gang. This free pass, and having his rivals federally eliminated, allows this scary, unblinking, psychopathic monster to go on a murderous crime spree, muscling in on Mafia territory to grow into the biggest kingpin in Boston.
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Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Steve Jobs
Corey Gunnestad  |  Jul 08, 2016
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It’s been said that true genius is never appreciated in its own time. Some of the most brilliant minds in human history have challenged the status quo, pioneered their field, and changed the world with their groundbreaking ideas and their seemingly limitless creativity. But the flip side of that coin almost always meant that their personal eccentricities left a gaping void in their capacity for being likable human beings. The film Steve Jobs explores that theme at great length and begs the question: Just how much leeway should geniuses be allowed before we dismiss them as the douchebags they are?
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Audio Video News
Music Wrap Readies M25, a Clever Alternative to Headphones
SV Staff  |  Jul 08, 2016
In early March, the Music Wrap raised $22,000 on Kickstarter to fund the M25, a wearable Bluetooth audio system that moves sound from your ears to a neck band with tiny speakers to create a “personal sound field.” The device is about to start shipping to backers.
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Audio Video News
Sound & Vision Tech Tidbits July
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jul 07, 2016
Facebook’s Virtual Reality technology uses dynamic streaming to offer multiple resolutions. It musters the highest quality in the center and lower quality in your peripheral vision...

Ultra HDTVs Occupied 40 percent of U.S. retail shelf space in late 2015, according to Quixel Research—although picture-improving HDR and other technologies are still developing. Shelf share of 1080p TVs dropped to 46 percent, from 71 percent 18 months before...

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The S&V Interview
The Myths and Legends of Rick Wakeman and His 4.0 and 5.1 Mixes
Mike Mettler  |  Jul 07, 2016
Just typing out the name “Rick Wakeman” instantly conjures up indelible images of flowing capes, huge banks of keyboards, synths, and pianos, and a cavalcade of great-sounding organ compositions. Currently, Wakeman is putting the finishing touches on the 5.1 mix for The Myths and Legends of King Arthur 2016 and is also readying for a fall tour with his former Yes bandmates, vocalist Jon Anderson and guitarist Trevor Rabin, as ARW. I called Wakeman, 67, across the Pond to discuss his affinity for surround sound, his unique in-studio game plan, and his thoughts about the passing of his friend and onetime collaborator David Bowie. Ground control to Grand High Wizard Wakeman...
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Throwback Thursday
Flashback 1979: The Walkman Is Born
SV Staff  |  Jul 07, 2016
Few products have the power to single-handedly change the course of history. Thirty-seven years ago this month Sony introduced a portable cassette player that would forever change the way we experience music on-the-go.
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Audio Video News
UFC Fight the First to be Streamed Live in 4K
SV Staff  |  Jul 07, 2016
Fight fans who own a late model Sony Ultra HDTV and download the UFC app from Google Play will be able to stream this weekend’s UFC 200 fight series live in 4K/Ultra HD resolution.
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Ask S&V
Do OLED TVs Require a Break-in Period?
Al Griffin  |  Jul 07, 2016
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I have plans to buy a new LG 65EF9500 OLED TV. Here’s my question: How long a break-in period would you recommend before having it professionally calibrated? I used my current Panasonic plasma for about 100 hours before having it calibrated.  Also, can any ISF-certified technician handle an OLED TV, or does it require special training? —John Violette

A It’s recommended that you treat an OLED TV the same as you would a plasma for the first 100 hours of use, being careful not to leave fixed images like electronic program guides or paused video game frames onscreen for an extended amount of time. This will be especially important when viewing high dynamic range (HDR) content with the 65EF9500. LG even warns about the potential for burn-in in the EF9500’s manual and recommends steps you can take to prevent it, though any image retention you experience in most situations should only be temporary.

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