Looks like 2006 is not the year of Blu-ray after all. Pioneer has announced that its BDP-HD1 won't hit until December, having already been postponed from May to June to November. Sony had previously delayed its own BSP-S1 until December 4. The Panasonic DMP-BD10 has been out since September. And the Samsung BD-P1000 hit in July, though plagued by a problem with the video processing chip. Well, maybe 2007 will be the year of Blu-ray.
Choosing a good loudspeaker is pretty much the same as choosing a good woman. Obviously, they come in all shapes and sizes, and you want the model that's perfect for you. Looking for a speaker that's rich, or perhaps a woman with a wood-grain finish? Don't forget to consider the size of the woofers (or whether, in fact, they are tweeters).
Pelican i1030 ($45; pelican.com). Think "pelican" and you may rightly think "watertight." But the i1030 micro-case is dustproof and crushproof, too, so take that, big bird! The polycarbonate case is available in yellow or white.
DirecTV's Titanium plan gives you everything the satcaster offers: up to 10 receivers, more than 250 regular and HD channels, unlimited pay-per-view (without paying for it), 70 XM satellite radio channels, "personalized concierge customer service, 24/7," and more.
Actually, Sony would prefer that you call its branded vending machines "automated kiosks." And the machines' maker, Zoom Systems, refers to them as "robotic stores." Whatever you call 'em, the Sony Access units are currently being test-marketed in various locations, including: • Malls: FlatIron Crossing (Broomfield, Colorado), Mall of Georgia (Buford), and Santa Rosa
With all the hullabaloo about the new 1080p projectors, some of them at prices lower than any of us dreamed possible only a few months ago, is there any point in reviewing a mid-priced 720p design?
Now that the HD transition is finally kicking into gear friends and colleagues who have been around long enough to know that something new is always around the corner have asked, what comes after high-definition? And answer of course, is higher-definition.
Vidabox LLC recently announced an interesting entry into the next-gen HD disc format war in the form of two lines of "dual HD" Media Center PCs that will playback both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. In addition to playing standard DVDs, Vidabox's LUX and MAX dual HD systems analog and dual HDTV tuners allowing users to record as many as four TV programs at once, obviating the need for a DVR.
A friend who is moving to a new apartment asked me to take delivery on his second-generation iPod nano. The (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition, no less. What was I going to say, no?