LATEST ADDITIONS

 |  Feb 02, 2006  |  0 comments

At CES 2006 the Syntax-Brillian Corp. announced it would be diving into high-end home theater with the "Olevia Signature" line of LCD flat panels. The first two models will be the 42" LT42HVi and 47" LT47HVi. Obviously intending to make a big splash out of the gate, Syntax revealed that both sets will feature full 1920x1080 resolution and Silicon Optix' vaunted Realta video processor with HQV.

Mark Fleischmann  |  Feb 02, 2006  |  1 comments
Worried about taking your iPod out in the rain? You needn't if you're wearing the BlackCoat Work from Ohio-based Koyono. The "Made for iPod" jacket's five pockets include one for your iPod. You can manipulate the player through the Elektex five-button fabric interface, sourced from Eleksen, a five-layer laminate of conductive materials. It's light, flexible, durable, washable, and (the company says) superior to the hard touchpads, flexi-circuits, and polymer switches used in other products. The BlackCoat Work will be available in March or April and can be ordered direct for $179.
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Feb 01, 2006  |  0 comments
Tributaries Cable, guys better known for high-end cables and the like, are introducing their first power-protection component, the TX500 Power Manager. The new unit is man enough to handle up to 10 components with 1,800 watts of combined demand. (That's almost enough juice to power a small, third-world nation.) After a surge of inspiration, Tributaries included protection for two telephone connections and for a pair of fully independent RF signal paths engineered specifically for cable, satellite, or antenna connections. Image quality is protected by an RF circuit design that maintains a consistent 75-ohm impedance with bandwidth capability in excess of 1.5GHz. (That kind of bandwidth capability could most likely carry the entire broadcast TV channel lineup of a small, third-world country.)
Mark Fleischmann  |  Feb 01, 2006  |  0 comments
Are your fingers itching to store and manage 7500 CDs by dragging and dropping on a touchscreen? The Q100 Digital Music Entertainment (DME) System is the first music management system to include a drag-and-drop user interface, according to the manufacturer Qsonix. You can D&D tracks or albums, fool with playlists, and so it all without navigating multi-step menus. The product comes with capacity of 160-400GB and a 15-inch TFT LCD touchscreen controller. Says Mike Weaver, president of Qsonix: "Qsonix re-unites users with their music by incorporating an intuitive, engaging and visual presentation that allows music to be accessed with the simple touch of the finger." Re-unites—I like that part. He continues: "Designed for even the most technology-phobic users, our system can be mastered in minutes and enjoyed for years by the whole family." If he does say so himself. Qsonix also sells industrial level gear to bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants, eateries, coffeehouses, hotels, department stores, retail outlets, and offices. Price: $5495.
Steve Guttenberg  |  Jan 31, 2006  |  First Published: Jan 15, 2006  |  0 comments
Even if the names Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland don't ring any bells for you, you surely know their music. They wrote most of the Supremes' and the Four Tops' megahits, such as "Where Did Our Love Go?," "Come See About Me," "Baby Love," "You Keep Me Hangin' On," "Baby, I Need Your Loving," "How Sweet it Is (To Be Loved by You)," and "Reach Out, I'll Be There." The three men supplied a steady stream of top-ten singles for Marvin Gaye, Jackson 5, Martha & the Vandellas, and many others.
Adrienne Maxwell  |  Jan 31, 2006  |  First Published: Jan 01, 2006  |  0 comments
Save money, or save the planet?

Believe it or not, you can do both.

Geoffrey Morrison  |  Jan 31, 2006  |  First Published: Jan 01, 2006  |  0 comments
How much do LCDs and plasmas really suck?

You know those little plastic plug thingies you put in electrical outlets so that kids don't stick their fingers and such into them? Turns out, they're there for a reason. My parents dutifully put these in all the outlets in our house, and, when I was just past the age where they figured I couldn't possibly be stupid enough to stick anything into an outlet, I found an innocent little piece of copper wire. At this point, you can see where this story is headed. Lacking any polyvinyl chloride polymer to impede my process, and always having an inquisitive mind, I inserted said wire into said outlet. The results were predictable. I believe vaporization was involved. Since then, I've had a healthy (ahem) respect for electricity.

Chris Chiarella  |  Jan 31, 2006  |  First Published: Jan 01, 2006  |  0 comments
Three quick glimpses into what's hot in the convergence world.

I don't talk much about my one and only year at NYU Business School (short version: not a good fit), but I did learn this: Making a successful product is only the beginning. To survive and thrive, manufacturers need to enhance, improve, and give consumers the added value and new features that will keep them coming back. Here then are three essential pieces of audio gear from Logitech, Creative, and Apple; refreshed, redesigned, and rethought for an ever-changing market of technophiles.

Adrienne Maxwell  |  Jan 31, 2006  |  First Published: Jan 01, 2006  |  0 comments
The little TV that could.

You might be a little surprised to learn that this Maxent monitor has a 26-inch screen. Why would Home Theater devote precious space to a display with such a small screen size? Sure, there's the fact that it's an LCD, and flat panels are the thing consumers care about right now. But, hey, if that's all there is to it, why not start reviewing 20-inch computer monitors, too?

Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 31, 2006  |  First Published: Jan 01, 2006  |  0 comments
The Pod person when he's at home.

Shortly after Steve Jobs became a music mogul, the iPod became something of a home audio server. This brilliant left turn has made everyone's favorite white object of desire a doubly useful device that entertains whether you're at home or on the go. Although a Mac is something of a technological island unto itself, the iPod is a more pragmatic creature. It's on speaking terms with not only—shock, horror!—Windows PCs, but with a variety of other devices, from staid-black surround receivers, to far-flung multizone empires, to slick standalone compact systems like Monitor Audio's i-deck.

Pages

X