We can live with the current album by GORILLAZ, Demon Days (Virgin). At least there are real artists behind this fake band - er, "virtual hip-hop group." Here, Damon Albarn, once again taking a Blurman's holiday, replaces Dan the Automator with Danger Mouse, he of The Grey Album.
If you're one of the three people in the world - and that includes me - who don't yet have an iPod, here's yet another reason to go out and get one. Griffen Technology, Inc., a company that makes all sorts of very cool computer-related accessories, has announced that they're now shipping the SmartDeck Intelligent Cassette Adapter for iPod.
Hard-core movie watchers may never get up off the couch (or comfy recliner) now that D-BOX Technologies, Inc. has introduced the Quest X3ME. (D-BOX says you're supposed to pronounce "X3ME" as "extreme". To me it looks more like "ex cubed me", which sounds like what someone with a bad cold says after they sneeze on you, but it's their product so we'll let them say it any way they want.)
We've added three products to The List for October. Printer specialist HP put a color scientist in charge of creating the company's first rear-projection TV, a 65-inch 1080p monster no less, and just about slam-dunked it. Escient gets a nod for making its highly evolved FireBall music-server technology available for half the cost of prior models.
After more years writing about sound technology than I care to count, I've had two revelations of note: A full 5.1-channel speaker system is too much for some people, while, for many of those same folks, traditional stereo just isn't enough. With content—movies and games—growing ever more sophisticated, we need adequate gear on which to enjoy it. However, not everyone has the space, the budget, or even the basic technical know-how to wire five speakers and a subwoofer.
Most audio/video buffs would agree that the most frustrating thing about having a home theater is the loss of coffee-table space. Magazines have been replaced by numerous remotes to control receivers, televisions, DVRs, DVD players, even air conditioners. On occasion, one of these remotes might be able to control multiple components, but it's rare that a single remote will be compatible with every component in your system. Hence the market for universal remotes. We've all seen them, either on the racks at electronics stores for $30 or reviewed here, retailing in the neighborhood of $700. However, many of us are hesitant to spend more on a remote than on a DVD player. But don't panic. Those $30 remotes may be just the thing you and your coffee table are looking for. Some of them are easy enough to use that any non-buffs in your household won't have to go back to school for their electrical-engineering degrees.
