Other Tech

It's not often that someone tosses me the keys to a new car, tells me to take it out for a few hours, and encourages me to crank up the stereo as loud as I want. But that's just what happened last week at the press junket that marked the debut of the new Lincoln MKT crossover vehicle.

My experience, nay, love affair, with Harmony remote controls began four years ago when I reviewed one of the first, the 768 (that remote is no longer available, even though the review still is, at soundandvisionmag.com). The marching orders for developing the Harmony remotes were simple yet groundbreaking, then and now.

Not too long ago, you could measure a person's love for music by the square footage of their CD shelf space. Today, however, an audiophile's passion may be hidden away on a hard drive.

1 Master and Commander (collectors edition, 20th Century Fox)

Despite technological advances in every area, most homes are still limited to just two pieces of automation: garage-door opener and remote control. And while it's unfathomable to think of manually cranking a car's windows or locking its doors, people remain content to walk around their homes turning lights on and off - just like Thomas Edison did.