Today, Olive introduces some high-end audio gear that is said to have 250 times the resolution of a CD.  The Olive 4HD Music Server not only holds up to 20,000 songs at HD quality, but will record at 24 bit.  The unit is backed up by a host of accessible options that allow you to control your server from your HDTV or iPhone.

Removing the need to keep a music collection on a computer, the 4HD Server will store your music, convert CDs and even burn CDs.  To get users started, the company offers to import up to 100 of your CDs for free, so the new system is delivered to them complete with your music already digitized.  After the first 100, there is a nominal fee per CD.

“With a proprietary DAC featuring TI’s best-of-breed BurrBrown 1792A 192Khz/24-bit DAC, optimized circuit design, HD quality digital sound, ultra-quiet hard drives and passive cooling to eliminate fan noise, the Olive 4HD Hi-Fi Music Server delivers the best possible HD hi-fi audio experience. You’ll never hear anything like this on your computer, iPod or any other MP3 music player.”

To find music, users can interact with the 4.3 touchscreen on the server, use the HDMI interface that allows selections to be made on your HDTV or even use the company’s iPhone app.  Each choice offers beautiful (in my opinion) graphics, clean and clear navigation, an impressive collection of ways to interact with music.  Each offers full color album cover images.

Other features include the ability receive internet radio stations, more information about your music, infrared remotes to work through closed doors and has WiFi (802.11n) as well as a wired connection.

The 4HD Music Server costs $1,999 and is backed with a 60-day money back guarentee.  The company says you will hear a difference in your music from the first note.

Company site: [Olive]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Shining a light on moves in the tech world so insane, Who’s on Crack is here to throw around accusation.  Accusations about who we suspect narcotics inspired their latest to-market ideas.  As companies vie for your attention and more importantly your dollars, it helps to back up a few steps to ask, “what the?”.  Here are the biggest blunders this week:

Microsoft admits to copying off Apple’s paper
Did Palm hire “Crazy Eddy”?
Blockbuster shows desperation
Web TV finally here?

Mac rules, so we copied it.

This week, Microsoft apparently copped to being inspired by Apple’s OS design.  From Bill Stiteler’s post quoting Microsoft’s Partner Group Manager Simon Aldus : “What we’ve tried to do with Windows 7—whether it’s traditional format or in a touch format—is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics. [Emphasis added]”

Aldus went on to mention they built this on top of Vista.  At this point you’ve got to wonder why he stops there?  Why not take the cab all the way to Crazytown and spout off how Microsoft purposely crippled Vista or how every time someone buys Windows 7, Microsoft shoots a puppy.  Or perhaps that Redmond HQ is built on top of a secret underground lair where Ballmer has taken to dressing up as Darth Vader and babbles about dominating the galaxy.

Can you imagine sitting in MS PR department when this bit of news comes in?  Here is the play by play:
MS PR guy 1: “He said what???”
MS PR gal 1: “No f’n way?”
MS PR guy 2: “Somebody check the gosh-darn calendar, it isn’t April, right?”
MS PR gal 2: “We are so TP’ing this guys house tonight.”

Palm prices are so low, they are practically paying you to take it

Fact: I am smitten with webOS.  But $29 bucks to get your hands on a super-slim Palm Pixi model with the hot OS that is actually fun to use?  Come on, there is a catch right?  According to Robert Nelson, there isn’t:
“Now I am going to go out on a ledge here, but maybe the Pixi or future similar models will end up being the savior of Palm. Maybe Palm is going to take up the role of the low priced smartphone company. And if that is that case, I guess being available for a bargain price through Walmart makes sense.”

Crazy Eddy was a guy in the New York area that did lame commercials in the 80s and was eventually thrown in the pokey for tax evasion.  This price thanks to Wal-Mart and Palm is amazingly low.  Yes, a $99 is tempting.  A $49 refurbed iPhone is even more tempting but $29 for a great smartphone?  Either they are reading Gadgetell or come up with schemes in a smoke-filled room where “munchies” are served 15 minutes after the meeting starts.  Impressive or insane?

Blockbuster says SlotMusic was genius

Oh boy.  Remember when SlotMusic was pushed on us?  Back at CES we giggled for what seemed like hours about it.  Apparently, Blockbuster thought it was the bees knees and is looking to rent movies the same way.  Ugh.

Our Robert Nelson says, “Blockbuster has decided to begin testing a new pilot program that will allow in-store visitors to rent a movie on an SD card. The plan is simple, those entering a Blockbuster store will be able to bring in an SD card and rent a movie by way of a self-service kiosk. The movies will of course be filled with DRM and will expire after a pre-selected amount of time.”

There is some logic here fore netbooks that lack a DVD drives or those dying to watch something on a device that is actually too small to watch it on (judgment call).  But for everyone else, this is a go-nowhere idea.  Robert adds customer service isn’t the strong suit of Blockbuster and there just isn’t enough people that care.  Dead on arrival, back to the drawing board guys and gals.

Web TV could be here.

Did you hear the wall come down?  Not the Berlin Wall, I refer here to the wall around your TV.  It was just shattered.  Thanks to TVs with web widgets and home theater pcs, that wall is no more.

A big culprit may be the Dell Zino HD.  This cute little device is primed to sit in your a/v shelf and bring the goodness of the web to your HDTV.  Our Shawn Ingram explains, “The Zino HD looks like it could be the computer of choice for any home theater setup for easy access to all those videos on your computer.  Pair it with Boxee, Hulu, Netflix and iTunes, and you have almost everything you could want viewable on your HDTV.”

The key here to go mainstream is ease of use.  Here we may still have some issues as consumers switch between a remote and a keyboard but this unit looks good enough to get geeks and their kinda-geeky counterparts on board.  Starting at just $229 and so cute, what is not to love?  Dell must hate the cable companies.

So now it’s wait for Boxee, buy a new TV with web widgets or spring for this cute box.  My money is on this box.

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

ZAGG is perhaps best known for their gadget skin protection that used to be on edges of helicopter blades.  Today, the company through us a bit of curve ball: they started talking about a product the company will unveil at CES in January, the ZAGG box.  As catchy as that name is, we still ask, “what’s a ZAGG box?”

Described by the company as “major technology”, the ZAGG box is the culmination of 6 years and $35 million.  At this point, it seems tough to classify exactly what this thing does: it is a media aggregator, will record, store and stream your media in multiple formats so you can watch on TV or on your iPhone (or other mobile device), and don’t forget home automation: it can hook into your HVAC, lighting or even door locks and control them.  Good luck figuring out what aisle to put this thing in at Best Buy.

“We are introducing a game-changing technology with the ZAGGbox which will appeal to everyone from geeks to grandmas,” said Brian Packer, VP of Marketing of ZAGG. “It is a very powerful system, and very simple to use.”

The ZAGG dream machine is said to cost “under $999” and should be formally launched in January 2010 shipping late Q1.  The unit was announced a finalist in the I-Stage event put on by the CEA, (Producers of Consumer Electronics Show -CES).

Press release [ZAGG]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

I see stuff in the tech world that drives me crazy.  From products that should never have left the bar napkin to marketing schemes that should have stayed in the men’s room, here is what caught my eye this week:

• Video Eyewear- more than just a geek look
• Roku leaves off special sauce again
• Publishers hate ebooks; stunt growth?
• What the heck is Apple so nervous about?

Video eyewear to bring 3D to our homes

This is the response I got when I told my Editor, Iyaz, about my 3D revelation: “Oh, so you’re on crack this week.  Good.”  I don’t deny this thinking is pretty far out there. 

Look at it this way: if we are no closer today to generating 3D image without glasses then we’ll have to accept glasses in the house.  If we are committing to wearing ridiculous glasses in the house, then why not put high quality screens in them and forget about viewing angle and the like.  The two concepts just seem to mesh together.  Yes, you’ll have to buy glasses for everyone but how much different in cost will that be vs. a $3,000 LCD TV plus 3D player?

Roku to get upgrade but no Hulu?

Question: how do you make Roku box the hottest little black box again?  Answer: Make it do Hulu.  Done and done.

However, as Robert Nelson relates, Roku isn’t doing that. “Feature wise the Roku XR will see some improvements though, according to the rumors it will see the addition of a USB port as well as Wi-Fi 802.11n.  Additionally, the power input was also upped from 1.5A to 2.5A.”  No Flash?

With all the talk about Hulu going the paid route, this would is the missing link.  Hulu needs to buy Roku or get them to build a Hulu player, which probably has enough of a brand name now to sell them.  The missing link would bring Hulu paid subscriptions not just OK, but would sell like gangbusters enabling customers to ditch cable and satellite service and watch what they want, when they want without time shifting (TiVo) technology.

Ebooks everywhere; publishers -“we hate ebooks”

Seems almost everyday we are teased with another ebook reader, this week saw the Barnes and Noble Nook which manages to bring some sexy to readers int he form of a second color screen.  Awesome right?  Well not so fast because it the content you really want, not the gadget and publishers are totally messing with ebook versions.

It is like getting your iPod only to find out you’ve got to wait 2 months before you can get the latest Kate Perry album (OMG!!!).  The Independent reported Steven King’s latest book would be release over a month after release in hardcover.  A big “up yours” to ebook readers hoping to get a fair shake by publishers.

This leaves us consumers two choices: buy the hardcover or buy an ereader and wait.  Gadget lovers hate waiting.  This is a huge snub aimed to make bookstores money that might end up lowering book sales as publishers will have a more difficult time getting excitement up for the ebook release after the big hardcover release.  It would be like advertising a movie but stopping one month before it opens.  We just don’t have the attention span.

Apple acting all paranoid again

So this week, big MS finally got around to launching Windows 7, their biggest product in a decade.  Yeah for them!  Apple was all over them like ice cream stains on a hot, sweaty summer day

The Windows 7 threat was deemed large enough that Apple used the good ol’  three pronged response:
1. Release financials a day earlier than normal and brags about it’s most profitable quarter ever and a gajillion iPhone sales kicking everyone’s butts.  Recession?  What recession?
2. Release a shiny new Mac line the day before.  These quite possibly could be the shiniest computers ever built.
3. Release a slew of witty, pithy “I am a Mac” ads that really make us giggle about John Hodgeman’s Miami Vice look.

Does Apple feel bad about Ballmer’s whole “we are on 9 out of 10 PCs” or is Apple telling us that Windows 7 is that good as the blogosphere seems to agree with?  I am not sure what it is but I suspect if you got on the PA system at Apple and shouted, “cops” the building would be empty in 15 seconds flat.  Just saying.

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Much like when the original Western Digital WD TV Media Player was released last November, the new and updated version has also quietly slipped into Best Buy.  The updated model has been dubbed the WD TV Live Media Player and is now priced 10 bucks less than the original at $119.99.

In terms of features, the WD TV Live Media Player will allow you to hook it up to a computer or external hard drive and view stored videos or images as well as play music files on your HDTV.  Additionally you can also connect to online sites such as YouTube, Flickr and Pandora.

The WD TV Live Media Player ships with a compact remote and the necessary cables to include a composite AV cable, component AV cable and AC adapter.

In terms of support, the WD TV Live Media Player offers Dolby Digital and DTS decoders, supports 1080p displays, has USB 2.0, HDMI and a standard Ethernet jack for connectivity.

All things considered this looks like a nice option for those looking to be able to get content from a PC to a big screen.  Of course, the critics will likely point out the lack of wireless connectivity and Netflix, that said you can always check out the Roku set-top box if that is what you are looking for.

Product [Best Buy]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Yamaha has announced a new range of devices, including a line of Blu-ray disc players, channel network AV receiver and five disc CD changer.  You can find these products currently on sale at major electronics retailers.

First up is the RX-V2065, a 7.1 channel AV receiver with five 1080p-upscaling HDMI inputs and two HDMI outputs.  It also has the following HD audio decoding formats: Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD.  Features installed with the AV receiver include Rhapsody online music service compatibility, Internet streaming radio and music file playback.  The receiver has a current MSRP of $1399.95.

The new Blu-ray players include the BD-S1900 (MSRP $699.95) and the BD-S1065 (MSRP $599.95).  These players will have compatibility with the new AV receiver in order to provide a dynamic entertainment experience.  Both players include BD-Live and BonusView, an enhanced Blu-ray disc commentary feature.

Lastly, the CD-C600 is the new five disc CD changer available from Yamaha.  This changer is the first from Yamaha that was designed specifically for compatibility with iPods.  You can connect your mp3 player or iPod to the CD-C600 via USB cable. Additional features are 3-Mode CD text display, MP3 and WMA file compatibility, IR in/out terminals and remote. MSRP for the Yamaha changer is $379.95.

Site: [Yamaha]

Full Story » | Written by Heather Wood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Logitech has just unveiled two new Wi-Fi equipped music players—the Squeezebox Radio and the Squeezebox Touch.  As for features, both models have built-in Wi-Fi which will allow you to set up your radio without having to worry about a wired connection being available and has integration with sites such as Facebook for music recommendations as well as Flickr for viewing photo slideshows.

The Squeezebox Radio is the smaller of the two units and is designed to be more portable.  It has a 2.4-inch display and measures in at 5.12 x 8.66 x 5.04-inches.  It also features a built-in set of speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack making it a truly stand-alone unit.  The Squeezebox Touch is the fancier of the two units and as you would assume by the name, it features a touchscreen display which is 4.3-inches.  The Touch also has a USB port and SD card slot that can be used to store, play or view music or photos.

As far as available content, that is pretty much wide open thanks to the Wi-Fi and you will be able to enjoy music from sites such as Pandora, Napster, Rhapsody as well as DRM-free iTunes downloads and more.

As far as pricing, the Squeezebox Radio and the Squeezebox Touch will retail for $199.99 and $299.99 respectively.  In terms of availability, the Squeezebox Radio will hit the retail market in September with the Squeezebox Touch following a little later in December.  Additionally, there will also be an accessory pack that will be available in November and retail for $49.99.

Keep reading to check out the full press release;

Limitless Choices: Logitech Brings Your Digital Music Together, Unveils Two New Squeezebox Wi-Fi Music Players
Logitech Squeezebox Radio, Logitech Squeezebox Touch Deliver All The Music On Your Computer, All The Music On Internet Into Your Home; Feature Streamlined Interface, Facebook App

FREMONT, Calif. – Sept. 3, 2009 — You’re a 21st century music lover but your stereo is stuck in the 20th century. To help bring the digital world into your home, Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) today unveiled the Logitech Squeezebox™ Radio Wi-Fi music player and the Logitech Squeezebox™ Touch Wi-Fi music player. Both Logitech Squeezebox Wi-Fi music players give people simple, intuitive access to a wide variety of music choices including free Internet radio, personal digital music files and music subscription services.
“Digital music and the Internet have radically changed how we discover, share and listen to the music we love,” said Sam Feng, product marketing director of Logitech’s Streaming Media business unit. “Now, millions of people are downloading music through iTunes® and listening to Internet radio stations and music services and our newest Logitech Squeezebox Wi-Fi music players bring it all together. Just plug one in and you can be ready to discover and enjoy music from around the world.”

Logitech Squeezebox Radio – Small Package, Big Sound
The Internet has changed everything, including your radio. With the Logitech Squeezebox Radio, you’ll get the simplicity of old-fashioned radio with the power of the Internet wherever you want to listen to music.

Unlike other complex Wi-Fi music systems, Squeezebox Radio sets up easily. You just plug it in, turn it on, connect to your home network and like magic, you’ve got access to a world of music – Internet radio, your personal music collection including DRM-free iTunes Plus downloads, and subscription services such as Napster®, Pandora®, Rhapsody®, SIRIUS®, and Last.fm™. And the Squeezebox Radio’s color screen can display album art, track and station information, visualizers and more.

With six preset buttons located on the side of display, at the touch of a button the Squeezebox Radio makes it easy to enjoy your favorite song, Internet radio station or playlist. With automatic brightness adjustment and a built-in alarm clock, the Logitech Squeezebox Radio is even ideal for your bedside table. And if you want to listen to music in private, a 3.5 mm jack lets you plug in your headphones.

At just 5.12 inches (130 mm) by 8.66 inches (220 mm) by 5.04 inches (8.5 cm), the compact design makes the Squeezebox Radio ideal for your living room, kitchen, bedroom – even your patio. While it’s a space-saver, the Squeezebox Radio still delivers clear sound with minimal distortion – no extra speakers required – thanks to the 3/4-inch high-definition, soft-dome tweeter and 3-inch high-power, long-throw woofer.

For your convenience, a rechargeable battery pack that is sold separately will let you move the Squeezebox Radio around your home without interrupting the music. The battery can power your Squeezebox Radio for up to six hours and recharges automatically when it’s plugged in.

Logitech Squeezebox Touch – Color Touch Screen Puts Music at Your Fingertips
So you can seamlessly discover a world of music and play it through the stereo system you already own, the Logitech Squeezebox Touch Wi-Fi music player has a stunning 4.3-inch color touch screen that lets you easily select and play music – and even view album art. Plus, to provide a better listening experience, the Squeezebox Touch supports sampling rates of up to 24 bits at 96 kHz, delivering rich sound with very little distortion. Simply plug in the Squeezebox Touch to your existing speakers, connect to your home network and you’re ready to rock out. An included USB port and SD card slot on the back of the Squeezebox Touch also lets you access music and photos stored on flash drives and memory cards.

To put control within reach, a wall-mount bracket (sold separately) lets you put your Squeezebox Touch at eye level – near the stereo, over your kitchen table or wherever you want convenient control of your music. With the optional Logitech Squeezebox Touch Wall-Mount Bracket, the power cord and speaker wires can be run inside your walls so cords or cables aren’t dangling from your Squeezebox.

Streamlined Interface, Facebook App and Flickr Support
The intuitive Squeezebox interface was designed for speed and convenience. The color display found on the Squeezebox Radio and Squeezebox Touch help you quickly locate your favorite radio stations, playlists or music services. And, with its redesigned menu system, you can easily choose from a variety of applications to enhance your listening experience.
Plus, if you’re a Facebook fan, you can share music recommendations, as well as check out your friends’ statuses, recommendations, and full-color photos right on your new Squeezebox. Photo slide shows from the popular photo-sharing site Flickr are also supported on both new Squeezebox Wi-Fi music players.

The Squeezebox Family
Both the Logitech Squeezebox Radio and Logitech Squeezebox Touch can seamlessly integrate into your existing Wi-Fi or Ethernet-based home network, as well as with the Squeezebox family of products, which includes the award-winning Logitech Squeezebox™ Boom Wi-Fi music player, Logitech Squeezebox™ Duet Wi-Fi music player, and the audiophiles’ choice, the Logitech Transporter® Wi-Fi music player.

All of the products in the Squeezebox family work together so it’s easy to expand your system. Simply add additional Squeezebox Wi-Fi media players to any room you like and then you can listen to one song throughout your entire home – perfect for a party – or enjoy a different song in every room.

Pricing and Availability
The Logitech Squeezebox Radio Wi-Fi music player is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in September for a suggested retail price of $199.99 (U.S.). For a limited time, a special edition Logitech Squeezebox Radio Wi-Fi music player will be available in red at http://www.logitech.com and select retailers. The Logitech Squeezebox Touch Wi-Fi music player is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in December for a suggested retail price of $299.99 (U.S.). The Logitech Squeezebox Radio Accessory Pack (which includes a battery pack and IR remote) is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in November for a suggested retail price of $49.99 (U.S.). The Logitech Squeezebox Touch Wall-Mount Bracket is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in December for a suggested retail price of $99.99 (U.S.).

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

S1Digital introduced what it calls the “Digital Entertainment Platform.”  This system uses three parts: “an Entertainment Server, Media Center clients and a control solution.”  You load all your content on the Entertainment Server which can support up to 32TB of hard drive space.  The server also has a Blu-ray player that can also play CDs and DVDs and supports CableCards.  Next up a Media Center client can play content from the server.  Their third part of their solution is a touch screen controller.  If you’re up for their system, you can buy only one version of the clients yourself for $1799.  For the rest, you’ll need to contact a dealer that does home theater installations.  Judging the price based on that media center client, you can expect to pay quite the hefty amount to get this system in your home.  If you are a geek, you could probably build yourself a pretty great solution using a Drobo, a server, some wired Ethernet, and small PCs hooked up to your televisions for less.

Company Site: [S1Digital]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Not satisfied with its recent launch of its Pandora, Sirius and Rhapsody capable AV receivers, Onkyo has announced yet more tuners.  The new tuners, the TX-NR1007, TX-NR3007, TX-NR5007, each have the same Internet capabilities of the recently announced models, but include other top of the line features as well.  The newest models include features that all but the most dedicated home theater aficionado would understand and go nuts for.

One of the biggest features of the new models is the inclusion of full-tilt 9.2-channel surround sound using either Audyssey DSX or Dolby ProLogic IIz.  Not only will is produce that great sound, but the audio and video are handled with separate power supply transformers making them both independent for better quality.  Each of the new devices is capable of supporting nearly any surround sound format through the use of TI Aureus DSP chips for whatever format you prefer.  The TX-NR3007 and TX-NR5007 are even the first Onkyo receivers to feature Dolby Volume to keep the volume consistent through TV shows, commercials, and switching inputs to DVD players or any other myriad connections.

With the TX-NR1007 starting at $1,599, and the TX-NR5007 selling for $2,699 these new Onkyo receivers are definitely not for the casual home theater owner.  While the new features are fantastic, the truth is that most won’t notice much of a difference most of the time.  However, if you have a lot of money and your looking for a way to improve your home theater and already have the surround sound, TV and some combination of boxes, Onkyo definitely has you covered.

Read [Onkyo]

Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Fall is the best time of year: the bugs are gone, it is warm, but not hot (in New England at least), and gadgets are all pimping to get you to buy them as holiday presents.  This year’s announcements are different though.  The big question this year is, “Has convergence killed gadgets?”  My short answer: yes.

Cameras

Hear me out.  This year, the iPhone just become the most popular camera on flickr.  The. Most. Popular. Camera.  Is it the awesomeness of 3 megapixels?  No.  Is it the groovy focus?  No.  It is the ease of getting photos to other places (and that’s without MMS).  That’s bad news for the pair of Casio cameras I just wrote about this morning.

GPS

How about GPS?  Funny thing, a $4.99 app navigated me 15 miles offshore safely into harbor as my back up GPS last week.  My main GPS, a $500 handheld, ran out of juice, but my iPhone kept charging on.  $4.99 beats $500 every single time and Navionics just updated their app to 3.0 and looks to have added a whole bunch of new features.  Sweet.

Gaming

My kids want Nintendo DS.  Their cousins have them, so now my kids want them.  Only my kids love playing on my iPhone and touch.  My kids are not serious gamers, and actually I prefer they not be.  I am actually considering buying an iPod that can handle App Store games for my 6 year old.  Why?  Simply because I really don’t want to buy $50 games.  Call me cheap, an idiot, what have you, but as a parent, these are the choices I see.  Free and $0.99 is far more compatible to his allowance (and mine) not to mention our attention span.

Video

See cameras.  PDA functionality.  Ditto.  Music and video seem like bonuses at this point.  What can’t an iPhone or touch replace at this point?  Anyone?  Will it be the best anything (sadly, including just a phone)?  No, but it does well enough to make you almost forget that.  I don’t mean to limit this argument to Apple products, as Android could offer as many apps some day—it just isn’t today.

Everyone will blame depressed sales on the economy, the weather, the moon’s orbit.  But now, you and I know its that darn magic phones influence that is robbing sales of other gadgets.

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

With the allure of Internet music services like Pandora and Rhapsody setting up a home theater system that incorporate them can be a bit difficult without having to put a whole computer in the system.  Sure, having a computer in the setup would be cool, but when’s the last time you wanted to browse the Internet on your TV?  A simple solution that allows you to have access to some of those Internet media services is really all you need.  That’s what Onkyo is trying to deliver.

The new Onkyo TX-NR807 is home theater receiver that in addition to having an enormous number of ports for audio and video has an added ethernet port.  It can connect to your home network and Internet for some nifty features.  The TX-NR807 uses the Internet connection and an on-screen UI to connect Pandora, Rhapsody, Sirius Internet Radio, and vTuner for easy music/radio playback.  The receiver also supports DLNA so you can stream nearly any audio file from any computer or storage also connected to your home network, though strangely there is no word on streaming video.

The Onkyo TX-NR807 also makes it easy to program the remote to connect to the receiver, TV and any other supported device.  Through the on-screen UI, all you have to do is select the correct device, and the receiver transmits the code to the remote, which can support up to four macros.  It will take a lot of the guess work out of programming the home theater to work without have to use five different remotes for the five different boxes or devices.  It will be useful as the TX-NR807 can use connect to any device you could possibly think of in any nearly any possible way, which is to say more ways than most people are even aware of.

Read [Onkyo]

Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

What is it?

Vtech IS9181 is a Wi-Fi Internet radio which comes equipped with an auxiliary cable, remote control, and power cable.  It costs under $150 at Amazon.com.

The Good

Getting started is a simple as turning it on and registering your Wi-Fi via the knobs on top of the device.  I was excited to check out the featured weather widget, putting in my zip code and scrolling using the built in jog wheel allowed me to see an up to date weather forecast.  The screen itself is large enough and can be made bright enough to suffice for its display purpose.

Searching for stations was really simple; you can search by genre, country, or continent.  Needless to say, the choices are endless, however I noticed was a lack of international music.  Maybe this is because every country seems to play American music and completely ignore their own cultural tracks or I have been unlucky in searches.  A few of the channels from Belgium did, however, give me a taste of their language.  That is not a fault of Vtech.

The Bad

Sadly, the weather widget is the only widget available to this radio.  I would have loved to see top news stories, sports scores, and stocks widgets.

Believe it or not, this device does not allow you to adjust the bass or treble.  This ruined the sound of many of the stations; some came with too much bass.  This was such a turn off that I had to power off the radio.  I was very surprised to see that Vtech did not include an adjustment feature.  While my review unit was not brand new, the speakers should not have sounded like they were on their last legs.

The Crux

Ultimately, the Vtech Wi-Fi Internet radio would be best suited as an alarm clock radio or office radio.  However, try and use it to pump your next party and you’ll be wishing you were rocking out to the tunes of “Red Red Wine” at your local liquor store.

Full Story » | Written by Adam Berger for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Atlona Technologies has recently come out with a pretty interesting, although I am not sure how practical it is.  Atlona Technologies is known for their products pertaining to audio and video, and the AT-HD530 is no different.

Basically, it receives the HDMI signal or DVI signal from computers, GPS, Apple TV, etc., and will then down-convert the quality to fit analog S-Video or composite video to display down-converted video on TVs or computer monitors that do not support HD video.  NTSC or PAL formatted video can be converted to the other format instantly.  It sounds like an interesting concept due to the fact not every computer monitor and TV can support HD.  And since HD videos are gradually gaining popularity, it could be of use.  Atlona Technologies cites that their product would be of use for broadcasters, video production engineers, and end users. 

The AT-HD530 is set to be available in August for $299.  A copy of the press release is below. 

Atlona Technologies soon to Release their new HDMI/DVI to Composite and S-Video Down-Converter, the AT-HD530

Atlona Technologies, solutions based manufacturer of Audio Video connectivity accessories, is soon to releases new HDMI/DVI to Composite and S-Video Down-Converter, the AT-HD530

Atlona Technologies, leading manufacturer of Audio Video Connectivity accessories, has announced its plan to release a new down-converter, the AT-HD530.  This unit is designed to send HDMI or DVI digital signal from desired sources such as PCs, Macs, GPS Systems, Apple TVs, Camcorder or Video Game, and down-convert the signal to Analog S-Video or Composite Video with Audio.  This device will covert high-definition television video signals to standard-definition video that can be viewed on conventional television receivers or computer monitors for all users.

Along with a featured HDMI/DVI loop-out, this converter has the ability to support resolutions of up to 1080p for HDTVs and up to UXGA (1600x1200@60Hz) with PC or Mac Computers.  In addition, this unit is able to automatically detect and down convert resolutions to those of to PAL or NTSC formats.  Atlona’s new down-converter will be perfect for nearly all computer applications, as well as those used by Broadcasters, Video Production Engineers, and end users alike.

Atlona’s AT-HD530 Down-Converter will be in stock late August with an MSRP of $299.00.

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Napster has just unveiled their latest plans to stay relevant in the subscription based music space.  Putting aside the fact that many, myself included, had long since forgotten about Napster, they may be worth a second chance.

Napster will be offering a low-priced monthly deal, and by low priced I mean 5 bucks.  What you will get for that price is a service that is similar to what we have with the Zune.  In other words, you will be getting a combination of all-you-can-eat subscription downloads as well as five tracks to download and keep each month.  Honestly that is not bad for that price.

I would say that Napster is finally doing something right with this offer, at this price you are basically buying five tracks each month, that is assuming you are paying a buck a track and getting the subscription portion as a bonus.

Read [Napster]  Via [engadget]

Keep reading to check out the full press release…

Napster Unveils Latest Digital Music Service

Napster Offers MP3s With its Popular On-Demand Streaming Service for One Low Monthly Price

LOS ANGELES – MAY 19, 2009 – Napster, the pioneer of digital music, today unveiled its latest music offering combining the freedom of MP3s with the discovery benefits of a high-quality streaming music service – all for one low price. For as little as $5 per month, Napster users get five unrestricted MP3 downloads, and unlimited access to Napster’s award-winning on-demand music streaming service.

Music fans now have the best of both worlds: MP3s to keep forever, play, transfer and burn as much as they like, as well as unlimited music listening from Napster’s catalog of more than seven million tracks. “There’s no need to settle for 30-second clips to decide if you want to buy a song,” said Chris Gorog, CEO of Napster. “For five bucks now you can have access to our entire music catalog and get five MP3s to add to your permanent collection.”

Napster users can now:
• Get five MP3s each month to download, with their choice of songs from the Napster MP3 library that covers all types of music from all the major labels and includes the largest catalog of independent artists available.
• Listen to any track, as often as they like, in CD quality from Napster’s catalog of more than seven million songs.
• Choose from more than 60 commercial-free radio stations and more than 1,400 expertly programmed playlists.
• Discover new music and artists through personalized recommendation tools.
• Enjoy the top hits from more than 50 years of Billboard charts. Want to know what was popular when you graduated high school? Now you can.
• Play MP3s on any MP3 player, including iPod®, iPhone® and music-enabled MP3 mobile phones.

“A decade ago, Napster revolutionized the way people discovered and enjoyed music,” said Julie Owen, senior vice president of entertainment for Best Buy. “The brand that started it all is shaking things up again with this new service that provides music lovers continued access to the entertainment experience they’ve come to expect of Napster and Best Buy.”

The new Napster offering is now available for U.S. residents at www.napster.com.

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Vinyl records have begun to make a slight resurgence, or at least enough of one to warrant a little shelf space in Best Buy.  It turns out that while CD sales have dropped about 20-percent in the last few years, vinyl sales have only increased.  According to the numbers, vinyl record sales increased 15-percent in 2007, 89-percent in 2008 and are expected to increase even more this year.  I know this sounds strange, after all, many geeks feel that the CD is dead, much less vinyl.  However, in 2008 there were 1.9 million vinyl records sold, and already 670,000 in 2009.  It turns out that these numbers are enough to show Best Buy that people still want vinyl and they have begun a pilot program.

The program is planned to begin at 100 stores across the US.  It was noted that the vinyl section would be about 8 square feet of space and contain about 200 albums.  That compares to the total 16-20 square feet of space dedicated to music, which generally includes about 8,000 CDs.  Assuming the test goes well, then Best Buy has plans to add a vinyl section to each of their stores.  And just in case you were wondering how much a vinyl album goes for these days—roughly $22.95.

I can just imagine the strange looks on kids faces when we tell them that these large discs play music.  Considering there are plenty of kids growing up without (or with limited use of) CDs at this point I can only imagine how funny a vinyl record would look, or sound to them.

[New York Post via Gizmodo]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

RadioShack has been doing their part to help the environment by taking in your old electronics, and giving you some cash credit for it.  Until recently, the trade-in program has been on a pretty limited basis, but now, RadioShack made it available in all of their 4,400 stores.  In case you don’t have a participating RadioShack trade-in near you, you will probably have one to take advantage of now. 

Think about all the unused, old gadgets you have lying around the house.  Wouldn’t it be great to turn them in for some money?  Now, I understand some gadgets have sentimental value, but I think it’s great that RadioShack is taking the initiative to allow people to donate their old electronics.  However, I’m not sure how selective they are and how much money they will give you in return, but here is how it works in a nutshell. 

Obviously, the product has to be able to turn on and function as advertised.  If it doesn’t, then don’t even bother trying to give it to RadioShack.  Next, you have to provide your name and address (this should be easy), and then show a valid Driver’s License, State ID card, Military ID, or Passport.  Next, RadioShack’s trade-in program is limited to MP3 players, cell phones, gaming consoles and games, camcorders, digital cameras, GPS devices, chargers, cables, manuals, computer perihperals, computers, HDTV’s, and monitors. 

Since the program has been fairly successful, I imagine that RadioShack gives back a decent amount of money, otherwise people wouldn’t even bother with this.  Also, RadioShack gives you a gift card the minute they accept your trade-in, so there is no waiting 6-8 weeks for your gift card to be processed.  Lastly, it is always nice to help the environment, so if not for the money, give in your old electronics just for the warm, fuzzy feeling you get when doing a good deed. 

Read [RadioShack Press Release]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Whether you are a DJ, an aspiring DJ, or just someone who loves making music wouldn’t it be great if you could start playing virtual instruments and make music anywhere at anytime?  Cell phones can do a lot of tasks these days, yet this is the first phone I’ve seen which is marketed towards people who are good at making music. 

A cell phone that can play music?

Motorola sponsored a group of researchers to create a phone that allowed people to create music, the KRE-8.  By using sensors and accelerometers, the KRE-8 can figure out how you are holding and orienting the cell phone, and then it will start playing as a guitar, drums, or violin.  This allows you to play your own music and record.  Using the touch screen, you can easily move your fingers around to edit the sound.  Interestingly enough, you can even broadcast your music as you are creating it using the integrated 3G network to other KRE-8 devices.  Other users can choose to add their own beats to your song or just listen to the completed version.  In addition, all completed songs that are stored on the wireless network are geotagged, so people know where the songs are coming from. 

The other interesting aspect of the KRE-8 is everything can be performed by touch.  There is, essentially, no need to press any buttons, giving a real-life effect when making music. 

Are you sure it’s a cell phone?

It seems I didn’t even mention the normal phone features it comes with.  I’m sure designer Jose Tomas DeLuna would not be upset by this, because the primary use of the KRE-8 is simply to make and share music.  However, when all the extra features are taken away, it still is a normal touch screen phone that can place calls and text message.  It doesn’t specify whether it has an Internet browser, but since it runs on a 3G network, it is very possible that it has one. 

Unfortunately, no word on pricing or availability at this time.  If you want to see the phone in action, check out the video below. 

Read [YankoDesign]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

In a world where the environment quality and economy are rapidly declining, it is important to know what you, as an individual, can do to help the environment and stay afloat in a recession.  Every week, I hope to find some cool Green products to talk about and see whether they are worth the money.  Today, I have found a few products from Monster, as well as a special outlet from Kill A Watt. 

If a product is turned off, why would I care about a special surge strip?

A common misconception that I would like to address first is something commonly referred to “Vampire Loads.”  Essentially, this is a term used to describe electronics that still draw power even if they are turned off.  When electronics, such as HDTVs are turned off, they actually enter stand-by mode.  During stand-by mode, electricity is still being used, albeit not as much when it’s actually running.  However, everything adds up, so with all your equipment, 20% of your bill is due to vampire loads as cited by the U.S. Department of Energy.  For example, if you leave your cell phone charger plugged longer than the necessary time, it will still draw power and run up your bill.  Don’t worry this happens to be best of us, even I am guilty of this.  However, I do try to make a conscious effort to unplug the charger as soon as it finishes charging.  A product that can really turn off and stop drawing power are becoming more and more common. 

Monster’s HDP 850G, HDP 900G, HDP 1400 and HDP 1850

At CES 2009, Monster had on display these GreenPower PowerCenters, which are special surge strips meant for home theater set ups.  These surge strips have the ability to turn off all equipment when not being used, as well as analyzing how much power your HDTV is really using.  The more advanced models, such as the HDP 1400 and HDP 1850 contain technology such as Clean Power HD Filtering, which actually makes your picture on the screen look better and more clear.  In addition, they are IR compatible meaning they can be powered on/off with any remote control.  On the surge strip itself, there are specially marked outlets where you plug in your peripherals for your home theater.  Whenever the main device is powered on, such as the HDTV, all the other peripherals are powered on and vice versa. 

The HDP 850G costs $99.95, the HDP 900G costs $129.95, the HDP 1400 costs $249.95, and the HDP 1850 costs $349.95. 

The Kill A Watt P4400

Moving on, we have another similar yet different device, which is meant to find out which electronic uses the most energy, so you would “Kill that Watt”.  Basically, you plug in whatever you want to test out into this device and it will tell you the efficiency by displaying Kilowatt per hour, and how much that would total.  By using this product, you will be able to found what is more efficient than something else, which would come in handy when buying electronics.  In addition, the retailer claims you can “calculate electrical expenses by the hour, day, week, month, even year. With an accuracy within 0.2%, you can safely know what to expect your expenses to be.”  Knowledge is power and I’m sure many people would love to know their bills before they come.  Being able to analyze exactly what is running up your bill will help you in the future so can unplug equipment or purchase a special power strip.  This product only costs $25. 

Is it worth it?

If the U.S. Department of Energy is correct in that 20% of your electric bill is due to stand-by power consumption, then investing some money in one of these would definitely pay off.  Not only would you be saving money, which is always nice, but you would be doing your part to help the environment.  After all, any electricity being used is harmful to the environment.  If you are having a hard time making ends meet, should you invest in something like this?  Probably not, getting food on the table comes first.  But, if you can afford one of these, then it will definitely pay off in the long run.

Read [Monster] Read [Kill A Watt]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

If you have ever tried to hook up a whole-house entertainment system, it can easily become a real pain since you have to pull a whole lot of cables around the house.  Black Box has come out with a new solution that allows for video and audio over Ethernet.  You can take one display and watch it all over your home.  This greatly simplifies installation of your networked home entertainment system since you would only have to run Ethernet cable. 

Black Box has three different devices to handle this content delivery system.  Two of the devices are transmitters.  Of those two, one of them is a PCI-e card that you would install into your system.  Another is a stand alone box.  The remaining device is a receiver.  You would just need to feed a transmitter your video and audio and be able to receive it wherever you have a Black Box receiver.  This an interesting way to get some video on to an HDTV without directly hooking up a computer to it.

All of these devices are pricey.  The receiver is $975.  The stand alone receiver is $1395 and the PCI-e is $1255.  While the video can be up to 1080p in resolution, the audio is only stereo.  That’s a bit of a downer considering the price.  For a lower priced alternative, the ZvBox is only $499 and works using coaxial cable. 

Read: [CE Daily News]
Product Page: [BlackBox.com]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

At CES 2009, iriver had on display a new PMP called the P7.  While Apple certainly has the upper hand with MP3 players in the United States, iriver does pretty well in Korea, so the P7 will most likely be released there first.  You may have heard of the P7 already due to its hype, so let’s see what all the fuss is about. 

The P7 comes with a large touch screen, measuring in at 4.3-inches.  The thing about a big screen PMP is the fact that the portability factor decreases, but viewing pleasure increases.  It comes in a few different models with varying hard drive sizes (4GB, 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB).  It has a 35 hour battery life when playing audio and a 7 hour battery life when playing video.  The amount of formats a PMP can handle is important if you are an audio junkie.  The P7 is sure to please you as it supports MP3, WAV, OGG, WMA, FLAC, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, Xvid, WMV, RMVB, and H.264. 

An interesting feature is that the packaging the P7 comes in can double up as a storage container, business card holder, or a picture frame.  I can’t imagine someone buying the P7 just because the packaging is multi-functional, but these features are certainly nice to have.  Now, the optional cradle not only would stand up the device and charge it, but also comes with a integrated speaker.

Hopefully it is released sometime soon in Korea, so we can get an idea on the price and how much longer it would be until it is released in the States. 

Read [iriver] Via [DAP Review]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

So, when we think February 14th, we usually think flowers and chocolate, right?  Well, it doesn’t always have to be that way.  Believe it or not, girls do like getting gadgets too, as long as you don’t just pick something that plugs in that you chose with either only yourself in mind or for her to clean with.  There’s plenty of fun gadget options out there that will still be hot, hot, hot.  And just maybe, that way you can play together.  Hey now, I meant with the gadget.

1. Let’s start with the hot Sony Vaio (P).  It’s an 8-inch, 1.4 lb laptop with 4 hours maximum battery, that comes with a built-in webcam, GPS, and WiFi. Features a 1.33 Hz Intel Processor.  Pricing starts at $899.  And who says only roses are red?

2. The Zune Video Mp3 Player.  Yeah, yeah…I stuck with showing it in red in honor of Cupid and hearts and love, but you can pick from black, blue or pink as well.  For those not familiar with the Zune, it can do all sorts of nifty stuff.  You can listen to the radio and tag songs you like when you hear them.  You can download music using your ZunePass.  You can connect to your home network and sync your Zune with your PC.  Obviously, the GB capacity varies depending on how much you spend, for example, the 120 GB Zune can hold up to 30,000 songs, 375 hours of video, or 25,000 photos.  It has a 3.2” color LCD with 320 x 240 pixel display.  Rock me baby.

3. Tape it…tape it good.  So for all you aspiring film stars out there, the next item is for you.  The Flip Video MinoHD.  Now, this was introduced late last year and it got some pretty good reviews considering its price range and size.  Now, if you’re looking to make super high quality films, go spend $3,000 and buy a Canon.  This is for folks looking to do some filming to easily upload to places like YouTube or MySpace, or for their own viewing on the computer later.  Ahem.  720p video, superslim, holds 60 minutes of HD quality video on 4GB of memory.  Features one touch recording and zoom and has a flip-out USB arm that plugs right into your computer.  You can get it starting it $165.  A star (or stars) is born!

4. You’ll have her smiling with the Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z80.  This sleek little camera shoots out some big photos.  It has a nice size LCD (2.6”) despite its compact size and also features a 8.1 megapixel resolution.  With a 3x optical zoom, auto shutter, movie button, it’s a comes nicely equipped for the price.  Even sweeter this Valentine’s Day, is that Amazon’s currently got them on sale for only $99. 

5. And finally, she’ll always find her way back to you with the Garmin nüvi 255W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator.  Garmin GPS units are always ranked way up there in customer reviews, and this one is no different.  The nüvi 255W features a very nice sized 4.3-inch screen with auto navigator and an anti-theft feature.  You have the voice prompted turn by turn directions, as well as “Hot Fix.”  It also offers JPEG Picture Viewer, currency converter, a world travel clock, a calculator, and plenty more.  I found it starting at about $155.  Perfect for those long road trips to that romantic getaway maybe?

So there you have it.  Some hot gadgets for your Valentine that just might make you both go “Mmmmmmmmm”.  Just stay away from the sweeper aisle.

Full Story » | Written by Jodie Andrefski for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Recession got you down?  In the mood to buy some electronics and save money?  Hopefully the deals I found today can save you some money and bring some joy in your life.  We have deals ranging from, a 1TB external hard drive, a 50 inch Plasma HDTV, some gaming headphones, and a floor speaker system. 

1TB Hard drive

Since Internet has become a lot faster in recent years, it is easy to amass a large music and video collection.  A popular computer peripheral these days are external hard drives.  If you are looking to purchase one, Buy.com has a Fantom Micronet GF1000EU G-Force 1TB Hard Drive for $100, and the original price is $120.  In addition, the hard drive will ship for free.  The G-Force Hard Drive runs at 7200 RPM, 8.5 access time, 16MB cache, an eSATA transfer rate of 300MB/s, and a USB transfer rate of 60MB/s. 

50 inch Plasma HDTV

Next up, we have a 50 inch Plasma HDTV courtesy of 6th Avenue Electronics.  They are selling the Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ850U 50 inch 1080p Plasma HDTV for $1,692.  In fact, you are already saving $1,000, and then using coupon code AFLPAN1692, you save an additional $307.  Quite a bargain.  It also comes with free shipping.  The Panasonic HDTV comes with a resolution of 1920x1080, a 50 inch screen, 4 HDMI outputs, and a HD tuner.  The coupon code expires on February 18. 

Gaming In-Ear Headphones

If you are looking for normal headphones that are coupled with a microphone, so you can talk to your opponents, Buy.com has just the headphones for you.  They are selling the SteelSeries 10070 Siberia In-Ear Gaming Earbuds for $22.  The headphones are quite expensive, because they sell for $99.99, otherwise.  These in-ear headphones are great for MP3 players, laptops, IP-telephony, Sony PSP, and other gaming consoles.  They are only available in white and come with free shipping. 

Floor Speaker System

The last deal we have for today is the Polk Audio Monitor 50 Two-way Floorstanding Loudspeaker, from Newegg.com.  They sell for $80 in a Maple color and the Black color of the same speaker system sells for $120, so this is quite a bargain.  Like all the other deals, it comes with free shipping. 

Hopefully, you will be able to save a good amount of money on these deals.  Stay tuned for tomorrow’s deals as well. 

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Banking on hopes that many consumers will use the now delayed digital transition as an opportunity to make the jump to HDTVs, Klipsch hopes to offer audio accompaniment at reasonable prices. 

The only problem with Klipsch’s plan is that, of the three home audio systems it announced today, only one is south of the $500 mark.  It is also interesting to note, that while Klipsch is seeking the the DTV set, they only expect their more modestly priced audio systems, the HD Theater 500 for $599.99 and the HD Theater 300 for $399.99, to be available for sale in March for the former and April for the latter.

Klipsch recommends that consumers spend approximately the same amount of money on their surround sound system as they would on the TV itself.  They base this wisdom on experience they have gathered as the leading audio supplier of 50% of new theaters in North and South America.  This rule, combined with rapidly falling HTDV prices, may lead to trouble for Klipsch in pushing their HD Theater 1000 which will retail for $899.99.  Whether Klipsch will be able to capitalize on the DTV upgrade rush with only its most costly unit available in retailers remains to be seen.

Source [Klipsch]

Full Story » | Written by Vince Pane for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

The home theater in a box market continues to grow.  Their low entry price makes them even more attractive in the current economic climate.  So it comes at as no surprise that Samsung introduced new Blu-ray HTIB offerings at CES.  Each offers 1080p playback with the Blu-ray player, and virtual or real 5.1 audio.

The HT-BD8200 is the first home theater sound bar equipped with a Blu-ray player and wireless subwoofer.  At 2.6 inches deep, the BD8200 is designed for wall mounting, but still provides virtual 5.1 surround.  Users can stream multimedia from the integrated Blu-ray player, USB port, a Bluetooth enabled media device, or through the included iPod dock.  It networks via 802.11 b/g/n or USB dongle to stream Netflix or Pandora and is BD-Live (Profile 2.0) compatible.

The HT-BD7200 is a 2.1 system with virtual 5.1 surround sound.  The size of the system and its relatively small power rating (400W) make it ideal for an introductory system or for a smaller room.  The speaker is constructed from kelp, as in seaweed, which Samsung says provides greater clarity than traditional paper cones.  The BD7200 also connects to a b/g/n network, but with an optional USB dongle.

Finally, the HT-BD1250 is the full 5.1 speaker array, offering Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio at an ear shattering 1000W.  Like the BD7200, the speakers are made from kelp.  The BD1250 (and BD7200) also features an improved amplifier engine that is supposed to reduce amp and power supply noise.  It is fully b/g/n WiFi ready with an integrated transceiver.  Pricing is not yet available for any of these systems, and Samsung will only say “the first half of 2009” when it comes to availability.

Full Story » | Written by Chris Shore for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Jumping on the wireless bandwagon at CES, Acoustic Research announced their new Modular Wireless Speaker Conversion line.  These modules allow you to turn any 5.1 or smaller speaker system into a wireless application.  To solve the common problem with wireless speakers where the signal bounces off of objects in the room creating a lag in one or more speakers, Audiovox has developed what it calls “Diversity antennas” which uses error correction to ensure interference doesn’t disrupt the signals.  Each of the six channels provides 16 bit audio at 60 digital watts. 

With each channel able to provide signals to six different speakers, the Modular Wireless Speaker Conversion system could be used as a whole house audio device, though there are better options.  The 5.1 system starts at $600 and the two speaker set will go for $250 with add on modules also available.  Like most products at CES, no official word on when these will be released.

Company Site: [Acoustic Research]

Full Story » | Written by Chris Shore for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Didiom is a service that allows you to buy music for your phone and computer, but also access the music you have stored on your PC on your phone—seems like an interesting concept.  The only drawback is that they haven’t made this service available to all smartphones, but recently they have expanded their service to Windows Mobile phones with high res VGA touch screens, including phones like HTC Touch Pro and BlackBerry Pearl 8100 series.  In addition to expanding their services, they have implemented a cash bonus program.

Ran Assaf, Didiom’s Founder and CEO, had this to say about their expansion:

“Didiom brings together what belongs together—placeshifting and over-the-air purchasing. Our goal is to meet the growing demand for placeshifting, and push interactive experiences beyond the handset itself with a minimal burden on the user. Now that smartphones represent almost twenty percent of all handsets sold to consumers in the United States, we have a great opportunity to move beyond early adopters and reach new audiences.”

Now, going back to the cash bonus program; basically, Didiom wants to reward prepaid users when they purchase their songs, and so they have designed a cash bonus program that pays back up to 35%.  This is a generous new service. 

Lastly, Didiom has also struck a deal with EPM, which sells many high quality DRM-free record labels in genres such as rock, blues, and jazz.  With this agreement, Didiom users will be able to access and buy more music. 

Check it out [Didiom]
Via [PRWeb]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Click for a larger image.

If you’re not familiar with Scandyna, the company started with a group of Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) developers being assigned to create great sounding speakers at an affordable price.  Scandyna has just introduced the Amp 2, a speaker amplifier with an iPod dock, RDS FM radio, alarm clock and USB PnP in one.  The unit has a look that fits in with their other colorful products (namely Podspeakers), and will come in black, white, and red.  The Amp 2 has a phono jack, minijacks, and USB hookups, and comes with a remote control.

The Amp 2 from Scandyna will debut in March or April this year for $699.

Full Story » | Written by Doug Berger for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Click for a larger image.

The company behind the high-end iPod dock - the Zepplin - has introduced their latest contribution to home audio.  Like many other soundbars out there, the the Panorama soundbar offers a simple and elegant all-in-one home theater solution.  If you’ve check out the Zepplin since it’s launch a year ago, the sound quality is amazing—so I’m sure the Panorama follows it up quite well.

The Panorama has 9 drive units enclosed in an aluminum casing: two bass woofers, two midrange drivers, an aluminum dome tweeter, along with four others that complete the package.  Mount the unit below your flat-panel LCD or Plasma, and you’ve got yourself a complete package.  Pick one up for $2,200 this spring.  More shots of the Panorma below.

Full Story » | Written by Doug Berger for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Americans are ditching their land lines in masses.  No one knows that better than the maker of many of the phones that used to be plugged into those lines.  VTech took a look at the declining market and decided it was time to diversify.  So leveraging their strengths, namely RF devices, they are seizing the chance to jump into the booming Internet radio market.

VTech was kind enough to to give me the grand tour of their device that will be out in March.  It’s understated good looks, simple user interface and low price point are sure to make this a compelling choice..

From the release:

VTech’s IS9181 is the first Internet radio receiver to offer a rich range of features and superior sound quality for under $200.  Once users connect the IS9181 to the home wireless network (802.11 b & g), they can enjoy the vast variety of music offerings from more than 11,000 Internet radio stations worldwide, as well as audio files (MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, Real) stored on a Wi-Fi-enabled PC or laptop.  The IS9181 also includes an auxiliary audio cable to play files from digital audio players or any other device with a 3.5mm headset jack. 

Low price, sound rumored to be bench marked against Logitech’s $100 more entry, and broad distribution.  It sounds like a winner to me.

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At CES, SanDisk recently announced a new type of MP3 player that, instead of downloading and purchasing music, you can purchase a special card that is preloaded with top music.  Let’s see what exactly this is and how it all works. 

Downloading and purchasing music can be a hassle, especially when you have it, then you want to get it on your MP3 player.  SanDisk looks to cut out the middleman of purchasing music, and sell the music directly to you, let you immediately put it on your slotRadio, and play it - very efficient.  In the box comes a slotRadio card with 1,000 songs already on it.  Essentially, the device itself has limited on board memory, but the special cards carry all the songs, so it works well. 

Now, when I first heard of this product, I thought what if the preloaded music wasn’t anything I liked, then it would be a complete waste of money. Well, the 1,000 songs are compiled based on Billboard’s charts and encompasses a variety of music including rock, contemporary, country, and “chillout”, “workout”, and more.  I’m sure most of the songs preloaded are ones that you would like if you keep up with top music. 

The device comes with a 1.5 OLED screen, an FM radio, and a belt clip.  It is set to retail for $99.99, and the special cards sell for $39.99.  These are set to be available soon at sansa.com and over 4,400 RadioShack retail stores. 

If you want to check out this device, be sure to hit up SanDisk’s CES booth.  If you can’t, we will have a hands-on soon, which offers more information and pictures.  Stay tuned!

Read [SanDisk]

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Pure Acoustic was on the show floor this year showing off their wireless sub as well as some colorful speakers. I would love tell you more, including how they sound, but they “didn’t have time to talk with me.” Since I took the pictures here they are. That’s all.

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Panasonic started building the excitement around their big CES announcement, 3D HDTV, and it surely delivered. They also brought a super slim plasma TV, introduced 240hz into the rest of their line of plasmas, showed off a portable Blu-ray player, cameras, camcorders, and more.

Enjoy the tour from afar.

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Making good use of Blu-ray, Sharp has integrated a player into the back of their new BD series HDTVs. Besides that they, like others, Sharp brought out deeper black, faster refresh rates, and more vivid colors. Besides that, they pushed further into the video, with two new Blu-ray players, and audio, with sound bars, iPod docks, and 5.1 home theaters (also with integrated Blu-ray).

Check it out!

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Pioneer, in its efforts to continue their brand transformation, put this year’s product focus on their relationships within the audio/video industry. They just released a whole line of in-wall speakers to go along with their floor-standing models. These are designed to be mixed and matched to suit the needs of your home theater. I would say sit back and listen ... but I guess you’ll just have to settle with some pictures.

Oh, and what is a Pioneer booth without some crazy tricked out cars with Pioneer car audio products? Check out three of those as well.

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VTech Communications has entered the home audio market with its IS9181 Internet radio receiver.  It connects to 802.11 b & g networks, bringing the user over 11,000 Internet radio stations. 

The device also allows the user to wirelessly access MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV and Real files stored on PC or Mac.  It also includes a cable that allows the device to play files from a CD or MP3 player.  This radio has built in stereo speakers and a subwoofer.

“This new music hub provides the ultimate freedom and flexibility for consumers to enjoy a quality music listening experience with a rich variety of content options – all at an affordable price,” said Matt Ramage, senior vice president of product management, VTech Communications, Inc.  “We have applied our long history of innovation in developing feature-rich wireless products for the home phone market to delivering a Wi-Fi music streaming device that is a level above what’s currently on the market today.”

Key Features of the IS9181:

• 802.11 Wi-Fi
• Internet radio streaming from 11,000 stations or ability to search for any stations that stream online
         
• Internet radio stations search from VTech’s site or on the device itself
• Preset favorites online
• PC or Mac-stored MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, Real music file playing
• Ability to connect a MP3 player or any audio device directly to the radio using the provided cord.
• Ability to connect the IS9181 (via RCA connections) to other audio systems for streaming access.
• Internal 2.1 speakers
• Weather and horoscope text updates based on zip code
• Remote – browse, select and control music from across the room
• AC Power Adapter
• Battery-operated option (requires six AA batteries, not included)
• MSRP:  $199.95
• Available in Spring 2009 at www.vtechphones.com

Read[VTech]

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Headphones are very important nowadays especially with the emergence of PMPs and MP3 players being so popular.  There are many headphone manufacturers out there, and so knowing all the facts and perhaps even testing out headphones before purchasing them is always the safe way to go.  Let’s take a closer look at Monster’s newest headphones, the Turbine. 

Speakers always sound better than normal headphones because the device is a lot bigger and can provide deep, rich sounds.  Monster decided to call the Turbine In-Ear speakers because they believe the quality of their headphones are nearly speaker-like.  The Turbine was designed by Noel Lee, head of of Monster.  In fact, he spent three years conducting research, playing with prototypes, and perfecting the design for their launch.  He wants these to be the headphones that all people wanted. 

The Turbine headphones boast 8mm drivers that were created to deliver high quality sound, detail, bass, and clarity normally found in speakers.  Again, one of Monster’s main goals was to make these headphones exactly like a good speaker system.  Monster also created several eartips in order to ensure good sounds, keep out unwanted noise, and have a comfortable fit. 

Noel Lee, Head of Monster, had this to say about the headphones he designed:

“Life is too short to listen to bad headphones. Unfortunately, ordinary headphones simply can’t reproduce the deep bass and rich highs of full-size speaker systems. Monster is on a mission to make headphones sound better, and our new Turbine In-Ear Speakers allow people to hear truly remarkable sound from in-ear headphones. Hearing is believing. After all, the human ear can discern much more than any technical measuring device, and the performance of Monster Turbines needs to be heard to be believed.” 

No word on when these are set to retail, but the MSRP is $149.95.

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At the Monster Liveblog, one of the new products they announced was the Beats Tour.  At the time of the liveblog, not much was known about the tour, but we got our hands on a press release, so let’s take a closer look at the Beats Tour by Monster, Jimmy Lovine, and, of course the man himself, Dr. Dre. 

The newest addition to the Beats by Dr. Dre headphones are the Beats Tour, which are like in-ear speaker headphones.  In addition, they are currently available at leading retails such as Apple, In Motion stores, Best Buy, Fry’s Electronics, Apple.com, Amazon.com, and beatsbydre.com.  To gain some more recognition of the Beats Tour headphones, Dr. Dre and Jimmy Lovine plan to hold a private listening session at CES, in which you get the opportunity to give them a listen. 

The Beats Tour hopes to further reduce external noise, be able to produce deep bass sounds, have superior audio quality, and overall deliver the full, rich sound put into every song.  They also come with three custom-fit ear tips to ensure a comfortable fit and to block out more external noise.  In addition, the headphones are capable of delivering the best sound when it comes to R&B, Rock, and Hip-Hop, which can sometimes be hard on headphones.  To ensure this, Dr. Dre made sure they worked exactly as he imagined. 

The wires on the headphones use Monster’s exclusive Tangle Free Cable, that will never tangle up when you pack up the headphones or use them.  Lastly, Dr. Dre had this to say about the Beats Tour:

“Artists and producers work hard in the studio perfecting their sound, but people can’t really hear it with normal headphones. Most headphones can’t handle the bass, the detail, the dynamics. Bottom line: the music doesn’t move you.  With Beats, people are going to hear what the artists hear and listen to the music the way they should – the way I do.”

They sell for $149.95 and come with a carrying case for your convenience. 

For more info on Beats By Dre Headphones go to www.beatsbydre.com

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Like always Sony has made us trek all the way over to the convention center for their press conference. We are expecting the regular announcements LCD TVs, new OLED displays, cameras, new computers include the teased P series, new Blu-ray players and more. The one catch will be that Howard Stronger, Sony CEO, will be offering a keynote tomorrow morning and will surely save something for that time—so this can end up being a bit dry. Either way stick around to this page for live coverage of all the announcements (you can reload the page by hitting Ctrl+R or F5).

For more CES press coverage head over here or check out our 2009 CES page for all the CES news, CES keynotes, CES photo galleries/booth tours, and more!

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Kinda.  Simulates surround sound is probably a bit more accurate Either way, a sound upgrade follows after upgrading your TV and perhaps your media player.  Instead of the expense and install hassles of a true surround sound speaker system, drop this bar and enjoy simulated surround sound.

I’ve used this type of product before with the Z Cinema computer sound system from Logitech, and must say I continue to be impressed.  Assuming Sharp can hit into what Logitech and others have done, average TV watchers will be impressed.

The Sharp HT-SB300 and 200 combine left and right speakers with a subwoofer into a compact unit.  The 2.1 channel, 34 watt system features several inputs including an auxiliary

Pricing for the SB300, which adds Dolby 5.1 is $299 and $50 less for the SB200, $249.

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Netgear just announced their latest home media product, the Digital Entertainer Elite.  The new product connects to YouTube, Flickr, Internet radio stations, allows you to track RSS subscriptions, and podcasts, all while organizing your personal home media collections over 802.11N.  On the back you can find HDMI ports and two USB ports for connecting iPods and the like.  On the inside, the Digital Entertainer Elite is packed with 500GB storage and allow upconversion to full 1080p.  The device will play Windows Media 9, H.264, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4 files.  Additionally, you’re able to playback any unprotected DVD images you have stored on your computer.  Most notably is the Follow Me feature that allows you to pause in one room and resume it in another.  More details in the press release below.

• Plays video, MP3s and digital photos from your PC, Mac or network attached storage device (NAS) to your HDTV
• Streams media directly from the Internet such as YouTube™, Internet radio, Flickr™ photos, RSS, and podcasts
• Automatically finds all digital media files on your home network and organizes them into an easily accessible library
• Includes HDMI port, HD upconversion up to 1080p, Wireless-N, two USB ports for iPod® and USB drives
• Includes a 500 GB hard drive for extra storage of movies, photos, and music

Features
• Play your files stored on your PC, Mac, or directly from network attached storage (NAS) device.
• Get instant access to content on a USB flash drive, digital camera, iPod, or other USB storage device via the 2 USB ports
• Enjoy full HD up to 1080p when playing back Windows® Media Video 9, H-264, MPEG-2, or MPEG-4 files
• Automatically up-converts videos and photos to full 1080p HD resolution via HDMI output
• Plays unprotected DVD images stored on your PC, Mac, or NAS including menus, subtitles, and special features
• Easy playback of Windows Media DRM (WMDRM10) protected content from major online services
• ‘Follow Me’ feature allows you to pause a song or video in one room and resume it in another room (for use with two or more Digital Entertainer Elite units)
• Simple wireless connection at a push of a button with Push ‘N’ Connect feature using Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ (WPS)1
• Energy-efficient power supply and automatic power-saving mode consume as little as 0.01 Watts

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