Computers

D-Day: One Year Later

On June 12, 2009, Americans watching over-the-air TV using a conventional set without a digital-to-analog converter box flash-forwarded into a world without reception. The DTV Age had begun in earnest as terrestrial broadcasts were now sent exclusively as digital pulses instead of analog waves. There was plenty of warning and even a $1.5 billion government-funded coupon program, now ended, for buying converters, yet some people didn't get the message.

3D on the PC

The successful 3D movie Avatar has stirred up huge interest in 3D technology. Manufacturers are now pushing 3D television sets, even though there’s currently not much 3D content to watch on them. Of course, PC manufacturers don’t want to watch the bandwagon roll on by, so they’re introducing 3D PCs. One such example is ASUS’s new G51J 3D, a 15.6" notebook computer with 3D graphics built right in.
 

Get Right Back to Where You Started From

Back in 1975, when Maxine Nightingale was singing “We got to get right back to where we started from,” little did she know that the song would make a perfect commercial for a gadget that wouldn’t be invented for another 35 years or so. In fact, the technology that allows this neat little gadget to work didn’t even exist at the time.

 

 

Projected Photography as a Means for Creating An Off-Broadway Set

When director Rick Mowat needed a quick and inexpensive solution for staging a play that involved multiple street locations and a hospital room, he turned to New York City photographer Stephen Andrus and a Panasonic projector. The nearly carpentry- and paint-free production of the new drama, Coda (For Freddie Blue) by Fred Crecca, can be seen June 10 - 13 at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, 340 W. 47 St.

Hang Tough: Furniture & Mounts To Support Your Skinny TV

Now that your new HDTV has become a member of the family, it's time to reevaluate how well it fits its assigned space. There are practical and stylish options to consider from wall mounts that  save floor space to furniture that puts the TV on top while accommodating source components underneath. Some mounts secure the TV flush against the wall while others also enable the TV to be extended outward and swiveled around.
 

Sunday in the Park with Flip Video's SlideHD

Flip Video turned the camcorder industry on its head by proving that minimal hardware features sell, especially when tightly integrated with easy-to-use software for your computer. Now, Flip has introduced its most ambitious model yet, the Slide HD, with a 3-inch touchscreen that slides out at a 45-degree angle to show your videos. The camera embeds 16-Gigabytes of memory for storing up to 4 hours of high-def video.

Ports to Know: What's In/What's Out On Today's TVs

There once were two ways to get a signal into a TV: an RF connector (left) for antenna or cable and an A/V for composite video and stereo audio. Then, the VCR age succumbed to HDTV, inputs multiplied, and buying a set became more like shopping for a computer. To help you figure out which inputs are hot and which are not, we're introducing a new series focusing on features. This one rates TV connections.

Samsung's Blu-ray Home Theater

Stepping up to Blu-ray without 5.1 sound is like eating blinis without the caviar and sour cream. That's reason enough to consider an all-in-one home theater system. The HT-C5500 outputs 1000 Watts of power to 5.1 channels, so whether you’re watching movies on DVD or Blu-ray Disc or feeding your DVR through the system’s optical audio input, the Samsung home theater system will bath you in digital sound.

Boston Acoustics i-DS3 Plus iPod Speaker System

Music is in the mind of the beholder – literally when you go out with an iPod. But when you’re home or at work, there are better ways to enjoy the beat. The iDS3 plus from Boston Acoustics might be the mother of all docks. The system combines stereo speakers in a striking contoured bar meant for tabletop placement and a powered subwoofer to which it’s wirelessly linked. The duo lets you sit back with a pint-size remote (left).

Hands On: Flo TV Personal Television

Wireless cable. What a concept! As we increasingly take our media with us, access anywhere has become a near birthright. One laggard has been free mobile DTV. Even if that system, still in its infancy, becomes widespread, cable channels like ESPN and Comedy Central aren’t likely to migratte to free TV. That’s why the pay service Flo TV, broadcast in 112 cities around the country, may appeal to certain types of viewers.

Samsung's 22" HDTV Set

Fitting an HDTV set into a tight space is no problem with Samsung's 22-inch UN22C4000 LED-LCD. Since the 720p display is only 1.2-inches thick and weighs just 8.4 pounds, it can be easily mounted on a wall. You're more likely to use the stand, but even then the set's entire depth will be only 7.5-inches. So, you can place the TV virtually anywhere in your home.

Theyyyyy’re GR8! Grado Labs’ First In-Ear Headphones

Grado Labs is a small, family-run headphone company based in Brooklyn, NY. For years, they’ve been known for producing high-quality traditional-style headphones that deliver top-grade sound in retro style designs. In the past couple of years, Grado has taken notice of the ever growing popularity of mobile music, and have recently introduced their first ever in-ear model, the GR8. I don’t know if it’s supposed to be “G-R-8” or “great”. If it’s the latter, it’s certainly a bold statement for a company that’s never made a set of in-ear headphones before, no matter how good their track record is for traditional headphones.

Four Wi-Fi Radios Under $100

Americans are among the most mobile citizens in the world, so it's likely that  you occasionally miss a city you once called home. Or perhaps you now dwell somewhere with a dearth of radio stations that appeal to your tastes. Or maybe you're foreign-born, and you miss the language, news, and music of your home country. Enter the emerging hardware category of subscription-free Internet radio that leverages your home network.

How the Non-Accidental Tourist Accessorizes for Trips Abroad

They say you should pack just what you need. The trouble is that often you don't know what that is until you get there, and by then it's too late. So here's some advice on a bunch of travel accessories that you just may find indispensable, especially when embarking on a trip abroad. These accoutrements are designed to make your vacation more comfortable, more secure, or simply more fun.

B&H's New Audio & Video Workstations

The new workstations at B&H bring together the worlds of video post and audio production like never before. They allow you to test drive the latest software and hardware, and witness firsthand how the sonic and visual sides of post production interact. Have you ever used Final Cut Studio software on a powerful Apple Mac Pro computer? Want to audition the latest Universal Audio UAD-2 plug-ins in a Logic session? Now you can!