Staff Writer's blog

You could piece together your own 3D TV system or you could dive right into the third dimension with a Samsung bundle that combines a 3D-capable TV available in various sizes and display technologies, two sets of glasses, a 3D-capable Blu-ray Disc player and perhaps a home theater speaker system, too. You get $350 instant savings, but you need to act by July 10 to enjoy one of these Samsung 3D Starter Kit Specials.

Speed is an attractive feature whether you're looking to recalculate a massive spreadsheet or drive a souped-up roadster along a virtual racetrack. The trouble is that an over-clocked PC tends to overheat. Enter CyberpowerPC, a company that has mastered the art of manufacturing desktop and gaming systems with built-in liquid cooling.

If you’re a female photographer, you’re well aware that most camera straps can be less than comfortable. So to make the lives of photographic women more bearable (figuratively and literally), Black Rapid has introduced the BlackRapid RS-W1 Camera Strap, which was designed specifically for women.

Getting started with 3D requires more than the TV. To see depth you need 3D glasses, and to be sociable, more than one pair. You may also opt for a 3D-capable Blu-ray Disc player. So, you can see why a bundle is a good thing. B&H has assembled 30 kits involving 3D TVs in different series and screen sizes. Grab a bundle by July 3, and you'll save $300 off the regular price.

Though hardware is replaceable, the same can't always be said for the data on a hard drive. That's why a robust data storage system attached to your network can make the difference between disaster and recovery. Whether you run a small business or want to protect your family's digital  memories, the Drobo series of hard-drive arrays from Data Robotics goes a long way to giving you peace of mind.

The year 2010 marked, for better or worse, my fourth consecutive National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention. It was, for the industry's sake, good to see larger crowds than I remember from the past couple years, and, at the very least, there seemed to be more “excitement” in the air. In particular, 3-D was all the rage (and, should you be interested, 2009 was notable for DSLR Video, 2008 for The Great Recession and 2007 for Final Cut Studio and The Red Camera). It was as though most companies had, overnight (post-Avatar), transitioned their entire business model to remodeling your favorite sporting event or video game. I was skeptical at first, thinking 3-D sounded a bit “gimmicky,” but that all faded away the moment I laid my bespectacled eyes on the massive 3-D purposed screen in Sony's booth. It appears the third dimension really does make all the difference.

Previously, in Part 1 of this series on studio monitors, we discussed the advantages of mixing your productions on "studio monitors" instead of of "speakers." To recap, we learned that monitors will replicate the volume of different frequencies (or pitches) with far greater accuracy than speakers, and, as such, are best suited for engineers needing to to make informed decisions in their mix.