Archive for October, 2009

2010 is going to see a HUGE change in home entertainment. According to Alfred Poor, an analyst with GigaOM Pro, there will be between 28 to 46 million 3D ready TVs in homes by 2013. Many of the new sets are being introduced at CES 2010.

Companies like JVC USA Professional Products (Booth: NorthMtgRm N234) and Panasonic (Booth: Central 9405) have already announced that they will introduce new products at the upcoming CES. The technology has progressed far beyond the early days of 3D in theaters (remember the old red and blue glasses?) and is ready to start moving into the livingroom.

There are even companies like Nagravision Kudelski Group (Booth: Venetian Toscana 3601,Venetian Toscana 3602,Venetian Toscana 3603) that are planning guides to 3D sources. The NAGRA Media GUIDE for 3D allows consumers to view and purchase 3D VOD content.

While some 3D sets were shown at last year’s CES, (see 3D is coming to a living room near you), Panasonic and others have announced that sets will be available to the public in 2010.

People flocked to see the 3D film 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.' From Sony Pictures Animation

It’s been a while since we’ve seen boom boxes on the street, but that can change with Altec Lansing’s new toy. The Mix Digital Boombox will be shown at CES 2010 and can accommodate up to three mobile devices at one time and allows you to control the playlist from an infrared carabineer style remote that clips to your belt loop.

The company, which previously specialized in computer speaker systems, has branched out to deliver the audiophile one of the best means to take your music library with you since the introduction of the iPod.

The sound is delivered by five active speakers, two 1” horn-loaded polypropylene tweeters, two 3” mid range drivers, one 5.25” subwoofer and a 5.25” passive radiator. The system also features Advanced audio Digital Signal Processing (DSP) for a crisp sound.

The only drawback I could find is that it takes eight D cell batteries (I hate those things) to power it on the run. However, the Mix will run for 30 continuous hours before you need a bank loan to replace the batteries. There is an AC adapter included to save on battery life when power is available.

There are a ton of features on the Mix, like a 7 band equalizer, digital FM tuner and it even pauses your music when a call comes in through your iPhone. One thing I especially liked, although it’s not a selling point, is that Altec Lansing not only posted a pdf spec sheet on their site, but also made the user’s manual available for download so you can see everything you need before you decide to buy.

For everything you get, including Altec Lansing’s quality, it’s moderately priced at $299.

Altec Lansing will be at CES 2010 at  Booth: South 1 21919

Powermat has released a new way to charge your toys without all those wires. The charging mat lets you lay your iPod, iPhone or other mobile device directly on the pad and it charges without having to plug the device into your computer or wall adapter.

It wirelessly charges up to 3 Powermat-enabled devices simultaneously (plus one USB power port). Works with all Powermat receivers. Universal Powercube with 8 tips is included to enable you to charge hundreds of different devices.
Includes:

* Home & Office Mat
* Universal, international power supply (Energy Star level 5, 100-240V) with built-in cord management
* Powercube Universal Receiver with 8 tips

There is also a travel model that folds into a managable size that slips easily into your briefcase or suitcase.

Powermat will be in booth: Central 8253 at the 2010 CES

NEXTO is releasing a portable video storage device videographers to store hundreds of hours of video footage. NEXTO Video Storage is battery-powered and can store up to 2 Terabytes of raw footage in the palm of your hand.

NEXTO Video Storage has been optimized for use with pro HD camcorders, including the Sony PMW-EX1 and EX-3 which use the Sony SxS memory cards, as well as the Panasonic HVX200 which uses the P2 memory cards.

NEXTO Video Storage features USB-OTG compatibility so you can backup anywhere without a computer. With its patented X-Copy technology, and bit by bit image verification, Nexto Video Storage offers the fastest & most reliable video backup on the market today.

So much for dragging my laptop around everywhere I shoot!

NEXTO will be in Booth: South 3 31950

I was more than a little intrigued by Acousticom’s Sound Egg. A few years ago I had the opportunity to sit in a chair carved out of a solid piece of burl wood at It’s A Burl in southern Oregon. There was a stereo sitting across the room pointed directly at the chair. The effect was amazing. A cheezy little stereo projected into the chair made it sound like I was in a perfectly balanced auditorium.

I can’t imagine what Acousticom has done with the basic design. They have taken the retro-sixties chair and moved it into the 21st century. I expect that the effect will be much improved over the low-tech wooden chair I sat in.

Since I haven’t had the chance to try the Sound Egg out for myself, yet, I thought I’d reprint a letter from Acousticom’s President, Mark Cochran.

Needless to say, Acousticom, located in booth: South 2 25815 at the 2010 CES will be one of my first stops. (I just have to figure out how I’m going to convince my wife how the Sound Egg will blend with the rest of the furniture in our 100 year old victorian house.)

Randy

____________________________________________________________

Message from the President,

Hi everybody,

I’m so excited about our release of the Sound Egg. It’s been my 20 year engineering passion to re-create the audio Egg chair! It is a 5.1 surround sound Egg pod that will allow you to hear movies, music; play video games like you have never heard them before. Music is so powerful with heartfelt bass and crisp highs that will literally move you.

Watching Movies are so incredible with the 5.1 surround sound speakers. You are put in the middle of the action and when the building explodes in your favorite action flick; well let’s just say it’s better than the real movie theaters! If you’re an Xbox gamer then you will never wear a headset again!

The Sound Egg has many other uses in the audio testing field. We use it for demonstrating how well Acousticom’s Active Noise Headset and Microphones work at a shows and events. You can put the customer in a high noise field of recorded aircraft, tank, fire truck or any audio signal you want. They can hear how well the ANR circuitry cuts out the low frequency noise and if you have the headset connected to an intercom the customer can also evaluate the noise canceling Microphone on the headset.

It is a very powerfully demonstration tool. There are a variety of applications and you will be impressed! So visit www.soundegg.com for product details. This is truly a gift for the whole family.

Mark Cochran
Pres./Engr.
Acousticom corp.

Linkotec offers a free web-based application called Dazzboard to allow users to link all their mobile devices and, social networks and computers to a single location.
“I have one interface, one window to manage all the content,” Tero Salonen, chief executive of Linkotec said. “You have no interest to copy your content to seven places.”

Most applications limit you to one device, but dazzboard will link all your devices, including digital cameras and iPods, to a single point allowing you to push your content out to various destinations.

I’m still playing around with it, but it looks very promising. It did require that I install the WMP plugin for Firefox, but I don’t see that as a negative. If this works out as promised, it will be nice to have a single app, instead of one for each device, that I can use to manage all my media. This should also make it much easier to share my favorite songs and photos through various social net sites.

Linkotec is a Finnish company privately owned by its founders and several investors.