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Wednesday, October 21, 2009
By Steve Crowe
Thiel Audio will be hosting a memorial for Jim Thiel on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010 during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Thiel says it will be sending out formal invitations to the event. Thiel describes the memorial in the following statement:
"We're planning a slide presentation highlighting the life and lifelong passion of our friend and mentor. If you have special photos of Jim you would care to share with us please email them to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)."
Jim Thiel passed away on Sept. 18, 2009 from cancer.
Related: Jim Thiel Passes Away
Remembering Jim Thiel
Kathy Gornik on Thiel Audio’s Future
Thiel says it will be sending out formal invitations to the event. Thiel describes the memorial in the following statement:
"We're planning a slide presentation highlighting the life and lifelong passion of our friend and mentor. If you have special photos of Jim you would care to share with us please email them to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)."
Jim Thiel passed away on Sept. 18, 2009 from cancer.
Related: Jim Thiel Passes Away
Remembering Jim Thiel
Kathy Gornik on Thiel Audio’s Future
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
By Arlen Schweiger
You've probably seen Optimus Prime on TV commercials this week, imploring you to catch him in full high-definition. Yes, the mega blockbuster Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen arrives on Blu-ray this week to rock your home theater world.
It definitely headlines an otherwise pedestrian release week, with the DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack and scope 2.39:1 aspect ratio sure to look and sound sweet on your big home theater screen. There's even an IMAX edition release, which is a Walmart exclusive.
Of course, we're going for action here and not Oscar-winning plots. Transformers was pretty widely panned, which brings us to another of this week's Blu-ray releases along those lines ... Kevin Costner's ultra-expensive and underwhelming Waterworld. It also includes DTS-HD MA, and original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Is it worth another viewing after 14 years since its much-anticipated theatrical release? Maybe ... as a rental.
If you're looking for more of a classic to try out on Blu-ray, look for Dennis Hopper's Easy Rider and get a dose of the late 60s counterculture as well as early Jack Nicholson in a breakout role.
Here are all of this week’s Blu-ray releases, courtesy of Blu-ray.com:
100 Feet
Blood: The Last Vampire
The Crew
Easy Rider
Eminem: Live from New York City
Escaflowne: The Movie
Iron Man: Armed Adventures Vol. 1
Leonard Cohen: Live from the Isle of Wight 1970
Love N’ Dancing
Monsoon Wedding
Objectified
The Secret of the Nutcracker
Toto: Falling in Between Live
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
It definitely headlines an otherwise pedestrian release week, with the DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack and scope 2.39:1 aspect ratio sure to look and sound sweet on your big home theater screen. There's even an IMAX edition release, which is a Walmart exclusive.
Of course, we're going for action here and not Oscar-winning plots. Transformers was pretty widely panned, which brings us to another of this week's Blu-ray releases along those lines ... Kevin Costner's ultra-expensive and underwhelming Waterworld. It also includes DTS-HD MA, and original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Is it worth another viewing after 14 years since its much-anticipated theatrical release? Maybe ... as a rental.
If you're looking for more of a classic to try out on Blu-ray, look for Dennis Hopper's Easy Rider and get a dose of the late 60s counterculture as well as early Jack Nicholson in a breakout role.
Here are all of this week’s Blu-ray releases, courtesy of Blu-ray.com:
100 Feet
Blood: The Last Vampire
The Crew
Easy Rider
Eminem: Live from New York City
Escaflowne: The Movie
Iron Man: Armed Adventures Vol. 1
Leonard Cohen: Live from the Isle of Wight 1970
Love N’ Dancing
Monsoon Wedding
Objectified
The Secret of the Nutcracker
Toto: Falling in Between Live
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Posted by Arlen Schweiger on 10/20 at 09:30 AM
Blogs, Product News, Blu-ray, (0) Comments, Permalink
Blogs, Product News, Blu-ray, (0) Comments, Permalink
Monday, October 19, 2009
By Robert Archer
Forty-three percent of working consumers will be spending less money during the 2009 holiday shopping season than in 2008, according to a WorkPlace Media study.
The survey polled 1,100 working Americans, who are clearly trying to balance holiday fun and fiscal responsibility.
Consumers are also looking to simplify their holiday shopping, the study finds. Fifty-six percent say they will purchase between one and five gift cards, while 33 percent say they will buy more than six gift cards.
According to the study, the six most popular gifts for the 2009 holiday shopping season are:
"With American workers busier than ever at their jobs, many if not most are now forced to shop during work or on their way to and from work," says Stephanie Molnar, CEO of WorkPlace Media. "Understanding the changing shopping habits of these consumers will be crucial for any company looking to meet their goals this holiday season."
The survey polled 1,100 working Americans, who are clearly trying to balance holiday fun and fiscal responsibility.
Consumers are also looking to simplify their holiday shopping, the study finds. Fifty-six percent say they will purchase between one and five gift cards, while 33 percent say they will buy more than six gift cards.
According to the study, the six most popular gifts for the 2009 holiday shopping season are:
- Apparel/apparel accessories (73 percent)
- Books/CDs/DVDs/Video games (72 percent)
- Electronics/computers (46 percent)
- Restaurants (38 percent)
- Personal care/beauty items (37 percents)
- Entertainment (33 percent)
"With American workers busier than ever at their jobs, many if not most are now forced to shop during work or on their way to and from work," says Stephanie Molnar, CEO of WorkPlace Media. "Understanding the changing shopping habits of these consumers will be crucial for any company looking to meet their goals this holiday season."
Saturday, October 17, 2009
By Julie Jacobson
Who knew that Roombas were herbivores?
There I was presenting a Webinar while simultaneously vacuuming a spare room, feeling good about my work/life balance.
Following the Webinar – as any good housekeeper would do – I went to collect my self-propelled vacuum cleaner.
To my surprise, the Roomba was nowhere to be found. There was, however, an overturned plant that seemed to have deliberately flung itself from its stand onto my new cork floors – soil down, of course.
After a little investigative work, I found the culprit: a very bad Roomba covered in dirt, leaves and a ceramic pot.
My own Little Shop of Horrors.
Note to Roomba users: keep long dangly plants away from robots.
RELATED: A Dingo Ate my Roomba!
There I was presenting a Webinar while simultaneously vacuuming a spare room, feeling good about my work/life balance.
Following the Webinar – as any good housekeeper would do – I went to collect my self-propelled vacuum cleaner.
To my surprise, the Roomba was nowhere to be found. There was, however, an overturned plant that seemed to have deliberately flung itself from its stand onto my new cork floors – soil down, of course.
After a little investigative work, I found the culprit: a very bad Roomba covered in dirt, leaves and a ceramic pot.
My own Little Shop of Horrors.
Note to Roomba users: keep long dangly plants away from robots.
RELATED: A Dingo Ate my Roomba!
Friday, October 16, 2009
By Robert Archer
Key Digital and Harman International have teamed up to provide professional A/V installers with solutions for use in restaurant, retail, house of worship and other large venue environments.
Key Digital's System Design Group (SDG) will work with Harman and its brands, which include Crown, AKG, Lexicon Professional and JBL Professional.
Key Digital's System Design Group (SDG) will work with Harman and its brands, which include Crown, AKG, Lexicon Professional and JBL Professional.
And another thing ... why do they put the TV controls so low that you have to lie on the ground to see them? Ghastly!
By Julie Jacobson
I thought my mom was just being a baby when her VCR finally gave out last month and she had to get a DVR.
"Could there be any more buttons on the remote control?" she lamented.
Turns out, Mom's in good company.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, can't work the damn remote either.
"To work out how to operate a television set you practically have to make love to the thing," the 88-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth says. "And why can't you have a handset that people who are not 10 years old can actually read?"
His remarks (captured in the YouTube video shown below) were made in an interview celebrating the 50th anniversary of a Design Council prize in his name.
In addition to remote controls, the Duke rails on TVs with their low-set controls.
"You used to put it on the floor, and then they put the controls on the bottom so you had to lie on the floor, and then if you wanted to record something the recorder was underneath," he says.
"So you ended up lying on the floor with a torch [that's British for flashlight] in your teeth, a magnifying glass and an instruction book [that's old people's talk for tech support]."
So is Prince Philip praising or deriding the public when he proclaims, "I think people are very tolerant, the way they go on tolerating these ghastly things."?
Then again, this is the guy whose
"Could there be any more buttons on the remote control?" she lamented.
Turns out, Mom's in good company.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, can't work the damn remote either.
"To work out how to operate a television set you practically have to make love to the thing," the 88-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth says. "And why can't you have a handset that people who are not 10 years old can actually read?"
His remarks (captured in the YouTube video shown below) were made in an interview celebrating the 50th anniversary of a Design Council prize in his name.
In addition to remote controls, the Duke rails on TVs with their low-set controls.
"You used to put it on the floor, and then they put the controls on the bottom so you had to lie on the floor, and then if you wanted to record something the recorder was underneath," he says.
"So you ended up lying on the floor with a torch [that's British for flashlight] in your teeth, a magnifying glass and an instruction book [that's old people's talk for tech support]."
So is Prince Philip praising or deriding the public when he proclaims, "I think people are very tolerant, the way they go on tolerating these ghastly things."?
Then again, this is the guy whose
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
By Robert Archer
Green branding has gone too far. That's a growing sentiment, which I agree with, among those who were once the grassroots of the eco movement.
The terms "green" and "going green" received the most votes to be banned from the English language in 2009, according to the Lake Superior study "List of Words to Be Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness."
Now that 2009 is nearly over, has anything changed?
I don't think so. And as representatives of the consumer electronics industry, we are probably as guilty as anyone of feeding the green frenzy.
It's time to stop branding a product as being "green" because its got a Class D amp or because of some other lose connection to the green movement. We might soon reach the saturation limit for a term that is used far too often.
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) should work with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop specific standards that build upon the Energy Star specifications. It should work to promote more responsible use of the term.
Let's end the liberal use of "green" and "eco-friendly" and more effectively communicate with consumers interested in saving the environment before it's too late.
The terms "green" and "going green" received the most votes to be banned from the English language in 2009, according to the Lake Superior study "List of Words to Be Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness."
Now that 2009 is nearly over, has anything changed?
I don't think so. And as representatives of the consumer electronics industry, we are probably as guilty as anyone of feeding the green frenzy.
It's time to stop branding a product as being "green" because its got a Class D amp or because of some other lose connection to the green movement. We might soon reach the saturation limit for a term that is used far too often.
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) should work with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop specific standards that build upon the Energy Star specifications. It should work to promote more responsible use of the term.
Let's end the liberal use of "green" and "eco-friendly" and more effectively communicate with consumers interested in saving the environment before it's too late.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
By Arlen Schweiger
What are you in the mood for this week on high-def? Horror? Concert films? Comedy? Holiday movies?
This week's Blu-ray releases give us a little bit of everything, except there's no TV series this week, so we'll focus on movies.
Since I'm a music nut, I'll focus on a concert film first — Stop Making Sense, which features footage culled together from the Talking Heads, directed by future Oscar winner Jonathan Demme. The 1983 release has been widely lauded, and for good reason, as it's a great combination of spectacle and sound. Just watch as the band slowly gets pieced together during the first half dozen songs; the growing impact from song to song is commanding. Plus you get the DTS-HD MA soundtrack for the film and studio mixes, as well as PCM 2.0 if you want.
If music isn't your thing, but disturbing serial killer movies is, then check out Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers. And it gets full director's cut treatment, so you can watch it the way Oliver wanted you to.
For more of the horror genre, as we get close to Halloween, you're bound to be on the edge of your seat. You can catch Drag Me to Hell in both the unrated and theatrical versions. There's also the witchfest of The Craft to get you in the holiday spirit as well this week.
Of course, we're not far off from the other holiday season that arrives with the snow. But we've got Home for Christmas, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas to get us geared up for that as…
This week's Blu-ray releases give us a little bit of everything, except there's no TV series this week, so we'll focus on movies.
Since I'm a music nut, I'll focus on a concert film first — Stop Making Sense, which features footage culled together from the Talking Heads, directed by future Oscar winner Jonathan Demme. The 1983 release has been widely lauded, and for good reason, as it's a great combination of spectacle and sound. Just watch as the band slowly gets pieced together during the first half dozen songs; the growing impact from song to song is commanding. Plus you get the DTS-HD MA soundtrack for the film and studio mixes, as well as PCM 2.0 if you want.
If music isn't your thing, but disturbing serial killer movies is, then check out Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers. And it gets full director's cut treatment, so you can watch it the way Oliver wanted you to.
For more of the horror genre, as we get close to Halloween, you're bound to be on the edge of your seat. You can catch Drag Me to Hell in both the unrated and theatrical versions. There's also the witchfest of The Craft to get you in the holiday spirit as well this week.
Of course, we're not far off from the other holiday season that arrives with the snow. But we've got Home for Christmas, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas to get us geared up for that as…
Posted by Arlen Schweiger on 10/13 at 07:27 AM
Blogs, Product News, Blu-ray, (0) Comments, Permalink
Blogs, Product News, Blu-ray, (0) Comments, Permalink
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
By Jason Knott
Consumer Electronics Association president and CEO Gary Shapiro, in an article he wrote for The Huffington Post, says Americans' shabby treatment of foreign businesspeople "costs us billions of dollars of lost business each year."
In the article titled "U.S. Needs to Rethink How It Treats International Guests," Shapiro refers to the challenges he faces getting international business executives to attend the Consumer Electronics Show.
He also says "our nation's visa policies work against us in attracting the world to our country." He elaborates:
He concludes by saying "we need a dose of humility" and invites President Obama to come to CES to help "change the tone and extend the welcome mat to international visitors. I urge him to make a high-visibility appearance at a…
In the article titled "U.S. Needs to Rethink How It Treats International Guests," Shapiro refers to the challenges he faces getting international business executives to attend the Consumer Electronics Show.
He also says "our nation's visa policies work against us in attracting the world to our country." He elaborates:
Consider the challenges faced by a Chinese buyer who wants to visit the CES to buy products made by U.S. companies. The buyer must first travel to a Chinese city with a U.S. embassy or consulate. He must wait in line and pay a $131 fee (USD). He must buy a pre-paid phone card to call and schedule an interview and return months later for that interview with his personal financial statements in hand. But to get to that interview he may wait more than two hours in line — all this for an encounter that could last just five minutes. Afterward, the buyer will be informed whether he will receive a visa. A U.S. business executive would not suffer this treatment.
He concludes by saying "we need a dose of humility" and invites President Obama to come to CES to help "change the tone and extend the welcome mat to international visitors. I urge him to make a high-visibility appearance at a…
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
By Tom LeBlanc
Forget for a second that the National Retail Federation is predicting November and December sales will decline 1 percent compared to a 3.4 percent decline last year, creating a not-so-merry holiday sales season.
Circuit City is out of the picture this year. Tweeter, which existed for part of the 2008 holiday season before it suddenly shut down, is gone.
Electronics retailers should look on the bright side and focus on grabbing as many free agent customers as possible.
The big-box retailer is ramping up its holiday season staff compared to last year, planning to aggressively promote margin-heavy services like Geek Squad, according to Reuters.
“We are hiring more people for seasonal sales this year than last year. We see (competitive) price, plus services, as a major upside for us,” said Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn, who expects Best Buy to report positive same-store sales during the holiday season.
Best Buy, which saw its Q2 earnings drop 22 percent, says it has gained some market share since Circuit City closed despite competition from Walmart for those customers.
"Circuit City's demise has put customers in play and ... we have gained more share than anybody since Circuit City's departure," Dunn said.
Given low margins on deep discounted products such as flat-panel TVs, however, more customers won’t necessarily translate to profit growth. Dunn denies that Best Buy has grown its market…
Circuit City is out of the picture this year. Tweeter, which existed for part of the 2008 holiday season before it suddenly shut down, is gone.
Electronics retailers should look on the bright side and focus on grabbing as many free agent customers as possible.
Best Buy is Optimistic
The big-box retailer is ramping up its holiday season staff compared to last year, planning to aggressively promote margin-heavy services like Geek Squad, according to Reuters.
“We are hiring more people for seasonal sales this year than last year. We see (competitive) price, plus services, as a major upside for us,” said Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn, who expects Best Buy to report positive same-store sales during the holiday season.
Best Buy, which saw its Q2 earnings drop 22 percent, says it has gained some market share since Circuit City closed despite competition from Walmart for those customers.
"Circuit City's demise has put customers in play and ... we have gained more share than anybody since Circuit City's departure," Dunn said.
Given low margins on deep discounted products such as flat-panel TVs, however, more customers won’t necessarily translate to profit growth. Dunn denies that Best Buy has grown its market…
