All Products Filed in Accessories

Monday, May 21, 2012

The Meadville, Pa.-based manufacturer Channel Lock is one of the most famous brands in the entire world of tools.

In fact the company is so well known that its name like that of Coca Cola, Kleenex and TiVo is synonymous with the respective category it offers products in, and products like its newly introduced 7.5-inch 758 Flush Cutter are designed to reenforce its reputation as a premiere tool manufacturer. The new 7.5-inch 758 Flush Cutter is specifically designed to cut everything from plastic tie wraps and copper wire ranging in size from 10AWG to 20AWG.

Channel Lock adds the 7.5-inch 758 Flush Cutter is designed to complement its 728 long-reach pliers, and it points out the tool is made in its Meadville, Pa. factory with drop-forged, high-carbon C1080 North American steel and its signature blue comfort grips.

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Remote Technologies Incorporated (RTI) recently expanded its array of problem solving devices when it announced that its latest product solution, the new ESC-2 Ethernet to Serial Converter is now shipping.

The Minnesota-based company says the ESC-2 works seamlessly within its Integration Designer programming software to quickly enable electronics professionals to set up a single or multiple ESC-2 modules within a control system. The unit installs through its two RJ-45 jacks and Cat-5 cable to provide a fast way to utilize the connectivity power of Ethernet. RTI points out the ESC-2 is designed as a simple, cost-effective means to use the power and versatility of Ethernet.

In addition, because of its small size the ESC-2 can be placed nearly anywhere, and RTI backs the product with a one-year warranty.

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Whether its competition wants to admit it or not, Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) is a market leader in the specialty consumer electronics category.

Recently the British company reaffirmed its position as a market leader when it introduced its third headphone product: the P3. B&W offers the compact P3 in a choice of black or white, and the headphones incorporate features such as custom-made, lightweight acoustic fabric covering the headphones' ear pads and speaker diaphragm terminals that have been positioned in a manner to ensure airflow. B&W says this positioning results in a more linear response from the headphones and less distortion. When this design attribute is combined with B&W's use of neodymium magnets and driver dampening techniques, the P3s are said to produce a high quality music listening experience.

B&W ships the iPod, iPhone and iPad friendly P3 headphones with a hard carrying case and a choice of cables that support the headphones' use with a variety of non-Apple smart phones and other personal electronic devices.

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Today with vinyl selling at its highest levels in decades, the audio accessory market is heating up to keep pace as the revival in analog gear grows in leaps and bounds.

The California-based manufacturer Minus K designs and builds a complete line of vibration isolation products that are engineered to minimize vibrations to protect sensitive components from the perils of foot fall, and to eliminate the transfer of vibrations into the audio spectrum. Minus K's BM-10 benchtop vibration isolation platform is available in several versions that are designed to handle specific weight classes to isolate sensitive playback components such as turntables to enable audio enthusiasts to listen to their favorite albums with their favorite turntables without the added distortion of vibrations muddying up the listening experience.

Minus K says the BM-10 can be configured to handle weights up to 110 pounds and it measures just 4.6-inches tall and 12-inches tall and deep. The BM-10 incorporates a simple control layout that provides a minimalist two controls for simple operation and the California company claims it It offers a 1.5Hz horizontal natural frequency and a 0.5 Hz vertical natural frequency.

Friday, April 06, 2012

Unless it's a week or two in Cabo heat and warmth isn't necessarily a good thing. In the case of electronics heat is normally a bad thing that can negatively affect the performance and life of a component or system.

Fairfield, N.J.-based Middle Atlantic understands the negative effects that heat can have on electronic components and with its latest new product releases it is providing electronics professionals with a choice of solutions to combat the problem of heat. The first of the two new products is the 50 CFM Cabinet Cooler, and according to Middle Atlantic, the product is one of the first blower-style solutions to offer a free-air rating as high as 50 CFM. The product incorporates the company's intelligent proportional speed control technologies that activate the blower at times when cooling is needed.

The second of the two new product releases is the 50 CFM Component Cooler. Middle Atlantic says this product is designed to pull hot air out of a component and direct it to a desired location. The 50 CFM Component Cooler can be used on an open shelf or in a rack, and the product is available in a choice of stand along model to directly cool a single component or as a platform model that is capable of cooling multiple components.

Monday, April 02, 2012

Typically when the word retrofit is used to describe an electronics installation property owners cringe. The word suggests a lot of hidden installation costs that sometimes can make an upgrade in technology cost prohibitive.

Channel Vision's new B-204 IP Camera Balun Over Coax Cable Converter Kit however helps to redefine this stereotypical sales presentation scenario. According to the Costa Mesa, Calif.-based company, the converter kit can actually save up to 40 percent of the costs of a typical retrofit surveillance system upgrade. The kit is designed to allow electronics professionals to utilize a building's existing coax cabling infrastructure to help save labor expenses and additional materials, and once installed it facilitates the use of state-of-the-art IP surveillance cameras such as Channel Vision's HD Dome (6521), Bullet (6522), and flush-mount (6524) IP cameras.

The kit enables video from IP surveillance cameras to transmit as far as 300 feet over standard RG-59/6 cable and it supports up to 10Mbps of bandwidth.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

This past fall during the annual CEDIA trade show in Indianapolis, Remote Technologies Inc (RTI) introduced its new Pro Control line of products.

Recently Pro Control started to ship its Pro24.r and Pro24.z touchscreen controllers and ProLink.r and ProLink.z central control processors to provide electronics professionals with a choice of powerful and easy to use control solutions. The new touchscreen controllers incorporate 2.4-inch TFT LCD touchscreens, programmable five-way joysticks and backlit hard buttons to allow users to execute specific commands in dimly lit rooms.

The ProLink.z and ProLink.r processors store incorporate the ability to store macro commands, as well as a full array of control options, including routable IR ports with adjustable output levels, voltage-sensing inputs and Ethernet ports for networked control. The ProLink.z also includes the bi-directional ZigBee 2.4GHz wireless communication technology and RS-232 ports. Pro Control also says that it will be adding Apple iOS and Android apps to provide more control options through the use of these popular device platforms.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Whether it's in the home or at work, storage is an important consideration for anyone that requires a certain level of performance and functionality out of their computer network.

Western Digital's (WD) new My Book Thunderbolt Duo line of products is the well-known company's latest line of storage solutions and these new drives incorporate the new data transfer technology that is currently being popularized by Apple: Thunderbolt. The drives are available in 4TB and 6TB versions, and they offer a choice of RAID 0, RAID 1 or JBOD hot-swapping backup options.

In the home the drives can be used to store music, movies, home videos, photos and important personal documents. In the office the drives can be used to store 3D renderings, complex video projects, advanced music files that includes Avid's Pro Tools and Apple Logic files, and other documents and photos. Western Digital says that the My Book Thunderbolt Duo can also be set up in a daisy chain configuration to provide high levels of storage, and the products work with Apple and Microsoft operating systems.

In addition, users can create a second copy of their important files when the drives are set up in a RAID 1 configuration as a way of further safeguarding files that are deemed important. Western Digital backs the drives with a three-year warranty and they are also Apple Time Machine compatible straight from the box.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Most electronics professionals know the name DVDO through its years of manufacturing video processing devices.

The Sunnyvale, California-based company's latest product ventures outside of the video processor category to provide existing homeowners a means to efficiently connect their HD source devices to an HDTV without the need for custom installers to pull long cabling runs. The company's new Air WirelessHD is a wireless transmission system that offers electronics professionals a solution that is capable of sending 1080p video, 7.1 surround sound and HDMI's Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) protocol distances up to 30 meters.

DVDO says the solution is compatible with 3D content and that it is engineered to coexist in environments that already include wireless home networks, cordless telephones and microwave ovens. The Air WirelessHD Video transmission system ships with a transmitter, receiver and mounting hardware that enables electronics professionals to place the receiver on top of a HDTV or hide it behind a TV as a wall mounted device.

Friday, February 10, 2012

In the world of equipment racks and accessories no company offers residential and commercial electronics professionals more products and support than Middle Atlantic.

The Fairfield, N.J.-based company's latest product series taps into the growing trend of space-conscious electronics installations by offering installers a choice of products that fit into small locations. Middle Atlantic's new HRF Series Half Rack Systems are engineered to provide electronics professionals with a line of products that comply to the Electronic Components Industry Association's (ECIA) increasingly relevant half rack size standards.

Middle Atlantic says the racks utilize the standard's proposed dimensions, as well as an offset cable tie area that keep the products' overall width under 11 inches. The HRF Series products are constructed with welded frames, and they are manufactured in a choice of eight or 12 rack space options with companion mounting holes and slots.

Thursday, February 09, 2012

With headphones now one of the top selling categories in consumer electronics the market has adapted and the audiophile community has latched onto this trend, which was initially driven by neophyte audio listeners.

HiFiMAN, a manufacturer of headphones, high-performance portable audio devices and other components recently introduced its EF-6 headphone amplifier, which it says enables audiophiles and music fans in general to utilize low-efficiency headphones to listen to their favorite tunes.

The 24 pound, robustly built amplifier is made of brushed aluminum and steel with aluminum heat sinks, and internally it provides users with a 5 watt, Class A circuit and a hand-built step attenuator with matched resistors that contribute to its symmetrical output. The EF-6 is stated to produce a quiet 95dB signal-to-noise (s/n) ratio, and HiFiMAN says that as a result of the engineering behind the EF-6, users can enjoy a warm, relaxing sound with lots of detail no matter what headphone it is driving.

Thursday, February 02, 2012

Over the past several months the momentum behind the HDBaseT transmission technology has grown with several manufacturers adopting the format and releasing new products into the marketplace.

The latest company to launch a new HDBaseT product into the professional electronics market is Audio Authority. The Lexington, Kentucky-based manufacturer's new HBT200KIT is a HDBaseT solution that electronics professionals can use to address long-range signal transmission issues in commercial and residential system environments.

Audio Authority says the HBT200KIT is capable of sending uncompressed HD video, lossless audio, IR and RS-232 control signals distances as far as 330 feet with a single Cat-5e/Cat-6 cable. The company says the kit includes a transmitter and receiver and the components are compliant with HDCP/EDID protocols to ensure the system's compatibility with a variety of displays and source components.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Ludacris is one of the sharpest and most successful entertainers in both the world of music and in movies. The entertainment mogul's latest venture is SOUL by Ludacris, which is a line of headphones and other audio accessories, and recently the line was upgraded with a new pair of headphones that are as sharp as the man they are named after.

The newly released SL150CS chrome silver Limited Edition headphones build upon the basic feature set of the company's SL150 products with the addition of a sharp chrome finish. The headphones are trimmed with black padding on the headpiece and gloss black accents along the ear pieces to provide music lovers, DJs and sound engineers with a stylish sound solution that also rocks.

SOUL by Ludacris has engineered the speakers to produce a balanced, full sound and the headphones can be used for a variety of applications. The headphones work with Apple's iPod, iPhone and iPad products, as well as other portable devices, including Android products, and the SL150CS headphones ship with two cables and 1/4-jack accessories to allow music fans to use the headphones with traditional stereo components.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

With the vinyl format bigger than ever, long-time category supporters such as Audio Technica (AT) are benefiting through the increased interest in their respective products now that consumers are spinning records again.

One product that is receiving a lot of interest from Audio Technica is the AT 150ANV moving-coil phono cartridge. The product was released to celebrate its 50th anniversary as a company, and AT says the cartridge combines traditional phono cartridge design elements with new technologies to provide music lovers with a product that taps into the best qualities of yesterday and today. According to Audio Technica, the AT150ANV employs a Micro Linear stylus tip that's mounted to a solid boron cantilever. The cartridge also uses a machined-aluminum housing and dampening materials to eliminate resonances to ensure musical clarity and resolution.

Audio Technica states the AT150ANV's frequency response is 10Hz to 23kHz, and its output is rated at 4mV. In addition, the company says its vertical tracking force is 1.2 to 1.8 grams, and its recommended load impedance is 47k ohms.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Normally it takes years for musicians and recording professionals to develop their listening skills. Having these listening skills helps musicians to identify chord changes, keys and chord voicings, and on the recording side of the music industry, having a finely tuned ear enables recording engineers to identify specific frequencies and changes in equalization.

Audiofile Engineering's Quiztones software learning tools may not help audiophiles and electronics professionals to expedite the development of their listening skills, but it will help them to gain easy access to a set of learning tools to put them on the right path to the development of these skills. The Quiztones ear training tools provides anyone interested in developing their listening skills a set of frequency tones, and equalization (EQ) cuts and boosts to pink noise and instruments such as acoustic guitars, drums and pianos to help them identify specific frequencies and equalization changes.

Originally the the learning tool was only available to iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad users and now the company has released a more robust version for Apple computer owners. The Apple version adds features such as a score log and one-third octave quizzes.