Archives: June 2006

A constantly-updated assortment of electronic house products and trends.

JVC Announces Speedy TVs - Two new LCDs are coming to a coast near you, with promises of a better picture at 120 frames per second. - Rachel Cericola

Marantz Pitches Pricey 1080p DLP Projector - The VP-11S1 is what the good home theater stuff is made of -- and what it will cost you. - Rachel Cericola

Canton's Vento Speakers Break the Bank - Hard-core audiophiles can appreciate the craftsmanship behind this system -- if they can afford it. - Rachel Cericola

GoldenRAM UpgradeDetect Clears Computer Confusion - This software aims to take the IT geeks to task by providing free computer upgrade assistance. - Rachel Cericola

Vonage Announces V-Phone - One tiny USB flash drive is about to making your Internet calling dreams come true. - Rachel Cericola

ReplayTV Debuts PC Software - The company is taking the digital video recording process out of the set-top and packing it into PCs. - Rachel Cericola

Myron & Davis Slides DVD into the Car - The AD215 DVD player packs a DIVX, MPEG2, MPEG4, JPG and USB media reader into a ¾-inch portable package. - Rachel Cericola

ReQuest ARQIVE Has Your Back(up) - Forget those work documents. This component protects your most important collection -- your music. - Rachel Cericola

Icuiti Makes Home Theater Portable - This wearable video display works with portable media centers, DVD players and more to put you almost too close to the action. - Rachel Cericola

Napster Upgrades Software; Adds New Player - The sometimes-free service is debuting its new sync engine with a 1-GB portable audio player. - Rachel Cericola

Banshee Screams Portable Audio - This small speaker system provides a place to blast iPod, MP3 and PSP playback. - Rachel Cericola

WinBook Mini Makes Most of Media - It's a DVR, a CD and DVD recorder, a TV receiver and a computer all in the Jiv Mini. - Rachel Cericola

Web Downloads from Tower Records - Record stores may be vanishing, but one chain is setting up it shop online. - Rachel Cericola

D-Link Plans Their Own Powerline Products - Don't discount D-Link! This networking manufacturer has a plan for 200Mbps powerline networking products. - Rachel Cericola

Panasonic SV-MP010 Portable Packs Battery Power - The tiny MP3 player may not have massive storage, but this unit claims it can turn one AA battery into a whole lot of music. - Rachel Cericola

Netgear Plans 200Mbps Powerline Solution - The networking manufacturer has a way to fill your need for speed without having to crack into walls. - Rachel Cericola

Toshiba Plans HD DVD Recorder - The company announces an overseas plan that might give them a headstart in the high-def DVD race. - Rachel Cericola

ZicPlay 2Go Puts 2-Way Speakers into Cell Package - This digital audio player looks like a phone, but rocks like a boombox. - Rachel Cericola

Spotlight on Remotes: RCA's NaviLight - There are a few new bright spots for your home theater channel surfing. - Rachel Cericola

TiVo Puts Content on PSP - The most popular digital video recording solution is now making all of your portable dreams come true. - Rachel Cericola

Panasonic Plans Fall Blu-Ray Releases - The company is planning a complete collection of high-def home theater delights. - Rachel Cericola

Samsung Looks at Dual HD Player - Can't decide between HD DVD and Blu-ray? If Samsung has its way, you won't have to. - Rachel Cericola

Cambridge SoundWorks Pumps HD Sound - The Newton Series HD loudspeakers boast high-def sound to enhance the HDTV viewing experience. - Rachel Cericola

MartinLogan Announces Stage Speakers - Whether used as the main, center or surrounds in your setup, these stylish units are up to any audio task. - Rachel Cericola

New gigabeat Portable Video Players Available - Toshiba's portable player comes back with a vengeance -- as well as partners including Napster, eMusic, Rhapsody and Vongo. - Rachel Cericola

FCC Grants XM Equipment Approval - After a streak of bad luck, the government has decided to give the thumbs up for XM-enabled radios from Audiovox and Delphi. - Rachel Cericola

Klipsch Gets Portables into the iGroove - The new iGroove HG provides a stylish way for users to share their wealth of digital music. - Rachel Cericola

Onkyo Home Theater Package Takes on THX - The company's latest audio/video setup has the seal of approval from Jedi Master George Lucas. - Rachel Cericola

DirecTV Offers Ultimate Package - Every station under the dial doesn't come cheap, but it is available on satellite for about $600 a month. - Rachel Cericola

Free TiVo for Some - To promote TiVo's new KidZone service, the company is offering free set-top boxes as part of a deal with Minor League Baseball. - Rachel Cericola

A Peek at Samsung's Blu-Ray Player - Even though it doesn't come out until next week, one guy gets his sweaty mitts on the BD-P1000 high-definition DVD player. - Rachel Cericola

Threshold Crosses Over into Home Automation - The new company plans to make home control technologies easy, economical, accessible -- and wireless! - Rachel Cericola

Justice League Coming to Save Your Gaming Experience - It's a bird, it's a plane -- it's a new way to live out your superhero fantasies with a slew of gaming systems. - Rachel Cericola

Seagate Ships Maxtor Fusion Personal Storage Product - This 500-GB personal storage hub manages digital content, while also allowing access from anywhere over the Web. - Rachel Cericola

Microsoft Eyes Its Own iPod - Lock and load, kids: Big Bill Gates has his sights on killing Apple's old iPod. - Rachel Cericola

Gateway Shows Off HD Monitor - For under $300, the FPD1975W will show off movies and Web content in all its high-definition glory. - Rachel Cericola

AT&T To Launch Homezone Service - This summer, the company will bundle Dish Network and Web-based movies and videos in one box. - Rachel Cericola

Panasonic Provides HD Art - GalleryPlayer powers this new service, which allows plasma owners to show off their prized possession when not in TV mode. - Rachel Cericola

22Moo Launches iPod-Compatible TV Glasses - The VG-SD provides a summertime drive-in experience without the need for filling your car full of cheapskates. - Rachel Cericola

Blaupunkt Ships Color-Friendly Car Audio - Funky colors and CD/MP3 options abound with the company's new Key West and Bahamas car stereo systems. - Rachel Cericola

Artison Masters Audio Speakers - The company's new Masterpiece loudspeaker line turns a cool flat-screen picture into the perfect theater experience. - Rachel Cericola

SunBriteTV LCD Braves the Elements - Thanks to this all-weather LCD, you can watch MTV in the middle of a monsoon. - Rachel Cericola

Atlantic Ships ICTS-6LCR Ceiling Speakers - This ceiling speaker proves that good things actually do come from above. - Rachel Cericola

Best Buy Gets Amp'd - The 3G phone service is looking to rope in even more young subscribers by teaming up with one of the nation's largest retailers. - Rachel Cericola

MusicGremlin Uses Wi-Fi for Song Downloads - Can't stop the music? This new service and portable player offers the ultimate audio selection for listeners that are always on the go. - Rachel Cericola

BenQ Unveils DMP300 Media Player - Connectivity options include S-Video, component, HDMI, analog and S/PDIF digital audio output - Rachel Cericola

Disney Launches Phone Service - The House of Mouse has started offering phone service, which includes parent-friendly satellite-tracking features. - Rachel Cericola

Blu-ray Titles Expected Next Week - With the hardware on its way, the word is that within the next week, you can start stocking up on a few of Sony's new HD movie titles. - Rachel Cericola

Nintendo DS Lite Now Available - The company's latest handheld gaming device hit stores over the weekend -- and it's good. - Rachel Cericola

Sony Delays Blu-ray Player - If you've been waiting for Sony to sell their new high-def DVD players, it might be wise to stop holding your breath. - Rachel Cericola

APC Unleashes Mobile Power Pack - What do you get the on-the-go gadget geek? This lightweight way to power all of their precious personal electronics. - Rachel Cericola

Nintendo Might Add IM to Wii - The latest rumor is that the new Nintendo console will allow users to taunt friends and foes via instant messaging features. - Rachel Cericola

Philips SRU9600 Has Touchability - This super-slim remote puts complex looks into a simple-to-use touchscreen. - Rachel Cericola

Lite-On Combines DVR & DVD - The HD-A740GX holds 200 hours of TV favorites, and allows you to archive anything and everything to DVD. - Rachel Cericola

Buffalo Launches Wireless LinkTheater - This creature doubles the features and then some, packing Intel's Viiv technology, Mediabolic and Philips into one media player. - Rachel Cericola

Spotlight on Lutron's Maestro IR - Why stand when you can control lighting functions from up to 30 feet away? - Rachel Cericola

Review: Toshiba HD-XA1 HD DVD Player - Toshiba's HD-XA1 HD DVD player provides stunning sights and sounds, but the unit itself suffers from first-generation quirks. - Mac Slocum

ATC Launches Entry-Level Speakers - The company has released the SCM7, SCM11, SCM19 and SCM40 passive monitors for small- and medium-sized systems. - Rachel Cericola

Infrant Makes Storage Squeezebox-Ready - The company's ReadyNAS network-based storage system will now show support for the popular wireless music product. - Rachel Cericola

Pounce on the TurboCat Zoom - H-P's new powerhead offers convenience and extra cleaning power for central vac systems. - Rachel Cericola

Screen Research Throws Theater a "Curve" - Certified by some of the big boys, this screen won't distort the picture, but it might just curl your toes. - Rachel Cericola

Tweeter Concept Stores Think Outside Retail Box - Tweeter's new concept stores trade strict retail for electronics lifestyle. - Mac Slocum

ViewSonic Introduces 3 LCDs - The company promises to "future-proof" its new trio of TVs, while offering an array of other features and prices. - Rachel Cericola

Digital Deck Ships Multiroom System - This hardware/software combo combines existing digital favorites and spreads that wealth of entertainment anywhere a house has wire. - Rachel Cericola

TiVoCast Brings Web Video to Televisions - TiVo is taking some of Web's best broadband video content and porting it into their set-top boxes. - Mac Slocum

Sony SXRD Goes the X-tra Distance - The company's Silicon X-tal Reflective Display TVs provide a true high-definition experience, packing in a 1080p picture. - Rachel Cericola

Gateway's NX100 Ultraportable Laptop - Just because the new NX100 notebook has a hearty 12.1-inch screen, it doesn't mean it's a monster to carry. - Rachel Cericola

The Electronic House Top 10 Most Popular Articles - Our most viewed content from the first half of 2006 reveals significant interest in HD displays and innovative home theaters. - Mac Slocum

Chief Ships New TV Stand - The CM3-T45 automated swivel stand can rotate your TV -- and turn some heads as well. - Rachel Cericola

Pioneer Delays Blu-ray DVD Players - Citing development delays, Pioneer has pushed the release of its Blu-ray DVD players to the fall. - Mac Slocum

Vidikron Brings Theater Home - The company's Model 12 makes blockbuster home theater a part of your meager entertainment budget. - Rachel Cericola

Westinghouse Cranks HD Up to 47 - The LVM-47w1 LCD is 47 inches of pure HD entertainment. - Rachel Cericola

Hitachi Launches 42-inch Plasma - The UltraVision HDS69 boasts that it's the first 42-inch plasma with a 1080 line display. - Rachel Cericola

Dial Into Panasonic's KX-TG2970B - This cordless phone system allows you to make and take calls and connect to your home's security system. - Rachel Cericola

Belkin Has Vision - A slew of video cables promises digital delights, and provides the split-screen comparison to prove it. - Rachel Cericola

Beyond the Backlog: Iomega's StorCenter - This always-on unit doesn't just store precious work, photo, audio and video files, it streams them to anywhere you want them. - Rachel Cericola