The Popcorn Hour A-110 networked media tank is not your average media player. Following on the heels of the highly regarded A-100, the updated version adds several enhancements including SATA hard drive support, USB slave functionality, HDMI 1.3a, optical S/PDIF, and a built-in popcorn machine…well, maybe it doesn’t actually make popcorn but an overworked hard disk inside could, in theory, generate enough heat to pop some kernels?
Now that I wasted your time with technical specs, what does it actually do? Basically, it’s a media enclosure that allows you to play all sorts of video/audio/image files (XVID, H.264, AVI, MPEG, MP3, AAC, JPEG, BMP, ABC, 123, you get the idea). Add your own hard disk, network it to your PC, download Bittorrents directly sans PC, watch YouTube or other online videos, listen to internet radio, and more. Now hook it up to your TV using a host of outputs including HDMI, component, s-video, or composite. Then sit back, relax and there you have it, the Popcorn Hour.
It doesn’t look like much, but according to the guys at Make, this is a giant subwoofer. Embedded in the floor is a actually sixten 8 x 18-inch woofers that put out, at its lowest, a brain numbing 10Hz frequency. The explaination wasn’t all that clear, but that’s what infered from the linked article.
This thing was unveiled at the UK’s CEDIA 2008. It’s exactly what the title says it is. Apparently it’ll feature touchscreen controls, A/C, and a bunch of optional gaming equipment such as a built-in steering wheel. You can pick one up - who knows where - for $100,000!
F-I-N-A-L-L-Y! I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve been waiting for Netflix to release a box, or some sort of device that allows me, a Mac user, to stream movies. I canceled my Netflix account a few months back partially because my DVDs weren’t arriving as regularly as I’d have liked, but mostly because I couldn’t take full advantage of something I was paying for, streaming movies and tv shows.
The box is made by Roku and is currently available for $99. They’ve got an ‘up sell’ during checkout, which asks if you want the HDMI and component cables for an additional $19; not a bad deal. All said and done I checked out for $129.88 after adding $9.90 in shipping to LA, CA.
Available here with a 30-day money back guarantee.
OkoroMedia Systems has launched what I’d call a first in home media centers: a solid state drive. Available in the ZX series, each model utilizes Intel’s Quad Core processors, NVIDIA PureVideo HD technology and an automotive color of your choice. Yup, that’s right. You can finish the device in any automotive color of your choice. Currently available is the ZX100, which includes 3GB of memory, a 32GB High Speed Solid State OS, and 1TB for media storage. Also added is a mini wireless keyboard, an IR or RF remote control, and a Blu-ray/HD-DVD combo drive . Read More
Playing Guitar Hero 3 requires me to stand such that I can my best guitar moves on. The first few plays are always crap because I have to acclimate to looking down at the TV - an awkward angle if you know what I mean. The Thanko Motorized TV Stand solves this problem by moving the TV up and down in a range of 51 inches. Included in the package is a wireless remote and the stand can handle sets up to 110lbs.
Called Portomedia, the start up plans to offer movies via a proprietary USB flash drive and reader, with a supposed ultra fast download/upload speed (95 Mbps). To obtain movies - you can either rent or buy - you must visit one of the company’s touch screen kiosks that’ll be found in supermarkets, etc. At the kiosk, which contains 100s of movies on hard drives, you insert the flash drive, enter payment, and the movie is transferred in less than a minute. Currently their site doesn’t detail cost and expiration time of the rentals. They company is based out of Ireland, so don’t expect it state side any time soon.
February 27th, 2008 8:05 PM | by Christen da Costa
At first glance I thought this home theater had to me a computer fabrication. Not so. In fact, it’s all real with more pictures below to tell just how over the top one audiophile went. Although the system is 8.8 channels there are 3 center channels, sixteen 18″ subs, 8 towers, 10 tweeters and a Sony ultra resolution (4,096-by-2,160) SRX-S110 digital projector and so much more it’s a challenge to list. Stuffed into the back of the room is an 18×10 foot screen and all this power, at least the audio is driven by a multitude of tube amps putting out 11,315 watts. Total cost: $6 million. Number of visits to the movie theater: 0
February 15th, 2008 12:22 PM | by Christen da Costa
I’m still waiting for Texas Instruments to unveil their highly anticipated cell phone projector. Until then, will all have to settle for Samsung’s almost-pocket sized DLP projector. The Ultra Mobile Pocket Projector (U310) features a 1000:1 contrast ratio and 150 ANSI lumens brightness. To put it in perspective, some full sized DLP projectors rock 2500:1 contrast ratio and 1500 lumens. So you can see the sacrifices that were made in favor of size. Oh yeah, it’s only SVGA (800×600).
What’s that you say? I can’t hear you over the AudioEngine A2s!
I said the ‘Audioengine A2’s are a clear representation of good things do come in small sizes’.
I won’t dispute that the price tag ($199) is a little steep for a pair of computer or book shelf speakers, but where can you find Kevlar, a glossy finish, and self powered for that price. Furthermore, I was pleasantly surprised by AudioEngine’s packaging job. They took it a step further and placed the necessary cords in suede like bags (see pics). They also provided the headphone-to-headphone cord in two different lengths - which in my experience is the least likely of cords one would have lieing around - although I noticed that the headphone jacks aren’t iPhone compatible (errr - more upset with Apple). Ok moving on…
Performance
The AudioEngine A2’s deliver some top notch sound. The timbre quality is almost there, but simply lack the final finish because of their small size. Put it up to any ‘tower speaker’ and judge them on a sliding scale and they’re sure to compete, if not beat. The bass ports on these things are super slim and can literally blow your hair back (check out the below video). I ran the A2’s off my Macbook - figured why not since they’re intended for computers and iPods - and cranked the volume to max. With my iTunes and computer at max volume I did manage to achieve some minute distortion in the highs, but was once again pleasantly surprised with how well they held out. The bass held tight but couldn’t hit the low-lows you’d experience from a dedicated subwoofer (no surprise there considering the speakers frequency range).
Design
These things are rock solid. The glossy finish and sans grill look is killer. As a result they’ll fit in with the professor’s bookshelf or on the dorm room desk lined with beer cans. The slim bass ports are a nice touch, and reduce speaker size all the while maintaining sound quality. Read More
