According to PhoneNews, Apple has instructed licensed retailers to put their old iPhone/iPod touch A/V cords on clearance. Why? There’s a new cord coming that supports HD output for AppleTV-like functions.
This patent for automatically sending an audio or video reply to an iChat call has us excited, because it could point to automated replies not just on computers, but via the iPhone as well.
Finally! Almost four years after Sling Media launched their very first Sling branded streaming box onto the US market, us Australians are finally going to be able to get a taste of universal entertainment access next month. Digital Products Group have announced that they’ll start selling Slingbox products starting next month.
Normally I don’t get excited about receivers, but Pioneer’s new line, starting at $US300, have an iPod Digital USB connection that goes beyond plug-and-play access to deliver audio digitally—including DRM content—for super sweet sound quality.
Tired of over-complicated universal remotes, industrial designer Brian Garret Schuur created this single button remote that allows to change channel, volume, pause, play, record, and switch the TV on and off. This is not only a concept however, it’s a fully functioning prototype that uses a microcontroller connected wirelessly to a laptop. Despite all these functions, it looks quite clever and easy to operate.
Sony’s DA6400ES and DA5400ES hi-def A/V receivers won’t exactly get your nerd juices (it’s a thing) flowing, but if you’re in the market for a high-end unit for your home entertainment system, they might be worth considering. Merging a relatively predictable feature set with newer DLNA streaming technology and an array of connection and input options, the receivers are intended to help integrate your central home entertainment system with the rest of your household media hardware, streaming files from your DLNA-compliant PC as well as sending out a second HD signal via CAT5e (ethernet cabling) so that you can distribute the system’s output over your home network.
If you have money to burn on a home theatre projector, but you are on the fence about the virtues of buying an LCD over a DLP, the guys over at PaNLoaD have thrown in their two cents. Obviously there are advantages and disadvantages to both technologies, but in the end, the nod went to DLPs for a number of reasons: DLPs tend to be smaller and lighter, have better contrast and suffer less from pixelation issues. For a full breakdown of the LCD vs. DLP verdict, hit the following link. [PaNLoaD via AboutProjectors]
After hearing about Kevin Rose cheaping out on a home theatre system, I started wondering what percentage of average folk have a setup in their own home. Then I remembered research that suggested as many as 50% of home theatre buyers don’t set up their rear surround speakers. So the question here is two-fold: do you have a home theatre system and if so, was it professionally installed?
