AudioVideo

Etymotic Research recently announced the invention of the fifth generation of its noise-isolating earphones, the hf5. Following the lines of its multiple award winning predecessor, the hf2, the hf5 is designed to offer exceptional sound quality with a design made to fit the ear canal of whomever tries them on. Compatible with iPods, as well as most other devices, the hf5 retails at a hefty 149 dollars. However, given the design and research that went into them, they won’t fail to disappoint.

For more information visit www.etymotic.com or read the press release.

You expect newer projectors to have good image quality, resolution, and contrast ratios. What you don’t expect is for that same new projector to be wireless and tell you when it needs to be cleaned or have its bulb changed. Toshiba’s TLP-X200U has all of this, however, and is finding a nice niche for itself in the projector market.

At less than 5 pounds and 3 inches high, this combined with its wireless network capabilities make it the ultimate tool for meetings on the run. Closed captioning, multiscreen functionality, USB ports, and voice activation make this nifty tool very practical. The icing on the cake, however, is the voice technology.

Company insiders report, “The voice guidance system conveniently directs users with an audible message through the projector's operating instructions and system warnings, such as the on/off status, lamp life, air filter checks and cooling fan status."

For more information read the press release.

To help kick off the Holiday shopping season, Walmart just announced that they will be offering special Black Friday-type deals for one day only -- November 8th.

Included in these deals is a 2GB Sony Walkman MP3 player for $49, a $100 Walmart Gift Card with the purchase of a $399 Sony PlayStation 3, and select video games (including Warhawk, Resistance and MotorStorm) for $19.82.  But what really stood out is a Compaq CQ-139WM 15.4" laptop with 2GB RAM and 160GB hard drive for only $298. Better get there early, these deals will be sure to go quick!

For more information and to see more one-day only sales visit www.walmart.com.

Well, they are already here … our Summer intern did a review of the COWON D2, and I will say that it was an amazing little device. Now, the COWON O2 touch-screen portable media player (PMP) is here in time for the Holiday’s.

I would much rather have this device than an iPod. The 4.3-inch widescreen has FLASH memory that improves battery life. There is an eight-hour playback with video and 18 hours of audio. This means that you could watch 8 hours of movies before you recharge. Can you do that with your iPod?

The COWON O2 8GB, 18GB and 32GB sell for $219, $249 and $299 respectively. Each player is equipped with a memory expansion card slot supporting SD and SDHC memory cards for additional storage capacity. So you can extend your PMP FLASH memory 32GB! Here is the press release so you can see the file formats this little PMP supports.

Check out the company web site, www.cowonamerica.com

What does the Alfred Dunhill Ltd. name mean to you? Quality, maybe? What about the Meridian Audio name? Maybe, exclusivity? In bringing the two together someone’s vision has been fulfilled with two well known brands in the Alfred Dunhill AD88 Entertainment System. This nine-layer Finnish birch wood, piano lacquer, matte-alloy system will make you pause for a further listen.

The Meridian technology brings the audiophile CD player in with an AM/FM tuner, iPod docking system, and LED display for a one-suite package. This AD88 plays DVD’s as well, as you can easily connect to any display. There are three 80 watt amps that push the two front speakers and subwoofer. I could not find an exact price for an MSRP quote, but expect to spend over $3,500. You might use this machine in your downtown apartment, or buy it for the person who has distinct taste in quality.

For more information visit www.meridian-audio.com  or www.dunhill.com.

The technology behind the electrostatic loudspeaker is amazing. When looking at the speaker in person, I still can’t believe these things produce sound, and they really do produce award-winning sound. The research and development coming out of Lawrence, Kansas can bring the best sound to your home theater. This new "Feature" loudspeaker is fully powered with an internal high-resolution 150 watt switching amplifier. What this means … you have flexibility in placing this speaker either on the wall, or off-wall in center, front or surround sound applications.

The MSRP on the new “Feature” Loudspeaker from MartinLogan is $1,695/each. When you make this investment, you will certainly be glad you did. I encourage you to seek this speaker out, and go listen to the depth of sound it produces.

For more information visit www.martinlogan.com or read the press release. 

iriver SPINN is one device that can play video, MP3 music, FM radio, flash games, view pictures, record voice and FM radio, view texts, and uses bluetooth! Yep, one device that does it all. The compact design conveys a sense of quality that will have you amazed at the price, $189 (4GB) MSRP, and $229 (8GB) MSRP. The 3.3” QVGA AMOLED screen is very crisp in the detail as most OLED screens are. There is even a reactive vibration feature that brings the flash games to life. As expected, this device has a touch screen for easy navigation. There is also a lock button that can shut off the navigation so you don’t accidentally stop your movie on the airplane while squirming in that small seat.

Keep in mind there are many other products from iriver this year, and the Lplayer has a 2.0” screen for $69.99 (4GB) MSRP, and $99.99 (8GB) MSRP with many of the same feature as the SPINN. The E100 Multimedia Player from iriver is also an option in this class for $69.99 (4GB) MSRP. Go spend some time on their new Web site to learn about the many more products they have available, they are all impressive, www.iriver.com.

Please note that pricing reflects iriver’s special Holiday pricing valid November 1st – December 31st, 2008.

Sonos has mastered the wireless music experience with their ZonePlayers, and there really is an experience of enjoying your music collection with this product. Now, for all of those iPhone owners out there with Sonos systems you must grab this application. What you receive with this Sonos Controller for the iPhone is another remote control. Sure, the Sonos remote is amazing in itself, but so is your iPhone. Your iPod touch and 3G iPhone will bring the music nirvana together.

Check out the video demonstration of the free Sonos controller for the 3G iPhone and iPod touch: www.sonos.com/iphone. Read more

Have you ever wished you could rewind the radio like a DVR? What about record simultaneously your three favorite radio stations? How about recording five Sirius XM programs! This new XMp3 wearable satellite radio is small with many features that make personalizing your music fun. You can auto record your favorite sports talk show that is always on when you are working. The micro-SD card slot will let you take your personal music with you and use this XMp3 like an MP3 player. Whatever you choose to do with this device, I assure you the Sirius XM partnership, and Pioneer technology will deliver on your expectations.

For more information about the XMp3, please visit www.xmradio.com/xmp3, www.pioneerelectronics.com or read the press release.

When it comes to technology, there is no middle ground. Either our products need to be as large as imaginable (like TVs), or they need to be as small as possible to avoid cluttering spaces and weighing down pockets. Pantech and AT&T’s Slate phone is definitely in the latter category. This phone is less than a centimeter deep, yet still boasts a full QWERTY keyboard. To take advantage of its tactilely pleasant keyboard, the slate offers text message and email capability, as well as the ability to send pictures it takes with its built in 1.3 megapixel camera. You might expect this phone to be out of your price range, but Slate is only $49.99 after a two-year service agreement and a $50 mail-in rebate.

With the holiday approaching, the Slate might be a reasonable solution for that special someone who has never upgraded from more primitive models.

For more information visit www.wireless.att.com or www.pantech.com