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Episode 58: Home MicroTheater
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Find out even more this week about home theater, where the Gurus of Cool tell you ways to enjoy video content in a small apartment or dorm room. They also talk about the new HVR-V1U HDV Camcorder from Sony that can record HDTV video in 24p.
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Features by the Gurus of Cool
Sony Demos HVR-V1U HDV 24p Camcorder in NY Event
by Charlie White
Sony rolled out its HVR-V1U HDV camcorder ($4800), along with an accompanying HVR-DR60 hard disk recorder ($1800) that can record 4.5 hours of HDV footage on its 60GB hard disk. The camcorder uses three quarter-inch "ClearVid" CMOS sensors instead of CCDs, and adds 24p recording to its feature list. Digital Media Net was at the event at Sony's US headquarters in New York, and we were quite impressed with all the new products introduced. ...Read More »
After Effects 101
by Stephen Schleicher
Time to get back to basics with Adobe After Effects. More and more beginners are jumping on board and are learning the ins and outs of After Effects. The one question I get a lot is “How to I make ______ longer or shorter?” Fear not dear reader, this quick tutorial has the answer. ...Read More »
Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP 24" LCD Display
by Charlie White
The most cost-effective upgrade for your PC is its monitor, and the Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP ($799) is a worthy candidate for your consideration. The 24-inch 1920x1200 LCD display has some serious specs, such as a 1000:1 contrast ratio and a 6ms gray-to-gray response time. It's versatile, too, and does a great job as both a PC monitor and an HDTV. Plus, most graphics cards can handle its high resolution. We put it through our battery of rigorous resolution tests, and also plugged in an HDTV personal video recorder, finding the monitor to be an impressive performer. ...Read More »
Rapid-Fire Roundup® of Cool Products
Duck Shooting Gallery
Loved going to the BB-gun shooting gallery as a kid, but don’t want to shoot anyone’s eye out now? The all new Duck Shooting Gallery uses lasers instead of BBs to knock the objects down. Still don’t want to point it at your eye….
Discovery 1000 Personal Submarine
The Discovery 1000 Personal Submarine from US Subs can dive 1000 feet, stay submerged for 28 hours and has a range of 56 nautical miles. It's available in versions sized to fit from two to 10 people inside, and the interior looks like some luxo-sport private jet. Get one now -- great for drug runners and thrill seekers.
Instant Bed From A Box
Those unwanted relatives stopping by? If you have to put them up, put them up in style with the Instant Bed From A Box. This self-inflating air mattress is better than those you take camping, because it has its own bed frame that expands while it inflates; flip the switch and the bed deflates and retracts back into its box until the next time.
Suunto t3 Watch
The Suunto t3 Watch is a sophisticated-looking watch with a black face that's great for exercisers with its heart rate monitor and pedometer. It even tells you the calories you burn in real time. Fancy enough to wear anywhere from the track to the country club, it's yours for $170.
Pacxon
Love the classic arcade game Pac-Man? Want to play it with a different twist? Pacxon is a Flash-based game, and once you get the hang of it, it's really addictive. Why not blow off the other gadgets for a while and play an online game?
ColorCall
ColorCall uses caller ID to assign certain colors to certain callers. Have the thing flash green for that rich kid you envy, blue for that depressing emo friend of yours, and red for that babe you met at the disco last night. Make your life more colorful for $30.
Mood Beams
These silly little creatures respond to music and change their colors to the beat of the music. Yet another one of those clutter toys that separate the uber geeks from the wanna-bes $15.
Motorola KRZR
The Motorola KRZR is the successor to that iconic Motorola RAZR cellphone, but the KRZR is narrower and not quite as thin. It has a 1.9 inch display inside and a 2-megapixel camera. Available through Verizon in mid-October, it'll cost you around $200 with a two-year contract.
Pinnacle PCTV HD
You don’t have to have cable to enjoy HDTV. With the Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick, you can watch HD anywhere you can get local reception. The antenna is small and includes USB 2.0 connectivity and DVR software to record and watch HDTV on your laptop.
Hyundai S90D LCD Display
The Hyundai S90D LCD Display sets a new record for response time, taking it down to a hard-to-believe 1 millisecond. It's a 19-inch monitor with 1280x1024 resolution and a 1000:1 contrast ratio. Pricing and availability haven't been announced yet.
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