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Newstips Electronic Editorial Bulletin Issue # 2010-11c
Endlessly falling leaves of news
In this issue:
Antec PSU advantage with new Nvidia GTX-580: no lie... Franklin
connects people to languages sans signals... Iconosys Trick or
Tracker snuck out last month... Winter warning: Boogie Board has
limits... Tiffen Steadicam Smoothee status (closer)... Zoom gives
you a backup when broadband isn't back up... Special Report:
Wrong-time DVR scars... Reviews: ECS Black GTX460. Native Union
MM03 BT Handset, 21 Club profiteroles... plus our commentary on
our holiday vibes
Antec PSU advantage with new Nvidia GTX-580: no lie
However you want to characterize the graphics-intensive users who
might shell out $500 for the amazingly powerful new
Nvidia-powered GTX-580 cards, they need to be aware that there's
more than one higher power at work here. Each of those cards
draws 250W & some of those guys put 2 or 3 of them in a system.
That's a "rubber hits the road" moment for the power supply unit
in that system. Where many makers may fib a little about their
specs, Antec fully guarantees each of its PSU models to meet or
exceed published specs. Throw in their brand new High Current Pro
series (to 1200W) for 2 new-product reasons to consider doing
some coverage. Contact: Veronica Feldmeier, Antec Inc. (Fremont,
CA) 510-770-2150 vfeldmeier@antec.com http://antec.com
Franklin connects people to languages sans signals
While there are plenty of online ways to look up a term in
another language & maybe even hear it spoken, they're not
terribly useful if you're someplace where the Internet doesn't
reach, not even by WiFi or cell. But for up to a dozen languages
& with lots of models & price points, Franklin handheld
translation dictionaries get the job done independently of the
Web. That makes them very relevant for kids or adults working on
their multilingual skills, especially with the Holidays just
ahead. Ask Aline. Contact: Aline Boutin, Franklin Electronic
Publishers (Burlington, NJ) 609-386-2500x4434
aline_boutin@franklin.com http://franklin.com
Iconosys Trick or Tracker snuck out last month
Trick or Tracker is a 2-piece parent & child connector designed
for Halloween. The kid has to have an Android O/S phone; the
parents phone can be anything that runs Google Maps. It was free
for Halloween but came down a few days later. Ask Wayne. Contact:
Wayne Irving II, Iconosys Inc. (Laguna Hills, CA) 949-335-5350
wi@iconosys.com http://iconosys.com
Winter warning: Boogie Board has limits
Kent warns buyers of its strangely popular Boogie Board ($35)
passive LCD tablet that it is not quite as all-weather as it
seems. If left in a car at below-freezing temperatures, it may
stop working & not recover until brought back to less frosty
levels. If you have a walk-in freezer available, Kevin can get
you one for your own editorial trials. Contact: Kevin Oswald,
Kent Displays (Kent, OH) 330-673-8784x161
koswald@kentdisplays.com http://KentDisplays.com
Tiffen Steadicam Smoothee status (closer)
New Steadicam Smoothee (expect street $180) could show up in time
to be a last-minute super-cool Christmas gift; sneak peek units
will be on hand slightly sooner, in early December. The little
Smoothee gives small video shooters (like iPhones & other iStuff
or Flip vidcams) the ability to shoot big & smooth movements,
like pro cameras. Ask Hilary. Contact: Hilary Araujo, Tiffen
Company (Hauppauge, NY) 631-609-3216 haraujo@tiffen.com
http:/.tiffen.com
Zoom gives you a backup when broadband isn't back up
From now until shirtsleeve weather arrives again (maybe longer),
storms can disrupt internet service for people who connect over
wideband alternatives. For folks who live in areas where the
analog phones keep working even when more modern stuff doesn't, a
Zoom USB dial-up modem is a tiny but effective way to get online
& let loved ones know you're OK. Ask Terry to send you one for
show & tell or review. Contact: Terry Manning, Zoom Telephonics
Inc. (Boston, MA) 617-753-0087 terrym@zoom.com http://zoom.com
Special Report: Wrong-time DVR scars
We don't know of any cable TV service that doesn't offer an
online program guide. We don't know of any cable service offering
a DVR-equipped set-top box that doesn't use the online program
guide to let viewers set future recording times. Alas, we also
don't know any cable TV service that adjusts recording times
when, for example, a last-minute news conference or an overtime
sporting event bumps the start & stop times for a network. When
games (for example) run extra-long & programs get preempted, we
don't know any cable TV service that bothers pushing that
information into its set-top boxes. So you schedule "CSI Miami" &
end up getting a recording of "Undercover Boss" or you schedule a
primetime mystery & never get to see the crime solved because it
happens 10 or 20 or 30 minutes after the part the box recorded.
With all the alleged intelligence in these little Linux boxes,
customers expect better.
Special Report Bonus Review: ECS Black GTX460
The latest/greatest Nvidia tech today is the GTX580, but that's
overkill for us & with our old GTX260 failing (likely a result of
that APC backup failure we reported, but not being covered by
their "protection" program), the ECS Elite Group Black GTX40
graphics card seemed like a reasonable way to upgrade &
future-proof without getting too very excessive. This card is an
inch shorter than the old 260 (which forced a few case choice
changes when we built it into systems); it's also about half an
inch wider thanks to big dual fans, heat pipes & an array of fins
big enough to cook a chicken breast. The back panel offers dual
DVI plus mini-HDMI 1.4. Full specs are online, but the go-to here
is what's on the screen. We cranked up all the video settings for
Fallout New Vegas & got exquisite detail at a demanding
(1920x1200, 60fps) resolution. Bottom line: the ECS Elite Group
Black GTX40 graphics card absolutely rocks.
Special Report Bonus Review 2: Native Union MM03 BT Handset
The terms here can get confusing. When we say this is a handset,
we don't mean it's a cell phone; it's a Bluetooth speaker & mike
in what looks like a very stylish, curved, but still retro
telephone handset. They also call it "The Curve" but please don't
confuse it for a BlackBerry Curve. The Native Union MM03
Bluetooth cordless handset (BT 2.1 +EDR) can work with cell
phones or computers (a hoot to use on a Skype video call). In
part because this revolutionarily retro look puts the mike at
your mouth & the earpiece at your ear (just like the first
century of telephone proved useful), the audio quality in both
directions is excellent. The nicely weighted slender base is its
charging cradle; at full charge it specs out at 6 hours of talk
or 120 hours of standby. Bottom line: The Native Union MM03
Bluetooth cordless handset brings old-style comfort & audio
quality to new-age telephony for those occasions when everything
doesn't have to fit in your pocket.
Special Report Bonus Review 3: 21 Club profiteroles
There's probably no such thing as a bad meal at the 21 Club, but
a recent meal there exceeded its expected high marks with the
dessert: profiteroles. The crust, filling & dark chocolate
topping were individually exquisite & the combination so
perfectly in harmony that it was one of those singular
experiences that leaves you knowing need never explore further
for the best a thing can be. (The meal began with a brilliantly
varied & interesting breadbasket, champagne, a sumptuously sweet
pork belly appetizer, then a wild game mixed grill properly
offset with a berry reduction refreshingly much less tart than
we've tasted elsewhere). Bottom line: 21 Club profiteroles are
now our favorite dessert anywhere, ever.
Our holiday vibes
This is a less than scientific analysis of some hot spots we
expect to see in December sales, based on what we think we know
about buyer behaviors versus segment offerings. We see it as a
boom month for BluRay players, a boom month for getting
HD-capable TVs into more rooms of the house & a surprisingly weak
season for desktop PCs. We're not at all sure whether we'll see a
Kindle backlash as people compare the cost of the device plus
content to the cost of traditional books, but either way, it
should be a good month for Amazon. What are you expecting?
Contact: Martin Winston, Newstips (Novelty, OH) 440-338-8400;
marty@Newstips.com http://Newstips.com
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Newstips Bulletin [Novelty, OH] +1.440.338.8400 http://Newstips.com
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