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Newstips Electronic Editorial Bulletin Issue # 2011-01a
We resolve to bring you more news
In this issue: Antec CES show but not tell: water CPU cooler... Did anyone resolve to get better grades?... Girls, gadgets, gear - gotta see Tiffen... Welcome Vardr with wireless-to-cloud video security... Zoom at CES: keyboards, 3G modems, more... Special Report: LED light bulbs & HVAC costs... Reviews: Dry Case, TrendNet TEW-640MB bridge, PowerBlock Plus Universal, Gurkha Assassin, Zippo Blu butane lighter... plus our commentary on What not to miss at CES
Antec CES show but not tell: water CPU cooler The official announcement of new water-based CPU cooling from Antec doesn't go out until a week after CES, but if you make it to the booth (South/lower 21802) you can see it - along with some amazing new cases, the category's most dependable full-power PSUs, fantastic new audio & AV gear & a breakthrough in hard drive & case convenience. Contact: Veronica Feldmeier, Antec Inc. (Fremont, CA) 510-770-2150 vfeldmeier@antec.com http://antec.com
Did anyone resolve to get better grades? Franklin is a fountainhead of gear (from handheld dictionaries to translators to skill-developing learner products) that can help any-age student get better grades. If that's a topic on your get-done list, get with Aline for pix, info or products. Contact: Aline Boutin, Franklin Electronic Publishers (Burlington, NJ) 609-386-2500x4434 aline_boutin@franklin.com http://franklin.com
Girls, gadgets, gear - gotta see Tiffen The least expensive Steadicam ever, made for shooting Flip or iPhone video, a full-size tripod that folds down to 16" & weighs just 3.3 lbs., a new Domke line from the people who created the pro camera bag, the Playboy Clubs 2010 winner & a lady who can make you go gaga add up to a lot of reasons to see Tiffen at CES. Contact: Hilary Araujo, Tiffen Company (Hauppauge, NY) 631-609-3216 haraujo@tiffen.com http:/.tiffen.com
Welcome Vardr with wireless-to-cloud video security Vardr starts with a completely cordless video camera (2 AA cells power it for a year & WiFi connects it) that connects to the Cloud, to your handset, to social media & more, all for under $100. First-looks units come in late February with retail likely in April. Ask Mark. Contact: Mark Richards, Vardr (Sydney, NSW) 512-487-7274 mark.richards@vardr.com http://vardr.com
Zoom at CES: keyboards, 3G modems, more Tickling you on why you want to seek out Zoom at LVCC South hall, upper floor: compact long-range full keyboard with track-pad (ideal for PC home theater control from the sofa), bigger & longer range alternative, Bluetooth full keyboard for iPad, a full line of 3G modems, a smarter 3G router, pack-of-gum-size USB dial-up modem & more. Ask the Manning who's manning the booth. Contact: Terry Manning, Zoom Telephonics Inc. (Boston, MA) 617-753-0087 terrym@zoom.com http://zoom.com
Special Report: LED light bulbs & HVAC costs Light bulbs tend to produce heat at 3.41 BTU per Watt. In winter, that may help warm a house with a little less furnace time; in the summer, the AC has to work that much harder. Brightly lighted rooms often involve 600-1000 Watts of lighting when incandescents are the source. During a family's busy evening hours, that could run to 3000-5000 Watts across the house, eating up 10-15,000 BTU of air conditioning. Switching directly from incandescent to LED bulbs for lighting can drop that total to something in the 300-1000 Watt range & drop the BTU load by 9-14,000 BTU. That difference means early adopters may (depending on climate) realize more indirect (HVAC) than direct (power cost of lighting) savings.
Special Report Bonus Review: Dry Case We've seen many products made to keep water out of handheld gear, but none quite like the Dry Case. Have you seen infomercials for the clothing bags that shrink when you pump the air out? This is the same concept only smaller & more elegant. The soft plastic pouch is fitted with a headset connector feed-through, a one-way valve on a pump bulb fitting (the bulb itself is removable) & a clever top cloture with rotating clamps. Stick your gear inside, pump all the air out & there's nowhere left for water to go; we like that they test every product underwater overnight before shipping. The case is clear enough to let you shoot pictures through it (may or may not affect the shot; you'll know). Bottom line: the Dry Corp. Dry Case may be the most watertight solution we've seen for gear that you have to take to wet environs.
Special Report Bonus Review 2: TrendNet TEW-640MB bridge We have an Insignia (Best Buy house brand) BluRay player in the living room that wants a wired Ethernet connection, which would be a 50' run through hardwood floors. We looked for a wireless bridge product that could sit next to the player, connect to it by wire but connect to our router by WiFi. When we got the announcement of the TrendNet TEW-640MB 300Mbps Wireless N 4-port Media Bridge we nagged them into sending one for review. The bridge connected quickly (thanks to pushbutton WPS) but the BluRay player didn't see DNS; an hour of diagnostics later, we determined the bridge was not at fault & manually entered the router's IP address for DNS. Our immediate reward was a 15-minute wait for the BluRay player to receive a software update, then the screen showed us Pandora, our Netflix instant queue & more. Bottom line: the TrendNet TEW-640MB 300Mbps Wireless N 4-port Media Bridge proved to be a pushbutton-easy solution to our need to connect wirelessly to a wired port.
Special Report Bonus Review 3: PowerBlock Plus Universal How many power outlets are you eating up with USB-port chargers? There's an interesting way to eat up one less with the Griffin PowerBlock Plus Universal but only within limits. The limit is not on the charging side; the USB-A female charging port puts out a full 1A at 5.2V, a smidge over the 5V spec but no problem for most gear. The limit is in the AC socket, which is not grounded; it's a polarized 2-prong outlet rated to handle loads of 5A (600W) or less. With that caveat, placing one of these between that kind of plug & its current outlet gains you a USB charging port out the bottom. The design is also polite enough not to block the socket above or beside it. Bottom line: the Griffin PowerBlock Plus Universal is a handy way to charge one more device without adding an octopus to an outlet.
Special Report Bonus Review 4: Gurkha Assassin In addition to the Cognac-blended Grand Reserve we reviewed last time, we got 3 other cigars in for review which we had intended to review together, but as a practical matter, with smoking opportunities limited by the weather, we need to approach these one at a time. This round, the intense little Gurkha Assassin is a robust, even aggressive full-bodied cigar that strikes the palate with not at all subtle notes of black & red pepper in a pungent smoke reminiscent of something between mesquite & eucalyptus burning. Bottom line: for experienced smokers seeking distinctive intensity, the Gurkha Assassin cigar is up to the challenge.
Special Report Bonus Review 5: Zippo Blu butane lighter For years, the Zippo in our pockets has been a bit of a fraud, a revered Zippo chrome case housing a butane-fueled insert. When speaking to Zippo about their multi-purpose lighter & their hand warmer (reviewed in recent issues), we couldn't resist the suggestion of also reviewing their new butane offering, Zippo Blu. No other case ever opened or closed quite like a Zippo & we've never seen a lighter use the time-proven Zippo flint & wheel igniter; both happen here. The narrow spike of plasma-blue flame neither has nor needs any adjustment. Intriguingly, the flam snuffs out when you turn the lighter upside down (pipe smokers can adapt by inverting the pipe bowl to light). Yes, this sleek black beauty is our new everyday pocket lighter. Bottom line: Zippo Blu brings legendary great lighter engineering to butane.
What not to miss at CES If you're spending some significant work-time in Las Vegas, here are the things to be sure not to miss: Water (every chance you get - it's a desert & it will weaken you if you don't hydrate well), sleep (naps can help, like between the end of the day & beginning of the night), portion control (no matter what's on your plate, anything that wouldn't fit the palm of your hand is too much), darkness (feet up & eyes closed for a couple 10-minute stretches each day) & doubt (the claims are almost certainly exaggerated if not worse & that's as true for the exhibits as it is for anybody you meet at the bar). 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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