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Newstips Electronic Editorial Bulletin Issue # 2010-08c
Even in a lull you get news
In this issue:
Show it don't blow it with Antec set-top cooler... Definitively
big sound from smaller speakers... Franklin's sneaky ways to help
kids make the grade... Iconosys squeezes juice use out of in-car
texting blocker... Boogie Board contest continues... Tiffen
glimmer not just for Hollywood... Zoom 3G modems & on-demand
service add mobility... Special Report: Alert nether world of The
Netherlands... Reviews: Epson Stylus NX420, Zibits robot toys,
AVS Video Converter, 3M Gold privacy filter, Honeywell Pet Clean
Air... plus our commentary on our fall & winter calls
Show it don't blow it with Antec set-top cooler
Those growing gaggles of gear feeding home theater systems can
create a big stack of heat & as you know, heat can bring an early
demise to the components inside those boxes. The Antec Veris
svelte & slender A/V coolers become the new base of a set-top
stack. It's reviewable now. Contact: Veronica Feldmeier, Antec
Inc. (Fremont, CA) 510-770-2150 vfeldmeier@antec.com
http://antec.com
Definitively big sound from smaller speakers
Some spaces can't fit big speaker systems, but that's no reason
to abandon the quest for the pure audio transparency of a
Definitive speaker. Check out their smaller ProCinema, ProMonitor
& ProSub series or chat with Paul. Contact: Paul DiComo,
Definitive Technology (Owings Mills, MD) 410-363-7148
paul.dicomo@definitivetech.com http://DefinitiveTech.com
Franklin's sneaky ways to help kids make the grade
Kids learn different skills at different speeds & when they're a
little slower than the rest of the class, parents may fret over
grades. Before that gets to be a problem, the economically priced
Franklin Learner series has fun ways to improve skills like
spelling, math, vocabulary, pattern identification & languages.
Ask Aline. Contact: Aline Boutin, Franklin Electronic Publishers
(Burlington, NJ) 609-386-2500x4434 aline_boutin@franklin.com
http://franklin.com
Iconosys squeezes juice use out of in-car texting blocker
Keeping GPS turned on to know when a handset is in a car to block
texting while driving can mean a significant battery drain, but
the code-bangers at Iconosys found some clever ways to get around
that. They look at accelerometer patterns, tower changes & other
factors that don't need to keep GPS turned on. Android results
show battery efficiency improvements of 80% on HTC & 90% on
Motorola. Ask Wayne. Contact: Wayne Irving II, Iconosys Inc.
(Laguna Hills, CA) 949-335-5350 wi@iconosys.com
http://iconosys.com
Boogie Board contest continues
You can probably hear the theme from there: Beat the Heat & win a
cool $1,000 prize for the best 30-60 second YouTube video
featuring a Boogie Board. The final date for entries is September
21. Why does this remind us of Koko the Clown from the really old
Betty Boop inkwell? Contact: Kevin Oswald, Kent Displays (Kent,
OH) 330-673-8784x161 koswald@kentdisplays.com
http://KentDisplays.com
Tiffen glimmer not just for Hollywood
See if you can guess (we'll say in a sec) which series glamorizes
its performers using Tiffen Glimmerglass filters when shooting?
Series DP Ron Fortunato says they offer subtle smoothness without
veiling. Yes, consumers can get the same filters for DSLRs,
camcorders & just about any camera with threads in front of the
lens. See the footage on the Tiffen site of what Glimmerglass
does for "Gossip Girl" or ask Hilary. Contact: Hilary Araujo,
Tiffen Company (Hauppauge, NY) 631-609-3216 haraujo@tiffen.com
http:/.tiffen.com
Zoom 3G modems & on-demand service add mobility
Got WiFi? A lot of places don't, which can make it hard to
connect. Cell carriers have been responding to road warrior
demands for on-demand 3G data service without a contract. Ask
Terry about the growing line of Zoom 3G modems for that. Contact:
Terry Manning, Zoom Telephonics Inc. (Boston, MA) 617-753-0087
terrym@zoom.com http://zoom.com
Special Report: Alert nether world of The Netherlands
Netpresenter built the centralized Amber alert system in use in
the Netherlands to alert the press, police & public over SMS,
Twitter, electronic highway signs, radio & more. We asked their
CEO how they intended to implement for drivers in the US, where
those road signs are less common, distance-drivers don't
predictably listen to any given station (if they listen to a
radio at all) & where text messaging is illegal in an increasing
number of jurisdictions. He had no answer. We also spoke to a
known dashboard navigator brand & learned they intend to expand
their real-time traffic alerts to embrace weather & perhaps other
localized alerts. In an earlier conversation with a major car
brand, we know that they're preparing an in-car system that can
also provide high-level localized warnings. We also know from
earlier interviews with Homeland Security that no one should
expect anything from the government any time soon.
Special Report Bonus Review: Epson Stylus NX420
Somewhere between our calls for back-to-school & first-apartment
tech Epson sent us the Stylus NX420 combo inkjet printer, flatbed
2400dpi scanner, copier & camera card borderless photo printer
with both USB & WiFi. Its pigment-based (not dye-based) inks
deliver both brilliance & permanence, even more impressive at its
max resolution of 5760x1440. The price is under $100, but you'll
pay half that to replace its 4 (CMYK) ink cartridges; that said,
this is a great pick for this era of hardly-ever-hard-copy
document handling since it can scan almost anything in for output
that isn't necessarily printed, but when it is, looks terrific.
Bottom line: the Epson Stylus NX420 offers uncompromising
printing quality when you need it plus a great flatbed scanner &
nimble photo features in a compact package at a 2-digit price.
Special Report Bonus Review 2: Zibits robot toys
The first response to our call for tech toys for the holidays is
a remote controlled plastic motorized robot about the size of a
salt shaker from the Zibits line. The IR remote control generates
some motor & beep sound effects. The robot piece blinks some
green LED eyes & either rolls more or less forward (actually, a
big circle) or spins. The underside lets you see the tricycle
wheel arrangements with 2 small idlers & a larger driven wheel
that rotates 90 degrees for the spin action. Grade school kids
who get together with a few of these are likely to have even more
fun. Bottom line: Zibits tiny remote control motorized toy robots
can be fun.
Special Report Bonus Review 3: AVS Video Converter
We had some HD video in one format that we needed in another &
for some reason, nothing on-hand could handle that particular
pair. AVS Video Converter 6.4 is small, simple, did everything we
needed & did it quickly. It nimbly handles more than a dozen
video formats & the conversions are bot quick & crisp. Note that
version 7.1 debuts next week with some functional & interface
improvements; we'll let you know if they are worth a separate
mention. Bottom line: AVS Video Converter lets us turn almost any
video format we ever used & several we don't into any of the
others, works quickly & delivers excellent results.
Special Report Bonus Review 4: 3M Gold privacy filter
One of the sweetest responses to our call for commuter tech is
the new generation of privacy film from 3M. These films apply to
a computer screen & optically inhibit the visibility of what's on
the screen when viewed off-axis, at an angle. Their last
generation would darken to make what's on-screen hard to see;
this new generation becomes reflective with a cool gold tone.
On-axis clarity is excellent. Bottom line: new 3M Gold Privacy
Filter film is a snooper party pooper for the savvy commuter's
computer.
Special Report Bonus Review 5: Honeywell Pet Clean Air
We were a little surprised that one of the first responses to our
pet tech editorial call came from Honeywell, suggesting we have a
look at their Pet Clean Air portable air cleaner. We had covered
an earlier model in our destinkifier coverage; both look a lot
like Bose radios. This new model has 3 stages of air treatment
(3-month carbon pre-filter, 6-month HEPA filter & switchable
ionizer) with a 3-speed fan, a top-mount green (push-on/push-off)
night light & a check filter dash light. We don't have allergies
so we can't comment about that, but we do have 2 dogs & a cat so
we can say that yes, this does help the air smell better.
Honeywell recommends using it in a closed 8.5'x10' room; we tried
it in an open room twice that size with good effect. Bottom line:
the Honeywell Pet Clean Air 3-stage air cleaner does good work.
Our fall & winter calls
We just sent out our editorial calls (meaning, this may be a
preview of things you'll be seeing here, or a list you may want
to crib) for fall & winter tech products on the following themes:
work & living space comfort, household repairs, entertainment,
toys (for little, middle or grown-up kids), lighting, dealing
with documents, photo & video, personal computers, smart
handsets, commuting, slippery sidewalks & pets. As you know, the
strangest part will be all the off-target responses we'll get.
What's your weirdest? 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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