eCoustics.com articles

How to Cancel Cable and Get TV on Your PC

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:00:00 -0400

At the beginning of September, I walked outside the house with a hatchet in hand and chopped the single line of coax that kept my household wired into the universe. I severed the cable TV.Not literally, of course. That would have been pretty stupid – especially considering that our house kept the cable Internet connection as part of Plan B: Watch only what we could retrieve from the Internet. One connection, one bill.More literally, all three members of our household gathered up...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Smartphone App Stores Compared

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

If a building is only as good as its foundation, then a smartphone is only as good as its app store. Even as manufacturers continue to stack their handsets with YouTube support, instant messaging, and other essentials right out of the box, the features just don’t add up to the amount of capability a phone can take on in the hands of the right developers: You name it, a good smartphone can do it.The app store you buy into will have a longstanding effect on the way you use your phone – perhaps more than any other feature. But it’s tough to get a feel for every smartphone app store when you don’t get to push a cart down the aisles until you have a carrier contract in your filing cabinet and there&rsqu...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Best Voice Recorders Reviewed

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

With all the portable audio-video devices floating around today, it seems surprising – nay, downright annoying – that so few of them offer support for voice recording. Sure, they'll load and play a kazillion songs in any format you want, display photos, play movies, and probably pour you a frosty beer, but should you want to do something as seemingly simple and as natural as recording the human voice, you'll have to look far and wide. And even fewer of them feature line-in jacks for direct feeds from hardwired outside sources or external mics.But have no fear – we've found a few that'll do the trick. Moreover, we've also dug deep into the world of standalone voice recorders – a far better...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Save Money by Booking Trips Cheaper Online

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

Travel expenses add up. Between airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, and three square meals out on the town a day, it’s tempting to give it up entirely when money gets tight.But you don’t have to scratch that surf trip to Maui in favor of the Jersey shore just yet. With the near omniscience of the Web a mouse click away, finding cheap deals and ways to slash costs on your next vacation (without packing three dozen bologna sandwiches into a cooler as your sole source of sustenance) has never been easier....Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

The Archos 9: What Apple's iPad Should Be

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

Archos makes the best multi-media players that no one knows about. I know a number of folks who own one of the predecessors to the Archos 9, and everyone loves them. But, unlike the iPod, few people outside of loyal users ever seem to hear about Archos. That being said, after looking at the Archos 9, it sets the bar for what the iPad needs to be when it comes out early next year.Be Productive, Be Connected, Be EntertainedThis is the tag line for the Archos 9, and it should be the tag line for this entire class of product that Intel has branded MID, or Mobile Internet Devices. This is really the first really interesting device of its type, although it is no iPhone or iPod Touch....Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Best New Smartphones Compared

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

With a new crop of ever-faster, ever-smaller, ever-better smartphones launching seemingly every month, there has never been a more enticing time to buy a smartphone. Or a more confusing time for the prospective buyer. The same plethora of options that make today's smartphones the most best ever made also make the marketplace a minefield to navigate.We've all been there: Your best friend claims the iPhone is the only way to go, but your boss insists you need a BlackBerry, the engineer who lives next door claims you need to go with Google Android, your ge...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Will the iPhone Kill Standalone GPS Navigators?

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

The iPhone comes as close as you can get to a universal, do-everything device. It's as much a personal media player, translator, Internet tablet, notepad, alarm clock and a dozen other things as it is a cell phone. But with the introduction of the very first turn-by-turn GPS apps from companies like TomTom and Navigon, I think we're finally seeing the miracle device stretched a little thin.I'm as much a believer in convergence as any died-in-the-wool nerd, and I take no particular pride in owning a box full of gadgets that do different things when one can fulfill them all. But as more and more functions get packed into the same little rectangle, the specialization that makes every individual device so good at...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

In the Year 2020, Part I: Cloud Computing

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

It's Friday afternoon. Andy's had a long, tiring week, and he's thinking this would be a great time to shed the shackles of his job and kick back with a good friend over a couple of beers and a juicy steak. One problem: Andy's best buddy is off in Europe and he's stuck in downtown Cleveland.Somewhere in New England, meanwhile, Jody and her young daughter take a leisurely drive through the countryside. It's a gorgeous fall afternoon. The weather is crisp but sunny, and the trees are ablaze with colors. Jody's daughter looks up at her from the passenger seat and says...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Fall Video Game Preview 2009

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

The holidays are almost here, and you know what that means – we can feel our thumbs tingling already. Thank an impending deluge of high-profile fall PC and video game releases, which signal the end of the industry’s annual summer drought.Set to arrive amidst a blaze of flashing light and cheerful virtual fanfare blaring from every self-respecting player’s desktop or HDTV, what’s not to love? Apart, of course, from the impending havoc each of the following options are all but bound to wreak on your monthly budget, persona...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Top 10 Geek Travel Destinations

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

Wine lovers have Napa Valley. Fashionistas have Paris. And Elvis diehards have Graceland.Devotees visit them sample the finest, see the latest in the industry, and soak in the history of the greats. But where should geeks book their tickets to when it's time to get out of the cube and pursue their own niche interests abroad?We found out where. Whether you want to stock your gadget pile, express your fandom with a visit to your favorite company headquarters, or experience some of the most important scientific and technological sites in the world firsthand, we've sifted through the options, talked to the experts, and selected 10 of the coolest science and tech destinations in the world. So open a new browse...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Best of CEDIA 2009

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

Attendance at the just-concluded CEDIA (Custom Electronics Design & Installation Association) Expo, held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, was down for the second straight year to around 20,000, and the number of exhibitors shrunk from 500 to 400. But the good news for home theater enthusiasts is as follows: What the various exhibitors that remained actually exhibited was a considerable amount of ingenuity.Amid the myriad goods being shown including high-end projectors...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Microsoft ZuneHD vs. Apple iPod Touch

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

Microsoft has made no attempt to hide which trendy little MP3 player lay in the sights of the recently released Zune HD: Apple's iPod Touch. Apple turned the market upside down when it released the Touch back in 2007, and while Microsoft let its own Zune line languish for two years before responding, the silver bullet Microsoft has finally offered up has clearly been engineered to drop Apple. But will it succeed? With both players in hand, we ran down the key advantages of each to determine which truly makes the ultimate portable video device....Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Microsoft Zune HD: Close but No Cigar

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

When Microsoft and Apple first started competing, Apple was differentiated by having a few products that did a comparatively few things very well. When Steve Jobs came back to Apple (which had clearly drifted from those roots in the 90s) he took the company back to having a few products that did fewer things but all of them very well and, particularly for the iPod, this made the market for them.But, if you look at the new Zune against the iPod line, it is almost the reverse of the typical Microsoft and Apple formula. Apple has a broad range of products that do a lot of things, while Microsoft has basically one design that does a few things better than Apple does. And, strangely enough, Microsoft is competing for around...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

LED Behind the LCD: Understanding LED-Backlit HDTVs

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

You've heard about LCDs. You've heard about plasmas. Maybe even you even understand all the pros and cons between them. But what are all these "LED televisions" we keep hearing about?With the crop of LED-backlit HDTVs announced at this year's Consumer Electronics Show finally starting to hit the streets in force, it's a question we hear a lot from budding home theater shoppers. Blame the acronyms. While yesterday's consumers had to make a simple choice between CRT and rear-projection television sets, today's consumers are confronted with plasma, LCD, DLP, OLED, and laser televisions. And now, the age-old...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Dell's 9.99 MacBook Air Killer Design Concept

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

Apple’s flagship laptop, the MacBook Air, is a beauty. Very thin, very light, it is a piece of art. There have been three attempts so far to build a product that would outdo the Air: the HP Voodoo Envy, the Lenovo ThinkPad X300, and most recently, the Dell Adamo. Let’s talk about each, and end with the 9.99 design concept, the only product I’ve recently seen that could make us forget the MacBook Air.MacBook AirThe target and standard for the class was presented by Steve Jobs personally when he pulled it out of an interoffice envelope and made the first row of th...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

The Best Cell Phone Values

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

When the Motorola Razr first appeared in back in 2004, the angular marvel retailed for $500 from Cingular, and even that was only after a $100 rebate. Business execs swooned over them, celebrities flaunted them, and regular Joes emptied their bank accounts to get them. Little more than a year later, you could get one for free.So it goes in the fast-progress world of handsets, where yesterday's Ferrari becomes today's Festiva, but still does zero to 60 in under three seconds. It's easy to fixate on the latest week-old darling of the media world, and lay out most of next month's rent check for it, but those with patience will find the wake behind these trailblazers the easiest place to comfortably float by in the tech world...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

IFA Report 2009

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

Berlin, Germany—Think of the annual IFA electronics and appliance fair as a little bit CES, a little bit giant shopping mall. From September 4 through 9, over 1,200 exhibitors showed their latest wares to European retailers who cut deals so they can have the latest goodies on shelves in time for Christmas. Unlike the Consumer Electronics Show held annually in Las Vegas, IFA is open to the public for select days. Hoards visit the exhibits so they too can see and handle the latest cool gadgets. Also unlike CES, firms also show their appliances, large and small. So along with a zillion flat-screen HDTVs and cell phones, we strolled past refrigerators, washers, dryers and more coffee makers than you’d see in 10,000 Seattles....Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Enjoy Video Anywhere

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

Nothing beats kicking back in a cushy recliner for taking in last night’s episode of Sons of Anarchy, South Park or even all three hours of The Godfather. But with the rise of digital video, home theaters have moved out of the living room to just about anywhere you might care to catch a show: the bedroom, your hotel room on vacation, even the car. And with sites like Hulu, YouTube and Joost, enjoying video digitally no longer entails a lengthy process of DVD ripping or piracy. Video is truly everywhere now, and enjoying it is truly simple. Here’s how to get started.On the ComputerWith crisp high-definition laptop screens that now span up 18.4 inches...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Make the Most of Your DSLR

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

All right! You’ve made the commitment and purchased a DSLR. Now that you have your shiny toy, it’s time to make the most of your new photographic instrument. And like any instrument, you have to master some skills in order to make it sing—or in this case, take great photographs. Here’s some sound advice for any DSLR, from the most affordable to out-of-sight professional models.Read the ManualWe know we sound like an old high school teacher, but in order to get the most out of your camera, you have to know what all the buttons and dials do. This advice will go a long way toward maximizing your experience. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first-time DLSR buye...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Listen to Music Anywhere

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

Taking your music with you used to be as easy as popping the cassette out of your home tape player and into your car, boombox, or Walkman. Not so any more. Though the rise of the MP3 has made it possible to download albums in seconds, share them with your friends, and fit millions of songs in a single box, the actual process of getting it from off a desktop hard drive and playing it somewhere else has taken a step backward in simplicity. But that's quickly changing, as a plethora of services and gadgets have sprung up to fill the void. Leave Bon Jovi at home no more. Let's take a look at some of the ways you can get your music off your desktop.Living RoomUnless you home computer happens t...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Tales From IFA: The European CES

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

This week I’m at IFA, which is the European equivalent of CES. It is just getting off the ground as I’m writing this, and we’ve already had the first set of product announcements. Sony is making a rather large and impressive statement at this show, and it intends to lead again in TVs, eBooks, and even has a potential Macbook Air product coming. But I saw a number of other cool things at the Showstoppers event the first night, and at the press briefings, and we’ll talk about them this week.Sony: We’re Back and We’re PissedSony had one of the most impressive presentations I’ve seen them do in a long time. Leading with 3D, they showcased a number o...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Digital Cameras: 10 Reasons to Buy A DSLR

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

Digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras are the serious photographer’s tool of choice. These units are also a world apart from point-and-shoot digicams, offering far superior performance… although sadly, they do have prices to match. Here are 10 reasons why you should consider investing in one, however – beyond, of course, the fact that it’s a better camera that’ll take fine pictures for years to come.Faster Response TimesThere are BB guns, and then there are machine guns. Press the shutter of a DSLR in burst (or continuous) mode, and the camera will start clicking away like an automatic weapon. This rapid-fire image capture capability highlights a startl...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Tech Etiquette Guide

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

Say yours please and thank-yous. Ladies first.The fork goes on the left side of the plate.The rules of manners and etiquette in everyday life are well established, and for most of us, ingrained since childhood. But when when BlackBerrys, iPods and laptops enter the equation, things get a little foggier. And everyone has seen some folks who could use a gentle prod in the right direction: the idiot yammering on his cellphone in a five-star restaurant, the guy on the subway with his headphones around the neck cranked to max, or the oblivious girl gazing into her...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Mac OS X Snow Leopard Review

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:00:00 -0400

The Macintosh faithful are all abuzz with the debut of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, Apple's latest and greatest operating system for Macintosh computers. However, unlike its “big cat” predecessors (like Leopard, Tiger, and Panther) Snow Leopard isn't awash in splashy new features or new ideological paradigms meant to advance the computing experience – and knock Redmond back on its heels. Instead, Apple took a breath with Snow Leopard and focused on refining its Mac OS X operating system, taking the time to get lots of details right, improve performance, and make a bunch of under-the-hood changes that will benefit Macintosh users in the long run. Improvements to t...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs

Consoles Compared: Sony PlayStation 3 vs. PS3 Slim

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:00:00 -0400

So you’re ready to take the plunge and buy a PlayStation 3 Slim. Congratulations, at $300, there’s never been a better time to buy. But the skeptical consumer can’t help but wonder: What’s the catch? Is it missing something? In short, the answer is “not much,” but Sony has made a handful of very slight changes to the new machine that are worth reviewing before you buy. Here’s what’s new.Refreshed DesignThis one’s impossible to miss. True to its name, the new PS3 is slimmer (just 2.5 inches wide, compared to 3.86 inches), lighter (down to 7 pounds from 12) and shorter (by a smidge) than its older brother. It’s also a bit deeper,...Read | Permalink | Linking Blogs