Audio

The Gadget Christmas That Was and Wasn’t

Christmas gadgets 2010

For several years I’ve run a gadget postmortem after our annual Christmas extravaganza. 2010 is no different, except that the gadget volume is noticeably lower. Here’s the tally:

I’ve had little hands-on time with any of these gifts yet, particularly as my car radio has to be installed before I can use it. However, I can report some initial impressions. My father, a self-professed Microsoft fanboy, is wildly excited about his LG Quantum C900 Windows Phone 7. I’m planning to play around with it later today, but for the few moments I held on to it, I have to say I was impressed with its lightning-fast response times. That’s either a testament to the LG phone, or to the comparative lagginess of my aging Droid Eris. My brother, on the other hand, was not terribly enthusiastic about his Samsung Captivate. A variant of the Galaxy S line, the Captivate is possibly the best Android option currently available on AT&T. Unfortunately, it only has a soft keyboard, battery life is lacking, and my brother found integration with his primary Google apps to be maddening. He’s keeping the phone, with the hope it will grow on him.

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Use Windows Phone 7 as a Media Center Remote

You know what probably would have been a no-brainer for Microsoft? Building a Windows Media Center remote control app into Windows Phone 7, allowing you to use your phone to control audio and video playback on your PC. But Microsoft doesn’t really seem to be paying much attention to Windows Media Center these days, so … Read more

The Sony IFC-CL75IP, A Gadget Lovers Clock Radio

A year ago I was on the hunt for a new clock radio with an iPhone/iPod dock built-in. One would think finding such a device would make for a pretty simple shopping trip right? Well there are now several options out there to choose from and while I started with pretty simple needs here, my … Read more

Test Driving MyFord Touch

Let me preface this post by saying I’ve never been big into cars. Give me something that’s reliable, preferably with a stick shift, and I’m good to go. However, the advent of GPS, mobile broadband, and digital radio systems have had an effect. I may never care a great deal about horsepower, but I am … Read more

Dave’s New “Temporary” TV

Our big move begins today, although the movers don’t actually arrive until next Saturday, and I’ve been debating how to best handle our television situation. At the time of purchase our bedroom and living room HDTVs were top notch and reasonably sized for their respective placements (and eras). But bigger is better… Except when it’s … Read more

The Boxes of the Year

All Around
Our second annual ‘boxes of the year’ column doesn’t dramatically differ from the 2009 edition. Which is somewhat surprising given how quickly the tech sector iterates and innovates. And my favorite all around box is still the Xbox 360 ($199). It’s been redesigned for 2010 with a sleeker, home theater-friendly form and color (black) that hopefully contains more reliable and intelligently designed hardware. ESPN3 is also new for ’10, rounding out a nice selection of content offerings including Netflix and Zune HD video rentals. Additionally, the 360 is quite capable in handling local media playback – via USB, LAN, and as a Media Center extender. Last, but not least, Xbox Live is the best online gaming solution. As long as you’re prepared to fork over $50-$60 a year for access (also required for Netflix, etc).

Having said all that, Sony’s seriously closed the gap in recent months and I can also recommend the PS3 ($299). New this year are native Netflix access, Hulu Plus, and Vudu HD video on demand. The PS3 also has decent local media playback capabilities (USB, DLNA) but, of course, what sets it apart from the Xbox is its built-in Blu-ray drive – and Sony’s done a good job keeping that functionality current and competitive through software updates.

Online Video Streamer
In the more traditional (if we can call it that) digital media device category, top honors once again go to Roku. It’s the little box that could. Featuring perhaps the broadest array of online streaming options. Although you may only care about the biggies like Netflix, Pandora, Amazon VOD, Hulu Plus, YouTube, and NHL. If local media playback is your priority, Roku is the wrong solution. But for everyone else the inexpensive Roku seems like a no brainer for at least one room/television. Roku refreshed their lineup in 2010 and most folks would be best served by the middle unit ($80), which includes the new, more fully functional remote and 802.11n over the lower end unit ($60). Given the current state of USB video playback, you can probably skip the $100 model… unless you intend to share your Flip video on the HDTV. (Roku’s offering free shipping through the 5th if you’re ready to join in or pick up a second.)

Local Media Playback
For a budget device with solid local playback capabilities, I’m still fond of the WDTV Live Plus ($130). And, not only will it play your rips, it pipes in the likes of Netflix, YouTube, and Pandora. But, if you’ve got a little more money to spend and are willing to take a flyer, the D-Link Boxee Box ($200) is worth a look. I’ve got a lot of confidence in Avner and the rest of the Boxee team to carefully walk that line to meet our needs while appeasing the studios. Of course, at Boxee’s price point, you’re getting close to a more flexible and powerful small form factor computer. But along with those additional capabilities comes additional complexity.

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Wirelessly Sync Android Multimedia

The folks behind doubleTwist have been providing an easy way to sync media with an Android device for a while. But up until now you’ve had to plug your phone into your computer using a USB cable to sync data, perhaps taking the whole “iTunes for Android” thing a bit too far. In order to transfer files … Read more

Sonos Heading Into Home Theater?!

While there are a number of wireless home theater surround sound solutions out there, most are hobbled by line-of-sight requirements and still only manage passable auditory performance. So I’d welcome higher-end and more thoughtfully designed competition from an upcoming Sonos solution. And while we don’t know exactly what’s in the works at this point, it … Read more