Techlife News
MONEY FOR NOTHING: CITIES' CRYPTO PUSH DRAWS FANS, CRITICS
A small group of cryptocurrency enthusiasts has an offer that they’re hoping U.S. cities can’t refuse.
5 min |
February 12, 2022
AppleMagazine
iPHONE TO ACCEPT TAP-TO-PAY WITHOUT MORE HARDWARE
Apple is expanding the iPhone’s capabilities to accept contactless payments, making it easier for merchants to conduct tap-to-pay transactions without having to buy additional hardware.
2 min |
February 11, 2022
AppleMagazine
SpaceX Ruling the future of the space industry - Part 1
There’s no denying that SpaceX has revolutionized the space sector, transforming the way we think about interplanetary spaceflight and the future of humankind. With SpaceX Starship scheduled for its first full-stack flight in late February, it’s time to review the phenomenal progress it’s made so far, and see where it’s headed next.
6 min |
February 11, 2022
AppleMagazine
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA ARCHIVE DEVOTED TO VIDEO GAMES STUDY
When it comes to games, Ken McAllister and Judd Ruggill don’t play around.
7 min |
February 11, 2022
AppleMagazine
GOOGLE TO WORK WITH FORD ON DETROIT RESEARCH HUB
Ford Motor Co. announced that Google is joining the automaker’s effort to transform a oncedilapidated Detroit train station into a research hub focused on electric and self-driving vehicles.
3 min |
February 11, 2022
AppleMagazine
IRS TO END USE OF FACIAL RECOGNITION TO IDENTIFY TAXPAYERS
The IRS said it will suspend the use of facial recognition technology to authenticate people who create online accounts after the practice was criticized by privacy advocates and lawmakers.
1 min |
February 11, 2022
AppleMagazine
DISCOVERY: NO US CHALLENGE TO $43B WARNERMEDIA DEAL
US antitrust regulators have not challenged the $43 billion combination of Discovery and AT&T’s WarnerMedia during a key review period, according to corporate securities filings, easing the way for the deal to close in the next few months.
1 min |
February 11, 2022
AppleMagazine
EU'S CHIP PRODUCTION PLAN AIMS TO EASE DEPENDENCY ON ASIA
The European Union announced a $48 billion plan to become a major semiconductor producer, seeking to curb its dependency on Asian markets for the component that powers everything from cars to hospital ventilators and game consoles.
2 min |
February 11, 2022
AppleMagazine
DHS ANNOUNCES CREATION OF NEW CYBERSECURITY REVIEW BOARD
The Department of Homeland Security announced the creation of a new Cyber Safety Review Board that will have public and private sector experts examine significant hacking incidents and recommend improvements.
1 min |
February 11, 2022
Stereophile
GRAMOPHONE DREAMS
Stax, EAR, and Bob’s Devices
10+ min |
March 2022
Stereophile
SINGING TO THE SOUL
THE MAGIC OF ART SONG ON RECORD
10+ min |
March 2022
Stereophile
MayFly Audio Systems MF-201A LOUDSPEAKER
If you’ve ever read Homer’s Iliad, you probably remember the Cata-log of Ships at the beginning. It’s an exhaustive record of the contingents the Achean army deployed against Troy, naming the commanders, their hometowns, the number of ships in each contingent, and more. Not to put too fine a point on it, it’s a snoozefest. It makes you dread what’s next. But of course, if you come to this point only to abandon the Iliad in frustration, you’ll miss the fabulous war epic that follows, chockablock with action, drama, and romance.
10+ min |
March 2022
Stereophile
Gold Note PH-1000 PHONO PREAMPLIFIER
Gold Note’s $11,999 PH-1000 is by a con-siderable margin the most sophisticated, most configurable phono preamplifier that any audio manufacturer has ever produced, at least that I know of. Remarkably, considering all that flexibility and sophistication, using and adjusting the PH-1000 is straightforward.
10+ min |
March 2022
AppleMagazine
Gatik Ceo Sees Future of Autonomous Trucking in Short Hauls
Late last year, autonomous vehicle startup Gatik announced a big step: it eliminated the safety operator from behind the wheel of two selfdriving trucks as part of its partnership with discounter Walmart. Now, the Mountain View, California firm is looking to speed up the process of fully driverless truck operations in the next few years.
4 min |
February 11, 2022
Stereophile
Analog Corner
Paradox’s remarkable Phono 70 Signature MC phono preamplifier
10+ min |
March 2022
Stereophile
CH Precision D1.5 SACD/CD/MQA-CD Player/Transport
There’s a school of thought that maintains that among all hi-fi components, the D/A converter is easiest to perfect or come close to perfecting. Just make sure that every sample is converted accurately, that there’s little rolloff in the audioband, that aliased images are suppressed almost completely, and that background noise is extremely low, and you have a top-quality D/A processor. Use of a high-quality DAC chip is assumed.
10+ min |
March 2022
Sound & Vision
JVC DLA-NZ9 8K D-ILA PROJECTOR - The Future Looks Bright
GIVEN THE current uncertain state of the world, I was truly surprised when JVC announced not one but three new projectors prior to the kickoff of CEDIA Expo 2021, an event that ended up being a pale shade of its regular self. The new JVC trio largely replaces the company’s current projector lineup, offering a list of new features including a next-gen BLU- Escent laser light engine, HDMI 2.1 connectivity with full 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz video input support, and HDR10+ high dynamic range.
10+ min |
February - March 2022
Sound & Vision
MEDIA ROOM INSIDER: APARTMENT THEATER
This Tel Aviv penthouse apartment fits a no-compromise 7.4.4 Dolby Atmos system into a cozy 10 x 18-foot space
10+ min |
February - March 2022
Sound & Vision
MONOLITH BY MONOPRICE ENCORE T6 SPEAKER SYSTEM - Monolithic Value
THE STORY of how Monoprice parlayed its success as a humble purveyor of computer peripherals into its current status as a direct-toconsumer A/V gear powerhouse will have to wait for another day, mostly because I don’t know it. But I do know this much: the torrent of ultra-high-value speakers and electronics, desktop audio, and even pro audio designs that have bubbled up from the Monoprice spring over the past few years is all but unprecedented in my decades in the audio/video world.
10 min |
February - March 2022
Sound & Vision
OSD BLACK TREVOCE 12 EQ DSP SUBWOOFER - Triple Threat
OSD AUDIO is a maker of many audiorelated things, its extensive product line covering most bases for custom residential and commercial installations. But the company also has a fair number of consumer offerings, including a sizeable range of subwoofers.
7 min |
February - March 2022
Sound & Vision
We're Not in Kansas Anymore
"Many years ago, I would ride my bicycle to the neighborhood record store, lean it against the window (no need to padlock), spend an enjoyable hour flipping through LPs, pick one out, and buy it (cash, of course). I would then slip it into my backpack and ride home, put the needle in the groove, and enjoy the sound of my purchase. Oh, how times have changed. In particular, the cool kids are now buying music as non-fungible tokens (NFT)."
3 min |
February - March 2022
Sound & Vision
2021 Top Picks of The Year
Looking back on 2021, I can honestly state that it represented an improvement over 2020, though it didn’t end up being the full-scale return-to-normal everybody was looking for. A/V consumer and trade shows such as CEDIA Expo in Indianapolis were gutted. Supply chain logjams delayed the arrival of new gear, particularly in core categories like speakers and A/V receivers, both of which ended up underrepresented in our 2021 Top Picks of the Year list compared with previous years. But even with all the challenges, the wheels of industry continued to grind, with much fantastic gear coming in for us to test and recommend.
10+ min |
February - March 2022
Sound & Vision
Canton Chrono 70 Loudspeaker - It's Chrono Time
Canton may be a speaker brand that’s relatively unknown in North America—no doubt due to the company’s products not being available in these parts for the past decade—but the German outfit has been doing business for almost 50 years. Headquartered about 25 miles north of Frankfurt, Canton is one of Germany’s largest loudspeaker manufacturers, offering a truly breathtaking spread of models across several product ranges.
6 min |
February - March 2022
Sound & Vision
Fluance Ai41 Bluetooth Speaker System
"Two Speakers Better Than One"
6 min |
February - March 2022
Sound & Vision
Sonos Beam Gen 2 Soundbar - Beam Me Up
BOTH THE original Sonos Beam and the company's new Beam Gen 2 soundbar use beamforming, a technology that combines an array of drivers with advanced signal processing, to create an enveloping audio experience without need for multiple speakers. With the Beam Gen 2 ($449), Sonos builds upon the virtual surround sound capabilities of the original by adding Dolby Atmos processing and side-firing drivers, a combination that ups the sense of immersion it can create. And the cost for this upgrade: a mere $50 premium over the original Beam soundbar's $399 price.
10 min |
February - March 2022
Sound & Vision
BENQ V7050i 4K DLP Laser TV Projector - In Living Color
Is there a projector maker that hasn’t yet come out with an ultra short throw (UST) model aimed at viewers who want a theater-size image in their living room, but without the usual ceiling-mount and dark room baggage that accompanies it? If you asked me that question one year ago, I would have replied “BenQ.” But now, with its V7050i 4K DLP Laser TV, BenQ has joined the UST projector fold, adding its name to the ranks of Sony, Epson, Optoma, Vava, Hisense, LG, Samsung, and others.
10+ min |
February - March 2022
AppleMagazine
Workstation - Universal Control: The next gen of integration
One of the reasons why so many consumers and professionals choose to make the switch to Apple is the seamless integration between its ecosystems, from macOS and watchOS to iOS and iPadOS.
5 min |
February 04, 2022
Techlife News
THE END: FACEBOOK-BACKED DIGITAL CURRENCY DIEM SOLD TO BANK
A once-ambitious but now faltering Facebookbacked digital currency project known as Diem is dead, its assets sold to bank holding company Silvergate Capital.
1 min |
February 05, 2022
AppleMagazine
MICHIGAN PLANS 1ST US ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING ROAD BY 2023
Electric vehicles driving in Detroit could increase their charge by using an in-road charging system by 2023, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office announced this week.
1 min |
February 04, 2022
Techlife News
SAMSUNG REPORTS ROBUST PROFIT BASED ON CHIP STRENGTH
Samsung Electronics Co. said this week its operating profit for the last quarter rose by more than 53% from the same period last year as it continued to thrive during the pandemic while relying on its dual strength in parts and finished products.
1 min |