Geek News: Latest Technology, Product Reviews, Gadgets and Tech Podcast News for Geeks

Blue Microphones introduces the Nessie

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 12:49 PM on February 28, 2013

bluemic nessie picBlue Microphones, or BlueMic as the company is frequently called, make some of the more popular microphones for broadcasters and podcasters, including the Snowball and Yeti. At this year’s CES the company showed off the Nessie.

The Nessie comes with a built-in pop-filter and can be used in voice or instrument modes or even raw mode if you prefer to do your own processing. It also has a headphone jack and built-in volume control. Finally, while this is a desktop microphone, it does provide directional flexibility.

The Nessie, a USB mic, will retail for $99 and be available this spring.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine and Nick DiMeo of F5 Live

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Meet the Audi RS5

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 3:22 PM on February 27, 2013

audi logoWhat do you get when you cross an Audi RS8 with an Audi A5? A sports car for the more tame driver. The A5 is considered a high-performance version of a luxury car, while the RS8 is a straight up exotic sports car to take on Ferrari, Aston Martin and the like. Recently TPN’s own Jeffrey Powers got to check out the RS5, which falls into the middle.

If you are wondering why this was at CES and not an auto show then you only need to look inside at the Audi Connect system. It integrates Google Maps and Street View embedded in Audi’s own QNX system. This is not just for the RS5 though, it is coming to all models of the cars. The company is also working on bring 4G into its cars.

Head over to Audi for more information and be sure to check out the video tour below.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine.

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Cord Cruncher is a unique headphone and cable

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 12:18 PM on February 27, 2013

cord cruncher logoWe all experience the problems created by headphone cords. Despite our best efforts these things can become a tangled mess with seemingly no effort. However the untangling does require an effort.

Now Cord Cruncher provides a unique solution. The video below shows you what I would struggle to explain, but my best effort would be to call it retractable and easy to store and carry around without fear of spaghetti being the end result. You really need to see the video below to understand just how this works.

The Cord Cruncher is available now and retails for $25. The headphones come in four different colors, with more promised in the future.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine

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Monster and Swizz Beatz team up

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 6:14 AM on February 27, 2013

monster logoMonster is famous for its cables, but the company also produces other products — in this case headphones. Nick recently had a chance to speak with DJ Swizz Beatz about the Monster headphones.

Monster and Swizz Beatz have teamed up to collaborate on products. This brings a trained musical ear to the division to help make the best headphones possible. Beatz talks a bit about what he thinks makes Monster special and the headphones that he prefers to use in his personal life, where he DJ’s. He also talks a bit about what you can expect in the coming year.

Interview by Nick DiMeo of F5 Live

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Vivick’s Latest Gadgets

Posted by Andrew at 6:31 PM on February 26, 2013

Vivick HeadphonesCanadian firm Vivick produce a wide range of gadgets, covering everything from iPhone cases, laptop accessories and AV gear. Andy and Scott look at three of the latest products.

On show from Vivick is anLED desk lamp speaker that can be driven via Bluetooth but wouldn’t look out of place on the set of a 70s sci-fi movie. Continuing the theme, they had a Bluetooth headset which looked a bit more up-to-date but I can’t comment on the sound quality. Finally, they showed off a combo-laptop / USB rechargeable battery which had some really good design ideas. It seems to be a brand new product as it doesn’t yet feature on their website, but if you are a battery hogging traveller, keep an eye out for it.

Interview by Andy McCaskey of SDR News and Scott Ertz of F5 Live for the TechPodcast Network, who should be commended for keeping the interview going.

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Posted in Accessory, battery, Bluetooth, ces, Gadgets, hifi, Speakers, Special Media

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Silicon Dust

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 5:30 PM on February 26, 2013

silicon dust logoIf you are a home theater enthusiast or HTPC owner, as I am, then you have probably heard of Silicon Dust and the HD Home Run. The box has been out for some time and retails for $199, but can be found somewhat cheaper in many locations.

The box takes a cable card and then sends its data out via ethernet to the rest of your network and, as a bonus, it contains 3 tuners. The data is distributed to your network in both ATSC and MP2 format. It all works great with many of your screens, but now Silicon Dust wants to solve the problem with devices like smartphones and tablets.

The new box is a 4 tuner version that can handle hardware transcode that transfers that MP2 and changes it to H.264. Now customers can send 4 separate streams independent of each other and have access to the data on mobile devices as well. It is also smart enough to recognize the difference in screens and resolution and encode for the device. All of this is done behind the scenes.

This latest Home Run box will be available in late spring or early summer. While no price is yet available, the company hopes to keep it in the same area as the previous version.

Interview by Andy McCaskey of SDR News and RV News Net

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Tiffen shows off home and pro media devices

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 12:08 PM on February 26, 2013

tiffen logoIf you are looking to produce media at any level then you will likely want to check out some of the products from Tiffen. The company has solutions for both amateur and pro.

The first thing the company showed off was a very small teleprompter that can be used by a home broadcaster. Tiffen also produces the Steadicam — however, the company now has a consumer branded Steadicam Smoothee which retails for $149 and can even work with a smartphone. Different mounts will cost extra, but are affordable. You will also learn a bit about the mobile photo apps in the video.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine and Scott Ertz of F5 Live

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Striker introduces new line of hand tools

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 8:58 AM on February 26, 2013

striker logoStriker may be a name you are not familiar with, but the company has a line of small products that you will certainly want to check out. These are not “hand tools” for your work shop, but more for every day life.

Starting out, there is the Simple Sucker, which Jeffrey has fun with in the video below. This is a small device for holding your smartphone in place and at different angles. It can work on a desk, in your car and, apparently on skin as well. Striker also showed off rare-earth magnets with LED lights that can be placed at any angle, making them handy for working in tight spaces. It can sit on any surface, but since it is magnetic it can stick to things like the underside of a raised hood and shine down as you work on an engine. It comes in two sizes. Striker also unveiled a flexible light as well as a garage parking sensor that eliminates the need for the old practice of hanging a tennis ball to know where to stop.

Best of all, all of this retails for anywhere from $6.99 to $29.99. If you are interested then you can head over to Striker to learn more and shop for the products.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine and Scott Ertz of F5 Live

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Rocstor Encrypted External Hard Drives

Posted by Andrew at 6:12 PM on February 25, 2013

Rocstor LogoRocstor specialise in data storage and secure encryption solutions: that’s encrypted external hard drives to you and me, but it’s an increasingly important market. Andy and Scott talk to Anthony Rink from Rocstor about how their products can keep your data safe.

Rocstor offers a range of external data storage products with real-time encryption built-in as standard. The encrypted drives meet FIPS Level 2, meaning that it’s hardware-encrypted (not software) and that any tampering of the drive to get at the crypto keys is obviously apparent. To suit different circumstances, some models use tokens, others PINs and some use both with ruggedised and waterproof units also available. Depending on features, $250-$300 gets you 1 TB of secure external storage.

Interview by Andy McCaskey of SDR News and Scott Ertz of F5 Live for the TechPodcast Network.

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Posted in ces, Security, Special Media, storage, USB

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SOL Republic shows off headphones like no others

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 5:14 PM on February 25, 2013

sol republic logoSeth Combs from SOL Republic stopped in to visit with TPN in Las Vegas and show off some new headphones that are like no others you have ever seen.

The new set is called Master Tracks. This is the company’s first “over the ear” headphones and, as you will see in the video below, seem to be virtually indestructible. the headphones come in different colors and the parts are completely interchangeable. That means if an earpiece on one side stop working then you simply by another — not a whole new headphone set. Tat includes the cable as well.

The headphones shown in the video below retail for $199, but the company also offers cheaper models as well.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine and Scott Ertz of F5 Live

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