Orb is really doing a great job at being first to market on a lot of nice features, as well as making themselves some nice strategic partners. It's great to see as I frequently use it. Now if only it would play nice with Media Center!!

Orb Networks today announced that its free MyCasting™ service is the first to take Internet videos mobile by making it possible to add, manage and stream them using any mobile device with a browser and media player. People can now enjoy their favorite videos from YouTube™, Google™, Guba™ and DailyMotion™ while on the move. Because Internet videos aren't formatted to play on cell phone screens, it's been virtually impossible for cell phone users to watch online videos. Orb MyCasting changes that.

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If you've ever tried building a media center in your living room, (or anywhere else if you have a significant other who always seems to have super-sensitive hearing), then I'm sure you've tried all you could to make sure your HTPC is as silent as possible. SilentPCReview is a great source for info, and they go in-depth as to what makes for a great silent fan & how it works.

 The advantages of ball bearings for general application in computer equipment are clearly spelled out in the NMB comparison. For silent computing, the advantages of ball bearing fans are only relevant if the acoustics at low and very low speed are very good. The advantages of sleeve bearings are certainly relevant for silent computing. The Comair-Rotron article shows why PC silencers might prefer sleeve bearing fans. They are...

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I am a big fan of "back to basics" type articles that about.com and others (such as Audioholics) have. They provide insight into reviews and articles you read elsewhere that are inundated with technical terms. Today's topic is a loudspeaker impedance and series and parallel connections. I know we all started out hooking up multiple speakers in a variety of ways not really knowing what the consequence was. I remember putting 5 totally different speakers in one big old enclosure.. 

From the article:

Since we connected two identical speakers in series with our amplifier, each speaker only sees half the voltage drop across it thus as a result will see only 1/4 the power delivered to each speaker compared to a single speaker connected to our amplifier.   The equivalent SPL now produced by each speaker is 6dB lower than if a single speaker were playing off the amplifier, for a combined overall -3dB drop.  However, running two speakers effectively doubles the volume displacement compared with that of one speaker. Thus playback through the two drivers results in a 3dB gain. Adding this to the 3dB drop previously mentioned and the net overall sound pressure level will remain unchanged.  Thus, playing two identical speakers connected in series off of a common amp (as opposed to playing just one speaker off that amplifier) results in no level drop, when compared to the single speaker case.  This analysis, of course, ignores mutual coupling and any room-induced acoustical artifacts.  However, if the speakers connected in series are not co-located and summing perfectly in the room, the net SPL would likely be up to -3dB lower than playing a single speaker off the same amplifier.  The net SPL product in this case has a dependent relationship on distance between the speakers and frequencies they are destructively interfering in the room.

Bulbs? I don't need no stinkin' bulbs. Especially bulbs with short lives and long TV boot up times. LEDs are promised to be the next big thing, well that and lasers. It remains to be seen how the new sets will be judged by the videophiles but if it comes close to performance and offers a longer life I am all over it. This particular Samsung model the article talks about has been seen on the trade show circuit before and is finally available in retail channels.

From the article:

With the comedy-named “PhlatLight” LED high-intensity light source, Samsung claim improved longevity, increased colour gamut reproduction, faster turn-on time of just seven seconds and quieter operation than other light engine-based models.  That’s a pretty darn impressive list, in part thanks to PhlatLight being a single-chip, colour wheel-free array of high-power red, green and blue LEDs.

With 1,920 x 1080p resolution, two 1080p HDMI inputs, Cable Card and integrated ATSC and NTSC tuners, the HL-S5679W is available now for $4,299.99.

Phillips has introduced a couple of new TVs to market with sexy 1080p upgrades. I'll save you the model names, they look more like California license plat numbers then model numbers, however, I will give you a few of the features to look forward to. The 47" LCD and 60" plasma will have HDMI inputs, and the plasma will playback some types of media from a USB drive.

From the article:

We were giddy to hear Ambilight was getting the 1080p treatment, and we're likewise happy to hear that here are some bigger sets from Philips packing the same 1920 by 1080 pixel count. The new 47-inch LCD and 63-inch plasma both rock Philips Pixel Plus generation 3 tech, upgraded to 3HD spec. I have no idea what that means, but I know that Pixel Plus "makes shit look good." It smoothes out the picture, removing noise and artifacts. Sounds like it would make things blurry, but no, I like it.  

HAI's Omni and Lumina Controllers Now Offer Z-Wave Support

Home Automation, Inc. (HAI), a leading manufacturer of home control products since 1985, announced that its award winning Omni and Lumina controllers support Z-Wave technology today at the Electronic House Expo held in Long Beach, California.

Z-Wave is a wireless network protocol used in a wide variety of home automation devices made by numerous manufacturers. In addition to supporting standard Z-Wave lighting devices, HAI has worked in partnership with Leviton to support the advanced features of Leviton's ViziaRF series of lighting control devices, including lighting scenes and two way communications.

When used with an HAI Omni or Lumina home control system, Z-Wave devices are ideal for Multi-Dwelling Unit (MDU) applications. For single family homes and larger applications, HAI recommends the UPB technology used in HAI Lighting Control (HLC) products. HAI Omni and Lumina home control systems allow the use of multiple technologies in a single installation, maximizing both flexibility and choice of devices.

"HAI recognizes the importance of supporting various technologies so both consumers and installers can enjoy a range of choices when deciding what products to integrate with an HAI Omni or Lumina controller," explains HAI President and CEO, Jay McLellan. "All of our controllers now support a variety of lighting control products such as Lutron RadioRa, X-10, Leviton DHC and ViziaRF, Lightolier Compose, ALC Hardwire Lighting, CentraLite, and of course our own line of HLC products based on the UPB platform."

If you want a bit more information on HAI, head on over to their website at www.homeauto.com 

This sounds too good to be true, and the article doesn't mention actually seeing it in person, so I'll withhold judgment until somebody does a legitimate review of this. The sunlight has plagued projection units as long as I can remember, and the promise of a cure might make enough people bite the bullet.

NP of Denmark has announced its new Supernova™ Flex front screen. What makes this video screen different is that it can allow viewing of projected images in daylight, while maintaining excellent color saturation, detail, and contrast. 

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