End User

VideoLAN (of VLC Fame) to Release a Video Editor

In one of the best pieces of open-source software news this month, VideoLAN, the organization behind the popular cross-platform video player/encoder VLC, has announced that they are working on a cross-platform movie editor dubbed the VideoLAN Movie Creator (VLMC).

The VLMC will be open-source software released for Windows, Mac, and Linux, just like VLC.  And because VLC is, hands-down, the best video playing app in existence, it's fair to expect that VLMC will be a strong competitor against Windows Movie Maker and iMovie, with active development and frequent feature updates.  And Linux users will finally have a truly decent basic movie editor.

Not a lot of info is available just yet as the pre-alpha software hasn't been publicly released, but early reports show nonlinear editing, history undo/redo, and an easy-to-understand GUI.  An early version that the public can play with is supposed to come out "very soon", but you can take a tour of the basic features by watching the video below, made by the development team.

--Aric A.

DoubleTwist for Windows Now Has Amazon MP3 Store Support

DoubleTwist, a free download that aims to make iTunes play nice with your non-Apple hardware, has added support for Amazon.com's MP3 Store in its latest update, in addition to a few tweaks with playlist importing and device support.

DoubleTwist is a media manager app for Windows and Mac that acts as a go-between for all of your music libraries (including iTunes and Windows Media Player) and your portable devices.  Whereas iTunes will only recognize and sync with iPods, DoubleTwist will act as a wrapper and sync your iTunes library with your PSP, BlackBerry, Android phone, and more.

Grab the latest beta of DoubleTwist (or learn more about how it works) at the DoubleTwist site.

--Aric A.

Awesome "Nintoaster" Mod Puts a Classic 8-Bit NES Inside a Toaster

Noted tinkerer Richard DaLuz has created another Nintendo Entertainment System mod, dubbed the Nintoaster II.  It's basically just a toaster with the innards of an old 8-bit NES installed, but it sure is fun as heck to watch in action:

--Aric A.

Amazon.com's High-Def Heaven Sweepstakes: Win a 55" LG HDTV, Blu-ray Movies, and More

Amazon is celebrating it’s tenth anniversary of Wish Lists with ten amazing sweepstakes.  

This week (from November 23-29, 2009) is the High-Def Heaven Wish List Sweepstakes with a chance to win an LG 55-inch LCD HDTV and an LG 1000-Watt Blu-ray Disc Home Theater in a Box, plus tons of great Blu-ray DVDs from Warner Brothers. 

Customers can enter weekly at www.amazon.com/wishlist10th by creating, adding an item to, or sharing an Amazon.com Wish List. As the holidays get closer, Amazon Wish Lists are a great way for customers to let friends and family know what they are wishing for this season.   See official rules.

--Aric A.

Interview with Pejman Hafezi, Engineer of the Philips Wireless HDTV Link

I recently had the chance to interview Pejman Hafezi, one of the engineers at Philips, about their new Wireless HDTV Link--a device that allows you to wirelessly transmit full 1080p HD video to your HDTV.  Although there's been a lot of talk about wireless HDMI, Philips has been one of the first to hit the market with a fully functional device that allows you to move your home theater equipment out of the living room in order to get a clean, less cluttered home theater.  Today Hafezi talks to End User about some of the challenges and benefits of transmitting a true HD signal without wires.

End User:  A lot of companies have been trying to crack the nut of wireless HDMI, and a lot of companies have failed.  What makes wireless hi-def so difficult?

Pejman Hafezi: In one word: quality. To deliver quality wireless hi-def video three main challenges have to be met: picture quality, link robustness and cable like control behaviour. Many technologies that have tried to achieve wireless high-definition video streaming have approached it from one angle only. The technology deployed in Philips’ wireless HDTV Link takes the approach from a dedicated wireless video modem perspective. It combines picture quality and wireless robustness at the core of its design.

EU:   What is “Ultra Wideband”?  How does it compare to the capabilities of a conventional 802.11x signal?

PH:  Philips’s SWW1800 wireless HDTV Link is not based on either of these technologies. It is based on a proprietary radio technology operating at 5GHz. The only common factor with the 802.11a/n systems is that it uses the same frequency band and radio channelization. The difference is that it uses a dedicated video modem. This has the advantage that quality of service can be achieved for the supported distance. In this respect the quality of service is what sets this approach apart from the existing video streaming solutions offered over the 802.11a/b/g/n radios (which are data modems by design) and the range and robustness is significantly superior to that which can be achieved using available ultra wideband based solutions.

EU:   What are the benefits of wireless HDMI to the consumer?  Will the products need to be in the same room, or can you hide all your gear in the basement? 

PH:  In short, freedom of placement and ease of use.

We know that the trend in TVs is moving towards thinner and lighter with larger screen sizes. This makes the option of hanging the TV on the wall both attractive and a real possibility for many users. However cable clutter will still be a major obstacle in doing so without having to go through significant cost and effort to hide those cables connecting the TV to all sorts of source devices. Philips’ wireless HDTV Link allows the user to do just that: to offer the user freedom of placement of the TV and the source devices anywhere in the living room. At present there are no guarantees that the signal coverage can be extended to a different room or floor. However within the same room there are no requirements for the transmitter and the receiver to be within the line of sight of each other. The receiver can be completely hidden behind the TV and the transmitter unit can be placed in a non-metallic cupboard.

Another significant advantage of the SWW1800 wireless HDTV Link is that it’s really simple to experience. It is ready to use out of the box without any complex installation procedures to be followed. More notably, it is fully compliant with the HDMI-CEC specification. This is where simplicity is truly experienced by the user: CEC (consumer electronic control) is a feature that allows HDMI devices connected to the TV to be controlled by a TV's remote and using its user interface (one touch play, one touch standby of the whole system, switching between HDMI devices are examples of this simplified control behaviour without the need for multiple remotes). Of course, the HDMI source devices and the TV need to support the HDMI-CEC feature for this to work (just like the wired equivalent). HDMI-CEC is supported by all major CE brands under various marketing names such as Bravia link, Easy Link, Anynet, etc.

Philips’ SWW1800 wireless HDTV Link is one of the first products of its kind that supports HDMI-CEC features.

EU:   I’ve tried a number of wireless solutions for music, and some were better than others but most all of them had problems—the signal would intermittently drop, it would randomly unmount remote drives, etc.  What keeps that from happening in this product, especially since there’s so much more information in the signal?

PH:  Most commercially available wireless solutions for the applications you mentioned currently operate around the 2.4GHz frequency band and as there are not many non-overlapping frequency channels available at 2.4GHz for these devices to operate. This frequency band has become very congested. Philips’ wireless HDMI switch operates at 5GHz band which is much less polluted and also has many more non-overlapping frequency channels available for various devices to operate in without interfering with each other. The system also employs an intelligent frequency selection mechanism that ensures selection of the best frequency channel at any time.

Also,  practically all wireless systems experience fluctuations in the bandwidth available to them depending on the environment in which they operate and the quality of the radios communicating (like the quality of AP and the client solution used in case of WiFi operation). The SWW1800 wireless link has a stand-alone transmitter and receiver architecture and also is designed with such variations in the wireless medium already taken into account. This enables the wireless video modem to be responsive to these changes and avoid interruptions to the video streaming within the supported distance.

EU:  What’s the potential for signal interference?  What can disrupt the signal?  Is there a best way to position your equipment to optimize the wireless connection?

PH:  Any wireless device is potentially subject to interference. There are no exceptions to this. However, the SWW1800 has a number of advantages in this respect. By operating at the 5GHz frequency and using the same channel bandwidth as those used in WiFi devices it is ensured that a large number of radio channels are available for the operation of the wireless switch. Furthermore, by deploying an automatic frequency selection technique, the device is capable of monitoring other devices activities in each of the available channels and selecting the cleanest channel to establish the link. Even during active operation, the device is capable of regularly monitoring the channel and if there are interfering devices detected, it will switch seamlessly to a “quieter channel”. All this is done in real time and without any visible effects to the user. 

The Philips Wireless HDTV Link has an MSRP of $799.99 and is available now.

--Aric A.

Hands-On with the Altec Lansing RM3010 Stage Gig Speaker for Rock Band/Guitar Hero

If you like to rock out in your living room to Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero, or another rhythm game, you may sometimes wish you had a little more oomph in your sound than your TV's standard speakers.  But you can't hook up a real montior/PA system like an actual band, either (and who could afford it?).

In between these two extremes is a great-sounding, handy little speaker: the Altec Lansing Stage Gig.  Shaped like a traditional stage monitor, it's self-amplified with 40 watts of power with a horn-loaded tweeter, two mid-range drivers, and a subwoofer for full-range sound.  Connection is via RCA component cables and multiple Stage Gigs can be daisy-chained using the existing outputs.  Volume is controlled via an analog knob on the side--I checked and there's no setting for "11"--and there's even a hard switch to configure whether you want it to handle both stereo channels or an individual one (useful when you have more than one).  It also has a carrying handle if you want to be your own roadie and haul it to a party or friend's house.

And for the record, you probably don't need more than one.  This thing is loud.  It sounds way bigger than it actually is.  Connecting it to an XBox360 with Rock Band 2, the sound completely filled the apartment we were playing in.  Said setup was unhooked from a Boston Acoustics MCS100 5.1 speaker system in order to connect the Stage Gig...I was worried the Gig would sound a bit wimpy in comparison.  I shouldn't have.  It rocked.

Now, audiophiles might acknowledge the horn tweeter's crisp highs but nitpick about slightly muddy bass at high volumes.  Remember, this is essentially a karaoke speaker for a video game with a street price of under a hundred bucks.  It's not meant to complement your brand-new Blu-ray system.  If you already have your console connected to a complete 5.1 or 7.1 surround system that you love the sound of, you don't need this speaker.  But if you're still rocking your HDTV's dinky stock speakers, or you play games in a different room than your main system, or you want something to carry to friends' houses for Rock Band Night, this type of accessory can really amp up the experience (sorry for the pun). And for its specific application, you can't do better than the Stage Gig at the time of this writing.

The Altec Lansing Stage Gig has an MSRP of $99.95 and is available now.

--Aric A.

Psystar Loses Battle with Apple Over Mac Clones

Mac machine cloner Psystar's battle with Apple over the right to produce and sell competing machines running OS X was dealt a fatal blow yesterday.  A California judge ruled in favor of Apple on the copyright infringement case, and while there are several cases still to be decided on such as trade dress and trademark infringements, it's safe to say that if you've been waiting around to get your hands on a Mac-capable machine for less than the (arguably) arm-and-leg cost of official Apple hardware, consider it to be off the table soon.  

Psystar's online store is still accepting orders for machines shipped with OS X installed, but from a legal standpoint the nail is in Psystar's coffin--so if you were planning to grab a machine before the dust settles, now's the time to do it.  But understand that there's a real risk involved if you plonk down some dough for a Mac-Pro-worthy machine, since Psystar is on borrowed time at this point (at least with anything involving Snow Leopard).

Read the official order here, or read more about Psystar's ongoing legal woes at the Groklaw blog.

--Aric A.

Hide Your Netbooks: 10.6.2 Snow Leopard Update to Kill Atom CPU Support

If you've been drooling at the thought of a $300 Apple netbook by installing OS X onto a Dell Mini 10v or similarly compatible ultraportable, you may want to do it now--according to OS X Daily, there's a substantiated rumor that the next Snow Leopard update is going to lock out support for Atom processors. 

If you already have a netbook running OS X, you should be good for a while by simply not updating, and hope that someone in the meantime figures out an easy way to mod the OS X kernel for future installs to reinstate Atom support.

It's rumored that locking out netbooks from future OS X installs is part of laying the groundwork for the release of Apple's long-hinted-at tablet netbook. But either way, if you were thinking about getting your Leopard on for cheap, you may want to hurry.

--Aric A.

Easiest Hack Ever: Install All Your Essential Programs at Once with Ninite

If you've ever had to do a format and reinstall of Windows XP (and I like XP, but everyone's had to do it at least once), you're familiar with the hours spent on a fresh desktop hunting down drivers and all the essential programs you need to get back to being productive.

Ninite (formerly a project called Volery) can take one of the lengthiest steps out of the process of any new Windows install.  It's a site with a catalog of useful free software--familiar apps like Firefox, Pidgin, Skype, and VLC--that you can select for download.  Once you've selected all the software you need, simply click "Get Installer" and you'll download a sub-200K file that you can carry anywhere for future installs.  (The installer will have a huge filename, so you may want to rename it for convenience, but this is optional.)  Keep it on a flash drive, or even save it in a draft email in your Gmail like I do, and you'll always have one-click access to your most-needed apps for those dark days when there's no other way to be sure but to nuke your hard drive from orbit.

Using the installer will install each of the programs you selected without any input needed, selecting each program's default settings and automatically refusing any addons like browser toolbars.  Note that this does mean that if you need special settings, like different install paths, they won't be available; once it starts, you can cancel the process but otherwise can't affect it.

There are only a couple of catches.  First, no 64-bit apps are available, though they're reportedly coming soon.  Second, as mentioned, you only get the default settings with each install, so you'll still have to do a little configuring once everything's up and running.  Lastly, Ninite is currently free to use, but will eventually have the option of "premium accounts", with free accounts to lose some features (but not the basic purpose or functionality).  So you may want to hop on and grab your essential programs while you can. 

Ninite works for Windows XP, Vista, and 7.  Grab your own custom installer at the Ninite website.

Next Year, Will There Be a Place for Linux on the Desktop?

In the interest of full disclosure, I use Linux every day; I use Ubuntu 9.04 on my home desktop (dual-booted with Windows 7 for gaming) and Linux Mint on my laptop, and I enjoy using both.  For a couple of years now I've been one of the flag-wavers anticipating "the year of the Linux desktop", where open-source software and community-driven solutions take the place of locked-down proprietary systems and outmoded DRM schemes.

But even as each iteration of popular Linux distributions like Ubuntu and Fedora get more polished and user-friendly, it seems the practical case for desktop Linux is getting harder and harder to make.  Why?  While Linux will always dominate as an operating system for servers and certain embedded applications, there are two key issues at hand that may make Linux on the desktop nothing more than a novelty next year (if not already).

1) Windows and Mac have both stepped up their game.  There was a window of time about this time last year, where if you wanted a powerful 64-bit OS that was stable, customizable, and had a wide range of useful 64-bit applications available, Linux was actually your only real option.  Mac's presentation has always been tight, but Leopard couldn't take full advantage of the 64-bit Intel chips every Mac was shipping with.  And Vista was...well...Vista; the 64-bit version was plagued with application compatibility problems, and while the situation has been improved since, it was a while before a smoothly-running 64-bit Windows Vista machine was attainable.

But now we have Snow Leopard and Windows 7.  Both operating systems out of the gate are fairly polished, reliable experiences.  The 64-bit Snow Leopard had a few hiccups during takeoff but most issues are being addressed as fast as they're being recognized.  And Windows 7's 64-bit version was more stable even as a beta than any previous Microsoft product in memory.  What this means is that if you want a fast, stable, 64-bit desktop experience, you have three solid choices: Windows, OS X, and Linux.  They all require very little configuration upon install, all are capable of updating themselves automatically, and all have a good number of 64-bit applications available.  So choosing between them now largely comes down to the individual needs of the consumer, and marketing.

2) Embedded devices risk getting more proprietary, not less.  The most appealing thing about Linux is its openness--the desire to absorb all good ideas, support all hardware, and allow anyone to contribute physical changes to the operating system.  But one device stands in direct opposition to those principles, and it's a device that is single-handedly changing the way manufacturers think about making hardware and software: the iPhone.  With the number of shipping units bordering on out of control, and App Store revenue in the hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars range, it's safe to say that the iPhone business model of locked-in hardware and a Byzantine software release process is going to become (or at least heavily influence) the yardstick for future gadget releases.  Indeed, even the Palm Pre, which was supposed to be the partially-open answer to the iPhone, seems to have suddenly found a few cloaks and daggers of their own.

This doesn't leave Linux completely out in the cold--many phones and portable media players work just fine in Linux.  But the iPhone, the big dog at the table, doesn't work with Linux (and running Windows in VirtualBox doesn't count), and if the gadget landscape takes its cues from Apple's business model then the chances of Linux-incompatible devices being released in the short term go up, not down.

What do you think?  Does Linux have a rocky road ahead in the coming year in the face of strong offerings from Microsoft and Apple, or will the increased improvements in compatibility and user-friendliness along with its supreme stability and ability to be customized keep it an appealing free alternative to the major players?

--Aric A.

Hands-On with the New Sonos CR200 Controller and BU250 Digital Music Bundle

If you're not familiar with what a multiroom music system is, here's the short version: multiroom music systems allow you to take digital music from a single source, such as your PC, and play it on one or more other sources. The simplest types of these will be, say, an AV receiver that can connect to your home wireless network and stream music off of your PC or laptop. On the other end of the spectrum, you have Sonos.

Sonos is a system that lets you stream music from multiple sources or the Internet and play it on any attached source in your home. While the field of multiroom music systems is starting to grow, particularly in the last year with new products from Linksys by Cisco and Philips, Sonos was one of the first to really figure out the ecosystem--and it's still one of the best. Many multiroom music products require special software, wireless network configuration, or even hardware installation, but Sonos is essentially a drop-in ecosystem for wireless music. It requires no setup beyond attaching your speakers and registering your units, doesn't need to be linked to your existing network, and will work with any product that can connect to it (i.e., most anything). It's completely modular, supporting anywhere from one to 32 zones (rooms); if you want to expand your wireless music network, just plug in another receiving unit and the proprietary mesh network will immediately "see" and configure it for you. Other products can give you this functionality, but we've always liked Sonos for its complete no-brainer setup.

Then last October they upped the ante even further when Sonos went out on a limb and released a free Controller app for the iPhone. The app complelely replicates the functionality of the then-current CR100 Controller, which itself cost several hundred dollars. Rather than an attempt to cannibalize their own sales, the idea was to give the general public a taste of how Sonos works--Sonos is one of the leaders in the multiroom music field, but even now it's still a pretty small field. Their gamble worked, as the app was downloaded by many, many more people than there were Sonos units out in the wild. CNET pronounced the iPhone app interface, which differed substantially from that of the CR100, "better than the system's own [controller]", going so far as to say, "It will definitely make you want to ditch the CR100 after you've used the app for a while."

But the developers at Sonos had another trick up their sleeve: the iPhone app was actually the interface to be loaded onto their newest controller, the CR200. At half the size of the CR100, the CR200 runs more or less the exact same software as the Sonos iPhone app. And with its 3.5-inch, oleophobic, full-color LCD touchscreen and adjustable LED backlighting, it clearly took design inspiration from a certain Apple-y device. The CR200 is the core of the updated Sonos starter bundle, the BU250.

The BU250 consists of the CR200, one ZonePlayer 120, and one ZonePlayer 90. The ZonePlayers are the receiving units, differentiated by the fact that the ZP120 has an amplifier and just needs passive speakers hooked up to it, while the ZP90 doesn't have an amp and is a simple receiving unit. The bundle also comes with the Desktop Controller software, which gives you a similar interface of controlling the system on your PC. It's not driver software, and you don't have to install it for the system to work, it's just there as an extra option. The BU250 bundle is enough to create two zones of wireless music. (One will have to be attached to an existing system since the ZP90 doesn't have an amplifier.)

Setup consists of this entirely:

1. Unbox the devices. Charge the Controller if needed in the included cradle.
2. Connect the ZP90 to your PC or whereever your digital music lives. Plug it in.
3. Connect speakers to the ZP120 anywhere in your home. Plug it in.
4. Turn on the Controller, select "Set Up Your Sonos System" and follow the on-screen instructions.
5. That's it.

Because it runs on its own wireless mesh network, you don't have to configure it to work with your wireless system. You don't really have to configure it at all, beyond naming your zones and linking or unlinking them, and signing in to one of the many compatible digital music services like Rhapsody and Pandora. I've been living with the BU250 for a couple of weeks now and it has required no maintenance--software updates happen automatically, and I've had no issues with devices "falling off" my home network, as I've had with some similar multiroom systems in the recent past.

One of the key questions here is: If you already have an exising Sonos system such as the BU150, is it worth the upgrade? The CR100 is still a pretty handy controller in its own right, so replacing it's really up to the "wow" factor of the CR200.  (Also it's worth nothing that the CR200 comes with its own charging cradle--the CR100 cradle had to be bought separately.) You're not really getting a suite of completely new and different features, just a better method of controlling them. 

However, it's a must-have if you're only just getting into multiroom music systems, or expanding an existing Sonos system; nobody's really figured out the digital distribution game like Sonos, and each iteration of the series gets noticeably better. The CR200's screen quality, size, and ease of control don't really have an immediate peer in this space, which is kind of odd since many of Sonos' competitors are at the same price points.

The Sonos CR200 Controller has an MSRP of $349, and the Sonos BU250 bundle has an MSRP of $999. Both are available now.

--Aric A.

Amazon.com Launches AmazonBasics: Private-Label Electronics Accessories

Amazon.com has just announced that it will be retailing a selection of branded basic electronics accessories, dubbed "AmazonBasics".  Starting with blank CDs/DVDs and audio/video cables, AmazonBasics will be a growing line of accessory products that combine quality and value.

From the press release:

SEATTLE

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 19, 2009--

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced the launch of AmazonBasics (www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics), a new private-label collection of consumer electronic “basics” created for customers who want exceptional value. The AmazonBasics line currently includes audio video cables and blank DVD media, with additional accessories and other items to be added in the coming months.

“We saw an opportunity to create a line of consumer electronics basics that combine quality and low prices for an overall focus on value,” said

Paul Ryder

, vice president of Consumer Electronics for

Amazon.com

. “We drew on our history of developing other private-label brands and combined that with our mission to give customers the ultimate in selection and value. AmazonBasics is the result. We will continue to gather input from customers and evaluate opportunities for new products under the AmazonBasics brand. We aim to offer our customers as wide a selection as possible, and we think AmazonBasics makes a great addition to the brands we already carry.”

The AmazonBasics line currently features a growing assortment of blank DVD media, cables and accessories, which are available now in the U.S. on www.amazon.com, with plans to introduce the line on Amazon’s international sites over the coming months.

All AmazonBasics products ship in Amazon.com’s Frustration-Free Packaging (www.amazon.com/frustration-free), which is easy-to-open and made from recyclable cardboard, alleviating plastic clamshells, wire ties and excessive packaging. AmazonBasics products are eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping or

FREE Two-Day Shipping

with Amazon Prime (www.amazon.com/prime). Like all products sold on

Amazon.com

, customers can compare prices, do research, read customer reviews and see what other customers have purchased after viewing these products. AmazonBasics products include a one-year warranty.

Read the full press release here, or browse our AmazonBasics Store.

--Aric A.

Hands-On with the Altec Lansing iMT260 inMotion Classic Dock for iPod/iPhone

It turns out that the iMT800 Mix wasn't the only trick up Altec Lansing's sleeve this quarter.  The new iMT620 inMotion Classic is a more conservative take on the recent spate of iPod docks that play well with the iPhone.  The "Classic" moniker comes from its styling cues--with its grey, angular styling, amber LCD display, and large, simple function buttons on top of the unit, the iMT620 is pleasantly reminiscent of the retro tabletop desk radios of yesteryear.  But make no mistake, the technology is all up to date.

Its key benefit is that the iMT260 is shielded against GSM signals, so it'll work with any iPhone without having to switch it to airplane mode.  It'll charge your docked iPod/iPhone as well, of course.  The inMotion Classic draws power from a standard AC adapter, and also has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery--a nice touch, since the recent Mix still requires an armload of D-cell batteries.

Simplicity is the name of the game here.  Its no-brainer control scheme consists of only six large buttons across the top of the unit: power, source, volume up and down, and next/previous track.  Forward and back serve as seek/scan buttons when the FM radio is selected; press repeadetly to seek, press and hold to scan.  Information is relayed from a small amber 7-character monochrome LCD display on the top right of the face of the dock and has a battery charge indicator.  Track information scrolls across the display when the iPod is selected as a source.

The swingarm handle also serves this philosophy of simplicity.  The handle on the iMT620 has three positions to let you carry it, fold it down to hold up the unit, or fold into a stowing position that prevents the unit from being able to be turned on.  The angles of the casing match the handle's positions, so when it's folded into a sitting position for your desktop, the angles of the case and handle lie flush on the desk surface.

The iMT620 has a small, flush footprint with the handle in a sitting position

If you want more fine-tuned control, the IR remote provides full menu navigation for the docked iPod/iPhone.  You can use it to browse artists, folders, and playlists in addition to standard play/pause/next track controls.  There are four preset buttons on the remote that switch between FM presets in radio mode and switch between playlists in dock mode.  The remote itself slides into place securely into a slot on the back of the unit. 

There are two things you need to know about the remote, however, and both involve the iPhone:  first, although the menu navigation works, you'll need to swipe and unlock your docked phone in order to actually see the navigation--there's no "unlock" button on the remote.  Second, you'll also need to manually select "iPod" on your Home screen in order to see the navigation, as there's no button on the remote to switch to iPod from the iPhone's Home screen (although navigation does still work). 

If your friends also brought their iPods, there's an auxillary 3.5mm jack you can use to let them get in on the fun, although of course it won't charge the auxillary-attached player and the remote won't work for it except to switch to and from it as a source.

Sound is solid for a dock of this size and in this price range; that is to say, it won't blow you out of the room like Altec's Mix will, but the audio is nicely balanced and clear and doesn't disappoint compared to Altec's previous inMotion models.  It's ideal for a cubicle or home office, bedroom, kitchen, or garage--its lightness, portability, and small footprint make it a versatile player.

The Altec Lansing iMT620 inMotion Classic has an MSRP of $149 and is available for pre-order now.

--Aric A.

Hands-On with the Altec Lansing iMT800 Mix Speaker Dock for iPod/iPhone

Altec Lansing has been making iPod docks for a while, but the new iMT800 Mix should grab your attention for two keys reasons:

It docks, charges, and controls the iPhone--even the latest iPhone 3G S--without the need for Airplane mode.

It's loud.

The first point alone makes the Mix stand out. iPhone users have been left out in the cold for a while when it comes to iPod docks; with hundreds of choices available on the market for regular iPods, only a few have been able to work with the iPhone and then usually only in Airplane mode. The Mix, however, welcomed my 32 GB iPhone 3G S with open arms. It controlled perfectly, with none of the chirping or buzzing that may sound familiar to you if you've left a cell phone near a pair of speakers for any length of time. Finally I can stream Pandora or imeem Mobile while charging my iPhone in an iPod dock, and let me tell you, it's sweet.

Second, this thing is built for volume. Barring notable exceptions like the B&W Zeppelin, many iPod docks tend towards the small side, geared toward a desktop or cubicle. The Mix is a full-fledged boombox, with two 5.25" woofers, two 3" mid-range drivers, and two 1" horn tweeters. During my first dry run, with both the Mix and the docked iPhone at 50% volume, it more than filled the medium-sized room we were testing in. The mids and tweeters are forward-firing while the side-firing woofers angle slightly to the rear, so sound dispersion is huge.

The Mix features three ways to listen to music: an FM radio, the iPod dock (of course), and there are two auxillary slots on top of the unit through which you can attach anything with a 3.5mm jack. Two male-to-male 3.5mm cables are even included in the box. Also included are a large number of interchangeable trays to fit whichever version of iPod or iPhone you're docking. So if you bring the Mix to a party, say, you can switch back and forth between the radio and three of your friends' MP3 players for a huge selection of music.

 

Switch between FM radio and multiple attached MP3 players with ease

There are several options for controlling a docked iPod/iPhone. You can, of course, simply use the controls on the docked iPod itself, or you can use the control buttons on the top front of the unit, or you can use the included IR remote. The slim remote sits in its own slot in the top rear of the Mix when not in use, and features a caribiner-style clip to keep on a belt loop or bag. The remote will control the radio and a docked iPod/iPhone, but can't control an auxillary-attached MP3 player (although it can switch to and from it as a source). There's an LCD screen on the front above the dock for album and artist information, system status, and for the 7-band graphical equalizer. You can even customize the power-on message with custom text--not a crucial feature, but a nice touch nonetheless.

 

The IR remote slides into its own housing when not in use

Another nice touch is the bracer around the iPod dock. The Mix is clearly intended to be moved around, thanks to the grab handles on each side of the unit, and the recessed position of the dock plus the bar means you can be reasonably assured that it'll stay secure while moving around a party or heading to the beach. Speaking of moving around, it's worth mentioning here that for a boombox with a class D amplifier in it, the Mix is pretty light for its size--I had no problem carting it around with one hand, though to be fair I didn't have the 8 D batteries in it required to run it without AC power either.

 

The bracer bar along with included matching dock trays keeps attached iPods/iPhones secure

The one thing I'll say about the grab handles: don't be too casual with them. Even though grabbing one of the side handles means carrying the Mix vertically, it's not designed to stand on its side. The woofer grilles protrude a little from the sides, and there are a lot of sharp angles, so either use the handle on top or be sure to take care when setting the Mix down. The Mix is not fragile, but it's not ruggedized either. (Maybe they should rubberize the Mix's corners on the next iteration?)

So how does it actually sound? Pretty darn good. In particular, the horn-loaded tweeters and mid-range drivers deliver incredibly crisp highs and mids that don't get harsh or sibilant at loud volumes. Bass is huge, especially if you have a wall or similar to reflect sound from the side-firing speakers off of, and will be more than enough to please an entire roomful of partygoers.  I did notice that bass does start to muddy a bit at volumes above 65% or so; room acoustics will matter a lot here. At volumes 50% or below (which is more than loud enough for a room with a few people in it) the sound is rich and full. Even streaming Pandora on my iPhone, which uses compressed audio when streaming on AT&T's 3G network, sounded warm and clear and was very forgiving of compression artifacts.

In addition to the obvious party applications, the Mix makes perfect sense for a dorm room, kitchen, small office, poolside, garage, or anywhere else people might be congregating with their own MP3 players in hand.

The Altec Lansing iMT800 Mix has an MSRP of $299 and is available for pre-order now.

--Aric A.

Get More Done with Alternative Web Browsers: Flock, Lunascape, SeaMonkey, and Avant

The big players in the browser wars are well known: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Chrome.  [Ed. note: Opera, while excellent, currently accounts for less than 2% of the browser market.] For most people, that provides more than enough choice for anyone wanting to get things done on the web.  But there are dozens and dozens more browsers out there.  Most are just small projects based on one of the Big Four's rendering engines and don't really add many features, or are intended for very specific applications (such as pure text browsing or debugging).

But there are a few standout alternative browsers that bring innovative new features or faster ways of doing things.  Flock, Lunascape, SeaMonkey, and Avant all have unique aspects that can help you get certain things done faster, depending on what you need.  And they're all completely free, so feel free to experiment and find something to fit your needs.

 

The "Social Media" Browser -- Flock

Flock is a browser based on Mozilla's Gecko engine, and was created to be almost a pure portal for social media.  Plugins integrating Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Livejournal, RSS, and more allow you to log in to these services and loads them dynamically into a custom sidebar that constantly updates these feeds.  In addition to real-time updates from social media feeds, you can also use the built-in blog editor to update many blogging services, drag and drop content from websites into an integrated web clipboard, and even upload photos to services like Flickr and Picasa.

Because Flock is based on Firefox, most of the plugins for Firefox will work just fine in Flock--but not all of them.  Fortunately Flock has its own plugins portal that will let you know what's available if you want to extend its functionality even further.

If you spend a lot of time juggling your social life online, Flock is a jacknife that can make it as simple as a click or two to update all your feeds and keep everything (and everyone) connected.  If you don't have at least two accounts on social sites like Twitter or Facebook, and don't have a blog you update regularly, you won't get much use out of Flock.  But if you practically live online, it's a godsend.  Expect a huge memory footprint--opening the People and Media sidebars with just one browser tab takes well over 100MB of memory on my machine--but the idea is that Flock can condense the features of a lot of discrete programs you use to keep tabs on your online life into one simple, extensible app.

Flock is available for Windows and Mac (it works on Linux too with a bit of hacking) and is available here.

The "Has to Render Everything" Browser -- Lunascape

Lunascape is billed as "the world's only triple-engine browser"; that means it's running Firefox's Gecko engine, Internet Explorer's Trident, and Safari's Webkit all under the hood simultaneously.  What this means is a faster overall browsing experience, especially in start-up times and Javascript performance.  It also means that you can change rendering on the fly.  Got a page that requires Internet Explorer to view properly?  Just click to switch the rendering engine and there's no need to fire up IE7.

Pop-up blocking, page zoom, form data saving, and mouse gestures are supported as well as support for a lot of personalization like detachable sidebars, menu customization, and more.  There are a lot of skins available for Lunascape as well.

This is a strong browser if you want the web to "just work"; using Lunascape, you'll get fast performance and there'll be no page that requires you open it in a different browser.  The interface is, to my mind, a little bit cluttered--from a design perspective, it's the "anti-Safari", showing the majority of options at all times unless you turn them off.  Still, it's fast, it's fully customizable, and makes page breakage due to browser issues a thing of the past--particularly where Java is concerned.

Lunascape is Windows-only and is available here.

The "Internet All-in-One" Browser -- SeaMonkey

One thing I've always missed since the original Mozilla browser morphed into Firefox was the Mozilla Suite.  Specifically, having a connected series of apps that handled web browsing, email, chatting, and even HTML editing all at once, and simply.  While Firefox is great for people who just need a fast browser, SeaMonkey is the continuation of that "all-in-one" tradition.

SeaMonkey bundles an Internet browser, email and newsgroup client, HTML editor, IRC chat and web development tools.  The browser component is essentially a straight copy of Firefox, so you won't necessarily see any speed gains, but the additional tools are integrated extremely well and extend the functionality--I can't be the only one who misses Mozilla's Kompozer for simple and elegant HTML editing, and it's resurrected here in SeaMonkey.  The email client is a simplified carryover of Mozilla's popular Thunderbird, and ChatZilla takes care of IRC and newsgroup duties.

I was tempted to title this the "Web Developer's Browser", but I think anyone can find an integrated environment for browsing, chatting, and email useful.  Highly recommended if you want all your online basics covered in a simple and reliable manner.

SeaMonkey is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux and is available here.

The "Internet Explorer, But Better" Browser -- Avant

"That's all well and good," you say, "but I need Internet Explorer."  Fear not: Avant Browser is based on Internet Explorer's Trident engine, but brings over the best features from competing browsers.  Avant supports mouse gestures, pop-up blocking, form data saving, privacy protection, an integrated RSS reader, customizable skins, and more.  It's best feature is online profile storage, which saves your bookmarks and profile information and lets you use your custom settings anywhere.

Avant is a great choice if you want a fast, stable, and customizable browser but are still tied to Internet Explorer for whatever reason.

Avant Browser is Windows-only and available here.

--Aric A.

Google vs. the iPhone: Now the FCC's Involved

The fallout from the recent ejection of Google Voice from the iPhone App Store has a new twist:  now the FCC's getting involved.  Though it's nothing more than a simple inquiry and not a formal investigation, the FCC has served Apple and Google both with letters asking about the nature of the conflict, the reasons for the Google Voice app rejection, and for insight into the process of approving and rejecting apps.

There's two sides to this inquiry business.  Personally, I come down on the side of this being a very good thing, though admittedly perhaps for the wrong reasons.  Specifically, the inquiry will hopefully lead to at least a little more transparency in how apps get approved or rejected.  Back when the iPhone App Store first opened, developers joked about the seemingly random approval process for getting applications into the store.  Now, as the iPhone radically gains market share and inspires developers to expend real time and sweat and financial resources in a heavily competitive environment, no one's laughing anymore.  Frustrated developers (and consumers) are beginning to abandon the platform as their inquiries about rejection and request for useful feedback go completely ignored--since there's no way whatsoever to know in advance if your app is going to be accepted, expending serious development resources on the iPhone begins to look more and more like a bad bet.

Regardless of whether the FCC's involvement results in the reacceptance of Google Voice-related apps, the FCC storming Apple's white towers may result in a little more visibility in how not to waste one's time developing for the platform--and that'll result in more and better competition, meaning the consumer wins.

However, the flip side of this is that Apple simply doesn't owe the developers or the public anything of the sort.  Currently, nobody in Cupertino seems to be breaking any actual laws.  Exercising bad judgement, maybe--annoying a great deal of developers and consumers, definitely--but not doing anything they're not allowed to do by law.  As Sascha Seagan of PC Magazine points out, there's no potential monopoly here, at least not right now.  Apple doesn't have a majority in the smartphone market, and they're not preventing Google from continuing to sell products on other platforms.  And while it would be great to have Google Voice on the iPhone, and while it doesn't make sense that it was rejected while other VOIP apps are still available, such decisions are down to Apple's business acumen and not a federal agency:

Of all the questions the FCC is asking Apple and AT&T, the only one they could remotely have an interest in is whether AT&T is barring VoIP applications from being used over its network. But then there's no reason for the FCC to go plumbing around in Apple's application-approval policies; they could just ask AT&T about VoIP and be done with it.

The FCC's interference here could actually help Apple, by making its approval process more transparent and thus more appealing. But why should the FCC stop with Apple? There are lots of problems to be solved. Why doesn't the FCC work to speed up the Windows Mobile version releases, or program a new browser for the BlackBerry OS? That's basically what's happening here: The government is taking a company's legitimate business weakness and literally making a federal case out of it.  (full article)

What do you think?  Will the FCC jumping into the fray mean better selection for consumers and a more transparent iPhone development process, or are they interfering unnecessarily?  Let us know in the comments.

--Aric A.

End User Email Digest Sweepstakes: Enter for a Chance to Win a Philips Streamium Network Music Player

We're pleased to announce another round of our End User Email Digest Sweepstakes.  We recently launched an email digest that will let you receive End User posts in your inbox--and now, if you sign up to receive our posts via email during the month of August, you can enter for a chance to win a Philips Streamium NP2900 Network Music Player.

With the Streamium NP2900, you can have immediate wireless access to your PC music library, internet radio and Rhapsody online music service. The Streamium network music player is easy to set up--just plug it into a power source and after a simple set up, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g technology will take it online instantly. Once the Streamium network music player is connected to your home network, you can enjoy wireless music streaming.

If you want to enter for your chance to win, follow this link or the button at the top right of the page on End User to fill out an entry form and read the contest rules.  Already signed up for our email digest?  No problem.  You can still fill out an entry form--just make sure you use the same email address you used when you originally subscribed.  No purchase necessary.  Enter by 12pm PST on 8/25/2009.    See official rules for details.

--Aric A.   

Mac OS X Snow Leopard Now Available for Pre-Order

As of midnight EST last night, you can now pre-order Snow Leopard at Amazon.com.  The hotly-anticipated new version of OS X, with native Exchange support and 64-bit versions of its most popular applications, is set to be released in September--but you can get ahead of the pack by pre-ordering the Upgrade version, the Family Pack, the Server version, or one of the Box Sets.

Among the new features of Snow Leopard are better multicore support and the latest versions of iLife applications (Garageband, iCal, iChat, etc.) and Safari 4.  New technology in this version of OS X includes Quicktime X, a version of Quicktime with improved playback and codec support, and OpenCL, a framework that can efficiently split application processes between multi-core CPUs and video hardware.  Learn more about what's new in OS X here.

Apple's made an interesting choice with their aggressive pricing on this new version.  With Windows 7 just around the corner and collecting mostly positive buzz, Cupertino's value proposition of getting the latest version of their OS for under $30 is a pretty sharp move.  They've made strong gains in the shadow of the flop that was Windows Vista, more than doubling their market share since the Intel chip transition, but with the landscape about to become truly competitive again, Apple will have to stay on their toes to preserve those gains.  If they can sell the idea that you shouldn't pay the price of a new OS for what amounts to a service pack, they'll have a strong angle come launch when the comparisons between Snow Leopard and Windows 7 begin in earnest.

If you're ready to make the upgrade, or are considering making the switch to the new OS X, check out our pre-orders on Snow Leopard at Amazon.com today.

--Aric A.

Easiest Hack Ever: Theme Your OS X Desktop with Magnifique

OS X has many virtues, but one thing it's always lacked is a comprehensive approach to theming--you either love Aqua or you don't, but historically there wasn't much you could do about it other than change the orientation and size of your docks, or the layout in the Finder view.

But Magnifique changes all that.  A completely free download for Mac OS X, Magnifique is a theming engine that lets you change the look and feel of OS X.  After installing the program, you can use its menu-based interface to select from a list of indexed themes.  You can browse details and preview each theme before installing, and install changes take place in real time (although sometimes you have to restart any open programs before the theme fully "takes").

The Magnifique format is open-source, so you can create your own themes as well--although the Magnifique interface has a database of themes that are stored on its own servers, you can make your own themes and pack them into .mfq files that anyone can download and use.

The current version of Magnifique is 2.1 and supports the theming of the Finder, the Dock, and iTunes.  Check out the Magnifique site, and download the program for your Mac here.

--Aric A.

Touch Arcade Serves Up the Latest in iPhone/iPod touch Games

One of the things I love about the Internet is that even if you've been around for a while, there's always something that you haven't seen before--even if a lot of other people have.  In that vein, recently I ran across the very cool Touch Arcade site: a site dedicated to reviews and news about all things in iPhone and iPod touch gaming.

I recently stepped up from my 8 GB first-generation iPhone to the iPhone 3GS 32 GB version and found a lot of space left over after filling it with my old apps and J Tillman albums.  Touch Arcade is a great resource for knowing whether that new game you stumbled upon in the App Store is really worth $3.99, as well as for getting sneak peeks at upcoming games like Gangstar and Towers of War. 

Thanks to TA, I also learned that one of my favorite old FPS games Duke Nukem 3D is being ported to the iPhone.  Which is great, because I just ran out of bubblegum.

Check out the iPhone/iPod touch gaming goodness at the Touch Arcade site.

--Aric A.