Home Entertainment

Sony's wall-mountable VAIO series panel PC notebook

By Darren Quick

16:38 November 1, 2007 PDT

November 2, 2007 Aiming to merge the PC with a home entertainment center, Sony has added to their VAIO notebook lineup with the release of the LM series notebooks. The LM series features an eye-catching panel PC design reminiscent of Sony’s BRAVIA LCD TV’s with its’ 19 inch screen framed by a transparent bezel to blend into the surrounding environment. For ultimate integration, the VAIO LM series can be wall-mounted and features wireless keyboard, mouse and remote control. Read More

Hitachi announces 1.5 inch ultra-thin LCD HDTV’s

By Darren Quick

21:31 October 24, 2007 PDT

October 25, 2007 Hitachi has announced a new line of Ultra Thin LCD HDTV’s which measure a mere 1.5 inches (35mm) thin and will initially be offered in three sizes (32”, 37” and 42”). The Ultra Thin series will be available in the Japan market in December of 2007 while U.S. consumers can expect to see Ultra Thin models in early 2008. Read More

Helios Labs takes the PC out of network media centers

By Darren Quick

18:23 October 22, 2007 PDT

October 23, 2007 Looking to improve the usability of networking media hubs while retaining their flexibility and functionality, Helios Labs have taken the PC out and kept the media center with the announcement of the Odyssey. The Odyssey is a networking media hub capable of streaming content to multiple network media players, such as Helios Labs X-Line players, as well as any UPnP-enabled devices. The Odyssey supports up to 1TB storage capacity, features a fan-less, passive cooling design and will be the centerpiece of the company's focus on a PC-free home entertainment solution. Read More

DVD CCA paves way for legal burning of digital movies to DVD

By Darren Quick

15:42 September 26, 2007 PDT

In a move designed to help combat DVD piracy the DVD Copy Control Association (DVD CCA), the group responsible for the licensing of the Content Scramble System (CSS), has cleared the way for commercial vendors and individual consumers to be able to legally create CSS copy-protected DVDs for playback on existing DVD players. Read More

BlueTinum all-in-one “Internet Home Entertainment System”

By Darren Quick

22:55 September 24, 2007 PDT

September 25, 2007 European electronics company BlueTinum has announced the imminent release of what it labels “Internet Home Entertainment System”. Aiming to give consumers a complete solution that covers all the digital audio and video bases, the system combines the features of Internet Radio, Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) Radio, MP3, DVD, an iPod cradle, direct PC streaming and good old FM Radio in one package. Read More

Individual Sound Projector from Loewe

By Shaun McKeegan

22:49 September 10, 2007 PDT

September 11, 2007 Consumer electronics manufacturer Loewe showcased its recently released Individual Sound Projector at this year’s IFA in Berlin. The sound projector is a genuine 5.1 surround sound system that operates from a single device, allowing TV, DVD and other digital sources to be operated from one remote control. The multi-channel surround sound system features integrated cinema settings and over-head effects without the need for any additional speakers or cables and after encountering the system at the IFA, Gizmag can attest that it sounds amazing. Read More

Low-profile Weibel projector lift

By Kyle Sherer

20:23 September 7, 2007 PDT

September 8, 2007 Rising projector sales on the back of lower prices and constantly improving technology has seen increasing numbers of consumers bringing the big screen feel into their homes. But when it’s not offering a visual feast, a projector can be a bit of an eyesore. The Weibel Precision Projector Lift is designed to address one of the issues that arises when trying to solve this problem - build depth - by requiring only 15 centimeters of space to be built into the ceiling. Read More

Surface computing meets home automation: ROSIE Coffee table touch-panel

By Emily Clark

23:42 September 4, 2007 PDT

September 5, 2007 Surface computing is moving full steam ahead and this latest release from Savant is another reminder that even the wireless mouse is becoming an outmoded piece of technology. The ROSIE Coffee Table Touchpanel Controller offers an easily accessible interface for home automation coupled with interactive multimedia capabilities, connecting to iTunes, digital cameras, IP network cameras, business card readers and various high-tech devices around the home. Read More

AKG wireless headphones unveiled at IFA

By Shaun McKeegan

01:05 September 4, 2007 PDT

September 4, 2007 AKG's K930 wireless stereo headphones are among the plethora of noteworthy new products Gizmag has encountered at the IFA show in Berlin this week. With a range of approximately 100 meters, the K930 headphones do not require a line of sight from the transmitter enabling the signal to penetrate through walls and ceilings and greatly expanding the user’s mobility. Read More

iMirror home stereo iPod dock with full-feature LCD remote

By Loz Blain

22:06 August 23, 2007 PDT

August 24, 2007 With their mix of convenience, portability and ease of use, mini music players like the iPod are rapidly taking over from CD collections as many users’ primary music repositories – and as more consumers start connecting their iPods into their home stereo systems, remote-controlled audio docking stations like Bexy’s iMirror start to make a lot of sense. Just dock the iPod, pick up the iMirror remote control and you’ve got the full ability to manage your iPod remotely as it plays through your home stereo. Read More

"The Rave” massage and music chair

By Emily Clark

17:11 August 16, 2007 PDT

August 17, 2007 New technology isn't all about mobile phones and processing speed - along the way its also given us some elaborate ways in which to recline in style while relaxing, working, or doing both at the same time. This new addition to the comfy chair genre from Tranquil Ease combines four different types of massage that can be synchronized with music to deliver optimum relaxation. Read More

Yamaha unveil 11.2 Channel flagship home theater receiver

By Gizmag Team

23:11 August 12, 2007 PDT

August 13, 2007 Yamaha have unveiled their latest a new home theatre - the RX-Z11. Aimed at setting a new benchmark in the category, the receiver carries an industry-first THX Ultra2 Plus certification and full HDMI version 1.3a including 1080p resolution with over a billion colors, supporting the latest HD formats for Blu-Ray and HD DVD technology. The 11.2 channel RXZ11 adds front and rear presence speakers to traditional configurations and includes custom install features that suit complex multi-room/zone configurations. Read More

The Falcon Game Controller - with realistic force feedback

By Mike Hanlon

UPDATED IMAGES June 30, 2007 We all know the keyboard and mouse are NOT the future of the computer human interface, and to be frank, we’re getting a bit sick of waiting for a replacement capable of generating critical mass. One device with the potential to play a role in the next generation interface, at least in the area of computer games, began shipping this month. Novint Technologies’ highly anticipated, award-winning Novint Falcon game controller is now available in a special Limited Edition bundle. The Falcon is an entirely new type of 3D game interface that makes virtual objects and environments feel real. Replacing a computer mouse or joystick, the US$190 Falcon is, essentially a small robot that lets you feel shape, weight, texture, dimension, dynamics, 3D motion, and force effects when playing enabled games. Read More

Lifemedia, the high-end digital home media server

By Loz Blain

May 23, 2007 Digital home entertainment servers seem to be heading high-end as Exceptional Innovation announces the release of its new Lifemedia server. Ready to integrate with home networks and EI's Lifeware home automation software, the Lifemedia units feature multi-core Intel processors, up to 4.5 Terabytes of storage, and high-end optical audio with Dolby Master Studio decoding. Most importantly, they look extremely sexy in an AV rack system. Read More

Women, Not Men, Are Primary Electronics Consumers

By Mike Hanlon

March 6, 2007 From politics to technology, women have played a vital role in shaping today’s society. Some of these achievements and other various tidbits are being highlighted during International Women’s Day on March 8. In regards to the technology spectrum, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) reports that women are the primary consumers when it comes to wireless gadgets and gizmos. According to CEA officials, women are outspending men in electronics purchases US$55 billion to US$41 billion. The trade organization also reports that women influence 90 percent of consumer electronics purchases which amounts to a lot of money when factory-to-dealer sales of consumer electronics are projected to exceed US$155 billion in 2007. Read More