monitors

For those of us without disposable incomes, spending more than a couple hundred dollars on a monitor requires a little justification. When it comes to expensive monitors, there's usually a professional justification, as pro graphics artists require precise image clarity and the more expensive monitors are more likely to be suited to the task.

The S27A850D is decently priced for a professional monitor of its size. It's also the first full-size display to use Samsung's Plane Line Switching (PLS) panel tech, which offers brighter screens at a lower cost of power. The level of performance is about on par with a high-end In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel like what the Dell UltraSharp U2711 houses.

But does the S27A850D offer enough in performance and features to really make it a good investment?

Check out the full review to find out.

More reviews can be easily accessed from the monitor hub. … Read more

Genelec isn't a big name outside the recording industry, but the company, founded in 1978, is a leader in professional monitor systems. More recently Genelec speakers are becoming known to discerning consumers. The company's active speakers have built-in amplifiers, like the tiny 6010A speaker I'm covering today, so it can be directly hooked up to an iPod, computer, or game.

I spent some time with the 6010A at the Audio Engineering Society convention held last week in New York. The listening conditions on the show floor weren't ideal, but on early Sunday morning it was fairly … Read more

Many times problems arise in our systems that, though similar to those others are experiencing, are unique to our setups.

For example, some users may find that when using their systems the computer suddenly shows a blue screen. In some instances this may require restarting the computer and in others it may result in an automatic restart or a forced log-out, losing the system's data. Unfortunately blue-screen issues are rather general symptoms that can include numerous possible causes.

This type of problem is likely rooted in the handling of graphics or in critical processes that handle the log-in session, … Read more

It's been a while since my last "oh my god can you believe how cheap monitors have gotten?!" post, and today's deal definitely fits the mold. (Huh. Deja vu. Oh, right, yesterday.)

While supplies last, TigerDirect has the Hannspree ST259MUB 25-inch LCD HDTV for $179.99. Shipping adds $12.65.

Given this low-end price, you might be expecting a low-end display. Nuh-uh. The ST259MUB is pretty packed with features, most notably its 1,920x1,080-pixel native resolution, 2ms response time, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, and a pair of HDMI inputs. (It also has … Read more

As the monitor screen is the visual interface for your computer, it's obviously vital that it work properly and show the expected output from your system.

Often when a monitor doesn't display output properly it's because either the monitor or your computer's graphics system is not configured properly or is malfunctioning, but at times it may merely be a matter of an improper connection or a faulty adapter. If your monitor is not showing any output, here are some approaches that can help you determine the nature of the problem.

Recently MacFixIt reader "Jim P.&… Read more

Iteration is something Apple is good at. Its 24-inch Cinema Display was good, but it appealed to an extremely small number of users. In 2010, Apple released a new version with an improved screen and by that time there were many more Mini-DisplayPort-compatible Macs in the wild, thus widening its appeal.

With its Thunderbolt Display, Apple adds a superfast connection, as well as Ethernet, FireWire, and Thunderbolt. Note that the display is only compatible with Thunderbolt-compatible Macs, so in effect, we're kind of right where we started with the 24-inch Cinema Display: a powerful monitor that only a small … Read more

I know "Five-deal Wednesday" doesn't have nearly the same ring as "Five-deal Friday," and believe me, there's nothing I like better than an alliterative headline. But when so many awesome deals pile up on the same day, sometimes you just have to cut loose your alliterative leanings.

Sigh. If only grammar rodeos were real.

Anyway, today I've got three (three!) freebies, a dirt-cheap monitor, and a couple of sweet game bundles. Read on:

1. Wal-Mart wants you to know that in addition to regular old 4x6-inch prints, its photo department offers … Read more

Engineers at the University of Utah predict that, in about five years, a network of wireless transceivers around a bed will be able to measure breathing rates without a single tube or wire being connected to the patient.

The uses of the system, which the team has dubbed BreathTaking, are obvious: patients in post-op, infants at risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or even people with sleep apnea.

And because the technology uses off-the-shelf transceivers similar to ones used in home computer networks, the system could cost less than current breathing monitors, said electrical engineer Neal Patwari, senior author of … Read more

One of Thunderbolt's features is that it contains both the PCI-express and DisplayPort protocols, which conveniently allows the mixing of both displays and other devices on the same daisy chain. In addition, because Thunderbolt contains DisplayPort, it should also be compatible with existing DisplayPort displays, such as Apple's 27-inch Cinema Display that was available before its Thunderbolt Display was released. Because of this a number of people who have been using Apple's DisplayPort-based Cinema Display have looked forward to using the monitor in a dual-display setup with Apple's new Thunderbolt Display, but unfortunately this will not … Read more