Harman Kardon AVR 354
While most audio manufacturers trot out a new line of AV receivers every year, Harman Kardon generally sits out of the "feature war" and lets its models stay in the product line longer. That's why it's a big deal that the company has announced three new receivers, bringing many cutting-edge features that were previously missing from the company's lineup. As always, these new receivers have Harman's typically refined look, and now that some of the models include updated features--like high-resolution audio decoding, a high-def graphical user interface, and video upconversion--you won't have to settle for beauty without brains. Let's take an in-depth look at the new line.
Harman Kardon 154
(Credit:
Harman Kardon)
Key features of the Harman Kardon 154:
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Adobe Creative Suite users will soon have to turn to other Web-based or local stock photography services to get their stock photo fix.
Adobe on Monday quietly announced the end of its stock photography service. The Stock Photos service has been a part of the popular Creative Suite since the introduction of Adobe Bridge in version 2. The cutoff date is March 31st, giving users a little less than two more months to use the service to acquire legal shots to use in design work.
According to Adobe's FAQ on the matter, the company is getting out of the stock photography business to "concentrate its efforts in other areas." The service acted as a go-between to other stock photography services without a markup. It's easily comparable to iTunes for stock photography, as it offered users a one-stop shop with live previews that could easily be put into Adobe's various design applications right after purchase.
Since the front end for the photo service is part of the Creative Suite software, Adobe's created a special uninstaller that gets rid of it in Bridge. Current users of Bridge are greeted to the below message, telling them how many days are left before the service cutoff, along with links to Adobe's customer service center.
To curb any latecomers, Adobe is also cutting off the search function of the stock photo tab on March 4, which will keep new users from even being able to get to the photos that are for sale.
(Credit:
CNET Networks)
In the past several years, the rise of Web services that offer stock photography has been speedy. With Bridge, it appeared that Adobe was taking notice and making it easier to parse through them.
However, between this and Adobe's foray into publishing to other stock services, killing off the intermediary (Stock Photos on Bridge) to save some hours to work on future products makes good business sense.
The $100 ZoneBridge enhances the wireless connectivity of a Sonos setup.
(Credit: Sonos)
Sonos today issued a flurry of announcements that will further augment the appeal of its Digital Music System: compatibility with two additional premium music subscription services--Best Buy's Digital Music Store (BBDMS) and the revamped Napster; a new software update that adds a handful of useful features, including search; and confirmation of the ZoneBridge BR100 networking accessory. The details, in brief:
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The ZoneBridge is a network accessory for Sonos users.
(Credit: Automated Home)If last week's FCC leak wasn't proof enough, the UK's Automated Home (via Gizmodo) has pretty much filled in all the details on an as-yet-unannounced networking accessory for the Sonos Digital Music System. The Sonos ZoneBridge BR100 will act as a wireless bridge between other ZonePlayers in the Sonos' proprietary mesh network. That's useful because the Sonos system requires at least one of its boxes to be tethered to a wired network connection. Previously, that meant one of the two included base stations of the Sonos system would need to be near an Ethernet port, or you'd have to invest in another ZP80 or ZP100 unit--not an inconsequential expense, at $350 and $500, respectively. The integration of the ZoneBridge--which is rumored to cost only $100 when it goes on sale later this fall--into a Sonos-ized household means that it can handle the wired-to-wireless network handoff, freeing up one of those ZonePlayers for duty in a nearby room better suited to music (bedroom, den, etc.).
The ZoneBridge in action
(Credit: Automated Home)Like the Sonos ZonePlayers, the ZoneBridge includes two Ethernet ports, so it won't monopolize an Ethernet connection that's already in use for something else. But that puts us in mind of another alternative: a powerline Ethernet adapter. We've used these in the past for getting a variety of wired-only networked gadgets online--TiVo, Xbox 360, Slingbox, and even the Sonos. A two-adapter set can cost anywhere from $80 to $150, but if you get one with a built-in four-port switch--or simply attach an inexpensive hub--you'll be able to have a quartet of devices on the Net without having to deal with any wireless setup headaches.
A key to preventing tragedies like the Minnesota bridge collapse earlier this week is surveillance, according to Aging Infrastructures.
The small company, a division of Sensible Security, sets up cameras and monitoring systems like GPS to gauge the health of things like bridges, road and other structures. It could become a growing market.
Fiber Optic Systems Technology already markets sensors that can monitor the progress of corrosion and strain in structures and allow engineers to calculate the future point of failure. The systems are far more sophisticated than what Aging Infrastructures offers, but the systems also cost thousands of dollars. The main customers are oil companies. Government transportation agencies have had trouble with budgets.
A camera is better than nothing. Aging, by the way, got started a few months ago and wasn't formed to capitalize on the disaster.
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