Archive for June, 2004
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Thursday, June 17th, 2004
±0 == Simple Elegance
<% rating = 5 %>I wish there were more companies that offered products like ±0, their clean and simple designs make the products they sell stand out from almost every other device out there. When you see their products, you know they thought about every little detail. And that’s always refreshing to see, especially these days, where it’s all about getting a product out the door at the cheapest price possible.
Here’s a sampling of the kinds of products they make:
8-inch LCD TV
A LCD screen that looks like a standard CRT (cathode ray tube) TV?! Yup, that’s what they did, and here’s why… “Many people are sure to feel a certain affection for this familiar shape. But if it were a CRT TV, the CRT alone would not function as a TV, and so it, along with other parts, would be enclosed in a square box. This shape is one that can be achieved because it is an LCD TV – it cannot be created as a CRT TV.” You can place this TV on the kitchen counter or on a bed. The transmitter relays images wirelessly so if there’s an outlet nearby, this TV can be used anywhere in the house.22V LCD TV
±0 thinks about even the littlest details… like the bezel of the screen. Next time you look at a plasma display, check out the front bezel surrounding the panel. You will notice that the outer frame of the TV is somewhat larger than the screen itself… here’s what they have to say about that, “That is to say, the picture frame is very wide. When you wonder why this is so, you find that it’s because this kind of design emphasizes a sense of pressure or classiness. It’s because it’s a design that comes from such phrases as ‘the screen appears large’ and ‘it is impressive’. Looking at it that way, this TV appears rather small. But there’s no difference in screen size between this and other 22V TVs. The speaker is contained within the stand. It is a ’screen only TV’, a simple design that fits in well with all lifestyles.” You gotta love this company, no?
One more… here is their idea of the perfect DVD/MD Stereo Component
Keep it simple, that’s what they are about… many times manufacturers want to load the front with as many controls as possible. Not ±0. They think there seems to be a lot of audio systems with rather loud designs that have glittery metallic finishes and radical shapes. “Compared to these, the design of this audio system is understated. The glossy surface is attractive too. The system is box-like in shape, similar to building blocks having been piled up. You can arrange them next to each other or on top of each other. Because most of the functions are carried out using the remote control unit, only function buttons that are absolutely necessary can be found on the main body of the system. The remote control unit is a vivid blue, making it easy to find when you can’t remember where you put it last.”
Now that we are in love with this company and their products… they can only be bought in Japan and at a premium. So for all us dreamers… we’ll just have to deal with the mass marketed products that were designed (or lack of) to make us happy…
- Check out the full line of products at ±0 (PLUSMINUSZERO) and be amazed!
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Thursday, June 17th, 2004
Memorex Introduces New Double Layer DVD+R Discs
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At $12.99 (MSRP) a disc, this new dual layer technology isn’t hottest thing to hit the market, but since Memorex is going to be producing DL DVD-R, hopefully we will see the prices of these discs hit the $1 range with in six months. Dual layer discs allow us to record four hours of DVD-quality video in standard play mode (SP) or up to 16 hours of VHS-quality video in extended play mode (EP)… in computer bits, that a total of about 9GB. The Memorex double layer DVD+R discs will record at 2.4x speed and require a double layer burner for recording (which Memorex will also be releasing the same time as these discs). Each Memorex Double Layer disc is packaged in a “movie box” case, just like pre-recorded DVD movies. The discs and Memorex’s Double Layer DVD Recorder are scheduled to ship to retailers at the end of July.
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Wednesday, June 16th, 2004
Napster Offers Free MP3 Player
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It seems like Napster is trying everything to get people to use their service again… uh, why not just offer free music? That’s what they are kind of doing… they have announced a new promotional campaign that will put a free MP3 player in the hands of every new annual Napster subscriber. Available from Napster.com, while supplies last, this promotions gives consumers the opportunity to purchase a one-year Napster service subscription for $119.40 and receive a Rio Chiba Sport portable music device which has a suggested retail of $129.99… so it is kind of like free music — depending on how you look at it. They are also offering an upgrade to the Rio Nitrus if you pay $80 more. The Nitrus has 1.5 GB memory, can store up to 50 hours of music and offers up to 16 hours of continuous playback with the rechargeable Li-on battery.
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Wednesday, June 16th, 2004
New Rating System At Mavromatic
A lot of other technology or gadget weblogs try to post as many things in one day as possible, many times they post about the exact same product or device without adding any commentary. What use is that? I’ve decided to add a “Mavromatic Rating” system that you can use to gauge how cool or useful I feel the post/device is.
Here is the handy gauge:
<% rating = 0 %>
You guessed it… the product was worth mentioning, but not worth your money.
<% rating = 1 %>
The device isn’t going to change the world, but might be worth checking out.
<% rating = 2 %>
Pretty cool, but there are other devices like it on the market that might be better.
<% rating = 3 %>
Worth considering, but don’t run to the store just yet.
<% rating = 4 %>
Buy it.
<% rating = 5 %>
I want one, now!
I’ll try my best to rate things correctly, but feel free to post a comment or two if you feel my rating about a product is jacked. This will hopefully get some useful commentary going. Anyways, I hope you are enjoying the site and if there is anything you’d like to see on Mavromatic that will make it more useful, feel free to drop me an email. Enjoy.
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Wednesday, June 16th, 2004
The Ultimate Fathers Day Gift!
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Pioneer Electronics has created the ultimate Father’s Day gift, outfitting a Belding golf bag with cutting-edge mobile entertainment gear. It was designed specially for PGA pro Jerry Kelly and includes all the gadgets any dad would need for a weekend road trip. He can plot a route to every golf course in the country with Pioneer’s navigation system, watch golf’s greatest moments on DVD or listen to XM satellite radio, all while making par on the ninth hole. Beer cooler not included.
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Wednesday, June 16th, 2004
‘Deep-Dive’ Underwater Personal MP3 Player
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For get about the iPod! This MP3 player is going where no MP3 players have gone! iRiver and Diver Entertainment Systems announced the H2O Audio DV series that builds on iRiver’s iFP-300T series flash player only these players are fully submersible to depths of up to 200 feet! Now you can listen to Britney Spears while SCUBA diving, snorkeling, free diving or any other active water sports. The H2O Audio DV series feature up to 512MB of storage capable of holding over 16 hours of music and provide up to 24 hours of battery life using one AA and one 9V battery… so you’ll be out of air before the underwater party music ends. The player comes with accessories including, underwater earphones, high-quality earphones, fastening clip, maintenance kit, user manuals, software CD, USB Cable, line-in cable and 9V and AA batteries. A bit pricey, they range from $350 for the 256mb model to $649 for the 512mb one. You can preorder one from Oceanic Pro.
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Tuesday, June 15th, 2004
WeatherTech STX7000 Storm Tracker
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Since father’s day is just around the corner, I thought I’d post something that any father would like… or at the very least a dad that is a Meteorologist. Discovery Channel store has a Storm Tracker that is a highly accurate weather center that forecasts approaching storms and weather trends from 12 to 20 hours in advance. The system gives you all the information you could ask for like the phases of the sun and moon to recent pressure changes. The bright LCD screen displays temperature, humidity and barometric pressure trends. The best part is you won’t need to wire the darn thing up for your pop, it comes with rain-resistant wireless remote sensor transmits weather data up to 330 feet. Oh, and the integrated digital clock syncs with the U.S. atomic clock for perfectly accurate time and date… don’t you think he deserves this $200 gift? I’m talking to you Mike D.- Discovery WeatherTech STX7000 Storm Tracker
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Tuesday, June 15th, 2004
Three Small, Affordable, Easy-to-Use GPS Handhelds
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Magellan has introduced the all-new eXplorist series. The eXplorist 100, eXplorist 200 and eXplorist 300 (pictured) deliver more advanced features, more powerful performance and more value. Each waterproof model comes in a different vibrant color, blue for the 300, yellow 200 and an orange exterior for the 100. These GPS units use the TrueFix technology, which incorporates a 14-parallel-channel, WAAS/EGNOS-enabled GPS receiver to provide precise position fixes within three meters. The eXplorist models can stores up to 500 waypoints, 20 routes and multiple track logs with up to 2,000 points each, providing ample storage space even for avid navigators. These units are also designed to fit-in-your-pocket and measure only 4.6″ x 2.1″ x 1.3″ and weigh less than four ounces. The grayscale LCD display is 2.3″ diagonal with zoom capability and amber backlighting. The eXplorist 100 will retail for $99 MSRP and offer three navigation screens with track plotting. It also saves up to three track-log files with up to 2000 points each. The eXplorist 200 adds to the a built-in North American or European background map and the ability to save up to five track-log files each with up to 2000 points. The background map offers convenient access to roads, parks, waterways, airports and more. It will retail for $149 MSRP. The eXplorist 300 includes a barometer, an altimeter and an electronic compass, which eliminates the need to be in motion to get a direction to a destination. It will retail for $199 MSRP.
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Tuesday, June 15th, 2004
1080p Video Camera with Hand-Crank Attachment
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The Kinetta is a digital cinema camera that records 1080p images at any frame rate up to 60 fps. One of the coolest features about this camera is the hand-crank attachment, it allows you to vary the frame rate based on the cranking speed. The video is recorded onto a removable cartridge that holds an array of 12 small laptop drives and can record up to 110 minutes of 24fps video. This isn’t a camera you’ll likely take on the next family vacation because it’s about the size of a small 16mm film camera. You can’t really buy one today, unless you really, really want one… then expect to pay about $60,000.
Check out the Kinetta website for more info!
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Monday, June 14th, 2004
DIY: Retractable Roof For Your Home Theater
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… Well, kind of. I’m in the process of building my home theater and one of the things I want in there is a star ceiling. Building a retractable roof a) isn’t cost effective b) not practical, because the theater is in the basement surrounded in a sound proof room and an open roof wouldn’t be sound proof.
There are a lot of ways to achieve a star ceiling… you can go to your local Arts and Crafts store and buy glow-in-the-dark stickers or paint on stars randomly. Both of those options are pretty ghetto and look cheap and cheesy. Plus, they only glow for 15-20 mins after you turn on the lights for a few minutes — not an option for a home theater. Design-wise, I’m hoping the theater will be very classy and I don’t want it to feel gaudy or over the top cheesy, like I tried to hard. So even considering a star ceiling was pushing it to the gaudy side. The solution, I contacted FOSI, they do all the Rainforest Cafe star features and they are the only source for DIY accurate star placements. I choose a September sky because that’s my birth month and most of the constellations I like are in this month. The star area is 11′ x 12′ and it’s surrounded by a couple of soffits that will be lit (see photo below).
FOSI uses fiber optic strands that are lit by a 35 watt Metal Halide Illuminator for all the constellations and a nice feature about their templates is that they also include the Milky Way (blue dots on the template to the right), which is dimmer using ND filters… just like the real sky!
I ordered a template for $125, which is nicely marked and easy to layout and drill. After all the holes are drilled, I will pull all the fibers (about 800 of them) from the light unit to the star and let them hang out a few inches. Then once I paint the ceiling in a dark midnight blue/purple, I will push the fibers in a couple inches bit and cut the ends to clean the paint. The light unit is pricey, about $900 (with twinkle and ND filters) but hundreds of thousands cheaper than putting in a retractable roof. I’ll post more photos as I work on the process.
About the archives
Welcome to the archives here at MAVROMATIC.
These are a collection of our previous posts. If you'd like to read about the latest and greatest, click here.
Welcome to mavromatic! My goal is to bring to your attention the latest DIY projects, the greatest home automation and home theater products. As well as, the occasional offbeat entry, to spice things up a bit.
