Bob Gatton's Tech Talk

Wireless HDMI by Gefen

bob_gatton — 2009-09-21T08:43:08-05:00

HDMI, after a few speed bumps in the first couple of years, is great. Just one cable takes care of multi-channel audio and HD. No longer do you need multiple cables for each connection in the system.

SI's Black Diamond Screens - This changes everything

bob_gatton — 2009-09-15T09:28:37-05:00

Traditional home theaters can be a lot of fun. Turn on the system, turn off the lights and start the movie.

3D Displays at CEDIA

bob_gatton — 2009-09-13T10:53:27-05:00

Sony, Digital Projection, Panasonic and others where showing 3D that used active glasses, all where impressive.

Budget Projectors @ CEDIA

bob_gatton — 2009-09-13T10:52:56-05:00

Do you think that you have to spend a small fortune to have a front projector based home theater? Not anymore. I saw a few full HD (1080p) projectors at CEDIA Expo that don't break the bank.

Optoma's new Pico Projector

bob_gatton — 2009-09-02T10:53:48-05:00

When you're meeting with a client, sometimes a laptop screen just isn't enough. In fact, usually it's not enough. That's where pico projectors can come in handy. Pico projectors are small, lightweight and affordable, and they're great for quick presentations to small groups.

1st Dual Screen Laptop

bob_gatton — 2009-08-31T12:09:56-05:00

Sure its going to be heavy, expensive and consume the battery way too fast, but I have been using two monitors in my office for almost two years and its great.

This and a netbook might be the perfect combo. What do you think?

For more information, go here.

CEDIA

bob_gatton — 2009-08-28T10:30:16-05:00

It's one of my favorite times of the year. Football starts and the CEDIA Expo

Sony's New Playstation - PS3 - $299.99

bob_gatton — 2009-08-24T08:38:16-05:00

One thing builders and home sellers sometimes do is to offer incentives. I've heard of builders offering new cars with the purchase of a condo, and a while back, we discussed the idea of offering a Nintendo Wii with the purchase of a home.

I've also heard about builders offering flat-screen televisions, Blu-Ray players, and other video game systems. And Sony's new version of their PS3, which will ship in September, might be a good combination of those last two items. the new PS3 will have a 120 GB hard disk drive, is 32% smaller and consumes 34% less electricity than the current PS3.

iTunes has 25% of Music Market

bob_gatton — 2009-08-21T06:31:31-05:00

According to NPD Group, iTunes, in the first half of 2009 has a quarter of the total music bought in the US.

RedBox has started to rent video games

bob_gatton — 2009-08-19T13:52:54-05:00

RedBox has 16000 kiosks that rent DVDs in retail stores in the United States. In my area these kiosks are in Walgreen's and WalMarts.

700,000 Americans are dumping their landlines each month

bob_gatton — 2009-08-17T08:25:49-05:00

According to an article in The Economist, "...telecom operators are seeing customers abandon landlines at a rate of 700,000 per month. Some analysts now estimate that 25% of households in America rely entirely on mobile phones (or cellphones, as Americans call them), a share that could double within the next three years. If the decline of the landline continues at its current rate, the last cord will be cut sometime in 2025."

Controlling your Dish Network DVR from your iPhone

bob_gatton — 2009-08-14T02:03:00-05:00

If you have a Dish Network DVR and an iPhone you can set your DVR to record a program when you are not at home with your phone

Homer Simpson's voice on your TomTom GPS?

bob_gatton — 2009-08-12T07:57:42-05:00

OK, I'll admit it, I watch the Simpson's from time to time, sometimes it is really funny.

Best Buy is selling vinyl albums in all of their stores

bob_gatton — 2009-08-09T17:44:54-05:00

There is still a legion of fans out there supporting the good old vinyl records. A properly set up turntable and sound system with a quality vinyl album can sound great. Many vinyl fans claim that it sounds better than any other format. But the market share for vinyl is very small.

Flat Panel TV Surge Protector from Sanus Systems

bob_gatton — 2009-08-07T08:24:46-05:00

There are a lot of surge protectors on the market, but Sanus recently introduced a slim surge protector that can easily be installed behind a flat panel television that is mounted on a wall. The power outlets pivot to make it easier to plug in power cords in tight situations.