This year at NAMM 2015 we have seen the rebirth of the classic synthesizer brands Sequential Circuits and ARP, leaving only one brand remaining. So naturally Moog has come back as well, and they introduced redesigned versions of their absolute classic modular synthesizers the System 15, 35 and 55. These dynamic instruments are all about creativity.
Wow … just wow. Yesterday we heard about the resurrected ARP Odyssey from Korg, and today Dave Smith Instruments has brought back the venerable Sequential Circuits brand name to announce their new Prophet 6 analog synthesizer! Dave Smith is founder of Sequential Circuits and the legendary Prophet V, so he is well positioned to deliver the goods with Prophet 6!
This week at NAMM, legendary amplifier company introduced a bunch of great new stuff, including a surprise item – the Orange MusicBoard Interactive Whiteboard. Anyone with kids in school knows about electronic whiteboards, which allow you to project interactive content from a computer onto a screen. The MusicBoard seeks to revolutionize how music theory is taught to students!
I remember getting the chance to play with an ARP Odyssey in junior high, back in the mid-1970s – it was an awesome piece of music-making hardware! Released in 1972 to compete with the MiniMoog, the Odyssey was responsible for many of the classic synth sounds of the 1970s, and now Korg has announced the Korg ARP Odyssey Analog Synthesizer!
While at CES, Dan and I had a chance to check out some of the latest LG Appliances. Do you have a stainless fridge that collects fingerprints and isn’t efficiently laid out (like I do)? Then you will love their new Mega Capacity Double-Door In-Door Refrigerator. It’s laid out intelligently, and it doesn’t collect gross fingerprints!
Judie and I went straight from CES in Las Vegas to NAIAS in Detroit (Judie with GM and me with Ford) last week. By that point I was dog tired. I wanted to cover all of Ford’s news — and all the rest of course — but do so in the lightest way possible.
Last week I mentioned some of Dell’s exciting highlights from CES. I overlooked some more in-depth details specific to how the Latitude line-up has broadened its appeal and updated all of the systems in the product portfolio. The changes made impact the Latitude 13 7000 Series 2-in-1, Latitude 7000 Series, Latitude 5000 Series and Latitude 3000 Series.
Remember when phone handsets were all curved so that they would comfortably fit at your mouth and ear? LG does, and their new LG G Flex 2 not only offers this same comfortable ear and mouth curve, it’s also a fully loaded Android smartphone that feels great in hand. You can check out my video with LG’s Ethan Walsh here.
This weekend in football, we have conference championships that will decide who goes to the Super Bowl. These are all popular teams – New England, Indianapolis, Seattle and Green Bay – so you can be sure there’ll be plenty of gatherings either at bars or in people’s homes. If you’re planning a party – the Homegating app has you covered!
There was so much to see and do at the annual North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week. Press days precede the official opening of the show to the public which runs Jan. 17-25 this year. Automakers from around the globe bring their newest production cars, trucks, SUVs, CUVs, EVs and just about every other V(ehicle) in their arsenal.
Think you’re an elite Madden NFL 15 gamer? Duracell will start the “Duracell Longest Lasting Tournament” this Friday, January 16, which will be a 26-hour Madden NFL 15 video game marathon tournament where players battle to hold the longest win-streak until the end. This tournament will be powered by Duracell rechargeable batteries and hosted on Twitch.tv where anyone can watch.
Avenir means “future” in French, and that is what’s being showcased in the Buick Avenir Concept. No, this isn’t a model that you’ll necessarily be able to buy any time soon, but the technology and eye-catching design found in the Avenir will likely find their way into future or existing flagship models.
Dan and I were among the first to put down non-refundable $1000 deposits on the Elio last year, after we first saw the prototype at CES. Let’s just say that the barely functioning vehicle we sat in last year has come a long way! Dan and I couldn’t be more excited and happy about our upcoming new cars!
We’ve covered some of Goal Zero’s smaller hand-cranked solar devices, which are great in emergencies, but there are times when you need stronger power generation that can possibly even keep your fridge running! Goal Zero Yeti generators come in multiple sizes, and they can be left plugged in until needed — or they can be recharged from solar when TSHTF!
As I was reading Dell’s CES 2015 announcements, I to remember a ‘Dell-free’ time in my life … and had to go back more than 20 years, during which time I’ve had an OptiPlex, Dimension, Inspiron, XPS or Alienware system close at hand. With the recent buy-back Dell has seen resurgence in both innovation and performance, highlighted by their new offerings.
I’ve made no bones about the fact that if it weren’t for Wilson Electronics, which has recently rebranded as weBoost, I would have an absolutely pitiful signal inside my home if it weren’t for their products, and they have only become better. I had a chance to talk to weBoost about their new 4G signal boosters for home and car.
Dan and I have tried so many headphones that it is easy for us to seem skeptical when something new comes along. That attitude flew out the window when we had some ears-on time with the new Blue Mo-Fi Headphones. Throw what you think you know about traditional over-the-ear headphones out the window, and take a look at these beauties.
Over the last couple of decades we have seen the shift from desktop PC to laptop dominance, then netbooks, tablets, Chromebooks and now a resurgence of laptops and efficient desktops. HP has introduced the HP Pavilion and HP Stream Mini Desktops just as the desktop computer attached to a TV or large display becomes a focal point of homes again.
I wrote about the MOTA Smart Ring (what feels like) ages ago, and I finally got the chance to see one in action and slip it on my finger yesterday. It’s reasonably priced at a pre-order price of $99. What that gets you is notifications from all of your usual apps — messages, email, Facebook, etc.
I am starting to worry my phone is becoming sentient. See, on a typical day, the battery holds up just fine all day. But if it’s a busy day, that’s when my phone drains the battery like a hungry vampire. Luckily, Bracketron is working on their Snap2.0 chargers, an affordable way to snag fast charging with compatible phones!
Wadjet Eye has released some great games recently, creating the Blackwell mystery games and publishing Gemini Rue. So I was intrigued when I heard that they were working on a new game with indie developer Technocrat, which they announced today. The game is Technobabylon, a dystopian cyberpunk adventure coming to PC in spring 2015 and to Mac/Linux after.