Dash-mount GPS Units

A GPS (Global Positioning System) is a satellite navigation system that is used for many applications like map-making, land surveying, tracking, and surveillance. It is even used in relief and rescue operations during natural disasters like earthquakes or hurricanes.

Most GPS units can be classified into one of four categories: portable handhelds, marine systems, PDA/GPS hybrids, and car navigation systems. A handheld GPS is convenient for certain activities, such as hiking, and marine systems are especially helpful on the water. However, when you are on the road, a vehicle navigation system is the best. If you have decided to get a vehicle navigation system, here are some tips to help you select the right one for your needs.

Dash-mount GPS devices can be fixed on top of the dashboard with the help of a friction mount. Good units are easy to install and easy to remove. The screen of a dash-mount GPS typically ranges from 2.5 to 5 inches. Units with large screens may cost more, but they are worth it. It is much easier to access information on a big and colorful touchscreen while driving. A 4.3-inch anti-glare widescreen display is an ideal choice. You should also take into account the clarity of the display. It should be easy to read even in bright daylight.

The location of the antenna is equally important. Dash-mount GPS devices come with either a built-in antenna or an external antenna. The external antenna provides stronger satellite signals when driving under heavy tree cover or when surrounded by tall buildings. If you work or live in a downtown area of a big city, it is wise to get a unit with an external antenna.

All dash-mount GPS units come with a points of interest (POIs) database. However, the number of POIs varies in each unit from less than 1 million to as many as 6 million. If you travel to new places often and want to quickly find tourist destinations, restaurants, gas stations, and hotels, stick to a vehicle navigation system with a minimum of 3 million POIs. A GPS which allows you to set custom POIs is also very convenient to own.

The beauty of having a dash-mount GPS is you never need to take your eyes off the road in order to figure out if you are right on track to your destination. Their voice prompt feature provides turn-by-turn directions and tells you the exact distance you need to cover to get where you want to go. Some manufacturers, like Garmin and TomTom, have taken voice prompts to the next level by offering text-to-speech and voice recognition. Dash-mount GPS units with these capabilities announce specific street names and respond to voice commands. Other useful features to look for in a dash-mount vehicle navigation system include FM traffic receivers and automatic detour recalculation. Anti-theft features should not be overlooked either while buying a GPS car mount unit.

Many GPS car mount devices come with extra features. From Bluetooth compatibility, MP3 players, image viewers, and address books to world travel clocks, currency convertors, and SD card slots, these GPS car mount units have truly evolved from navigational systems into entertainment devices. If you live in California, Connecticut, D. C., New Jersey, New York, or Washington, it is best to get a Bluetooth compatible GPS, as cell phone use while driving is banned in these areas.

Home Theater in a Box vs. Separate Components

A typical home theater system is designed around certain vital components like an audio/video receiver, a Bluray/DVD/CD player, speakers, and a TV. Home theaters sound systems generally fall into one of two categories:

• Home Theater in a Box (HTiB) systems
• Separate component home theater systems

Home Theater in a Box (HTiB) systems are designed to be all-in-one-packages. They come with all the audio components you need to set up a home theater. A typical Home Theater in a Box includes 5 or 7 directional speakers and a subwoofer. A wireless remote control, color-coded cables, and wires are also included in the box. Some manufactures even make packages that come with DVD or Bluray Players and truly offer everything you need for a complete home theatre (except the TV, couch, and refreshments of course).

Separately purchased home theater components on the other hand, offer more options for customization, upgrading, and expandability, in addition to typically offering greater performance than HTiB systems.  In this case you would purchase each home theater component separately and assemble them into one cohesive unit. This would involve picking the center channel, front & back speakers, subwoofer and then connecting them all to a home receiver, which in turn would be connected to your TV & Bluray/DVD player.

Most HTiB systems are designed to be compact and look stylish. They are also very easy to set up because all their components are made by the same manufacturer and are compatible with each other. The Home Theater in a Box is typically more affordable as well due to the fact that the speakers are usually smaller & less powerful and the receiver doesn’t have as many inputs and options as a stand a lone receiver.  Home Theaters in a Box come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and prices.  Low end systems can be had for as low as $200. A high-end Home Theater in a Box system could cost upwards of $3000.

Although there are many advantages of going with a Home Theater in a Box, there is some compromise as well. Its performance compared to separate component home theater systems is simply not as mind blowing. Since the makers of HTiB systems usually specialize in electronics and not loudspeakers, most HTiBs won’t be able to reproduce high-fidelity audio. When you buy components separately, you can carefully select the best products and upgrade your system with the latest components whenever you like. If you are an audiophile at heart, it is worth it to spend the extra bucks and buy separate components. Keep in mind, however, they are more difficult to set up and operate. On the other hand, you can choose the size, cabinet color and finish, as well as speaker type (like floorstanding or bookshelf) when you buy separate components to create a home theater that looks and sounds exactly the way you want.

If you have a small room and are planning on using your home theater mostly for TV viewing and some movie watching, the economical Home Theater in a Box is a good choice. If you are bent on high-quality, true-to-life sound, want to upgrade your system over time, and enjoy hooking up the latest high-tech electronics, separate component home theater systems are made for you.

Refrigerator Buying Guide

Kitchen appliances, especially refrigerators, are a long term investment and need careful thought before buying. There are so many things to consider, such as the door type, brand, capacity, and price before you make your decision. This refrigerator buying guide aims to make your job easier by helping you select the one that is right for you.

You’ll come across different kinds of models in the market today, such as top/bottom freezer, side-by-side, and French door refrigerators.

A side-by-side refrigerator has a freezer on one side and a refrigerator on the other. It has a large freezer capacity and has always been a popular choice among shoppers. Though they don’t score high in the energy-efficient department, they take up less space with their doors open. So if you have limited room in your kitchen, you should consider a side-by-side refrigerator. However, upper or top freezer models can accommodate large horizontal objects like pizza boxes or birthday cakes and are generally less expensive than side-by-side refrigerators. Top mount’s typically have smaller freezer compartments than the side-by-side models and if you don’t store much in the freezer, it would be an ideal option. The freezer compartment in bottom freezer refrigerators, on the other hand, is bigger than those in top freezer models. The most energy-efficient of the lot, they are also more convenient as their frequently-used refrigerator sections are at eye level. A French door refrigerator has two top sections with two side-by-side doors and a bottom freezer; so you don’t have to open the entire fresh food area whenever you want to store or take out food.

Once you have decided on the refrigerator type, the next thing that you must consider before buying a refrigerator is its capacity. Decide on the capacity based on the size of your family. If you are a family of two, then a compact refrigerator with around 8-10 cubic feet should be enough. A 14 cubic feet refrigerator is ideal for a family of 4. If you have a large family, then you probably need a refrigerator with 18-22 cubic feet or more. Make sure you are buying a refrigerator of the right size because a refrigerator that is too big and empty will waste energy and drive up your electricity bill. It’s always wise to buy a refrigerator that is Energy Star-qualified as well.

When you have made up your mind about the capacity, move on to the shelves. Some refrigerators have shelves that can be removed whereas others have shelves that can be adjusted without having to remove them. Some can even be reduced to half their depth with a slight push. Ice makers and dispensers are other important aspects to consider while buying a refrigerator. It is better to get models with through-the-door ice and water dispensers.

The next thing that you need to focus on while buying a refrigerator is features like frost–free operation, humidity and temperature controls, door/temperature alarms, water filtration systems, and condensation control. Many LG, Maytag, Haier, Whirlpool, and GE refrigerators incorporate these useful features.

What is THX?

THX is a company that was founded by none other than the legendary filmmaker George Lucas. His fans will probably recognize the company’s name from Lucas’ first film, THX 1138. However, many claim that THX is an acronym for Tomlinson Holman’s eXperiment. In the early 1980s, Lucas was dissatisfied by the audio and visual experience in theaters, so he had Holman, a sound engineer at Lucasfilm, develop new acoustic standards for movie theaters.

It is a common misconception that THX refers to some recording technology or a sound recording format. In its truest sense, THX is a standard mainly associated with high-quality sound reproduction for movie theaters, home theaters, gaming consoles, car audio systems, screening rooms, and computer speakers. In other words, THX certification is a quality assurance system for audio and video playback. If an audio device is THX certified, you will be able to listen to the audio exactly as the sound engineer intended it to be head. Sound recorded in any format, be it digital (Dolby Digital, SDDS) or analog (Dolby Stereo, Ultra-Stereo) is compatible with a THX system.

THX works with several manufacturers to develop products that enhance a viewer’s entertainment experience as well. THX certified devices include flat panel TVs, projectors, home theater systems, and more. A THX certified video device offers higher fidelity when it is in THX mode. The THX certified Panasonic TC-P50G10 Flat Panel Plasma TV is a fine example of a product that delivers noticeably better video output when it is set to THX mode. Both its reproduction of shadow details as well as primary colors and grayscale are so realistic; you’ll feel like you are looking at the real thing rather than watching it on your big screen.

Onkyo was the first manufacturer to release a THX certified integrated home theater system. Since then, other top brands have jumped on the bandwagon and now several manufactures offer home theater receivers with THX technology. The THX certified Pioneer Elite SC-09TX A/V Receiver, for example, has THX Ultra2 Plus and THX Loudness Plus. THX Loudness Plus uses a combination of two other THX technologies, THX Multi-channel Spectral Balancing and THX Dynamic Ambience Preservation, to ensure that the original sound mix is maintained at all volume levels. The end result is that the Pioneer receiver provides a more accurate listening experience. The receiver is also designed with Neural-THX Surround. This technology is especially important for gamers who seek the most immersive game play experience. It can take the audio of a next-gen game title and reproduce it in 7.1 surround.

Whether you are a videophile, music lover, or hardcore gamer, you should always get electronics with THX certification. They offer the highest levels of audio and video fidelity, hands down.

60Hz vs. 120Hz vs. 240Hz Televisions

The debate over which refresh rate is better for the ultimate viewing experience rages on. A TV’s screen refresh rate can be defined as the number of times an image is refreshed per second on the screen. This rate is measured in hertz (Hz), a unit of frequency. If the screen refresh rate of a television is 60Hz, it means that the image is refreshed 60 times per second. There are three main screen refresh rates: 60Hz, 120Hz, and 240Hz.

The screen refresh rate and the frame rate of a TV go hand-in-hand to create a better picture. The refresh rate should be a multiple of the frame rate. Many standard TVs have a 60Hz screen refresh rate. In America, most TV shows are broadcasted at a speed of 30 frames per second. In this case, a 60Hz television proves to be more than sufficient. Movies, on the other hand, are shot at a frame rate of 24 frames per second (fps). As 60 is not a multiple of 24, you may notice some flickering and motion blur while watching movies on a 60Hz TV, especially if it is an LCD. This phenomenon does not occur with plasma TVs because they use different methods to create the illusion of motion.

Most televisions available in the market today, especially LCDs, have a 120Hz refresh rate. This 120Hz refresh rate is preferred to 60Hz because it doubles the image speed and produces smooth video with better clarity. In order to reduce blurring, 120Hz LCD TVs use an interpolation technique known as motion estimation-motion compensation (MEMC). This technology creates a new frame between each of the original frames, so there is one interpolated frame for every true frame. As a result, there is a significant decrease in flickering and motion blur during fast motion video on 120Hz LCD TVs. The fact that 120 is a direct multiple of 24 does make a difference. So, the verdict of the 60Hz vs 120Hz television debate is that 120Hz LCD TVs are worth every penny if you watch movies at home.

The relatively new arrival to the market is the 240Hz LCD TV, which is designed to reduce motion blur more effectively than 120Hz LCD TVs. Manufacturers either use MEMC to double the 120Hz refresh rate, thus resulting in three interpolated frames for each true frame, or scanning backlight technology. With this technology, instead of interpolating the frame for a second time, MEMC is used once to get to 120Hz. A backlight that flashes on and off rapidly is then added to create a 240Hz refresh rate. The downside of the 240Hz LCD TV is that it also comes with a higher price tag.

The bottom line is that televisions with a 60Hz refresh rate are ideal for everyday TV viewing, models with a 120Hz refresh rate are better if you enjoy watching movies at home, and LCDs and LEDs with a refresh rate of 240Hz are the most expensive, but offer unparalleled clarity and detail during fast motion video sequences.

Make Your Life Easier with Front Load Washers & Dryers

Various manufacturers like Whirlpool, LG, GE, and Maytag are coming out with front load washers and dryers with innovative features that not only save you money, but make your life easier. Front load washers use far less water than their top loading counterparts.  This saves you money in two ways. Besides the obvious cost of water savings, they also use less power to dry your clothes because they spin at higher rpms and don’t have to wring out as much water. Most front loaders spin at speeds of 900 to 1300 rpms, whereas top load models have spin speed of 300 – 500 rpms.

Front load washers are constantly evolving and ushering in huge advancements in laundry technology. Standard top load washers usually come with only a handful of wash cycles, like heavy-duty, delicate, normal, and permanent press. Some of the new front loaders, however, have as many as a dozen wash cycles. These extra cycles, like antibacterial, rinse and spin, express wash, stains, baby care, steam, and bedding will definitely come in handy.  Several models utilize steam features that allow you bypass the dry cleaner & their harsh chemicals.

Besides the digital controls that most front loaders utilize there are several other new technological advancements that give you more precise control over your laundry.  Some units come with data cables that connect the washer & dryer so that once you transfer your clothes the dryer already knows the weight of the clothes, what type of wash cycle they were on, and how long they need to dry.

One of the most useful new features is the pedestals that font load washers and dryers sit on top of.  Although sold separately, these pedestals provide several functions.  Firstly, they lift the washer & dryer off the ground making them easier to load/unload.  Secondly, they give you more storage for things like dryer sheets, detergents, & stain removers. But, the most impressive benefit these pedestals afford you is detergent storage tanks.  Although only available from select manufacturers, they give you the ability to store months worth of detergent & fabric softener so that all you have to do is put your clothes in and hit start!  The washer is connected to the storage tank via a series of tubes and instantly knows how much detergent to release and at what time depending on your cycle settings.

With more and more front loading units coming to market and their features constantly evolving, top loading washers and dryers might become a thing of the past. Besides the obvious technological advances that make your life (and chores!) easier, these new front load washers and dryers are ushering in a new era of energy conservation & savings.

Netbooks vs Laptops

Netbooks are mini laptop computers designed specifically for basic applications like surfing the web, reading e-mails, word processing, and watching internet videos. These small compact laptops are not as powerful in terms of functionality as laptop computers.  Traditional laptops use faster processors then Netbooks and therefore, have more computing capabilities. You can run advanced programs and heavy applications on laptop computers that would cripple most Netbooks. However, Netbooks trade these capabilities for several interesting features that are persuading more and more users to abandon the traditional brief-case sized laptop.

Netbooks have a compact form factor of seven to ten inches, which results in unmatched portability. This drastic decrease in size when compared to traditional laptops is mostly due to the fact that most Netbooks don’t have optical CD/DVD drives.  Netbooks also utilize less complex hardware components that produce lower power consumption, longer battery life, and most importantly save you significant amounts of money when compared to laptop computers.

Just because Netbook hardware tends to be less complex or not as powerful doesn’t mean that it’s old or boring technology.  Several manufacturers have started using solid state storage in their Netbooks as opposed to traditional hard drives.  These solid state drives work in a similar fashion as a memory card for your phone or camera in that they have no moving parts.  This produces several advantages over traditional hard drives. Since there are no moving parts they are harder to break and tend to be much more rugged than traditional hard drives.  When used as the primary storage in a Netbook these drives also offer much faster boot times making your computer to “turn on” almost instantly.

These hardware tradeoffs are not necessarily a bad thing.  It is important to understand that Netbooks are engineered for different purposes than laptops. Laptops are built to be “mini” desktops that allow you all the function of a desktop in a portable unit.  Most laptops can handle graphics intensive tasks such as video editing or gaming that Netbooks aren’t intended for.  However, the freedom Netbooks offer users is attracting more and more traditional laptop customers interested in portability and more affordable pricing.

Experience Entertainment Like Never Before with Blu-ray Disc Players

Ever since Blu-ray won the format war, much has been said about Blu-ray discs. So, what exactly is a Blu-ray disc? It is nothing but an optical disc storage medium, which helps you record, rewrite, or playback high-definition video. It is called a Blu-ray disc because it uses a blue laser to read the disc.  It was originally designed, to replace the standard DVD format and was developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association, a consortium of makers of consumer electronics, computer hardware, and motion pictures.

You can save large amounts of data than traditional DVDs.  A single-layer Blu-ray disc can store up to 25 GB and a dual-layer disc can store 50 GB. The Blu-ray disc format can support multi-layer discs. You can fit about 9 hours of high-definition (HD) video and about 23 hours of standard-definition (SD) on a 50 GB disc.

Blu-ray disc players differs from a normal DVD player mainly in their ability to output video in high-definition format. They enable playback, recording, and rewriting of HD in all of the HD resolutions, including 1080p. All of the Blu-ray disc players are backwards compatible with DVD and will support upscaling of DVDs to 1080p/1080i. So you will be able to watch your old DVD collection.

In addition to all these, a Blu-ray disc player has a number of other advantages as well. With a Bonus View player (AKA profile 1.1) you can watch picture in picture commentary seeing bonus and making of content with out ever leaving the movie. Though an Internet connection is not needed for playback of Blu-ray movies, having a “BD Live” capable player (AKA profile 2.0) will give you access to extra features such as downloading bonus content, web browsing, or watching trailers.  Some manufacturers is are coming up with Netflix-streaming Blu-ray disc players today. So if you are a Netflix subscriber you can stream movies from the Netflix film library. Not only this, you can also access YouTube and Pandora content without using a PC. Most discs have “HD” audio as well, high resolution audio playback that is equal to the studio masters.

How to Buy a Flat Panel TV; What Features Are Important?

Flat panel televisions let you make maximum use of your space without compromising on picture quality. Our flat panel TV buying guide will help you choose the flat panel television that will best suit your needs. If you are trying to decide between Plasma/LCD/LED TVs, you should consider flat panel TV features like screen size, brightness and contrast, HD performance, aspect ratio, pixels & burn-in, flat panel resolution, and more.

TV Buying Tips

For those of you who are planning to buy small-screen flat panel TVs, LCDs are your best bet, seeing how plasma TVs start at 30 inches and LED TVs so far mostly available in larger sizes (40+ inches).  You should always choose a flat panel television that supports 720p or 1080i/p HD-resolution for better HD performance. If you want to get the most out of your HD content, LCDs are better because they support higher resolutions than most plasma TVs.

While LCDs score higher in brightness, plasma TVs have the upper hand when it comes to contrast and picture quality. For the best picture quality, look for a plasma TV with at least a 10,000:1 contrast ratio. If you watch a lot of movies on DVDs, then you should opt for a flat panel TV that features an aspect ratio of 16:9, else 4:3 televisions should do just fine.

One major disadvantage of plasma TVs is the burn-in effect produced by static images. If you are worried about this, then it’s better to go with LCDs. The risk of burn-in also makes LCDs a better choice for gaming than plasma TVs.

High altitudes of 6,500 feet and more can affect the performance of plasma TVs because the gas inside the TV’s pixels becomes stressed. Even though a few manufacturers have come out with plasmas that are specifically designed for high altitudes, you may have to dish out extra money for them. Unlike plasma TVs, LCDs are not affected by the altitude. So if you live at a higher altitude, then LCDs are better value for money.

If however you are interested in the newest technology available, you might want to check out LED TVs.  These Televisions are the “latest and greatest” to hit the market (also making them more expensive at this time).  LED TVs are billed as the sucessor to the LCD TV offering lower power consumption, slimmer sizes, longer lives, deeper & richer colors, as well as a host of next generation features such as UBS ports & Intenet connectivity.  You can read all about them in one of our previous posts, LED TVs – They are Here to Stay.

Digital SLR Cameras – Photography at its Best

Do you feel that you have got what it takes to be a professional photographer and go about taking pictures with your camera, only to be disappointed with the poor image quality? Then it is time you replaced your old camera with one of the latest digital SLR cameras.

SLR stands for single lens reflex, a lens system that uses a mirror, which is positioned behind the camera lens. The positioning directs the light towards the viewfinder when you are trying to compose a shot. As soon as you release the shutter, the mirror in these new SLR cameras swings out of the way and lets the light from the lens travel straight to the sensor, blacking out the viewfinder. What this means is that, with a digital SLR camera, you see exactly what the lens sees.

One of the main reasons why you should consider these new, smart digital cameras for professional photography is because, they can accommodate lenses of different focal lengths in a single camera. Other cameras make use of complex and expensive viewfinder mechanisms to cover a wider range of focal lengths. In these new SLR cameras, the “taking” and the “viewing” lens are same. So you won’t have to match the angle of view every time you take a picture, which makes your job a whole lot easier. Digital SLR cameras also have large image sensors to produce high-quality photos. Since they have a near-zero lag time, these new SLR cameras are ideal for action photography.

Even though these new, smart digital cameras are a bit expensive right now, every extra penny means an extra benefit. The advantages of using these new SLR cameras include better performance, greater lens versatility, better image quality, greater shooting flexibility, and more. You can choose either fixed-lens digital SLR cameras or interchangeable-lens full system digital SLR cameras, whichever best suits your need.