Daily Observation - Technology, Culture, Tips and Tricks

Reef has introduced its new Stash sandals that allow you to insert a limited number of personal items (ID, cash, etc.) in the sole of the sandal.  Pretty useful if you are somewhere where pockets are a problem (the beach maybe?).

This on the “heels” of a related innovation, the reef sandals with flask - which allow college students everywhere (of age of course) to clandestinely imbibe during the big game without being escorted out of the stadium by police.  Consequently, these sandals are probably not recommended for those suffering from athletes foot.  Yum.

Related Links:

Stash Sandals on LifeHacker.com

It appears that resellers of Paradigm Speakers (one of my favorite speaker brands) have finally wised up and raised prices.  Don’t get me wrong - I wish they hadn’t, but I had always been perplexed by how inexpensive these speakers were.  A recent visit to my local dealer (the only one in town) confirmed this, as the new lineup features a more expensive Paradigm Atom (the least expensive of the Monitor line) and a pricier Paradigm Titan (one of my absolute favorites).

But don’t despair, discriminating buyers can still find prior versions of these speakers on ebay for a steal.  I recommend, for the price, the Paradigm Titan v.3 (I owned these for years and was extremely happy with them).  However, even despite the recent price hike, I still think the current models are a fantastic bargain for the price.

Related Links:

Paradigm Titan Review on AudioReview.com

Here’s another find for those looking for great sound at a reasonable price.  Thinkgeek has the Sonic Impact T-amp for $69.99 (if you can ever find it in stock!).  The unit is a class T amplifier which, based on all of the information I have found online, has blown reviewers away ever since it was released in ‘05.  You’ll need high efficiency speakers to get the most out of it - but it sounds like it is well worth it.

According to the audio reviews, the price to performance ratio is almost unbelievable.  And, while I am a firm believer in “no free lunches”, this may be one of those rare hidden gems you should jump on before it’s gone.

Related Links:

Sonic Impact website

Here’s an awesome best buy coupon posted by one of my favorite sites, dealnews.com.  It allows you to take 10% off of the purchase of 1 item (you actually can take 12% off if you are a Rewards member).

There are some minimum purchase restrictions but I found them to be reasonable (e.g., $399 for home theater products, etc.).  If you are looking for a new HDTV this would be a good one to use (act fast though, it’s only good through July 28th).

Related Links:

DealNews.com

I’ve long been a fan of Cambridge Soundworks - a brand well known for creating high quality speakers (audio nerds and wanna-be audio nerds like myself will recognize the name of company cofounder Henry Kloss).

I’m an even bigger fan of the fact that the company (now owned by Creative) has decided to sell their products direct to customers again - cutting out any additional cost associated with distributors (the middle-men).

Bargain hunters will like their clearance section, where they resell open box and refurbished speakers (all of which have been thoroughly tested).  I’ve already blown quite a bit of coin on some fantastic deals like a pair of the Classic Series Model Six speakers for $127.49.  To be honest, these speakers sound incredible - especially given the price.

Related Links:

Cambridge Soundworks Clearance Outlet

It’s been a while since our last post (ok, so it has been quite a while since our last post) but we’re glad to say we’re back and ready to flap our jawbones again.  I know, I know, judging by the number of e-mails we’ve received asking when we’d start blogging again (0 to date) you’re asking yourself “why should I care?”.  The answer: Good question.

In a nutshell, we come across a lot of information that we believe readers will find useful.  Whether it’s the latest deal on certified pre-owned underpants or step-by-step instructions on how to make a computer out of duct tape, we’ll share it.  So, stay tuned - and don’t forget to bookmark our site!

The New York Times has an interesting article on the new website, 23andme.com, which allows users to purchase a profile of their genotype for around $1,000.  Interestingly enough, this company was started by the wife of one of Google’s founders.  So, the 800 pound gorilla of a question now is: would you want to know?  You can read the article here.

Much has been made about the highly publicized competition between Sony’s Blu Ray and HD DVD. However, Sony has an asset this time around that is going to make it extremely hard for the HD DVD camp to get an edge: The PS3.

If I am a parent, or just an average Joe, the bottom line is that I want to save money. If I am going to buy a game console, why not choose the one that already has a next generation DVD player built in? Xbox 360? Nope - you have to pay extra for an HD DVD add on. Wii? I am a big fan of the Wii - but nope. This is the reason I bought a PS3, and why many I have talked to have done the same. The point of least resistance is always a good bet.  Plus, they just lowered prices on the Playstation 3.

Combined with the fact that Blu Ray has more major studios in its camp, as well as a 2-to-1 sales advantage over HD DVD, I’d say (for now) that things look good for Sony.

Computer maker Dell Inc. has launched a new website that allows users to e-mail friends and family with requests to donate money for holiday gifts.  The site, YoursIsHere.com, will feature celebrity videos which can be embedded in e-mail and sent to a personal distribution list.  Celebrity cameos include Burt Reynolds, Ice T, as well as Estelle Harris (aka George Costanza’s mom from Sienfeld).

Not a bad idea in my opinion.  But, if Dell really wants to sell to this demographic, they need to throw an Eva Longoria or Tricia Helfer in the mix.  Plus, make it funny - everyone knows its an ad - they should play on that.  Oh, and one more thing, take the 50 most common first names and have the actor do a clip for each one.  Now that, that would get people talking.

Finally, for everyone who has toiled countless hours stringing audio cable around their living room (i.e., me), the wait is over. I found the Amphony Wireless Digital T-Amp at one of my favorite sites, ThinkGeek.com. Instead of running cables from your amplifier or receiver to your rear surround sound channels, you can now send the signal via wireless!

I know, I know, you’ve probably heard wireless speakers at your local electronics store and they sound awful. But this is different - you provide your favorite speakers, they provide the wireless transmitter and high quality amp. Amphony promises excellent digital sound up to 150 feet away via its class-T amplifier. Plus, since it transmits at 5.8 GHz it won’t mess with your wireless network!