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Harman Kardon's transparent GLA-55 2.0 speaker set gets glaring $1,000 price tag
Look, we've no qualms with Harman Kardon -- in fact, we've been continually impressed with its wares over the years -- but we're about 99 percent sure we'd never pay a cool grand for a 2.0 speaker set. Yeah, as in a pair of speakers and no subwoofer. Clearly designed for "high-end consumers," the GLA-55 is a two piece setup meant for fashion-forward desks and bedroom nightstands. The set relies on Atlas AL and CMMD transducers, with the former capable of nearly 1-inch peak-to-peak travel for what we're told is exceptional bass response. That said, we find it tough to fathom that a pair of speakers such as this could really be worth the $999.99 MSRP, but we'll be sure to withhold final judgment until Jim Goodnight (or similar) brings over his dog's set for us to try out. %Gallery-79764%
The Queue: A curse upon you, interlopers
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft.Another Tuesday, another maintenance. As much as I'd like to write something amusing here to entertain you on your slow, boring day, I've got nothin'. Bone dry. I'm like the freaking Shimmering Flats here. Well, you know, like the north parts. Not the south parts with that little lake. Just the dry stuff, people. ...Oh, screw it.Jamesisgreat asked...Now I've hit level 80 and am looking at all the loot available to me as a feral druid, I've spotted a few of the PvP pieces that you can purchase with just honor. So my question is - where's the best place to grind honor nowadays? AV? Wintergrasp? Elsewhere?
Alterac Valley, the Battle-less Battleground
So much for Alterac Valley. With the Battleground Holiday this weekend, it was expected that a lot of players would be queuing up to farm their Honor points. I had looked forward to a lot of combat and hopefully rack up those Honorable Kills in the hopes of inching closer to the magic 100,000 number for a future Achievement. I know I said Alterac Valley was the place to farm HKs. Well, I was wrong.Alterac Valley is the Battleground to join if you want to avoid PvP. I've been part of countless Alterac Valley races before, but these past few days have been ridiculous. Not only do players ride past each other -- that's expected in races -- but in the times I have engaged, players even run away. If they had Achievements already in the game, I would have unlocked The Sickly Gazelle over and over.
The Art of War(craft): A guide to obtainable PvP Achievements before Wrath
If you've been paying close attention to the Wrath of the Lich King Beta -- and let's be honest, how could you not? We've been covering it like crazy over here are WoW Insider -- then you might have noticed that Blizzard will be implementing a nifty little feature called Achievements. Of course, the first thing that jumped out at me (and probably you, too, since you're reading this column) were the PvP Achievements. I didn't plan to pursue Achievements actively. Not before I heard about the PvP Achievements, anyway. Now, it's one of the things I can't stop thinking about... more accurately, I can't stop thinking of how to complete them. There are quite a bunch of PvP Achievements to pursue, and most of them will only be tracked once the expansion goes live. But there are also some achievements that you can start working on right now because they'll be tracked retroactively (as far as I can tell). Let's take a look at those Achievements so you can get them out of the way before Wrath.One word of caution: all these Achievements are in beta and can change at any time before (and possibly after) the Wrath launch. So proceed at your own risk.
Uniden introduces 19-inch Hello Kitty LCD TV, parents weep
We'd generally assume this was just some kind of sick joke, but given Uniden's history of cranking out kid-lovin', themed LCD TVs, we're being forced to accept the fact that this here unit is indeed real. The TL19TX1 is all set to launch next month in black or white and feature a 19-inch 1,440 x 810 resolution display, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, integrated digital TV tuner, twin 3-watt speakers, HDMI / component / composite inputs and enough Hello Kitty branding to make the average guy gag. Over in Japan, the unit will be selling for ¥69,800 ($647), but who knows how much it'll cost for you to import it. And yes, you'll be importing one for your little angel.[Via CrunchGear]
McAfee report reveals the most dangerous web domains
In an era where clicking on the wrong link while browsing the web could mean your account will get hacked, and one of your guild members clicking on the wrong link means your guild bank could get emptied as well, it's always good to protect yourself and keep abreast of web security issues. In that vein, it's worth checking out a new report released by McAfee called Mapping the Mal Web Report Revisited. It tested 9.9 Million websites in 265 domains to find out which ones had a higher risk of exposing visitors to malware, spam, and malicious attacks via a red, yellow, and green system.
Harman Kardon intros The Bridge II iPod / iPhone docking station
Almost three years after The Bridge was unveiled, the unit's successor has finally emerged. Harman Kardon chose today to announce the simplistically named The Bridge II, which effectively connects compatible iPods and the iPhone to any H/K The Bridge-ready component. Once connected, you'll find obligatory audio / video playback through your home entertainment system as well as on-screen iPod menus, remote control operation and charging. Folks looking for the standalone unit can acquire one this summer for $129, though it will be bundled right in with the AVR 354 receiver.
Hello Kitty washing machine won't make your garb any cuter
Scary how long it's been since we've seen any new gadgetry with Her Cuteness splashed all over it, huh? Or maybe the sight of an actual Hello Kitty washing machine is what's really terrifying. Regardless, Sanrio is now marketing a washer sure to be purchased by only the hardest of hardcore fanatics, and while we've nary a clue what kind of features the unit actually possesses, we won't kid ourselves and suggest that it even matters.
HKO: Dream Studio
I'm really excited that we'll be posting about Hello Kitty Online. I took some time to check out their fantastic Dream Studio. Dream Studio is a great resource for displaying your graphical talent to the Hello Kitty Online readers. There are many really fun videos in the Dream Studio, and everyone is welcome to share their creations. It's free to join the Hello Kitty Online community at Sanriotown. I found this video for XO-Man. This movie is a part of a series of Hello Kitty and Friends Adventures videos. I think XO-Man is the best super hero ever! He has all of the characteristics I look for in a super hero. He's brave, cute, and strong. Most importantly he wears a cape and he's got a plan. I love the part where he knocks back all of the big, mean alligators in the video. I love that he's totally looking out for the little guy. XO-man, you're my hero! Animal-Lover showed multiple talents in the following video. Not only can she make a super pretty video, but she can bake beautiful Kawaii Kupcakes too. She describes her video as "Cute and lovley cupcakes that I have baked all by myself." Check out all the amazing talent over at Dream Studio!
Breakfast Topic: Should there be honor in PvP?
And by honor I don't mean the honor-as-currency system that's currently in the game -- I mean a sense of personal honor as in, there are things you make a conscious decision to avoid doing just as a moral gesture. I thought of this recently after a truly miserable losing streak in Arathi Basin. I wound up in three consecutive matches with a full complement of 15 Alliance players to 7 or 8 Horde (with both sides being PuG's, mind you). Being out-numbered and out-gunned sucks no matter what, but it's made immeasurably worse in places like Arathi Basin and EOTS due to the dwindling number of sites you'll have to rez when your side is being utterly destroyed. There was one particularly awful game where the Alliance decided to see how much honor they could get from us before the inevitable 4 or 5-cap ensuring their victory, and simply zerged us in the graveyard as we rezzed (or tried to). The feeling was made worse by knowing, having also played Alliance in BG's, that Horde would almost certainly have done the same thing had the situation been reversed. PvP is the subject of a lot of emotional dicussion in the WoW community as a result of situations like these, and I think we can all agree that it's not the losses that drive you nuts so much as knowing that the game is full of places and times where no amount of strategy or skill will keep you alive.There are a lot of things in PvP that I just don't like being a part of. I don't attack fellow Druids unless I'm attacked first (yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but a surprising number of Druids subscribe to this). I don't join in when an enemy player is obviously being dog-piled. I don't /spit on opposing players or do other rude emotes, and I don't participate in griefing. There's not much about WoW's PvP system that's really all that fair to begin with, especially when compared to games more explicity designed around PvP combat, but in the back of my mind there's still that notion that your opponent should at least have a sporting chance. I risk being called a hopeless carebear for this statement, but I think "honorable kills" are a lot more enjoyable when there's a measure of actual honor involved.
Hello Kitty AR-15 assault rifle makes you wish it was Photoshopped
If the Disintegrator had you quivering in your combat boots, we'd recommend grabbing a bullet proof vest and having a seat for this one. Apparently, a fellow in California has dressed up a (legal) AR-15 assault rifle in Hello Kitty fashion for his better half, and while it'd be way too easy to pass this off as a fantastic Photoshop job, the pictures awaiting you in the read link definitely prove otherwise. Cute never looked so evil. [Via CNET]
Harman Kardon intros CP 65, CP 60 and CP 55 HTIB systems
Got a hankering for a new home theater system? Too pressed to go out and piece together one yourself? Harman Kardon feels your pain, and it's offering up a trio of new HTIB systems to make things easier for you. Up first in the new CP series is the CP 55, which includes an AVR 146 receiver and the DVD 38 DVD-Audio / Video player, which includes 1080i upscaling. Moving on, we see the CP 60, which bundles the AVR 247 with the 1080p upconverting DVD 48 universal DVD player. Lastly, the CP 65 utilizes the same DCDi-enhanced player as the CP 60 but throws in the AVR 347 receiver. Catch the trifecta right now for $1,199, $1,399 and $1,899, respectively.
Bicycle tire rocks Hello Kitty tread pattern, world wonders why
Just when you thought Hello Kitty had touched everything she possibly could, along comes a bicycle tire (of all things) to prove you wrong. Stock up now for $25.99 apiece.[Via OhGizmo, image courtesy of Nirve]
Hello Kitty gets her own automatic toilet paper dispenser
Sadly, automatic toilet paper dispensers are nothing new to this gadget-crazed world, but the latest from Sanrio puts a bizarre twist on an already zany contraption. The Hello Kitty TP dispenser is gushing with obligatory cuteness and can be programmed to dole out exactly the right amount of paper with each button press; of course, there really should be a couple of buttons to satisfy the whole family, but we digress. The unit reportedly rings up at around $220, which sounds about two bills too high unless you're already devoted to collecting all things adorned with Ms. Kitty. Ah well, at least your Hello Kitty toilet paper won't seem so out of place now, right?
Okwap's C150T gets mauled by Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty has certainly claimed her fair share of cellphones in the past, but she's going totally diva on the Okwap C150T. From top to bottom, side to side, this GSM handset is smothered in cuteness, and reportedly, it boasts a built-in media player, a two-megapixel camera, and a myriad Hello Kitty themes / backgrounds. Regrettably, there's no word on a price just yet, and it's doubtful you'll find this thing anywhere in America, but go on and click through for shots of the interface if you just can't get enough.[Via AkihabaraNews]
Hello Kitty claims two more Epson laptops
It's bad (or good, depending on perspective) enough that Hello Kitty has claimed one Epson laptop as its own, but now fanboys and girls can select two other A4 machines to flesh out their collection. Aside from touting heaps of monogrammed cuteness, these machines reportedly weigh in at 6.6-pounds and include a 1.73GHz Intel Celeron M processor, 80GB of hard drive space, 1GB of RAM, and Windows Vista. Seems a little weak considering the ¥189,000 ($1,640) price tag, but it's hard to assign a dollar value to such a design scheme, right? Click on for another color.
Harman Consumer Group's CEDIA booth tour
Harman Consumer Group, which holds H/K, Infinity, JBL, and Audioaccess under its umbrella, erected an expansive booth at this year's CEDIA. Unsurprisingly, home theater and in-wall speakers dominated the space, but quite a few amplifiers, receivers, and home control units were seen posing, too. Most notable among the noise was Infinity's PS212W (its first wireless subwoofer), Audioaccess' revamped W.H.E.N. (Whole-House Entertainment Network), an absolutely gigantic JBL loudspeaker, and a demo station that highlighted the H/K DMC 1000 media PC's ability to control content in four separate zones. Enough chatter, why not take a peek for yourself?%Gallery-7141%
Unlocked iPhones now available in Hong Kong -- cost arm, leg
Just how bad do ya want an iPhone, punk? Yeah, we're talking to you, Mr. Hong Kong Resident, because they're now available in your neck of the woods -- if the price is right, anyway. Supposedly unlocked examples of Apple's mobile gem (which we're starting to believe is really possible, even if this picture doesn't definitively prove it) are floating around the territory for a stiff $2,000, though that number falls to $750 if you can supply the phone yourself and bring it in just for the unlocking service. Still, though, you'd better really want one.[Via Gearfuse]
Sanrio offers up Hello Kitty body fat meter
For those of you still itching to get in on the Wii Sports exercise regimen, but are without any way to measure how many pounds you'll actually melt off, Sanrio's got you covered. Sure, you could waltz right into just about any retailer and pick up a vanilla scale, but the Hello Kitty body fat meter weighs your body in a whole new dimension of cute. Available in a trio of versions ranging from digital to analog to an actual "cooking" version, the device doesn't actually function any differently than the non-adorable varieties, but who wouldn't be motivated to shed a few pounds and have Hello Kitty smile back at you in celebration? The BF-071-KT scale (pictured) should be available in Japan soon for a price (¥6,000; $49) that only the passionate could appreciate.[Via UberGizmo]
Harman Kardon GPS-300 navigation system loves your media
Currently, not too much is known about Harman Kardon's forthcoming Guide + Play unit, and if not for a brief pre-order page listed at Amazon, we may all still be in the dark. Keeping with H/K's mantra, this GPS navigation holds routing closest to its heart, but it's certainly not ashamed of its media-centric side.The device features a four-inch WQVGA touchscreen, turn-by-turn directions, English / Spanish / French language support, maps of the US and Canada, and a color-coded menu scheme. Additionally, you'll find a "compact flash card slot" to load up your tunes, as the MP3 / WMA audio player sports its own dedicated screen to showcase album art and other details about the current song. Notably, there's even a separate screen to manually adjust the ratio of music volume to navigator volume in case you're just not kosher with that robotic guide breaking up the flow in a overly loud way. Although we've seen nothing official, it looks like the GPS-300 will be available to ship in around "four to six weeks," and the $299.95 pricetag isn't too shabby, either.[Via GPSReview]
