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Honeywell to release 82-inch Altura LCD this fall
Soyo's been marketing poorly-reviewed LCDs under the Honeywell name in the US for a few months now, and it looks like it's going to try and make up in size what it's lacked thus far in quality: get ready for the 82-inch 1080p Altura LE to hit a shopping channel near you. Actually, get ready for quite a few Altura LEs, since they'll be offered in five screen sizes as Honeywell's "top of the line." Hopefully that means the poor black levels and shoddy, impossible-to-defeat image processing of the original Alturas have been improved, but honestly, we're not willing to let this 303-pound behemoth anywhere near our now-precious Kuro to find out.[Via HD Guru]
HSN secures coveted exclusive on new Honeywell branded LCDs
Remember that terrible Honeywell LCD reviewed a couple months back? Somehow SOYO and the HSN plan on convincing shut ins across the country that there will be a special debut February 7 as the Altura ML line hits the screen in 32- and 42-inch sizes with an extra long 5 year manufacturers warranty as its distinguishing feature. Who knows, maybe they've corrected the poor blacks, gamma and image processing that plagued the last model. We don't plan on picking up the phone and finding out.
Oklahoma town provides real-time streaming from cop cars, free WiFi to residents
Traffic wardens over in the UK have been wielding handheld camcorders for well over a year now, but Ponca City, Oklahoma is making waves here in America with a slightly more sophisticated alternative. In conjunction with Honeywell, the town is implementing a broadband mesh network comprised of over 490 wireless nodes and gateways from Tropos Networks, and aside from providing free WiFi to some 30 square miles of residents, it's also hoping to use the abundant connectivity to help public safety. For instance, the city has installed wireless video cameras in police vehicles so "dispatchers and supervisors can monitor activities during traffic stops, and quickly deploy additional officers and resources if necessary." 'Course, that's just the official word -- everyone and their mother knows this is just the beginning of "C.O.P.S.: Live in Oklahoma."[Via Slashdot, image courtesy of CanMag]
Honeywell's 42-inch Altura MLX HDTV gets dreadful review
We know what you're thinking: "A Honeywell HDTV?" Sad to say, the answer is "yes, really," and it fared about as terribly as you probably expected it to. The 42-inch Altura MLX, which is formally known as the MT-HWJCT42B2AB, was recently critiqued by the crew over at CNET, and honestly, all's that really important is the summary. The relatively low price ($1,064 MSRP) and accurate primary colors were minor wins, but the light blacks, incorrect gamma, impossible-to-turn-off dejudder processing, poor off-angle performance, no backlight control and a bevy of other niggles planted it squarely in the "mediocre" category. In other words: "Next?"
AV8OR Multi-Function Display works well on highways, friendly skies
Okay, so the vast majority of you won't be needing a navigation unit that also provides pertinent information while cruising several thousand feet above your nearest freeway, but for the amateur pilots out there looking for the best of both worlds, take notice. Bendix/King's AV8OR is a self-proclaimed handheld Multi-Function Display, which gives pilots "enhanced situational awareness" by providing "real-time satellite weather information, topographic terrain and aeronautical navigation information." You'll also find more traditional GPS capabilities suitable for ground transportation routes, and the 4.3-inch display ought to be large enough for most. 'Course, the $749 price tag will likely keep most non-pilots at bay, but those thinking of picking up an ultralight aircraft probably won't flinch at such a comparatively minute figure.
Honeywell offers Crystal series subwoofer cable
Okay, it's not "self-healing" or anything like that, but Honeywell has added subwoofer interconnects to its Crystal Series of HT cabling products. Subwoofer cables are pretty standard fare, but we've got to give credit to Honeywell for not over-inflating the marketing hype. With the low bandwidth requirements and run lengths that tend to be on the long side (and often next to power cords), shielding is probably the most important design consideration for subwoofer interconnects; and true to form, that's exactly what the press blurb emphasizes. The 100-percent foil shield combined with a 95-percent tinned copper braid should do a good job of keeping the hum out. The cables come complete with the requisite 24-karat gold plated RCA terminations in 5- and 10-meter lengths. No info on pricing -- hopefully the lack of marketing hype around the product nets some savings at the register.
Hovering drone could report for work at Miami-Dade police station
We didn't even flinch when we heard that hovering drones employed by Big Brother were going to work in the UK, but somehow those buggers have managed to wander over to America's east coast. Granted, the pilotless drones -- crafted with good intentions by Honeywell -- that are slated to report in to the Miami-Dade police department aren't exactly the same, but they are expected to be used for similar duties. More specifically, they'll be loosed in order to oversee "urban areas with an eye toward full-fledged employment in crime fighting." According to a department spokesman, the fuzz are only looking to use it in "tactical situations as an extra set of eyes," but don't be shocked to see flashing lights from a vehicle without wheels next time you're rolling (a little too) quick down South Beach.
Honeywell intros HDMI over CAT5 in-wall baluns
We've griped about HDMI before, but it's not a standard that's going to go away anytime soon and it does make for a convenient, all-in-one A/V connection. But non-captive plugs aside, cable lengths beyond about 50-feet are a dicey proposition without resorting to extra hardware. Enter Honeywell's new HDMI-to-CAT5 baluns, which enable you to distribute your HDMI whole-house stye in a package that's more decor-friendly than other solutions. The single gang wall plate style devices allow you to pipe 1080p signals up to 125-feet over CAT5 cable, and 200-feet if you've pulled CAT6 through the walls. The baluns have Honeywell's CURxE "self-healing" technology, so corrupted EDID or HDCP data is restored at the receiving end and troubleshooting of other signal issues is available. If you're building a new home or pulling new wires through old walls, look for these in mid-December (hey, that's now -- start looking!).
Honeywell seeks to use brainwaves to more quickly analyze intelligence data
In a scenario that could have been ripped straight from the pages of Chuck, Honeywell is apparently hoping to monitor analysts' brains in order to more hastily break down intelligence data. The project, which is being supported by DARPA, seeks to key in on electrical activity in the brain in order to flag images as potentially interesting / useful before the human can actually determine what's what. Head mounted sensors would be used to "detect brain signals associated with the recognition of targets analysts are looking for," and the goal would be to increase productivity and help military / intelligence agencies analyze imagery more effectively. Of course, we've no idea how the system will differentiate between a legitimate signal and one triggered by the rumbling of one's belly, but we're sure Honeywell is all over it. [Warning: read link requires subscription]
Honeywell, in cooperation with the Borg, develop self-healing HDMI cable
Yesterday there was Monster Cable's Speed-Rated HDMI cables and today, Honeywell's CURxE self-healing cable. Sounds like someone in the marketing department decided that the error correcting built into the HDMI spec wasn't good 'nough and told the engineers to incorporate a little chip into the cable. Of course brightly colored LEDs were added to help potential suckers justify the extra expense. The last set of enhanced HDMI equipped with LEDs and "chips" didn't help the picture at all; it made the picture worse. We don't know how much these HDMI cables are going to retail for or when they are going to be available but honestly, even if we did, we highly doubt anyone would rush out and pick a set up. We have a bad feeling with CEDIA right around the corner, this is only the beginning of off the wall, greed-driven HDMI marketing.
