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Hyperloop Pod Competition winner hits over 200MPH
Adjacent to SpaceX headquarters, 25 teams gathered for another Hyperloop Pod Competition. This time the winner would be judged by how quickly they could go down the 1.25 kilometer (about .77 miles) track. On the final day of competition, three teams advanced to the finals and had the chance to push their pod to the limit.
The best soundbar
By Chris Heinonen and Dennis Burger This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. After conducting a thorough survey of Wirecutter readers and combining those insights with extensive research and testing, we think the Sonos Playbar is the right soundbar for most people. The Playbar sounds fantastic and it's easier to set up and operate than any other soundbar we've tested.
The best gear for your living room home theater
By Grant Clauser This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. Everyone loves watching a great movie on a big screen with a kickass speaker system, but few would complain about losing the sticky floors, uncomfortable seats, and kids with smartphones (unless they're your own kids). We spent thousands of hours on research and testing to find the best-looking and -sounding home theater equipment to upgrade your living-room movie-watching experience from simply functional to highly enjoyable. (We have recommendations for a dedicated theater space as well in our full review).
Crowdfunding Roundup: Unbreakable smart door locks and powerful purses
Each week, TUAW provides readers with an update on new or significant crowdfunded Apple-related projects in the news. While our policy is to not go into detail on items that haven't reached at least 80 percent of their funding goal, this update is designed to give readers a heads-up on projects they might find interesting enough to back. Being a fan of both home security and smartphone-controlled locks, I was very intrigued with this week's first entry. Haven is something a bit different for a lock, replacing the standard deadbolt with a wedge that is almost impossible to budge once it's locked. They show that about the only way you're going to get in through a door locked with Haven is with an axe ... and only after a lot of work. The project is 17 percent funded with a month to go, but I think this is worthy of support. Now, I can actually say that I have seen everything. Digitsole is a campaign (and Kickstarter Staff Pick) that brings the world of connected devices to your feet. It's a "connected insole", used to warm your feet, track your distance, and count how many calories you've burned. Digitsole is funded, currently at 154 percent of goal with over a month to go. Now for a couple of game projects. First up is Paradigm, billed as a surreal adventure game set in "post apocalyptic Eastern Europe with an ugly mutant protagonist and an evil sloth antagonist." Some of the backers will actually have their likeness included in the game, and there are other benefits if you put your wallet behind this project. It's currently at 172 percent funding with 11 days to go. Our other game is an awesome role-playing game called Star Traders 2. The team behind the project says "We've mingled inspirations from genre-defining series like Firefly and Battlestar Galactica, books like Dune, and games like Mass Effect, Pirates!, and Dwarf Fortress." The primary inspiration? The original Star Traders RPG. It's 69 percent funded with only 8 days to go. Come on, gamers! And now something for our more fashionable geekettes: Everpurse, a stylish purse with a charging dock built into it. Just slide your iPhone 5 or 6 (not sure it's big enough for the 6 Plus) into the charging pocket and you'll get up to 96 hours of juice. When the purse itself needs a charge, just drop it onto a tray for wireless charging. Unfortunately, Everpurse is only 6 percent funded with a month to go in the campaign. Step it up, ladies! I like seeing projects that are over goal and just about ready to launch. That's the case with Verve2, by inXus interactive out of Irvine, CA. Verve2 is billed as "LEGOs of the future" allowing you to "Create amazing projects by plugging the world around you to your computer or internet." It comes with a pile of sensors; force, touch, pushbutton, light, turn, motion, magnet, sound, and temperature. There's also a DIY sensor! It's perfect for students or anyone who wants to futz around with stuff. It's 301 percent funded with just 4 days to go. Last this week is another educational project, this one aimed at girls to get them interested in coding. Vidcode lets girls learn programming by letting them create video effects with code. The Kickstarter campaign will let the developers create more content for Vidcode users and deliver the first real product to schools. But this project needs your help, as it's only 43 percent funded with 26 days to go. Let's push it over the top! We'll be back next Thursday for another roundup of crowdfunded projects that you can support or ignore. Many thanks again to Hal Sherman for providing some tips about new and exciting projects, and if you're aware of any other crowdfunded Apple-related projects, be sure to let us know about them through the Tip Us button at the upper right of the TUAW home page for future listing on the site.
Adventure game Paradigm stars a mutant hero and sloth villain
Paradigm is an in-development point-and-click adventure from Jacob Janerka, an independent game developer from Australia. To call it "surreal" would not encompass the sheer absurdity on display here. In Paradigm, players control a lab-grown mutant who dreams of becoming the best electronic musician in the world. Along his journey to produce his EP (and save the world), he'll come across a beatboxing eggplant, a pug who is also a professional wrestler, and an evil sloth with Donald Trump hair named Olof. Janerka is currently seeking $14,000 AUD on Kickstarter to finish his game, and at time of writing, his campaign has amassed just more than $8,000 AUD, with 22 days left for backers to pledge. If you want to get an idea of the game's quality before you fork over your cash though, there's a downloadable alpha available via the Kickstarter page. Paradigm is slated to be completed and shipped mid-2015 on Windows, Mac and Linux. Paradigm is also on Steam Greenlight, awaiting enough votes so that it may appear on Valve's digital store. You can check out the game's Kickstarter pitch video after the break.
Paradigm ships its Special Edition speakers
The winning record Paradigm's Special Edition (SE) series of speakers racked up in blind testing piqued our interest, but now it's time for John Q. Public to take the taste test. If the promise of Studio-like sonics at Monitor-ish price points holds, the SE series should help Paradigm add customers to its ranks, that's for sure. If you're chasing after a matched surround setup, it's simple -- pick between bookshelf (SE 1, $299 each) or floorstander (SE 3, $699 each) left/right channels, and then add in an SE center ($499), SE subwoofer ($699), and additional SE 1s as surrounds to your heart's content. As you'd expect from Paradigm, there's some emphasis on high-efficiency -- so you can bet that these will sing well together, even with a smaller amp. Judging from the press photo, the cabinets are a little boxy, but the glossy finish (in slimming black, no less) and radiused edges should help you sneak these into your setup. Full press release after the break.
Paradigm SUB 1 and SUB 2 subwoofers -- six drivers on three sides for buzz-free bass
Paradigm doesn't move models in and out of its Reference Signature lineup very often, and the SUB 25 was introduced less than a year ago. Progress never stops, though, and the SUB 25 has been displaced as top dog by the SUB 2 and its "little" brother SUB 1. These new designs feature six drivers (10-inches in the SUB 2, 8-inches for the SUB 1) arranged in three radially symmetric stacked pairs -- the end result being a lot of effective radiating area with in-cabinet forces that balance each other out. In the real world, that means more boom and less buzz, especially with the kilowatt range Class D amps Paradigm includes in these subs. Yeah, we want one too, but even with just six drivers this isn't going to come cheap. The $3,500 price tag on the SUB 1 is comparable to the outgoing SUB 25, but the SUB 2 will sink your wallet to a $7,500 crush depth. Pick yourself up off the floor and read the full release after the break if you're interested.
Paradigm's SE 1 speaker backs up its value proposition in blind testing
Punching above your weight in the $1,000-per speaker realm is impressive, but it's largely irrelevant because it's just too expensive for most people, period. Don't feel bad, though, Paradigm's forthcoming SE series sits between the brand's Studio and Monitor lines, below the kilobuck mark, and promises to sound fabulous. The company will be showing of its forthcoming $300 (per speaker) SE 1 bookshelf model at CEDIA this week, which in its final testing has been racking up subjective listening wins over competition in the $1,000 range. In controlled tests against a much more expensive and a cheaper set of speakers, the SE 1 has posted an impressive record of 492 wins, with only six losses to the more expensive speaker. Critics may cry foul at the home-test results, and we wouldn't say that there's any one "best" speaker; but this is really about Paradigm testing its SE 1 against market competition and at the very least this performance warrants a place on your audition list. Hit the link for the full details; you've got time to make a decision -- the SE 1, SE 3 ($700, floorstanding), SE Center ($500) and SE Sub ($700) won't ship until sometime after CEDIA.
Paradigm puts its name to version 3 of its Reference Signature lineup
Sitting atop Paradigm's range of speakers is the Reference Signature series which while not cheap, have historically offered up performance that bests many speakers that cost way more. The propellerheads at Paradigm have been busy refining things and have released the third version of these speakers as, you guessed it, Reference Signature v.3. The previous two versions have set a high standard, but the third time's a charm. Paradigm engineers are promising a 3dB increase in sensitivity thanks to new driver materials, motor designs and plenty of design time using finite element analysis. That should bring plenty of sound from a handful of Watts, and hopefully will translate into some serious dynamic range when paired with an appropriate amp. Based on precedence, these should be great if you can swing the cash -- check the full details after the break and pick a winner.
Paradigm's new Reference Hybrid Millenia speakers split the in/on wall difference
Oh, what's a well-heeled audiophile who's also a fashionista to do about speakers? If you're in the enviable position of having to decide between top-notch in-wall and on-wall speakers, why not split the difference with Paradigm's new Reference Hybrid Millenia 10 and 20 speakers? These new models literally straddle the divide: part of the speaker is recessed into the wall so you get the benefits of a completely-designed enclosure, and about 1.5-inches protrudes into the room, getting the drivers out-of-plane with the wall without making your speakers envious of that new flat panel during the "thin is in" competition. Well, at least until OLEDs come into the living room. The LCR Hybrid Millenia 10 and 20 sport drivers that enjoy the full benefit of Paradigm's wizardry with materials and design, and come priced at $379 and $529 each, respectively. Would you expect anything less than a great compromise from a Canadian company? Full details and some more pics after the break.
Hertz so good -- Paradigm Signature SUB 25 subwoofer review
We've had Paradigm's top-end Signature SUB 25 in our room for quite a while now, but trust us, coming to grips with how this beast performs has been truly challenging. Obviously, it goes really low, really loud -- the combination of a 15-inch front-mounted driver, an amp capable of cranking out 3,000-Watts (if your electrical service is up to snuff), and Paradigm's design and engineering chops pretty much guarantees that much. But after the novelty of cranking up the bass and making everything in the room rattle wears off, you've got to integrate the bass with the rest of your system. How well a sub can pull off this disappearing act is the true test of its worth. Read on to find out how well Paradigm's big dog pulled off this stunt.
Paradigm's Monitor 9 v.6 takes its turn in front of the AVGuide judges
It looks like the crew at AVGuide is making its way through a drop shipment of Paradigm gear this week, and Paradigm's Monitor 9 v.6 floorstander did its part to hold up the company's rep. There's no shortage of competition in the $1,000 per pair price bracket, but the review credited the $949/pair Monitor 9 v.6s with delivering all the traits you'd expect of a speaker at the heart of Paradigm's floorstanders -- impact, dynamics, bass reach and volume; priorities that tend to fit quite nicely into HT applications. Interestingly, the reviewer also found the Monitor 9s to be a little darker in overall character with a somewhat laid back character -- something we've never experienced from a Paradigm speaker, but we're sure many consumers will appreciate. At this price point, you've got to make some compromises based on your priorities, but it sounds like Paradigm got a lot of things right in this model. (Stablemate Monitor 11 v.6 pictured)
Paradigm's Studio 60 v.5 5.1-channel speaker system gets a big thumbs up
Our highly unscientific field study of fellow HT enthusiasts who crave really good audio shows that there are two camps -- those who say good things about Paradigm speakers and those who have never heard Paradigm speakers. By reading AVGuide's review of the Paradigm Studio v.5 5.1-channel system (yes, the whole kit including the Studio 60 floorstanders, CC-490 center, ADP-590 surrounds and a SUB 12), the company can expect to add more relatively well-heeled customers to its roster. The $6,200 package turned in a great performance that will appeal to those who favor a neutral frequency response and with well-defined imaging, characteristics that should fare well in HT and audio-only applications alike. Just be sure to audition speakers that have seen about 20-hours of audio before passing judgment -- the treble on Paradigms can be kind of "hot" out of the box. Admittedly, $6k for a speaker setup these days is nothing to sneeze at, but don't confuse price with value; it sounds like the fifth generation of the Studio line has closed in on the top-end Signature series of speakers.EDIT: photo updated.
Paradigm SUB 25 subwoofer hands-on
The Paradigm Signature SUB 25 looked small enough in the back of the freight truck, but by the time it was at our front door, all 150-pounds of it seemed appropriately intimidating. If you're fortunate enough to have one of these $4,000 beasts delivered to you, we recommend you get a friend to help with setup. All the better if that friend happens to be an electrician -- have them install 15A, 250V service to the living room so you can make use of that other power cord and test out the 3,000-Watt amplifier spec. The SUB 25 is menacingly handsome in glossy black and built like a tank; unfortunately, the grille is also fixed, so no pics of the 15-inch driver. Around back are RCA and XLR inputs and adjustment controls, but we'd recommend you spring an extra $300 for the Perfect Bass Kit and automatically get your SUB 25 dialed in via its USB port. Even though it's nowhere near cheap, that doesn't mean the SUB 25 can't present value to well-heeled bassheads, and we'll try to suss that out over the coming weeks. Feel free to peruse the photos after the break while we grab some ibuprofen for our aching backs and alert the neighbors (not necessarily in that order).
High-end brands Anthem and SI officially tie the knot
It certainly didn't take long for US-based projector screen manufacturer SI and Canadian electronics provider Paradigm to make their new partnership official. The two high-end oriented companies unveiled their plans at CES, but Paradigm is now officially the worldwide distributor of SI's motorized, fixed and curved screens. Although sadly out of our own financial reach, this sounds like a good arrangement for the two companies as they look to provide one-stop shopping convenience for well-heeled HT buffs. With Paradigm speakers, Anthem electronics, Anthem-branded JVC projectors and SI screens in the mix, a tasy -- if expensive -- HT combo can definitely be cooked up.
Engadget's recession antidote: win a Paradigm Cinema 70 CT surround system!
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff / companies stop sending things. Today we've got totally bodacious Paradigm Cinema 70 CT 5.1 surround system to let loose, offering up everything you need (on the audio front, anyway) to convert your den into the party palace. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting!Special thanks to Paradigm for providing the gear!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) Paradigm Cinema 70 CT surround system. Approximate value is $649. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Monday, March 23rd, 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
Paradigm's SUB 12 and SUB 15 subwoofers promise to dive deep, make a big splash
Replacing the well-regarded Servo-15 and Seismic 12 subwoofers, Paradigm has brought in the SUB 12 and SUB 15 to bring joy to your HT room. Borrowing some tech from the positively scary Signature SUB 25, the two new models are able to do away with the servo feedback-control while posting better performance across the "three Ls" -- louder, lower-frequency and lower-distortion. How does extension to 12-Hz on the SUB 15 and 16-Hz for the SUB 12 sound to you? Yeah, we thought so. Still, those last few hertz cost some money -- $1,999 and $2,799 for the Sub 12 and SUB 15, respectively. Still, few things in your HT will put a stupid grin on your face like bass you feel in your gut. Check the press release after the break and alert the neighbors before you pick one up.
Paradigm gives its Reference Studio speakers a bump to v.5
Paradigm has brought a revised Reference Studio speaker lineup to CES, bringing the line to v.5 designation. The aesthetics have been refreshed with new curvaceous cabinetry and updated grilles, and there are a few new speakers in the family as well. Leaving aside the incremental technical updates to the time-tested and solid design, the newness includes more members in the family -- the Studio 10, and the Reference SUB 12 and SUB 15 subwoofers. Prices range from $399 each for the Studio 10 and stretch up to $1,499 for the Studio 100 model. The Reference Studio recipe is a time-tested sonic winner and is easy on the eyes, so we don't see how this revision could miss the mark; your choice of options is detailed after the break.UPDATE: The prices are per speaker. - Thanks, MS4.
Paradigm preps PCS subwoofers to put some boom in the CES walls
In light of Paradigm's recent 15-inch Signature SUB 25 subwoofer, you might glance right past the PCS-80R (round) and PCS-80SQ (square) 8-inch models planned for CES release. Since they're in-wall subs, that's kind of the point, but also bear in mind that these new boomers are meant to be used in pairs; so even for the target entry-level applications, these should have decent output. Mounting speakers flush with walls has always been a problem, especially for low frequencies, but Paradigm assures us that the chassis and mounting of the PCS subs in the walls will ensure that nasty wall resonances will be tamed and these should plumb the depths quite nicely, especially when paired with a Paradigm X-300 subwoofer amplifier (with its own EQ). No prices yet, but we're sure details will come forth at the CES unveiling.
Paradigm's Reference Signature SUB 25 subwoofer ships, dives deep
If Paradigm's Signature SUB 25 subwoofer that was shown off at CEDIA caught your eye and that dedicated electrical service you installed to take advantage of its amplifier's specified 3,000-Watt continuous output has been mocking you, it's time to close the deal. The $4,000 Signature SUB 25 is now shipping, complete with its power factor corrected supply that will take your input voltage of anywhere from 108V - 265V and give you back 3-inches of excursion on the 15-inch cone. Even though Paradigm could have gone for an eco-friendly angle with the more efficient amplifier design, this is obviously about indulgence. The companion Perfect Bass Kit which you'll eventually want to help you tune the bass to your room is still unreleased, but we figure you'll have plenty of fun just playing with this new toy in the meantime. Full details (and a few more pics) after the break.
