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Pixel Qi partners with Chunghwa Picture Tubes to manufacture new transflective LCD models
The characteristic most often associated with Pixel Qi screens -- aside from their prized daylight-readable quality -- up to this point has been scarcity. Hoping to correct that supply shortage, Mary Lou Jepsen's team has today announced a partnership with Taiwanese manufacturer Chunghwa Picture Tubes to, well, produce some picture tubes. Apparently, "the teams have been working together quietly all fall" and now they're ready to make things official, while also announcing that three new panels will be coming to market at various points during 2011. The first of those, a 7-inch screen with a 1024 x 600 resolution, is set to make its debut at CES in early January, with mass production coming in the second quarter of the year. Another note of interest is the tally of three million Pixel Qi displays shipped over the past three years -- let's hope we can double that number through 2011, eh? [Thanks, LifeBringer]
CALM Act approved by Congress, should make TV commercials slightly less obnoxious
We did say it'd take an Act of Congress to lower the volume on televisual commercials and, shockingly enough, that's exactly what we've got now. The House of Representatives has given its nod of approval to the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act, which, having already cleared the Senate, is now on its way to President Obama's desk for final validation. Once signed into effect, the new legislation will require that all advertisers modulate their volume down so it's no higher than that of the program you're watching, and it'll be the FCC's duty to ensure that they all adhere to the new rule. A year's leniency will be allowed for all those who struggle with figuring out how to turn it down from 11, but after that we should all be able to watch the dying medium that is live television without dreading the commercial breaks.
Acer expects to overtake HP as world's biggest laptop vendor by year's end (updated)
Ah, the inexorable rise of a once-small Taiwanese company. Acer chairman JT Wang has told investors in a conference call this week that his company is on track to overtake HP in worldwide laptop shipments before the year is through. That assertion is backed up by Gartner's data, cited in the Wall Street Journal, which indicates that Acer shipped 9.49 million mobile computers in the first quarter of 2010, just ahead of HP's 9.47 million. Positive vibes are also being felt on the desktop front, where Acer aims to shift 10 million units this year, while a decent $15 million is being invested into "developing a smartphone platform based on Google Inc.'s Android." We'll be curious to see whether this thrifty strategy pays off against HP's ebullient $1.2 billion acquisition of Palm, but one thing's for sure: PC vendors are hungry for some of that sweet smartphone pie. Update: Gartner has corrected Acer's worldwide shipments number down to 9.12 million, placing it a close second behind HP for Q1.
Algoriddim's djay Remote app available now
One of my favorite apps at Macworld Expo this past February was actually Algoriddim's djay 3 -- it's DJing software for the Mac that had a surprising amount of new features and fun UI elements even in one of the oldest and most-traveled of music software functions. One of the things I got to see during the hands-on was a tester version of an iPhone app they were working on, and now that app is finished and out on the App Store. The price is US$4.99, which is actually a little high for a satellite application -- you must be running djay 3 on your Mac, and while there is a free trial, it would have been nice if they'd just released the iPhone app as a free add-on to the $50 app. But as you can see, it's a full controller for the app -- they have the vinyl artwork included, you can set cue points and tweak FX and audio levels from right within the app. Also, you can queue songs up for an Automix directly from the iPhone (if, say, you happen to be at a party and don't have time to run upstairs to your computer to add a little more music to the playlist). The app works over WiFi, and note again that you must have the djay 3 software running on your Mac -- this is basically a remote for that app. But if you do a lot of DJing from your computer and want to get even more remote, setting this up on your iPhone seems like a great solution.
The art of pricing
I hear this all the time: "Hurrr! Undercutters are ruining this market! Durrr!". Today, we're going to talk about this. Undercutting doesn't ruin markets, high supply does. Also, if it's still profitable, the market's not ruined, it's just being taken away from you. Cut your margins and undercut back. Or buy them out if you still think they're wrong and you're right. But markets should be protected from undercutters! Balderdash. Markets are a place where people can sell their goods for any price they want. You're describing collusion between sellers to reduce "lost profits," where every time someone wants to undercut with a new auction, they do so by the smallest possible amount. More often than not, all your competitors will have the same cost that you do, and as soon as they see you commit to an auction, they'll undercut you right back. If everyone is knocking a copper off the next highest auction, they only way to undercut successfully is to try camp the AH and make sure you're always the competitor who has visited most recently. Needless to say, this is a colossal waste of your time, and you would probably make more money per hour doing argent tourney dailies. The only way to effectively sell your product in a market with a lot of competitors is to undercut by more than just a trivial amount. You need to make it just cheap enough that your competition is less likely to undercut you, but expensive enough that you're still making money.
Mac 101: 3 volume control tips
Adjusting the volume on your Mac via the keyboard is pretty easy: there are 3 buttons, one for Volume Down, one for Volume Up, and one for Mute. When you adjust the volume, a sound is played to help you determine when it is loud enough or quiet enough. Most times I find this helpful, but sometimes I want to adjust the volume without hearing the noise. To temporarily disable the "volume change" sound, hold down the shift key while you adjust the volume. You will see the visual indicator on-screen, but no sound will come out. For example, on my iMac keyboard, I can increase the volume by pressing fn+f12, but if I press fn+ shift+ f12 it will increase the volume without making any sound. Very handy especially if you are in a meeting or working in a library, etc. (Thanks to TUAW reader @webgalpat for that tip!) But what If you never want to hear the sound when you adjust the volume? Go to "System Preferences.app" and then click on the "Sound" preference pane, and UNcheck the box next to "Play feedback when volume is changed" (That tip and others were covered in our recent 5 Tips for Switchers article.). Now let's combine those two tips: what if you have changed the preference so that the sound is not normally played when you adjust the volume but you decide that just this once you want to hear the sound level changes? In that case, just hold down shift while adjusting the volume and it will make the noise. Bonus tip: you can use the keyboard to adjust the volume of your Mac, or mute/unmute it, even when the screensaver is on -- without entering your password or disabling the screensaver.
EU seeks to make 'cranking it to 11' on DAPs happen less often
Love that brain-pounding sensation when you jack that volume past the sensible limit? If so, you best hop on the next flight to somewhere not within Europe, as the almighty European Commission is fixing to peg the default volume limit on portable media players at 80 decibels. If you're stricken with an awful case of déjà vu, you're not alone. You may recall that a similar French law forced Apple to limit the volume level on its iPod family to 100dB, and at that time, it decided to make the limit apply to all units shipped within Europe. Now, the EU is seeking to bring that ceiling down to 80dB on all portable music players in an effort to protect the precious hearing abilities of its citizens, though we should note that said level would only apply to the default setting, not overall maximums. In other words, you can override the recommended listening level if you please, but don't bet on that socialized healthcare taking care of you if The Man finds out. Kidding. Maybe.[Via Telegraph]
Griffin's volume-limiting MyPhones can't crank to 11... or 8
Griffin Technology's MyPhones are far from being the first cans on the market with volume limiting tech built-in, but unlike some parent-friendly options, these can never, ever be cranked to levels appropriate for ear bashing. You see, rather than giving adults (you know, those Earthlings that are already hard of hearing) the chance to set the limit too high for their offspring, Griffin has implemented an "always-on sound-control circuit to cap peak volume levels at 85 decibels." That's the maximum level recommended by many auditory health organizations, and if you don't like it, tough noogies. But we mean, just look at those two kiddos above -- don't they just look elated? Kidz Bop 14 at barely-audible levels tends to have that effect, or so we hear.[Via Macworld]
SRS TruVolume debuts in Vizio's XVT HDTV and soundbar
We should've seen this one coming, because whatever Dolby can do, SRS can do one better -- something like that. Anywho, SRS is debuting its own volume controlling technology today by way of Vizio's snazzy new 55-inch XVT HDTV and VSB210WS soundbar / wireless subwoofer kit. In SRS' words, the tech is an "advanced, intelligent volume control solution that delivers a remarkable TV viewing experience by eliminating irritating fluctuations in volume." Oh, and if you're not exactly looking to buy either of those products, don't be shocked to see this stuff flooding across Vizio's line in short order; Ken Lowe, the company's VP and co-founder has been quoted as saying that he believes "all of [Vizio's] TVs should have SRS TruVolume going forward." And we all know the VP gets what he wants.
Dolby Volume featured on H/K AVR 7550HD and Arcam FMJ AVR600
Dolby's homegrown volume controlling technology has wiggled into a few HDTVs here and there, but now the tech is finally maneuvering into devices that HT amateurs / professionals will end up seeing. At CEDIA, Dolby is announcing that it's Dolby Volume will be featured in the all new Harman Kardon AVR 7550HD and Arcam FMJ AVR600. For those that forgot, Dolby Volume is an approach to "delivering consistent volume levels across a wide variety of content, channel programming, or input sources," giving users fed up with those astonishingly loud MHD Palladia commercials a better, more lawful way to deal. Whole release is after the cut.
Loud commercials actually not that loud, just startling
Whoa, whoa. Wait a minute. Is this report really saying that those obnoxiously loud used car commercials aren't any louder than the programs they accompany? In fact, yes. Tom Feran has taken the time to actually explain how loudness works in television here in the US, and the resulting report is pretty fascinating. In essence, a typical drama will have moments of loudness and moments of quiet, and commercials that follow the show have to respect the same maximum as the show. However, unlike the program, commercials can simply max out the volume from start to finish, causing a "perceived" or "inconsistent" loudness that's just barely lawful. As you well know, British regulators are stepping in to make sure no ad is "excessively noisy or strident," but the situation in America could get worse post-2009. You see, digital broadcasts have a wider dynamic range (or loudness spectrum), leaving more room for annoying salespeople to totally invade your eardrum. Nevertheless, the article linked below is a must-read for anyone who has ever been enraged by a "ridiculously loud commercial."[Image courtesy of Derrick Logan]
LCD outsells plasma 8-to-1 in Q1 2008
Not so long ago, the good people at DisplaySearch were forecasting good times for plasma. But there's no way around the first quarter of 2008 global sales numbers that show LCD outsold plasma by an 8 to 1 margin. Take a breath -- those are global sales numbers -- but it still isn't the most encouraging news for plasma fans. Worldwide, plasma has a frenemy in good old CRT, though, which actually edged out LCD on its way to the highest sales volume. Click on through for all the numbers, but globally it looks like this: LCD is taking over, plasma is moving into a very small niche, RPTV is all but gone and CRT is going down with a fight.
British regulators move to quiet obnoxiously loud commercials
Offensively loud television commercials have been a worldwide annoyance for years, and while a number of technologies have emerged in an attempt to hush those loud-mouths, British regulators are taking matters into their own hands. Just last week, the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice, which sets British TV ad guidelines, reportedly adopted a new rule establishing that TV ads shouldn't be "excessively noisy or strident." It elaborated by stating that "broadcasters must endeavor to minimize the annoyance that perceived imbalances could cause, with the aim that the audience need not adjust the volume of their television sets during program breaks." We're told that stations who choose not to invest in the loudness-level meter (which will ensure compliance) may actually have to "turn down the sound during commercials." Of course, whether anyone chooses to actually follow these guidelines has yet to be seen, er, heard.[Via WatchingTVOnline, image courtesy of PaxArcana]
iTunesVolume
There are a ton of Mac volume controllers out there. CoverSutra is one of the best that we have seen, however, if simplistic and free is what you like, then why not try iTunesVolume. Just as the name implies, you are able to control the volume of the iTunes application with this small app. iTunesVolume definitely takes the Steve Jobs "one button is good enough for everything" approach. The slider controls everything -- you can move it to control volume in iTunes or hold the button down to get a pop-up menu with extra options.iTunesVolume is a free 2 MB download from the developer's website.
G15 Tanking
Last week I covered playing with your mouse, and playing with your keyboard. In my keyboard post I mentioned that I would share with you all my Logitech G15 keyboard map. For those of you who don't have a G15, the keyboard is unique in that there are 18 programmable keys located on the left side of the keyboard. The keys looks like those pictured to the right.Each of these 18 keys can be assigned three independent functions – based on selecting "M1", "M2", or "M3" at the top of the keyboard. This gives a whooping 54 possible key combinations and functions. I don't use all these though, only the first 18 for most everything, and then the second for some random addon and programming things. So without further ado, here's what my G15 keyboard map looks like:
iPhone speaker too quiet? Stab it with needles
If you're like us, you feel more than a little annoyed with iPhone's speaker volume. Yes, whether you're waiting for a call, trying to have a speakerphone conversation, or just listening for sweet DTMF tones -- the thing kind of stinks. Perhaps it's time to take extreme measures, as some owners have resorted to... like sticking a needle through the holes in the speaker enclosure. Yes, according to daring "modders," it's possible to get a 40-percent increase in volume via this simple-yet-destructive trick of perforating the thin plastic which covers the speaker. Apparently, the phone gets so loud post-surgery that the volume is actually startling to some users. Feeling like you're brave enough to really void that warranty? Let us know the results![Thanks, Michael]
Apple patent app details automatic iPod volume lowering
Apple's already given self-controlling individuals the option to limit their iPod's maximum volume level, but if a newly surfaced patent application is any indication of the future, your next PMP from the Cupertino powerhouse could actually tone things down for you. Reportedly, the app explains that software could eventually keep track of how long -- and at what volume level -- you've been listening, and if it determines that you could be damaging your ears, the volume could be automatically adjusted down for your own safety. Granted, there's no way to definitively tell whether Apple will or won't implement such a change, nor if owners will be allowed to disable the feature, but really, who could argue with software retarding the rate at which you go deaf?[Image courtesy of Apple]
Access your Mac's "super quiet" mode
Much like Nigel's amp that goes to 11, making it "...one louder," your Mac has a super-quiet mode. Macworld explains how to find it.First, use your keyboard's volume keys to turn the volume all the way down (using the menu bar slider won't work). Next, press the "Mute" key. The speaker graphic will appear on screen and display the familiar "sound waves." Listen closely (or plug in your headphones) - your Mac is in super-quiet mode.We're not sure when you'd want to do this, but now you can.[Via Lifehacker]
Guardian headphones tattle when the volume gets cranked
Here's one that the carefree kiddos are sure to hate. Hamilton Electronics has unveiled a wired set of headphones dubbed Guardian, which put an interesting twist on limiting the volume that one hears. Rather than including some form of internal volume diminisher, these cans sport red and green LCDs on an earcup which light up depending on how loud you've got the music cranked. As you'd expect, the green LED signifies that the volume within is perfectly acceptable, while nudging that knob to 11 will cue the red light to glow, consequently leading your paranoid mother to remove them from your head entirely. Yeah, you'll have to hand over $39.95 to pick 'em up, but trust us, it's for your own good.[Via I4U News]
Science reminder: how to increase PSP speaker volume
D'oh! This GameTrailers user has an easy way of increasing the volume of his PSP speakers ... with his bare hands! By placing his hands under the speakers, the sound waves bounce back up, instead of away from the listener. Wow! Simple science that gets great results. See it in action, and then try it for yourself.
