-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
May 20, 2013
at
10:15AM
We've seen tons of conjecture about the specs of the new Xbox tentatively called 720 by fans. We'll see the unveiling tomorrow but in the meantime here's
a positive article on the state of gaming in general. Expect much more GPU and CPU power in the new machine as well as Blu-Ray What may be...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
May 18, 2013
at
10:23AM
I hope you've read the previous solid state vs tube amp article and the amplifier tubes article where I covered tube characteristics as well as some tricks to get better tone. There are some situations where solid state amps really shine through. Towards the end of the article I'll give you a...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
May 13, 2013
at
10:09AM
In my last article we covered the
solid state vs. tube amp argument. My view on this is that you have to use the right tool for the job at hand. If you picked a solid state amp there is still some info in this article you might find interesting. If you picked a tube amp then lets help you get to...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
May 8, 2013
at
10:03AM
Every so often I'd post one of my 'rants' here but I've tended to stay away from that format. Basically I give you my 2 cents worth but not in a review of a particular product. Lately all the mail I've been getting are "why don't you test this amp" or "you seem to have a bent against solid state...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
May 2, 2013
at
11:17AM
Looks like the smaller tablet market is about to really heat up. With Android based options, smaller iPads, and now a smaller surface pad.
Read the article and let us know what you think.
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
May 1, 2013
at
10:05AM
A pedal I got recently after my son's praise was this BBE Sonic Stomp. I've heard BBE's rack mount sonic maximizers so I wondered if this pedal could capture what one of those does.
How does it work?
What's a sonic maximizer? I'll let this quote from BBE's website try to explain it:
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
April 29, 2013
at
10:14AM
A good friend of mine Chuck was an early adopter of the original Kindle Fire. After I played with it at work I bought one for my wife after carefully debating the Fire vs. iPad. Of course the iPad has gone through many changes since then but so did the Fire. I had thought it was definitely time...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
April 29, 2013
at
10:11AM
With the release of Samsung's S4 we get a chance to see one user's first impressions.
Read the article and let us know what you think. Obviously without Apple's latest offering hitting the market at the same time it will be hard to take a stance which phone to go for but if you were due for an...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
April 26, 2013
at
09:24AM
As my son's pedal board kept growing it became painfully obvious he needed a noise suppressor. Without it there was always the noise that is a byproduct of many effects pedals - whooshing sounds, hum, even feedback. The standby pedals I've always used are made by Boss (Roland). One problem I've...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
April 22, 2013
at
09:51AM
Recently I reviewed an Actiontec device that allowed you to use the wiring in your home to broadcast your network. I found it a very clever solution for getting network access from one area of the house or office to another without running new cables. What if you wanted to show everyone in your...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
April 12, 2013
at
10:30PM
Interesting read here from the LA Times. One thing that the article doesn't point out is that smartphones have more power/usefulness for a similar price.
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
April 11, 2013
at
09:07AM
I've been using the same Boss overdrive pedal for almost 25 years. When you find something that works for you that's how it goes. I also have an Ibanez distortion pedal on my board that I've had for even longer. While my son was using the Boss overdrive for a performance recently the pedal went...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
April 9, 2013
at
10:02AM
In a world where data and media seem to be everywhere you can run into the peculiar problem that you create files on your computer but need to access them on your i or Android device. I've always just emailed these files to myself which could be a little tedious but that also created the problem...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
April 4, 2013
at
10:31AM
Interesting idea - a ring as the remote. Can't wait to lose that remote though. Guessing that the opening price of $1500 makes this product have a great price point and the add on tablets (that may interact with the on screen content) could make viewing very different.
Check it out here.
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
April 3, 2013
at
10:16AM
Some interesting stuff in this short article but the most significant is that iOS 7 is running behind schedule. Apple tends to release a new OS with new phones and then make it available as an upgrade a couple of weeks later for older hardware users. This all affects the next iPhone release...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
March 25, 2013
at
09:59AM
Normally the words bass and combo together means a small amplifier used for practice without many of the features professional musicians desire for their needs. Today we are looking at a possible solution from Hartke. Combos offer a lot of convenience - the speakers and amplifier are housed in a...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
March 14, 2013
at
03:16PM
Guess what the most practical device out of this last CES was? 'The little solar lantern with a big impact.' Think about this. Until millions were left without power after recent disasters how many were aware of the disproportionate amount of electrical power we have available to us? People in...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
March 7, 2013
at
09:04AM
Today we have a rare treat for a review product. I've been using the Bowers & Wilkins P3 headphones for some time now. These headphones aren't the type you use for unrealistically high bass but rather for natural pure sound. Let me explain:
Although we interpret sound as merely what we hear...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
March 5, 2013
at
10:15AM
Obihai Technology just sent in a bunch of neat products to demonstrate their VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology. With VoIP a user can make phone calls to other users using data over the internet rather than through a conventional phone line. Why would anyone want to do this? Cost....
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
March 3, 2013
at
10:38AM
This last CES was a boon for us with great products to work with. Today we are going to look at one product that may be the most useful product of the entire show. EnerPlex was kind enough to send both an iPhone 4s and Samsung Galaxy S III Surfr for review. What's a Surfr? How about an external...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
February 27, 2013
at
10:32AM
Currently Windows 8 isn't selling well for old hardware users who normally upgrade their OS after MS releases one. Add to that the fact that browser usage is way down for MS.
Now comes this story which may bolster IE against its competitors.
-
By
Quincy Oshiro |
Posted
February 21, 2013
at
10:26AM
Yesterday evening Sony revealed the "Playstation4", the successor to the "Playstation3" at a conference last night in New York. It seems that many consumers feel this system wont do well, with specs revealed many like myself feel like Microsoft is well ahead of them. Promising specs include:...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
February 20, 2013
at
09:48AM
Sony is unveiling the next generation Playstation today in New York. We should know by the end of the day what the specs for the new unit are (too many rumors) and see what the next gen of games could look like.
Read the article here and we'll update once we have firm word on the specs.
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
February 18, 2013
at
10:54AM
Blue Microphones Tiki really blew me away a couple of weeks ago. Today I bring you the Blue Mikey which promises to make recording with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod a whole new experience. This time Blue sent in the Mikey Digital mic. The Mikey Digital is compatible with iPhones and iPads. For...
-
By
Victor Oshiro |
Posted
February 17, 2013
at
05:34PM
LifeProof recently sent in two of their iPhone cases for evaluation. One for iPhone 4S and one for iPhone 5. Previously with my iPhone I've been using an Otter Box case. I liked that it had a rigid case that was surrounded by a soft rubber case. Sadly, after about of a year of use my Otter Box...