spotcoolstuff      tech

On a recent trip to Asia, Spot Cool Stuff met a fellow traveler who took “audio photographs” instead of your typical visuals ones. She took snippets of sound — bicycles bells chiming in Dhaka, birds chirping in a Thai rain forest, street vendors hawking their wares in Calcutta — as reminders of where she’d been. The sound quality of her recordings was stunning. And being the gadget-heads we are we had to know how she achieved such a professional sound while also traveling light. Her answer:

The H2 portable stereo recorder from Zoom.

Continue →

Spot Cool Stuff loves multipurpose gadgets. And LG has come up with an awesome one. First, it’s a portable DVD player with a 3 1/2 hour battery life and a clear 8″ screen. As well as playing all DVD formats (DVD±R/DVD±RW) the LG DP889 will play MP3s and all manner of audio CDs. Second, it’s a snazzy-looking digital photo frame capable of holding hold up to 250 photos loaded via a USB cord or SD card. The DP889 comes with a built-in stand to prop it up on your shelf and multiple settings for displaying photos.

So, use this device to watch a movie on your next long plane ride. Or, to display photos of your family back home. Or, to display photos of your family on your next long plane ride. Priced around $200.

BUY |  

In the marketing for the P’9120 Elton has been playing up how this clock radio speaker system was designed by Porshe. Indeed, the P’9120 definitely catches the eye. It is not necessarily an intuitive design — some one seeing a P’9120 for the first time probably wouldn’t even know what this boxy, knobby thing with rubberized paint is used for — but it certainly draw people’s attention.

The design is so overwhelming that most reviews forget to mention this fact: The P’9120 sounds fantastic! Especially the bass notes, which boom through the 15 watt 3″ active subwoofer thanks to a superior air flow system. The P’9102 is also feature rich with a pleasing alphanumeric clock display, radio equipped for XM and short wave (as well as the obvious AM and FM) and a stylish iPod dock. We wish the P’9120 were easier to use without the remote control. We also think the current price of $800/£480 is a bit steep, but look for that to drop soon (in fact, click here to check the current cost).

BUY |  

Continue →

Spot Cool Stuff loves HDTV. After testing out several models we’ve settled on this Samsung. Besides the giant 52-inch screen framed by beautiful black trim what really stands out about this HDTV set is the high contrast picture it delivers. With its 50,000:1 contrast ratio the blacks are pitch, the whites are blinding, the colors all pop from the screen.

Picture quality is our highest priority in choosing an HD set. However, our inner gadget-lovers is more than satisfied by the array of bells and whistles this Samsung offers. The “Infoseek” feature lets users read RSS feeds on this set, a USB connection allows you to hook up a computer or MP3 player. There’s also picture-in-picture functionality, surround sound speakers and an exceptionally designed remote control. Now if they could only think of a better name for this HDTV set than “LN52A650.”

BUY | 

Continue →

If you are like us your computer doubles as your stereo. And perhaps also as your television, your video game system, your telephone and your escape from reality. Good computer speakers are essential. Logitech’s Z Cinéma Advanced Surround Sound System provide EXCELLENT computer speakers. A sub woofer supplies a massive base. Two tiny satellite speakers pull off a ventriloquist act by creating a 360 degree surround sound superior to the vast majority of 4- and 8-speaker systems we’ve heard. A full-featured remote controls it all. Unlike most computer speakers, the Z Cinema connects through your computer’s USB port, which transports both data and true 24-bit digital audio. No sound card is required though, very sadly, the Logitech Z Cinéma’s USB-based interface is not compatible with Macs.

BUY | eBAY