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Newstips Electronic Editorial Bulletin Issue # 2008-01b
This news just in while we're out in Las Vegas
NEW COLORS FOR JVC GUMY EARBUDS
As if their hotly popular Gumy earbuds don't already fly off
store shelves quickly enough! This month the JVC Gumy line picks
up 3 new color choices: raspberry red, mint blue & melon green.
Ask Chelsea to get you any combination for your coverage.
Contact: Chelsea Vander Groef, JVC COMPANY OF AMERICA (Wayne, NJ)
973-317-5000x5312 mailto:cvandergroef@jvc.com http://jvc.com
AT CES: WI-EX FLEXES CELL BAR MUSCLES
The cell phone carriers could squeeze Wi-Ex out of business any
time they want to really, truly deliver more signal to more
places; as anybody at CES can tell from the eager crowds at the
Wi-Ex booth, the carriers left plenty of room for improvement.
The growing catalog of Wi-Ex solutions now includes the zBoost
dual-band ($400) & single-band (PCS or CEL, $300) boosters, the
in-car ($300) booster, the smaller-bubble personal boosters ($99
& $169) & a very cool new handheld cellular signal strength
reader. If you're still in LV, come by & see; or after the show,
just let them know which of these interests you in doing a
review. Contact: Sharon Cuppett, WI-EX INC. (Norcross, GA)
770-239-5475x6380 mailto:scuppett@wi-ex.com http://wi-ex.com
AGENCY CONTACT: Deanna Anderson 404-759-1890
mailto:danderson705@comcast.net
WON'T POWER WILL POWER NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
We told you weeks ago about Won't Power (http://wont-power.com),
the small aromatic ($15) that can defer hunger pangs 10-20
minutes. The news now is that it's out of prototype & into
production with a few improvements in packaging. The biggest
change is a plastic inner cap with pepper-shaker-like holes; it
both moderates the amount of aroma you're likely to inhale &
helps seal the outer screw cap to prevent the aroma from leaking
when its tiny vial jar isn't open. Dan would be delighted to have
you try it; just ask. Contact: Dan Llewellyn, LDP LLC (Carlstadt
NJ) 201-882-0344 mailto:dan@maxmax.com Http://MaxMax.com
AC/DC COMFY SPECIES
With winter upon us, we especially worry about our smaller pets,
like cats, small dogs, ferrets or rabbits, especially when they
have to be on a porch or in a car; we have similar concerns about
heat in the summer. The clever Komfort Pets small animal carrier
($300; medium & large sizes arrive in 2008) uses solid state
technology to thermostatically maintain a consistently
comfortable temperature within the carrier. We should also
mention that it comes with everything you need to power it from
DC in a car (through a lighter socket) or AC in a house (using an
adapter that plugs into a standard AC wall socket to provide
12VDC to its own lighter socket). Ask Bob. Contact: Bob Inello,
KOMFORT PETS (Revere, MA) 781-485-0077
mailto:rinello@komfortpets.com http://KomfortPets.com
SAMSON PENCIL CONDENSER MIKES: NAKED OR KIT
Sensitive condenser mikes pick up a lot of nuances & are an
essential tool for quality recording, so they're a favorite with
acoustic musical instruments, but they also make a lot of sense
with a camcorder or a field audio recorder (like a Zoom H4). The
amazingly economical Samson C-02 Pencil Condenser Microphone
matched pair (street $120) use small condenser elements in highly
focused cardioid pattern (not quite shotgun but great for getting
stereo from in front of you while rejecting surrounding noise).
They each measure 0.8" diameter & 5.9" long & come complete with
shock-mount clips & gold-plated XLR connectors. The Samson CL2
Pencil Condenser Microphone stereo pair kit (street $300) include
exchangeable omni & cardioid capsules, pop filters, wind screens,
mike clips & shock mounts. Can mikes like these really make a
difference? When you're ready for a review, ask Mark which to get
to you. Contact: Mark Wilder, SAMSON TECHNOLOGIES (Hauppauge, NY)
631-784-2200x142 mailto:mwilder@samsontech.com
http://SamsonTech.com
TIFFEN AT CES NOW, PMA LATER WITH GREAT GEAR
Beyond the new HT filters, Steadicam Flyer, Steadicam Merlin arm
& vest & Dfx software, Attaras & Magnum Grounder tripods & other
goodies they're showcasing at CES, there's a spate of new
products being readied for the pro crowd at PMA at the other end
of January. We'll tell you what we can as soon as we can; in the
meantime, if you can find him at CES, ask Hilary. Contact: Hilary
Araujo, TIFFEN COMPANY (Hauppauge, NY) 631-273-2500x1216
mailto:haraujo@tiffen.com http:/.tiffen.com
DRIVES LIKE A VAULT THRIVE WHERE OTHERS FAULT
Apricorn Aegis Vault drives look like many other paperback-size
portable USB hard drives but they do a much more thorough job of
making sure there's no unintentional sharing of their contents,
thanks to 128-bit AES hardware encryption. The drive stores an
administrator's password & as many as 3 unique user logins; this
level of protection endures even if the 2.5" drive inside is
removed from its shock mounting & case. For convenience or as a
masquerade, it also supports both encrypted & unencrypted
partitions. For even more protection, you can also upgrade to an
Apricorn Aegis BIO drive with its integrated fingerprint scanner.
Ask Michelle. Contact: Michelle Fischer, APRICORN INC. (Poway,
CA) 858-513-4480 mailto:mfischer@apricorn.com http://apricorn.com
AGENCY CONTACT: Jennifer Olson 415-402-0230
mailto:jennifer@atomicpr.com
TORNADO OR ITORNADO: WHICH TO CHOOSE?
For the past year, people with a Tornado have pulled it out
whenever they had to move files among pairs of Windows PCs
because the whole operation is one step & as effortless as the
task has ever become. Later this year, the new iTornado will have
exactly the same functionality but will work with pairs of Macs
or Windows PCs or one of each. So which is the right choice for
whom? Obviously, for anybody with a Mac, the iTornado is the only
choice; for others, it depends on whether they will only ever
need to be plugging into a Mac or whether they work in a purely
Windows world. Ask Clint to get you set up to try it on Windows
now & to get you an iTornado for comparison when it's ready in
just a couple of months. Contact: Clint Hughes, DATA DRIVE THRU
(Dallas, TX) 972-897-7057 mailto:chughes@datadrivethru.com
http://TheTornado.com
HOW TO SCORE A COOL PHONE & BE WITH VIRGIN
The Wild Card is a very cool Kyocera phone available without any
kind of a contract commitment for a penny less than a C-note from
Virgin Mobile. It doesn't look that different from a normal
phone, with the usual keys & LCD, until you open it up; within is
a full QWERTY keyboard & a wide-screen color display. This is the
first Virgin handset to handle streaming music, too & yes, it
supports Bluetooth. You may think of Virgin Mobile as being all
about cell service for people who can't handle high monthly
charges or long-term contracts, but that doesn't mean that
affordable phones have to be boring. Catch up with Corinne at
CES. Contact: Corinne Nosal, VIRGIN MOBILE USA (Warren, NJ)
908-607-4235 mailto:corinne.nosal@virginmobileusa.com
http://virginmobileusa.com
ATLONA HELPS LENGTHEN HDMI RUNS
Depending in part on your gear & in part on your cabling, there
are limits to how long a run of HDMI cabling will let the signal
survive without detriment (dropping, fading, color sparkles in
the picture); nominally, it's about 15 feet, but Atlona has a
couple of products to expand that. Their Atlona HDMI 1.3
Equalizer ($80) can double that & sometimes more; their Atlona
HDMI Powered Booster ($180) can support a run of up to 125 feet.
In a world of things that can't quite connect with other things,
Atlona products like these are a huge relief; ask Chris. Contact:
Chris Bundy, ATLONA ELECTRONICS (San Jose, CA) 408-954-8782x113
mailto:chris@lenexpo-electronics.com http://atlona.com
UPDATED IPHOTOMEASURE WEB SITE WORTH A LOOK
The pixel extrapolation magic of iPhotoMeasure software is easier
to explain in pictures than words & you'll find plenty of both at
their updated Web site - enough to answer some of your questions
& raise new ones. For example, why does the deluxe version add
exporting to Excel worksheets & multiple 2D planar measurements?
The software is easy enough to use, a bit harder to describe, but
well worth your interest. Call Paul for a copy & answers & all.
Contact: Paul Minor, DIGICONTRACTOR INC. (Tarzana, CA)
818-888-3687 mailto:paul@iphotomeasure.com
http://iPhotoMeasure.com
THE MOGO GO-GO GIRLS
Funny, they don't look mnemonic. The small cadre of MoGo Go-Go
Girls in the areas around CES are there to invite people (yes,
especially press people) to the Tiger Direct contest as well as
to the Bluetooth SIG & find out just why & how the MoGo Mouse is
in each house. Contact: Jack Corrao, NEWTON PERIPHERALS (West
Newton, MA) 858-792-0944 mailto:jack.corrao@newtonperipherals.com
http://NewtonPeripherals.com
SPECIAL REPORT: RETAIL FROST WARNING
Whenever things fall out of resonance, otherwise harmonious
forces can become destructive elements; consider the case of the
retailers who sell consumer electronics. Their critical selling
season ended on Christmas Eve, leaving only the annual
inventory-to-cash purge of clearance sales. The very newest gear
that's actually available was on the shelf in the store by
mid-November at the latest; of all the newer gear announced at
CES, some will never come, some will come much later in the year
& not much will appear at retail before March. The single biggest
CE seller in January is the big screen TV for watching the Super
Bowl, but don't take that out of context, either. Most CE retail
sales in January & February will be fairly trivial consumable
(like battery) or accessory (like cable) products. This year's
usual spring thaw may be delayed (it most certainly will be
reduced) by the continuing effects of the writers' strike. New
cell phone sales cycles are largely locked into contract renewal
cycles. New cameras will get bought again when the weather turns
warmer, but not much before. Nor is there much to suggest a lot
of energy in most other sectors, save one. It may prove to be a
good season for computer-related products. Slippery footing
increases breakage, ergo replacement purchases. Office 2007 will
finally be coming to Mac. Power problems will fry a good number
of power supplies, systems or drives. The homework season - ok,
really the months spent playing the computer games that were
presents or bought with holiday money - will churn some
replacement sales of keyboards & mice & maybe monitors or
speakers. It isn't a huge fiery spectacle in the context of
retail sales, but it may be just enough heat to keep an extra
frigid season from turning their numbers ice cold.
SPECIAL REPORT BONUS REVIEW: GENIUS G NOTE 7100
When the power fails (way too often up here in the Blizzard
Belt), we're often stuck working with pencils & legal pads,
usually retyping instead of trying our automation to cope with
reading the illegible. And we've certainly had plenty of
opportunities to play with digitizers over the years, as well as
with tablets & PDAs. We were attracted by the Genius G Note 7100
because it looks like a minimal frame holding a standard legal
pad. The pens & pad electronics both take batteries; as the pens
write on the (actual paper) legal pad, the electronics store
digitized page images that you can bring into your PC via USB,
but not painlessly. Intriguingly, when plugged into a desktop
running Vista, the tablet PC interface popped up & the G-Note
also showed up as a removable drive. The 3 pages on it are in a
proprietary vector format (DNT) that you have to install
VisionObjects MyScript to see, read or translate; we find it less
than genius that the product comes with only a 30-day trial
version of that software, without which the hardware is pretty
useless. We regard this as an unfinished engineering project
forced to enter retail before it's ready; the complicated battery
installation is not consumer friendly, there's nothing to hold
the legal pad in place, the LCD display is barely legible & the
software is only good for 30 days. That's too bad. This has the
potential to be an innovatively helpful product, lighter than
most notebook PCs & more portable & capable of significantly long
periods of usage on a set of batteries, great for capturing
sketches, signatures, notes, diagrams & more. Bottom line: if
they ever get it past its shortcomings, we'd be very interested
in this product.
SPECIAL REPORT BONUS REVIEW 2: FUJITSU LIFEBOOK S6510
Our earlier review of the Fujitsu T2010 tablet convinced us that
a tablet is not a best bet for us, so we went back to the well &
worked with Fujitsu to configure a capable notebook. We ended up
with a Fujitsu LifeBook S6510. You can look up the tech stuff
(Core2Duo 2.4GHz, 14.1" display, DVD burner, fingerprint scanner,
lots of networking) & it's impressive enough, but for us the keys
to the kingdom are in usability. This one is aces & seems to
outperform its 4lb weight. The keyboard is uncramped & has a good
feel. The screen is big enough & legible enough to let real work
get done. The networking is painless. Our only complaints involve
the bundled leech-ware, like Norton, that we hate ever having
touch a system; once purged of that stuff, it's a sweet machine.
Bottom line: send us a bill, Fujitsu; you're not getting this one
back.
SPECIAL REPORT BONUS REVIEW 3: CORINEX POWERLINE ETHERNET
When we first moved into this old house, we spent a lot of
work/money/effort making sure all the phone, cable TV & CAT 5
wiring were in place; alas, somewhere between the basement & son
Ian's bedroom, something got into the crawl space & bollixed that
room's Ethernet connection. We tried boosting WiFi to cover it,
but coverage was less than robust & we were reluctant to spend a
whole-house wiring fee on one room that's only populated 3 months
out of the year. We had tried some early power-line Ethernet
solutions with disappointing results, but tech moves on, so when
Corinex offered we decided to give their AV200 PowerLine Ethernet
wall-mount kit a try. As Dr. Pournelle likes to remind us,
sometimes the best thing you can say about a product is It Just
Works. We plugged one of its two units into a basement power
outlet & the router, then plugged the other into one of the
bedroom's power outlets & the computer there. Abracadabra: a
full-bodied Ethernet connection. Bottom line: Corinexcellent.
WHO'S NOT WHO AT CES
Why do all those exhibitors think CES is so crucial? Is it the
retailers? Is it the press? Is it the fear of somebody else
walking away with a contract if they're not there? The answer, we
think, is best discovered by starting at the end of the line,
with the first name of the show, a consumer. For the most part,
people buy things they encounter in their normal retail "orbits",
so having a "shelf" presence at those retailers who not only sell
the most in a category but whose aisles are most frequently
visited is a huge plus for a product. Few of the big chains
actually go shopping for specific products by coming to CES,
though they do spend time there scoping out the competitive
landscape to keep from committing to a product that might prove
to be less than the best choice to be selling. Also note, getting
into a big-box store is no assurance of staying there; in Marty's
era at Radio Shack, for example, products were judged by the
number of "turns" (restocking purchases) generated per retail
shelf-foot. Getting onto those shelves is just one piece of the
challenge; the challenge of creating consumer buyer demand is
equally important. Advertising is part of that; we notice that
Apple ads seldom talk specs, but usually try to equate the
product with a desirable buyer attribute; if the people in a
commercial look cool & happy when dancing with an iPod, then the
iPod must be cool, even though dancing with one in public may not
communicate that you're actually cool. Ads are considerably more
expensive than PR, of course, but their message & presentation is
completely in a buyer's control. How many results of press
exposure can individually generate that much product interest,
especially in a context of not getting repeated in any one
program or publication? For a PR effort to show any measurable
hard-dollar return on investment, it's essentially mandatory to
reach a very large audience. Individually, exposure on the Today
Show or the New York Times or Wall Street Journal, for example,
can accomplish that. The emphasis on big-footprint media outlets
is a fundamental requirement of a PR program with strong returns,
but there are very few agencies who understand how to make that
make sense for the press people at those outlets. That also leads
to a ton of frustration for anybody reaching a less sizable
audience, or for the PR programs that reach those people. The
current fad at agencies is the myth that online media can be
measured by the same yardstick; this, too, shall pass. There's
also a belief in very vertical publications, but we've seen too
many decades of the only guy in a company who can buy a
particular product never actually reading the publications or
pages where coverage of that product actually occurred. (We see
stacks of those magazines still in their outer wrappers,
unopened, that simply stay stacked for a few months until they
migrate to the trash, or in a more caring environment, the
recycling bin). Trade magazines suffer a lot of that same fate.
But every one of those "readers" does actually see what's in the
morning paper or on TV news or hear about it in drive-time radio
coverage. About 1 in 20 of the registered press people at CES
reaches a sizable enough audience to influence the fate of a
product. What's perhaps the most noteworthy point of this is,
given the current economics of most newsrooms, CES used to see
almost twice as many big-footprint media people there in years
past. Next time, we'll offer some suggestions on bending your own
coverage to be even more influential. Contact: Martin Winston,
NEWSTIPS (Novelty, OH) 440-338-8400; mailto:marty@newstips.com
http://Newstips.com
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Newstips Bulletin [Novelty, OH] +1.440.338.8400 http://Newstips.com
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