MP3 Players? What MP3 Players?

Because Macworld Expo usually conflicts (and, occasionally, overshadows) the Consumer Electronics Show, CES is an event I don't often attend. It's been three years since I last marched the Las Vegas Convention Center's endless halls. With Expo moved to February, I returned. And, in doing so, took the opportunity to compare this year's show to CES 2007. From my perspective the two most important differences were that in 2010 I didn't get food poisoning and, in 2007, you couldn't walk five steps without tripping over another MP3 player.

Moving beyond issues of my digestive tract, MP3 players just weren't a big deal at CES 2010. Oh sure, among the trillions of booths there were still those that featured cheap knick-knacky players that doubled as cigarette lighters, pocket tattoo kits, and martini toothpicks, but no one seemed to be mounting a campaign to unseat the iPod.

And this was the case even among the major players. At Pepcom's Digital Experience press event, Creative Technology devoted the space it had to its new Vado HD pocket camcorder rather than its line of Zen MP3 players. At that same event, SanDisk did display a line-up of its Sansa music players, but these players depart from traditional MP3 players by allowing you to plug pre-loaded music cards into them, thus returning to the days when player and media were more separated than they have been recently. And at the iRiver booth there wasn't a media player to be seen--it was all about the company's e-book reader, the Story.

In fact, the only big-name company that drew serious attention to its portable media player was Microsoft. The Zune HD had its own area in Microsoft's massive booth and folks on hand to talk about it.

I happened to speak to a PR representative (who shall remain nameless) about the state of media players and, in essence, this person replied, "We're still making them, but honestly, who can compete with the iPod?"

Personal opinion or not, it was an opinion that was underscored by a show floor devoid of any new exciting portable players. And if that means anything for the future of portable media players, I think we can safely banish the phrase "iPod Killer" once and for all.

The game's over. The iPod won.

HP W2558hc 25.5-Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor

The HP W2558hc 25.5-inch widescreen LCD offers impressive image quality, a host of extra features, and a pleasant design. What's not to like? You have to be willing to pay $549 to get it.

The W2558hc performed well in our image-quality tests, presenting sharp, readable text on black and white backgrounds alike. Text was quite easy to read even at 6 points; we didn't have to strain to see the lettering.

Colors looked bright, particularly in a portrait. Skin tones appeared realistic, with even shading and the proper amount of contrast to give the image a pleasing feel. The display also handled our motion tests well, showing smooth video with no visible fluttering.

The unit's 25.5-inch size is unusual, but that allows it to have a 1920 by 1200 native resolution.

As for extras, the W2558hc has them in spades. A built-in Webcam resides at the center of the top bezel. On the left side of the display sits a card reader that accommodates all types of media cards. Two USB ports are also on the left. On the back, the W2558hc has two HDMI ports, DVI and VGA ports, USB-in and -out ports, and an audio-in jack.

Four inset buttons on the bottom-right lip of the bezel control the easy-to-navigate on-screen menus. Two additional buttons control the W2558hc's other unique feature: a built-in task light that shines from under the monitor down onto any papers or items you might have placed on the table. The W2558hc also doubles as a digital picture frame, as it can show photos stored on memory cards placed in the card reader.

All of those extra features are integrated well into the monitor's clean design, which sports HP's signature piano-black finish. The display is height-adjustable, too; a built-in lever allows you to make the adjustments. Though the W2558hc can tilt, it does not swivel.

Given the HP W2558hc's wealth of extras, its excellent image quality, and its distinctive design, $549 might be a good deal for this well-rounded monitor after all.
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What is the Best TV to Buy?

It sits in the corner of your living room, it talks to you, it comforts you, and sometimes it curses at you. We're talking of course, about your television. It is the centre of most homes, whereas in previous years that role was taken by the radio. The television was first introduced in the 1950's, and since then it has evolved from the standard black and white television, to the color picture tube. Nowadays there are three basic types of television that you will need to consider when you are looking for a new television. Let's go over them one by one.

Plasma: When someone talked about getting a 'flat screen' television in the old days, chances are they were talking about a plasma screen. These are great televisions for viewing shows, but they do have a few drawbacks. They have a glass screen, meaning they tend to reflect too much ambient light. They also have a problem with burn-in when you are playing a video game. That being the case, these televisions might be best for people who only use it to watch television. On that note, they do display a resolution of 1024x1024.

LCD: LCD Panels are almost the universally preferred choice when it comes to televisions. One thing that people really tend to like is the fact that the material the screen is made from does not reflect a glare. On some of the lower end televisions you might get somewhat of a glare, but it will be nowhere near the effect you get from a plasma television or a standard cathode ray tube.

LED: Right here we have the major competitor for the TV market. These are still very expensive but so far they do produce the greatest results. One of the most definitive factors when it comes to the LED television is the fact that it is very thin. The TV is actually quite flexible and can be put literally anywhere. This one also produces the best picture, eliminating the infamous black issue that LCD televisions seem to have.

These are the major players in the television arena. The question however, is which TV is the best one for you and your purposes? It's difficult to give definitive advice here, but if you are a gamer, then the plasma television would not be the best choice. For that, the LCD TV would be the best. Naturally the LED TV is the best of all of them, but it is still incredibly expensive. If you cannot afford to pay the high price, then you should definitely think about going for the LCD TV.

The television is taking some amazing twists. After years of the Cathode Ray Tube setup, we now have at least three different television variants on the market. Where it will settle is anyone's guess, but right now the important thing is buying the one that fits your needs. So try out each one, see what you can afford, and see what you like. Eventually you will find a TV that fits your tastes perfectly.

Benefits of Modern Gadgets

Gadgets are not just meant for entertainment they even improve our lives a lot. Well most of us think of gadgets as the iPods and mp3 players that provide wholesome entertainment all the time any where in the world. The word gadget is more than we could think of. It has solved a lot of problems for the physically challenged people. If you were amazed by the mp3 players and the GPS then these will definitely make you wondering. Most of these are designed for the blind people.

One such example is the electronic eyes. They could tell the blind about the white stripes of the pedestrian cross walk and ensures safety to cross the road. It just like wearing a pair of electronic eyes. Another one is the braille PDA`s which help the blind people to use standard computers and PDA devices.I have also heard about the devices which are created for deaf people. They improve the lives of the physically challenged people to a great extent. The house wares are the list of accessories that gives you a comfortable life.

The list includes stuff like portable air conditioners, fans, heaters, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, washers, dryers, sewing and garment care machines, air purifiers, etc. The air purifiers are one of those simple equipments that help in purifying the contaminated air. It does so by freeing the air from harmful and unnecessary pollutants. The air is one of the essential element to live and if this air is contaminated then what is the meaning of such a life.