Av123.com. Heard of them? Probably not. That’s okay - not many have. They are one of a seemingly rare breed: A manufacturer of mid-to-high-end speakers who sells their stuff exclusively on the internet. If you’ve not heard of AV123.com, you may soon be a minority. They have a huge following amongst audiophiles and audio enthusiasts alike (check out their forum and see for yourself). They also sell amplifiers, turntables, cables, and other esoteric components that get audiophiles salivating. Founded and managed by Mark Schifter in 2000, Av123.com’s promise is, “above all else, to provide the customer with 3 distinct advantages; service exceeding your highest expectations, products unlike anything you’ve seen or heard before, and value beyond all else”. That’s a pretty tall order to deliver on. But visiting the community section of their site you can hear from hundreds of customers who are raving about AV123’s products. AV123 carries a broad range of home audio and home theater speakers. In fact you might become a little daunted as a newcomer to their site. But don’t worry – you can pick up the phone and give them a call. They’ve got a great group of technically savvy audio gurus who can walk you through their various offerings. Today we are taking a look at the company's Strata Mini Loudspeaker which use a combination of planar magnetic drivers, cone drivers as well as an integrated 8-inch subwoofer. Priced at $1995.00 USD per pair, only 50 of these speakers are being made each month.
Pete is from Norway, and wanted us to know what foods are the best to have from his homeland. Here is a list of some of the yummiest (and hardest to pronounce!) foods from Norway.
Raspeball This is a heavy, but good, dinner that we eat once every other month. It is made of potatoes that are mashed and shaped as balls with meat inside it. Raspeball is served with bacon, sugar, syrup if you want that (I recommend the sugar when you are going to eat it because sirup and Raspeball is blah).
Fårikål This is a meal that is made of cabbage, lamb, salt and pepper which are all boiled together in a big cooking pot. This is a meal that we eat twice a year, but you can buy it at some restaurants, or at a truck stop whenever you want Fårikål.
Kjøttkaker This is one of my favorite meals, and we have it every other Sunday. Kjøttkaker is served with potatoes, gravy and lingonberry jam, and you can have other vegetables if you don’t like potato.
Lutefisk is a strange meal. They dry fish, and then soak the fish in lye… then steep it. Serve it with bacon, potato and mustard. We eat this before Christmas, but other times during the year because it so good.
Smalahove This is a meal we don’t eat anymore here. I have never eaten this, and I’m never going to eat it… even though it is very popular in Norway. The reason that I’m not going to eat it is that the meat is the sheeps head. When you eat this, you have to start with the ear and the eye and work your way down around the jaw.
Pete is from Norway, and wanted us to know what foods are the best to have from his homeland. Here is a list of some of the yummiest (and hardest to pronounce!) foods from Norway.
Raspeball This is a heavy, but good, dinner that we eat once every other month. It is made of potatoes that are mashed and shaped as balls with meat inside it. Raspeball is served with bacon, sugar, syrup if you want that (I recommend the sugar when you are going to eat it because sirup and Raspeball is blah).
Fårikål This is a meal that is made of cabbage, lamb, salt and pepper which are all boiled together in a big cooking pot. This is a meal that we eat twice a year, but you can buy it at some restaurants, or at a truck stop whenever you want Fårikål.
Kjøttkaker This is one of my favorite meals, and we have it every other Sunday. Kjøttkaker is served with potatoes, gravy and lingonberry jam, and you can have other vegetables if you don’t like potato.
Lutefisk is a strange meal. They dry fish, and then soak the fish in lye… then steep it. Serve it with bacon, potato and mustard. We eat this before Christmas, but other times during the year because it so good.
Smalahove This is a meal we don’t eat anymore here. I have never eaten this, and I’m never going to eat it… even though it is very popular in Norway. The reason that I’m not going to eat it is that the meat is the sheeps head. When you eat this, you have to start with the ear and the eye and work your way down around the jaw.
Microsoft have launched the IE 8 beta (aimed of course at developers, designers and keenbeans). The biggest move here seems to be better compliance to web standards - which will be great (and long overdue!) I do hope that in final release form it speeds up and can compete with Safari - which i must say is blazingly fast when compared to both IE and Firefox.
Sony 75-300mm telephoto zoom review - new video tour Sony's 75-300mm telephoto zoom lens remains a popular option for owners of Alpha DSLRs. It's a common bundle with the earlier A100 and likely to find itself fitted to many of the new A200 bodies. As such it's an ideal time to revisit our Sony 75-300mm lens review with a brand new video tour, using the Alpha A100 body. Remember the new A200 has the same sensor, so our quality results are equally applicable for this new body. So to see - and hear - how this budget telephoto zoom compares, check out our Sony 75-300mm video tour.
Canon has now officially announced the 12.2 Megapixel CanonDigital Rebel XSi 450D SLR camera. Incorporating a number of advanced functions and technology found in Canon professional SLR models, the EOS Rebel XSi boasts an improved autofocus sensor, enhanced 14 bit AD conversion, a large 3.0 inch LCD monitor with an advanced Live View function. The CanonDigital Rebel XSi will be available in both black and silver finishes, and sold as body only or in kit form. Read more... Read More
Do you hoard things in the hopes that someday they might be worth something? Here are some tips sent in by a reader to help you decide what is worth keeping… and what isn’t.
Figure out what will have more value in the future. If you are trying to collect something that can be easily reproduced in the future, chances are the value will be less than what it is now. Most media, such as music, movies and games won’t have high resale value in the future. Also, anything technology-related that will have newer and better versions in the future likely won’t be worth much, either. However, if something cannot easily be reproduced, it should have much higher value. Things in this area would be things like stamps and coins. In fifty years’ time, those current state quarters will be worth much more than just 25 cents.
Know where to check prices. For movies, games and things of this nature… check eBay to see what similar items are currently being sold for. For coins or stamps, try checking out a local dealer in your area, or do a Google search for a reputable site online that will give you approximate values.
Cars made today will not gain the popularity (and resale value!) of the old muscles cars. This is due to the freaky obsession that “car people” have with older models. When you think of a ‘gear head’, it’s generally someone who is tuning a souped-up engine, with a muscle car chassis. Most of the popluar cars will be the ones that were features in tv shows and movies. Newer cars just don’t have that “driving a monster” feel that classic cars had.
Technology makes for bad investments. Even though a Mac might have a better resale value than a PC, it too will dwindle down when the newest OS no longer supports it. Ask yourself this question: when is the last time you saw an old tv, computer or CD player sell for a large amount ten or twenty years after it was replaced by something newer and better? There’s your answer.
Keep your items in good condition. Time is the enemy of everything. It wears our bodies down, and it will wear down the items you’re trying to collect. If you take good care of your items and store them properly, they will be worth much more money down the road.
Do you hoard things in the hopes that someday they might be worth something? Here are some tips sent in by a reader to help you decide what is worth keeping… and what isn’t.
Figure out what will have more value in the future. If you are trying to collect something that can be easily reproduced in the future, chances are the value will be less than what it is now. Most media, such as music, movies and games won’t have high resale value in the future. Also, anything technology-related that will have newer and better versions in the future likely won’t be worth much, either. However, if something cannot easily be reproduced, it should have much higher value. Things in this area would be things like stamps and coins. In fifty years’ time, those current state quarters will be worth much more than just 25 cents.
Know where to check prices. For movies, games and things of this nature… check eBay to see what similar items are currently being sold for. For coins or stamps, try checking out a local dealer in your area, or do a Google search for a reputable site online that will give you approximate values.
Cars made today will not gain the popularity (and resale value!) of the old muscles cars. This is due to the freaky obsession that “car people” have with older models. When you think of a ‘gear head’, it’s generally someone who is tuning a souped-up engine, with a muscle car chassis. Most of the popluar cars will be the ones that were features in tv shows and movies. Newer cars just don’t have that “driving a monster” feel that classic cars had.
Technology makes for bad investments. Even though a Mac might have a better resale value than a PC, it too will dwindle down when the newest OS no longer supports it. Ask yourself this question: when is the last time you saw an old tv, computer or CD player sell for a large amount ten or twenty years after it was replaced by something newer and better? There’s your answer.
Keep your items in good condition. Time is the enemy of everything. It wears our bodies down, and it will wear down the items you’re trying to collect. If you take good care of your items and store them properly, they will be worth much more money down the road.
biggest move here seems to be better compliance to web standards - which will be great (and long overdue!) I do hope that in final release form it speeds up and can compete with 
