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Home theater speaker buying tips

First thing, determine your system's priorities. Will you watch movies or listen to music? Most folks do one or the other.

Since more home theater speaker buyers watch movies than listen to music, I'll start there.

It's hardly an overstatement to claim movie-oriented home theater systems succeed or fail based on their center channel's performance and sound quality. The center speaker delivers virtually all the dialog and it can, depending on the mix, convey upward of 80 percent of a movie's soundtrack. The center speaker has a big job.

So invest 30 percent of your 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 system budget on the center speaker, the Center Centric HT approach. As always, when it comes to sound quality, size matters. Bigger centers tend to sound better than small ones.

The subwoofer is the next most important player in a home theater sound system. Invest the next 30 percent of your dollars on the sub. The sub is largely responsible for home theater impact and power. … Read more

French 'three strikes' piracy law dealt setback

France's controversial attempt to crack down on Internet piracy was dealt a setback Wednesday when that country's highest legal authority struck down a provision that would have denied Internet access to those who repeatedly download copyrighted material illegally.

The French Constitutional Council rejected a key provision that would have given a newly created government agency the authority to cut off Internet access to those deemed to be copyright scofflaws after two warnings. The council said "free access to public communication services on line" was a human right that only a judge should have the power to … Read more

U2 manager: 'Ultimately free is the enemy of good'

Paul McGuinness, manager of the iconic band U2, sees stronger copyright laws in France, the Pirate Bay on trial, U.S.-based Internet service providers doing more to protect music, and still he isn't satisfied.

In January 2008, McGuinness delivered a speech that would become a call to arms on both sides of the free-content debate. During his address to attendees of the Midem music conference, the largest recording industry trade show, McGuinness lashed out at the "hippy values" of technologists, accused ISPs of profiting "on the back" of music creators, called the Digital Millennium … Read more

France ignores EU and passes antipiracy law

The French National Assembly ignored a vote last week by the European Parliament and approved its "Création et Internet" three-strikes bill on Tuesday.

The measure supported by French President Nicolas Sarkozy punishes digital pirates by suspending Internet service if they are caught illegally sharing copyrighted material. The vote comes a little more than a month after the same government body rejected the proposal.

It seems the vote by the French Assembly is in direct opposition to the European Parliament, which last week passed a measure prohibiting EU governments from terminating a user's Internet access without … Read more

RIAA gives thumbs up to France's three-strike law

France has passed a law that requires Internet service providers to cut off Web access of customers accused of illegally downloading copyright material multiple times.

Last Thursday, the French National Assembly passed the "Creation and Internet" law, which implements a graduated response program similar to one the recording industry is asking ISPs in the United States to adopt.

According to a story in BusinessWeek, the accused are first e-mailed a warning that they have been flagged as a copyright violator. If the person is accused a second time, the pressure is increased. Another warning is sent but this … Read more

Amazon.com has the Antec Three Hundred Barebones PC for $53.28, after $17.71 savings.

Save $17.71 on the Antec Three Hundred Barebones PC from Amazon.com >> Regular price is $70.99 >> Sale price is $53.28 >> Savings $17.71 (24.95%) >> Click here for deal

Webware Radar: TravelPost aims to become go-to hotel site

Travel search site Kayak.com announced Tuesday that it has launched what it calls the "most comprehensive hotel information site on the Web": TravelPost.com. The site provides reviews, content, and rates on more than 140,000 hotels from 200 travel sites. Its content includes descriptions, photos, maps, and reviews from travelers and professionals, as well as integration with Kayak.com's rate search.

Beyond that, TravelPost features Google Maps integration to allow users to search for geographic details about possible vacation spots and its filtering and sorting tools let users narrow their preferences by star rating, property … Read more

Auto Moto's all-weather three-wheeler packs a wallop

Three-wheel rides aren't big surprises here in Asia. Thailand has its Tuk-tuk, Southeast Asia its rickshaws or trishaws, the Philippines has its tricycles.

However, we're more familiar with these chariots as taxis for commuters. For personal transportation, the West, in the throes of economic recession, is turning increasingly toward affordable and more economical vehicles, particularly the three-wheel variant. While similar outings like Peugeot's HYmotion3 compressor concept vehicle look a lot yummier in the design department, the upcoming Auto Moto appears less intimidating and zippy enough to convert the scooter covey to the three-wheelies crowd.

The vehicle has … Read more

Separate your recycling fast

I've thrown recyclables into the trash more than once: if I don't have a place to put a bottle separate from cans or newspapers, I don't want to worry about it. I certainly don't want to stick all of my recycling into just one bin. Sorting it back out again is time consuming, and can be a little gross. Ideally, I'd like to have three different recycling bins in my kitchen--but there's absolutely no room for them. However, the Three Section Recycle Bin provides a space-saving option that will fit in my kitchen.

The … Read more