stereo

I learned a lesson last week: BlackBerry PlayBook owners are a passionate bunch! My mere suggestion that the tablet was not long for the world (along with a couple forehead-smacking factual errors) elicited a response that I can only describe as fanboy-esque.

Even a RIM rep reached out to insist, "RIM remains committed to the BlackBerry PlayBook." Time will tell, of course, but I'm glad to see the product has such a vocal fan-base. I'm going to see if I can get some hands-on time with a PlayBook so I'm better informed about it next … Read more

BMW says touch me, Ford takes mirrors high tech for quiet, the Chevy Volt is off the hook with the Feds, and how much would you pay for Obama's Chrysler 300? And we drive the Chrysler 300 SRT8.

LAS VEGAS--Wireless headsets for consoles are nothing new, but one that's officially licensed by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 is totally unheard of.

Today Mad Catz introduced the very first of its kind under its newly acquired Tritton division, and it's shipping immediately. Dubbed The Primer, the wireless stereo headset was developed closely with Microsoft to "look and sound superb." Mad Catz claims it's the best value at its price ($100), but I'll be weighing in with what I think when I review the cans in the coming weeks.

Information is still vague on how exactly The Primer will connect to a 360, but a base station is still part of the setup. I'm not sure if the rig will bypass the annoying controller tether that all of these wireless headsets have historically required, but one would hope the codevelopment with Microsoft resulted in perks that go beyond just a seal of approval.

The rest of the headset's specs seem par for the course, including separate game and chat volume controls and an adjustable boom mic all operating on a 5.8GHz wireless spectrum.… Read more

You probably think of Groupon as a place to score cheap restaurant deals and half-off yoga classes, but the site occasionally serves up a killer deal on gear.

To wit: For the next couple of days, Groupon has the Pioneer X-SMC3-S Music Tap AirPlay Music System for $199, plus $12.95 for shipping. Regular price: $399. (Seriously, shop around--you won't find it for a buck less than that anywhere else.)

Don't have a Groupon account yet? It's quick and easy to sign up for free. Then use the previous link to access the deal.

The X-SMC3-S is … Read more

American companies dominate the worldwide high-end audio market, but those brands are known only to the most passionate audiophiles in their home country.

Like most American high-end brands, Viola Labs, based in New Haven, Conn., has just a few retail outlets in the U.S. Audiophiles in Asia and Europe have made up the majority of Viola's customers since 2001.

So chances are most of my readers are in the dark about Viola. That's why I made the trek to New Haven to learn more about the brand. Viola's two original founders, Tom Colangelo and Paul Jayson, … Read more

The Chevy Volt gets the feds look at the safety of all electric cars, Nissan makes a fast charge cheaper (sort of), Toyota puts Intel Inside, and Mercedes reworks the lowly windshield wiper.

SHOW NOTES

Can cold weather ruin your car speakers? More of your insights into self-driving cars, recommendations for cheap cars that are fun to drive, and our plans to review the VW GTI.

HTC may have Beats Audio, but now Nokia has Monster.

The companies today introduced two new audio accessories, the Nokia Purity HD Stereo Headset and In-ear Nokia Purity Stereo Headset, and announced an exclusive long-term partnership to produce a range of accessories for Nokia's mobile phones.

The news was revealed at Nokia World in London, where the Finnish handset manufacturer also unveiled the Lumia 800 and 710 and the Asha family of phones. … Read more

There certainly has not been a shortage of gaming headsets by way of third-party manufacturers in the past few years. We've seen impressive entries in the market from brands like Turtle Beach, Astro, and Logitech, all of which perform well, but are priced as high as $250. … Read more