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The overachieving TR-1D subwoofer from Gallo Acoustics

I'm not a big fan of really small subwoofers. Not that the little ones can't make deep bass -- the best of today's mini subs can deliver lots of low-end oomph, but the quality of the bass won't be anything to write home about. The bass is usually sloppy and poorly defined, so individual bass notes blur together. That's not such a big problem when reproducing the sound of explosions and special effects, but most small subs are less adept with music.

The Anthony Gallo Acoustics TR-1D ($599) sub is fairly small, but still handles … Read more

Stick notes on your desktop with Stickies Portable

Sticky notes are a great way to keep track of phone messages, to-do lists, and all the other bits and pieces of information that accumulate over the course of the day. It's no surprise that these little pieces of paper have gone virtual, and there are now numerous programs that let you place digital sticky notes right on your computer's desktop. Stickies Portable does a great job of combining useful features with a straightforward interface, presenting you with tools you actually need and eliminating the superfluous options that many other sticky note programs include. We think it's … Read more

Canon announces EOS-1D X release date

When Crave last checked up on the $6,799 Canon EOS-1D X dSLR in February, the company suggested a "late April" release date for the powerhouse camera. The EOS-1D X still shows as unavailable to consumers at major retailers, so it appears Canon made quite a misjudgment with that original claim.

Fortunately, the Japanese imaging giant announced today that June 20 stands as the official release date for the 18-megapixel EOS-1D X. That doesn't mean that everyone who wants the latest and greatest Canon can get one, though. … Read more

Canon delays EOS-1D X

Are you patiently awaiting the powerhouse Canon EOS-1D X dSLR?

To those planning to buy the 18-megapixel shooter this March, well, we have some bad news. The release date is now "late April," according to Canon press releases in various regions (including Europe and Japan).

There's not much information explaining the inconvenience, aside from an ambiguous note about a "delay in development."

The company says it's also delaying many EOS-1D X accessories to match the new launch time frame. These include the GPS receiver (GP-E1), wireless file transmitter (WFT-E6B), battery charger (LC-E4N), battery pack (LP-E4N), wide strap (L7), and focusing screen (EC- CV).

(Via AV Watch and Imaging Resource)… Read more

Here's why Obama is visiting Intel

On Wednesday, President Obama is due to visit an Intel plant in Arizona. Here's why.

Obama aims to highlight manufacturing in America--one of the State of the Union's themes--and it's hard to find a better example of that than the world's leading chipmaker. Intel is now one of America's foremost manufacturers, boasting some of the most sophisticated manufacturing facilities in the world, many of them sprinkled throughout the U.S. 

Its development fabs (fabrication plants) in Oregon are the most cutting-edge of its leading-edge factories and have already received one presidential visit, in February … Read more

In awe at D.C.'s Air and Space Museum

WASHINGTON, D.C.--If you walk around the Air & Space Museum here, as I did Sunday, you can't help be struck by how much of the most important events and aircraft in aviation history are from decades ago.

This is the museum, after all, where you can find the plane the Wright Brothers used in humanity's first-ever powered flight, in Kitty Hawk, N.C., in 1903. And the capsule from John Glenn's first American manned orbit of the Earth. And the Apollo 11 capsule. And so on.

Then again, right above you when you come in … Read more

Canon SLRs get new wireless transmitters

Canon on Thursday announced three new wireless photo transfer accessories for its higher-end digital SLR models, adding the ability to simultaneously shoot with 10 linked cameras and other new features.

The wireless file transmitter devices, which mount to the SLR camera bodies, are the WFT-E2 II A, available this quarter for the EOS-1D Mark IV; the WFT-E4 II A, available now for the EOS 5D Mark II; and the WFT-E5A, available now for the EOS 7D. Each transmitter costs $700--more than an entire lower-end SLR and lens--but provides a variety of options to connect devices to the cameras and to … Read more

Photographers bless improved Canon autofocus

After testing Canon's newest professional SLR, professional sports photographer Brad Mangin offers praise for the camera's autofocus system that's as lavish as the scorn he heaped upon the model's predecessor.

Mangin tested the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV at a football game, and his overall assessment published on his blog doubtless was music to the ears of designers at the Japanese camera maker: "This camera performed flawlessly...Canon should be able to keep long-time (and heavily invested) users like me happy with the new Mark IV."

Perhaps not so pleasant to hear was his excoriation … Read more

Determine optimum sizes for fabricating materials

Determining how to get the optimum lengths from stock-sized materials--such as pipes, bars, and beams--while reducing waste can greatly affect costs for fabricators and manufacturers. This handy app can take some of the pain out of those calculations.

1DNest launches a rather plain-though-functional interface. Although similar to the familiar three-paned e-mail client, this app features four panes: one across the top specifying the current project, a vertical pane on the left for listing and describing required parts, an upper-right pane for listing source materials, and a lower-right pane for entering size and waste allowances. A menu bar allows the user … Read more