Philips does the Blues wirelessly

The Philips micro hi-fi has a new spin, this time with wireless music streaming implemented using Bluetooth technology. The BTM630 is designed to work seamlessly with any Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone, media player and laptop. With an inbuilt microphone, it will also double as a handsfree speaker which automatically toggles between voice calls and music playback.

For added versatility, the BTM630 has an iPod dock integrated right on the chassis and a sleek slot-in CD player. These will free you from the constraints of a mobile device's limited battery life, plus the added advantage of true fidelity offered by CDs. It goes for a pretty reasonable price of S$329 (US$241.91), too, and is now available in Singapore.

Photo credit: Philips

A caddy that can find lost remotes

What could be better than a remote that finds your remote? A device that will find four of them at the same time, all from one base.

The Remote Buddy Stylish (we don't know what the "Stylish" means, either) is a caddy with color-coded buttons that correspond to individual remotes. When one or more inevitably gets lost, it will send a signal to the remote to help locate it, according to 7Gadgets.

In a perfect world this would serve as a recharging dock as well, but we know that few remotes work that way. But it does have another invaluable feature: If you still can't find said remotes, there's a cupholder so you can have a cocktail to ease the frustration.

Via CNET Crave

Pioneer announces Kuro LCDs

It's official, but at the moment this applies to only the European market. What's more, the three new Pioneer entries even bear the familiar traits of Sharp's lineage, offering a slightly narrower 176-degree viewing angle. Nevertheless, the 32-, 37 and 46-inchers will have high-resolution full-HD panels and motion-enhanced with 100Hz frame rate-doubling technology.

Other standard goodies include a high-quality brushed-metal bezel, a trio of 1080p24-ready HDMI jacks and the Kuro Link. The latter is its proprietary implementation of HDMI-Consumer Electronics Control which enables one-remote, multi-device operations via a single controller. From what we know, there's a good chance these will be heading to Asia. That's all we've to share for now.

Photo credit: Pioneer

InFocus 1080p Play Big goes budget

Hands up if you can still remember the good old InFocus X1 which wowed home theater enthusiasts with a combination of brilliant pictures, excellent connectivity and affordability? After making three attempts on high-end 1080p DLP light cannons, the American company is finally trying another pot shot at this proven formula via the inexpensive US$2,200 X10.

For its featherweight pricing, you will have to settle with a lower-end Texas Instruments DLP DarkChip1 engine which puts out a respectable 7,500:1 dynamic contrast. Having said that, this has the same rounded shiny shell adorned by its full-HD siblings and value-added professional ISF calibration option (ISF 3C).

As a matter of fact, you're not missing out much in terms of video inputs, either. The X10 is equally versatile when it comes to video input handling, thanks to its 1080p24-ready HDMI 1.3 terminal and component-video sockets. InFocus will even throw in a 2m-long HDMI cable to get you up to speed should you table-mount the beamer.

The X10 is now available in Singapore for S$3,599 (US$2,646.32).

Via CNET Crave UK | Photo credit: InFocus

70 inches, HD, waterproof, US$55,000

Sanyo made headlines last week with a waterproof 52-inch LCD in full-HD (note: We resisted saying it made a splash), but there are actually larger versions already on the market. Earlier this year, for example, we saw a water-resistant 57-inch HDTV from Aquavision, and now there's a model that dwarfs its competitors.

UK-based MarineAV is selling a 70-inch LCD that's "fully waterproof" and comes in full 1080p HD glory, as seen on Book of Joe. Not much is known about its original manufacturer, but its description says the TV uses a Samsung display panel. No matter what, the quality had better be superior for the price: 27,995 pounds, or just over US$55,000.

OK, so that's a tad much. If you want a more affordable alternative (and what isn't?), you can always catch your shows on an underwater phone.

Via CNET Crave

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