Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! We’re well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we’re here to help you sort out this year’s tech treasures. Below is today’s bevy of curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they’re added throughout the holiday season.
‘Tis the season to go shopping and slightly broke! Unless you’re living off the grid, you can’t escape the marketing merriment amping up the arrival of that most wonderful time of the year. You know, the one where loved ones run themselves ragged skipping from store to store in an attempt to find the perfect gift that just screams, “I care,” and costs a pretty penny, too. Well, we know things can get hectic and the options overwhelming, but for the music aficionado in your family, you can’t really go wrong with a speaker dock. Let’s face it, even Great Aunt Eddie’s rockin’ a portable media player these days. So, why not help her get up off the couch, out of her mind and into a living room hoedown with a wall of MP3 sound? Lucky for you, we’ve whittled down the dizzying array of digital audio offerings into a handy guide fit for the frugal and lavish alike. Need a little inspiration? Then head on past the break to peruse the goods and get psyched for that onslaught of holiday cheer.
Continue reading Engadget’s holiday gift guide 2011: docks
Engadget’s holiday gift guide 2011: docks originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
With the recent launches of Google Music, Amazon Cloud Player and iCloud, there has never been an easier time to buy a song. Each service is different, though, and each has their strengths and weaknesses. Depending on your phone, listening habits and geekiness, you are better off going with one service over another. Here is a handy guide to help you choose which service is best for you.
Do you own an iPhone? Are you a geek?
Then you should use Amazon Cloud Player. iTunes still sells their music in AAC format. This is different from MP3. Even though many devices play AAC, you are still safer buying an MP3 file. Plus, Amazon always has deals, and you can pick up many albums for . After you purchase a song, you can listen to it on Amazon’s Cloud Player website, but you’ll likely want to get it on your phone. Amazon has a nice app that auto-downloads purchased tunes and sticks them right into iTunes. From there, you can use the new iOS5 Sync over Wifi and transfer the song to your iPhone without much hassle.
Do you own an iPhone, but are not a geek?
You should use iTunes. You don’t care about AAC. Saving on an album is not worth the extra steps getting it on your phone. iCloud makes it easy to download purchased songs on to all your devices and computers. Maybe you’ll even use Ping to tell your friends what you bought (just kidding!).
Should you pay a year for iTunes Match?
That’s a tougher question because both geeks and non-geeks alike will find things to love and hate about Match. On the geeky side, you are thinking that a lot of your music was ripped poorly at a low bitrate and has skips in it. Paying to convert to cleaner files with a higher bitrate is enticing. Of course, they are still AAC and it’s not like there is a nice website to go stream all this from. You’ll still be downloading manually and you may have more than 25,000 songs which means you are SOL with Match. For the rest of you non-geeks, it’s probably worth it. You don’t use Dropbox to transfer songs from one computer to another. You don’t care about AAC. You are not sure what syncing songs over Wifi means. Match makes it easier to listen to your music on your computer at home and at work. You should do it.
Do you own an Android?
If so, let’s eliminate iTunes. Amazon Cloud Player and Google Music offer great experiences getting music on your phone. You can purchase from right within the app. You can also purchase from the web and the music will be instantly available on your device for streaming. So which of the two should you use? You are probably better off using Amazon at this point. As with the Kindle, Amazon is a retailer that is committed to being on all devices. That means that the music you purchase on Amazon today will find its way on to many devices in the future. Will we see Cloud Player on the iPhone? Most likely, at some point. Will we see Google Music? Maybe. But if it’s as good as Gmail or any other Google apps on the iPhone, then it won’t be worth it anyway. Another reason to use Amazon is that you can easily download songs to your phone for offline listening. As an added bonus, the music you download is available in other apps — like games and such. Google Music allows you to “pin” music for offline listening but that music only will play within Google Music. As far as I can tell, you cannot access it from other apps. One thing Google Music has going for it is integration with Google+. It remains to be seen how effective that is, but the idea of sharing purchased songs with your friends is a step in the right direction. Music is social, and none of the above services have cracked that yet.
So there you have it. A helpful guide to purchasing music. We’ve come a long way and it sure is great to see three big companies competing on features and price. We are all better off for it. As for me? I mostly purchase from Amazon and Bandcamp with the occasional iTunes and now Google Music sprinkled in. I guess if you are an ultra music geek with many devices, that’s your best bet!
Dan Kantor is the CEO of exfm, a social music service, as well as an adjunct professor at NYU ITP. He spends his days listening to music and wrote this post after repeatedly being asked by friends the best ways to buy music today.
Image courtesy of Flickr user Beneath_B1ue_Skies.
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An iPhone movie guide can really be a lot of help. If you know how to use it, it’s like having Roger Ebert in your pocket to help you impress friends. Of course, you have to know how to use it, where to use it and when to use it. Here are just a few questions you can answer with a movie guide on your iPhone…
What Was His Name Again…?
Oftentimes you’ll be in the middle of a conversation and you suddenly forget an actor’s name. It’s an actor you should be able to name; you love his work, but… You’re having what your dad calls a “senior moment” and you’re just drawing a blank. Well, with a movie guide, you can look up a few of his movies to cross reference his work. “Let’s see, he was the guy in Reservoir Dogs and True Romance, you know, Sean Penn’s brother… Ah ha! Chris Penn! Oh look, he was in Rumble Fish, too!” This way you’re the expert on everyone’s filmography and can name any actor “off the top of your head” with a little help from your iPhone.
Well What do YOU Want to See?
Come on, the reason you asked is because you couldn’t make up your own mind in the first place! Oh well. At least with your iPhone guide, you can just look up on the internet and see what’s playing, or when selecting a DVD, you can check out what you might like. You can check by ratings, by recommendation, or look for movies starring some of your favorite actors or directed by a favorite film maker. It’s sort of like having your personal opinions put into a handy guide for you to reference and find similar stuff to what you enjoy without even trying.
Wait, Wasn’t He Dead?
In this day and age, the big studios own the theaters. This means that any director or actor without a big studio contract is releasing all of their movies direct to DVD or through other avenues. So, it’s not always easy to tell if Corey Feldman is still around, or if Roger Corman is still making movies. With your iPhone guide, you can answer that question in seconds flat and maybe discover some hidden gem of a film in the meantime. It’s too bad the theater market has changed so much, but at least the Internet gives us the chance to keep up with favorite film makers who haven’t been in the big leagues for awhile.
Was That Movie Any Good?
Next time you’re in line at the movie theater, undecided, and you’re up next, just do a quick look at what’s playing right now on your iPhone movie guide. You want action? See which one gets the best reviews from sites like Aintitcool. Comedy? Look and see on your movie guide for iPhone which one people are saying is funniest. Obviously, it’s fairly subjective and all, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t gauge and predict your own response to the film by seeing what other people have said. After all, the reason hardcore action junkies love Shootemup is for the same reasons all the serious critics hated the movie.
Are you brooding about upgrading your current DVD player orperhaps buying your first DVD player? If you’re, then there are a few things that you must take into account before you purchase a DVD player.
With all the newly developed technology, DVD players offer a wide range of benefits for all who buy them. So, whatis the difference between DVD players? Well, truly it just relies on which one that you purchase. Here’s a handy guide for you to use before you go buy a DVD player.
Yes, there’s a difference between picture qualities! Nowadays, everyone thinks that everything electronic is digital ; however , that’s's not the case. And, even if it was, when the DVD player is hooked up to the TV it uses analog cables. So, the picture quality actually does depend on which DVD player that you purchase. How huge is your television? What? What does the TV have to do with buying a DVD player? Well, honestly, ithas a bunch to do with it. Agree with it or not, the size of your TV does matter when it comes to the picture quality that you’re going to receive when playing your favorite flick on that new DVD player. Let’s just put it this way : if your TV is less that 27′, you can most likely get away with just about any DVD player and still get a good picture. On aTV that size or smaller, it’d be hard for anybody to tell the difference in the DVD player. However , with that being said, if your TV is larger, especially over 32′, then when you purchase a DVD player, make sure you get the right one because itwill make a difference. Buy DVD Player
Have you got a home theater system? Yes, this matters too. How are you going to use the DVD player? Will you hook it directly to the TV or will it’s used by you in cooperation with a home theater system? In any case, you’ll want to make sure that if your home theater system has component video outputs that you purchase a DVD player which has the same. These outputs will allow you to get the best possible picture out of the DVD player. ( Some of the newer televisions, especially the digital TVs offer these outputs as well , and if they do, same thing applies : get the DVD player which has the outputs too. ) Buy DVD Player
However, the most important thing under this class is if you have a surround sound system, then make sure that you take a look at the DVD player’s audio digital to analog conversion capabilities. This could also help to supply a better sound quality. Now, you can learn plenty more about this subject from talking with an audio expert or through searching the Internet ; however , we just wanted to give you an idea of what to look for and to help tell you about the diversities between these machines if you do go to purchase a DVD player.
Since people are quite choosy when it comes to their cars, it is no surprise that some pick certain colours with which to express themselves. In some cases, people know what colour they want before they even start looking for a car. With this in mind, here is a handy guide to understanding what the colour of your car says about you.
Black – black is usually the first colour choice for many people. The Vectra, which is a popular choice in used Vauxhall cars, seems to be mostly seen in black that indicates its true executive style. It is true that black is the choice for those that like things to look expensive. However, some would say that black cars are for people who don’t like to stand out and simply want to blend in with society!
Red – it used to be the case that red cars were very unappealing, but these days people like to be seen in them. In contras to black motors, people choose red cars when they are statement-making. There’s no shy people that will drive red cars! It is a very fresh and modern colour that is frequently the colour of choice for used Vauxhall Corsa buyers. Of course, it is personal preference at the end of the day, but red is certainly making waves in the world of cars.
Silver – this is by far one of the most universal car colours. The appeal isn’t just because it looks good but also because it doesn’t show marks very easily. If you get your car scratched slightly then it is likely that it won’t make much of a dent. Most car drivers would agree that this bodes well, especially for new drivers that might have a few prangs to start with. Silver cars exude class and when the sun shines on it, it can look very glamorous and ‘elite’. People who drive silver cars like their motors to stand out just enough to get people to notice them. Silver is generally chosen by really confident people.
Posted by othertech on Saturday, 12 December, 2009
Whether making your own lens hood to create custom bokeh, breathing like a sniper to get a blur-free photo, or angling your body to look the best in pictures, we shared some great photography hacks this year.
Software and Photoshop tricks are great, but they’re a poor substitution for doing things in-camera. Over the last year we shared a variety of hacks for taking better photos, looking better in photos, and ways to get professional results without spending your rent money on camera accessories.
What’s a bokeh you say? It’s that oh-so-wonderful fuzziness in the background of photographs with a shallow depth of field and accompanying starry highlights. You can create you own bokeh effects with a little craftiness.
We live in a culture of oversharing, so odds are someone, somewhere will be snapping and posting photos taken of you at various events. To help ensure you look your best, heed where you position your tongue.
People often lament that they “just missed it!” upon seeing they failed to capture a pivotal moment in the action. You can avoid missing the action by treating your still camera like a video camera.
You have a camera and a willing subject, but you’re not sure how to break your portraits out of the flat blandness that plagues many snapshots. Avoid boring compositions with these tips.
Many a photography enthusiast has assumed the equipment necessary is far too expensive for quality high speed photography captures. A high speed capture studio on the cheap can be had with this handy guide.
Making abstract wallpaper and gorgeous slow-exposure shots doesn’t require a bunch of design apps or photography lessons. Learn how to literally toss your camera to make abstract light art.
Whether you head 30 or 3000 miles away, you’ll want to bring back great photos of your vacation. The New York Times posts questions and answers on how to achieve great vacation photos.
Taking a good self-portrait is both a handy skill and a way to expand your photographic repertoire. Save your next profile picture from the camera-held-at-arms-length cliche with these tips.
Daytime photo tricks don’t always translate when you’re trying to capture the perfect night shot. The Photography Bay web site outlines tips for taking a stellar post-sunset shot without relying on a tripod or expensive flash system.
When the camera comes out, a lot of people instinctively declare that they look awful in pictures. Learn how to be more photogenic and put your best face forward.
If the DIY Fiber Optic Ring Flash we wrote about required too many specialist parts for your taste, check out this much simpler remix. The construction is easy and done with common household items.
Photography is a creative art, no doubt, but creative doesn’t mean doing everything willy-nilly however you want. Use these basic rules of composition to give your photos an extra boost of visual appeal.
Beauty dishes are great flash modifiers for portrait photographs, but even a cheap model will set you back at least $100. Skip it—a surprisingly effective DIY beauty dish costs less than $20.
Gizmodo’s John Mahoney explains how to take high dynamic range (HDR) photos so that the results of your photograph more accurately recreate what you were seeing when you snapped the shutter.
You don’t need a blockbuster budget to get high-quality light for your portraits. By coaxing the sun to help in your photographic endeavors, you can create stunning portraits on a tiny budget.
Lightboxes aren’t just for the professionals any longer. Using them to illuminate your Craigslist and eBay listings can help make a sale, and amateur photogs can get professional-looking shots with one. Create your own using K’nex and a little know how.
Panoramic software has come a long way toward making panoramic images child’s work. Great software or not, there’s no substitution for good source material. Take better panoramic pictures with these tips
Whether you’re interested in learning more about lighting to add to your photography skill set or you’re just curious how proper studio lighting works, this handy guide will provide some photo-enhancing insight.
Tilt-shift lenses create a great miniature effect on photographs of everyday things. The problem? These specialized lenses are insanely expensive (think $1,000 range). This video from Make demonstrates how to make a DIY tilt-shift lens on the cheap.
Sunsets are one of nature’s more spectacular displays, and a good one is worth preserving with a photograph. Take pictures that will capture the perfect dusk moment with these photography tips.
The right flash can make or break your shot. Unfortunately, not all built-in flashes are created equal. DIY web site Instructables demonstrates how to create a worthy on-the-spot flash diffuser using an empty cigarette packet.
With the recent launches of Google Music, Amazon Cloud Player and iCloud, there has never been an easier time to buy a song. Each service is different, though, and each has their strengths and weaknesses. Depending on your phone, listening habits and geekiness, you are better off going with one service over another. Here is a handy guide to help you choose which service is best for you.
Whether making your own lens hood to create custom bokeh, breathing like a sniper to get a blur-free photo, or angling your body to look the best in pictures, we shared some great photography hacks this year.
Whether you head 30 or 3000 miles away, you’ll want to bring back great photos of your vacation. The New York Times posts questions and answers on how to achieve great vacation photos.
Taking a good self-portrait is both a handy skill and a way to expand your photographic repertoire. Save your next profile picture from the camera-held-at-arms-length cliche with these tips.
Daytime photo tricks don’t always translate when you’re trying to capture the perfect night shot. The Photography Bay web site outlines tips for taking a stellar post-sunset shot without relying on a tripod or expensive flash system.
Photography is a creative art, no doubt, but creative doesn’t mean doing everything willy-nilly however you want. Use these basic rules of composition to give your photos an extra boost of visual appeal.
