PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY FOR HOME AND BUSINESS HOTS Better ear buds Audio aficionados look down on those who use the ear buds that come with an" MP3 player, judging the sound quality to be that of a cheap clock radio. Better sound systems add depth by pumping. up the bass, so Headbanger Audio has created ear buds with a small subwoofer. These make songs sound more like something played through a real stereo. Headbanger's Ear Subs come in three varieties.
The ones for the iPod ($39.95) and the Sony PSP ($29.95) use those devices' internal power to run a small medal- lion-shaped subwoofer attached to the cord. A universal model for other devices needs two AAA batteries to run its bulkier subwoofer. The buds themselves have rubber sheaths that slide into the ear and seal in the sound. For the smug Das Keyboard is a regular 104-key keyboard except nothing is printed on the keys. "It's really for geeks," said Daniel Guermeur, the creator.
"They can already touch-type without looking. They feel a little bit superior. The keyboard is a statement." Guermeur, 41, a programmer and the chief executive of an: open-source software company in Austin, Texas, has been using a prototype model for. two years. His company claims that some users, forced to memorize key positions, type twice as fast within a few weeks.
Das Keyboard (list $79.95) also has one feature not found in most keyboards. Each key is weighted by location to be more or less resistant to touch." For example, it takes less force move the than it does the FrOM Academy of Music (413-584-8435) The Wild Par. rots of Telegraph Hill 7:20 Paper Clips 5:30 Agawam Family Cinemas (413-786-8800) The Interpreter 7:10 Fever Pitch 5 Millions 5:15, 7:15 CineMark Theatres, Hadley (413-587-4233) The Perfect Man 11:20, 2:05, 4:45, 7:10, 9:35 Batman Begins 11:10, noon, 1:55, 4, 5:15, 7:15, 8:20, 10:20 Mr. and Mrs. Smith 11:10, 11:40, 1:55, 4, 4:45, 7, 7:30, 9:45, 10:10 The Honeymooners 7:25, 9:40 The Adventures of Sharkboy vagirl 11:40, 2:15, 4:25, 7:05 Cinderella Man 11:25, 3:40, 7, 10:05 Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 11:05, 1:50, 4:40, 7:20, 10 Madagascar 11:15, 11:45, 1:30, 2, 3:45, 4:15, 6:15, 8:25 The Longest Yard 11:10, 1:45, 4:20, 7:15, 9:50 Star Wars: Episode Ill Revenge of the Sith 11, 2:15, 4:15, 5:30, 8:45, 9:30 Enfield Cinema 12, Enfield (860-253-9201) Batman Be: gins 1:30, 3:30, 4, 4:30, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 9:30, 10, 10:30.
The Adventures of Sharkboy Lab vagirl 12:20, 2:35, 4:45, 7:10, 9:20 Mr. and Mrs. Smith 1:40, 2:10, 4:20, 4:50, 7:05, 7:35, 9:40, 10:10 Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 1:45, 4:25, 6:50, 9:25 Cinderella Man 12:15, 4:05, 6:55, 9:45 Star Wars: Episode Ill Revenge of the Sith 1:25, 4:35, 7:25, 10:15 The Honeymooners 12:05, 2 Madagascar 1:05, 3:10, 5:15, 7:20, 9:15 The Longest Yard noon, 2:30, 5:10, 7:45, 10:05 The Perfect Man 1:15, 4:10, 6:40, 9 Greenfield Garden Cinemas (413-774-4881) High Tension noon, 3, 6, 9 The Republican MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2005 PAGE E6 Videoconferencing now tions and send fewer frames a second. From Logitech, for example, the $39.99 QuickCam for notebooks delivers 15 frames a second at a maximum resolution of 640 by 480 pixels. A better camera like Logitech's topline Orbit ($129.99) generates better color fidelity at 30 frames a second, if the computer has enough processing power.
Video resolution is not the only target for improvement. Apple, for instance, added a better noise-canceling microphone to its iSight camera, priced at $149.99. The newest version of the Macintosh OS also includes more sophisticated video compression. Some users are even turning to hand-held video recorders and connecting them to their computers. The camera is just the beginning.
Good lighting is essential. Room lights may leave uneven shadows on your face, and bright windows in the background can overwhelm the camera and turn a face into a black hole. Many are now turning on desk lamps or other lights behind the camera to add more light to the face of the person behind the computer. "The first item on my list is having good lighting," said Bob Summers, the president of nanoCom, the company behind the video chat program iSpQ (pronounced "I "Office light- Screen times Star Wars: Episode Ill Revenge of the Sith 1:50, 2:25, 6:30, 7, 10 The Adventures of Sharkboy Lavagirl 12:10, 12:40, 2:20, 2:50, 5:15, 7:25, 9:40 The Honeymooners 12:45, 2:55, 5:05, 7:15, 9:25 The Longest Yard 1:50, 4:25, 7:15, 7:45, 9:50, 10:20 Cinderella Man 12:15, 3:20, 6:30, 9:35 Mr. and Mrs.
Smith 1:40, 2:10, 4:20, 4:50, 7, 7:30, 9:40, 10:10 Batman Begins 12:30, 1, 1:30, 3:30, 4, 4:30, 5, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 8, 9:30, 10, 10:30 The Perfect Man 12:45, 3:10, 5:25, 7:35, 9:55 High Tension 9:55 Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 1, 3:30, 7:25, 10 Showcase Cinemas, East Windsor (860-623-3545) Mr. and Mrs. Smith 12:50, 1:40, 3:45, 4:20, 6:45, 7:20, 9:30, 10 Batman Begins 1, 1:30, 4, 4:30, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 9:20, 9:50, 10:20 The Honeymooners 1:35, 4:35, 7:45, 10:25 Cinderella Man 12:20, 3:30, 6:40, 9:45 Springfield 18 Springfield Plaza SPRINGFIELD, MASS Week Of Showtimes June 17 June Batman Begins P613 Daily 11:35 2:35 5:35 8:30 Batman Begins PG13 Daily 12:05 3:05 6:05 9:05 Batman Begins PG13 Daily 12:35 3:35 7:05 10:05 Batman Begins PG13 Daily 1:05 4:05 7:35 10:35 The Perfect Man PG Daily 11:40 2:00 4:50 7:20 9:55 Mr. And Mrs. Smith PG13 Daily 11:35 2:15 5:05 7:45 10:30 Mr.
And Mrs. Smith PG13 Daily 12:05 4:30 7:15 10:00 Cinderella Man PG13 Daily 11:45 2:50 7:00 10:05 The Honeymooners PG13 Daily 11:55 2:10 4:40 7:00 9:25 Star Wars: Episode Ill, Revenge Of The Sith PG13 Daily 11:30 2:45 6:05 9:10 The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl PG Daily 11:40 2:00 4:45 7:05 9:35 Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants PG Dally 11:45 5:10 The Longest Yard PG13 Daily 11:30 2:00 4:30 7:05 9:35 High Tension Daily 12:10 2:20 4:50 7:10 9:45 Crash A Daily 2:25 8:00 10:20 Monster in Law PG13 Daily 7:15 9:40 Madagascar PG Daily 11:45 2:05 4:15 6:30 8:35 Madagascar PG Daily 12:15 2:35 4:45 www.marqueecinemas.com Movie Hotline 781-FILM E6 1 A desktop technology grows up By PETER WAYNER New York Times evin Callahan fering classical lessons over an video link, he the sound to be as possible to the room with dents. After experimenting, system that channeled three microphone and an orchestral sizer through a professional board to his Macintosh. From blended the sound with Apple's GarageBand software before it out over the Internet. "It's not necessary," he "but it gives me quite a bit of ty." Now, he sits in his studio and teaches students in setts, Florida, California and Some of his local students system when time or illness them from traveling to his More and more people are the options Callahan has, as ferencing grows up.
Faster and Internet connections make sible to replace the pixelated, pictures the size of a postage with a full-screen image that as gracefully as a movie. Better phones and sound-mixing richer and more realistic sound. This higher quality, alas, poses more aesthetic flaws rise to a race to improve the the sound, the lighting and the Practically every part of the chatting experience can be but it helps to begin with a era. There are a number of ones under $50, but many rely grade sensors that offer lower Star Wars: Episode Ill' Revenge of the Sith noon, 3, 6, 9 Cinderella Man noon, 3, 6, 9 The Longest Yard 12:15, 3:15, 6:15, 9:15 Madagascar 12:15, 3:15, 6:15, 9:15 Mr. and Mrs.
Smith 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30 Batman Begins 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30 Mansfield Drive-In Theatre, Mansfield, Conn. (860-423-4441) Screen 1: Batman Begins 9, House of Wax 11:10 Screen 2: Madagascar 9, The Longest Yard. 10:30 Screen 3: Mr. and Mrs. Smith 9, Star Wars: Episode Ill Revenge of the Sith 11 Marquee Cinemas, Springfield Plaza (413-781-3456) Bat- man Begins 11:35, 12:05, 12:35, 1:05, 2:35, 3:05, 3:35, 4:05, 5:35, 6:05, 7:05, 7:35, 8:30, 9:05, 10:05, 10:35 The Perfect Man 11:40, 2, 4:50, 7:20, 9:55 Mr.
and Mrs. Smith 11:35, 12:05, 2:15, 4:30, 5:05, 7:15, 7:45, 10, 10:30 Cinderella Man 11:45, 2:50, 7, 10:05 The Honeymooners 11:55, 2:10, 4:40, 7, 9:25 Star Wars: Episode Ill Revenge of the Sith 11:30, 2:45, 6:05, 9:10 The Adventures of Sharkboy Lavagirl 11:40, 2, 4:45, 7:05, 9:35 Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 11:45, 5:10 The Longest Yard 11:30, 2, 4:30, 7:05, 9:35 High Tension 12:10, 2:20, 4:50, 7:10, 9:45 Crash 2:25, 8, 10:20 Monster -in-Law 7:15, 9:40 Madagascar 11:45, 12:15, 2:05, 2:35, 4:15, 4:45, 6:30, 8:35 Pleasant Street, Northampton (413-586-0935) Howl's Moving Castle 4:30, 7, 9:30 Ladies in Lavender 4:50, 7, 9:10 Showcase Cinemas, Eastfield Mall (413-543-6000) Madagascar 1:05, 1:35, 3:10, 3:40, 5:15, 5:45, 7:20, 9:25 Kevin Callahan of Seattle equipped his Power Mac G5 with Apple's iChat video conferencing software, iSight camera and mic package, GarageBand music mixer and carefully selected lighting equipment to teach guitar over the Internet. come much closer to gazing into each other. If your camera does not come with a boom, DVForge sells a gooseneck extension for the Apple iSight, called SightFlex, for $19.99. Simple booms are just the beginning.
Some cameras are also adding mechanical aiming and focusing tools. The Logitech Orbit can lock onto your face and follow it, a feature that lets users move in their chairs without adjusting the camera. Where the mechanical solutions end, the software solutions begin. CamTrack, a $9.95 software package from Digital Peers, can lock onto faces and follow them, too, although it does this without moving the camera. CamTrack also offers some entertaining features that will distort or invert the image or superimpose some graphics.
These software enhancements can often unlock surprising abilities. The $8 iGlasses package from eCamm lets Mac users tweak the color brightness and focus of the Apple iSight. If you regularly use the camera in low light, you can adjust its sensitivity. The system can even activate a setting that lets the camera pick up infrared light invisible to the eye, allowing use where there is little to no visible light. 5:05, 7:15, 9:20 The Longest Yard 1:50, 4:25, 7:15, 9:50 Star Wars: Episode Ill Revenge of the Sith 1:30, 4:30, 7:35, 10:30 The Adventures of Sharkboy Lavagirl 12:40, 1:55, 2:50, 4:10, 6:40, 9:15 Tower Theaters, South Hadley (413-533-FILM) Cinderella Man 1, 4, 7, 10 Batman Begins 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30 The Republican is not responsible for schedule changes.
BINGO BINGO BINGO BINGO BINGO BINGO ing is horrible. Having nice, soft lighting is essential. What you want to do is make the video compressor work better at what it does." The compression algorithms in the video chat software save bandwidth by detecting large blocks of similar colors and replacing them with a mathematical shorthand. Noise and extra shadows create extraneous detail and reduce the opportunities for savings. That is why it is often best to wear clothes with solid colors and speak before a simple, unadorned backdrop.
If your desk lamp is proving inadequate, Griffin Technology sells the $35 SightLight, a doughnut that wraps around the Apple iSight camera to bathe the subject in "a direct but diffused light." It illuminates without too much glare. Some other improvements are mechanical. One frequently cited problem is the disconnection between the image on the screen and the camera set up to the side. No one can look at the screen and the camera at the same time and so eyes never meet. Logitech is trying to solve this by placing its Orbit camera on a 9-inch boom that lets it rest in the middle of the screen.
While the camera eclipses part of the screen, the user can look at the screen and the camera at the same time. If both sides use it, eyes can The Perfect Man 1:20, 4:15, 7:40,1 10:10 Madagascar 12:30, 2:35, 4:40, 7:15, 9:15 Star Wars: Episode Ill Revenge of the Sith 12:15, 3:40, 6:50, 9:40 The Longest Yard 1:10, 4:10, 7:20, 9:55 Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 12:40, 3:50 The Adventures of Shark Boy La4: vagirl 12:10, 2:40, 4:50, 7:05, 9:10 Showcase Cinemas, West Springfield (413-733-5131) The Perfect Man 12:15, 2:30, 4:45, 7:10, 9:25 Batman Begins 12:30, 1, 1:30, 3:30, 4, 4:30, 5, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 8, 9:30, 10, 10:30 Mr. and Mrs. Smith 1:40, 2:10, 4:20, 4:50, 7, 7:30, 8, 9:40, 10:10, 10:30 9:35 Cinderella Cinderella 6:30, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 12:45, 3:45, 6:45, 9:35 Madagascar 1:05, 1:35, 3:10, 3:40, 5:15, 5:45, 7:20, 9:25 The Honeymooners 12:45, 2:55, SUNDAY MONDAY I WEDNESDAY THURSDAY SPFLD. TURNVEREIN SUNSHINE Rose de Lima VILLAGE Church I PACC-LUDLOW SPFLD ELKS BINGO 176 Garden F.H.
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