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Review – Wacom Cintiq Companion – Someone finally Smushed my Laptop and Sketchbook together!

Ideas for creative people happen quickly, in some moments unexpectedly. We need tools that allow us to pursue those ideas with precision and confidence. The Wacom Cintiq Companion delivers on those “tools” and instantly upgrades any creative person’s arsenal. And everyone knows the old saying, “you need the right tools for the job” and in today’s completive market for artistic designers and photographers creating digitally is not another means to end, but a must to keep up with the every growing pace of the creative world. Is the Cintiq Companion the right tool for you? Read our review to find out!

Michael Mann, with additional reporting by Harris Fogel, posted 2/13/2015

In this interview with Mary Engel and Penelope Dixon we discuss the creation of APAG, and the APAG Conference in New York, held at the International Center of Photography, during Fall 2014. The American Photography Archives Group (APAG) is an organization founded, and run by, Mary Engel, daughter of Ruth Orkin and Morris Engel. The primary mission of APAG has been to offer a forum for living artists and guardians of archives to come together to discuss and learn about all aspects of archive management. If you are interested in photography, estate planning for artists, and preserving photography archives, listen in! Recorded at the International Center of Photography in New York City, in September 2014 by Harris Fogel.

Harris Fogel, Posted 1/31/2015 (20:40)

We love the holidays – they bring stress, commotion, travel headaches, and joyous times with family and friends. But they also bring exciting new products, music, and tools to soothe our transition to the new year. Here is a quick list of some High Resolution Audio and Music highlights from 2014 to consider as 2015 approaches! Music from HD Tracks, Blue Coast Records, Society of Sound, Pure Blu-Ray Audio, AIX Records, Capitol/Universal Music, Chesky Records, Real World Records, and music software from Channel D and Sonic Studio.

Harris Fogel and Nancy Burlan, Posted 12/24/2014

With just two weeks to go until International CES 2015 begins, the excitement is building and the communications are coming fast and furious. John Mulhern III writes about some of the things he and others at Mac Edition Radio are looking for, including Bluetooth 4.2 and the Internet of Things, good and inexpensive 3D printing, and more 4k content options.

John Mulhern III, Posted 12/21/2014

Bluetooth audio has earned a somewhat well deserved rap for a somewhat degraded audio experience. Audioengine didn’t think that we should settle for this, and recently introduced two products to provide a higher quality experience. The B1 Bluetooth Music Receiver adds Bluetooth capability to any audio device, and the B2 Bluetooth Speaker is Audioengine’s take on a small compact audio system. Will these products allow wireless music to fill your life? Read our review to find out!

Harris Fogel, posted 12/21/2014

It's the Holiday Season, so here are my Top Ten Holiday items of digital hardware and software that I either added to my toolkit this year or relied on heavily and will add cheer to your digital holidays! From Logitech to Sabrent, from BlueAnt to ioSafe, from Polaroid to FileMaker Pro, and Calibre to Macility, here are a few of my favorite things!

A.D. Coleman, Posted 12/18/2014

In the era of big screens and phablets, phones seem to be getting bigger and bigger. The all-new Desire 816 from HTC has the largest screen Virgin Mobile can offer yet. But does bigger necessarily mean better? Worried about keeping up with the Joneses? Virgin Mobile also offers the Samsung Galaxy S5 4G LTE. Read our review to find out which is right for you!

Thomas Fogel & Nancy Burlan, Posted 11/28/2014

Distance learning has become a staple of 21st-century education. Teaching online requires hardware that combines functionality with comfort. A. D. Coleman tests a Logitech HD Pro C920 webcam and headset in his seminars, connecting them through a Sabrent USB 3 hub and charging them via a Sabrent charging unit.

A.D. Coleman, Posted 11/19/2014

With the ever-increasing availability of high-resolution downloadable music from labels large and small, listeners who want to get the most out of their music should start with a great, affordable DAC to use with their headphones. We tested the Audioengine D3 24-bit DAC/Headphone amp, and we give it high marks. Audioengine has built a reputation based on affordable, good sounding audio gear, powered speakers, and DAC’s and the D3 is their first entry into the portable USB DAC market. With the help of high-resolution audio releases from HD Tracks, including the latest Led Zeppelin titles, we put this pocket sized DAC to the test. For the full story, read our full review!

Harris Fogel, posted 11/13/2014

A few months ago we wrote that, “In recent years we have seen the rise in popularity of a headphone that use a plastic film usually with metallic traces on it surrounded by powerful magnets, a design known as a planar magnetic. Most planar headphones are inefficient, heavy, large, and expensive, but known for their excellent sound quality.” Oppo Digital, the respected manufacturer of Blu-ray decks, entered the fray with a new line of personal audio products, and recently introduced the PM-2 Planar Magnetic Headphones, a lower-cost follow-up to their ultra-luxurious and critically acclaimed PM-1 Planar Magnetic Headphones. The first mention of the PM-1 set the audiophile world aflutter, even amongst the fan boys at head-fi.org, but with the PM-2 available at half the cost, should you be considering them? How good are these newly affordable models? To find out we put them to the test with the aid of recent releases from HD Tracks. Read our review to find out how the PM-2's performed!

Harris Fogel, with editorial assistance from Nancy Burlan, posted 10/22/2014