Mac Edition Radio

Mac Edition Radio produces reviews and news stories about the latest technologies, digital imaging, music, & photography.

Review – Top Five Games for the Holiday Season – Saint’s Row IV, Assassins Creed 4 Black Flag, Grand Theft Auto V, Civilization V Brave New World Expansion, & Pokémon X and Y

With the holiday season in full swing, you’re in danger of spending a bit too much time with the family. The only solution to save your sanity is to lock the door and spend a couple of hours playing some great games. Remember, there are never enough games during the holiday season! Game Reviewer Owen O’Sullivan’s Top Five Games of 2013 are Saint’s Row IV, Assassins Creed 4 Black Flag, Grand Theft Auto V, Civilization V Brave New World Expansion, & Pokémon X and Y. Read our full review to discover why Owen would rather spend hours a day with these fine games then annoy his family and make Santa proud for keeping the peace!

Owen O'Sullivan, Posted 12/23/2013

Review – Reconsidering the Remastered Van Morrison Moondance, Astral Weeks, and His Band And Street Choir releases from HD Tracks and Rhino Records & Audioengine D3 24-bit DAC & Audio-Technica ATH-AD900X Headphones

The 1970 release of Moondance by Van Morrison heralded his return to the studio after Astral Weeks, a critically acclaimed album from 1968, that didn't have a strong commercial appeal. Astral Weeks was based on improvisation and contained cryptic lyrics, and represented a break from the earlier work Morrison was known for. Moondance, which became a perennial critical and commercial success, was released on CD at the start of the CD era, and has been one of a handful of titles by Morrison that have been denied the audio dusting of a modern remaster. This changed with the recent remastered release of the title in several forms including a 5-disc Deluxe Version from Rhino Records, and a high-resolution download from HD Tracks. How does this updated version hold up? Read our review to find out!

Harris Fogel, Posted 12/22/2013

Review – Bluetooth Speakers from Cambridge Sound Works OontZ XL and Jabra Solemate

Bluetooth speakers are all the rage. Most promise the same thing - great audio, room-filling sound, long battery life, and a few other features. But the main job is to allow you to share tunes with friends, family, and of course to overpower anyone nearby who may be listening to Justin Beiber or Nickelback. We look at two recent additions to the field, the Cambridge Sound Works OontZ XL and the Jabra Solemate. Read on to see how these units rocked our world.

Harris Fogel and Nancy Burlan, posted 12/22/2013

Some Quick Hits for the Holidays – Apple iPad, Epson inkjet printers, streaming players, and Onkyo AV systems

It is once again that time, with gadgets under the tree, phones in pockets, and stockings to stuff. We have some suggestions related to Apple tablets, Epson inkjet printers, streaming video players from Roku, and audio/video receivers from Onkyo. Need some last minute stuffing stockers? Read on to find out Santa John Mulhern's holiday picks!

John Mulhern III, Posted 12/21/2013

Review – Escort PASSPORT Max Radar Detector

You’re having that dream again about the joys of the open road … the landscape rushing by, beautiful clouds overhead, great tunes on the car stereo, engine running perfectly. Nothing could ruin such a beautiful day! While you must always drive as safely as possible, even the best drivers want to be on the lookout for speed traps, and avoid unwanted tickets. After testing the new Escort PASSPORT Max Radar Detector, we feel that you might want to have one by your side. Read our full review to find out if the Escort PASSPORT Max is for you.

Harris Fogel and Nancy Burlan, posted 12/11/2013

Review – FTL: Faster Than Light  Game Review

FTL: Faster Than Light is a little more than a year-old Independent Game in the style of older arcade games with very simple graphics and game play. This strategy game is a must-play for any gamer that will provide hours of fun with a high replay value. It’s popularity has recently due to its inclusion in the Humble Bundle, a charity that raises money through selling PC and Mobile games, movies, and music. Read on for our full review!

Owen O’Sullivan, Posted 12/8/2013

Review – NEC E464 46" LED Edge-lit Commercial-Grade Display w/ Integrated Tuner

Wander into a big box store and you will see racks of LCD displays. All of them will be stocked with features ranging from Smart TV apps, differing refresh rates, audio options, and backlighting technology, but most of them have something else in common – a short duty cycle and a one-year warranty. Enter the world of commercial displays, designed for signage, but perfectly at home as well. The NEC E464 46" LED Edge-lit Commercial-Grade Display w/ Integrated Tuner is designed for 12-hour-per-day operation, carries a 3-year warranty and has a TV tuner if you’d like to use an antenna for free HD content. Read on for our full review of NEC’s 4th generation of this series.

Harris Fogel and Nancy Burlan, posted 12/6/2013

Review – Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5

We have been enamored of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom since first participating in its initial beta program. Over the years, each iteration of what many photographers consider to be a key digital imaging software has continued to improve - sometimes with radical steps, and other times with a subtle sense of refinement. How does Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 improve upon its predecessors? Read our full review to find out!

Harris Fogel, posted 12/6/13

Review – Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat – RTH9580

Like most baby boomers and Gen X-ers, we grew up in a home with a wall-mounted thermostat that had four setting choices: on or off, heat or cool. It had a little dial that hid a mercury-filled glass tube on a bi-metallic temperature-calibrated metal spring. There was no formal timer function other than a parent reminding us that money doesn't grow on trees, so turn down the heat and put on a sweater. Now, Honeywell brings us a new kind of thermostat that improves upon digital efficiency, and then some. The Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat – RTH9580 allows full internet connectivity, the ability to create detailed personalized schedules, and more. Read on to see our experiences with HVAC and the internet using the Honeywell Total Comfort Connect app.

Harris Fogel and Nancy Burlan, Posted 12/1/2013

Review – Oppo BDP-105 and BDP-103 Universal Blu-ray Disc Players

Oppo has been garnering glowing reviews across the globe for its line of Blu-Ray players, which we have enthusiastically reviewed. Each iteration of hardware from Oppo doesn't simply introduce radical new features rather each one offers refinements that enhance previous models. The BDP-103 and BDP-105 Universal Blu-ray Disc Players up the ante with revisions to every subsystem, and we wondered how the new models measured up. The verdict is that both models have indeed surpassed our expectations, so read on for our full review to find out how the new models update the Oppo product matrix and which one is right for you.

Harris Fogel, Posted 12/1/2013

Mac Edition Radio

Pages

OUR SPONSORS