PopSugar

Tech @ Home: Mounting a Flat Panel TV Above Your Fireplace

GeekSugar — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:03:38 -0700

Although it looks nice, mounting a flat panel TV above your fireplace can take years off of its life if you aren't careful. Aside from possible smoke damage, your new LCD or plasma screen was built to run at a specific temperature (check your owners manuals for exact specs, but usually between 32-100°F), so watching a movie and building a roaring fire can actually damage the components inside your TV if it gets too hot.

Thankfully, all is not lost. If there's no stopping you from mounting your set, there's a quick test you can do to find out how hot your fireplace will get. Attach a thermometer to the spot you've chosen to mount (tape and a cheap thermometer from a drug store will do the trick), build a fire, and let it burn. After a few hours, if your chosen spot is getting close to your set's maximum operating temp, then you shouldn't burn the fire and watch the tube at the same time, or choose another place for your TV to call home.

Source

How-To: Properly Place Your TV For Optimal Viewing

GeekSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:05:40 -0700

Before you drop all that money on a 46-inch flat panel HDTV you found on sale, maybe you should make sure there's enough room in your studio apartment for that bad boy. What, you think that just because it's flat you can fit it anywhere? As fun as it may seem to turn your apartment into a full-fledged movie theater, you should know that there are optimal viewing distances that you should adhere to. The general rule of thumb is to place your TV at a distance of three times the height of your screen (3 x H) away from your sofa.

For example, if you're buying a TV that has a screen height of 30 inches, you should sit approximately 90 inches or 7 feet away to view your picture in all its splendor. Just a little something to keep in mind before you buy that new LCD!

Source

Would You Watch TV In Your Shower?

GeekSugar — Thu, 10 May 2007 07:00:13 -0700

There's been a tremendous influx of TVs that were designed to live in or around water recently. From Inflatable Widescreen Outdoor Theater Systems to TVs designed to fit in bathroom mirrors and of course the "Weatherproof Monitor" from Florida-based Iizell, (seen at right) which is an LCD that can be submerged a full meter deep and costs a hooting $11,020 for screens sized 26 to 55 inches.

I happen to be a firm believer in a relaxing, commercial free bath, but as Yumsugar pointed out, the waterproof TV might be ideal for a stockbroker addicted to that lovely little ticker.

Daily Tech: Sony's New M-Series LCD TVs Offer Mix 'n' Match Colored Frames

GeekSugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:45:01 -0800

Sony has updated its Bravias with two M-Series LCD TVs that you can get with various rainbow-colored frames. - Gizmodo
Switched lists 10 of the dumbest USB computer accessories ever made. Too funny! - Switched
If you like the MacBook Air but are bummed out about how it lacks certain features, check out a list of other high-end ultraportable laptops that may do the trick. - Crave
Starting next Monday, San Francisco commuters may get to take a ride on the new "Connected Bus," a new bus featuring free WiFi and touchscreen map walls. - Engadget
Log in and take the Centro quiz to win a sleek white GSM quad-band Centro by Palm! - geeksugar

High-Tech Luxury Bathroom: Love or Leave?

GeekSugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:45:51 -0800

Would you love to have a bathroom that is decked out with all the latest gadgets? Imagine having a bathtub like this one I spotted on Bornrich. The Splash is a 17-inch wide screen, water-resistant LCD TV that comes with a 176-degrees horizontal and vertical viewing angle and an iPod docking station. As much as I'd love to say that it'd be great to watch television while taking a bath, I prefer complete serenity- zero technology and noise. Now the iPod dock is a different story, because rocking out while getting ready is always fun. What do you think? Is it over-the-top to have technology in the bathroom?

Consumer Reports: How to Make Pricey Appliances Last

SavvySugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:00:28 -0800

The cost of maintaining a home and appliances is often a major deterrent for those debating whether to rent or purchase a home. The unexpected expense of fixing leaky gutters and broken dishwashers can be budget breaking if it comes at the wrong time of month. Not to mention it's a huge pain. Consumer Reports has put together a great guide for how to extend the useful life of appliances and pricey goodies. Obviously, the key is maintenance and keeping a watchful eye on appliances so they don't break down unexpectedly and leave you in a pricey pinch. Consumer Reports suggests:

Cell phones
Don't stow in your car's glove compartment during the summer. Otherwise, batteries may overheat, possibly ruining the phone. If you've been known to drop your cell phone, treat it to a protective case.

Clothes dryers
Clean the lint filter after each use and the entire air duct yearly. If your dryer breaks, think about replacing it if repairs will cost more than half the price of a comparable new model. But don't expect much gain in performance or efficiency, since dryer technology hasn't changed much.

Clothes washers
Don't overload. If your washer breaks, think about replacing it if repairs will cost more than half the price of a comparable model. If you're replacing, consider a high-efficiency washer, which should save money over time. Also consider a front-loader, which is less punishing to clothes than a top-loader.

Dishwashers
Check the filter regularly and remove any debris.

To see additional suggestions and reminders, read more.

Hardwood floors
Dust mop or vacuum weekly. Wipe up wet spills pronto.

Kitchen knives
Keep them out of the dishwasher and store them in a wooden knife block or individual plastic shields.

Laptop computers
Set them on a hard, flat surface rather than a soft one such as a bed or carpet, which can block airflow and cause them to overheat.

LCD TVs
Clean the screen gently with a soft, slightly damp cloth, ideally a microfiber one. Avoid commercial cleaners and paper towels, which can scratch the screen.

Mattresses
Rotate periodically. Try not to sit on the edge. Buy a washable, protective cover. And pull back the sheets and blankets to let the bed air out for 20 minutes or so each morning.

Visit the Consumer Reports website for more tips on making your pricey goods last.

Would You Buy a White TV?

GeekSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:01:32 -0700

I might need a new TV. Yesterday Apartment Therapy highlighted this gorgeous Hitachi LCD ultraslim flat-panel television. Not only do I have a crush on the white frame, but also I'm excited for this trend in electronics. The iPhone 3G, the MacBook, now TVs . . . what's next?

I believe the trend can be attributed to Apple - the iPod remained clothed in its iconic white for a few years (I once read in Domino that Apple wouldn't surrender its formula for the specific shade of white).

We were accustomed to that yucky beige for years, and then everything seemed to trend black, and now we're finally seeing more clean, colorless white. You know how I feel about it; how do you?

Cirque Du Soleil Inspires LG LCD TV

GeekSugar — Wed, 02 May 2007 04:00:40 -0700

One day my best friend from childhood just up and joined the circus. I'm serious. We probably should have seen the warning signs - she always loved gymnastics, dance and hanging from monkeybars - but no one knew she would someday turn the vault in for the trapeze. Looks like she's the target market for the new LG LCD TV which is inspired and named after a Cirque Du Soleil show.

The “XCanvas Quidam” and the TV comes in six different sizes and is a tad more expensive than the regular non-circus-inspired models - a 32-inch runs at about $1,600 and a 42-inch is about $3,300. According to Oh Gizmo, the TVs have nifty auto-adjusting brightness, which is perfect for us lazy earth-bound TV viewers. Okay, so many trapeze queens aren't their target demographic. The rest of us lazy folk probably watch more TV than circus-types anyway.

Source

Daily Tech: LG to Unveil a Slim LED-Backlit LCD TV at CES

GeekSugar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:02:44 -0800

Get ready, get set, because LG is getting ready to show off its tiny LH95 LED-lit LCD television at the Consumer Electronics Show next week. - The Boy Genius Report
Google Search, Maps, Image Search, and Gmail rank as Google's top four products. - TechCrunch
A mass influx of Zune 30GB owners are reporting that their players started locking up at midnight last night. - Engadget
Want to make sure your decaf cup of coffee is really decaf? There's actually some new strips that can read the caffeine content in coffee. - CrunchGear
Check out the top 12 tech flops in the tech world from the past year. - Switched

Pink JVC-Victor LCD TV Just Released In Japan

GeekSugar — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 12:00:53 -0700

If you're a pink gadget fanatic, you can now add the JVC-Victor with matching pink remote to your collection. These new LCD televisions have just been released in Japan and are available in 20, 26, 32 and 37 inch sizes. If you are all pinked out, you can also check out the brown, beige and silver models. Prices range from $938 to $2,046 which isn't overly outrageous for a JVC TV. For more pink gadgets, be sure to check out the Pink Camcorder and the Pink Playstation!

[via Engadget and Impress]