Page 87 - Blog

In the sometimes ever-shrinking window of video game franchise success, Activision has pulled the plug, so to speak, on its hit video game series, Guitar Hero. Known for its colorful plastic guitar-controllers, South Park spoof episode and epic rock ballads, the Guitar Hero division, and its sequels, is no more.

Some may be delighted that no longer will they find their kid’s monstrous plastic guitar leaning against their fine hardwood TV lift cabinet, but those who helped usher in this era of classic rock simulation may have to start looking elsewhere for their Thrash-like fix. Video arcades will likely keep their coin-operated version of Guitar Hero a while longer, if nothing more for nostalgia. But for a game that was only created in 2005, and which spawned various sequels such as Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Guitar Heroes: Warriors of Rock and Rock Band, which meant buying a whole band set of drums and a microphone, the current sales could no longer support production. In the

In the sometimes ever-shrinking window of video game franchise success, Activision has pulled the plug, so to speak, on its hit video game series, Guitar Hero. Known for its colorful plastic guitar-controllers, South Park spoof episode and epic rock ballads, the Guitar Hero division, and its sequels, is no more.

Some may be delighted that no longer will they find their kid’s monstrous plastic guitar leaning against their fine hardwood TV lift cabinet, but those who helped usher in this era of classic rock simulation may have to start looking elsewhere for their Thrash-like fix. Video arcades will likely keep their coin-operated version of Guitar Hero a while longer, if nothing more for nostalgia. But for a game that was only created in 2005, and which spawned various sequels such as Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Guitar Heroes: Warriors of Rock and Rock Band, which meant buying a whole band set of drums and a microphone, the current sales could no longer support production. In the

You may have gone to the movie theater in the last two years to watch Avatar in 3-D, or perhaps you waited until it came out in Blu-ray to watch it at home in front of your TV lift cabinet. Regardless, you likely think that 3-D technologies are cool and will clearly be part of the entertainment industry’s future. But have you ever wondered how 3-D works? We uncovered some of the secrets of 3-D technology and we would like to share them.

Have you ever held up a pencil or finger and looked at it with one eye closed, then the other one closed? You’ll see that the image is the same, but it has a different perspective. This is “stereoscopy,” and it’s how the eyes and brain work together to create an impression of a third dimension. Our eyes are roughly 50 mm to 75 mm apart, and each eye takes in a different perspective, triggering the brain to do some crazy geometry to make up for the disparity between both images. It is this disparity that creates “3-D”.

So when we use technology to replicate

An exquisite example of traditional styling meets modernized functionality, the Restoration TV Lift Cabinet is a multi-step stained and scratch-resistant hardwood TV lift cabinet that is sure to impress, delight and get heavy use.

The Restoration TV Lift Cabinet comes complete with a pre-installed TV lift mechanism capable of quietly raising and lowering a flat-screen TV weighing up to an impressive 130 pounds and measuring 54” wide. The cabinet itself is hand-built from American Maple, and it can be placed against any wall in your home, including a home office or bedroom. The base molding conceals non-marking feet so you can easily move the cabinet for cleaning or rearranging.

The two center cabinet doors come with interchangeable cloth speaker panels for speaker storage, and the built-in shelf ventilation will keep your media players cool even when being used at peak levels. The included radio frequency remote control for the TV lift comes ready to work, with no programming required.

Founded on an idea Reiko Fukushima had nine years ago, coming back to work after maternity leave, Toshiba is now leading the charge on supplying the world’s first “naked-eye” 3-D TV. Recently covered in an interview with Fukushima in The New York Times, the progress of these developing technologies has done two things in Japan – sparked new heights for high-tech women researchers in that country and given confidence to all who were skeptical that a “naked-eye” technology could ever be developed.

Toshiba itself was skeptical when Fukushima first presented them the idea, but now last October at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the prototype of the 3-D TV was unveiled. It was always clear to Fukushima that 3-D glasses would have to go in order for the technology to truly take off, and her approach to the problem was to develop an algorithm that drew on a Toshiba imaging processor, named the “Cell,” to display nine different images for each frame. A sheet on the TV screen, called

Both Mitsubishi and Samsung have been producing 3-D-ready TVs for years. However, back when they first starting making and selling their 3-D TVs, the 3-D technology was much different than it is today. The result was that their TVs simply no longer worked with today’s technology, so the companies had to send out upgrade kits to be compatible.

Late last year, Mitsubishi released an upgrade kit for its DLP TVs, which is a technology no longer used by any TV manufacturer except Mitsubishi. These DLP TVs are adequate in quality, but they are often much thicker than today’s flat-screens. Their two-feet deep sets are no good for placement in TV lift cabinets. However, the company believes in the technology and will, in 2011, be releasing a 92-inch 3-D TV in DLP for under $6K.

But back to the upgrade kit, the 3D Starter Pack. The pack will work for both Mitsubishi and Samsung 3-D-ready DLP TVs (not including plasma models), and it comes with two pairs of active-shutter 3-D eyewear, a 3-D emitter,

Film sound and editing legend, Walter Murch, recently expounded on the virtues, challenges and future of 3-D technology in the entertainment industry. Murch, who is respected for his Academy Award-winning work on “Apocalypse Now” and Oscar-winning editing and sound mixing work on “The English Patient,” recently wrote a letter to film critic Roger Ebert about the world of 3-D.

Murch’s own history with 3-D technology started back in 1986 when he edited the 3-D version of Michael Jackson’s “Captain Eo,” which was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and shown at Disney theme parks. Many actually claim this film was “4-D” since it incorporated so many in-theater effects (lasers, smoke, etc.) synched to the film’s narrative.

In the letter he wrote to Ebert, Murch explains that the biggest obstacle in producing 3-D films is the “convergence/focus issue.” As a viewer watches a 3-D film, different “planes” are apparent to the viewer, and though the viewer him or herself is not changing their location

Out of the answers below, can you guess why people are hesitant to buy online?

A.      Cannot see the product in person.

B.      Does the finish look exactly as it does online?

C.      Concerns over online security.

D.      Do not feel comfortable doing business with people they have not had the opportunity to meet face to face.

E.       All of the above.

If you answered “E”, then you share the same concerns of many.  It can be quite nerve wracking to make a purchase sight unseen with an unfamiliar company.

As an online furniture company, we face these hurdles every day when speaking with our customers.  It is extremely important to us to make sure our customers feel comfortable when making their purchases.  That is why we make sure to address each and every one of these reservations.

For starters, did you know that we can send you wood-finish samples of any our TV lift cabinets?  Yes, it is absolutely true!  To ensure our customers select the right TV lift cabinet

Film sound and editing legend, Walter Murch, recently expounded on the virtues, challenges and future of 3-D technology in the entertainment industry. Murch, who is respected for his Academy Award-winning work on “Apocalypse Now” and Oscar-winning editing and sound mixing work on “The English Patient,” recently wrote a letter to film critic Roger Ebert about the world of 3-D.

Murch’s own history with 3-D technology started back in 1986 when he edited the 3-D version of Michael Jackson’s “Captain Eo,” which was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and shown at Disney theme parks. Many actually claim this film was “4-D” since it incorporated so many in-theater effects (lasers, smoke, etc.) synched to the film’s narrative.

In the letter he wrote to Ebert, Murch explains that the biggest obstacle in producing 3-D films is the “convergence/focus issue.” As a viewer watches a 3-D film, different “planes” are apparent to the viewer, and though the viewer him or herself is not changing their location

The lines of division are even blurrier now, at least in terms of who will be providing your cable and Internet service in 2011. The FCC recently approved a Comcast-NBC merger, citing that it did not violate U.S. antitrust laws. So should you expect to see a change in your service when you come home one afternoon next week to watch a show in front of your TV lift cabinet? Probably not. What this merger means is that Comcast now has majority ownership of NBC and its media properties, which includes a piece of TV-streaming giant, Hulu.

The specifics of the merger are an agreement between Comcast and General Electric, which owns the majority of NBC Universal. The merger was approved by the FCC by a 4-1 vote, and Comcast will acquire 51% of NBC Universal for approximately $13.75 billion. This deal has been in the works for more than a year.

One of the major concerns over this deal before it was passed was to make sure it did not hinder or hamper the continuing growth of online video. The FCC