DVD-Audio is getting a big push from <A HREF="http://www.technicsusa.com/">Panasonic</A> this season. A promotion running from November 7, 2000 until January 31, 2001 includes rebates on the purchase of new players and free discs from a wide assortment of performing artists.
Recordings more than 100 years old can now be heard on the Internet, thanks to a <A HREF="http://www.mp3.com/oldest">new program</A> established by San Diego-based startup <A HREF="http://www.mp3.com/">MP3.com</A>. Among the sonic treasures is Thomas Edison narrating a "phonographic trip around the world" recorded in 1888. The site offers copies of Edison cylinder recordings and early 78 rpm discs, all available for free.
The <A HREF="http://www.siriusradio.com/">Sirius Satellite Radio</A> constellation will soon be in position, thanks to the successful launch November 30 of Sirius-3, the third satellite in the Sirius system. The transponders are being arrayed in geosynchronous orbits above North America for maximum radio coverage, which will begin in 2001. The previous two satellites were launched last summer and in early autumn.
Widely known for its consumer electronics products and musical instruments, <A HREF="http://www.yamaha.com">Yamaha</A> actually got its start making pianos 100 years ago. To celebrate this milestone, as well as the 300th anniversary of the piano, the company is introducing its first CD player-equipped, "high-tech" player piano that, it claims, is capable of "singing" along with its piano performance.
First up is <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//features/294/"><I>Stereophile</I>'s 2000 Products of the Year</A>. This is an important resource for readers, and <I>Stereophile</I> editor John Atkinson has once again decided to post this oft-requested article in our online archives in the same month the original appears in the paper edition.
It's the season when <I>Stereophile</I> salutes the Products of the Year. You can read about our picks in print this month's (December) issue, or on the Web next week. But in the meantime, what is your choice for this year's best?
Retailers Ultimate Electronics, Sound Advice, Harvey Electronics and Good Guys have all reported strong sales for their most recent quarters, leading into the holiday shopping season. The only sour note was posted by Circuit City, which has stated that earnings are below expectations across all product categories.
Last week, <A HREF="http://www.verance.com">Verance</A> announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office has issued them a new patent intended to prevent the disabling of a watermark on recorded content. The patent is entitled "Method and Apparatus for Preventing Removal of Embedded Information in Cover Signals." The company has recently drawn the ire of audiophiles, who claim that its watermarking methods are audible in high resolution media such as DVD-Audio recordings (see <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10807/">previous report</A>).
When it comes to purchasing and using electronics products, the gap between men and women appears to be disappearing. That's one conclusion reached by a study conducted in early October by eBrain Market Research and published by the <A HREF="http://www.ce.org/">Consumer Electronics Association</A>. The study, titled <I>Women, Men & Consumer Electronics</I>, questioned 1000 random households about their involvement with electronics technology.