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New CE Product Labeling Requirements Particularly Arduous for High-End Audio Companies

Don Bouchard of Cello forwarded this e-mail to us, which outlines the new CE labeling requirements. These are so draconian that we felt the high-end audio community needs to be made aware of them!

"A Call for More Scientific Truth in Product Warning Labels.

"As scientists, engineers, purveyors of expensive high-tech electrically powered devices, and concerned citizens, we applaud the recent trend toward legislation that requires the prominent placing of warnings on products that present hazards to the general public. Yet we must also offer the cautionary thought that such warnings,…

Consumer Electronics Show, January 7, 1999

Friday, we'll venture into the Alexis Park complex and the adjoining exhibits from T.H.E. Show, where most of the specialty audio manufacturers have set up shop. But so far, at the Las Vegas Convention Center and adjoining Hilton (which we are currently touring), live 24/96 digital audio is conspicuous by its absence.

This pattern was repeated this morning at the Meridian booth in the Hilton. A very impressive video was followed by a less-than-stellar audio demonstration---partly flawed by the high ambient noise of the convention floor. We were told about high-resolution wonders to come…

New Beatles Autobiography will Tell All

Thirty-five years after their heyday, the Beatles remain one of the preeminent phenomena of the modern age. More than 400 books have been written about them, both as a group and as individuals.

Those books are about to be superseded by the definitive Beatles tale: a forthcoming 360-page autobiography by Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney. The book will include 1200 photographs—many previously unpublished—and will divulge "new information about the group's drug-taking and the arguments and eventual breakup," according to an April 2 report in the London Daily Telegraph. The…

HE2003 Winners

For the third year in a row, Quebec Audio-Video Magazine has offered its readers a chance to win an all-expense-paid trip for two to the Home Entertainment Show—or a trip to the beautiful Charlevoix region of the province of Quebec, Canada, for a musical experience at Le Domaine Forget concert hall.

In conjunction with Home Entertainment 2003 sponsors Stereophile, Home Theater, Audio Video Interiors, and Stereophile Guide to Home Theater magazines, Quebec Audio-Video proudly announces the first prize winner: Mrs. Louise Belleau, of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, and a friend will fly to…

Several Audio Manufacturers Join the Online Retailing Stampede

The Internet is beginning to pose quite a dilemma for high-end audio manufacturers, especially ones with limited distribution in major markets such as the US. Do you risk alienating potential bricks-and-mortar dealers in an effort to gain widespread exposure by offering your products online? Or do you slowly build distribution through the traditional stores that for years have been high-end audio's haven?

Several companies are now opting for an online strategy and have signed exclusive and selective North and South American distribution rights with CoolAudio.com, according to a recent…

Burr-Brown Announces Development of DSD DAC chip for SACD

Last week, Burr-Brown Corporation announced the development of the DSD1700, which the company says is its first Direct Stream Digital (DSD) audio digital-to-analog converter. According to Burr-Brown, the converter is designed for Sony's DSD technology, which is used in Super Audio CD players, professional DSD processors, and DSD mixing consoles.

Burr-Brown says the DSD1700 was designed using the company's high-performance audio DAC technology under technical consultation with Sony Corporation for DSD technology. The device will directly convert 1-bit, 2.8224MHz digitally sampled data (the…

Company Introduces the first Artificial Intelligence Beatle

Need proof that baby boomers and their attendant interests are having an effect on the frontiers of computer research? Look no further than Triumph PC Online's announcement that it has introduced The John Lennon Artificial Intelligence Project (JLAIP), the first AI-based clone of the late Beatle. The project, initially titled The Plastic Digital Karma Project, has been under development for two years.

David Maggin, founder of Triumph PC Online, says that "the JLAIP will allow anyone with a Java-supported webbrowser and access to the Web to converse online with an interactive analog of…

Tice Audio Seeking Acquisition Partners

A recent email soliciting acquisition partners has given rise to a rumor that George Tice is leaving audio. "Far from it," said the AC power-conditioning pioneer from his Jupiter, FL office. "I want to accomplish three things: move this company to the next level; devote more of my energy to research and engineering; and spend more time with my family." These goals are going to require a well-organized team effort, he insists.

Tice Audio was the first company to build audiophile-grade AC power conditioners, back in 1985, opening up what was previously unknown territory. The Tice Power…

America Online and Columbia House Sign Marketing Agreement

Because online music retailers like CDNow and Amazon.com have likely taken a bite out of record-club sales, last week Internet company America Online and direct music marketer Columbia House announced a marketing agreement for both online and offline advertising and promotions, including product bundling, direct-mail initiatives, and co-marketing and advertising campaigns. Under the multi-year agreement, Columbia House, with more than 13 million members, will promote its music, video, and DVD clubs on AOL's Shopping Channel, as well as on AOL.com, CompuServe, Digital City, and Entertainment…

Texas Instruments Announces Plan to Buy Chipmaker Burr-Brown

Making good its intention to move heavily into the ever-expanding consumer-electronics market, Texas Instruments has announced that it will acquire chipmaker Burr-Brown Corporation for $7.6 billion in stock. Burr-Brown makes some of the most highly regarded A/D and D/A converter chips on the market, many of them used in high-end audio and home-theater products.

Expected to be completed in September, the acquisition, announced June 21, is the latest by TI in a series that includes analog power-control chipmaker Unitrode Corporation, acquired last summer, and power-chip maker Power Trends,…