The most important consideration for television buyers is usually the quality of the picture screen. Hannspree, a Taiwan-based manufacturer known for its creative designs, has created a TV for people who care about the back of the set as well.
The posterior of the Hannspree Lounge model is wrapped in a curved panel of faux wood, reminiscent of the famous Eames lounge chair. This means the television does not have to be positioned against a wall to hide the back, but could sit on a credenza in the middle of a room.
The front of the Lounge TV is no slouch either. The high-definition LCD screens are 1,366 by 1,786 pixels in all three sizes: 26-inch, 32-inch and 37-inch. All three will be available through Hannspree stores and some home electronics boutiques, as well as the company's Web site, www.hannspree.com/TW/index.htm.
The two larger sets include a memory card reader so that you can see your digital photos and videos on screen.
WIND DEFLECTORS KEEP THE NOISE OUT BUT LET THE MUSIC IN
Taking music with you on a bicycle is easy nowadays, thanks to bump-proof solid-state iPods and MP3 players — as long as your earbuds stay in your ears. But earbuds make it hard to hear surrounding traffic and chat with fellow bicyclists.
The Slipstreamz Slip (from www.macfriends.com) can help with that problem. These plastic shells fasten to a bicycle helmet's straps, holding the earbuds slightly away from your ear canal. This lets you hear both the music and surrounding sounds. And their aerodynamic shape minimizes wind noise, the problem they were originally designed to solve.
The inventor of the Slip, Lonnie Tiegs, an American living in South Africa, noticed that his ears rang from wind noise after long, fast bike rides. The streamlined wind deflectors he invented to reduce noise also protected his ears against wind burn on cold days. Adding holders for iPod earbuds (they may not work with other models) was icing on the cake. You can, of course, use them without the earbuds when you're not in the mood for music.
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