CATEGORIES

Scrubbing bubbles

THIS ISSUE: A new ultrasonic record-cleaning machine and a very pretty cartridge with a body made from Blue River Agate.

Turn It up To 11.2

DENON AVR-X6700H 11.2-CHANNEL A/V RECEIVER

The Road to Utopia

FOCAL CHORA 826-D SPEAKER SYSTEM

The Rapture of the Rumble

Because everything must be controversial, I am going to be controversial. This column discusses God, politics, climate change, and Enzo Ferrari. Furthermore, if it causes lightning to strike you, so be it.

Virtually There

With large-scale live events still in a holding pattern, attending VR and AR concerts online could be the next best bet for diehard concertgoers.

DISTRICT 9 - ULTRA HD BLU-RAY

DISTRICT 9 rises above its disparate components—there are multiple strong influences, everything from Alien Nation to the faux-documentary feel of The Office—to deliver a socially resonant story that’s even more relevant a decade after its release.

GHOST IN THE SHELL - ULTRA HD BLU-RAY

MAMORO OSHII’S beautiful and unsettling anime film, Ghost in the Shell, has been released on Ultra HD Blu-ray to celebrate its 25 th anniversary.

The 300 Spartans - Ultra HD Blu-ray

Inspired by the 1962 Cinemascope epic The 300 Spartans that he saw as a lad, writer/artist Frank Miller would go on to create the five-issue graphic novel 300, a wildly stylized, heavily fictionalized account of the Battle of Thermopylae.

John Lennon Reimagined

The Making of Gimme Some Truth. The Ultimate Mixes

Buy Once, Cry Once

Buy once, cry once. You might be familiar with that old adage, which is used to describe the purchase of a high-cost item that entails upfront financial “pain,” but with no need to buy again in the future due to the superior craftsmanship and build quality. It’s often associated with tools and watches but works quite well for A/V gear.

The Future of Finance

When Jim McKelvey co-founded Square in 2009, most shoppers still purchased goods by swiping a credit card. Eleven years later, the way we pay for things has changed drastically. What’s next?

AGENCY HOMING IN ON SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES' DATA COLLECTION

Federal regulators are ordering Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, TikTok’s parent and five other social media companies to provide detailed information on how they collect and use consumers’ personal data and how their practices affect children and teens.

WHICH WINTER SPORTS ARE SAFEST TO PLAY DURING COVID-19?

Which winter sports are safest to play during the pandemic?

IN WALL STREET YEARS, 2020 FELT LIKE A DECADE FOR MARKETS

While lockdown life has kept time standing still for nearly everyone through 2020, Wall Street has been locked in at super fast-forward.

THE REAL MATH BEHIND “NET ZERO” CARBON EMISSIONS

More than 100 countries — responsible for about two-thirds of the world’s heat-trapping gases — have announced plans to cut their greenhouse gas emissions to “net zero” in coming decades to help curb man-made climate change.

RETAILERS URGE SHOPPERS TO BUY EARLY AMID SHIPPING CRUNCH

A number of retailers, including J.C. Penney, Lowe’s and Kohl’s, are telling shoppers they need to place their online orders soon or else pay expedited shipping fees if they want to get their packages delivered in time for the holidays.

DISNEY UNVEILS PLANS TO STREAM A GALAXY OF NEW SERIES, FILMS

The Walt Disney Co.’s streaming plans shifted into hyper speed, as the studio unveiled a galaxy’s worth of new streaming offerings including plans for 10 “Star Wars” series spinoffs and 10 Marvel series that will debut on Disney+.

HOW BAD IS THE HACK THAT TARGETED US AGENCIES?

Governments and major corporations worldwide are scrambling to see if they, too, were victims of a global cyberespionage campaign that penetrated multiple U.S. government agencies and involved a common software product used by thousands of organizations.

JAPAN SPACE AGENCY CONFIRMS ASTEROID SOIL INSIDE CAPSULE

Japan’s space agency said it has confirmed the presence of black soil samples inside a capsule that the spacecraft Hayabusa2 brought back from a distant asteroid last week.

APPLE'S APP STORES OPEN NEW PRIVACY WINDOW FOR CUSTOMERS

Apple has begun spelling out what kinds of personal information is being collected by the digital services displayed in its app stores for iPhones and other products made by the trendsetting company.

CALIFORNIA SUBPOENAS AMAZON OVER WORKER SAFETY IN PANDEMIC

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra asked this week a judge to order Amazon to comply with subpoenas his office issued nearly four months ago as part of an investigation into how the company is protecting workers from the coronavirus at its facilities.

POP CULTURE IN (UGH) 2020, FROM THE BIZARRE TO THE SUBLIME

And now, for our annual look at the year in pop culture…. Oh, wait. This was 2020. The year everything stopped cold.

WRAPPED UP: THE BEST GIFTS FOR APPLE LOVERS THIS CHRISTMAS

It’s hard to go wrong with a gift from Apple. Whether you’re looking to treat your daughter to the latest iPad, your husband to a new Apple Watch, or get grandma set up with a HomePod mini, Apple’s ever-expanding ecosystem means there’s something for everyone.

Q & A: WHAT'S NEXT FOR FACEBOOK IN THE ANTITRUST CASE?

Could Facebook be forced to spin off WhatsApp and Instagram?

IN WALL STREET YEARS, 2020 FELT LIKE A DECADE FOR MARKETS

While lockdown life has kept time standing still for nearly everyone through 2020, Wall Street has been locked in at super fast-forward.

GMAIL, YOUTUBE DOWN BRIEFLY AS GOOGLE SUFFERS BRIEF OUTAGE

Google users in the U.S., Europe, India and other parts of the world were briefly unable to access their Gmail accounts, watch YouTube videos or get to their online documents during an outage this Monday.

FCC AWARDS $25M TO EXPAND INTERNET IN RURAL NEW HAMPSHIRE

Internet providers in New Hampshire will receive more than $25 million in federal funding over 10 years to expand broadband access across in rural parts of the state, the Federal Communications Commission announced this week.

CHINA'S ALIBABA, TENCENT UNIT FINED UNDER ANTI-MONOPOLY LAW

China’s market regulator on Monday said it fined Alibaba Group and a Tencent Holdings-backed company for failing to seek approval before proceeding with some acquisitions.

APPLE'S APP STORES OPEN NEW PRIVACY WINDOW FOR CUSTOMERS

Apple has begun spelling out what kinds of personal information is being collected by the digital services displayed in its app stores for iPhones and other products made by the trendsetting company.

AS LEADERS SET FRESH CLIMATE GOALS, BIDEN PLEDGES US SUPPORT

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden pledged to rejoin the Paris climate accord on the first day of his presidency, as world leaders staged a virtual gathering to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the international pact aimed at curbing global warming.