May 17th, 2013
Here at Big Brown Box, we like it when AV equipment is either cleverly designed or ridiculously over the top. Preferably both. Just look at our collections of extreme home theatres and weird headphones. But what about speakers and other audio systems? After all, the sound is just as important as the visuals in a home theatre setup, and there's just as much potential for wacky customisation. Here's ... Read more
May 9th, 2013
The latest instalment in Big Brown Box’s “What The Heck” series (having covered noise-cancelling headphones, Freeview and PVRs), today we’ll be looking at UltraViolet – the latest development in digital distribution to arrive in Australia, and what it means for you and your home theatre. If like me, you’ve become a bit confused by all the DVDs being displayed near the checkout in the supermarket now having ... Read more
May 6th, 2013
Looking back over the entire history of television, it's amazing how far it's come since its earliest days. It's just as interesting to see how innovations and changes in TV technology have influenced or been influenced by changes in society and culture. Of course, some things never change... Here’s Big Brown Box's short list of ten top TV tech triumphs (say that ten times fast) and what they meant ... Read more
April 19th, 2013
As reported by the Big Brown Box team at CES 2013, 4K or Ultra HD television may just be the next big thing in TV. The latest example of this technology, the Samsung UHD S9, is set to arrive in Australia in June 2013, at a price of just $40,000. Yes, you read that right. Forty large. Our team's pic of the S9 at CES 2013 (note - ... Read more
April 15th, 2013
As part of the marketing for upcoming super-sequel Iron Man 3, TCL is having its products featured throughout the film as the home theatre gadgets of choice for everyone’s favourite scene-stealing billionaire genius playboy philanthropist. He's starting to look more and more like an Oscar statue... And that’s a worthy endorsement, because a character that can build a walking tank in a CAVE with a box of SCRAPS ... Read more
March 11th, 2013
We've already given you glimpse of what Action Cameras, now available from Big Brown Box, can do. Using one of these, you can give your loved ones a first-person view of your mountain biking odyssey, record an epic skydive, or show exactly what it was like to crash your canoe into the side of a rocky island (if you're me, that is). "...and that's when I skied ... Read more
February 27th, 2013
Now there’s yet another reason to invest in a Smart TV – you may soon be able to turn one into an oversized Android tablet, just by plugging in a dongle. A new gadget from computer manufacturer Dell is planned to essentially usurp the position of the tablet or laptop, allowing you to use almost any screen to take care of work or play. Source: Dell Project Ophelia, having ... Read more
February 12th, 2013
If you look up just about any other guide to Valentine’s Day on the world wide interwebs, the prevailing wisdom tends to be that this is a day to give your tech addiction a rest, so you can better connect with your fellow human beings on a more personal level. While there’s some logic to this philosophy (no Significant Other wants to be less popular than what’s ... Read more
February 7th, 2013
Headphones are a convenient means of listening to music without disturbing the people around you, right? WRONG! Well, actually you'd be half-right. But a nice big "wrong" is much more dramatic. In addition to their duties as a music delivery system, headphones and earbuds worn in public effectively function as a fashion accessory, unconsciously expressing something about your tastes, fashion and sense of style to all onlookers. Even the ... Read more
January 25th, 2013
As the dust settles over the hype and spectacle of the annual CES technology convention, now would be a good time to think about this year's highlights in technological innovation. Sure, some negative nancies out there would argue that there's not much actual "innovation" at CES these days - just the same old TVs and gadgets, with slightly bigger screens and higher resolutions every year. However, the Big ... Read more