Surround sound multimedia speaker

WHAT IS IT: Boston Acoustics TVee One TV Speaker Base 

NEW, FUTURE or RETRO: Very new

PREVIEW or REVIEW: review

HOW GOOD IT IS: I looked for something like this recently and no matter where I searched for I couldn't find one. Sure there were plenty of sound bars but not something intended to put a full-size LED TV on and get all of the benefits and effects of a sound bar.

Mini Bluetooth boombox/speakerphone

WHAT IS IT: Anker Portable Bluetooth Speaker

NEW, FUTURE or RETRO: Very new

PREVIEW or REVIEW: review

HOW GOOD IT IS: I have an ever-growing arsenal of small Bluetooth speakers in every room of the house. Although my home entertainment system can get Bluetooth from my smartphone or iPad I prefer the Logitech speaker I keep on the endtable next to where I sit. Of all of my Bluetooth speakers it is the oldest one and still my favorite for playing quick audio clips for friends and family.

Anker® Ultra Slim Mini Bluetooth 3.0 Wireless Keyboard

Anker keyboard shown with Anker aluminum multi-angle stand for tablets and smartphones

WHAT IS IT:  Bluetooth Apple-compatible mini keyboard

NEW, FUTURE or RETRO:  Very new

PREVIEW or REVIEW:  review

HOW GOOD IT IS: I have just found my new favorite Bluetooth keyboard and it’s from the folks at Anker.

This is my sixth Bluetooth keyboard so far and by a wide measure the first that has the feel of a full-sized desktop keyboard.  The keys themselves are very large, with what I would consider an ideal keystroke (the amount of travel from touch to execution).  They have absolutely no particular sweet spot, which is exactly what you want in a keyboard … tap the key in the center, edge, corner, it doesn’t make any difference, the feel is perfect every time.

Marantz M-CR610 Wireless Network CD Receiver with AirPlay

WHAT IS IT:  Networking home stereo receiver

NEW, FUTURE or RETRO:  Very new

PREVIEW or REVIEW:  review

HOW GOOD IT IS:  This is a product that definitely isn't for everyone, but may be just right for someone who understands it and knows how to use it.

First off, what it's not:

Leviton TS830 USB wall outlet

WHAT IS IT:  USB AC wall outlet

NEW, FUTURE or RETRO:  new

PREVIEW or REVIEW:  review

HOW GOOD IT IS:  There are two places in my house that always seem to be where I need to plug in some sort of USB device, either to use it temporarily or to give it a quick charge.  One place is next to my favorite chair in the den and the other is in the bathroom so the device is ready to go when I head out the door.  Neither place is where I would routinely charge my devices.  The kinds of devices I’m talking about can range from smartphone to tablet to Bluetooth headset to Bluetooth speaker to car GPS.  Life got a whole lot easier when I discovered the existence of USB wall outlets.  I now have them installed in both places

3M™ Mobile Projector MP410

WHAT IS IT:  Ultra tiny video projector

NEW, FUTURE or RETRO:  new

PREVIEW or REVIEW:  review

HOW GOOD IT IS:  There are a few things about this projector that don't immediately sink in to the brain when you first see it pictured on this page. 

First, it's hard to appreciate how EXTREMELY small it is from the photo. It is impossibly small!  Ridiculously small!  Having given business presentations for which I had to lug a projector the size of a suitcase with me, I would have given anything for a projector this small.

The other thing that seems like just another spec on

Chamberlain MyQ internet gateway

WHAT IS IT:  Check and control your garage door from anywhere

NEW, FUTURE or RETRO:  new

PREVIEW or REVIEW:  review

HOW GOOD IT IS:  When I bought my current garage door opener it had a feature called MyQ. I had no idea what that meant, but I bought it anyway. A couple of years later I bought a car with MyQ button in the control panel and quickly learned I could program one to open my garage door. Woohoo, no more remote stuck to the sun visor!

When this product was introduced I went through a similar period of head scratching. Would it work with my door opener? What would it do? How well would it do it? Would I need an electrician to install it? Here's what I learned. The product literature stresses that it