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Does Launching During a Pandemic Help or Hurt Quibi?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Apr 13, 2020  | 
You are probably familiar with the Chinese proverb: “May you live in interesting times.” One could debate the meaning of that expression; it may well be intended as a subtle curse. Certainly, no one can dispute that we are now living in interesting times. Maybe topsy-turvy times is a better way to describe it. Things that formerly were good (hugging) are now bad, and bad things (wearing a mask in a bank) are now good. Similarly, people are wondering if formerly sturdy business models are now shaky. Which brings us to Quibi.

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Does Music Have Healing Properties?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jul 25, 2022  | 
For many people, music is a form of entertainment. For others, music is their avocation. For some, music is their job. Or maybe it's an artistic calling. For some people, music supposedly can be used to heal.

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Does Your Car Have Good Vibrations?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jul 25, 2017  | 
I've owned my fair share of jalopies. Cranky starters, wheezing engines, recalcitrant gearboxes, vague steering, indifferent brakes — I've had it all. And let's not forget everyone's favorite — plastic interior trim pieces that create an unholy symphony of buzzy vibrations. But now, German automobile parts supplier Continental thinks that's a good thing.

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Dolby Tackles a Nearly Impossible Small Challenge
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Sep 05, 2017  | 
With relatively unrestricted size, weight, and budget, and given enough time to tinker, it's not that hard to build a good-sounding loudspeaker. But when size, weight and budget are tremendously restricted, good sound becomes incredibly difficult to achieve, if not impossible. Now, Dolby is taking on that challenge.

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Don't Worry! Be Happy!
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jul 11, 2022  | 
You've just caught Covid, for the third time. Last year, your 401(k) was poised to lavishly finance your early retirement. Yesterday, you spent what was left of it on a tank of gas. Regular, none of that fancy premium stuff. The good news is that you've found a nice quiet corner in Concourse E. It even has a wall outlet. The airline assures you that you might get home by Labor Day. Today is July 11.

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Dracula: I Never Read.... Books
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Apr 15, 2024  | 
Hello S&V readers. This is Bram Stoker speaking to you. I passed away in 1912 so if you do the math, I am communicating from beyond the grave. But that's not important right now. What is important is that the classic movie Dracula is complete B.S. Let me explain.

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Drácula: Yo Nunca Bebo.... Vino
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  May 05, 2024  | 
You will, of course, fondly remember the Drácula move of 1931. What a classic piece of cinema — the film that kick-started the Gothic horror genre that continues to this day. And who can forget the unforgettable performance of Drácula himself, as portrayed by the one and only Carlos Villarías. Wait. What?

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Duck & Cover! Uncovering Radio Relics of the Cold War
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Oct 17, 2022  | 
If you are of a certain age, you might recall the phrase "duck and cover!" You might also recall your fifth-grade teacher, Miss Boswick, stopwatch in hand, urging you to immediately take shelter under your desk. And there you were, clutching your #2 Ticonderoga, wondering, WTF? If certain potentially atomic events in Eastern Europe have recently rekindled that unfortunate childhood memory, allow me to rekindle two more.
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DVD, Destroyer of Worlds?
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jun 02, 2014  | 
I am so very, very, very disappointed in you. You recycle. You installed solar panels on your roof. You put up a wind turbine. You voted for Al Gore. You phased out incandescents. You bring your own hemp bags to the grocery store. You compost. You ride a bicycle to work. You water your xeriscape with gray water. You have a Greenpeace bumper sticker on your Prius. And then you have to go and ruin it all. You play a DVD. You traitor. I hate you.

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Earbud Generation
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  May 06, 2014  | 
The decades-long transition from home loudspeakers to earbuds as the preferred listening technology is well documented. Now we have another data point to help us examine the question of whether the same downward spiral is happening to television screens. The short answer is: Yes. The long answer is: Yes, and quickly.

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Ears Pierced – No Extra Charge
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Sep 11, 2023  | 
What's the deal with the sound systems in Ford F-150 pickup trucks? You're driving along, minding your own business, when suddenly an ear-splitting noise erupts from your speakers. No, it's (probably) not a demon from hell. But whatever it is, something is very, very wrong with your truck.

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Earwigged
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Oct 16, 2012  | 

Q: How much did you spend on your headphones?

A: Not enough.

I don’t know much. But I do know a few things:?

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End of the Line for the Roadside CD
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jul 26, 2016  | 
Things you will find on the side of the road: shredded truck tires, plastic hubcaps, baseball caps, too-fast squirrels, too-slow turtles, Bud Light cans, men’s underwear. And, of course, scratched, shattered, and otherwise discarded CDs. It wasn’t always like that.
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Eton Rugged Rukus Portable Bluetooth Speaker
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  May 22, 2013  | 

Sometimes, even during the most secret of covert ops, you need to unwind a little. You know - put your weapons aside (but still placed within easy reach) and relax with The Duffel Blog. But what kind of music playback system is best? You sure can’t pack a big boombox into your knapsack, and when the batteries run out, where are you going to find a Radio Shack in Tora Bora? What you need is a small, rugged music player that can recharge on solar power. With carabiner attach points, of course. What you need is an Eton Rugged Rukus.

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Evaluate Your System with the Rolls Royce of Playlists
Ken C. Pohlmann  |  Jun 29, 2020  | 
Playlists. In the world of audio, especially when it comes to critical listening and system evaluation, there is nothing more important than playlists. Those sonic references play a critical role in designing and evaluating an audio system’s performance. And when that system is in a $500,000 vehicle, it’s even more important to get it right.
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