Recording sound intended for a later broadcast online can be tricky and those who tried it know that the cheap little digital recorders sold around $100 just don’t deliver the minimum quality they expect.

Fortunately, you won’t need to break your piggy bank to get your hands on a handy recording device which will make you sound like a real pro.

Samson’s Zoom H4 Handy Recorder delivers awesome sounding results wether you’re recording live performances, podcasts, classes (or workshops), rehearsals or even songwriting sessions. This little device weighing only 6.7 ounces (190 grams) features more recording tools than any other device of its category, on the market.

Looking beyond its fine exterior looks, the built-in studio effects include compression, limiting and mic modeling. Those who need it can use XLR and 1/4-inch inputs for external mics, guitars, bass and keyboards but onboard, you’ll find Zoom’s remarkable microphone, guitar and bass modeling capabilities, reproducing the tone of the most famous mics and amps ever made.

The audio can be recorded as either .wav or .mp3 files and moved to your computer, through USB, for easy editing, mixing and mastering. The H4 comes with Cubase LE (for both PC and Mac) but you can use any other sound editing software which fits your needs. Lets add that the Zoom H4 runs on either two AA batteries or a DC power supply.

That’s a lot of horsepower for such a small form-factor and a complete package, including headphones, a tripod and an 8GB SD Card memory module can be purchased for around $300.

A special note goes out to the bloggers who need to carry out interviews. The H4‘s capabilities are much better than the older H2 and it’s well worth the upgrade. The H4′s stereo sound recording will amaze your end-users who will be under the impression that you’re a real pro, soundwise.

Tags: samson, h4, h2, h4 handy recorder, h4 portable recorder, stereo recorder, quality recorder, high-quality sound recording, mobile sound recording, device to record pro-quality sound, pro-quality sound device, zoom h4, zoom h2, excellent sound quality, professional, mobile field recording

Our modern life is all about data -and- our computer’s main hard drive isn’t enough to hold it all.

Furthermore, most of us have more than one computer per household so sharing data can become something of a challenge without a network-attached storage (NAS) device that basically makes centralized data available to all connected computers (clients).

This being said, not all NAS devices are created equal and since you’re probably not inclined onto spending your money on the wrong device, you’ll be happy to know a company named Synology all but reinvented what a NAS should do for you, the end user.

Let’s look at their smallest NAS appliance, the DS207+ which is a high performance “networked hard drive enclosure” that goes beyond simple network storage. It stores your data (and it does that very well) but it can also replace traditional PC servers and act as a stand-alone file server, web host, back up for your home/office data and get this, it’s fully compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux networks so everybody in the house will be happy.

To achieve all this, the DS207+ comes with its own 500 MHz processor accompanied by 128 MB of RAM memory but you’ll need to supply (up to) two hard drives, on your own. It’s probably better that way since you can make the device as spacey as you need it to be.

With a 1,000 Mbps ethernet transfer rate, your data and built-in network services will fly. Among the services you’ll eventually want to use are FTP, HTTP (using Apache, with PHP and MySQL Server), SMB, AFP, CIFS, Windows ADS and even and iTunes server!

The AJAX-based web interface is a snap to master so you’ll be productive in no time, especially compared to other NAS devices which don’t have such a quality interface to play with. The fan could’ve been quieter but it’s not a deal breaker. This RAID 0/1-capable NAS device is generally performs very well and looks nice.

If you’re new to NAS devices, this is a bit pricier than the “low cost” alternatives but at around $300 for the DS207+ and 200$ for two 1 GB hard drives, it’s not enough to break your bank, especially considering all the bells and whistles that come “standard” with it.

Tags: synology, ds207+, nas, network hard drive, hd, external hard drive, back up data, home office data, extra hard drive, raid hd, raid 0, raid 1, web server, networked data sharing

Some resorts have it all in terms of luxury but some, for various reasons, lack in intimacy so if that’s what your looking for, without compromising on the luxury factor, you should consider The Caves, in Negril, Jamaica.

Island Outpost’s resort has been designed by Greer-Ann and Bertram Saulter to deliver an organic interpretation of romance — and intimacy.

The ten handcrafted cottages are planted in a garden, on the edge of the sea making it a fine choice for guests who value spirituality, romance, privacy and verdant beauty.

The Caves’ two seafront acres hide many secrets such as sundecks and nooks and even grottos, in the cliff itself. One of these grottos is designed for dining. Just imagine the lit candles and the whole place strewn with flowers. This original offering should please even the most demanding couples looking to spend unforgettable moments together.

The Aveda Mini-Spa looks out on deep blue ocean water and it’s a wonderful place to be with friends to reinvent the world. The high-ceilinged cottages are made of wood and stone while also being roofed in thatch. If you’ve never stayed in such amenities, you’ll likely find it quite enjoyable.

Set in lush indigenous tropical gardens, every cottage has its own name like Blue Dolphin, Butterfly, Blue Hole, Sea Turtle, Bird’s Nest, Sun Dancer, One Drop, Macka Tree, Moonshadow and Clandestino. It just adds to the uniqueness of this resort’s offering. Furthermore, all accommodations underwent a complete refurbishment in 2007, including air conditioning for all downstairs suites.

For the ultimate naturally ventilated private cliffside villas experience, in sunny Jamaica, The Caves delivers a distinctive take on the Caribbean life.

Tags: the caves, resort, island outport, negril, jamaica, cottages, deep blue ocean, accomodations, tropical gardens, cliffside villas, mini-spa, amenities

Alessio and Cecilia Tessieri make chocolate but saying it like that wouldn’t translate their passion for their work that has brought them to travel the world in search of the best cocoa beans for their Amadei chocolate collection.

Based in Italy’s beautiful Tuscany, in the communal city of Pisa, these driven chocolate makers and their employees spare no effort to produce some of the most tantalizing chocolates you can find. Although Amadei isn’t a major brand like Nestle, Mars or Hershey’s, chocolate lovers from the world over have developed a taste for their unique chocolate blends.

This smaller chocolate factory produces roughly 20,000 bars every year and some, like the 450-gram format of “Porcelana”, costs a cool US$90 — but rest assured, it’s worth it. In the case of Porcelana, the chocolate is made from porcelain-looking white cocoa and yes, it’s their most expensive brand.

In the late 80s, Alessio and his sister, Cecilia, took their first steps towards discovering the cocoa routes which happened to be less traveled. Over time, this very hands-on approach to finding the finest cocoa beans yielded tremedous results as their chocolate’s taste was as unique as their beans.

Together, the Italian chocolate makers experimented with new ideas which gave life to exclusive chocolate brands which have been made available worldwide. With passion and enthusiasm, they made their dream a reality and broke the homology of tastes to become the artificers of true and proper Renaissance taste.

Their chocolate collection is based on the belief that with each taste, a different emotion should emerge.

The brands you’re invited to sink your teeth into have Italian-sounding names like Toscano Black, Toscano Brown, Toscano Red e Blond, I Neri, Toscano White, I Cru, I Frutti, Le Praline, Le Barre and some lesser know ones, like the “9″ which is made of a unique blend of nine different cocoa bens.

The later also happens to be Cecilia Tessieri’s favorite pick.

High-cocoa-content dark chocolate, featuring unmatched purity and alleged medicinal qualities, enjoys a vogue among afficionados who are drawn to first quality chocolates. Italy takes pride in being home to companies like Amadei and a wide variety of specialty chocolate makers who create their sweet (and sometimes bittersweet) masterpieces exclusively from cocoa butter.

Amadei believes in the transparent sourcing of cocoa beans from the plantations and afterwards, their transformation in socially fair and environmentally undamaging conditions so that’s an approach bigger chocolate makers should emulate because more consumers will be requiring it, in the near future.

The Amadei chocolate brands are selectively made available in top 4-star and 5-star hotels, restaurants and luxury retailers, in both Europe and America. Of course, if you search a little, you can find online retailers selling various brands of Amadei chocolates — so more people can enjoy them.

Tags: amadei, amadei chocolates, cocoa beans, cocoa butter, fine chocolates, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, hazelnuts, toscano, chocolatiers, piza, tuscany, italy

Back in June of 2007, we ran an article about the Marina Bay Sands which caught everyone’s imagination.

Now, we’re happy to report that the project is well on its way and on schedule.

Right now, this integrated resort’s construction is in full swing with deep pile foundation systems installed to most areas of the site while the excavation work, for basement structures, is also progressing.

The site’s aerial photos show two large circular reinforced concrete temporary coffer dams for the Hotel’s Towers 1 & 2 as well as the strutted basement for Tower 3 which is now clearly visible, adjacent to the ECP.

The third and largest circular excavation, closest to the bay, is the first of two coffer dams being excavated for the MICE building.

Furthermore, marine works are visible along the bay’s foreshore area to support the promenade substructure works while piling works occupy the remaining large land area adjacent to the bay for the arts science museum, casino, theatres and retail precincts.

As a reminder, here’s what the project will look like once it’s finished:

As you can see for yourself, Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands will likely be ready for 2009, as expected.

Tags: marina bay, sands, singapore, construction, towers, art science museum