tech

With new wave of 4K TVs coming, Sony’s 850D is a steal — and here’s why

Before we opened the box to unwrap Sony’s 65-inch 850D series TV to test, I’d read a lot about the TV’s lack of really good contrast. The thinking was this: if you were watching the set in a dark room, or you were watching a really dark scene, the TV would express blacks as dark gray.

We found that to be just a tiny bit true, but we also found this TV to be the best in class for a sub $2,000 65-incher (full disclosure, we have not tested the Vizio P series, which is well thought of as well).

What makes this Sony so good?

Well, it makes everything you throw at it look better. It makes everyday stuff like DirecTV look really good and makes DirecTV 4K look spectacular. But what really amazed us is how good it can make even an HBO Go feed on “X Men Apocalypse” look.

I had three people compare the 4K DVD version of the film with the streaming, non 4K version, being fed via Apple TV, and while everyone picked the 4K DVD version as clearer and more breathtaking, it took everyone a few input switches to choose. The upscaling engine, the technology that takes non 4K stuff and upconverts it to quasi-4K, is simply amazing in this set.

That’s an important thing to know since most people will be watching non-4K material most of the time.

The other thing that blew us away with the Sony was the accuracy and depth of colors. Using some calibration settings we easily got online, the TV gets out of crazy bright Vivid mode and into color accurate mode pretty quickly. Give your eyes a day or two to adjust and the set delivers a simply impressive picture, as good as you might see at the multiplex from 4K sources using a technology called HDR, which is baked into some physical and streaming movies. In a sense, HDR makes colors and scenes punchier and more accurate, like when you sit at the doctor and they put that machine over your eyes and ask, “Does this look clearer? Or does that?”

HDR is the latter.

This set is going for as low as $1,300 now as the 2017 sets are beginning to hit the market. For most people, this set is all they’ll need, even if you get in the store and fall in love with those OLED sets that do super-deep and super-rich pictures — but also come with a super-rich price tag.

Trust, this is the next-generation TV set for most of us.

Samsung 2016 4K Midrange TV is a great bargain, if you get a good one

It’s really hard to walk into the TV store nowadays and stare at the row of impossibly then sets and not stop on a Samsung 4K TV. Whether really big or somewhat big or even curved, the Samsung TVs are stunning (especially when set on the brightest mode possible for the store environment, eschewing any need for color accuracy).

We got our hands on a 2016 version 65 inch KS8000 model recently and were very, very impressed. Understand, we’ve been watching a Panasonic 2009 Viera 50-inch plasma that’s been calibrated by a famous Florida calibrator named Louis Carliner. He spent two days, literally, making the set look good.

Back then the plasmas had a hard time doing purple. When Louis was done, our TV did purple. It still does. And it does deep blacks, something these back-lit LCD/LED TVs don’t do as well.

The Samsung, however, delivers a wonderful picture, just so much more sharp than the old HDTVs. If you haven’t seen a 4K TV in your home, you can’t appreciate the clarity. Given a good source, like a 4K DVD, the results are simply amazing. The clarity of the opening sequence in the latest X-Men movie is just stunning. It’s so clear we could make out the obvious CGI we missed when we saw the Tobey McGuire Spider-Man movies in the theaters. Man, it’s so obvious. How did we miss it?

On everyday material — Apple TV, FireStick, DirecTV — the Samsung didn’t do a super great job of upscaling the material — meaning it didn’t make us miss the Panasonic as much — but it looks decent enough and after you play with the color controls enough, you can get a somewhat less color-saturated picture. But we’re nitpicking.

The only problem we had with this TV was a rather big one. The TV doesn’t have many attachments directly into the set itself. You’ll plug what the company calls a “One Connect” cable into the back of the TV and the other end of the four-foot cable contains all of your HDMI connections. It’s a neat idea and, in a sense, could future proof your purchase somewhat.

But the “One Connect” cable didn’t work for us. Source material would blink incessantly while watching it. The 4K DVD player worked exactly once (remember that X-Men scene?) and that was for five minutes. We got a new “One Connect” box and the problems didn’t go away, which led us to believe it may’ve been the display itself.

So the bottom line is this: the KS8000 is a very good TV, and it’s selling now as low as $1,300. We’ve read about some issues with the “One Connect,” but we don’t believe it’s a big enough deal to avoid the TV. And if you’ve not seen 4K, get this and prepare to have your mind blown.

Samsung 4K player delivers the goods to high-def TVs

After spending a few months with a Samsung 4K disc player I have come to the conclusion that blu-ray is no longer enough.
There, I said it. Yes, folks, watching 4K movies is a much more immersive experience than watching my favorite films on Blu-ray. No there isn’t a lot of content, but what’s out there is enough to say it’s time for an upgrade.
The player is the Samsung UBD-K85009, the first to be offered in the United States. It’s debatable whether it’s actually the first 4K player, however. Panasonic sold a unit in Japan last year which was far more expensive but wasn’t available anywhere else. The Samsung unit has been selling throughout the world since late March or early April.

The UBD-K8500 comes with a remote, batteries for the remote and an instruction booklet. I have to say I liked the way it was packed in the box. I kept the box just in case I move. The set up is fairly easy. It has Samsung’s Smart Hub so it must connected to an wi-fi network in order to use those functions.

The unit does not have analog connections so you have to supply your own HDMI and toslink cord. As well as the new 4K discs, the unit plays Blue-ray, 3-d Blu-ray, DVD, CD and CD-R. It decodes stereo, Dolby DTS, TrueHD, Master DTS sound formats. It will also play Dolby ATMOS encoded discs if you have a receiver that can be switched to bitstream and has that program.
The best feature of the unit is HDR, or High Dynamic Range. All those new pixels on your 4K TV screen (3840 x 2860) are great, but it’s what can be done with them that is more interesting. HDR allows those pixels to expand the color range. Reds pop, blues sooth and the detail and varying range of color is astonishing. New life is breathed into the depth and spectrum of how color can be displayed.
Let me make this point. All 4K TVs, especially those in the early stages of 4K (also known as Ultra High Definition) were made with HDR. These units can upscale things to near 4K quality but can’t display the complete color range without HDR. Sometimes they are referred to as “super high def.” Check for HDR on the brand you have.
My Samsung UHD40-6700 TV doesn’t have HDR, but it was built with some of the hardware so the UBD-K8500 will upscale it to just short of true 4K. The TV also upscales as well. I didn’t think I would be able to tell the difference between Blu-ray and 4K, but, boy, was I was I wrong. I watched the Ultra High Def version of “Star Trek: Into The Darkness” and was blown away. The opening scenes with Captain Kirk and Bones running through a red forest with stark white aliens dressed in yellow running after them was simply amazing. The difference between the 4K and Blu-ray (included with the 4K disc) was jaw-dropping. There is a later scene where Bones and a scientist are on a planet trying to disarm a torpedo that will simply make you shake your head. It’s that lifelike.
The rest of the movie benefited from deeper blacks and crisper images. I wanted to see how the player did on something that wasn’t action oriented so I watched Will Smith’s “Concussion.” The picture was crisp and life-like, which I think enhanced Smith’s Oscar-worthy performance. Great movie.
“Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice” also benefited. The 4K ultimate version wasn’t nearly as dark and grainy as it appeared in theaters. Wonder Woman’s costume looked brighter and Superman’s under roo was more vivid. (The added extra 30 minutes answered nearly every question there was about this film which was also good).
There is not a plethora of material to watch or buy, but what is out there is growing by the month. Don’t look for Marvel or other Disney titles because parent company Disney isn’t releasing anything on 4K yet. That’s a dumb move considering just about every movie is shot in 4K and HDR. Paramount, Warner Bros. and Sony has, as well as other studios.
The Samsung player is a good investment if you are spending a lot on your TV. Yes, you can stream 4K from Netflix, YouTube and a few other places (which this unit also does), but that is a compressed signal. A 4K disc doesn’t have internet constraints so you’re getting the Full Monty. The Samsung UBD-K8500 was originally priced at $499.99, but hit stores at $399.99. You can now find it as little as $319.99.
Samsung isn’t along anymore. Panasonic is releasing a $700 player that will also play high-res music files. Philips will also have a 4K player in the $400 range. Microsoft’s X-Box update will play 4K and so will Sony’s Playstation 4.5. Curiously, that will be the first Sony anything that will play 4K-Blu-ray.
You can wait to see how the 4K things shake out. There are competing versions of HDR (I think the Samsung plays both) but I don’t see a loser. One version may become more popular but the end results are the same. Why wait. If you have splurged on a big-panel 4K TV you need to push it’s limits. I don’t see 4K discs going the way of 3-D. You don’t need special glasses, just a pair of eyes that can’t wait to be thrilled. I think the UBD-K8500 is the perfect place to start.
cross@alldaytech.com.

The NFL on Twitter? Coming this fall

The NFL is coming to Twitter this fall.

Twitter has beaten out Verizon and Amazon for $10 million global rights to stream 10 NFL Thursday night games to fans around the world. Twitter will be able to show games on its app on platforms like Xbox game consoles and the NFl said it’s working on ways to allow Twitter to stream games via syndicated partners like Google and Yahoo.

Twitter will also be able to stream the games via its apps on platforms like Xbox game consoles, and the NFL says it is exploring ways to let Twitter stream the games via its syndication partners, including Google and Yahoo.

And on one screen, you can watch and tweet at the same time.

This fall Thursday Night Football will be streamed live @twitter so fans will see more of this. https://t.co/s6tbr9FjvY

— Roger Goodell (@nflcommish) April 5, 2016

Like Trump, Bernie Sanders thinks Apple should make iPhones in US

In a recent interview with the New York Daily News, U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders says he wishes Apple would make its products in the United States.

He also said Apple is not paying its fair share of taxes here.

“No, Apple is not destroying the fabric of America,” Sanders is quoted as saying. “But I do wish they’d be manufacturing some of their devices, here, in the United States rather than in China. And I do wish that they would not be trying to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.”

Donald Trump said in January, that if he wins the election, he wanted to get Apple to start making its products in the U.S., creating jobs here.

Apple currently is making its new Mac Pro computers in Austin, TX, and some components used in Apple products, like the glass used for screens on phones and tablets, is made in Kentucky.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said Apple pays all of the taxes if owes and also addressed the issue of stateside manufacturing in an interview with CBS in December. Cook said the U.S. doesn’t have enough workers with “vocational kind of skills.”

“I mean,” Cook said, “you can take every tool and die maker in the United States and probably put them in a room that we’re currently sitting in. In China, you would have to have multiple football fields.”

This could represent an opportunity for Apple, however, to maybe create, say, an Apple University to train workers for these type jobs and bring some of those jobs back, or for politicians like Trump and Sanders to bring vocational training back to U.S. schools and created a new-gen skilled labor force to bring old-gen jobs back home.

Is ‘Batman Vs. Superman’ as bad as you’ve heard? Of course not, even if box office numbers continue to dip

By now you’ve probably heard the news: “Batman Vs. Superman” is not a very good movie. The plot is going in a thousand different directions; there’s too much “stuff” in the film; the trailer gave everything away.

Blah, blah, blah.

Batman vs. Superman logo from the Warner Bros. movie Batman vs. Superman

And the first time I saw the 2 hour and 30 minute epic, I thought director Zack Synder had taken some missteps in Batman’s long-standing code of honor and made Superman too dull.

But after a second viewing and time to digest it all, I think BvS is a solid film. It’s not “Avengers” or “Iron Man” or “Captain America” good, but it’s good. The plot is still a bit contrived but it makes sense, and make no mistake, Synder can really make a visual spectacle.

This is a big, big movie and the special effects — save for some very bad CGI in the final third — are stellar. There’s more character development going on than I gave it credit for the first time and more believability.

I’m fine with Synder marching on with Justice League now, and am looking forward, still, to Wonder Woman’s solo project more than anything. That said, it’s a little hokey how our two antagonists finally come to blows — hokey in the set-up and hokey how the actual fight happens when it could’ve easily been avoided.

But there’s a lot to like. I may be in the minority but I thought Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor was spot on zany and on second take, this film is much better than it’s been getting credit for in many of the reviews.

And those reviews, and word of mouth, appear to be taking their toll. After a solid $166 million debut weekend, Bats/Supes dipped nearly 70 percent in its second weekend, raking in $51.8 million. Zootopia was a distant second at $20 million, but a movie as highly anticipated as this one probably should’ve done better.

Avengers: Age of Ultron opened with $191.2 million on its first weekend and did $77.7 in its second.

Warner Bros. put out a statement saying $51 million plus is a lot of cash and they’re focusing on the total haul and the global haul, which it says, “is huge.”

For, on Round 2, BvS was far better than Round 1. Unfortunately, it’s the first impression that counts most.

Initial rating: 2 out of 4 stars.

Second review rating: 3

out of 4 stars.

NAMM 2016: 31st NAMM TEC Awards honors Don Was, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter

We so dig attending the TEC Awards each year at The NAMM Show. It never fails to thrill, to delight, to educate and to entertain–yes, even when we’re eagerly awaiting the excited winner for Best Signal Processing Software. Trust us, you have to be there. It’s a long show. There’s a lot of cheering.

This year was equally as satisfying. Saturday night, January 23, the 2016 31st NAMM TEC Awards kicked off with the welcom return of last year’s popular master of ceremonies, comedian Sinbad, who is there not just to provide levity to an event celebrating achievements that could easily seem dry to non-technophiles. The funnyman is himself both a gearhead and a musician with a bent toward all things guitar. He might have repeated a few jokes from last year but it’s cool. He’s a delight and is still just as funny.

The night’s honorees were Grammy-award winning artists Don Was, Jeff “Skunk Baxter and Record Plant founders Chris Stone and the late Gary Kellgren. Baxter, Stone and Kellgren were inducted to the TEC Awards Hall of Fame, which recognizes “those individuals whose careers have best exemplified the spirit of creative and technical excellence in professional recording and sound.” Stone and Kellgren were acknowledged for their work that “transformed the music studio into a new, creative and collaborative environment and, at the same time, introduced the newest multitrack, acoustical and mixing technologies.” Baxter is a founding member of the Doobie Brothers, a former member of Steely Dan and an accomplished studio musician and composer. He is also a defense consultant and chair of a missile defense Congressional advisory board. After accepting his award Baxter performed a blazing set of Steely Dan tunes, including “My Old School” and “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.”

Don Was received the event’s highest honor, the Les Paul TEC Award for innovation and technological achievements in music. Bass player Was is president of Blue Note Records. He has won Grammy awards for his work over three decades as a producer for renowned artists ranging from The Rolling Stones to Ziggy Marley. He is also the founding member of the successful group Was (Not Was), which produced several hit singles in the ’80s and ’90s. Was was celebrated for being “one of music’s most significant artists and executives, excelling in multiple roles and serving as one of the industry’s beacons for integrity and forward-thinking. During this period of disruption and rapid evolution in the worldwide music business, Was remains committed to music as an art form and its importance to contemporary culture.” Was closed the show with a rousing performance that included his 1987 hit “Walk the Dinosaur.”

Below is a complete list of the night’s winners:

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
AMPLIFICATION HARDWARE – STUDIO & SOUND REINFORCEMENT
Antelope Audio / Satori Monitoring Controller

ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT
Rupert Neve Designs / RNDI: Active Transformer Direct Interface

AUDIO APPS FOR SMARTPHONES & TABLETS
PreSonus / Notion 2 for iOS

COMPUTER AUDIO HARDWARE
Universal Audio / Apollo 8p Thunderbolt 2 Audio Interface

HARDWARE / PERIPHERALS FOR SMARTPHONES & TABLETS
Shure / MOTIV MV88 iOS Digital Stereo Condenser Mic

HEADPHONE / EARPIECE TECHNOLOGY
Audio-Technica Corporation / ATH-R70x Pro

LARGE FORMAT CONSOLE TECHNOLOGY
Solid State Logic / XL DESK

MICROPHONE PREAMPLIFIERS
Manley Labs / Manley FORCE

MICROPHONES – RECORDING
Neumann / U47 FET

MICROPHONES – SOUND REINFORCEMENT
Shure / 5575LE Unidyne 75th Anniversary Vocal Microphone MUSICAL INSTRUMENT AMPLIFICATION & EFFECTS
Eventide / H9 MAX

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT HARDWARE
Moog Music / Modular Recreation

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT SOFTWARE
iZotope / Iris 2

RECORDING DEVICES
Zoom/F8 MultiTrack Field Recorder

SIGNAL PROCESSING HARDWARE
Tube-Tech / HLT 2A Equalizer

SIGNAL PROCESSING HARDWARE (500 SERIES MODULES)
Solid State Logic / 500-Format LMC+

SIGNAL PROCESSING SOFTWARE (DYNAMICS/EQ/UTILITIES)
iZotope / RX 4 Complete Audio Repair & Enhancement

SIGNAL PROCESSING SOFTWARE (EFFECTS)
AMS Neve / AMS RMX16 Digital Reverb Plug-In For UAD-2 Platform

SMALL FORMAT CONSOLE TECHNOLOGY
Avid / Pro Tools I S3

SOUND REINFORCEMENT LOUDSPEAKERS
Meyer Sound / LEOPARD

STUDIO MONITORS
Genelec / 8351A SAM

WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY
Sennheiser / Evolution Wireless D1

WORKSTATION TECHNOLOGY
Avid / Pro Tools 12

CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENT
FILM SOUND PRODUCTION
Birdman

INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT SOUND PRODUCTION
Batman: Arkham Knight

RECORD PRODUCTION / ALBUM
Before This World by James Taylor

RECORD PRODUCTION / SINGLE OR TRACK
Dreams by Beck

REMOTE PRODUCTION / RECORDING OR BROADCAST
Foo Fighters Sonic Highways

STUDIO DESIGN PROJECT
Paul Epworth’s The Church Studios, London, UK

TELEVISION SOUND PRODUCTION
Game of Thrones

TOUR / EVENT SOUND PRODUCTION
Sonic Highways World Tour, Foo Fighters

Winners in more than 31 categories were selected from 180 nominees by voters from major pro audio publications including Mix, Pro Sound News, Pro Audio Review, Sound & Video Contractor and Electronic Musician magazines, as well as members of the Producers & Engineers Wing of the Recording Academy, Game Audio Network Guild and select NAMM members.

For more information:
https://www.tecawards.org/landing page examples видеоглазок цифровой

NAMM 2016: IK Multimedia showcases mount, page turner, clip mic

This year we made our annual swing by the IK Multimedia booth where cool things are always afoot. Here are a few of their many offerings that caught our eye this year:

iKlip A/V - a complete mobile solution for professional audio and video recording with your smartphone. — iKlip A/V – a complete mobile solution for professional audio and video recording with your smartphone.

iKLIP A/V:
“The first smartphone broadcast mount for pro-quality audio/video.”
HANDY. That was our first thought upon taking a gander at the presser for this device. As smartphone technology rises to the demands of high-quality video, photography and recording, users now increasingly trust them to capture professional events in professional settings. Good rigging remains key and the iKLIP A/V offers a deft solution.
The iKLIP A/V features:
– XLR mic preamp with phantom power and gain
– integrated wireless receiver support
– headphone output for monitoring in real time
– standard tripod and camera mount threads
– battery powered by two standards AAs
– compact and portable
– $179.99 retail

BlueTurn easily lets you turn pages and scroll through material hands-free.

iRig Blue Turn:
” The Backlit compact Bluetooth page turner for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac and Android.”
Oh, the flashbacks. This little device snatched us straight back to a more complicated time–a time when a page turner was a human being, preferably another musician who could read the score and didn’t need to be cued. Talk about dependencies and gambles–page turners had to be on point; turn too soon, too late, accidentally turn two pages ahead instead of one or, heaven forbid, knock the music off the stand and the performer might be in a very bad way very suddenly.
iRig Blue Turn to the rescue. While not a complete solution for musicians like pianists, whose feet must be engaged during performance, we still want one now and wish we’d had one way back then. Check it out:
– turn pages and scroll sheets wirelessly over Bluetooth
– two backlit buttons ensure visibility even in dim lighting
– runs on two standard AAA batteries
– highly portable
– $69.99 retail

iRig Mic Lav:
“An ultra-affordable and compact professional-quality mobile lavalier microphone for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android.”
You’ve seen similar mics on professional news broadcasts. Now you can have your own. The iRig Mic Lav is a clip-on lavalier microphone that allows high-quality hands-free recording.
iRig Mic Lav can be connected to a second Mic Lav and fed into the same device. The company calls this “chainable. That means it can double your recording power by letting you easily chain up to two iRig Mic Lav’s to the same device. Each iRig Mic Lav captures high-quality audio thanks to its omnidirectional condenser capsule and foam pop shield. And recording convenience is taken to the next level thanks to its on-board headphone monitoring output, secure mounting clip, generous cable length and durable roadworthy design. And best of all, you can have all these premium features at a price as small as the device itself.” The iRig Mic Lav features:
– high-quality omnidirectional condenser capsule
– foam pop shield and durable mounting clip
– 1/8″ TRRS jack connects to iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Android
– Combo 1/8″ TRRS port can be used for headphone monitoring/line out to powered speaker and for chaining up to two iRig Mic Lavs to the same device
– compatibility with any audio app that accepts audio from headset input
– a suite of powerful recording apps
– 150cm/66” cable
– $49.99 retail
– Also available as 2 Pack – iRig Mic Lav 2 Pack

For more information:
http://www.ikmultimedia.com

NAMM 2016: Corning Optical offers high performance cables

High performance cabling is cool and all but we confess: We’re also in this one for the kitsch. Might this be the same Corning of CorningWare fame? That iconic white ceramic glass cookware with its blue flowery trademark that shaped so many childhood kitchen memories? Yep–and while Corning no longer owns the CorningWare line, it was that fun little connection that lured us to the booth; we’re quirky that way.

But we’d also done our homework. Corning, Inc., an historic glassworks technology giant, sold off its charming CorningWare cookery line in 2000. The company now focuses on a number of progressive technological glasswork endeavors, including optical and cabling solutions for a variety of industries and high-end applications. You can also thank these folks for the Gorilla Glass protecting your i-device

On display were Corning’s Thunderbolt™ and 3.Optical cables™, both touted by the company as “the fastest protocols at distances up to 60 m.” These cables are designed for commercial use in audio, video, photography and medical imaging markets. The cables are thin, light and stand up well to tangling and bending–the kinds of daily abuses that quickly wear down most cables. Copper cable maxes out at around 10 feet or so but Corning’s cables are not bound by such limits. These cables can easily reach a couple hundred feet without compromising high data transfer speeds. We liked the extra reinforcement at the Thunderbolt’s stress point–this is always where our cables tear and fail over time from routine manipulation–and would like to see that on the intriguing 3.Optical cable as well. The 3.Optical courts machine vision, educational, digital, point-of-sale automation and digital signage market applications.

Though Corning is presently targeting the professional audio-visual segment, our friendly booth rep said the company is also looking into developing a line for the consumer market.

For more information:
http://www.corning.com/opcomm/OpticalCablesbyCorning/bitrix проблемы seo Чехол для манка Егерь

2016 Chevy Camaro SS is job well done

Chevy and Ford would like you to think there is a war going on between the Camaro and Mustang. I say there isn’t.
I say that because people who like Mustangs like Mustangs. The same with Camaro fans. Yes, one may outsell the other for a while but then the other takes over and, well, you know the rest.
I’m sure Chevy will experience a big sales surge with this 2016 Camaro. This car is good to look at, a blast to drive and built better than any other Camaro ever.
Let’s look at it’s looks, shall we? The 2016 SS has been hammered, chiseled, shortened and to a point crushed a bit. It has a lower profile and is wider and meaner looking. There’s a tad bit of Corvette in the grille but I see more Lexus spindle than anything. Not a bad thing for me, but a bunch of auto journalist don’t like that look. This is actually smaller than the 2015 because they wanted something lighter and more nimble.
Chevy, mission accomplished.
Does that mean you have less interior space? Yes, but who buy’s a sport’s car for space? It’s tight for dumpy builds like mine and not forgiving for someone six foot four like my friend who complained but his head didn’t touch the headliner. It was close, however. Let’s call the interior cozy. It’s also nicely finished. Chevy has used high quality materials and an ergonomic design to make the interior inviting. The large touch screen is good and one of the options is Apple’s Car Play. It essentially turns the screen into your iPhone. It worked well, but it’s a bit intrusive at times. Apple likes being the center of attention and it shuts off bluetooth and a few other things while engaged. More on Car Play in a separate article to follow.

The backseat is for children or cargo. The trunk holds enough stuff but if its non essential stuff you can throw it in the back seat. At the back of the center armrest console is a wireless phone charger which is optional.
My test vehicle was a 2SS model. That comes with ambient LED lighting to set a mood or just look cool – whichever you desire. A lot of cars are doing this now because it’s cool and LED lighting is inexpensive to use.
There is also a premium Bose stereo with satellite radio. If you like, you can turn your Camaro into a rolling hotspot for the plethora of devices we can’t live without. Actually, you can only connect seven but that’s plenty considering you can’t get seven people in this vehicle.
OK, so it looks good and seems to be built well but how does this thing drive?
Glad you asked. If speed is your thing you will be satisfied, amazed, wowed, pleased and every other positive adjective I can think of. The SS comes with a 6.2-liter V8 that makes 455 horsepower and 455 pounds-feet of torque. With the standard short throw six-speed you can hit 60 miles per hour in 4.0 seconds. You may ask why a Corvette, then? Answer: have you seen a Corvette lately? That car is a sexy beast.
When you hit the Camaro’s accelerator, it will press you deep into the seats. A fury of energy is released and that dual exhaust sings a mighty tune. The handling is superb. Throw it around a cure with force and ti digs in and stays planted. You can adjust the suspension to a track setting and you really get to know just how capable a car you have. This Camaro simple devours pavement without sweating. Steering, braking and handling were top priority in development and I’d say Chevy got it right.
I do quibble about the gear box, though. It has that 1-4 shift thing. Sometimes it forces you to engage fourth gear immediately after first. It can be annoying if you really don’t need to be in that gear and you have to downshift. However, the more time I spent with the car the less that happened.
Any other gripes? Well, the greenhouse is kinda squinty. I can’t say the car is hard to see out of, but it can feel a tad

claustrophobic. Just a tad. There is that gas mileage thing. I’m glad fuel is cheap because this thing likes premium fuel a good deal. Highway driving isn’t so bad. You may get close to 30. I averaged about 16 miles per gallon in the city, which isn’t terrible for the monster of an engine you get, but be warned.
Anything else? No. I found the 2016 Camaro SS to be very enjoyable. You could always move up to the Corvette if this isn’t enough power or style, but I think you may have to open up your wallet a lot wider if you make that choice.
How much is this beast? I didn’t get a window sticker. I went to Chevy’s website to build one and came up with $43,840. I don’t know if I added all the options or if there were packages so that’s a rough estimate.
If there is a real war between the Mustang and Camaro Chevy just loaded up some heavy artillery to take into battle. I’m a Mustang guy but I’s consider this Camaro SS. It’s got a lot going for itself for the money, if you want to spend that kind of money. Bravo, Chevy, bravo.

cross@alldaytech.com