I hope my fiance doesn't read this post.

Guys like me who enjoy their home theatre systems have had to battle it out with their significant others for space – and money – to put a plethora of speakers and wiring in their living rooms for an ear-pleasing home theatre.

That's because most TV sets ship with crummy stereo speakers that were just good enough to produce noise that matches what you're watching. A home theatre, by comparison, produces sound, music and a Hi-Fi pleasure.

Some companies offer all-in-one solutions known as sound bars. These devices simulate a surround experience from a thin row of speakers crammed in a bar that usually sits under the TV. Space-saving, yes, but none have blown me away.

So I was skeptical when Sonos called me out to experience their new wireless home theatre solution – a sound bar called the Playbar.

According to Bing.ca searches, 2012 was a year of celebrity fascination, baby fever and heartbreak. Last year Canadians were “Keeping up with the Kardashians,” putting Kim Kardashian one up on homegrown sensation Justin Bieber. In 2012 Bieber came out on top, securing the most-searched celebrity spot. From the celebrity grind, to scandals and one hit wonders, Bing captured 2012 through the searches that mark the year’s most fascinating people, sensations and moments in time. 

To coincide with the release of  U.S. search results for Bing.com, here are top search results for Bing.ca based on Canadian queries. The results detail Canada’s top 10 most searched people, celebrity couples, viral videos and consumer electronics. 

A new website and their web browser plugin appears to easily let anyone outside the United States use certain services, such as Hulu and Pandora, that were previously geo-locked to America.

It’s called Media Hint, their slogan is “Access you deserve,” and they claim to give users access to Hulu, Pandora, Rdio and Netflix.

Downloading music illegally using platforms like BitTorrent is the enemy of record labels, but a report suggests it might actually be good news for the musicians themselves.  

BitTorrent is a way of sharing files – music, movies and TV shows – between different people on the Internet.

While there are some legal uses for BitTorrent transfers, a majority of traffic is illegal file sharing. In fact, Musicmetric, a group which tracks torrent traffic, found the most shared file in Canada was Kanye West’s album ‘Watch the Throne.’ Strangely, it was the Americans who were after Canadian rapper Drake’s single, ‘The Motto,’ making it the most shared music file in the U.S.

But while recording companies might cringe at the thought of losing tens of millions of dollars in lost sales, some musicians say file sharing is good news.

Having a gazillion songs on your phone is great, but it’s not always easy to play your music back on speakers.

Yeah, there’s sound systems with dedicated Apple docks – but that only works if you have an iPhone 4S or older – and all those accessories are outdated with the new interface on the iPhone 5.

And if you don’t have an iPhone, you’re out of luck.

With the new Pioneer XW-SMA1, however, you’re virtually guaranteed a way to get your music to play on this device, either wirelessly or with a traditional wired connection.

Looking for a gift for dad this Father's Day? Here are a couple of options.

Edifier Luna 5 Encore iPod dock

This speaker system is easily one of the most stylish audio docks for dad.

With a dock that accepts iPhones and iPods, the device also comes with an aux in cable for playing tunes from non-Apple devices, and an FM radio with several slots for presets.

In the last few years the mobile headphone market has seen a rise in the development of higher performance headphones. People have begun looking beyond out-of-the-box earphones that accompany their mobile devices for better quality equipment.   The P3 by Bowers & Wilkins are a new addition -- the third design by B&W -- that are offered around the $200.00 price range.
 
The most notable feature about B&W`s P3 lies in its design. A sleek and elegant look with a vintage feel, the P3 headphones have a less obnoxious appearance when compared to other headphones such as Beats by Dr. Dre.   The headband is a combination of light-weight aluminum, flexible rubber, and fabric that provides right level of durability and comfort. The ear-pads are designed with heat sensitive memory-foam that is fitted tightly with a custom-made acoustic fabric. While the ear-pads feel cozy on the ear, their snug fit can cause your ears to warm and moisten when listening for lengthy periods.

Join us for live coverage from the E3 gaming expo in Los Angeles as Microsoft gives us a sneak preview of what's coming to the Xbox 360 this year. And don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments below.

UPDATE: The event is over so we've removed the video feed. If you missed the live coverage you can scroll through the ScribbleLive archive below, and check out the full wrapup from Peter Nowack, who was in the audience.

 

 

Whitney Houston’s record company is coming under scrutiny after the price of her greatest hits album rose by nearly 60 per cent shortly after her death.

In the latest video to go viral, an accomplished musician doesn’t let someone’s rude cell phone ringtone interrupt his performance. Instead, he joins in.