Digital Discoveries
Tuan Nguyen, editor-in-chief, and Alan Dexter, executive editor, reveal their latest tech loves
MRSPEAKERS ETHER FLOW
What if you’re gaming or listening to audio, but want to be discreet? Perhaps you’re enjoying something you don’t want someone else to know about. Headphones are my go-to ticket for such adventurous times. Not gaming headsets. Headphones are, frankly, head and shoulders above gaming headsets. And, after testing an ocean of them, the MrSpeakers Ether Flows are my favorites.
Based on planar-magnetic drivers, the Ether Flows exert exceptional control over sound waves. Designed with extended use time in mind, they are lightweight and extremely comfortable. The plush ear pads are also angled, allowing the headphones to completely envelop your lobes, although if wearing glasses, you must let the frames rest on top of the ear pads to prevent a leak.
I’ve been using the Ether Flows daily for several weeks, and they blow everything I’ve tested out of the water. All types of music, movies, and games sound great. Bass is tight and masterfully controlled, mids carry presence, and highs are crystalline. The catch? Be prepared to spend $1,800 for their end-game caliber sound. $1,800, www.
mrspeakers.com
UNREAL ENGINE
I used to dabble in programming. In fact, for a while, it was my job. Then I got into tech journalism, and that had a much stronger pull than bullying ones and noughts into doing their thing. The thing is, the programming itch is still there, waiting to be scratched. Not to make a living, but in a way that those who turn to crosswords, quizzes, or learning a modern language will understand. It’s a mental exercise that keeps the old gray matter ticking over.
I scratch this itch now and again with the help of the Raspberry Pi and Python, but I also have a tendency to install the latest Unreal Engine from time to time. Because, while I appreciate a clever piece of code as much as the next hack, I’m also a sucker for lush graphics and immersive environments. You know, the sort of thing that most triple-A games produce as an aside.
I’m not interested in taking the world by storm with a full-blown game, but I do like to see what I can produce with the latest tools. Whether it’s a demo, music visualizer, or something funkier. The good news is that the likes of Unreal Engine are now free to play around with—you only need to pay royalties once you release your game or app. Free, www.unrealengine.com