Technical Pro

Model: VMPR family
Carpeted Cabinet speaker w/ Steel grill
Color: Black

Technical pro’s VMPR speaker series consists of different sizes and power outputs all put together in a set of the most durable and long lasting speaker design’s on the market. If you are a studio designer, setting up sound for a live stage or venue you will find what you need in this series of speakers. Depending on your venue size and needs you may go for the smaller or larger offering, each built with the same innovative technology that is expected from Technical Pro. And the signature RED frame on the woofer makes it easy to identify.

The VMPR Carpeted Cabinet Speaker w/ Steel Grill is a professional loud speaker that will fulfill your big sound needs in a mid to large sized venue. Depending on your speaker throw needs, you may opt for the VMPR8” which is the baby of this series.  This combination will give you a great overall sound for a small to mid-sized venue.  The VMPR series it will still give you that huge club sound that you are after! It is able to push out a total peak power. Connect this speaker to any standard amplifier and you’re ready to rock!

The VMPR series are constructed with Technical Pro’s innovative and long lasting technology. The sturdy design will keep your speaker components safe and sound in the most rugged environments. Moving and placing this speaker is made easy by using the two built in carrying handles. Each corner is reinforced for added protection The front panel has a full length perforated steel cage that will protect your speaker while allowing all of the proper acoustics out. This is a durable speaker meant to be used in the most professional sound environments.

Technical Pro is built for the professional sound designer, studio professional, live stage sound designer and it’s a performer’s dream! If you are serious sound professional putting together a professional speaker system, you want this! Check out the other speakers in the VMPR line for a complete sound set up…and at a cost that is almost too low to list!

The heart of the VMPR series lies in its unique combination of premium construction quality along with features and performance technology previously unheard of at this price level, offering a range of options without equal. With improved performance and great looks, they deliver punchy mids and smooth highs at any level, with a bone crushing low-end. The quality wood cabinetry construction is carpet-covered and has an extra heavy-duty metal grille for ruggedness.

When we lived in East Nashville what now seems like ages ago, every now and then, we’d stop by this Meat and Three right down the road from our house for some serious soul food. I always went in with an open mind to try something new on her menu, but when it came time to order, I’d inevitably cave and order the same thing with the same side – her wonderful fries. Thick, Texas-sized wedges of russet potatoes that were reverently lowered into hot oil and fried until they were nice and crispy on the outside and creamy and tender on the inside. My version is baked, not fried. And the results? Sensational. The perfect side for a juicy steak. Or a thick cheeseburger. Or with chicken nuggets. Or with fish sticks. Or by themselves, enthusiastically dunked in some spicy ketchup. Or in some ranch dressing. Or blue cheese dressing! Well, you get the picture.

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Our lives tend to accumulate clutter in every corner: on our desks, in our drawers, on our shelves at home, in our closets, on our computer — you name it, and clutter finds a way to fill every available space.

But having a simple, uncluttered life is possible, with some very simple methods.

Devote a little of your time to tossing clutter from your life, and keeping things relatively clutter-free, and you’ll be rewarded with much more pleasing living spaces, with a less stressful life, and with better organization and productivity. Clutter weighs us down, distracts us, brings chaos into our lives.
Let’s look at some ways to kick it out … for good.

1. Your desk
   If your desk is covered in paper and other clutter, clear it off to create a pleasing work environment. the steps here are the basic decluttering steps we’ll follow for many of the other steps below: 
   • Clear everything off: Take everything off your desk and put it in a pile on the floor. Clear out the drawers too, if you have time. The only things that should be on your desk now are the computer, phone and other similar equipment.
   • clean: Wipe down your desk, and clean your drawers if you’re decluttering them too. It’s good to start with clean surfaces.
   • Sort: OK, here’s the meat of the process: sort through your stuff, one pile at a time. Toss out or route as much as possible, so that what you’re left with is a relatively small amount of stuff. If you won’t be using it again in the near future, or if you can access it on the computer, toss it out.
   • Designate homes: Now you get to place everything back in your desk. Set up a simple alphabetical filing system, with one folder for each project or client. Have drawers for your office supplies and other stuff. With less stuff to organize, it shouldn’t be too hard. Be sure to have a place designated for everything, and keep things in those places. Sometimes it helps to label, so you don’t forget.
   • Leave flat surfaces clear: Don’t put stuff on top of your desk. Have an inbox for all incoming papers, and then sort them each day and either toss, delegate, do them immediately, or file all documents, so nothing remains on top of your desk. The only thing that should be on your desk is your computer, phone, inbox, perhaps a family photo, and the documents you’re working on right now.
2. Files
   If you decluttered your files in the above step, you can skip this, although you should declutter not only your work files but your home files as well. Keep a simple alphabetical system, and try to fit everything in one drawer. It’s good to take out all your files, and purge what you don’t need. Many times that can be half of your files or more. Get rid of as much as possible — most times, we keep copies of stuff we’ll never need again. When you’re done purging, you should have a minimum of files, and it shouldn’t be hard to keep organized.
3. information
   In today’s digital world, there are tons of ways that information comes into our lives — and it can be overwhelming. It’s information clutter — we get too much of it. Instead, set certain times of the day when you check email, your RSS feeds, Facebook, or various forums or other things you read daily. Reduce the number of things you read each day — purge anything that doesn’t give you value, reduce your consumption of news and television, get rid of magazine subscriptions. Keep information to a bare minimum, and only check it at certain times of the day instead of letting it rule your life.
4. Computer
   Purge your computer files, getting rid of stuff you don’t need. Clear your desktop of icons — they slow your computer down, create visual clutter, and are an inefficient way to access files, programs or folders. Set up hotkeys with AutoHotKey or similar programs. With online search tools (such as that in Gmail) and programs such as Google Desktop, you don’t need to keep your files in a complex array of directories and subdirectories — just archive, and search later. Purge old, unneeded files at least every month or two.
5. Closets
   Use the same method for your closets as you did with your desk: clear everything out, clean it out, sort (and toss or donate as much as possible), and designate homes for what you decided to keep. Keep only what you love and use often. I recommend keeping your closet floor clear — it makes everything look nicer. If tackling the entire closet is too intimidating, it can be helpful to just tackle one area of your closet a day, until it’s done. It’s also useful to go through your wardrobe, and donate everything you haven’t worn in 6 months — it greatly simplifies your closet.
6. Rooms
   Are the rooms in your house too cluttered? A few rules about simplifying a room: first, start with anything that’s stacked on the floors; then work to the flat surfaces (tables, shelves, countertops, the tops of dressers, etc.) and clear them completely if possible; then do the larger stuff like furniture and other things that clutter the room; and finally tackle drawers and cabinets and closets. As much as possible, keep floors clear and all flat surfaces. Sort through everything in piles as in the first step above, tossing and donating as much as possible. Organize everything else in drawers and closets and cabinets, out of sight but still neat and uncluttered. Tackle one room at a time, going for a clean, uncluttered, simple, minimalist look in all cases. It can be helpful to continually edit a room once you’re done decluttering — you can always find little ways to make a room simpler.
7. Drawers
   The way to declutter a drawer is the same as outlined above: empty everything out, clean the drawer, sort through the pile of stuff from the drawer (purging as much as possible) and organizing the few things left. Keep like things together — a drawer for office supplies should only be for office supplies. Avoid having a junk drawer — everything should have a designated place. Go through one drawer at a time — don’t jump from one drawer to another.
8. Commitments
   Aside from physical clutter, our lives are often way too cluttered by the things we need to do — at work, at home, in our civic or religious lives, with our hobbies, with friends and family, etc. Go through each area of your life, and write down every commitment you have — from things you’ve volunteered or agreed to do on a regular basis, to meetings and sports games and other things you do every month or week. It can be overwhelming. 

   Now examine each one, and decide if it truly gives you joy and value in your life, and whether it’s worth the time you commit to it. It can be useful to just choose a few of the commitments that your really love doing. Get rid of all the rest. Just call people and tell them your schedule is too busy, and you have to decline. Learn to say no! One by one, eliminate the commitments in your life that don’t give you value, and you’ll have more time to do the stuff that’s really important to you — stuff for yourself, or your loved ones.

9. Routines
   It is extremely useful to examine your daily and weekly routines. Often, we don’t have any set routines, and we tackle our chores, regular tasks, and obligations haphazardly. This leads to chaotic days and weeks, and often a drop in productivity. It’s better to batch like tasks together — do all your errands at once, for example, or all your laundry at once instead of throughout the week. Write down all of your weekly and daily obligations, chores, tasks, etc. and plan out a weekly and daily routine. Post it up where you can see it and try to follow it, at least for a week. It could bring some calmness and simplicity to your life that hadn’t been there before. Be sure to schedule time for decluttering in your weekly routine!
10. Systems
    Once you’ve purged clutter from your life, it will inevitably start to creep back in. To keep from having a cluttered life again, you need to set up systems that will keep the clutter to a minimum. Examine how you do things, how things come into your life, and see if you can create a simple system for everything: chores, laundry, paperwork, email, RSS feeds, yardwork, errands, work projects, filing. And then write down your systems, step by step, and try to follow them. If your systems are set up right, you will continually purge clutter you don’t need. For example, a system for paperwork might look like this: 
    • All incoming papers go in inbox.
    • At the end of each day, inbox is processed.
    • Rules for processing: toss, route, file, do, or write on to-do list to do later and put it in “action file”.
    • Process to empty, leaving no papers in inbox or on desk. Clear desk of any working paper

Source: DumbLittleMan

Maintaining the ability to use your phone doesn’t mean losing the ability to look fashionable. These leather touchscreen Gloves (€130; roughly $170) offer the best of both worlds. Made from fine Ethiopian lambskin that’s treated for wind and water resistance, they feature nanotechnology integrated into the leather to make them touchscreen compatible, as well as a leather strap on the heel to tighten them around your wrist and the ability to use all five fingers instead of just a couple. Hello, iPad multitouch gestures, goodbye cold hands.

via Leather Touchscreen Gloves | Uncrate.

By Casey Chan

It was only a matter of time before this happened but Disney Parks just posted a video that shows Darth Vader going to Disneyland. It shows ol’ Darth riding that stupid Teacup ride, going on Space Mountain and using the Force to his advantage. The happiest place on Earth is even fun for Darth Vader! [YouTube via Laughing Squid]

Add a splash of style to your walls and give your stuff a place to live at the same time with the clip Tree ($75). Made by Uncrater Matthew Plumstead, this wooden dowel attaches to your wall using clips, and offers slots for attaching hooks, bowls, trays, and hoops. Whether you’re stashing your wallet, keys, scarves, hats, bags, or toys, the Clip Tree has you covered. Source:Clip Tree

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Like millions of Americans you probably lay your head down at night, sleep for 7-8 hours only to find yourself still exhausted the following morning. It’s not an uncommon occurrence and in fact could probably be remedied if you knew a bit more about your sleeping behavior. But you’re not exactly gonna get the data you’re looking for by setting up a camcorder. An alternative? The Gear4 Renew SleepClock.

Unlike other sleep monitoring devices, such as the Lark, which requires you to wear a wristband, or worse the Zeo, which uses a headband, the Renew SleepClock is able to monitor your sleeping behavior free of those encumbering devices. Instead, it uses what the company calls a non-contact sensor to measures your breathing rate and movement. Based on these two factors the Renew SleepClock knows when you’re a sleep and can track your sleeping behavior. Furthermore, it can wake you at the optimal time, your lightest mode of sleep, provided you reach that point within the range of time you’ve set to be awaken by your iPod, FM radio, or the built-in alarm. All this data is crunched using Gear4′s Renew Sleep Clock iOS app and can be reviewed by day, month, or year. And for those worried about your iOS device’sbattery life, worry not, for the Renew SleepClock has a dock to keep your device charged up through out the night while it does its work.

You can pick up the Renew SleepClock from the Apple store or Amazon for $199.95.

Zeo Sleep Mobile (video)iHome iW4Lark Sleep Coach ReviewLittle Rooster Alarm Clock Wakes Your Privates

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BY SONIA

Great views of East Harlem, the South Bronx and Astoria

Although Governors Island tends to get all of the attention, there’s another isle off Manhattan where families can go for great views, picnicking and relaxing under the summer sun: Randall’s Island.

Located in the East River and bordered by Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx, the isle has recently undergone major renovations with more planned or underway. While it’s not as bucolic as Governors Island—the RFK Bridge cuts right through it so you never forget you’re in the city—Randall’s Island offers many kids’ attractions like mini golf, Sports fields, batting cages and a playground, so it’s a great place for families to explore.

Previously owned by the Randel family, the 480-acre isle was purchased by the City of New York in 1835 and the Parks & Recreation Department took control in 1933. Since then, Randall’s Island has hosted countless sporting events and many notable concerts, like the New York Rock Festival in the summer of 1970 (featuring Jimi Hendrix) and Lollapalooza in 1994.

Today, Randall’s Island boasts more than 60 sports fields, which account for over half of all fields in Manhattan. You’ll find fields for baseball and softball, lacrosse, soccer, rugby and football (although many require a permit for use), plus Sportime, a state-of-the-art tennis complex and Randall’s Island Golf & Sports Center, which offers mini golf and batting cages. There’s also the 5,000-seat Icahn Stadium, which hosts local, national and international track and field events, even Olympic training and trials.

If you’re just looking for a place to relax for an afternoon, you can picnic on the open grassy lawns or lounge by the water and enjoy views of East Harlem, Astoria or the South Bronx, depending on where you’re sitting. There are lovelylandscaped areas and themed gardens to explore and designated barbeque areas. It’s best to bring your own lunch as food trucks are rare and the sole restaurant is the Courtside Cafe in the Sportime tennis center.

For cyclists, waterfront bicycle and pedestrian paths already circle most of the island. Just this April, the Hell Gate Pathway was completed.

There is one modest playground on the island and bathrooms are located at both information centers. Public restrooms are also available in the tennis complex.

Randall’s Island also hosts frequent events like outdoor concerts, art exhibitions and sporting events, some free, like FLOW.12, an environmental art exhibition on the shoreline, others requiring admission. In the past, Cirque du Soleil has pitched its tent here and Check its calendar for a complete schedule.

If you’re driving, Randall’s Island is easily accessible from Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx via the RFK Bridge. The M35 bus on 125th Street also goes to the isle. You can also walk or bike to the isle via the recently reopened 103rd Street Footbridge. Another pedestrian bridge connecting the island to the South Bronx is slated to open in 2013. Check the website for complete directions.
Find more seasonal activities in our Summer Fun Guide.

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