1.  V27N4 of the BAS Speaker has been published. It contains critical reviews of two Berklee (College of Music) books on recording by David Weinberg, articles on HDTV Compromises by Ed Milbourn, the importance of recalibration of new HDTVs, the problem of remixing theater sound tracks for DVD releases by Anthony Grimani [I've noticed considerable compression of voices on DVDs, I assume this was not true of the theatrical release. I first noticed it on "Waterworld" where people's yelling never got much above conversational level. Now it seems to be commonplace--DBH], and switching amps by David Weinberg. 30 pp

2.  Bob Pease reports on a problem with home air cleaners: the generation of ozone. A reader reports: "I lost: all belts and wheels in two high-end (industrial) VCRs--and one a second time. Also, belts in three audio CD players, in DVD player, three computer CD drives and one DVD drive, plus a belt in a vacuum cleaner--three times. The air cleaner seems to be two appliances in one. It has an ozone generator and a positive ion generator. The positive ions don't destroy anything but make your walls and windows dirty by depositing dirt on them. If I were the litigious type, I'd smell a class action." Pease notes that some companies, such as the Sharper Image, will sell you an air cleaner guaranteed free of ozone. Electronic Design 17Nv05

3.  Howard Stapledon has invented the Mosquito ("small and annoying"), a device that emits a high-frequency pulsing sound that can heard by most people younger than 20 and almost no one over 30. The sound is designed to so irritate young people that after several minutes, they cannot stand it and go away. So far it has been tested at only one place, at the entrance to the Spar convenience store in South Wales. The teenagers would plant themselves on the railings like birds on telephone wires, smoking, drinking, and shouting rude words at customers. The owner planned to blast classical music into the parking lot, another method known to horrify hang-out youths into dispersing, but never got around to it. Then Mr. Stapleton offered a free trial. The results were as if someone had used anti-teenager spray around the entrance. NYT 29Nv05

4.  From a Boston Globe article on the decline of major department stores, the photo caption: "The Philadelphia Orchestra, led by conductor Leopold Stokowski, played on Wanamaker's balcony in Philadelphia in front of the world's then largest organ, the Grand Court Organ, in 1920." 2Mr05

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