Former Doctor Who star David Tennant is among the winners at the inaugural BBC Audio Drama Awards in London.

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Tennant wins award for Kafka role

Once in a career, timing, skill and luck converge to produce a classic image. Photographer Barton Silverman recalls “a very good day” in 1966 covering Joe Namath and the Jets.

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Lens: Barton Silverman and Broadway Joe Namath’s ‘Leap’

A new video distributed by al-Qaeda’s media arm to mark the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks includes previously unreleased warnings from Osama bin Laden, an audio message from successor Ayman al-Zawahiri and, naturally, a recommendation for a Bob Woodward book. The video of bin Laden appears to be the same footage found by U.S. forces in the raid in Abbotabad and released , without sound, by the Pentagon, according to SITE Intelligence Group, the research organization that monitors Internet traffic from jihadist Web sites. When the footage was released in May, the Obama administration said it was withholding the audio because it was reluctant to provide al-Qaeda a propaganda platform after his death. Read full article > >

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Al-Qaeda releases Sept. 11 anniversary video

Verizon and Intuit announced Thursday that they are teaming up to introduce a mobile payment system that will let customers swipe their credit cards with their smartphones. Verizon will sell the Intuit Reader smartphone accessory in its retail stores. The Reader plugs into the audio jack of most Android phones, BlackBerrys, the iPhone and the iPad. The product rollout is intended to make it easy for small-business owners and others to process mobile payments, likely boosting sales of smartphones. Read full article > >

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Verizon, Intuit team up for mobile payments

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Premium sound quality for all your digital music in a sleek bookshelf system Denon has long been a player in the high end audio market. Any company that can weather 100 years in such a competitive industry—one that has witnessed the massive paradigm shift from analog to digital—must be doing something right. While the company name has changed slightly over the decades, their dedication to quality design and style has remained a constant. Early developers of digital, Denon has specialized in high-fidelity professional and consumer audio from the beginning. As a celebration of their 100th birthday Denon is giving away some of their newest, sexiest gear to one lucky CH reader. Their high quality RCD-N7 stereo receiver and SC-N7 speakers, an $800 value, are up for grabs. This system features crystal sound clarity packaged inside a sleek compact design. What really distinguishes it from the dusty component system sitting on your bookshelf is the total integration of wireless streaming music technology. To start off the Denon system will link directly into Apple’s Airplay system to stream your entire iTunes library. If you demand variety and freedom from your technology, don’t fret because the system will also stream from Rhapsody, Napster, Pandora, Last.fm or any other networked computer. Of course it contains all the standard audio inputs like USB, digital optical, RCA AM/FM radio and a built in iPod dock. The real sweet feature is the Party Mode Plus—a five system, multi-zone networked management system that can be distributed throughout your whole house and is controlled by Denon’s iPhone/iPad/iPod application. Additionally, two second prize winners will receive the Denon AH-NC600 noise-canceling earphones. These earbuds feature Denon’s acoustic optimizer technology that create a balanced natural tonal range. The Denon AH-NC600 offer the option of turning the noise canceling function on or off, and are completely compatible with iPhones and iPods. Denon fans can enter to win the stereo, speakers and headphones by following Cool Hunting on Twitter (essential so we can DM you if you win), and Tweeting #Denon along with which band you would love to hear coming out of Denon speakers. We will pick three winners at random on 7 January 2010 at 10am EST.

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Denon N7

Charley Harper’s imaginative illustrations come to life in an app designed for kids A new app for kids, Peekaboo Forest , brings the storybook quality of illustrator Charley Harper to the small screen. Constructed around the passing of seasons, the narrative features animals emerging from the bush and hiding in the dark of night, delighting toddlers with its roster of real animal sounds and interactive technology. Children can control the animal motion—a weasel’s tail wag, or a bee buzzing among blooming wildflowers—with a light tap. The story moves at the patient pace of a small child with silent interludes between the action of moving animals. Words, imagery and sound interconnect through repetition, adding an educational component to the purely entertaining aspects of the forest. You can switch the audio track between a sweet childlike voice to the more articulate tone of an adult in both English and Spanish with more languages coming in February 2011. The Peekaboo Forest recreates the imaginative imagery of Harper who was raised on a farm in West Virginia before studying at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, where he used minimal realism in paintings and illustrations depicting animals in their natural habitats. Created by Night & Day Studios , the app—available for the iPhone and the Android—continues their series, which began with Peekaboo Barn and was followed by Peekaboo Wild. A fourth application called Peekaboo Fridge, currently in production, will feature the artwork of Richard Scarry, and another called “Tree of Life” and also featuring Charley Harper’s imagery is also in the works. Peekaboo Forest sells for $2 from iTunes .

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Peekaboo Forest

We’re sure all you Twi-hards out there know that today is the day that The Twilight Saga: Eclipse hits DVD and Blu-ray, so we wanted to check in to see what you thought. For those who haven’t purchased the DVD/Blu-ray yet and are trying to decide between renting it or buying it, here’s what you’ll be receiving. You can purchase the film on DVD or Blu-ray as a single disc, but the real goods are located on the Special Editions. Check out both the DVD and Blu-ray extras below … 2-Disc Special Edition DVD – Audio Commentary w/ Rob Pattinson & Kristen Stewart – Audio Commentary w/ Stephenie Meyer & Wyck Godfrey – Eight Deleted & Extended Scenes – Six-Part Making of Documentary (90 minutes) – Photo Gallery – Jump To… Edward – Jump To… Jacob – Music… Read More Read Comments

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Poll: Your Thoughts on the New ‘Twilight: Eclipse’ DVD/Blu-ray

Introducing high-tech audio in a compact speaker designed for live-work lifestyles With sci-fi looks (Battlestar Galactica fans might compare it to a Cylon) and sound design to match, the Audyssey Audio Dock reinvents standard dock set-ups, introducing a bold form factor and better acoustics. The system is the first consumer product from Audyssey, a Southern California company specializing in high-end audio solutions that you might’ve experienced in a Jaguar, home theater or while watching a Sanyo TV. Their proprietary technology delivers accurate sound in a compact body, which means that in this new dock (which they call the South of Market Edition) the group of two four-inch woofers and two 3/4-inch tweeters pack a punch. Five different programs based on psychoacoustics and other research work together to make music sound rich or—if you’re using it for Skype or to make phone calls—voices sound clear. Features designed for our wired world include Bluetooth capabilities for streaming music to the speakers, along with the 30-pin dock, mini jacks, built-in microphones (for speakerphone use) and a USB port. A remote controls all the features, with only one play/pause button keeping the dock itself simple. The SoMA comes out this November, but the young company plans to work with the designers at Ammunition on future consumer products. Check Audyssey’s site and Facebook page for news, including retailers.

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Audyssey Audio Dock