BeoSound 9000, a Sleek CD Player Art Oddity
When does a CD player look like a sculpture instead of a black box? When it’s BeoSound 9000, a new Space-Age compact disc player/radio from Bang & Olufsen.
Six CDs--preferably ones designed with artwork--line up behind a tempered glass panel with an anodized aluminum holder. The sleek CD sled changer, which looks like a headlight, accelerates as fast as a fancy Ferrari, taking only 4.5 seconds to move from one disc to any track on another. The system can be programmed to recognize up to 200 discs. No more silence necessary!
Award-winning designer David Lewis says his creation “is a revolt against indifference and black boxes. The way things have become, you can hardly tell whether you are looking at a toaster or a typewriter.” The 35 1/4-by-11 7/8-inch system’s AM/FM radio has 60 programmable presets. Designed for use with separately purchased speakers, BeoSound 9000 ($4,000) can be placed on a shelf, mounted horizontally on the wall or displayed vertically on a special floor stand ($500). Call Bang & Olufsen at (800) 323-0378.
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Image Keepers: Is your closet filled with shoe boxes of old photos and negatives? To further protect those snapshot memories, check out the Kodak PhotoFile index storage chest from Sentry.
The new box, not much bigger than a shoe box itself, can keep photos and negs safe during a house fire, as well as protect them from humidity or water spills. It stores up to 150 negative sleeves or a combo of negatives and prints, has an internal organizer box that can be lifted out, a top handle and a key lock.
The PhotoFile Chest ($69.99) is available at Target stores, or call Sentry at (800) 828-1438.
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Shiny, Happy Metal: If you have some metal items--chrome, aluminum, stainless steel, brass, gold or silver--that look a little shabby, try Meguiar’s Metal Restorer. It’s designed to clean off dirt, residual film and oxidation without scratching.
Company reps say the new polish was formulated using special European abrasives that don’t scratch surfaces and leave a high gloss. Meguiar’s Metal Restorer ($5.50 for a 6-ounce jar) is sold at Pep Boys, Chief Auto Parts and Trak Auto.