Hardware

The Playbase has an unusual shape compared with most speakers, but there’s a clear reason for this odd design: It’s meant to sit on a media stand with a TV on top. Sonos says the device can support most televisions up to 60 inches or up to 77 pounds. Bigger sets that have stands with legs on either side can usually be placed over the Playbase as well. Of course, it can be used with wall-mounted TVs too, but one of the speaker’s main selling points is that it can bear the weight of a television on top of it without an impact on audio quality. Indeed, Sonos claims that its research shows that 70 percent of TV owners never mount their TVs to the wall; if that’s true, there’s a lot of people who could use a speaker like the Playbase.

Like Sonos’ last speaker, the Play:5, the Playbase is a simple, sleek thing that shows great attention to detail. Yes, it’s a big plastic box, but the soft-touch finish feels extremely durable, not to mention pleasant underneath your fingers. That’s good, because there are a few touch-sensitive controls right near the front of the speaker. Other examples of the Playbase’s refined fit and finish include the CNC-drilled holes on the front face. Sonos specifically picked that pattern to minimize visual distraction without affecting sound quality. There’s only so much to say about a giant white box (it also comes in black), but it exudes polish and quality — something you definitely want from a $700 product.

All told, it’s an exceedingly simple device. There are those touch-sensitive controls on the front of the speaker. Tapping above the Sonos logo will play or pause music, while tapping to the left or right will decrease or increase volume. And you can swipe left to right to go forward in your playlist; swiping in the other direction goes back a track. These are the same controls that Sonos included on the Play:5, and they’re equally welcome here. The only other button is on the left side of the Playbase; you press it during setup to get the speaker connected to your WiFi network (more on setup in a moment). Around back are ports for power, Ethernet and optical audio. That’s it.

This is a top view of the Playbase after a TV was placed on top of it. The gray bar is one of the TV legs, and it left some ugly scrapes just below it.

The Playbase did let me down in one big way. As I was setting up my review unit, I somehow managed to put a few scuffs on the otherwise pristine white surface. I wasn’t really able to get them out either. While I haven’t noticed them since setting up the speaker, as they’re mostly covered by my TV, I was still disheartened to discover that I was able to mark up such a lovely device so easily. If you’re the type of person who moves a lot or is a bit harder on your belongings, you might be better off with the black version. In my case, though, the white speaker looks great alongside my white PS4, those scuffs notwithstanding.

Setup

The Playbase’s simplicity extends to the setup too. Once I placed the speaker under my TV, I plugged it into the wall and hooked it up with the included optical audio cable. The Sonos iOS app then walked me through everything I needed to do. (There’s an Android application as well.) Setup was a little easier, since I already had Sonos speakers in my house, which means I already have a Sonos account. Even so, starting from scratch is simple enough. The Sonos app scans and finds nearby speakers and connects them to the WiFi network your mobile device is on. All I had to do was follow the app’s directions and press the button on the side of the speaker to connect it and it was basically good to go. You’ll also likely need to switch your TV’s setting to output audio to an external device rather than its built-in speaker.

The Playbase uses the same “Trueplay” room-tuning technology that Sonos introduced alongside the Play:5 in late 2015. If you haven’t used it before, Trueplay basically adjusts the audio characteristics of Sonos’ speakers to make them sound as good as possible, regardless of where they’re placed in a room. The process is slightly different when tuning the Playbase, because the speaker is meant for both music and movies.

First, the app asks you to sit where you’ll most often watch TV, and then you’ll walk around the room to tune the speaker for music playback. It takes a bit longer, but it’s still super easy and can make a noticeable difference. I didn’t notice a big change with Trueplay turned on or off, but your mileage will vary based on your particular room. One downside: Trueplay still requires an iOS device. The company says that the huge variety and variability of microphones found in Android phones make it too difficult to tune speakers reliably. That’s not to say the speaker sounds bad without it, though; indeed, I wouldn’t call this a deal-breaker for households without an iDevice.

Movies and TV

Now we’re on to the best part about testing this speaker: sitting back and watching a lot of TV. For my tests, I streamed movies and shows from Netflix, Hulu and iTunes via my Apple TV, and I also watched some movies on Blu-ray through my PS4. Regardless of the source, the Playbase was an immediate and massive upgrade over my TV’s built-in speakers.

The subwoofer that Sonos managed to cram into the Playbase provided the most significant upgrade. Explosions in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Interstellar and Inception all delivered room-rumbling bass that a TV simply can’t provide on its own. The impact of the subwoofer isn’t limited to space action films, either. When Sauron was temporarily vanquished in the prologue of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, his helmet hit the ground with startling force.

While epic moments in big films are a great showcase for the Playbase, that’s not the only place where it shines. When Sonos first unveiled the speaker, company execs talked about the importance of delivering super-clear dialogue. Indeed, the Playbase delivers that in spades. A speaker of this caliber simply makes everything sound more “present” — like the characters are right in the room with you. Big bass may turn heads, but crystal-clear dialogue is something you’ll appreciate every single day, regardless of what you’re watching.

Even sitcoms like Parks and Recreation and The Office sounded noticeably better than when I watched with standard TV speakers. One Parks and Rec scene featured a character speaking to a crowd through a megaphone, and I could hear the scratchy, amplified characteristics of that speech in a way I wouldn’t have noticed on lesser speakers. And, as silly as it sounds, the theme song for The Office has never sounded so good.

Speaking of music, film scores sound excellent as well. They generally take a backseat to dialogue and sound effects, but hearing John Williams’, Hans Zimmer’s and Howard Shore’s epic musical landscapes blasting forth with tremendous depth was almost as much fun as the big explosions. Inception was another great test for the speaker: The trademark two-hit musical cue blared forth like a siren, and the movie’s excellent closing sequence and accompanying score hit hard.

As with the Play:5, the area where the Playbase shows some weakness is in stereo separation. That’s not to say you don’t get any stereo effects here. Ships and laser blasts in The Force Awakens panned across the soundscape as they did on-screen — just not with the same dramatic effect that you’d get from a multi-speaker setup. It’s still a clear upgrade from the internal speakers that I’m used to, but it doesn’t quite hit the theatrical level of immersion you’ll get with dedicated left, right and center speakers.

While I didn’t get to test this out, it’s worth noting that the Playbase lets you wirelessly sync with the Sonos Sub and two Play:1 speakers to build a 5.1 surround sound setup out of four wireless speakers. And if the internal subwoofer is enough for you, you can also just use the Playbase with the two Play:1 speakers for a cheaper and less complex setup. As someone with surround sound ambitions, the idea of using the Play:1 as wireless back speakers is extremely compelling, if not super affordable; those speakers cost $200 each, while the Sub alone commands a cool $700. For me, the internal sub was more than sufficient, so I don’t plan on shelling out for a dedicated unit anytime soon.

Music

If you’ve been using Sonos for a while, it’s likely been for tunes: The company was one of the first to make it easy to stream music to high-quality speakers. (If you haven’t used Sonos much before, our Play:5 review offers a great overview of how its wireless music streaming system works.) So while the Playbase was designed with home theater in mind, it has to perform when playing back music as well. Fortunately, music playback is outstanding. Unscientifically, I’ll say it sounds nearly as good as a single Play:5 speaker, and it absolutely smokes the smaller Play:1 I have in my living room when it comes to clarity and volume.

Though the Playbase’s stereo performance while watching movies didn’t exactly blow me away, it actually sounds excellent here. I listened to a wide variety of songs I know inside and out and still managed to experience the music in a fresh way, thanks to some dramatic stereo panning. Vocals were clear and detailed, on par with dialogue in movies and TV shows.

For most people looking for a dedicated audio speaker, they’d probably do better with a Play:5; it’s fantastic and $200 cheaper. But the versatility of the Playbase is a huge point in its favor. If I had to choose between a $500 Play:5 and a $700 Playbase for my living room, I’d probably get the Playbase. It gives up very little in terms of audio quality compared with the Play:5 and feels like a huge upgrade when you’re watching movies and TV shows.

The competition

The Sonos Playbase, pictured here below the Sonos Playbar mounted to the wall.

Sonos has played up the Playbase’s rather unique form factor, but there are other speaker bases on the market. The $300 ZVOX 570 sits under your TV and has a built-in subwoofer, just like the Playbase. The $379 Bose Solo 15 Series II doesn’t have a sub, but it does include Bose’s “Truespace” technology, which works with the center speaker to enhance dialogue. JBL’s $230 Cinema Base also has built-in subwoofers. Of course, none of these speakers have Sonos’ streaming capabilities, though you can send audio to all of them over Bluetooth. Finally, none of them offer the ability to build a wireless 5.1 setup with other Sonos speakers. On the other hand, these speakers all cost less than half what you’ll pay for the Playbase.

If you don’t need your speaker to double as a stand, Sonos’ own Playbar offers a similar feature set (minus the subwoofer) for the same $700 price as the Playbase. And if you look beyond Sonos, there’s a veritable flood of soundbars available from major home audio companies like Sony, Vizio, Yamaha, Samsung, Denon and Paradigm, among others. You can spend a lot less than you would on the Playbase, or spend much, much more, depending on your proclivities.

Wrap-up

As I noted earlier, the Playbase is an extremely compelling one-speaker option for the living room, particularly if you’re a music fan. It’s easy to set up and adds very little complexity to most TV rigs; not having to run lots of cords is a huge win in my eyes. And once you’re set up, it simply makes watching movies a lot more fun, whether they’re big-budget action flicks or quiet, hushed dramas. Either way, dialogue sounds great. And its music performance is outstanding. It’s not quite as good as Sonos’ own Play:5, but the versatility of having one speaker that works great for both TV and music is hard to top.

Of course, at $700, it had better hit all these marks. In a vacuum, that’s a lot of money to spend on a speaker, particularly if you’re someone like me who’s been content enough to live with boring built-in TV speakers. And there are many less expensive soundbars you could buy to improve your TV audio. On the other hand, the Playbase’s versatility between music and movies is unmatched, making for a speaker I would use nearly every single day. It’s great for watching TV on weeknights, or movies on the weekends, and for playing music anytime I want.

SaveSave

Video game licenses for athletes have been a thorny subject for years, and it’s seldom just a matter of signing an agreement and calling it a day. You frequently have to worry about faces, names and jersey numbers as separate concerns, and a misstep can cost you dearly. Even using tattoos without permission can get you into trouble. It’s possible that Konami thought it was abiding by the rules and still didn’t get Maradona’s full permission, assuming this is anything more than a simple misunderstanding.

Electronic music, ’80s pop and hip-hop in particular owe a lot to Kakehashi’s firm. The TR-808’s unique ‘sizzling’ drum and hand clap sounds were crucial to genre-defining songs from the likes of Afrika Bambaataa and Nine Inch Nails, and it’s so iconic that artists have sometimes based their albums or even careers around it. Think 808 State, or Kanye West’s 808s and Heartbreak. And that was really just the start of Kakehashi’s biggest accomplishments.

He also got the ball rolling on MIDI, the standard that helped kickstart digital music composition. The TR-909 (the first drum machine to use MIDI) and TB-303 bass synth were crucial to modern dance music’s early days, launching genres like acid house. And many PC gamers will have a soft spot for the SC-55 Sound Canvas, the first General MIDI sound card. It was a big step toward computer-based tunes that sounded as good as what you heard from recording studios, and represented PC music’s gold standard for years.

Kakehashi gradually bowed out of his company, retiring in 2013, but not before receiving honors ranging from a Technical Grammy through to a spot on Hollywood’s Rock Walk of Fame. In some ways, those accolades almost sell him short. While Kakehashi wasn’t as singularly responsible for redefining music as someone like synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog, it’s safe to say that the industry would have gone in a very, very different direction if he hadn’t been around. He’ll be missed.

With any product, it’s always important to get the major decisions out of the way first. Who’s the intended audience? What will it look like? How can we make it portable? And, most importantly, how do we keep the cost down? Join Karen and Ben as they plan out the their logic gate board game. As seasoned as they are, though, the duo could still use your help. What size do you think the game should be, and can you recommend a suitable LCD screen and microcontroller to use with it? You can get a feel for the direction the game is headed, thanks to the prototypes Karen and Ben have mocked up using the PIC microcontroller and ChipKit. Let the team know your ideas over on the element14 Community, where you can be part of the build.

The technique is known to work on at least two recent Samsung models, and it’s possible to alter the code to compromise other web-enabled TVs.

If there’s a saving grace, it’s the specificity of the attack. Only some countries use DVB-T, and fewer still support the hybrid broadcast broadband TV format (HbbTV) needed to make this work. The victim also needs to both be tuned into a DVB-T channel and have the TV connected to the internet. North Americans watching ATSC broadcasts have nothing to worry about right now, in other words, and you’re also safe if you use a game console or media hub for your living room entertainment.

The discovery nonetheless underscores the importance of locking down smart TVs, which don’t usually receive security updates as frequently as phones or PCs. It’s one thing when hackers compromise individual TVs through conventional internet-only attacks, but it’s that much more sinister when they can compromise multiple TVs within a certain range. Manufacturers will need to treat security as a higher priority if they’re going to prevent attacks like this from happening in the real world.

On the company’s earnings call, CEO John Chen said (via Seeking Alpha) that “We are now expanding to the next phase of our licensing program. This will focus on a broader set of endpoints. What this might mean, and I make no promise, is that you may soon see a BlackBerry tablet, and it will also extend to cobranded handset with IoT and Enterprise of Things to EoT devices. These endpoints will run our software and security features and be cobranded Secure by BlackBerry.”

The exec was careful not to promise anything, but it’s clear where the company is going. With connected devices spreading throughout homes and offices, it feels the BlackBerry name and technology still provides a level of comfort and security. Wherever those smart devices go, a BlackBerry-branded and powered device could follow. The example Chen used was with medical devices, saying that “companies providing medical monitoring devices must protect health data on the device, guarantee it connects securely to the healthcare system, and most importantly ensure that it cannot be hacked, BlackBerry Secure helps solve this triple threat.”

Add in the well-received KEYone that’s due to launch later this month, and Chen’s plan to remake the company looks like it might be moving in the right direction.

The makers of ‘Begum Jaan‘ launched the second track from the film ‘Aazaadiyan’ today. The emotional track showcases the scenario post the partition between India and Pakistan, which happened in 1947.

Sung by the magical duo Sonu Nigam and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, the hard-hitting lyrics penned by Kausar Muni definitely tugs at your heartstrings!

Vidya Balan ‘s ‘Begum Jaan’ trailer grabbed eyeballs and has left an impact on the audience with its intense dialogues and power-packed performances. Now, the music of the film too seems to touch the hearts of the audience.

The film narrates the story of a brothel run by Vidya Balan which comes right where the new border between India and Pakistan has to be drawn. The occupants are asked to empty the brothel in a month’s time and how Begum Jaan and her girls fight for their rightful place is what the film is about.

Srijit Mukherjee’s directorial’ Begum Jaan’ is a Hindi adaptation of Bengali film “Rajkahini“, which saw Rituparna Sengupta in the lead role.

Apart from Vidya Balan the film have a most powerful ensemble cast, with Ila Arun, Gauahar Khan, Pallavi Sharda, Rajit Kapoor, Ashish Vidyarthi, Chunky Pandey, Pitobash, Poonam Rajput, Ridheema Tiwari, Flora Saini, Priyanka Setia, Mishti Chakraborty, Sumit Nijhawan, Rajesh Sharma, Vivek Mushran in pivotal roles and Naseeruddin Shah making a guest appearance.

Produced by Mukesh Bhatt, the film is scheduled for release on April 14.

Watch the song ‘Aazaadiyan’ right here:

Shahid Kapoor and wife Mira Rajput are all over the place. From award shows to dinner dates to film screening, Shahid and Mira are spotted together almost everywhere.

And the couple grabbed eyeballs last night too, when they made their way to an awards show. Clad in a wine gown by Monisha Jaisingh, Mira looked stunning. On the other hand, Shahid looked dapper in a black suit.

In fact, Shahid and Mira won the Most Stylish Couple award at Hello! Hall of Fame Awards.

While their lovey dovey pictures from the event have gone viral online, we got our hands on a video of the doting couple. When both Shahid and Mira went up on the stage to receive the award, they indulged in a cutesy moment. The charmer that Sasha is, he went down on his knees and proposed to his lovely wife.

Naturally, Mira was floored with this gesture and though initially, she said, ‘I will have to think about it’, she later confessed, ‘I agree to marry you again’. The video made us smile and we think it was indeed an adorable moment between the lovebirds.

Check out the video here:

Super adorable 😍😍❤️RT @ScribeUpma Wat a moment @shahidkapoor proposes wife #MiraRajput at #HELLOHallOfFame awards pic.twitter.com/4CY5uZbO1g

— Shahid Kapoor FC (@shahidkapoorFC) March 28, 2017

INSTA VIDEO by @pinkvilla : When @shahidkapoor went down on his knees and proposed to #MiraKapoor ❤️❤️https://t.co/htTJK4SLUA pic.twitter.com/jS5fBBynJD

— Shahid Kapoor FC (@shahidkapoorFC) March 29, 2017

Meanwhile, on the professional front, Shahid Kapoor, who was last seen in ‘Rangoon’ is currently prepping up for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati which also starsDeepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. In the film, Shahid plays the role of Raja Rawal Ratan Singh, who is Rani Padmavati’s husband.

Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar is known for his fitness. From yoga to Ayurveda to workout, Akshay Kumar does everything to keep himself fit and strong. he is master in karate and martial arts. He is also called Bollywood’s most fitted actor.But in spite of this, someone has given them such a dhobi pachad that he will always remember.

Actually, Akshay is currently promoting his upcoming film ‘Naam Shabana’ featuring Taapsee Pannu in the lead role. He visited the Gargi College University of Delhi for a promotional event along with team members.

During their visit to Delhi, Akshay and Taapsee attended an event where some trained professionals had come to showcase some self-defence skills.

During the event in Delhi, a woman had come to demonstrate some self defence techniques. Akshay came forward to try but the woman literally pinned him down to the ground. Praising the woman, he shared the video and captioned it, “Here’s some #MondayMotivation courtesy team #NaamShabana! #GirlPower all the way.”

Earlier, Akshay and Taapsee taught a self-defence move in a video where the Pink actor said that you do not need to save yourself. She said in the video that God gave us arms and legs to protect ourselves and taught the viewers how to outmanoeuvre the attacker.

Even the Khiladi Kumar has been encouraging girls to learn martial arts. Some time back, when mass molestation happened in Bangalore, Akshay shared a heartfelt message and asked women to stop feeling helpless.

Directed by Shivam Nair, ‘Naam Shabana’ has Taapsee Pannu in the lead. Akshay Kumar will reprise the role of Ajay Singh Rajput in the prequel. It also stars Anupam Kher, Manoj Bajpayee and Prithviraj Sukumaran in pivotal roles and is releasing on March 31, 2017.

Earlier this month, Priyanka Chopra gave fans a beauty tutorial in which she shared her favorite beauty regimes and now  the actress is back with a tutorial, however, this time she has come with a tutorial on strutting stunts like a pro fight in heels.

While Priyanka has already given us a sneak peek of those action packed scenes on an American chat show Live with Kelly, last year, here is Pee Cee again giving a tutorial on how you strut your stunts.

The 34-year-old actress recently shot for a cover page of a brand and in between the filming also gave some tough lessons on fighting it out like a pro.

Zanna Roberts Rassi shared the video on Instagram captioning it as, “Learning to kick ass. In heels. With my new favorite bad ass @priyankachopra #celebritorials (Yep – I’m terrified).”

Donning an off-shoulder red outfit teamed with a pair of studded black heels, we see Priyanka tutoring in punching and flipping and we are mesmerized, to say the least.

Talking about her big screen projects, the actress is all set to make her official Hollywood debut with ‘Baywatch’.

Baywatch has been directed by Seth Gordon, and is based on the television series by the same name. The film also stars Alexandra Daddario, Kelly Rohrbach, Jon Bass, Ilfenesh Hadera, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson.

Baywatch is the second major Hollywood project for Priyanka. Her debut TV show ‘Quantico’ became a hit, the second season of which is currently on air.

‘Baywatch’ is all set to hit theatres on May 26.