If you are looking to improve your home entertainment system without burning a hole in your pocket, you can go with affordable 2.1 channel speakers. They come with a combination of satellite speakers and a subwoofer and can be connected to your computer, TV, laptops, or dmobile phones via aux or projectors.<br /><br />Some of the things that you need to keep in mind while purchasing speakers include the audio output, connectivity options and portability of the speakers. There are several excellent speakers available in India that offer good sound quality without burning a hole in your pocket.<br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How we do our research" comment="subhead" text="How we do our research"><span data-til="noop">How we do our research</span></cmsannotation><br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Our ranking criteria" comment="subhead" text="Our ranking criteria"><span data-til="noop">Our ranking criteria</span></cmsannotation><br />Before listing the best 2.1 channel speakers, we scrutinize different options such as budget, connectivity, and miscellaneous features.<br /><br />Other than these we all consider audio output, sound quality and design of the speakers.<br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Things to look for while buying" comment="subhead" text="Things to look for while buying"><span data-til="noop">Things to look for while buying</span></cmsannotation><br /><br />Below, we have listed some of the essential factors which you need to consider before buying a 2.1 speaker system.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Budget and space" comment="subhead" text="Budget and space"><span data-til="noop">Budget and space</span></cmsannotation><br />To narrow down your search it is important to set a budget. Apart from budget, the size of the room and speaker placement are other things to be considered.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Connectivity ports" comment="subhead" text="Connectivity ports"><span data-til="noop">Connectivity ports</span></cmsannotation><br />Make sure the 2.1 channel speaker has enough connectivity options such as AV input for television, a 3.5mm jack for aux cables, Bluetooth connectivity for smartphones and a USB port for pen drives.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Additional features" comment="subhead" text="Additional features"><span data-til="noop">Additional features</span></cmsannotation><br />Look for additional features such as built-in Alexa or Google Assistant. With these features, you can command your home theatre system, and give commands without searching for a remote or a mobile application.<br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Features compared" comment="subhead" text="Features compared"><span data-til="noop">Features compared</span></cmsannotation><br /><br /><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Speakers<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Features<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Connectivity<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Product link<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Philips Audio IN-MMS6080B/94 <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">LED Display, Remote Control &amp; Multi-Connectivity Option<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">BT, USB, SD card<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"><a href="https://www.amazon.in/dp/B014W5YQOO?tag=tech_insider_india_buynowbluebutton-21&amp;th=1">B014W5YQOO</a><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">F&amp;D F203G 11<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Blue LED as power indicator<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">AUX <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"><a href="https://www.amazon.in/dp/B00E2OY62S?tag=tech_insider_india_buynowbluebutton-21">B00E2OY62S</a><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">iBall Tarang Classic 40<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Bass and Treble control<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">BT | USB | SD | AUX <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"><a href="https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07RWJFV91?tag=tech_insider_india_buynowbluebutton-21">B07RWJFV91</a><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Boat Aavante<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">EQ Modes, Dual Languages &amp; Master Remote Control<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">BT | AUX | USB | HDMI<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"><a href="https://www.amazon.in/dp/B09YRVL16Q?tag=tech_insider_india_buynowbluebutton-21&amp;th=1">B09YRVL16Q</a><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">F&amp;D F210X<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">FM storage for up to 100 stations<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">AUX | USB<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"><a href="https://www.amazon.in/dp/B01KHCQBAI?tag=tech_insider_india_buynowbluebutton-21">B01KHCQBAI</a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B014W5YQOO" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B014W5YQOO_head">                <div type="image" title="Editor&amp;#39;s Pick" msid="83203710" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B014W5YQOO</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B014W5YQOO_body"><bulletContentRow name="B014W5YQOO_9855700071986710"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Philips Audios IN-MMS6080B/94 Multimedia Speakers</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Philips IN-MMS6080B/94 2.1 Channel Multimedia Speakers features a 5.25-inch woofer and 3-inch full range speakers. The speakers offer an audio output of 60 watts, enabling an immersive audio experience. It weighs around 6.5 kg and can be moved easily. It comes with a remote control that allows you to easily control it.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B014W5YQOO_7576501972878715"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">It features a long tube design that helps in delivering good sound quality and extended bass.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B00E2OY62S" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B00E2OY62S_head">                <div type="image" title="Popular Pick" msid="83203721" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B00E2OY62S</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B00E2OY62S_body"><bulletContentRow name="B00E2OY62S_6668941784891531"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">F&amp;D F203G Multimedia Speaker System</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The F&amp;D F203G Multimedia Speaker System features 2.5-inch full range drivers for the satellites and comes with a 4-inch bass driver for the subwoofer. It offers an audio output of 25 watts. It delivers enriched bass and powerful sound. It is lightweight and weighs just 2.1 kg, making it easy to move from place to another.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B00E2OY62S_4990452553599073"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">It features a wooden cabinet that ensures distortion-free sound.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B07RWJFV91" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B07RWJFV91_head">                <div type="image" title="Alternative Pick" msid="83203767" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B07RWJFV91</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B07RWJFV91_body"><bulletContentRow name="B07RWJFV91_0975721972077204"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">iBall Tarang Classic Multimedia Speaker</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The iBall Tarang Classic Multimedia speaker comes with two satellites and a subwoofer. It features bass and treble controls, allowing you to tune the music as per your taste. It offers an audio output of 40W and delivers an immersive audio experience. It can be connected using Bluetooth, USB, AUX, and SD card. It comes in a wood case that ensures good sound quality.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B07RWJFV91_1755489783438304"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">It comes with a built-in FM, allowing you to listen to your favourite radio stations.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B07FPLKKCS" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B07FPLKKCS_head">                <div type="image" title="Premium Pick" msid="83203816" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B07FPLKKCS</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B07FPLKKCS_body"><bulletContentRow name="B07FPLKKCS_4600491755473893"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">boAt Aavante Bar 1500</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The boAt Aavante Bar 1500 soundbar is powered by a beefy setup with a maximum power output of 120W and a 60W subwoofer. This 2.1 channel surround sound setup promises a cinematic experience and allows you to create a 3D stereo surround sound experience. It has a USB port and supports AUX, Bluetooth and HDMI connectivity options as well.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B07FPLKKCS_2788432581284273"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">It offers rich 2.1 surround sound and offers multiple connectivity options, allowing you to easily enhance your home entertainment experience.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B01KHCQBAI" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B01KHCQBAI_head">                <div type="image" title="Reliable Pick" msid="83203799" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B01KHCQBAI</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B01KHCQBAI_body"><bulletContentRow name="B01KHCQBAI_8902875034116349"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">F&amp;D F210X Multimedia Speaker</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The F&amp;D F210X Multimedia Speaker is equipped with a 2.5-inch full range driver for satellites and a 4-inch driver for the subwoofer. It offers a power output of 15W and supports Bluetooth, USB and SD card connection. It comes with FM Radio support and allows you to store 100 stations on the FM storage.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B01KHCQBAI_8481191951339388"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">It comes with a good design that blends well with the home’s decor.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><br />

Best 2.1 channel speakers under a budget

Best speakers with loud bass in India

<p>Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Wednesday. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/10-things-in-tech&amp;hash=8122c716833601fc1471f79af063b104?nr_email_referer=1&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=10_things_tech&amp;utm_campaign=Post%20Blast%20sai:%2010%20things%20in%20tech%20you%20need%20to%20know%20today&amp;utm_term=10%20THINGS%20IN%20TECH%20YOU%20NEED%20TO%20KNOW%20-%20ENGAGED%2C%20ACTIVE%2C%20PASSIVE%2C%20DISENGAGED0PASSIVE%2C%20DISENGAGED">Sign up here</a> to get this email in your inbox every morning.</p><p>Have an Amazon Alexa device? Listen to this update by searching "Business Insider" in your flash briefing settings.<br /><br /></p><ol><ol><li><strong>Mitch McConnell ties stimulus checks to tech legislation</strong>. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced a bill <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcconnell-ties-stimulus-checks-section-230-repeal-election-fraud-2020-12">linking $2,000 stimulus checks to a repeal of Section 230</a> and a new commission to study election fraud.<br /><br /></li><li><strong>An Apple supplier could be using Uighur slave labour</strong>. Lens Technology, a longtime supplier of glass for iPhones, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-supplier-accused-of-using-forced-uighur-labor-iphone-screens-2020-12">uses forced labor from Uighur minorities in its factories</a>, according to a new report. <br /><br /></li><li><strong>Apple loses legal challenge</strong>. The iPhone manufacturer <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/gdpr-consent/?next_url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.washingtonpost.com%2ftechnology%2f2020%2f12%2f29%2fapple-corellium-lawsuit%2f">lost an early legal challenge in its copyright lawsuit</a> against Corellium, a security firm that offers a virtualized version of iOS for security testing. A judge ruled that the product was fair use, The Washington Post reported. <br /><br /></li><li><strong>Coinbase allegedly paid minorities and women less</strong>. Cryptocurrency exchange startup <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/29/technology/coinbase-pay-employees.html">Coinbase consistently paid women and people of color less than other employees performing similar jobs</a>, according to analysis by The New York Times.<br /><br /></li><li><strong>TikTok removed an account promoting illegal gatherings</strong>. Vybe Together, a New York City-based "secret party app," <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vybe-together-tiktok-promote-nye-parties-amid-covid-19-2020-12">used TikTok to promote a large New Year's Eve event </a>that appeared to break CDC-recommended COVID-19 safety protocol.<br /><br /></li><li><strong>Japan wants to reduce space junk</strong>. Kyoto University is teaming up with a Japanese forestry company, Sumitomo Forestry, to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-developing-wooden-satellites-kyoto-university-2020-12">develop wooden satellites to send into orbit by 2023</a>, in order to cut down on space junk.<br /> </li><li><strong>Intel shares surge after activist letter</strong>. The <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/intel-stock-price-third-point-urges-chipmaker-explore-strategic-alternatives-2020-12-1029924016">chipmaker's stock rose 8% after activist hedge fund Third Point sent a letter</a> urging it to explore strategic alternatives. <br /><br /></li><li><strong>Best of 2020: How offices will change post-coronavirus. </strong>The co-CEOs of one of the world's largest architecture firms <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-will-offices-change-after-coronavirus-architecture-ceos-say-2020-4">outline three major ways the workplace will change in the future</a>. <br /><br /></li><li><strong>Best of 2020: How Google spots unconscious bias at work. </strong>Check out <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-unconscious-bias-training-presentation-2015-12#the-presentation-begins-with-an-explanation-of-why-everyone-is-gathered-in-the-first-place-becoming-aware-of-biases-can-lead-to-changing-behavior-which-ultimately-can-make-google-more-collaborative-inclusive-and-competitive-1">the presentation slides that the tech giant uses</a> to tackle diversity and inclusion issues at the company. <br /><br /></li><li><strong>Best of 2020: Hottest European fintechs of 2020. </strong>Business Insider asked <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/15-european-fintech-startups-vc-think-will-blow-up-2020-1">nine of the most prominent VC investors in European tech to pick out fintech startups</a> they thought would blow up in 2020. </li></ol></ol>

10 things in tech you need to know today

Computer speakers are an essential part of every PC setup. Whether you have a budget PC or a high-end one, using the best computer speakers takes your experience to the next level. Be it for work or entertainment, a good <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech-buying-guides/best-bookshelf-speakers-for-home-in-india/articleshow/83113253.cms">audio system</a> is important especially when you don’t want to use headphones.<br /><br />Some of the things that you need to consider while purchasing computer speakers is the audio output, connectivity options and sound quality.<br /><br />      <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="83203661" title="Best 2.1 channel speakers under a budget" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><br />To make it easy for you, we have curated a list of the best computer speakers in India.<br /><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B0791H74NT" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B0791H74NT_head">                                                            <div type="image" title="Popular Pick" msid="78653704" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B0791H74NT</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B0791H74NT_body"><bulletContentRow name="B0791H74NT_4635439181334281"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Creative Pebble 2.0 Desktop Speakers</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Creative Pebble 2.0 Desktop Speakers feature a 45 degrees elevated far-field driver solution, directing audio towards your ears. It offers a combined RMS of 4.4 Watts, delivering balanced audio with depth and clear details. It is USB powered and comes with AUX connectivity.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B0791H74NT_2850470444751297"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">It features a compact design and takes up very little desk space.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B07ZZBYWKF" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B07ZZBYWKF_head">                                                              <div type="image" title="Editor&amp;#39;s Pick" msid="78653712" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B07ZZBYWKF</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B07ZZBYWKF_body"><bulletContentRow name="B07ZZBYWKF_7401472985182512"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Zebronics Zeb-Warrior 2.0 Multimedia Speaker</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Zebronics Zeb-Warrior 2.0 Multimedia Speaker offers an audio output of 10 Watts and an impedance of 3 ohms, enabling it to deliver powerful audio. It comes with AUX support and features a volume control dial. The speaker is powered by USB.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B07ZZBYWKF_0408264993769432"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The speaker from Zebronics comes with breathing RGB lights, allowing you to customize it as per your needs.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B0154M6TQ2" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B0154M6TQ2_head">                                                <div type="image" title="Alternative One" msid="79441986" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B0154M6TQ2</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B0154M6TQ2_body"><bulletContentRow name="B0154M6TQ2_6828120060650677"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">F&amp;D F380X 2.1 Channel Multimedia Bluetooth Speakers</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The F&amp;D F380X speaker system is equipped with a 3-inch full range driver for the two satellite speakers and a 5.25-inch bass driver for the subwoofer. It supports Bluetooth and NFC connectivity, as well as AUX and USB connections. It comes with multi-colour LED lights, allowing you to customize them as per your mood.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B0154M6TQ2_5882408118165709"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">It comes with a wooden cabinet subwoofer that produces powerful bass.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B015ZOSWDW" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B015ZOSWDW_head">                                                                    <div type="image" title="Alternative Two" msid="77522581" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B015ZOSWDW</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B015ZOSWDW_body"><bulletContentRow name="B015ZOSWDW_3420910053297804"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Creative SBS-E2800 2.1 High Performance Speakers System</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Creative SBS-E2800 speaker system features a sound output of 50W and comes with a wooden subwoofer cabinet to offer powerful bass. It comes with a built-in MP3 Player and FM tuner that allows you to access your favourite radio stations. It can be used by connecting an aux cable, a USB or an SD card.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B015ZOSWDW_1236653224741419"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">It offers multiple preset equalizer settings that can be used for different kinds of music.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br /><br /><bulletContentEmbed name="B014W5YOKU" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B014W5YOKU_head">                                                                  <div type="image" title="Reliable Pick" msid="77522605" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B014W5YOKU</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B014W5YOKU_body"><bulletContentRow name="B014W5YOKU_5353852115678150"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Philips MMS-4545B 2.1 Channel Speakers System</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Philips MMS-4545B speaker system offers an audio output of 40W and provides an immersive sound experience. It has a built in FM tuner that allows you to listen to music on your favourite radio stations. It can be connected to any device using Bluetooth and supports USBs and SD cards.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B014W5YOKU_2167126672033663"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">It offers a rich and immersive bass experience.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><br />

Best desktop computer speakers in India

<ul class="summary-list"><li>To affordably achieve a <keyword id="10422626" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mid-century-modern">mid-century modern</keyword> look, swap out furniture legs with hairpin or peg ones.</li><li>Shop for reproductions of mid-century pieces at more affordable retailers like Ikea and Target. </li><li>Use small accents like pillows, blankets, lights, and clocks to get the look. </li></ul><p>Mid-century modern is <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-and-worst-living-room-trends-in-2021">one of the most beloved design aesthetics right now</a>, but you don't need to break the bank to achieve the look in your own <keyword id="6363870" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="home">home</keyword>. </p><p>Geometric shapes, sleek lines, the juxtaposition of organic and synthetic materials, and an emphasis on functionality and minimal ornamentation define mid-century modern style. It gained popularity in America <a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/midcentury-modern-decor-basics-that-every-beginner-should-know#:~:text=The%20movement%20spanned%20from%20about,that%20are%20still%20highly%20coveted.">between the 1930s and 1960s</a>.</p><p>The look drew inspiration from the <a href="https://medleyhome.com/blogs/gather/why-the-bauhaus-movement-was-so-important-for-modern-design">Bauhaus design movement</a> and the work of architects and designers like Charles and Ray Eames, Florence Knoll, and Joseph Eichler. </p><p>With the style surging in interest, Insider asked <keyword id="432726" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="interior-designers">interior designers</keyword> how to get that mid-century modern vibe <a href="https://www.insider.com/things-not-to-spend-too-much-on-in-a-home">without spending too much money</a>. </p><h2><strong>Swap out the legs on furniture you already own </strong></h2><p><keyword id="6466632" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="interior-designer">Interior designer</keyword> Kristen Reyes of <a href="http://www.seyinteriors.com/">Sey Interiors</a> told Insider that swapping the legs on your chairs is an easy way to achieve a mid-century modern look. </p><p>"Mid-century style is often defined by those iconic peg legs and hairpin legs," said Reyes. "Swap the existing legs on your chairs or tables <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-an-interior-designer-would-never-have-in-their-home">for one of those styles</a>."</p><p>Reyes mentioned that you can also DIY your own mid-century modern coffee table by using a salvaged piece of wood and a set of hairpin legs. </p><div type="image" title="mid-century modern furniture table legs chair legs" height="2527" width="3369" msid="81539368" hostid="261"></div><h2><strong>Shop for dining-chair reproductions instead of actual vintage pieces </strong></h2><p>Several of the most recognizable dining chair styles from the 1950s and 1960s are available as affordable reproductions from online retailers.</p><p>"Adding an Eiffel chair or Wishbone chair to your dining area is a guaranteed way to infuse mid-century style for a relatively small investment," said Reyes. </p><p>Dining chairs from the mid-century modern period tended to have curvy, organic backs and thin legs. Molded plastic shell seats, as seen in the iconic Eiffel chair, were especially popular. </p><h2><strong>Use small accents to complete the look</strong></h2><p>"<a href="https://www.insider.com/what-an-interior-designer-would-never-have-in-their-bedroom">Pillows in bold geometric prints</a>, textured glassware, and brass objects will all bring in hints of mid-century flair," said Reyes. </p><p>Try adding a brass fruit bowl or a throw blanket in a vibrant geometric print. </p><div type="image" title="midcentury modern chair and side table" height="2672" width="3564" msid="81539370" hostid="261"></div><h2><strong>Add a starburst wall clock</strong></h2><p>For a dose of instant mid-century mod style, try hanging a starburst wall clock in your space. </p><p>"The starburst wall clock is an iconic accessory that <a href="https://www.insider.com/cheap-ways-make-home-look-expensive-according-to-interior-designers">packs a style punch for an affordable price</a>," said Reyes. </p><p>These eye-catching clocks feature brass or wooden spokes radiating out from a central timepiece. </p><h2><strong>Hang a Sputnik light</strong></h2><p>Some of the mid-century modern trend was heavily inspired by advancements in <a href="https://www.atomic-ranch.com/interior-design/space-age-martin-mcgee/">space exploration</a>, such as the launch of the Sputnik 1 satellite. The satellite inspired Sputnik lights, which usually feature light bulbs on brass rods that radiate out from a central node. </p><p>"A Sputnik light definitely fits the mid-century modern look," said Reyes. "Try searching for them on Etsy for affordable options."</p><h2><strong>Set up a stylish bar cart using thrift-store finds</strong></h2><p>Interior designer Jennifer Burt of <a href="http://mississippimaximalism.com/">Mississippi Maximalism</a> told Insider that adding a small bar can instantly give a space that 1960s feel.</p><p>"Look to thrift stores for vintage decanters and other cocktail accessories and place them on a bar cart for a chic minibar look," said Burt. </p><p>In lieu of a bar cart, you can also cluster your bar items on a small table or credenza. </p><div type="image" title="midcentury modern desk office records on wall plants greenery home office bookshelf" height="2377" width="3169" msid="81539373" hostid="261"></div><h2><strong>Create a feature wall with vibrant wallpaper</strong></h2><p>Creating a feature wall using bold wallpaper is a simple and cheap way of injecting retro vibes <a href="https://www.insider.com/ways-to-make-a-bathroom-look-better-according-to-interior-designers">into a living space</a>.</p><p>"Abstract florals in bright reds, blues, greens, and yellow automatically scream mid-century modern," said Burt. </p><p>Oversized palm prints and geometric patterns are also appropriate in a mid-century modern space. </p><h2><strong>Add throw pillows and blankets in the right colors</strong></h2><p>Burt told Insider that <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-make-bedroom-look-better-for-free-interior-designers">the least-expensive way</a> to give your space a taste of mid-century is by adding throw pillows and blankets in the right colors.</p><p>"Pick pillows and blankets in a palette that incorporates the harvest-gold, burnt-orange, rust, mustard, avocado-green shades that were so popular during the 1950s and 1960s," said Burt. </p><p>Opting for pillowcases rather than pillows with non-removable covers will give you greater design flexibility.</p><h2><strong><div type="image" title="mid-century modern couch blue couch mid-century modern coffee table fruit on table in bowl living room" height="3467" width="5200" msid="81539377" hostid="261"></div></strong></h2><h2><strong>Focus on buying one great feature piece</strong></h2><p>Rather than splurging on an entire room of mid-century modern furniture, invest in a single impactful piece. </p><p>"Use your money to buy one noticeable piece, like a great credenza or dresser, which will set the decor tone for the whole room," said Burt.</p><p>If you <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-and-worst-things-to-get-at-thrift-shops">find a secondhand piece</a> with slightly damaged wood, Burt said they suggest painting over the marks in a bright, period-appropriate color like white or orange. </p><h2><strong>Head to more affordable stores, like Ikea and Target, that sell mid-century-inspired items</strong></h2><p>"Some of <a href="https://www.insider.com/things-you-should-never-do-at-an-ikea-according-to-employees">Ikea's most well-known pieces</a> were actually designed during the 1960s," said Reyes. </p><p>The <a href="https://www.insider.com/interesting-stuff-about-ikea-fun-facts-2019-5">popular Swedish big-box store</a> has collections like Stockholm, Gratulera, and Strandmon that can give you the mid-century modern vibe at a lower price point than premium retailers. </p><p>Reyes also told Insider that Target's Project 62 collection is another one of her go-to sources for mid-century shopping.</p><p>"Everything in this line is inspired by the year 1962, which was the prime time of mid-century style," she explained. </p>

Interior designers share 10 affordable ways to make your space look mid-century modern

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p>On Monday, a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-using-decoys-to-trick-us-warplanes-over-mosul-2016-11" target="_blank">Reuters report</a> detailed how ISIS constructed fake tanks, Humvees, and even put beards on mannequins in an attempt to stifle&#xa0;the US-led military coalition's bombing campaign against the terror group.</p><p>While the idea seems clever in theory, there's a major reason why it won't present too much of a challenge to the US and allies - thermal imaging.</p><p>Wooden tanks and Humvees, no matter how realistically they're built or deployed, don't emit heat like a real vehicle would. The drones that circle the skies above ISIS' havens in Iraq and Syria have no trouble toggling between thermal and other types of imaging.</p><h2>Observe the clip below:</h2><p><div></div></p><p>Here you see a drone observing a moving vehicle, the target. The video pauses quickly to show a red box around the incoming bomb. By the trajectory of the bomb, we can tell it came from another plane.</p><p>The bomb obliterates the vehicle, and the drone, which observes in part to confirm the kill, toggles for a moment to thermal imaging.</p><p>The blast around the vehicle turns from grey to white as the camera displays heat instead of light. That's the problem ISIS' bearded mannequins can't overcome - they're cold.</p><p>However, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-using-inflatable-missiles-and-jets-for-deception-2016-10" target="_blank">decoys have long been used in war</a>, and often to some effect. In World War II, both sides made extensive, and sometimes very effective, use of decoys. But they made those plays before infrared imaging and advance air forces took to the sky.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>More likely, the dummies will confuse the human intelligence of the US-led coalition against ISIS. Allies on the ground, like the Kurds or Iraqi forces may scout locations and be fooled by the decoys, and report bad information back to the coalition. Additionally, analysts studying satellite and other traditional imaging may be fooled by the fakes.<p>It would take some time for the coalition to reconcile the difference between their satellite imagery, human intelligence, and thermal imaging from deployed drones, but it's not an insurmountable task.</p><p>In fact, Baghdad-based US Air Force Col. John Dorrian told Reuters that the coalition has been on to ISIS' decoy game for some time.</p><p>"We call it tactical deception. Daesh [ISIS] has been doing it and that's certainly a tactic that enemies like to use," he said. "It is actually not as troubling as a lot of the other things we've seen," like the time ISIS burnt down a chemical plant to spread a cloud of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mosul-sulfur-fire-smoke-space-nasa-2016-10" target="_blank">choking, corrosive gases so large&#xa0;that it was visible from space</a><span>.</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/real-difference-between-scotch-whiskey-bourbon-2016-10">JACK DANIEL'S MASTER DISTILLER: This is the real difference between scotch, whiskey, and bourbon</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="VpdGNkNDE6gVyZm1dQ8AlCCDjanQvjfl" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Why ISIS' fake tanks and bearded mannequins won't fool US warplanes

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Jason Reed</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>The sighting of a wooden pallet and other debris that may be linked to a Malaysian passenger jet raised hopes Sunday of a breakthrough in the international search for the missing plane.</p>
<p>The sense that the hunt was finally on the right track after more than two weeks of false leads and dead ends was reinforced by new French satellite images showing floating objects in the southern search area.</p>
<p>Australian officials said the pallet, along with belts or straps, was spotted Saturday in a remote stretch of the Indian Ocean that has become the focus of the search -- around 2,500 kilometres (1,500 miles) southwest of Perth.</p>
<p>"It's still too early to be definite," Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott told reporters during a visit to Papua New Guinea.</p>
<p>"But obviously we have now had a number of very credible leads and there is increasing hope -- no more than hope, no more than hope -- that we might be on the road to discovering what did happen to this ill-fated aircraft."</p>
<p>Australian and Chinese satellite images have picked up large objects floating in the inhospitable region, and Malaysia's transport ministry said Sunday that France had provided similar photos "in the vicinity of the southern corridor".</p>
<p>A ministry statement gave no details of the number, size or precise location of the objects shown in the French images.</p>
<p>The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) confirmed that the pallet and other debris marked the "first visual sighting" since Australian, New Zealand and US spotter planes began scouring the area on Thursday.</p>
<p>Wooden pallets are quite common in aircraft and ship cargo holds.</p>
<p>The objects were spotted by observers on one of the civilian aircraft taking part in the search.</p>
<p>An air force P3 Orion aircraft with specialist electro-optic observation equipment was diverted to the same location, but only reported sighting clumps of seaweed.</p>
<p>"That's the nature of it," AMSA aircraft operations coordinator Mike Barton said.</p>
<p>"You only have to be off by a few hundred metres in a fast-travelling aircraft."</p>
<p>- More ships, planes -</p>
<p>Sunday's search, involving four military and four civilian aircraft, would return to the area to try and zero in on the objects again, he added.</p>
<p>China has dispatched seven ships to the hunt for the plane, adding to British and Australian naval ships involved.</p>
<p>"Obviously the more aircraft we have, the more ships we have, the more confident we are of recovering whatever material is down there," Abbott said.</p>
<p>If the plane did crash in the ocean, investigators are hoping to identify the impact site before the plane's black box stops emitting tracking signals -- usually after 30 days.</p>
<p>The flight recorder will be crucial in solving the mystery of what caused the Boeing 777 with 239 passengers and crew aboard suddenly to veer off course over the South China Sea en route to Beijing.</p>
<p>Satellite and military radar data suggest the plane backtracked over the Malaysian peninsula and then flew on -- possibly for hours -- either north into South and Central Asia, or south over the Indian Ocean.</p>
<p>- A 'humanitarian' exercise -</p>
<p>The question of what happened on board has become a topic of unbridled speculation, with Malaysian investigators standing by their assessment that the plane was deliberately diverted by someone on board.</p>
<p>Three scenarios have gained particular traction: hijacking, pilot sabotage, or a sudden mid-air crisis that incapacitated the flight crew and left the plane to fly on auto-pilot for several hours until it ran out of fuel and crashed.</p>
<p>The long, largely fruitless search for the aircraft has been especially agonising for the relatives of the 227 passengers -- two thirds of whom were Chinese -- and 12 crew.</p>
<p>Their grief and frustration boiled over Saturday at a hotel in Beijing when police had to restrain angry family members confronting Malaysian officials whom they accused of withholding information.</p>
<p>After a similar meeting on Sunday, some relatives said they were still dissatisfied.</p>
<p>"I'm so furious," said one woman. "I watch the television everyday. Very often I feel like I'm about to go insane. My emotions are all over the place. I asked the Malaysians to give the answers and they said they couldn't."</p>
<p>Although the plane's disappearance is already the subject of a criminal investigation, Abbott stressed that the search was essentially a "humanitarian" exercise.</p>
<p>"We owe it to the almost 240 people on board the plane, we owe it to their grieving families, we owe it to the governments of the countries concerned, to do everything we can to discover as much as we can about the fate of MH370," he said.</p>
<div class="nc_footer">
<p>Copyright (2014) AFP. All rights reserved.</p>
</div>
<p></p>

Hunt For Missing Malaysian Airliner May Finally Be On The Right Track

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source">Google Earth</p></div><p></p></div></div>Satellite images of one of <keyword id="13473" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="North-Korea">North Korea</keyword>'s largest political prison camps suggests its inmate population is expanding, Amnesty International said Thursday in a report detailing rape and torture in the North's notorious gulag.</p>
<p>The report by the London-based rights watchdog included rare testimony from a former camp guard, as well as from former inmates about the brutality prevalent in the prison system.</p>
<p>"For Amnesty International, which has been investigating human rights violations for the last 50 years, we find North Korea to be in a category of its own," said Amnesty's East Asia researcher Rajiv Narayan.</p>
<p>North Korea denies the existence of the political prison camps which, according to independent estimates, form a network holding between 100,000 and 200,000 people.</p>
<p>The images analysed in the Amnesty report were taken over a two-year period from 2011 to 2013, and were of Camp 15 in the south of the country and Camp 16 in the north.</p>
<p>Amnesty estimated the size of Camp 16 is 560 square kilometres (216 square miles) -- three times the size of Washington, DC -- with around 20,000 prisoners.</p>
<p>Analysis indicated a slight increase in the remote camp's population, with new housing blocks clearly visible and signs of "significant" economic activity such as mining and logging, the report said.</p>
<p>A former security guard based at the camp from the 1980s until the mid-1990s, named only as Lee in the report, told Amnesty of the methods used to execute prisoners.</p>
<p>He revealed detainees were forced to dig their own graves and were then killed with hammer blows to their necks.</p>
<p>The former guard said he also witnessed prison officers strangling detainees and then beating them to death with wooden sticks.</p>
<p>Prison officials frequently raped women inmates who were then killed, he said.</p>
<p>"After a night of 'servicing' the officials, the women had to die because the secret could not get out. This happens at most of the political prison camps," he told Amnesty.</p>
<p>Former Camp 15 inmates said detainees were subject to forced labour -- usually for between 10 to 12 hours a day on near-starvation rations with a strict production target.</p>
<p>"Often we did not meet our targets because we were always hungry and weak," one former Camp 15 prisoner told Amnesty.</p>
<p>"We were punished with beatings and also reductions in our food quota," said the prisoner, whose name was withheld.</p>
<p>Camp 15 covers an area of 370 square kilometres (140 square miles). In 2011, an estimated 50,000 people were imprisoned within the camp.</p>
<p>The recent images of Camp 15 -- also known as Yodok -- show that 39 housing blocks have been demolished since Amnesty International last assessed satellite pictures of the camp two years ago.</p>
<p>The testimony echoed that provided recently by camp survivors to a landmark UN commission investigating human rights abuses in North Korea.</p>
<p>Amnesty called on North Korea to close the camps immediately, and urged countries like China to stop repatriating North Koreans who flee the country on the grounds that they would likely be sent to the gulag.</p>
<div class="nc_footer">
<p>Copyright (2013) AFP. All rights reserved.</p>
</div>
<p></p>

New Report Details Expansion Of North Korean Prison Camps, Guards Use Of Rape And Torture

<p><div class="image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"> Christian Lambert Photography via Compfight cc</p></div></div></div>There's never been a better time to take to the seas. </p>
<p><strong>Because the new ships are seriously cool. </strong>Launching in November, Royal Caribbean International's 4,180-passenger Quantum of the Seas is so high-tech that industry insiders are calling it truly revolutionary. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">On board? A glass viewing capsule that rises 300 feet above the sea on a mechanical arm. </span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">You will find a laser-shooting range on the new Regal Princess and on the Norwegian Getaway, a "plank" for guests to walk that juts over the water. (Don't worry, you'll be harnessed in.) </span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">River ships are breaking new ground (er, waters</span><em style="line-height: 1.5em;">)</em><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">, too: with Scenic Cruises, your cabin's balcony becomes a sun room on cool days; Tauck River Cruising's new ships have 22 suites with some 300 square feet of space, larger than any other staterooms on European rivers. </span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Starting this spring, Emerald Waterways will offer European itineraries on two ships equipped with heated pools and movie theaters. Scenic Cruises, A-ROSA Cruises, Tauck River Cruising, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection and Viking Cruises are among the other lines with new vessels this year. Amenities include butler service, free Wi-Fi, and floor-to-ceiling views.</span></p>
<p><strong>Because the food rivals what you'll find on land. </strong>Immersive culinary experiences are now so much a part of cruising that you can try some of the top city restaurants at sea. Geoffrey Zakarian, chef at Manhattan hot spot the Lambs Club, has restaurants on the Norwegian Breakaway and the Norwegian Getaway<em>.</em> </p>
<p>You'll find outposts from Michael Schwartz of Miami's Michael's Genuine Food &amp; Drink on Royal Caribbean International's Oasis of the Seas<em> </em>and<em> </em>Allure of the Seas.<em> </em>Don't miss the molecular and ice bars on Celebrity and Carnival; they're as chic as any urban boîte.</p>
<p><strong>Because going digital has never been easier at sea. </strong>Most mega-ships now have digital directional signs, language apps and culture guides with GPS mapping. Crystal Cruises provides live streaming of TV news and movies in all cabins. Regent Seven Seas Cruises is making the Wi-Fi experience so much better: double the satellite bandwidth, greater speed, and even free service for guests in concierge-level and higher suites.</p>
<p>Robots are on board, too: a remote camera on Lindblad Expeditions' new National Geographic Orion<em> </em>lets you see down under, while Quark Expeditions' Antarctic ships have drones with GoPro cameras that give you a view from above. On Quantum<em>,</em> interior staterooms offer real-time ocean views on their virtual balconies.<strong></strong></p>
<p><strong>Because you'll have exclusive, insider-only experiences. </strong>In Europe and the Americas, cruisers will mix visits to much-loved cities and heritage sites with VIP adventures, behind-the-scenes access, and events including the World Cup, the British Open, and the Grand Prix of Monaco (all of which tend to make booking hotel stays on land a challenge).</p>
<p>Guests of Celebrity can spend a day driving a Ferrari through villages around Nice, France, while with Seabourn, you can walk through penguin colonies on the Antarctic ice before slipping into the spa back on board for a Thai herbal-poultice massage.</p>
<p><strong>Because you may just learn something. </strong>Among the guest lecturers on board ships this year?</p>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Retired archbishop Desmond Tutu (on the March 28 Holland America sailing along the coast of South Africa)</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Former CIA operative Tony Mendez, whose Iran hostage rescue inspired the movie Argo, on Seabourn Sojourn's 116-day world cruise, departing Los Angeles January 4</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">On select Quark Expeditions polar itineraries, Jonathan Shackleton, co-author of "Shackleton: An Irishman in Antarctica." He's also a cousin of Ernest Shackleton.</span></li>
</ul>
<div><strong><span style="line-height: 22.5px;">Check out the latest up-and-coming cruise ports and the best new ships:</span></strong><span style="line-height: 22.5px; font-size: 1.5em;"></span></div>
<h2>Russia's Historic Hotspot</h2>
<h2> </h2>
<p><strong>Port:</strong> Sochi, Russia</p>
<p><strong>Excursion:</strong> Long before this city was chosen to host the <keyword id="45145" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="2014">2014</keyword> Winter Olympics, the region was a favorite retreat of Joseph Stalin. Tour the dictator's austere 1937 dacha, still filled with his personal possessions. The day ends in the 30-acre subtropical Dendrary Botanical Garden (mind the roaming ostriches!).</p>
<p><strong>Voyage:</strong> <a href="http://www.celebritycruises.com/home.do">Celebrity Constellation</a>, to and from Istanbul. October 14; 11 nights from $2,499.</p>
<h2>Temples of Burma</h2>
<p><strong>Port:</strong> Rangoon, Burma</p>
<p><strong>Excursion:</strong> This two-day jaunt is worth the quick flight to Pagan: you'll see a few of the 2,000 pagodas and temples from a traditional horse cart, with stops at a lacquerware workshop. Includes an overnight stay in a local hotel.</p>
<p><strong>Voyage:</strong> <a href="http://www.seabourn.com/main/Main.action">Seabourn Odyssey</a>, to and from Singapore. November 9; 14 nights from $6,999.</p>
<h2>California Wine Country</h2>
<p><strong>Port:</strong> San Francisco</p>
<p><strong>Excursion:</strong> Take a three-hour ride through Napa Valley on a restored 1915 train-passing wineries such as Far Niente (established in 1885), Robert Mondavi, and Opus One. Bonus: thanks to a conductor turned designated driver, feel free to enjoy the tasting bar, replete with some 50 local bottles at any given time.</p>
<p><strong>Voyage:</strong> <a href="http://www.azamaraclubcruises.com/">Azamara Quest</a>, from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles. February 10; eight nights from $1,499.</p>
<h2>Colonial Colombia </h2>
<p><strong>Port:</strong> Santa Marta, Colombia</p>
<p><strong>Excursion:</strong> In Colombia's oldest city, you'll see artifacts of the Kogi and Arhuaco peoples in the Gold Museum-and tour the final home of 19th-century liberator Simón Bolívar.</p>
<p><strong>Voyage:</strong> <a href="http://www.oceaniacruises.com/">Oceania's Regatta</a>, from Miami to Los Angeles. December 5; 15 nights from $3,499.</p>
<h2>Indonesia's Art Island</h2>
<p><strong>Port:</strong> Lombok, Indonesia</p>
<p><strong>Excursion:</strong> Visit nearby villages to see locals dye fabrics using ikat techniques and mold decorative pots, then stop at the Sayang Sayang art market to shop for intricate rattan baskets and wooden boxes inlaid with pearl and filigree panels.</p>
<p><strong>Voyage:</strong> <a href="http://www.crystalcruises.com/">Crystal Symphony</a>, from Sydney to Bali.February 16; 12 nights from $4,055.</p>
<h2><a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/tls-guide-to-cruising-2014/7">Keep reading at Travel + Leisure &gt;</a></h2>
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Your Guide To Cruising In 2014

How a Chinese region that accounts for just 1.5% of the population became a testing ground for the most intrusive police state in the world

<p><div class="image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image"></div><p class="source"><a href="www.samgellman.com/">Sam Gellman</a></p></div>Despite doomsday warnings, life continues as abnormal as ever in the capital</p>
<p>IT IS hard to talk about normality in <keyword id="13473" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="North-Korea">North Korea</keyword>. But as its leaders each day cranked up the threats of merciless all-out war with America and South Korea, residents in and around the capital, Pyongyang, appeared to be busier preparing for the coming of spring than a coming war.</p>
<p>At a time of high tension on the Korean peninsula, a propaganda blitz in Pyong</p>
<p>yang` warning of something akin to a doomsday "do-or-die" battle was relentless. On March 26th people crowded around television screens to watch a newsreader in pink bark out orders from the top brass of the Korean People's Army for field units to be ready to attack American bases and conduct "physical action" against South Korea.</p>
<p>As the days wore on, the threats increased to encompass nuclear war, while painted posters emerged on main streets showing rockets raining down on Washington, DC. The state news agency, KCNA, issued daily reports emphasising what is a pattern of the propaganda: that the regime's belligerence is in response to dire threats from outside, such as the deployment of American B-2 stealth bombers and F-22 fighters as part of joint exercises by American and South Korean armed forces south of the heavily fortified demilitarised zone (DMZ). To its people, North Korea is painted as victim, not aggressor. On March 31st the regime described the country's nuclear weapons (still few and crude) as the nation's "life" that would never be abandoned while outside forces threatened it with nuclear attack.</p>
<p>Yet for a solipsistic society force-fed on the fear of nuclear annihilation, the few signs that the capital was on anywhere near a war footing appeared more comical than convincing--like a version of "Dad's Army" in totalitarian drag. Buses and trams got up in camouflage looked as if they were wearing hairnets with the odd leaf stuck on. Locals chuckled when a foreigner warned facetiously that if they blended in any better, other vehicles might crash into them.</p>
<p>North Korea is the most highly militarised society on earth. Yet in the capital the only guns on view were wooden ones, carried by some callow-looking cadets. The heaviest concentration of soldiers was on the road from Pyongyang's airport (no military planes visible): hundreds of conscripts, shovels in hand, were digging up a park and planting trees. Work brigades thronged the capital, busy on grass verges planting spring flowers.</p>
<p>In Pyongyang it was hard to escape the impression that the threats and bluster aimed at America and the South were mainly for domestic consumption. They seemed intended to present Kim Jong Un, the young dictator, as a fearless commander-in-chief. External threats justify North Korea's paranoia and enforced isolation, whatever hardships are imposed on its people. And it provides existential drama to a nation used to mind-numbing, wall-to-wall Kim worship as entertainment.</p>
<p>There is something of an end-of-the-world cult to it all. In conversation, people talk of Mr Kim, his father and his grandfather in hushed, revered tones. Mr Kim's decision to build roller-skating parks for the capital's pampered children is narrated ecstatically. There is rather less talk of the fact that one in four North Korean children (nearly all in the provinces) is stunted from malnutrition.</p>
<h3>Theatre of the absurd</h3>
<p>Along the Taedong river winding through Pyongyang, revolutionary music wafts across at every turn, providing what sounds like a soundtrack to an epic death-or-glory film. At sunrise, a piercing soprano belts out from a sound van. The song is about seizing victory "in one breath"--an exhortation to speed that is also written on the wall of the new 20-storey central bank, whose construction beside the river seems to have slowed.</p>
<p>Curiously, some of the privileged residents of Pyongyang continue to lap the propaganda up. People gape at television reruns of the late dictator, the paunchy, awkward Kim Jong Il, visiting hospitals and factories--though they must have watched clips of these inspections countless times before.</p>
<p>The distracted mood in Pyongyang may not persist elsewhere. It is thought that three-quarters of North Korea's 1.1m troops are stationed within 60 miles (100km) of the DMZ, with reportedly 10,000 artillery pieces capable of hitting Seoul. Yet South Korean and American intelligence suggests no unusual troop movements.</p>
<p>It is perhaps economic consequences which cause most worry in Pyongyang. Since North Korea sent a satellite-bearing rocket into orbit in December, the currency has weakened on the black market by a tenth, to about 8,000 won to the dollar. The official rate stands at 100 won to the dollar. A good public-service job pays about 3,000 won a month, which is less than 50 American cents at the unofficial exchange rate.</p>
<p>Yet the swanky bars and coffee shops that foreign tourists frequent are full of uniformed North Koreans. It suggests that the more the exchange rate weakens, the more a privileged elite with access to hard currency benefits.</p>
<p>International sanctions, tightened after North Korea's nuclear test in February, cause worry for some Pyongyang residents. The sanctions, they fret, may put off hard-currency investment in North Korea, which growing numbers of state-backed businesses are seeking.</p>
<p><div class="image-container float_right" style="width:300px"><div class="image"></div><p class="source">Courtesy of DOM Publishers</p></div>Possibly the weakest point for the regime, and a potential restraint on its belligerence, is the glaring lack of mechanisation in the economy. In the capital and the surrounding countryside, it is sheer manpower, rather than machines or fuel, that appears to keep the economy going. As teams of farmers, men and women, broke the icy winter soil for planting, not a tractor was running. On one rutted road, a Porsche, probably driven by a foreign investor in North Korea, raced past old men and women in peasant gear pushing handcarts laden with sacks of seed uphill. The most evident form of free-market enterprise appeared to be the old men sitting by the roadside with kits to mend punctured bicycle tyres.</p>
<p>While throngs walked from one town to the next, Pyongyang was visible in the distance. Unlike most capital cities, it was not enveloped in smog--for the big factories appear to run slowly, when they run at all. Instead, gleaming on the horizon was the futuristic, 105-storey Ryugyong Hotel, shaped like a thrusting dagger. It, too, does not work, for there is no money to complete it. From a Porsche, it must make for a stirring sight. For anyone pushing bent-backed behind their handcarts, in any normal country it would feel like merciless mockery.</p>
<p>Click <a href="http://www.economist.com/products/subscribe/CUR22/noreg">here</a> to subscribe to The Economist</p>
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