Video
Hitting the history books
In addition to his deep dives into American history, filmmaker Ken Burns possesses a knack for telling contemporary stories in brief, elegant microcosm.
In the moving new documentary "The Address," he travels to the small Greenwood School in Putney, Vt. Its student body — 50 boys, 11 to 17 — struggle with language and reading skills and other behavioral challenges. In a rite of passage since the school opened in 1978, Greenwood assigns its boys to memorize and then publicly deliver Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.
What might seem a fairly simple task for some kids is extraordinarily daunting for many of the boys. As documentary subjects, the boys are in many ways impenetrable. Getting them to ignore the camera and just be themselves is next to impossible, but there are revealing, achingly honest moments that make the film worth watching.
Washington Post
Also out Tuesday: "Doctor Who: The Web of Fear," "Madea's Neighbors From Hell," "The Mr. Magoo Theatrical Collection," "Newhart" (Season 3).
Gadget
Cord lets you stretch a little
Innergie's Lifehub USB charging hub ($55, www.myinnergie.com) has something many similar devices don't have: a cord to reach more than 9 feet from its power source.
When you add in the reach of the included AC power adapter, you get almost an additional 5 feet, for a total of more than 14 feet of extended power. This enables those needing a boost of power to avoid being confined to sitting next to an AC plug.
A cable management system is built into the hub for easy, tangle-free storage. You get three high-powered (2.1 amp) USB ports to charge any variety of portable electronic gadgets simultaneously.
