Hub of technology

Preparing for my impending move to my new apartment, I decided that a TV was in order. I have proven to myself that I can survive without a TV for the past three years, but there’s so much internet viewing and DVD viewing on my standard 13.3″ screen that I can bear.

Not a TV addict like the rest of my family, I have missed some of my favourite shows like MasterChef, Dexter and Family Guy. And also watching movies on the big screen. I have severely missed that. So off I went to my local JB-HIFI store to check out the selection.

There was only one TV that stood out for me. It was the new Samsung LED (LCD) TV. Only 3cm thin, this ultra-flatscreen LCD TV had EYE POPPING colour, incredible contrast and deep blacks. Admittedly, it was playing a demo video that was encoded with Blu-ray technology.

After shopping around for the best prices, I settled for one that was selling for $700 off the RRP ($3699 RRP) (or $100 off the best price). So I promptly plop down the 10% deposit to hold onto one of the 40″ (101cm) series 6000 (the ultimate base model). Apparently the TVs have been selling themselves and not many retailers will have stock till October. Most of the retailers had these LED LCD TVs on prominent display in their showrooms and I have a sneaky suspicion that Samsung have been pushing these new series (6000, 7000 and 8000) quite aggressively to retailers.

I went to showrooms that were brightly lit and dimly lit, and the TV had considerable advantage over conventional LCD screens and even made the plasma displays pale in comparison. I have noted that in my new apartment, it faces west and will receive the afternoon/evening sun. As well as the new energy laws in place for new housing, it has a lot of natural light. Thus I had to change my notion of owning a Pioneer Kuro plasma (R.I.P.) with beautiful blacks and rich deep colours and settle for a bright LCD screen with unnatural colours and dull blacks. But with LCD technology becoming cheaper and more energy efficient, this has worked in their favour to alter my attitude towards LCD (“computer monitors”) TV.

Once I take delivery of this stunning piece of technology, I will write a full review.

Now with my brand spanking new TV, I needed a decent sound system. Here is my dilemma. I love movie watching. No, wait. I LOVE movie watching. If I could have a home cinema experience, I would have it (barring money and room!). Especially with a beautifully flatscreen LED LCD TV, the sound system had to match it.

The problem is that my room is rather small. Effectively a 3.8 x 4.5 m. Essentially a 4 x 4. My God. And you suppose to fit a dining room in it as well. No thanks. I will make it my entire living room. When this fact was mentioned to the sales assistants in several retail shops, they all suggested a 2.1 (stereo) system or have a room cluttered with wires and the traditional 5.1 surround sound setup. I didn’t want wires and I didn’t want the traditional 5 speakers. Newer models offer wireless rear speakers, wireless subwoofer and “slim” speaker towers. But upon visual inspection of these model, I wanted to throw up. I was visually nauseated. With such a small room, I couldn’t have the best cinematic experience with a kick ass 5.1 surround sound system.

One alternative was to purchase a soundbar. These involves a traditional 2.1 setup but with sophisticated software to replicate or mimic a 5.1 surround sound setup. Long rectangular blocks of speakers line the bar at different angles to bounce the sound off the surrounding walls to create a virtual surround sound. Initial reviews were positive, but user reviews painted a different and somewhat disappointing reality. Yes, it could create the virtual surround sound at some instances, but it still leaves you feeling it’s just plain “stereo”.

In came my brilliant plan. BOSE. I recalled that this premier audio brand (I recently discovered that their claim of being “high-end” could be disputed by severe audiophiles) had small speakers that you could conveniently place throughout the room and have a discrete setup. My father and I walked into one of the two BOSE stores in Melbourne and were literally blown away with the quality of the setup. Unlike conventional satellite speakers (tweets) and a subwoofer, where the mid-range tend to be flat and lost, the satellite speakers contain no such thing and the subwoofer had two drives that provided the mid-range quite effectively.

I eventually walked away with their Lifestyle V20 home theatre system that contained 5 x dual speakers and a media console (the receiver) and a media display for $500 off the RRP including a pair of speaker stands for the two rear speakers. This stand and their respective speakers are ultra discrete and does not take up much room. Once again, a full review will be posted here once the system is delivered.

1 year on…

It has come to my full attention that as much as I enjoy blogging, I still do not have time to continually update it…but the writer is me perseveres on.

MACBOOK AIR

It has been a full year, living with a MacBook Air, without an optical drive, an AEBS, external 1TB HDD and my iPhone 3G. What lessons have I learnt in this “eco-system”? As mentioned in depth previously, not all has gone well. Despite having everything Apple, the defining factor that hampered the joys of a fully fledge system came down to my ageing Netgear wireless router. Like a stubborn husband, it has refused to give the far superior AEBS with “n” capabilities dominance. Thus, the AEBS has been relegated to a subservient bridge, acting to facilitate the wireless signal from my external HDD to my MBA, which also communicates to the AEXP that is hooked up to my defunct Apple iPod HiFi system.

Another lesson learnt? As much as I enjoy transferring and backing up files digitally and wirelessly, I was forced to go into the Apple Store in Doncaster to purchase a MacBook Air SuperDrive. I reluctantly discovered I needed to listen to new music whilst driving. Unfortunately there is no audio/iPod link in my Audi. Tragic, I know. It only has a single CD player. Which can be torture. Thus, purchasing this SuperDrive, I now use an old medium again…the CD-R. $139 to burn music for my car. What a waste of money! I am sure there are other alternatives (other USB powered optical drives), but I have to admit, nothing looks better than an aluminium-clad SuperDrive sitting next to my unibody MacBook Air.

iPHONE 3GS

The last lesson learnt? Cellular phone technology is continually updated yearly. As much as I touted that I will keep my iPhone 3G which I waited in line in the early morning on July 11, 2008, I just had to get the new iPhone  32GB 3GS. This time, lining up 4 hours at night for the midnight launch, I “upgraded” my previous plan (from $59/month with $2 handset fee plus $8 insurance) that I have only been on for a total of 11 months to the “Timeless” plan ($99/month, no handset repayments, free tethering).

PROS

• Faster processing speed
• Increased storage capacity
• Oleophobic screen
• 3MPX camera with auto focus
• Video recording
• Digital compass
• Voice control
• Tethering ability (bluetooth and USB)
• Free phone calls and text
• Same number
• Keep the 3G handset

CONS

• Special numbers (1800, 1300 etc.) and voicemail retrieval not included in costs
• Insurance costs doubling
• Signing another 2 year contract
• The $504 “upgrade fee” for the handset and for “upgrading” (ie. cancelling) within the 2 year contract

SOLUTION

I sold my 11 month 8GB 3G to my brother for $400. I think it’s a bargain, considering it’s not even a year old and in immaculate condition (no scratches and an Invisible shield on the glass cover). For a glorified “iPod” touch, it was a bargain for him. But fortunately, I’ve convinced him to replace his old Motorola RAZR and transition to the iPhone 3G as his primary mobile phone. He’s reluctantly did, and is slowly discovering the joys of having tramTracker, eBay, Facebook and email at his fingertips….oh, and having his music to listen to on tram to and from work.

THOUGHTS ON 3GS

My very first thought upon using the 3GS moments after activating it in the OPTUS store was “WHOA! It’s fast!”. And it is! Double the processing speed in opening/closing and using apps was extremely noticeable. Upon showing it to a work colleague who didn’t have the original 3G, also commented on how quick it was to use and flick through photos or opening apps. So even to those who haven’t experienced the iPhone 3G noticed the speed difference.

The next thing I noticed was the change in the glass screen, namely the wonderful oleophobic coating on the screen. Similar to the coating used on sunglasses, this reduces the appearance of fingerprints and smudges. And cleans away with a single wipe with material. The display is now absolutely gorgeous! There is no need for a screen protector now! Stunning clean display!

Finally with the update of the woeful 2MPX camera on the 3G to a brand new spanking 3MPX WITH autofocus and the ability to choose a different focus box, Apple has finally ramp up the photo capturing capabilities to 2009 standards. They still have a long way to go in terms of higher pixel rates as their competitors or having flash, but the actual picture quality rendering is far than adequate and the sharpness of the autofocus is a much welcome change. Photos will be uploaded in the near future.

Video recording. Unfortunately I do not use or have any desire to use this. Once I have played with it, I will include it in a mini review.

The last thing is the increase storage capacity! From 8GB to 32GB, this is positively cavernous! Currently still have 11GB free…

The minor updates include the digital compass (fancy app, only useful if using Google Maps), Voice Control (only works intermittently, but will be a showcase feature once the bugs are tweaked out) and the crippled bluetooth connection has been fixed. Not that I have used it.

There you go! 1 year on. As I prefer to move into my  new apartment next month, a few new challenges lie ahead of me….cable vs. ADSL+2, HTPC, RAID…until then!

Signing out….

Selection of photos from the Sony T700

Here are a few selection of photos taken from my new Sony Cyber-shot DSC T700 digital camera. I hope you enjoy them.

Unveiling my new digital camera – Sony Cybershot T700

Taken from the Sony Australia press release -
 

 

 

Sony debuts its most daring digital cameras to date      Sydney – 13 August, 2008 – Sony Australia has today announced two new daring additions to its T series range of Cyber-shot digital cameras. Continuing to up the ante when it comes to form and function, the new Album T (DSC-T700) and T Slim (DSC-T77) are even more sophisticated than their predecessors, with advances in image capture, storage, search and sharing capabilities. Both models showcase 10.1 megapixels, 4 x optical zoom, Optical Steady Shot, Carl Zeiss lens and the popular Face Detection and Smile Shutter functionalities. However, as their names suggest, it is the innovative album function and slimline body that put them in a class of their own. “Sony continues to take the lead in developing intelligent cameras that not only take great pictures, but make you stand out in a crowd,” said Kieran Gallagher, Cyber-shot Senior Product Manager for Sony Australia. “The new Album T and T Slim do just that, packing bigger features into smaller, sleeker designs.” Album T (DSC-T700) Boasting a 4GB internal memory, the Album T serves as a portable photo album, allowing you to capture and carry up to 40,000 photos with you. Its unique album function boasts a calendar playback menu that remembers pictures according to the date that they were taken and can also stores pictures in favourite folders. With instant search capabilities, users can quickly find a certain image by face type, be it a child’s face or smiling friend.  The Album T packs all of these features into four slimline metallic finishes of grey, red, silver and gold, each with a 3.5″ LCD touch screen.     New and improved shooting features These two new T series models feature advancements to the highly popular Smile Shutter function. A Smile Shutter icon has been added to the touch screen allowing the function to be activated with a single press and enabling continuous shooting when smiling faces are detected. Enhanced Intelligent Scene Recognition, which automatically determines the optimum camera setting for every scene, provides easier operation and higher-quality results. The Auto mode takes a single shot with optimised automatic settings, while the Advanced mode takes two shots at different settings, allowing the user to select the preferred shot. This provides greater protection against mistakes when shooting in difficult conditions, such as at night or in backlit scenes. Similarly, the brand new ‘Anti-blink’ technology cuts the risk of closed eyes spoiling portraits of friends and family, while Portrait mode shoots two images in quick succession, automatically throwing away pictures where the subject’s eyes are closed. A retractable Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens enables close-up shooting and zooming during photography up to 1cm from the subject in Magnifying Glass mode and the improved Dynamic Range Optimiser (DRO) determines the best exposure and contrast settings in almost any shooting environment. In-camera retouching is a feature also included within the Album T and T Slim, with ten editing functions available to ensure no red eye goes un-missed. This function also allows the addition of effects such as cross filters and radial blurs. Advanced sharing capabilities The Scrapbook function is a unique way to showcase your collection of photos, which automatically creates a handmade looking album from pictures in the memory. With 16 backgrounds to choose from, images can be displayed based on information such as creation date, subject frequency, or sequentially in a slide show. The scrapbook can store nearly 1,000 high resolution (three megabytes) or 40,000 low resolution (VGA quality) photos and can be printed or displayed on an HDTV. Share photos in stunningly clear High Definition by connecting an Album T or T Slim to a Full HD BRAVIA LCD TV with a component cable. When a Cyber-shot digital camera is connected to a HD BRAVIA LCD TV, the camera can be controlled with the TV’s remote control, thanks to BRAVIA Sync compatibility. HD Slide Show with Music “Photo Music” is an inbuilt application that combines images with music to produce showstopping slide shows. Five standard effects (Simple, Basic, Nostalgic, Active and Stylish) are now supplemented with three Face Priority effects (Face Priority 1: Basic, Face Priority 2: Nostalgic and Face Priority 3: Stylish) and can be played back with one of eight music tracks stored in the camera’s memory. Users can watch a slide show of all recorded images or limit the playback by simply selecting a face type or date on the screen.  More personalised slide shows are also possible by transferring favourite tunes from a PC to the Cyber-shot digital camera.   The new additions to the Cyber-shot T series range of digital cameras from Sony are available in Australia from September 2008.

 

Now, the review. Sony has never been renown for it’s digital photography. But they sure have improved on the image quality substantially. Sony clamours for recognition by convincing Carl Zeiss to provide the camera’s internal lens and going for the hardware aesthetics.

This they win hands down. In debuting one of the slimmest digital cameras and the flagship product in their T line, the T700 is in fine form with it’s brushed metal appearance and astounding 3.5″ touch screen. Removing most of the physical buttons (saved for the power, playback and zoom buttons), the user must rely on touching the screen’s menus and preferences.

The touch screen looks gorgeous, saved for the rather stretched out (pixelated) menu options. It looks like the exact menu buttons and GUI layout from previous T models, but to be displayed on a 3″ screen instead. This could be deem as poor foresight, or just lazy engineering. Another fact is, the touch screen is prone to fingerprints, smudging and poor response from the users touch.

The huge internal 4GB memory is another clear winner. No longer do you need to carry multiple memory cards or purchase the expensive proprietary Memory Stick Duo PRO (this camera does not support Sony’s original Memory Stick). Instead, digital images and movies can be stored internally. This makes it convenient, and allows the T700 to double as a photo album or be used to display images on a HDTV (through their HD output connector).

Actual photography and samples will be scrutinised and published at a later date. The T700 comes in an array of colours – grey, silver, champagne, pink and red. It was an obvious choice that grey would be the one for me (for those who know, I am adversed to colours).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But DigitalCameraReview.com succinctly reviews the camera -

 

 

CONCLUSIONS
Hands down, the T700 is certainly the best looking, most solidly built small camera we’ve had the pleasure of shooting with this year. Sony usually earns serious points for style and build quality in our evaluations, but the general opinion around here is that they’ve even outdone themselves with this model. We shoot with a lot of cameras, and in my experience it’s rare that random people will approach you to ask about your camera – especially if it’s a point-and-shoot. But it happened with the T700. More than once. It really does look that good.

With all of its strengths on the style front and some solid performance marks besides, we’re tempted to let the T700 off the hook for its generally lackluster showing in our image quality analysis. Certainly, if you’re not hoping for more than a camera for taking pictures of friends and family to post online or make regular-sized prints from, the T700’s image quality is generally very livable. But there’s no denying the presence of some objectively serious flaws – from color fringing, to excessive saturation, to blown-out highlights, to shaggy high-ISO images – in the T700’s sample shots.

 

 

 

So how to rate this Cyber-shot on balance? Like so many things, that all depends on user expectations and preferences. In our view, you can’t get anything with more aesthetic appeal at the moment, and so long as you have realistic expectations for the T700’s images, this alone may be reason enough to justify the purchase. If you’re the type who likes to spend time dissecting the details of your shots, however, the T700 will give you plenty to agonize over.

Pros:

• Possibly the most stylish camera on the market
• Huge internal memory is easy to access with supplied software
• Auto focus speed among the best available from a point-and-shoot
• Auto options galore: face detection, smile detection, blink detection
• Touch screen idea is still neat after several generations

Cons:

• Menus are dense, confusing, and sometimes redundant
• Terrible fringing issues in boundary areas can ruin shots
• Erratic metering and white balance
• Noise beyond ISO 200 hasn’t improved much over older T cameras
• Average flash performance, battery life
• Premium price may limit appeal

 

Doncaster Shoppingtown

My MacGeek Avatar

 

Reubania - MacGeek

The day Jules had lunch at Balacava

 

Out and about with Ilan and who do we see having lunch at the table next to us? Jules from Getaway. Or is that The Great Outdoors. Well one of those TV travel shows on channel 9 or 7 promoting holiday destinations that most viewers only dream of visiting once in their lives.

Jules and his three mates had a grand ole time, and can I say, he looks and sounds just like himself on TV.

 

 

 

A Day out on Smith St

Melbourne turned out a rather typically gloomy day last Sunday. On my travels, I discovered a rather quaint boutique on the upper end of Smith St, just before Brunswick St.

Inside were dried, used tea bags, hanging in the window. Not only was this installation revolting, I did reminsce on that fabulous childrens TV show about T bag (anyone remember it?).

 

 

But just outside this rather quirky shop was this tree. It was covered on lace! How bizarre!

Good Night, and Good Luck

 

 

I will miss the pure white shine of my first laptop

 

As a new chapter begin to reign, another says good night…and good luck. My trusty white MacBook has lasted a good 18 months, ever since I put down my whole paycheck on the Apple online store and thought I would never see this day.

The journey has been one hell of a ride. From the “it just works” ringing true and to the elation felt during the “unpacking” experience, I have become a true fanboy. Impressed with Tiger’s operating system, I did find the 1GB of RAM limiting. I subsequently doubled the capacity a week later, and then was truly satisfied. I was amazed that for such a slim laptop, it could handle all the functions and processes like the Windows desktop I’ve been using for the past decade. It was sublime. Everything I’d wanted in a computer. 

And it was a Mac.

 

“Why are you selling it?” pipped my mum.

“Because it is too heavy to carry around” I replied.

She nodded in agreement. She has had the privileged of carrying it once or twice.

“But what’s wrong with it?” she quizzed.

“Nothing.”

 

After another pause, I told her that I will be replacing it with the MacBook Air.

 

“Oh, that slim one?“

I was floored. My dear mother, who doesn’t even own a mobile phone knew which laptop I was planning on purchasing.

And that is the marketing power of Apple.

Even for those who claim to be computer illiterate, Apple sure has pulling power. Even when I did bring my MacBook into work to show my latest vacation shots, the gravitational pull towards such a beautifully designed, white laptop is astounding. 

But the time has come when in the technological world, and the electronic design of “planned senescence,” 18 months for a computing device is bordering on obsolete. Already the MacBooks have been revised – with a better LCD screen, bigger internal HDD and bumped processing speed. It was already making my MacBook look like the older sister.

But what made my MacBook look like the older, uglier sister, was the gorgeous MacBook Air.

 

 

 

The aluminium casing of Apple's slim beauty

 

The moment Steve Jobs announced it at WMC 08 in San Francisco – undoing the red string of a standard yellow office envelope and pulling out the thinnest MacBook, I just HAD to have one. But I could not justify the high cost and a second laptop. Even though it was marketed as a secondary computer, two MacBooks for an individual is ludicrous. Not even I could justify it.

But I have. Ultraportability without sacrificing the screen or keyboard size was realised in this sleek new device. Sure it didn’t contain an optical drive. I rarely used mine on the MacBook. Sure it only had 80GB of HDD. I would just have to purchase an additional external HDD and wirelessly sync my media and content. Sure that would mean forking out more money to bring the MacBook Air up to my standards of usage, but it was worth it.

The other features including an ambient light sensor, backlit keyboard, free Leopard OS X installed and it’s ultraportability design and stunning form factor was definitely a winner for me. So I now bid my MacBook good night. You have served me well. I cried as I selected the “Erase + Install” option last night. It is the final chapter.

It will go to a good home. And I will miss it’s white casing. It might be the last, as Apple plan to upgrade it’s MacBook and MacBook Pro lines very soon. They all might be turning aluminium. They all might be black. Who knows? At least I can see myself upgrading to another MacBook Air in 18 months time. So time will tell.

 

 

The changing of the guard

 

The thin factor difference is astounding

Fight the Fuzzies at school

Another smart funny ad from the “Fight the Fuzzies at school”, brought to you by Kellogg’s Sultana Bran. Clever ads with a punch.

Apparently this teacher isn’t doing her job quite well, considering both Sam and now Kylie had failed their maths tests.