canon rebel digital camera

Sites to Browse - Shopping - Garbage as Sculpture

2008-10-07T18:42:00.001-07:00

Sites to Browse - Shopping - Garbage as Sculpture
Want to take home a piece of New York City? How about picking up some authentic garbage?

One of the more unique travel collectibles you may ever see, NYC Garbage offers just that - garbage from New York City.

But this garbage is not just a mishmash of plastic bags and coffee cups; each selection of garbage is arranged by artist Justin Gignac and placed inside a signed, numbered, and dated cube. And, according to the author, each box "is unique and won't leak or smell", so there's little chance of the smell of reeking Reuben sandwiches entering your home....

Read more at MalekTips.

Ben Huh - icanhascheezburger

2008-10-07T18:41:00.017-07:00

Ben Huh - icanhascheezburger
Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed Ben Huh is a tinkerer. He’s been screwing things up at home, school and work since finding a keyboard. (...)

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Ben Huh is a tinkerer. He’s been screwing things up at home, school and work since finding a keyboard. Despite his training as a journalist - and the-right-way-to-spell - he runs I Can Has Cheezburger? Because, laughing at lolcats is a lot more fun than writing about PTA elections.

In the early days, many of the earlier images on this site were found around the internet and forums, such as 4chan, fark, fazed, vwforums, gpforums.

The practice of captioning (specifically, cats) started many years ago on anonymous forums, most prominently called the *chans. Supposedly, the practice of posting and the actual type of these images was termed “Caturday”.

This word has since detached from it’s original context, grown, and evolved into different terms like lolcats, lolrus, loldog and splintered into varying sub-memes and sub-sub-memes which employ different grammatical patterns, different contexts, and sometimes even merges memes. It has since spread through many forums, and online communities such as somethingawful, ebaumsworld.

The meme continuies to evolve into many completely tangential and unrelated memes: lolbrarians, lolbees, lolpresidents (my favorite being LOLcode). A new LOL- spinoff is created every week. This is happening throughout the internet by people who are having fun, and being creative, by taking a meme (idea) and applying it in new and creative ways.

Ben tells the story in a much better way than the site, or any of us, can. He is a hilarious guy, and a natural with audiences. I’m sure you’ll agree after watching his presentation. He had the Gnomedexers in stitches.

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Ben Huh - icanhascheezburger

Crowd Sourcing a new logo for Cloud Labs

2008-10-07T18:41:00.015-07:00

I've been fascinated by the concept known as crowd sourcing for some time, so last night I decided to start an experiment. I'm engaging the techniques of crowd sourcing to obtain a logo for Cloud Labs (one of my business interests). Right now the pro... (more in the full post)

I want Super Hi Vision TV

2008-10-07T18:41:00.013-07:00

I want Super Hi Vision TV
One of the things I have always wanted, ever since I was little, was a TV screen that covers the whole wall. I believe Bill Gates has something like that, but it's probably a video stack, like a Pionner Vidwall.

I want something that covers the whole wall and when I'm not watching one or multiple channels, it can be a screensaver that can take me from a beautiful beach or underwater scene in winter or a ski scene in Canada or France in summer. Something that doesn't give me eye strain from being in the room.

Then I also want real surround sound, so I can immerse myself in the environment.

This week I was listening to the Digital Planet podcast from the BBC and they were talking about exactly this. They were talking about the demonstration of Super Hi Video at the Interneational Broadcasting Conference in Amsterdam and the demonstration of this technology being streamed live from London.

The technology is Super Hivision which offers "a video format with 7680 x 4320 pixels (16 times higher than standard Hi-vision, NHK’s HDTV system) . This world’s first video system with 4000 scanning lines delivers ultra-clear, realistic three-dimensional images that can be achieved only by ultrahigh-definition technology.
- The individual scanning lines are not visually noticeable even when relatively close to the screen, reflecting the high resolution of the system. What’s more, a wider viewing angle conveys a stronger sense of a reality.
- The new 3-D audio system with 24 loudspeakers dramatically enhances presence."

According to the people who were watching it, it is very similar to what you can see and hear in real life. It's taking the gloss off my HD TV (through which I am not yet watching HD)

So if anyone is wondering what to get me for Christmas, give me a call and I'll give you the dimensions of my lounge wall. I suspect the price will be much more than the value of my home right now, but that's ok.

Buying a Printer - Consider a Printer that Supports Duplex Printing

2008-10-07T18:41:00.011-07:00

Buying a Printer - Consider a Printer that Supports Duplex Printing
Duplex printing may save you time and money by automatically printing on both sides of paper.

Depending on your typical printing tasks, duplex printing is one feature you should consider when purchasing a printer.

Automatic duplex printing means the printer can print on both sides of a piece of paper. Why is this useful?...

Read more at MalekTips.

Exclusive Nikon D300 Test and Sample Images Just Posted

2008-10-07T18:41:00.009-07:00

We have had the opportunity to test out a final production Nikon D300 digital SLR, and have just posted an image gallery with links to full resolution sample images from this exciting new camera. Some of the images were taken with the AF 50mm F1.8 Nikkor, and the original 45mm f2.8P manual focus lens. Check out the results... Read More

Price Decrease on Nikon D200, D80, D40 and Select Nikkor Lenses

2008-10-07T18:41:00.007-07:00

Price Decrease on Nikon D200, D80, D40 and Select Nikkor Lenses
Nikon Canada Inc. has today announced new lower manufacturer's recommended retail pricing (MSRP) on a number of their digital SLR cameras, including the family photography oriented 6.1 MP Nikon D40 and the Nikon D80 digital SLR for the advanced amateur. The Nikon D200 (for the serious hobbyist and professional geared photographer) has been reduced in price by $100 to a new MSRP of $1399 CAN, while the Nikkor AF 80-400mm F/4-5.6 VR zoom lens has been reduced in price by $120 to a new retail of $1579 Canadian. Nikon Canada has also confirmed pricing for their latest new lenses, including the Nikon AF-S DX 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II zoom, the AF-S 60mm f/2.8G ED Macro, and the PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5D ED tilt/shift lens. See full story...

Nikon D90, Canon EOS 50D, D300 and D80 Compared Side by Side

2008-10-07T18:41:00.005-07:00

With the announcement of the new 15.1 MP Canon EOS 50D and the 12.3 Nikon D90 enthusiast digital SLR cameras coming on almost the same day, there is certainly a lot of excitement (and debate) happening among photographers within the Canon and Nikon communities. We have just posted a side by side comparison overview between the Nikon D90, Canon EOS 50D, and the D300 and D80 and highlighted the major differences in order to hopefully help make the buying decision process a little easier. See full story... Read More

Canon Rebel XSi and Powershot price drops

2008-10-07T18:41:00.003-07:00

Canon Rebel XSi and Powershot price drops
Canon Canada Inc. has today announced a significant price reduction on the 12MP Canon Rebel XSi camera body, and on the available Canon Rebel XSi kit configurations, including the standard EOS Rebel XSi kit with EF-S 18-55mm IS zoom lens. Canon has also reduced the price on the sleek and pocketable 10 megapixel Canon Powershot SD890 IS, SD790 IS and the Powershot SD770 IS digital cameras by up to $50. See full story...

Abode CS4 already the victim of software piracy

2008-10-07T18:41:00.001-07:00

Abode CS4 already the victim of software piracy
The ink has barely dried on price tags for the retail version of Adobe Creative Suite 4 image editing and design software, and already it's climbing the charts for number of illegal acquisitions.

Canon EOS 1000D / Rebel XS compared to rivals

2008-10-02T21:12:00.001-07:00

Canon EOS 1000D / Rebel XS compared to rivals
Today Canon announced its latest DSLR, the EOS 1000D / Rebel XS. This new model replaces the EOS 400D / XTi as the entry-level model in Canon's range and sports the same 10.1 Megapixel resolution, 3fps continuous shooting rate and 2.5in screen. The big new feature over the 400D / XTi is of course Live View, although the 1000D / XS is also Canon's lightest DSLR to date at just 450g. To help you decide if it's the new DSLR for you, we've compared the features of the new EOS 1000D / Rebel XS against its predecessor and several other key rivals. So to find out all the details about Canon's latest DSLR and how it measures-up, check out our Canon EOS 1000D / Rebel XS feature comparison

Significant growth predicted for UMD market

2008-10-02T21:11:00.017-07:00

Significant growth predicted for UMD market
According to new data released by ABI Research, sales of UMDs (ultra-mobile devices) which reached just 10 million units in 2008 are tipped to exceed 200 million in 2013. With most major manufacturers having now entered the UMD consumer arena, this “new” category of portable computing is shaping up to be a significant market...

Tags: Laptop, UMDs, UMPC

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Hey - it's a Monday! (Don't you just love them?)

2008-10-02T21:11:00.015-07:00

Today's particularly exciting:

Red network is switched on at my place
Getting a new modem (hopefully)
... seeing Vector guys laying fibre less than 200m away

I'll get onto the fibre laying first - I probably won't be able to take a photo, but you'll be able to imagine around 5 guys standing around a hole and feeding fibre into it from a huge bundle.

They've even kindly placed a sign saying that they're laying fibre... (drools at the thought of fibre here)

Oddly enough, we're not getting cabinetised within the next 2 years (from the cabinetisation notice list), so this must be going somewhere else... and I'm just verging on 2km from the exchange. I must really be stuck in the middle.

The good thing without cabinetisation here is that I can stick to the Red network a little longer, now that I've offically been migrated to the Red network. Just look at the following table from yesterday compared to today:

Hardware: D-Link DSL-504T (Gen I)

[Unforunately, no table can be made here... , ~~so here's a list~~ even making simple fixed font text is hard here, so I'll give you a link instead.]

See here for table.

So all in all, at least a double in speed.

Also, my father realised that we have Caller ID enabled through our line for some reason... special... (and strange considering we haven't signed up to the Caller Display service for $4/mth. Hopefully they haven't signed us up to the Features pack by accident, as we have a Voicemail capable fax, and we definitely don't want calls to go into an external voicemail system)

Lastly, I'll be getting a new MT882 modem from Vodafone in the afternoon - I'll see what kind of speed increase I'll be able to draw out of that.

Most Popular Digital Cameras of September 2008

2008-10-02T21:11:00.013-07:00

Most Popular Digital Cameras of September 2008
Garnering nearly five percent of all product clicks last month, the Canon PowerShot A590 IS knocked off Fuji's S1000fd as September's most popular camera.

Tenba Introduces Smaller Convertible Photo Sling Bag

2008-10-02T21:11:00.011-07:00

Tenba Introduces Smaller Convertible Photo Sling Bag
Elmsford, NY, October 1, 2008 –  As part of the growth of its Sling series Tenba has announced the addition of the 2nd in a new series of Convertible Photo Sling Bags to its growing Shootout™ collection. According to the company, the new Slings are unique in their ability to be converted from a “quick-draw” shooting bag to a long lens bag configuration, offering significantly more versatility, especially to sports...

Nikon D300 Image Samples Available

2008-10-02T21:11:00.009-07:00

Nikon Corporation has now provided another four image samples from the soon to be released Nikon D300 digital SLR. The full size images include a couple of portraits, one landscape/scenery and one action shot. The images are taken at 200 ISO, except for one of the portraits captured at 400 ISO. The Nikkor lenses used for these Nikon D300 sample image tests include the Nikon AF-S DX VR Zoom Nikkor ED 18-200mm F3.5-5.6G, the prime AF Nikkor 50mm F1.4D and the AF-S VR Nikkor ED 300mm F2.8 IF telephoto lens. Read Full story... Read More

Logitech Illuminated Keyboard

2008-10-02T21:11:00.007-07:00

If Art Lebedev’s Optimus Maximus keyboard has your wallet crying uncle and Saitek’s Cyborg is a little loud for your tastes, Logitech’s new, ultra-slim Illuminated Keyboard might be just the ticket to bring some flavor to your desk. We found it to tasteful, comfortable to type on, and well built, making it one of the best style-minded keyboards to float through our offices.

Read | Permalink | User Reviews | Linking Blogs

Samsung Yp T10 4GB yp T10JAB

2008-10-02T21:11:00.005-07:00

The Samsung YP-T10 is a super slim and sexy MP3 player which although is looking a little like the Samsung Read More

NewEgg: GARMIN nuvi 205 3.5 Automotive GPS Navigation $159 shipped

2008-10-02T21:11:00.003-07:00

SpaceX successfully launches Falcon 1 into orbit

2008-10-02T21:11:00.001-07:00

With the Space Shuttle scheduled to retire in 2010, alternative transport vessels will need to be developed to keep the International Space Station manned, and to keep options open for possible manned lunar missions. After three failed attempts, the SpaceX Falcon 1 has successfully achieved Earth orbit – the first privately developed liquid fuel rocket to do so. ..

Tags: NASA, Space Travel, Transport

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LG 37LF66 Television

2008-09-29T21:45:00.013-07:00

LG have released a sight for sore eyes with the 37LF66 Full HD 1080p LCD TV that wont completely break Read More

At What Point did You Know You Were a Geek?

2008-09-29T21:45:00.011-07:00

At What Point did You Know You Were a Geek?
Since the inception of Geeks, I’ve often wondered this: how and when did you know you were a Geek? I’ve always been one, I just didn’t realize it really until college. (...)

Since the inception of Geeks, I’ve often wondered this: how and when did you know you were a Geek? I’ve always been one, I just didn’t realize it really until college. I asked everyone over at FriendFeed when they discovered the truth about themselves. Some of them were hilarious, while others were dead serious about their Geekitude.

The minute you know who Chris Pirillo is and can pick him out of a line-up… :-p - Live4Soccer

The moment I first heard about Dungeons and Dragons in 4th grade (78 or 79). - Just a Tad

March 13, 1972, born in the bay area unto two BART engineers and ex-Apollo rocket worker before growing up in Silicon Valley. - Eric Rice

Not sure if I’ve become one yet. I’m more of a nerd. - JustdoitMS

The entire world knew I was a geek when I got called to the principal’s office to reset his new digital watch after daylight saving time ended/began. - ha3rvey

I think I’ve always been one, but the boyfriend helped bring it out even more, so Feb. 2004! - Kat

Um, when I saw the moon landing when I was a few years old. But, really, when I got into Jr. High in 1977 and joined the first computer club at Hyde Jr. High in Cupertino and got my first tour of Apple Computer (back when it was only one small building). - Robert Scoble

Birth… the child of English/Drama teachers (one working as an engineer), who were friends with science fiction writers, like Roger Zelazney and the Haldemans. Seeing Star Wars when I was 6 didn’t hurt. - 9 (clever name here)

When I stole mom’s copy of Stephen King’s "IT" off ehr headboard to read. i think I was 7. - WarMaiden

My moment was when I walked through the door of the now-defunct Commodore Hotel across from Madison Square Garden, for the Bicentennial (1976) edition of the Star Trek convention (the only one on the east coast that I know of), way back before the popular use of the word "con". The attendance was limited to 6000 people. I heard the most recent DragonCon in Atlanta was 10x that much. And the very fact I know that is verification of my geekitude, as well as my geezertude. - Rick Wolff

Who you callin geek? - Brian Norwood

My mom and I used to play "Trax" on the Atari in the late 80s - it would read the game off a cassette player…I thought that was so cool. My mom would always beat me which strikes me as cooler now. - Kamath

sometime between 1982 and 1984 whenever it was i first made a triangle on an Apple IIe. then my inner geek went dormant until about 1998. - tiffanyNeedsANewNickname

When I bought my VIC-20, in 1983, with my own money. - Joey Gibson

When I went to math and science camp two summers in a row. - Stupid Blogger (aka Tina)

I suppose it became official on Christmas morning when I was 8 and there was a shiny new TRS-80 under the tree. The next Christmas I got a 5.25in floppy drive and it was the schiznit. - ※Lindsay Donaghe※

Conception. - torque

When I started talking extensively about IP multimedia subsystems, IP protocol, packets, session border controls or heard others speak about it and it made sense to me. last night was an example. IP engineers at the dinner table talking shop and i could completely understand all of it. - Patricia

Is this a "conception vs. birth" thing? - Mark VandenBerg

I think it was a birth defect. ;-) - Kol Tregaskes

When I accidentally the whole internet. - David

At my cousin’s house, walked into a room and instead of TV on TV, saw PONG! Did I mention I would soon be wearing an orange sweatband on one wrist and a calculator watch on the other? - Micah Wittman

When I realized I knew more about computers and QBasic, than my teacher in Middle School. - Michel Bechelani

At the point of conception. - Stuart Forsyth

What kind of Geek are you, and when did you realize it? Do you embrace your Geekitude, or do you hide it from others?

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At What Point did You Know You Were a Geek?

Canon PowerShot S5 IS full review and video tour

2008-09-29T21:45:00.009-07:00

Canon PowerShot S5 IS full review and video tour
Canon's PowerShot S5 IS is an 8 megapixel super-zoom camera with a 12x optically-stabilised zoom, flip-out screen and a great movie mode. The large number of cameras released by Canon during 2007 forced us to bypass the S5 IS when first released, but it's since become one of the most popular super-zooms on the market and remains a current model in the latest 2008 range. So by popular demand, we're pleased to present our Canon PowerShot S5 IS review, as always accompanied by a demonstration in our video tour.

Canon launches EOS 50D Digital SLR

2008-09-29T21:45:00.007-07:00

Canon launches EOS 50D Digital SLR
Today Canon announced the EOS 50D Digital SLR, which complements the EOS 40D rather than replacing it. The EOS 50D greatly resembles the EOS 40D from the outside, but features a new 15.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor backed-up by the newly developed DiG!C 4 processor. In reaction to Nikon's D300, the sensitivity has been boosted to 3200 ISO with extended 6400 and 12800 ISO modes, the screen resolution improved to VGA / 920k dots, and an HDMI port fitted for HD slideshows; Live View now also includes contrast-based AF and face detection options. Continuous shooting is only a fraction slower than the 40D at 6.3fps, and Canon has finally launched an EF-S 18-200mm IS lens to go with it which will also please owners of existing APS-C Canon DSLRs. The 50D is due in September, but where's the long-awaited EOS 5D replacement? Discuss this news in the Cameralabs forum and look out for a preview coming soon.

NewEgg: Antec Three Hundred Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $40 shipped

2008-09-29T21:45:00.005-07:00

NewEgg: Antec Three Hundred Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $40 shipped

Sony Alpha DSLR-A300 - full review and video tour

2008-09-29T21:45:00.003-07:00

The Alpha A300 is the middle DSLR in Sony's consumer range. It takes A200's body, 10.2 Megapixel sensor and built-in stabilisation, and equips it with Live View and a screen which tilts for easier framing at high or low angles. It's a compelling package, but the big question is how it compares against the higher-end Alpha A350 - an identical model, other than its higher resolution 14.2 Megapixel sensor. Does the A350 record measurably greater detail, or does the A300 enjoy lower noise levels? Find out in our Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 review where we'll reveal direct comparisons between both Alphas along with Canon's EOS 450D / XSi. And as always, you can check out the highlights in our A300 video tour. Read More

Microsoft Word 2007 - Insert Copyright, Trademark, Other Symbols

2008-09-29T21:45:00.001-07:00

Add symbols for copyright, trademark, and registered trademark to your Word 2007 document. Read More

Call for Help Blooper - in LEGO

2008-09-29T21:44:00.005-07:00

Call for Help Blooper - in LEGO
Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed LegoShark has done it again. He’s fast becoming a name in the Brickfilming world, and this newest creation is genius. (...)

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

LegoShark has done it again. He’s fast becoming a name in the Brickfilming world, and this newest creation is genius. I’m not biased, I promise! Keep your eye out for even more fantastic LEGO content from him!

I’m sure you remember that old Blooper on Call for Help. People talk about it daily in the chat room still, all these years later. I lost it, plain and simple. Something struck me as hilarious… and I couldn’t stop laughing. Hasn’t that ever happened to you?! Seriously. Don’t lie! You know it has!!

Anyhow, LegoShark took that Blooper, and made it into a BrickFilm, using LEGO bricks. Great job, and thank you!

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Call for Help Blooper - in LEGO

Is Fleet Management an invasion of employee privacy?

2008-09-29T21:44:00.003-07:00

Is Fleet Management an invasion of employee privacy?

An interesting story originating from the Sydney Morning Herald last week, and doing the rounds in New Zealand, says that ‘Privacy Experts’ and Unions are saying that vehicle tracking systems used by companies are an invasion of staff privacy.

It goes on to talk about a former Telstra employee who committed suicide shortly after having a vehicle tracking system attached to his company vehicle. The employee was being treated for depression and the story infers that his suicide was in part a consequence of Fleet Management equipment being installed in his vehicle.

Over the last decade I have been in various ways involved with Vehicle and Personal Tracking technology and only once have I come accross a company that wanted it to be able to check up on the honesty of their staff.

There is no question that some companies have found a sudden increase in profitability and decrease in vehicle costs since they put FM systems in place, but monitoring staff integrity was not the reason the system went in. This particular company wanted to know which vehicles were close to clients that needed urgent service so that they could allocate the nearest vehicle to provide a quality reponsive service.

A few years ago I met the CEO of a rapid response plumbing firm. They guaranteed a minimum response time for people who needed a plumber in an emergancy. He was able to manage this as a consequence of using Navman Wireless technology to locate the nearest vehicle to the job.

They also wanted to compare time based service contracts to the actual time the vehicle was parked at the client site. They wanted to know if they had under or overquoted because there was sometimes a gap between the sales person’s enthusiasm to win a contract and the reality of the job being done.

What did happen was that a number of staff people whom they had suspected of taking liberties with the vehicle on the job and after hours, left the company within a month or so of their own volition. They were under no pressure, in fact their employer said to them "We don't care what happened in the past, this is not a big brother situation, however we do expect a fair day's work for a fair day's pay". In fact the CIO of this company absolutely hates and deplores the concept of big brother and would fight tooth and nail to stop the system being used to monitor the staff to see if they were skyving off. It was never about that. They did know that a couple of the people were abusing their employer's trust, but nothing was ever said to them about it and basically what happened was that those people knew they couldn't continue in the way they were used to and resigned.

I am against (and it may well be illegal) tracking people and their vehicles without their knowledge. The only people able to do that should be the Police and even then, only with a legal warrant produced through the courts.

On the other hand there are many potential benefits. In the courier and freight industry, Fleet Management means that people can easily apply track and trace to good being picked up and delivered without needing additional staff to place calls to drivers.

In the security industry it means that security guards on patrol can confirm the safety and location of their staff and also provide clear evidence to clients that their premises have been visited when they said they were. It can also mean that these people can be backed up in an emergancy. This technology is used internationally to track and protect the safety of VIP’s such as politicians in government vehicles.

Another area that is becoming popular is using this technology to keep track of a personal vehicle’s location. For example, when Dad lends the car to his son or daughter who is just popping down to the shops or a mate’s place, who could be boy racers. There have been a number of occassions where a stolen vehicle has been recovered with the thief still inside, such as the case earlier this year. Sometimes a car is irreplacable such as a classic, or sports car. Insurance money can’t always allow someone to recover the time spent in restoring or bulding a vehicle. This technology can also be used to secure trailer water craft and motorcycles which are often easy targets for criminals.

Another area which is becoming very popular and which I have written about a number of times before is tracking elderly people. With the Baby Boomers living longer and being more mobile, there is a growing population of elderly people, some of whom are sprightly of mind, but less of body and at risk of breaking hips or other body parts, while others are sound in body but suffering onset of Alzheimers Disease or other forms of dementia and likely to wander off and not remember where they live. Whether it is the Retirement Village or Rest Home, or their children, this common problem becomes much easier to manage if you can send a text message to the device they are carrying and receive one back with the nearest street address to their current location.

I think tracking is a great thing for unions to use to help them shore up membership and totally endorse them helping people out when it comes to unethical practice on behalf of the company they work for. However, in most cases FM (Fleet Management) is about providing better service to a company’s clients, being able to stay competitive in a time of heavy traffic, high cost of petrol and consumers who expect cheaper prices.

Sony KDL-32S3000 32 in. LCD Television

2008-09-29T21:44:00.001-07:00

Sony KDL-32S3000 32 in. LCD Television
Sony released a great range of entry-level HD Ready LCD TVs earlier this year which are the cheapest

Fuji Z10FD

2008-09-25T19:37:00.019-07:00

Fuji is getting with the programme, by introducing the Fuji Finepix Z10FD digital camera�which has some Read More

Canon Rebel XSi and Powershot price drops

2008-09-25T19:37:00.017-07:00

Canon Canada Inc. has today announced a significant price reduction on the 12MP Canon Rebel XSi camera body, and on the available Canon Rebel XSi kit configurations, including the standard EOS Rebel XSi kit with EF-S 18-55mm IS zoom lens. Canon has also reduced the price on the sleek and pocketable 10 megapixel Canon Powershot SD890 IS, SD790 IS and the Powershot SD770 IS digital cameras by up to $50. See full story... Read More

A bit of a whinge about Twitter (updated since I was wrong about Apple).

2008-09-25T19:37:00.015-07:00

Hello people.
Or person. Frankly Scarlet I don't give a damn.

Update: I was wrong about the the 2.1 update (See comments below). My unreserved apologies to Apple (I know this will help them begin the healing process after my half-cocked criticism...)

First on my list of annoyances for this week: Apple's upgrade policies for the iPod Touch.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's a brilliant device, and I have every intention of buying one once I've worked through my priority spending list of travel, guitars, and the abuse of alcohol.
What I think shows considerable cheek (and exactly no concept of fairness) is that Apple is charging iPod Touch owners for the 2.1 update.
There is nothing new about this: Touch owners have been charged for updates since the beginning. Previously however (especially not being an actual Touch owner at this point) I've been inclined to shrug it off...without knowing who is subsidising what I didn't feel strongly that there was necessarily anything wrong with charging Touch owners for updates that iPhone posers owners received for free.
With 2.1 however the situation is different, however, because this release is just a set of fixes for bugs in the initial 2.0 release.
When I Twitted my opinion of charging for service packs Mauricio rightly pointed out that Apple don't have "service packs", but my careless use of terminology aside, I think my original point stands. You should not expect people to pay for the privilege of having what they buy off you do what it was supposed to do to start with.
If you make a mess, you clean it up, and if you release buggy software you should not charge extra for the fixes.

My second whinge also concerns bugs. I'll start with my own incompetence and then move as swiftly as possible on to other people's.
The day before I left for Tech Ed I uploaded an update to my web site (introducing at long last category feeds...which a couple of days later at the bloggers' dinner Scott Hanselman advised us not to use...sigh. I'll leave them in for now and make up my mind about about that one later. But I *am* in the process of adding support for comments. But none of that has anything to do with what I'm talking about here).
As fate would have it I also accidentally uploaded an outdated copy of the Twitula CAB, so a couple of people who downloaded it during the week encountered bugs that had me scratching my head until I got home and realised the nature of my cock up.
So I re-uploaded the correct version...you can imagine my chagrin when I noticed that the "People I Follow" option was still not working, because the relevant call to the Twitter API was returning a status 404 "Not Found". I checked the issues list for the API and sure enough other people were having the same problem. Somehow the authentication for this one function has been broken. I documented my experience of the problem. More and more people added theirs. Time passed. Time passed a bit more, as is its wont. And absolutely nothing happened. Nothing decided it had got onto a good thing and continued to happen.
It seems very likely that this would be an extremely easy fix, but to date it appears that no Twitter developers have even bothered to check it out. While it's likely that workarounds can be implemented by doing a bit (or in my case, probably quite a bit) of extra work I'll leave that to those developers who have the inclination and/or financial incentive to reward bad behaviour by cleaning up after people who can't be bothered fixing their own mistakes.
Personally, I'm giving up on Twitter and looking for other avenues for my development efforts.

Grizzle grizzle whine. With extra bitching (at no additional cost).

Linkification v6

2008-09-25T19:37:00.013-07:00

News / Web Happenings:

Geekzone layout changes - what do you think? - I was lucky enough to be asked by Mauricio to help move the design of Geekzone forward towards a pure CSS layout. Stage one has been to replace the old menu and footer. What do you think?

Cisco to buy Jabber
Adobe Creative Suite 4 released
T-Mobile unveils the T-Mobile G1 powered by Android
Auto-trader folds as market moves online - a classic case of not moving with the times.
Hubert Chang claims he co-designed Google
Skype for Asterisk Beta announced
Myspace Music launches (yawn) - yawn is right.

General:

Windows 7 screenshots
Windows 7 Video Preview
Converting .docx to .doc

Neat stuff:

A photo a day for 17 years - Epic!
xkcd - tones

Development:

StackOverflow now in public beta - a new online community for software developers to ask and answer questions. I've been in the private beta for a while now and I'd recommend developers check it out.

FAIL of the week:

Seed FAIL

LG 37LF66 Television

2008-09-25T19:37:00.011-07:00

LG have released a sight for sore eyes with the 37LF66 Full HD 1080p LCD TV that wont completely break Read More

DSLR Tips! A new website from Camera Labs

2008-09-25T19:37:00.009-07:00

DSLR Tips! A new website from Camera Labs
Today sees the launch of DSLR Tips, a new photography site from the founders of Camera Labs! DSLR Tips is aimed at anyone who's just got their first DSLR or wants to take their photography beyond automatic. Our video tutorials will show you how to achieve a number of effects and styles, while the lens guide will help you decide which optics are best for your style of photography. So if you'd like to learn more about your DSLR, or know someone who does, then head over to DSLR Tips!

Sites to Browse - Music - Hidden Song Tracks

2008-09-25T19:37:00.007-07:00

Sites to Browse - Music - Hidden Song Tracks
Find hidden songs not listed in a CD track listing.

Occasionally, purchased CDs contain more music than what you originally think. CDs may contain hidden, or secret, tracks. Mostly done on purpose (though some may have been added to CDs accidentally), these tracks may contain a minute or more of instrumental music, musician jams, jokes, or something else.

Hidden songs may occur on separate tracks not listed (for example, a CD may list 12 tracks, but if you skip to track 43, a secret song is revealed), or a song on the CD may have four minutes of silence at the end. While most listeners would switch CDs by then, after the silence an unlisted song may play....

Read more at MalekTips.

Logitech Squeezebox Boom

2008-09-25T19:37:00.005-07:00

Logitech Squeezebox Boom

Most streaming music devices require two key outside components to work: speakers and a source to power them. Since there are very few powered speakers out there in reality, you most likely need to attach the streaming device to a mini-system or your home theater system – and that can create a lot of clutter, especially in the kitchen. The Logitech Squeezebox Boom fixes this problem by creating an all-in-one sound system with music streaming capabilities. Priced at $300 USD, there is no doubt that price tag is hard to swallow, but thanks to its easy setup, intuitive navigation and beautiful sound, we can easily say you get what you pay for. Read on for the deep dive.

Read | Permalink | User Reviews | Linking Blogs

Digital Anarchy

2008-09-25T19:37:00.003-07:00

New release of Adobe Photoshop is fully supported by all Digital Anarchy products. Read More

Another week and starting to think

2008-09-25T19:37:00.001-07:00

After driving (and fixing the bloody thing) a truck all week, I love to come home of an evening and play with my toys.
The reason I have owned MP3 players for about 6-7 years is to keep me entertained in my daily grind.
The reason for the new iPod was the space!
Sometimes on the road you cant get radio... or the music sucks... or you are just sick of the ads!
With the 160gig Classic I have my tunes, crap loads of podcasts and some vids for downtime/lunch breaks. I'm actually amazed at the amount of podcasts I go through in a week.
This is one of my gripes...
I live in the Kapiti region and am lucky enough to have cable.
Unfortunately, the plans blow dogs!
I have a 10mbit connection with a 20gig cap. I have gone over that this month with podcasts alone!
With one just-about-at-school daughter and a baby on the way, I can't afford the extra money to up my cap, and TCL don't offer a 4mbit plan with a 30gig cap for the price of the 10/20 plan. I don't need 2mbit up... I don't need 10mbit down really. but I do need 20-30 gig a month. Don't get me wrong, the speed is brilliant (I used to run a game server here and had the big lightspeed plan at the time). But in these days of uncertainty, I just can't afford the extra $$$ for the cap. Sure, If my better half was working instead of pregnant, I could. If my boss paid more, I could. If I won Lotto (ha), I could... But these things aren't happenening!
I know companies are out to make a profit.
I know I would be!
But where is a middle-ground??
TCL don't have one.
After five years I'm looking at options.
New net, new phone and no cable TV (this will greatly annoy my daughter and better-half as playhouse disney saves the day at times, and when the new baby comes, discovery will keep me sane at 3am)

C'mon, TCL, make a plan that gives me a 4mbit connection with a 30gig cap... I'm sure I'm not the only low-paid geek in the cable region!

BTW, why does every other ISP want my phone number and then tell me it doesn't exist! I have TCL phone, we do exist! Please just give me a map of your broadband areas!

Fuji Z10FD

2008-09-24T03:37:00.013-07:00

Fuji is getting with the programme, by introducing the Fuji Finepix Z10FD digital camera�which has some Read More

The autonomous vehicle that thinks like an ant

2008-09-24T03:37:00.011-07:00

The autonomous vehicle that thinks like an ant
We've seen numerous examples of science mimicking nature in the developing fields of robotic automation and artificial intelligence in recent times, from robotic fish to leaping micro-bots and mechanical rodents. Now a team of engineers from the University of La Laguna (ULL) in the Canary Islands have applied this thinking to self-steering vehicles using a system based on the way ants navigate between home-base and their food source...

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Tigerdirect: Logitech Ipod Audio Station w/AM-FM Black $30 AR

2008-09-24T03:37:00.009-07:00

Tigerdirect: Logitech Ipod Audio Station w/AM-FM Black $30 AR

Great Minds of History: Nikola Tesla (Никола Тесла)

2008-09-24T03:37:00.007-07:00

Great Minds of History: Nikola Tesla (Никола Тесла)
I thought I would deviate today from my regular ramblings and do a bit of a tribute post to a man I consider to be one of the greatest minds in history.

Nikola Tesla,

Nikola Tesla is not referred to as often as Edison, and doesn't equate the level of fame of guys like Einstein, there are many reasons put forward for this, but it could perhaps be due to many of his greatest visions and inventions not coming to fruition.

-However- this is not to say he isn't well known and remembered,

According to wikipedia:

"Contemporary biographers of Tesla have regarded him as "The Father of Physics", "The man who invented the twentieth century"^[3] and "the patron saint of modern electricity."^[4]"

Nikola Tesla was born in Smiljan, Lika, Croatian Krajina region the then Austo-Hungarian Empire, To a Serbian Orthodox Priest father, and a Mother who invented Household appliances.
He moved to America in 1884, with an introduction letter from Charles Batchelor to Thomas Edison,

Charles Batchelor was a close a associate of Thomas Edison, and grew up in Manchester England, he himself is still regarded as a great inventor and was an early executive of the General Electric Company.

Thomas Edison is a very-well known inventor (in-part no doubt to the American ability to Celebrate their Heroes - which I think is really good and other countries should celebrate their historical heroes as much, however ironic that Edison was born a Canadian) most definitely his fame comes from his most well known invention, the long-lasting, practical Electric Lightbulb (no he didn't actually invent the lightbulb - infact a majority of his inventions were improvements on prior patented inventions). other inventions include the Phonograph and the Carbon Microphone.

The letter had more in it, but a common quotation from the letter is

" I know two great Men, One is you (referring to Edison) and the other is this young man (referring to Tesla)"

Nikola Tesla then productively spent the next 59 years living in New York.

Telsa's first work was setting about improving Edison's line of dynamos whilst working in Edison's lab, This is when the historically discussed disagreement with Edison began, over direct current versus alternating current. this initial "divergence" culminated in a "war of the currents".

Tesla felt that the use of direct current was inefficient, as he view all energies as being cyclic, so he felt that rather than sending direct current, one should build generators that would send electrical energy first one way, then another, in multiple waves using the polyphase principal.

Edison's preferred DC had a severe disadvantage in that it could not be transported more than two miles due to its inability to step up to high voltage levels necessary for long distance travel, as a result a DC Power station was required at two mile intervals.

Tidbit: Direct current flows continuously in one direction, alternating current changes direction (usually 50 or 60 times per second)
the common term for this is hertz which is a measure of frequency, loosly defined as the number of events per second.

the formal definition as defined by the international system of Units (SI) is as defined as follows from Wikipedia:
the hyperfine splitting in the ground state of the caesium 133 atom is exactly 9 192 631 770 hertz, $ν$ (hfs Cs) = 9 192 631 770 Hz.^[1]. Equivalently, 1 Hz = ¹⁄_{9,192,631,770} $ν$ (hfs Cs). This definition is derived from the SI definition of the second. The base unit for hertz is s^-1 (also called inverse seconds, reciprocal seconds). As hertz
is commonly used to measure rotational speed, the base unit is sometimes represented as cycle/s.

Whilst working as a manual laborer Tesla continued his various pieces of research, and in 1887 he constructed the first brushless AC induction motor, which he then demonstrated at the American Institute of Electrical engineers

- an organisation still around to this day, but known as IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) - www.ieee.org

as part of his paper titled "A New System of Alternating Current Motors and Transformers", a copy of his paper is available online
here It is quite facisinating reading, if you enjoy historical inventions at a rather technical level, in it he states

" I will now proceed to show how this result was accomplished."

Highly recommended if you enjoy technical reading.

One of the people that Tesla managed to significantly impress was a rather well known (and partially well known to this day) was George Westinghouse, inventor and industrialist - whose name lives on today in everything from kitchen appliances to laundry appliances and more!

purportedly around February 1882; Tesla discovered the rotating magnetic field, which is of course fundamental to many aspects of physics and a neccessary required basis to all alternating current devices,

The brilliant thing that Tesla achieved, was the adaption of his discovery of the rotating magnetic field into the construction of the AC induction motor.

The AC Induction motor is used everywhere in the world, it is considered by many to be a cornerstone of the industrial revolution at the turn of the century and to this day a majority of electricity is generated, transmitted and converted thanks to the Inventions of Tesla.

However, whilst regarded as his greatest and most world changing, His Polyphase Alternating Current system is by no means his only invention.

His inventions were wide and numerous, and utterly brilliant and there is quite a lengthy list, some of the inventions you are using right now as you read this (as i have already discussed), and other work he performed whilst not the inventor, took various fields to a whole new level,

some of Telsa's Inventions and discoveries include:

The Tesla Coil (fairly obvious that one)
Alternating Current, Polyphasic etc.
First Hydroelectric powerplant at the Niagara falls in 1895
The Fluorescent Light
Laser Beams
Wireless Communications (big disputes between Marconi and Tesla with both having held the patent / credit for radio,)
- In 1896 Tesla patented the basic system of radio, his publish schematics, diagrams and descriptions, provided all the details of the basic elements of a radio transmitter, which was later used by marconi.
- So after a decision in the US Supreme court (1943) Marconi's most significant patent was deemed invalid stating Telsa's contribution was more significant in the invention of Radio Technology. (Tesla and Marconi were not the only inventors / discoverers nor the only legitimate patent holders there is a whole lot that was involved)
Wireless Electrical Energy Transmission
Remote Control (first demonstrated to
Robotics
A variant of the X-Ray tubes
Significant advances in robotics
Bladeless steam turbine (based on a spiral flow principal)
Super-high temperature pump.
Discovered the Resonant frequency of the Earth (Confirmed in 1950 as the resonant frequency of the Earth's ionospheric cavity - within this range at least, this is known as the Schemann resonance)
Terrestrial Stationary Waves (Tesla considered this his most significant discovery)

Tesla considered his discovery of terrestrial stationary waves his most significant discovery for a number of reasons,
He proved that the Earth itself was able to be used as a conductor and was highly sensitive and responsive to electrical vibrations of particular frequencies,

Part of proving this he produced artificial lightning with (according to Wikipedia) discharges consisting of millions of volts and up to 135 feet long!

Wikipedia also states that reproductions of Tesla's receivers and coherer circuits show an unpredicted level of complexity.
it is during this time Tesla states that he observed stationary waves.

Tesla found ways to transmit power and energy, wirelessly, over some very long distances (we are definitely not talking about across a room here)
some via transverse waves, but more via logitudinal waves.

He successfully transmitted via the ground as well as through the Kennelly-Heaviside Layer.

Not only did tesla successfully transmit to specialised detectors, he demonstrated lighting his light bulbs from a long distance without any wires, via the tesla effect

the tesla effect is defined in various sources as: "..term for an application of a type of electrical conduction. Through logitudinal waves, an operator uses the tesla effoct in the wireless transferl of energy to a receiving device."

Around this time is when things went a bit awry (or at least many of the things are yet to be proved in the way Tesla predicted)

Whilst Tesla was in his lab in Colorado he observed unusual signals that he later thought may have been evidence of extraterrestrial radio communications coming from Venus or Mars.
Part of this were repetitive signals form his receiver that were totally different from the signals he had noted from storms and background earth noise.

Tesla makes mention of this event in many of his writings and many times he mentions his thoughts that his inventions could be used to talk with other planets.

Many people claim that he invented a Teslascope for this purpose, there are many people out there who have claimed to have built one and listened to cosmic rays (ok, totally believable, there is an abundance of radiation out there, and nothing wrong with converting it into audible signals) others claim to use it to converse with Aliens and strongly believe Tesla did so. (Ok, I'd love to believe. give me some PROOF)

Although many people have discussed it, perhaps Tesla's invention was in some forms merited - as many of his other discoveries were considered foolish, or even impossible until he demonstrated it, and he never demonstrated the Teslascope, however it did receive much publicity in Time Magazines July 20, 1931 issue which when celebrating Tesla's 75th birthday Tesla stated:

[I have conceived] a means that will make it possible for man to transmit energy in large amounts, thousands of horsepower, from one planet to another, absolutely regardless of distance. I think that nothing can be more important than interplanetary communication. It will certainly come some day and the certitude that there are other human beings in the universe, working, suffering, struggling, like ourselves, will produce a magic effect on mankind and will form the foundation of a universal brotherhood that will last as long as humanity itself.

—Nikola Tesla,

The Fantastic thing about the internet and World Wide web?
The full article is available to read on the Time Magazine website here

To be honest there is a big part of me that gives Tesla the benefit of the Doubt, he was an undeniable genius, and managed to discover and invent many things that were thought not possible (in fact some of proven his inventions many people to this day think dont actually exist or aren't real!!)

Unfortunately while Tesla was a Genius inventor, he wasn't good with money, he left colorado, and his lab was torn down and contents sold off to cover debts,

however Tesla was already looking ahead to his next great project.

the Wardenclyffe Tower,

Wardenclyffe Tower (1901 – 1917) also known as the Tesla Tower, was an early wireless telecommunications aerial tower designed by Nikola Tesla and intended for commercial trans-Atlantic wireless telephony, broadcasting, and to demonstrate the transmission of power without interconnecting wires.^[1]^[2] The core facility was never fully operational and was not completed due to economic problems. ...(from wikipedia - the rest of the article here

Unfortunately this tower was torn down for scrap during World War One.

Tesla did not have good fortunes, in 1904 the US Patent Office reversed its decision and Awarded Guglielmo Marconi the patent for radio starting a battle that did not finally get resolved until a deciscion in 1943 by the US Supreme court who awarded it back to Tesla.

Tesla went on to demonstrate his various turbines, in 1906 he demonstrated his 150kW 16,000 rpm bladless turbine.

and durning 1910 - 1911 several of his bladeless turbine enginse were tested at 74 to 3,728 kW

in 1917 some of Telsas goals for the Wardenclyffe tower were achieved at his newer tower the Telefunken Wireless Station in SAyville, Long Island.

unfortunately this was torn town by the Marines in 1917 because it was suspected it could be used by german spies.

At his Death Tesla held (and still holds) around 112 US Patents,
29 British Patents,
6 Canadian patents,
1 argentinian patent,
5 australian patents,
4 austrian patents,
21 in belgium
2 in Brazil
1 in cuba
3 in Denmark
19 German Patents
26 French,
1 in india
11 in italy,
1 in japan and
7 in hungary.

That is not by any means an exhaustive list.

Not only were many of Tesla's inventions very real, Tesla theorized, planned or claimed to have invented:
* Electric Submarine
* Telefore
* Death Ray
* Mechanical Oscillator
* Free Energy (- renewable from existing sources, not a perpetual motion machine)
* Earthquake machine
* Force Field
* Anti-Gravity Aircraft
* Thought Camera.

Dr. Nikola Tesla was without a doubt one of the most brilliant minds in history, and that is why I'll not totally write off some of his proven Ideas, because so many of his proven ideas were so fantastic.

(that said, I'm not necessarily going to believe them without evidence!)

Vivitar in administration

2008-09-24T03:37:00.005-07:00

Administrators are called to Vivitar who owe creditors four million pounds. Read More

Ocean in Focus Conservation Photography Contest

2008-09-24T03:37:00.003-07:00

Ocean in Focus Conservation Photography Contest
One week remaining for scuba divers and ocean enthusiasts to compete and win big for the ocean.

Sony Alpha A350 Compared to Nikon D80 SLR Review

2008-09-24T03:37:00.001-07:00

Sony Alpha A350 Compared to Nikon D80 SLR Review
We have just posted a side by side comparison review between the new 14.2 MP Sony Alpha A350 digital SLR with DT 18-70mm lens versus the 10.1 MP Nikon D80 digital SLR kit with the AF-S DX 18-55mm VR zoom. To see what real world benefits the latest generation technologies and features incorporated in the Sony Alpha A350 offer in terms of image quality or enhancing the photographic experience, we decided to compare this new camera model against the Nikon D80 which remains one of the predominant cameras in the current Nikon line up. See how these two SLR cameras performed in our tests...

Canon Lowers Price on EOS 40D, Rebel XS, SD770 and SD790 IS Digital Cameras

2008-09-24T03:36:00.005-07:00

Canon Lowers Price on EOS 40D, Rebel XS, SD770 and SD790 IS Digital Cameras
Canon has today announced price reductions on two of their digital SLR cameras, the popular 10.1MP Canon EOS 40D and the new 10MP Canon EOS Rebel XS. The price has been reduced on both the EOS 40D body and the Rebel XS body and also on the respective available body with Canon lens kits. Two other Canon cameras that have been reduced in price include the compact Canon Powershot SD770 IS and the Canon Powershot SD790 IS. See full story...

Logitech Illuminated Keyboard

2008-09-24T03:36:00.003-07:00

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Sony KDL-32S3000 32 in. LCD Television

2008-09-24T03:36:00.001-07:00

Sony KDL-32S3000 32 in. LCD Television
Sony released a great range of entry-level HD Ready LCD TVs earlier this year which are the cheapest

Vertical Hand Grip for Mamiya 645AFD III

2008-09-19T18:12:00.005-07:00

Vertical Hand Grip for Mamiya 645AFD III
Cologne, Germany – September 17, 2008 – A vertical grip for the Mamiya 645AFDIII medium format camera has been announced by Mamiya at the 2008 Photokina. The grip, designed for the 645AFD III, features a shutter release button, release mode selector (single or continuous), and Auto Exposure Lock (AEL) and Autofocus lock (AF) buttons all for comfort, convenience and quick handling when shooting vertically....

Frys.com: CRUCIAL 2GB DDR2 PC5300 SO-D memory $13 shipped AR

2008-09-19T18:12:00.003-07:00

Frys.com: CRUCIAL 2GB DDR2 PC5300 SO-D memory $13 shipped AR

OldNavy.com: 3 day only sale - 20% off + Free Shipping

2008-09-19T18:12:00.001-07:00

PowerPoint 2003 - Misc - Distribute a Presentation on CD

2008-09-19T18:11:00.013-07:00

PowerPoint 2003 - Misc - Distribute a Presentation on CD
Create an auto-play CD with your PowerPoint 2003 presentation.

Canon PowerShot SX1 and SX10 IS

2008-09-19T18:11:00.011-07:00

Canon brings HD moviemaking and 4fps shooting to its PowerShot super zoom series Read More

Exclusive Nikon D300 Test and Sample Images Just Posted

2008-09-19T18:11:00.009-07:00

Exclusive Nikon D300 Test and Sample Images Just Posted
We have had the opportunity to test out a final production Nikon D300 digital SLR, and have just posted an image gallery with links to full resolution sample images from this exciting new camera. Some of the images were taken with the AF 50mm F1.8 Nikkor, and the original 45mm f2.8P manual focus lens. Check out the results...

Canon Digital IXUS 980 IS and Digital IXUS 870 IS

2008-09-19T18:11:00.007-07:00

Two new models join the Canon IXUS range to provide a series of firsts including manual control. Read More

Lenovo ThinkPad SL400

2008-09-19T18:11:00.005-07:00

With the introduction of the SL Series notebooks, Lenovo continues its trend of pushing the ThinkPad name out of its lofty perch and into more affordable territory. The 14.1-inch version bulks up a bit for the sake of keeping price low, but retains Lenovo’s signature ThinkPad durability and feel, along with competent performance for a business machine. But some minor issues still need to be ironed out. Our Lenovo SL400 came with the following hardware:� 14.1-inch WXGA VibrantView Display Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 2.4GHz CPU 2GB PC-5300 DDR2 RAM 250GB Hard Drive (5400 RPM) Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS Video Card DVD-RW 8x Max Dual-Layer Drive Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 5100 9-Cell Battery

Read | Permalink | User Reviews | Linking Blogs

Canon releases redesigned 24mm f/1.4L

2008-09-19T18:11:00.003-07:00

Canon releases redesigned 24mm f/1.4L
Canon has launched a redesign of its 24mm f/1.4 L lens, the Canon 24mm f/1.4L USM II.

HTC S740 smartphone

2008-09-19T18:11:00.001-07:00

HTC's latest edition to its "S" range of smartphones takes a conventional 12-key candybar phone design, slots in the company's speciality - a sliding QWERTY keyboard - and adds 3.8 inch wide-screen, 3.2 megapixel and mobile broadband download speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps (if your carrier can handle it). ..

Tags: Bluetooth, Camera, HTC, Mobile Phone, Touch Screen

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Canon IXUS 960 IS Digital Camera

2008-09-15T08:58:00.009-07:00

The Canon Ixus 850is and 950is impressed us so much we though that Canon might struggle to improve upon Read More

Camera Labs Assignment: vote for your favourite!

2008-09-15T08:58:00.007-07:00

Camera Labs Assignment: vote for your favourite!
It's the first day of a new month which means a new Assignment in the Camera Labs forums. The theme as suggested by the winner of March's Assignment, chaplainblake, is 'Reflection'. To enter, visit the May Assignment Submissions page. This also means submissions for last month's Assignment are now closed so you can vote for your favourite entry of zrmi's 'Transportation' theme. So to vote, head on over to our April Assignment Submissions thread.

I've had it up to there with Orcon

2008-09-15T08:58:00.005-07:00

I've had it up to there with Orcon
You can read the rest of my story on my WordPress blog, but the service these guys have given me is unbelievable, BAD that is.

This is my status for today for the rest follow my link below.

So if you read my previous blog you will know that our phone line died yesterday. So This afternoon I rang Orcon to find ut what is happening. I rang the 0800 number and selected landlines and waited for a response which came pretty quickly and I got a very polite response from Jamie who advised me that she had to pass me on to a different department because the other department was responsible for the port change. She also explained that the port change affected the landline and the broadband connection.

So off to another department and another woman who advised me that they were still waiting for a technician to advise the date when someone would do a port change!

I said “Are you telling me that I have no phone and that you can’t even tell me when someone will advise when they will look at it?” Correct, it might be this afternoon, they do work on Saturdays so someone might turn up then or, well they just don’t know because it is another department.

I asked if they would forward incoming phones to a mobile and they have agreed to do that, but why couldn’t they suggest that in the first place? Basically this now means that people can contact us without having to know our mobile numbers and without having to pay for the toll call, but it does also mean that we have to pay mobile call rates for the outgoing local calls, but at least we have communications.

But we have no idea when our home phone line wll be reconnected.

Since last night I have had 2 people come to me saying that they had been planning to move to Orcon and now won’t. Would you like to be in on a sweepstake as to when I will have a home phone line? Or perhaps hw many times my internet will disconnect today? Yes, funny isn’t it, I still have a Broadband connection at home even if I don’t have the phone. I just checked, so far my broadband has disconnected 18 times today.

Lenovo ThinkPad SL400

2008-09-15T08:58:00.003-07:00

Read | Permalink | User Reviews | Linking Blogs

Orcon Homehub/ADSL2 Setup - A Quick Review

2008-09-15T08:58:00.001-07:00

After going unbundled with Orcon's Gold+ Account I was having issues getting online and was recommended an Orcon HomeHub over D-Link DST-502T. The 502T was theoretically more than capable of doing ADSL2+ (as I was running it at home on the same plan already). But at $5 a month, and to solve a problem I thought, stuff it, and got one sent out.

The HomeHub is really just a Siemens SX-763 WLAN DSL Router. Its running a slightly modified firmware that has the Orcon settings preset. You can't flash newer vesions of Firmware, although Orcon can from their side of things. This could lead to an interesting future for this little hub - more on that later.
The Homehub features (according to Orcon) -

"This sleek wireless router lets you access your Broadband from anywhere in your house without plugs or cables.
What's more, because our network can talk to it, our helpdesk can easily support the device remotely to get you back online faster if there is ever a problem.
In the future, we'll be teaching the Homehub some cool new tricks to give you an even better Orcon experience through new and interesting services, so stay tuned..."

On the Siemens site it lists it features as -

High-speed wireless data transfer at up to 108 Mbps (compatible with IEEE 802.11b/g)
Integrated ADSL 2+ modem
4 Port 10/100 Hub
External broadband access modem support (e. g. VDSL, cable)
Support for up to 6 VoIP public telephone accounts (SIP Protocol)
USB Support (SMB/FTP/Web/Printer).

So after ordering it, the unit arrived a couple of days later, interestingly I had to pay postage, with a white Orcon slip over a standard Siemens box. In the box were all the cables one could ever need to setup and use the unit. Network cable, phone, filters etc... Annoyingly Siemens have gone with RJ-45 (Network) Adaptor plug for the phone cable, not the smaller and standard phone plug - so don't go loosing your cables.
The Unit is one of the nicer Routers or modems I've seen, although it does feel a but light and plasticy. All the ports are nicely placed on the back. It can be mounted on a wall or look fine on a desk.

The web inerface is pleasent to look at, and functionally seems to include all the settings. There's wizards both for the absolutely basics and also for the security features. Add to that the normal Advanced Settings, It's feature packed but simple to get around. There's support for all the necessary wireless standards - WEP, WPA2-PSK, WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK/WPA-PSK.
I'd love to go into the VOIP settings but as I have never been too interested in it before, I wouldn't know much. The fact they're there, and are quite feature complete shows a feature I imagine Orcon will use in the future.

Connection wise, the wireless seems solid, although I personally use an Apple Airport Extreme to run a parallel 5ghz Only 11N based network and a 2.4Ghz for older clients. Excessive. Maybe. A bonus of using the $5 a month homehub though.
Internet wise, in the Auckland CBD, just off K Rd I've got a 12286 kbps (upstream) ADSL Connection. Its strange as when the connection was first setup I was getting up to 22500kbps on the connection - close to ADSL2's limit - and now its back down to the top of ADSL1's top....... Orcon?
UPDATE See first comment.

Heres some results from speedtest.net -

Auckland -> Auckland (WorldxChange Communications) - 9907 Down / 354 Up

Auckland -> Christchurch (Snap Internet) - 6587 Down / 266 Up

Auckland -> Sydney (Mammoth Media) - 3327 Down / 333 Up

Auckland -> London (Namesco) - 1723 Down / 180 Up

Auckland -> San Francisco (Unwired) - 2739 Down / 194 Up

Things that aren't cool -
USB only does FTP no SFTP so not great for putting online.

The DHCP server won't list connected devices - Wireless status lists the Host name, Mac and IP's of any wireless clients but for the overall IP's - nothing. The settings are there - just broken, a bug that I hope Orcon will get on to fixing.
UPDATE Orcon do indeed have a forthcoming update. Orcon were nice enough to flash mine and it does indeed fix the issue.

Things that are cool -
USB Features.
Looks good.
A full featured router for only $5 a month (on Orcon).
Assumably VOIP support from Orcon in the future.

Lenovo: ThinkCentre A57 Tower Desktop E2180 1GB 160GB $334 shipped

2008-09-15T08:57:00.009-07:00

Lenovo: ThinkCentre A57 Tower Desktop E2180 1GB 160GB $334 shipped

BuyDig: Samsung LN52A650 52in Series 6 LCD HDTV $2125 shipped

2008-09-15T08:57:00.007-07:00

BuyDig: Samsung LN52A650 52in Series 6 LCD HDTV $2125 shipped

Aquarius: intelligent automated sprinkler design

2008-09-15T08:57:00.005-07:00

Looking more like an alien spacecraft than a sprinkler, Aquarius is an irrigation control system designed by Aydin Oztoprak and Ozgur Ruhi Ulvan. Solar powered and remote managed, Aquarius automatically adjusts its water flow depending on the soil, crop and weather conditions, making it one very intelligent piece of eco-friendly water design...

Tags: Agricultural, Irrigation, Solar

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Olympus Zuiko Digital 25mm pancake lens - full review and video tour

2008-09-15T08:57:00.003-07:00

The Olympus Zuiko Digital 25mm is the smallest and lightest lens available for DSLRs based on the Four Thirds standard. Weighing 95g and measuring just 23.5mm thick, it justifies the pancake nickname, and transforms smaller Four Thirds bodies into working kits which could squeeze into larger coat pockets. With 50mm equivalent coverage and an f2.8 aperture, the lens is ideal for general-purpose use, but do its compact dimensions compromise quality or performance? Find out in our Olympus Zuiko Digital 25mm pancake lens review where we'll compare it against other Olympus zooms and the specialist 50mm macro lens. And to see a demonstration of its highlights, check out our Olympus 25mm video tour. Read More

Panasonic Introduces World’s First Interchangeable Lenses For Micro Four Thirds System Digital Cameras

2008-09-15T08:57:00.001-07:00

Panasonic Introduces World’s First Interchangeable Lenses For Micro Four Thirds System Digital Cameras
Two New Lenses Compatible with LUMIX G1, the World’s Smallest & Lightest Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera, Part of the Micro Four Thirds System SECAUCUS, NJ (September 12, 2008) – Panasonic today announced the world’s first interchangeable lenses designed for the new Micro Four Thirds System. The LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S will be the standard kit lens with the LUMIX DMC-G1, the world’s first...

Samsung NV20

2008-09-13T16:33:00.013-07:00

Samsung NV20
Samsung have released the NV20 along with two other digital cameras, but this one takes pride of place

Canon Rebel XS, EOS 1000D Entry Level Digital SLR

2008-09-13T16:33:00.011-07:00

Canon has today introduced the Canon Digital Rebel XS digital SLR. In some countries (Europe) the camera will be known as the Canon EOS 1000D. The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS / 1000D features an APS-C size 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor and Canon's DIGIC III image processor, and joins the ranks in the Canon lineup as the entry level digital SLR model under the recently announced 12.2 MP Canon Rebel XSi / 450D. See full story... Read More

Canon EF 24-105mm for cropped-frame DSLRs - full review and video tour

2008-09-13T16:33:00.009-07:00

Canon EF 24-105mm for cropped-frame DSLRs - full review and video tour
The EF 24-105mm is a premium quality zoom from Canon's 'L' series. It features superb build and mechanical quality, quick and quiet USM focusing and Image Stabilisation to counteract camera shake. It's an ideal general purpose lens for owners of full-frame Canon DSLRs, but what about those with cropped-frame bodies like the EOS 400D / XTi, EOS 450D / XSi or EOS 40D? In this review we'll examine how the EF 24-105mm performs on cropped-frame Canon DSLRs and as always, check out our video tour for a demonstration.

What Happens When you Don’t Follow the Norm?

2008-09-13T16:33:00.007-07:00

I’m quite active over at FriendFeed. I find that the more I post and read, the more I learn about people around me. (...)

I’m quite active over at FriendFeed. I find that the more I post and read, the more I learn about people around me. FriendFeed has allowed me to reach out and meet people I never otherwise would have, and it has enriched me in many ways.

As with the Blogosphere (and pretty much anything else), FriendFeed has its “A-List” group of posters. Recently, I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if I quit following all of those people. I found that inevitably, those following the A-Listers were much more interesting at times.

A listers are just filler until you get to the great folks - Simian DA (Amber)

I follow everyone just to see the noise that the A listers put into the system that ISN’T paid attention to. - Robert Scoble

Well, that, and I just like the noise from everyone. - Robert Scoble

Who started that term ‘noise’ anyway? It sounds rude. The things people share and the comments they post are far from ‘noise’ imo. - Mona N.

I don’t think the A-list truly exists. Link? ;) - Josh Haley

noise is a very generic term mona; I think you are trying to put it into the wrong context when thinking that - Michael J. Cohen (mjc)

think it comes from the "river of noise" designation regarding twitter - Michael J. Cohen (mjc)

A listers! I love that term. Who do these people think they are? None of them are changing the world. - Ryan

Mona: you should try following 20,000 on Twitter like I do. Then you’d understand what I’m saying when I say "noise." - Robert Scoble

@Ryan - maybe not changing the world, but often they change my day… and usually for the better. - Lindsay Donaghe

Ryan: you do realize what "A" stands for, don’t you? It isn’t positive. :-) - Robert Scoble

mjc: Wrong context? That is how I view that term… but now that I read your second comment, I see now. Remember? I didn’t flow from Twitter to here? - Mona N.

I’m not hating on A-listers as much as I’m hating on the haters who labeled people A-listers. - Ryan

then we have people like me who have exhausted the letters and numbers lists and had to start on the non-standard characters to define their ranking ;) - alphaxion

I want to follow the ~listers. - Lindsay Donaghe

mjc: "signal to noise ratio" borrowed from radio and electrical engineering, and then subsequently applied to usenet groups, etc., is a phrase that has been around for awhile. Noise = stuff you don’t care about. http://www.netlingo.com/lookup… - Laura Norvig

Yeah, but Scoble - if you follow 20,000, some degree of noise is to be expected. :) Twitter, to me, is a craps shoot for content - that’s why I like it. You never know what’s going on. Noise can also be seen as a chance for serendipity. FriendFeed is much the same way - I’ve come to appreciate that aspect of "social networks." - l0ckergn0me

@Scoble really? I guess I had a different definition of A-lister. - Ryan

Robert: But FriendFeed is different from Twitter. Twitter is so one sided. With @replies galore and one sided conversations up the wa-zoo. FriendFeed is way different, imho. - Mona N.

@l0ckergn0me you’re an a-lister so this is somewhat circular - Jeremiah Owyang

Serendipity is the major reason to swim in noise. - Robert Scoble

D-Listers Unite! White Noise Platform! (picture a crowd of people holding placards with nothing but TV-snow on em, and shouting from megaphones that just emit a raspy SHHHH of static) - Marko

Robert’s got seriously huge floaties to "swim" so well in all this noise! - Susan Beebe

I don’t know that I could unsubscribe from any of the "A-listers" because they are often responsible for starting discussions that would never get started, involving people who never would have been able to be involved in the discussion. I’ve found FF to be a truly fascinating social experiment. - Kenton

I don’t even know who the a-listers are…if you are interesting (meaning you have a pulse and post mostly in english) I will probably subscribe to you…if you subscribe to me, have a pulse and speak mostly in english I will subscribe to you - AlexScoble(Robert’sBro)

Who are the A-listers? - Jonathan (Bad Robot)

This is fun and all, but I feel like the Architect rebooted the Matrix or something… - Mark Dykeman

excellent point. but aren’t you also ALIST? - Noah David Simon

No, Noah, Chris is king of the G-list (G in this instance alternatively standing for Gnome or Geek) - AlexScoble(Robert’sBro)

@alex I find there is a degree of popularity contest about it too.. regardless of what some people have to say, they get ignored for others who post vacuous but ego massaging posts. T’is the way of the world really! cyber or meat space are more alike than many realise. - alphaxion

Yeah, you are probably right, alpha…I’m just looking for interesting conversations, personally - AlexScoble(Robert’sBro)

So what do you think? Would you rather follow a group of “A-Listers” on places like blogs, Twitter and FriendFeed? Or would you rather break from the norm, and follow your own beat?

What Happens When you Don’t Follow the Norm?

DealWatch - September 10, 2008

2008-09-13T16:33:00.005-07:00

Canon PowerShot SX110 IS - $300
Nikon D80 - $900
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W150 - $230
Nikon Coolpix S210 - $160

Canon wises up with 50D sensor and new zoom

2008-09-13T16:33:00.003-07:00

Canon wises up with 50D sensor and new zoom

My coworker Lori Grunin already covered Canon's announcement of its $1,400 mid-range EOS 50D SLR, but as somebody who's in the market for a new SLR, I thought I'd weigh in with some thoughts of my own. I'm glad Canon is investing where perhaps it counts most: the sensor. If the reviews look good, this will be the first time I've really been tempted to upgrade from my well-used Canon Rebel XT.

Canon_50D_small_top_350x396.jpg" alt="Canon's EOS 50D" width="350" height="396" />

Canon's EOS 50D will ship in October for $1,399, not including a lens. Also shown here is the new EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens.

(Credit: Canon)

When it ships in October, the 50D will sport a 15.1 megapixel sensor, up from 10.1 megapixels in the current 40D. The increase in megapixels is nice for the poster-print and microstock-sales crowds, but what's most notable is the increase of the top ISO from 3,200 to 12,800.

That means Canon has done some serious work to cut down on the noise levels inside the sensor, which bodes well for image quality not just at the new extremes but also at more ordinary sensitivity settings. ISO 3,200, for example, is now part of the ordinary range, not the extended range that must be manually enabled before it's available. Canon hit some sweet spots in sensor design, for example with its earlier 20D and the full-frame 5D, and the 50D holds the potential of being another model that balances megapixels with low noise and accurate color.

Canon attributes the advance to "newly designed gapless microlenses over each pixel to reduce noise." Microlenses gather light for the light-sensitive part of the image sensor, compensating for surface area occupied by other electronics. Gapless microlenses presumably stretch across the entire pixel width. Perhaps this technology will also help out whatever model will succeed Canon's 5D, my other obvious upgrade path but one that likely would require spending twice the price for the camera body and that would require me to shell out another few hundred dollars for a new wide-angle lens to support the full-frame sensor size.

Fending off Nikon
Higher sensitivity is important for Canon. It's been losing market share to Nikon, which has pushed high sensitivity as an advantage, though with lower megapixel counts. The full-frame sensors on Nikon's D3 and D700 can reach ISO 25,600, though reaching that level was made easier through a sensor design that emphasizes a smaller number of larger pixels.

...

Sony KDL-32S3000 32 in. LCD Television

2008-09-13T16:33:00.001-07:00

Sony released a great range of entry-level HD Ready LCD TVs earlier this year which are the cheapest Read More

2008-09-13T16:32:00.005-07:00

Microsoft Word 2007 - Insert Copyright, Trademark, Other Symbols
Add symbols for copyright, trademark, and registered trademark to your Word 2007 document.

HP invites to Software Business Technology Optmisation Tour in Wellington

2008-09-13T16:32:00.003-07:00

HP invites to Software Business Technology Optmisation Tour in Wellington
Today I received an invitation that I am able to extend to you. HP is running the HP Software BTO Tour 2008 in Wellington, 2nd September 2008.

This half day event is ahppening at the Museum of New Zealand - Te Papa Tongarewa from 8:30am through 1:30pm.

There will be conference streams during the day, designed to give IT Professionals a more practical approach to IT Management.

I won't be attending the event though, because I will be in Auckland attending the Microsoft Tech Ed, and writing the Unofficial Tech Ed Blog while there...

Canon Rebel XS, EOS 1000D Entry Level Digital SLR

2008-09-13T16:32:00.001-07:00

Canon Rebel XS, EOS 1000D Entry Level Digital SLR
Canon has today introduced the Canon Digital Rebel XS digital SLR. In some countries (Europe) the camera will be known as the Canon EOS 1000D. The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS / 1000D features an APS-C size 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor and Canon's DIGIC III image processor, and joins the ranks in the Canon lineup as the entry level digital SLR model under the recently announced 12.2 MP Canon Rebel XSi / 450D. See full story...

Wrex the robot dog

2008-09-13T03:59:00.019-07:00

Based on a similar concept to the now defunct Aibo, Wrex The Dawg is the latest robo-pet from WowWee and his moods are distinctive. Ill-mannered Wrex was styled using discarded mechanical and electrical parts and is designed to be any kid’s mischievous robotic pal...

Tags: Remote Control, Robot

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Windows XP and Explorer - Show / Hide Popup Tooltip Descriptions for Folders and Desktop Items

2008-09-13T03:59:00.017-07:00

Show or hide text Windows XP displays when hovering over folders or items on your desktop. ... Read More

Canon Rebel XS, EOS 1000D Entry Level Digital SLR

2008-09-13T03:59:00.015-07:00

Revamped Google Picasa site identifies photo faces

2008-09-13T03:59:00.013-07:00

Google wants to help you put a name to that face.

With a face recognition feature set to launch at noon PDT Tuesday, Google's Picasa Web Albums will help users label their photos with the names of subjects. That and other changes to ...

DealWatch - September 10, 2008

2008-09-13T03:59:00.011-07:00

DealWatch - September 10, 2008

Canon PowerShot SX110 IS - $300
Nikon D80 - $900
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W150 - $230
Nikon Coolpix S210 - $160

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX35 - full review and video tour

2008-09-13T03:59:00.009-07:00

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX35 is a slim 10.1 Megapixel compact with a 4x optical zoom lens. It's the successor to the Lumix FX33 which was announced only six months ago - so what's new? Panasonic has extended the 3.6x optical range to 4x, but rather than make it longer, it's actually wider. So instead of 28-100mm, the FX35 boasts a 25-100mm range, giving it unusually wide angle coverage for a compact. Like the Lumix TZ5 reviewed last week, there's also 720p HD video recording, a component output for an optional HD cable, and the latest version of Panasonic's Intelligent Auto mode. Find out if it's the ideal slim compact in our Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX35 review and as always, check out our FX35 video tour for a demo. Note, the FX35 is known as the FX36 in Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Read More

USB-enabled smart transit card to trial in France

2008-09-13T03:59:00.007-07:00

USB-enabled smart transit card to trial in France
Smart cards that combine RFID contactless transaction capability with USB connectivity will be trialed by French public transportation company SNCF according to a report from RFID Journal. As well as working with existing RFID transaction infrastructure, Neowave's Weneo smart cards enable users to purchase tickets from a PC at home using the USB connection... and it's also a handy 4GB portable data storage device...

Tags: Public Transport, Security, Storage, USB

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Four-door MINI with a twist

2008-09-13T03:59:00.005-07:00

Previews from the upcoming Paris Motor Show keep rolling in, this time from MINI in the form what it calls a 4 x 4 x 4 x 4 Crossover Concept design study - four doors, four drive wheels, four single seats and four meters long. With the wheels pushed to the corners and familiar styling it looks like a MINI, but the unique four is the doors - three of the doors are stock standard but the rear drivers' side door slides backwards. The rear door also swivels to one side to ease process of getting your gear into a MINI which boasts more storage space than any other. If the reaction to the debut is positive there's a good chance it will hit the showroom floor in the not too distant future...

Tags: Automotive, Concept Cars, MINI

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Linkification v3

2008-09-13T03:59:00.003-07:00

Here we go again:

iPhone / Apple:

Orange says Polish iPhone 3G customers weren't paid actors
Apple acknowledges iPhone passcode flaw, promises fix next month
Top 5 iPhone buzzkills
Apple's Next iPhone Killer App: Interactive Albums With Lyrics, Photos

Mobile / Gadgets:

Google talks Android Market app store
3 Mobile Web Apps that keep old Pocket PCs relevant
Presenting the winners of the Android developer challenge
How to Set Up a Laptop Security System
24 Killer Portable Apps For Your USB Flash Drive
Live Mesh Windows Mobile client teased

General:

Mythbusters RFID hacking episode canned by credit card company lawyers - watch the video.
Adam Savage's RFID implant activates, orders him to change his story - saw that coming.
Ginormous robot spider invades Liverpool, England
Japanese firms to partially propel cargo ship via solar panels
Microsoft to launch “Skymarket” applications marketplace for Windows Mobile 7 - anyone else see a pattern emerging here?
Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: September 2008
88% of IT Admins Would Steal Passwords If Laid Off
Google Analytics Advanced Tips and Tricks
5 Apps For Painless Windows Reformats
Getting Wireless To Work On A Laptop Running Windows Server 2008 As Its Operating System
Fix for Windows Vista forgetting folder view settings - Freakin' yes!
Keep Vista from Changing Folder View
NASA Preparing to Service Hubble for the Last Time, In Glorious Pictures
Stunning Desert Canyon Flight Scares the Underpants Off Me
More mobile - Xero adds support for Blackberry and Windows Mobile.
Stephen Fry wishes GNU a happy birthday - he also has a great podcast (or Pod-gram as he calls them).
The Deadly Aftermath of a Rocket Explosion Seconds After Launch - incredible video of what happens when launching a satelite goes wrong.

Coding / Development:

Hug a developer today - great video.
20 Websites To Help You Learn and Master CSS
Protecting Your Cookies: HttpOnly
Free New Zealand web cartography tools for educational and non-commercial purposes
Roll your own 404s with Error Page Generator

NZ Teched 2008:

Microsoft Tech Ed New Zealand 2008 keynote now available in video streaming
TechEd 2008 Summary
Darryl Burling's TechEd 2008 Summary
The unofficial TechEd blog

FAIL:

This weeks FAIL comes via a Twitter from @freitasm this morning. Parking Lot FAIL.

Broadband In New Zealand – Why So Slow And Expensive?

2008-09-13T03:59:00.001-07:00

Broadband In New Zealand – Why So Slow And Expensive?

There are several reasons for slow broadband in New Zealand these range from ISP’s (Internet Service Providers) over selling their connections to how old and how long your copper phone lines are all the way to your PC being infected with Spyware and Viruses.

The most popular form of broadband in New Zealand at the moment is DSL (digital subscriber line). DSL is a neat technology as it runs over the same copper cables as what your voice calling does, which is the same reason why it is the most popular form of broadband around, because there is no need to run additional cables.

To maximise profits, ISP’s purchase a fixed amount of traffic from the Southern Cross cable (the connections that allows you and me communicate with the rest of the world via the internet) and then unfortunately tend to over subscribe that line and generally neglect to increase that traffic as the lines fill up with customers. The end result of that is when 3:30pm hits and all the school children get home and begin updating their Bebo and playing their favourite Youtube videos the internet slows down. This is the major reason why ISP’s start out being so good but as their popularity increase their broadband speed decreases.

The problem is that even though only a fraction of the Southern Cross cable is being utilised the cost to ISP’s is still rather expensive therefore that cost has to be passed onto the consumer, moteliers and business owners like yourself. To cover this cost ISP’s generally tend to have a fixed amount of broadband that you purchase say 5, 10, 20 gigabytes or more and if you go over this amount you get stung with excess usage fees. All it takes is for someone to use your broadband to download some music or videos on a peer2peer sharing site and you will quickly get an expensive bill at the end of the month.

With all businesses you attempt to fix your costs as much as possible so being stung with excess usage fees or even the possibility of getting a large bill is certainly a risk that most businesses would want to avoid.

There are ISP’s which are currently rolling out the next generation of DSL which is ADSL2+ and VDSL (Very High Bitrate DSL) which promises faster speeds but they still have the same two issues being the further away you get from the exchange the slower it goes and that you get excess usage fees when you go over your allotted amount.

When choosing a broadband plan make sure you chose one which has reasonable excess usage fees and or notifies you when you get close to your limits or even better get an unlimited data plan.

Dan Ballard is a Technology consultant with Horizon Pacific which is an ISP as well as a Technology Solution provider that supplies unlimited broadband data plans.

Google Chrome; download and check out the difference!!

2008-09-13T03:53:00.017-07:00

Google chrome available from: http://www.google.com/chrome

Its working pretty much everywhere now, Damn it looks good and the Javascript engine? download and see :)

www.google.com/chrome

I don't know whether others are interested or not, but I am particulary enthusiastic to see how much of a difference V8 (the new javascript engine) makes!

Well after having a play, it certainly looks nice, and the javascript is DEFINITELY faster,

have run a few comparitive tests, and have had chrome fired off second and finish loading before FF3,

however who knows how much is the whole "ooo its new" complex, vs. how much is actual performance gains!!

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 with 18x zoom

2008-09-13T03:53:00.015-07:00

Panasonic has today introduced the 10.1-megapixel Lumix DMC-FZ28 digital camera, featuring a 27mm wide-angle Leica lens with an 18x optical zoom (27mm-486mm). The powerful 18x zoom lens makes it easy to pull in subjects from far away or to take dramatic close-ups. See full story... Read More

Which NAS Device are you Using for Network File Storage?

2008-09-13T03:53:00.013-07:00

Which NAS Device are you Using for Network File Storage?
Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed For years, I used a computer on my home network as a file server. I then used that file server to share files throughout my network. (...)

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

For years, I used a computer on my home network as a file server. I then used that file server to share files throughout my network. Some of you may be using Windows Home Server to serve up your files, but you may want to think about getting a NAS device. NAS stands for “Network-Attached Storage” devices. They are enclosures with hard drives inside them that could be accessible anywhere on the network. Then as NAS prices started to drop, they became a more feasible option for me. One NAS option for you is the Synology DS207.

DS207 is designed with Windows ADS authentication, USB printer sharing, dynamic website hosting, and data backup. The ultra-high-density file storing capability gives business users the freedom to store twice as much data. With the RAID 1 protection, DS207 can further prevent data loss from inevitable disaster.

When the hard drive on DS207 is full, you can expand more storage simply by attaching an external USB hard drive to the DS207.

DS207 is designed for Windows users and Mac users to share files seamlessly. Windows users can access DS207 via Samba and FTP, and Mac users via Samba, FTP, and AFP. Unicode support allows sharing files smoothly in different languages.

It’s designed to keep the unit cool, and running quietly. There is remote file management within a Web browser. You can even do Website hosting, with support for PhP and MySQL, which is kinda neat.

The front is quite interesting, with all the lights and a USB port. But, it’s not just any USB port. If I plug something into it, it will automatically suck all the data off the device, and copy it onto the NAS. On the back, you have the fan and a couple of USB 2.0 ports where you can plug in a printer or other device.

When I first heard about Synology through a friend, I couldn’t believe they were right here in Seattle. I couldn’t believe I had never heard of them. I did my research first. For me, it’s all about usability, working cross-platform, and Web-based features. So, I was excited to find that not only are they right here in my hometown, they also have a large variety of products to suit all of your needs.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

Which NAS Device are you Using for Network File Storage?

Leica Noctilux 50mm f/0.95 leaked

2008-09-13T03:53:00.011-07:00

Have a burning desire to take photos by candlelight? Have $11,000 handy? It looks like Leica will be able to oblige before long with the impending release of their Noctilux 50mm f/0.95. Read More

Canon Rebel XSi and Powershot price drops

2008-09-13T03:53:00.009-07:00

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 - Toggle Resetting the Zoom Level to 100%

2008-09-13T03:53:00.007-07:00

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 - Toggle Resetting the Zoom Level to 100%
Configure whether or not Internet Explorer 7 should reset the zoom level on new windows and tabs. ...

Sony launches flagship, full-frame Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

2008-09-13T03:53:00.005-07:00

Sony launches flagship, full-frame Sony Alpha DSLR-A900
Sony has announced the launch of its highly anticipated full-frame flagship DSLR, the 24.6 megapixel Sony Alpha DSLR-A900.

Buying a Digital Camera - Work the Controls Before Buying

2008-09-13T03:53:00.003-07:00

Comparing digital cameras to buy? Familiarize yourself with the controls before making a decision. Read More

Bestbuy: Canon Waterproof Case for Canon A60 and A70 Digital Cameras $50

2008-09-13T03:53:00.001-07:00

RPS Annual International Awards

2008-09-13T03:52:00.001-07:00

Sir David Attenborough receives the progress medal and honorary fellowship of The Royal Photographic Society at Annual International Awards 2008. Read More