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Posts tagged Gadgets
nexus one: the real Google phone
Today, a special event is scheduled to take place at Google‘s headquarters in California. If the rumourmill is to be believed, Google may be unveiling its own Android-based phone which goes by the name Nexus One.
Some of the specifications that are available indicate that the hardware is manufactured by HTC and that the operating system is the brand-new version 2.1, also known by its codename Flan.
Version 2.1 of Android seems to speed certain operations up a bit, though it’s likely the 1GHz Snapdragon processor has something to do with that. The device has both 512MB available for its ROM and its RAM and features a 480×800 touchscreen and a 5MP camera in addition to the now standard network connectivity hardware. A MicroSD card slot is provided for additional storage. The device is extremely sleek – see the full specifications here.
The Nexus One is for sale on Google‘s web store – unfortunately, the device is presently not for sale to South African residents.
Camera care
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
I’m paranoid about my gadgets, often trying to be more careful about not marring a shiny surface than putting them to their intended use in their very short technological lifespan. No gadget is more mollycoddled than my camera, and that includes, without exception, an absolute avoidance of moisture.
Most cameras should be kept out of the wet at all times, but higher end cameras have been built to withstand far more abuse than I would ever wish to see. For a great example of this see Canon Field Reviews. The description of the Canon 7D‘s weather sealing capabilities by Ole Jørgen Liodden is absolutely fascinating.
The fact that his 1DS Mark III fell into the water twice and continued to function without incident is a good indication of what these cameras are capable of, even if a story like that can bring tears to one’s eyes… In the end, it’s about using a tool for an intended purpose.
UDMA 6 – 64GB CF
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
SanDisk has produced one of the fastest compact flash cards currently available, the 64GB UDMA 6 Extreme Pro. Aimed clearly at those wanting to shoot 1080p video on the latest generation of DSLR‘s, the Extreme Pro features a transfer rate of 90MB per second.
There are only two things to consider: the price and whether or not your camera will be able to support the high-capacity storage card. First, the price. At almost USD 900, the 64GB card is still extremely expensive. Currently, 32GB cards are probably a better bet from a cost-performance point of view, though it may be prudent to consider investing in 16GB models to get the best bang for one’s buck. If the transfer speed is absolutely necessary, the cost for the Extreme Pro may be justified, though the Extreme IV storage cards work quite nicely.
The support for the 64GB card is another matter entirely: for my EOS 5D Mark II, SanDisk doesn’t seem to recommend the product, though all indications are that the card will work in that camera without any trouble. Before jumping into a purchase of this rather expensive item, you should be sure that it will work with your particular gear. Better still: wait another six months or so and get this at a vastly reduced cost. By then, 128GB CF cards will probably be the order of the day…
PDF on the Kindle – take 2
I just posted some notes on getting PDF content onto a Kindle two days or so ago. Today, Amazon announced a software upgrade to the Kindle that makes the device 100% more useful and versatile than it already was. The Kindle software version 2.3 that magically appeared on my Kindle and I noticed only once I received a notification mail from Amazon mentioning its existence adds native PDF support. No more messing around with file conversions or sending files to the Amazon Kindle account for half-baked PDF conversion: simply drag and drop a PDF file onto the device when connected to a computer, then read the PDF on the go.
I tested this with some Canon EOS instruction manuals and am happy to see PDF‘s in absolute detail and clarity – there’s simply no comparison to the conversion achievable with the PDFRead method I discussed earlier. This is where I see a lot of value in the Kindle: the ability to carry instruction manuals in PDF form anywhere, in a single, compact package. The sample below is not a screenshot taken from the Kindle, but the quality of the PDF in Acrobat Reader on the PC and on the Kindle is identical.
The addition of a native PDF reader is an absolute highlight – if you were still on the fence with regard to a purchase of a Kindle, this is one killer feature that may change your mind. Other improvements in the 2.3 firmware include the optimization of battery usage when the device is connected to the GSM network, the ability to view content in either landscape or portrait orientation and the ability to magnify sections of a document for clearer reading.
It’s just as well Amazon sent a note regarding the update – I probably would never have noticed even though the update had already taken place… Your Kindle will have the update too.
PDF to Kindle
I still haven’t put up a review or any comments regarding the Kindle. It’s a great device and I’m using it more and more as time permits. The greatest killer feature (read killer for the wallet) is the absolute ease with which I’m able to browse the Kindle store and purchase books. A recent viewing of a documentary on National Geographic prompted me to look up a book by an author interviewed during the course of the documentary. The subsequent purchase of his book was an absolute no-brainer…
Another good use for the Kindle is the ability to display PDF documents. The standard way of having documents converted to PDF format is to send a document in an appropriate format to the service offered by Amazon. For a small fee (there’s also a free service), the input document is converted and sent to the Kindle once conversion has taken place. I’ve found the abilities of the Amazon conversion service to be mediocre, unless the document contains only text. For graphics-heavy documents, reasonably easy and free option is available in the form of PDFRead. PDFRead is a free, downloadable application that runs on Windows and Mac OS X. Its purpose is simple: take as input a file and convert it to a format that is suitable for viewing on a variety of readers, including the Kindle. The results for graphics-intensive documents are reasonable – don’t expect very crisp images. But it’s serviceable and certainly usable.
The application expects certain inputs, most importantly an input file and the resultant output file. Both formats should be specified and it is mandatory to enter a title and an author. Certain output options tweak how the resulting file will be output. For the Kindle, I use the profile prc-mobi-p for a portrait-optimized file.
A click of the Convert button, and PDFRead runs along. In the case of a PDF, each page is converted into an image and all images are later assembled into a cohesive output file for the Kindle.
The conversion process is one of best effort – images are slightly fuzzy and text not always clear.
The output file is copied to the Kindle via the USB connection.
If you require PDF content on your Kindle, this is certainly a very convenient and reliable method. Output depends on the content and the complexity of the images. Other than that, PDFRead is hard to fault.
Android Alex
I’ve had the pleasure of using an International Edition Amazon Kindle for a bit over a week now. Yes, there’s a writeup coming soon, but in the meantime the obvious gadget envy that occurs immediately after the packaging of a purchased device has been torn open has already begun: Barnes & Noble is selling the Nook. Everyone is waiting for the Apple Slate or Tablet or whatever that’ll be called. And now, some pictures of a very attractive Android device have surfaced. This Android is named Alex and is described in more detail on the MaximumPC site.
The images on that site show a slim device with an e-ink top screen and full colour bottom screen.
The controls in the bottom part of the screen are for easy navigation through content displayed in the larger top screen. Otherwise, the colour display shows photos, videos and is able to run applications in a touch-screen environment. There’s a 3G modem and wireless LAN adapter to grab content, whilst the screen is able to display 3fps animation. That’s certainly a cut above the Kindle which takes about 2 seconds to refresh its screen. Web browsing will be possible on this device. The good news is that Alex could be on sale within the next two months and will add to the frenzy that has become the electronic reader market.
Getting started with MiFi
The MiFi has been available in South Africa for some weeks. If you haven’t heard of this rather remarkable device, here’s a quick rundown: the MiFi is a credit-card sized network device. It accepts an ordinary SIM card and connects automatically to any available data network, from GPRS to HSDPA speeds to enable Internet access. But Internet access is of little use if it cannot be shared. For this reason, the MiFi creates a wireless hotspot, capable of supporting five devices simultaneously.
Devices that connect to the MiFi are able to share the Internet connection and are also able to access a shared network resource for file sharing. The file sharing resource exists in the form of a Micro SD card slot – insert a suitable Micro SD card and start transferring files. The real benefit of the MiFi is that it contains a rechargable battery. That means the device is capable of providing Internet sharing for almost four hours, though that time is heavily dependent on network conditions, file transfer activity and the number of connected systems.
The MiFi device sold locally is the model 2352. AutoPage Cellular is the distributor and sells the device as part of a contract or as an outright purchase. The approximate cost when buying the device outright is ZAR 2000.
I had an immediate disappointment when my MiFi arrived about two weeks ago: after eagerly unpacking the tiny device, I inserted a SIM card and the battery, then plugged the charger in to start the initial four hour charge. The solid, red light indicated something was amiss, but I considered leaving the device for a while in the hope that the ominous red indicator would change to some other colour. Four hours later, there was still no change. In fact, the device was unresponsive and only a removal of the battery was able to reset it. I switched it on and tried it out – all working, except that any attempt at providing power either by wall socket or USB resulted in the solid red indicator showing up, fixed only by battery removal.
I returned the device the next day and was happy to receive an immediate replacement, no questions asked.
The MiFi is a very useful device, making the portable wireless hotspot a reality. Suddenly, it becomes feasible to use an iPod Touch to place a Skype call whilst on the move, or even Internet providing access to devices in a car. The battery life may be a limiting factor. In my experience, four hours is an absolute maximum, and it’s likely that the battery won’t make it that long under most circumstances.
The single power button lights up in a different colour depending on the status of the device and the type of connection it has achieved. It’s rather colourful…
Management of all settings is provided through a web interface that can be displayed in a browser. From that interface, various settings are adjusted, including those that relate to the firewall and file sharing.
File sharing occurs via the web interface – users upload and download files from and to the Micro SD card using the routers default IP address.
If required, the access level to the files on the Micro SD card can be changed.
The MiFi is supplied with a charger and USB cable. When connected to a Mac or PC by USB, the MiFi is unable to provide a wireless hotspot – in this mode, it functions as a standard USB data modem, similar to the Huawei E220. A control panel is provided that display connection status and statistics. When connected to the wall charger, the MiFi charges and functions as a wireless hotspot as it does when it’s running on battery.
The MiFi is incredibly useful. The device is tiny and light, allowing it to easily fit in any pocket. I found the overall performance excellent using both an MTN and Vodacom SIM. Similarly, connected devices have fast access and can be managed rather easily from within the web interface of the MiFi. The ability to provide a file share is a huge advantage and increases the usefulness of the MiFi tremendously. The only downside, as with any battery-powered device, is the time the battery lasts. Thankfully, the battery is removable and it may be possible to purchase extra batteries to provide longer usage times whilst away from an AC power source.
I’d highly recommend the MiFi. If you’re currently looking to buy a standard USB data card, consider the MiFi as a slightly more expensive, yet far more flexible, alternative.
Night vision in miniature
There are some toys that are just too expensive to justify, no matter how cool they are or how useful they could be. A great example is the latest night vision scope by Minox. That German company is renowned for its exquisite optical equipment, specifically its binoculars and cameras.
Their latest night vision scope is the NV400, a tiny piece of optical equipment powered by a single CR123 battery. The NV400 provides 2x magnification and infrared assistance to make the viewfinder brighter. At a minute 17cm in length and a mere 560g, this is a fantastic toy. Focus can be achieved at a distance of 5m all the way to infinity (and beyond). Both a teleconverter and 37mm filter adapter are available to further enhance the use of the scope.
The box contains the NV400, teleconverter, battery and protective cover. The kicker is the price: in South Africa, the price is above ZAR 21000. Certainly not an impulse buy… Pity!
ScanSnap Snow Leopard support inching closer…
Both the Mini and MacBook have been running Snow Leopard since its release date and without much trouble. I held out upgrading the iMac simply because I wanted to be sure that all my peripherals and software products would work. A good thing, too. After upgrading to Snow Leopard on the MacBook, I discovered that support for the excellent Fujitsu ScanSnap S300M was lacking. Nothing too serious, but the scan to folder functionality is exactly what I want to use and I had no intention of working around the current software release’s inability to do just that under Snow Leopard. The partial fix provided by Fujitsu is simply another workaround and is not able to match the functionality as it’s intended to exist.
Long story short: after waiting for an update on when the new driver and software bundle would be ready to support Snow Leopard, Fujitsu has finally indicated that the end of November has been targeted. That’s great news…
I’ll try the update on the MacBook first and then move to Snow Leopard on the iMac once I’m satisfied that the update solves the issue of being able to scan directly to a folder without manual intervention. Looks like the iMac is getting a Snow Leopard for Christmas…
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV announced
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
Less than a week ago, Nikon announced an updated camera to replace its flagship D3 line, the D3S. That camera boasts impressive ISO performance: in standard mode, ISO 12800 is achievable, whilst in Hi 3 mode, the ISO performance reaches an incredible ISO equivalent value of 102400!
Today, Canon fires back with the announcement of its new, high-end camera body, the EOS-1D Mark IV.
Canon describes the camera as a high-speed multimedia performance monster: the 16MP CMOS sensor is supported by dual DIGIC 4 imaging processors and 14-bit A/D data conversion. The camera is capable of shooting at 10 frames per second for stills and at full high definition 1080p in video mode. Similar to the Nikon, the ISO performance has shot through the roof and is likely to put a dent in flashlight sales: the maximum ISO in standard mode is 12800 (for video) and in extended mode reaches all the way to 102400 (for stills).
The back LCD panel is 3″ in size and is high in contrast with a wide viewing angle. A 45-point AF sensor with 39 high-precision cross-type AF points updates the autofocus performance considerably.
The expected cost of the camera body in the US is set at USD 5000. More information and specifications are available here.
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