Pocket Cameras – Toys or Tools? (Kodak Zi6)

Over the last few of years, the consumer electronics market has been deluged with small pocket video cameras. Just recently, they started to be classified as “HD” because their image size and frame-rate meets the definition. There are limitations, however. You do “Get what You Pay For”. But can these simple inexpensive cameras be used to create more than family movies — even “professional” results? In many ways, yes.

First, the limitations:
-Just because the image is HD in size, the approximately $100 Zi6 sensor is not equal to much higher priced HD cameras such as a HVX-200 from Panasonic (MSRP $6,300). The Zi6’s image suffers in low light, however it’s surprisingly good for a $100 camera.
-It’s more difficult to get smooth footage: This is a lightweight pocket camera you hold in your hands – how steady are your hands? You’ll know in a few seconds when you shoot with this camera. There is no image stabilization on this camera.
-No external mic input, though no camera at my purchase time had this feature in the sub $100 price category.

The advantages:
-You can take it anywhere! Put it in your pocket! Try that with a 5.5lb HVX-200.
-It records on virtually ubiquitous SD cards. But don’t use the cheap ones. You’ll need the faster class 6 cards. They’ll cost you 10’s of dollars, compared to 100’s of dollars for the proprietary P2 cards used in the HVX-200.
-If you shoot in bright light the image looks surprisingly good on YouTube and compares favorably to much higher priced cameras.
-The on-camera mic is pretty good as long as you stay close to your subject and the background noise is not overpowering

My review:
There are some really useful features about this camera for a serious user: The camera uses rechargeable AA batteries that can be found anywhere. The same with the SDHC cards that are used to record the video. If you’re shooting a lot, you can easily carry spares so you don’t have to stop to recharge the camera or download the video. The lens has a macro setting that allows you to get within a couple inches of an object and be in focus. These are great features to have when I shot for my wife’s running club. See the video on YouTube here. They ran a 204-mile marathon from Gonzales, Texas to the Sam Houston monument in Houston. The team spent 36-hours on the road and I had the Zi6 with me.

How to get good results with these small cameras:
-Shoot where there is light. Keep the sun or bright windows behind you. Don’t shoot in backlit situations.
-Hold the camera steady. Brace your arms against your body. Use your body to help with pans and tilts. Avoid holding the camera one-handed in an outstretched arm.
-Be close to speakers so the sound doesn’t sound too hollow.
-Tell a story.

There is now a 2nd generation of these cameras on the market that have external mic inputs and image stabilization, but these features won’t make up for bad technique. If you give Picaso a pencil and paper what comes from it? A masterpiece! The same applies here: good videography and good storytelling come from the gray matter between your ears, not from the camera in your hands.

Do you have experience with pocket video cameras? We want to hear from you! Please leave your comments and remember: “Technology is your Friend!”

Thanks for reading!
-John (aka Founding Geek).

Blu-ray: Will it Survive?

Question: Do you prefer your entertainment to be at the Highest Quality and be less convenient OR do you prefer your entertainment to be convenient in substitution for Higher Quality? Let the battle begin.

Over the last couple of years, we have seen Blu-ray disc player prices dramatically decrease. Rumor has it: This Black Friday…Blu-ray players for 99 bucks! After these drastic price reductions, you would think people would flock to purchase their very own unit but this is not happening. The market is showing very little growth in Blu-ray player ownership. Why? My theories:
#1: The discs are very expensive. A single disc can cost $35.
#2: You need the right components to make Blu-ray worthwhile. 1080p TV, HDMI cable, Nice Surround Sound amplifier and speakers, etc.
#3: Our ipod generation wants it now!…That’s right…Instant Gratification. The Apple iTunes store has taught us that we no longer have to wait for our entertainment but just merely click. Why go the store when you can watch movies online, on your smart phone, or even better…have them streamed to your TV? Movie streaming pioneers such as Netflix, Yahoo Movies, Apple TV, and services such as cable, TiVo, and satellite pose possible threats to Blu-ray because they give us the ability to watch our movies on demand.

More and more, we our becoming a society of convenience. The Internet has made information global and easy to discover. Carrying around physical media just does not cut it. Generally, convenience and pricing are what have made electronic products succeed and fail. Example, Betamax movies versus VHS movies. VHS movies were cheaper to make therefore drawing the consumer in more.

Digital content via the Internet versus Blu-ray media:
A Blu-ray disc costs close to thirty dollars. Buy the HD version of the same movie on iTunes and the cost is twenty dollars. Purchasing the digital version also allows you to put the movie on your AppleTV, ipod, or computer. Last point; buying a movie off the web lets me avoid SUV driving Soccer Moms from crushing my Honda Civic. This is Ricardo Amell (Correspondent GEEK for John Ahren’s Gadget Review World), signing off…

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Ricardo Amell
rickyamell@gmail.com

Pen Tablet to the rescue!

If you’re starting to get that tingly feeling in your wrists it’s a warning. You could be showing symptoms of carpel-tunnel syndrome. Perhaps a Pen Tablet could help.

Hey I’m not a doctor, but if you prefer to treat the cause of the problem, or better yet prevent carpel-tunnel altogether read my earlier post about my own experience.

The pen tablet has been a key factor in eliminating discomfort in my wrists. Try this simple exercise to understand how poor ergonomics using a typical mouse can cause problems for some people:
1.) Sitting down at your computer in an armless chair, put your hand at your side. Make sure it’s relaxed.
2.) Lift your arm from the elbow, and rest it on the table. Notice that your hand is resting on the “pinky” side of your hand, with the thumb on top.
3.) Now, grasp the mouse as you would work with it. Notice how your wrist twists and possibly bends? A pen tablet can help eliminate the twisting and bending in your wrists and perhaps reduce injury.

I have two pen tablets that I have purchased. One is in my home study, the other is with my computer at work. Both are made by Wacom and are Graphire models that are discontinued. They were priced at roughly $100, and easily hooked up to a MAC or Windows machine.

Outside of the possible health benefits, there are many useful operational and creative advantages.
1.) Multiple pointing modes: Mouse, pen, multi-touch finger
2.) You can customize the way the pen, mouse, or even your finger are used with individual programs. That feature can be a major productivity boost when you switch from Microsoft Word to Adobe Photoshop. The included software keeps track of which tool and the software you are using.
3.) You can write or markup documents as though you were writing on paper.
4.) Pressure sensitive pen makes the process of retouching photos or drawing more intuitive. Basically the more pressure you use, the wider the stroke.

Which one should you buy? There are many tablets out there, starting at $70 and going into the thousands. My personal suggestion is to check out the Wacom product line, and compare with others you find.

Do you have experience with a pen tablet and have recommendations? We’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment.

Remember, technology is your friend!
-John (aka Founding Geek)

Apple TV

Convergence between internet and cable/satellite/broadcast has been the buzz for a few years now and Apple TV is one of the first devices to make it easy for the average consumer. All you need is high speed internet, a network (wired or wi-fi) and the cables to hook up your HDTV. Setup is simple.

I purchased my Apple TV in June 2007. It’s worked flawlessly for over two years now. Of course you can listen to music through your entertainment system and watch recent movies and TV shows on your TV. With the software upgrades Apple has added the ability to send audio from the Apple TV to any other sets of speakers connected to your network. I have an Apple Airport Express in my study and also my wife’s study. In effect we can pump out The Beatles to Beethoven to every corner of our house.

The big surprise to me…
… was that I would become hooked on video podcasts and YouTube videos. There is lots of useful information on podcasts. Whether your interests are in gadgets, cooking, pets, broadcast news repeats, whatever; you’ll find entertainment and useful information in these podcasts. It’s easy to find video podcasts through the iTunes store. I like being able to watch them in the comfort of our den, instead of watching hunched over my computer in the study. You can download podcasts or just stream them over your wi-fi network.

My only request to Apple…
… is to combine Apple TV with the Mac Mini so I can also surf the internet on my HDTV. All you would need additionally would be a bluetooth keyboard and some sort of bluetooth pointing device (mouse). With such a device, we would essentially have full convergence of internet and traditional television content in the comfort of our living room.

In a future post, we’ll discuss how you can free up your Apple TV using a free program called Boxee.

Do you have an Apple TV? We’d like to get your comments. Please click on the link and let us know about your user experience.

Why am I blogging about gadgets? Find out here!

Zagg “z.buds” earphones

I purchased the Zagg z.buds about a month ago and have been using them daily. They offer a number of improvements over the regular free or low cost bud-type earphones.

Features:
–z.buds have heavy rope-like wire instead of the thin plastic (nylon?) wires. This makes them very tangle resistant. When I wrap them up and put them in my pocket, I don’t spend much time untangling them.
–z.buds have an ingenious cable management system (pictures here). Basically you stick your head through a loop created between the earbuds and they stay put whether they’re in your ears or not. (See diagram here.)
–They are offered with or without a microphone. I purchased them for my Palm Pre so I ordered the microphone.
–They have about 6 or 7 different earbud tips so you have the correct size for your ear. Replacements are available on the zagg website.
–z.buds come with a little carry pouch.

Review:
When you open the package, the first thing you have to decide is which eartip to install on the buds.

–Selection of eartip is VERY important. The best way to do this is to listen to music that is familiar to you, and try on the different tips. You should find a set that isolates outside noise and retains fidelity of music. Trust me, the tip makes a huge difference. For me, some didn’t isolate outside noise and made the music tinny. One gave me a muddy sound. However, I did find a couple of tips that fit my ear and significantly attenuated outside noise while providing an accurate reproduction of the music. I like this passive system better than the active noise reduction systems I have tried.

–Cord management system: It works very well once you understand how to wear the z.buds. The trick for me is to make sure that the first retainer-bead is about 12-inches from the buds. You have to make sure that the buds will reach your ears with enough slack so you can turn your head. I can use use the 2nd bead to loop the cable around a shirt button to keep the cable close to my body so my flailing arms to catch the cord.

–integrated phone and volume control: They have changed the arrangement and now both controls are on one switch close to the left earbud. It works well. You can use the controller to start and stop music, end calls, and adjust volume. However, I’m not certain this is the best place for it. For me having a control like this next to my left ear is awkward. I often pull the left bud out as I fiddle with the control. I wonder if a better position would be at the base of the split which would put the control down by my waist.

–Price $69.99 for the version without the mic. $10 more if you want the mic. Pricey compared to the free ones that come with your device, but well worth the value. The quality of components is great. z.buds are proof you get what you pay for. Zagg always has a special running so if you plan to use their invisible shield product you can get some good savings.

–Conclusion: Great job Zagg folks. Change the position of the controller/volume control.

Why am I doing this blog? Answer here.

Please your experiences with these or other earbuds. Which ones work for you? Which ones don’t?

-Remember, technology is your friend!
John (aka “Founding Geek”)

iFixit.com

iFixit.com is a great site for the person who is not too afraid to open their computer, ipod, or other gadget and fix it. This is an Apple centric site primarily to fix your ailing Apple computer, iPhone, and iPod. You can also witness first time tear downs of the latest products. In fact, only a couple days after they released the new generation Nano, they had a tear-down for it.

Having said that, you should always have a healthy respect opening a complex gadget. Also, you should never be pressured by time. So, if you have a fair degree of mechanical aptitude you could save yourself a ton of money and have some fun to boot!

iFixit.com sells the tools and parts and provides free instructions. Considering tools, what’s the difference between a $2 and a $20 dollar 00 Phillips head? Plenty! Buy high quality tools. Cheap ones fail (especially Phillips head drivers). A cheap Phillips head won’t survive the first tough screw it encounters.

I have repaired two PowerBook G4’s. I replaced the hard drive on mine with a larger one. On a friend’s Apple PowerBook 15″, I replaced the DC sound card. This card is in the bottom of the computer so I had to take most everything out of the case to get to the card. i also had to disconnect every wire attached to the logic board.

Tip: use an eggcrate or iFixit’s useful screw map to keep straight which screws belong with which step.

Challenges:
With both laptops, I managed to strip a screw. In both cases, the screw was not critical to fastening a part and there were other redundant screws to carry the burden. A small screw extractor can extract the screw.

To recap:
1.) Have plenty of time and be patient. I could fix my problems because I could approach them fresh and with different tools (like the screw extractor) the next day.

2.) Buy good tools. What’s an extra $20 when your saving $50/hour for labor?

3.) Have fun. It’s amazing what you’ll find in there. How many can say they fixed their laptop, iPhone, iPod themselves?

I wish I had a site like this when I was a child taking apart retractable ball-point pens…

-Remember, technology is your friend!
John (aka Founding Geek)

Keyboard and Mouse Ergonomics

A few years ago at work, I started to feel a tingle in my wrists when I would work for a prolonged time at a computer keyboard. I knew what it was – carpel-tunnel syndrome.

The only thing that was giving me the discomfort was the keyboard and mouse. Just like most of you my wrists were bent in some awkward position to use the computer and that was causing the tingling and numbing sensation. (I might have to make a short video to demonstrate this wrist bending thing). So how could I use a computer and minimize bending my wrists? Several ways.

Posture:
Make sure you have correct posture and seating position (tips here, diagram here) when using a computer. Here’s a diagram showing correct position of your mouse hand. Here’s a diagram showing correct position for your hands on a keyboard.

Equipment:
I made a couple changes to my keyboard and mouse as well. I purchased an ergonomic keyboard and a pen tablet to help me keep the proper hand position. Future posts will feature the keyboard and pen tablet I purchased.

With these changes, I have not again experienced the pain/numbness associated with carpel-tunnel.

Why am I doing this blog? Answer here.

Would you like to share your experiences with carpel-tunnel syndrome and workplace ergonomics? Please share with your comments.

-Remember, technology is your friend!
John (aka “Founding Geek”)

Pilot Varsity Fountain Pen

Have you ever used a fountain pen? If you haven’t you might give it a try. I find that fountain pens are very easy to write with. You don’t put pressure on the page, the ink just flows. It’s easier for me to write for longer periods of time. I own some nice fountain pens and my biggest fear is that I will be using one, set it down, and loose it.

With the Pilot Varsity Fountain Pen, you have a $2-$4 disposable writer. It lays down an even line of ink. For a cheap pen, it has a good nib (tip)! Basically the entire barrell of the pen is the ink reservoir, so there’s plenty of ink. There’s even a window so you see how much ink is left.

The pen comes in a variety of colors and is available at Amazon, Daly’s Pen Shop, the Pilot Pen Store, and Jet Pens, just to give you a few.

-Remember, technology is your friend!
John (aka “Founding Geek”)

Palm Pre

The Palm Pre went on sale in the U.S. on June 6, 2009. I was a first-day purchaser.
Did you know that Smart-phones have been around for awhile now? Since 1993, according to WikiPedia. My first smart-phone was a Palm Treo 650, then at Palm 755p, and now the Palm Pre. OK, maybe there’s a bit of brand loyalty bias, but not as much as you think.

No, the first smart-phone was not the iPhone. It was just the first smart-phone that was marketed properly. Here’s one of the first commercials for the iPhone.

Truth be told, my Palm 650 (and most smart-phones) could do most of what was in the commercial, except maybe the GPS trick. The first commercial demonstrated what most of us with a smart-phone already knew – a smart-phone becomes a 2nd brain! The iPhone is a great phone. In fact, there are several good choices in the marketplace today.

So why did I choose the Palm Pre? Several reasons.
1.) Palm webOS: I think this is a promising OS because anyone who knows CSS, HTML and XML will be able to develop for this new OS without having to learn any new programming languages.

2.) Synergy: This technology combines e-mail, contact, calendar, and messaging. I have e-mail accounts with google, mac.com, aol, comcast, yahoo, hotmail…, well you get the idea. All the inboxes can be accessed in one folder. Contacts: if you have different information in your various accounts, it all show up in one contact on the Pre — assuming the name is the same.

3.) Multi-tasking: My co-workers know I always have many windows (applications) open on my work desktop. It’s called “Windows” you know… On the Pre, you can have multiple applications open and easily change between them with a flick of your finger. Here’s a demo.

4.) Full QWERTY keyboard: I like having a tactile touch to the keyboard. Some people complain that the keyboard is too small. Well, it’s smaller than the Treo 755p, but you get comfortable with it in time. Do you want a bigger phone? Sure you could have it slide sideways, but that has other limitations. Get over it. Life is a series of compromises.

5.) Size: Not a big part of my buying decision, but I benefit I enjoy now. Because the Pre is a slider, you can have a small phone in your pocket or purse.

6.) WiFi: Great around the home and other places – even the local grocery store.

7.) Sync with iTunes: The Palm folks piggybacked on the popularity of iTunes. You mean I can sync with my iTunes library?

What have I learned since my purchase?
webOS: The operating system is rock solid. Just like the early iPhone users, Palm Pre owners are waiting for more applications. At this publication, they are starting to be released. There are applications through the Palm app store, and homebrew apps available here.

sync: Sure, there is software to do a hardwire sync, but with a phone so connected to the Internet, you’ll need to see what’s best for you. Here’s an application for a hardwire (or WiFi) sync.
My thought was to use the easiest, least software intensive way to merge data. I have a .mac account, and a google account. I personally think that using Google contact and calendar and allowing the Pre to wirelessly sync works better. My advice is to cut the cord and use a Google account. I use Spanning Sync to keep my Google account in sync with Apple AddressBook and iCal.

Keyboard: It is small, but you’ll get comfortable with it.

Battery life: Depends on how you use the phone. Basically, you have a computer in the palm of your hand. What do you expect? If you listen to a podcast to/from work, have it check e-mail every 30- 60 minutes, search the web a handful of times and receive a few calls, you’ll get a days use before you have to charge. If you’re coming from a smart phone you’ll understand. If you’re coming from a phone, you should have a charger at work. In my opinion, you should always have on in the car. What if there’s an emergency and your battery is dead? Have a car charger regardless of the phone you have.

e-mail: I find it easier to check e-mail on the phone than on my compter!

build quality: Could be better, but it’s not poor. There is a little flex in the slider.

Touchstone charger: Seemed like an extravagance when I bought it. But it makes perfect sense. Why should I have to plug in my phone. Why can it work like by toothbrush?

Apps: Just like when the iPhone launched with a new OS, it took time for the apps to roll out. I consider myself a power-user when it comes to the smart-phone, so miss some of the applications I used with my Treo. However, if you just use the phone for contact information and normal personal information management, you’ll be fine.

overall: The Palm Pre is my 2nd brain. The OS is very stable. I really like Synergy it makes checking my schedule, contacts, events, and e-mail surprisingly easy. WiFi and Bluetooth work well. Battery life is about the same as my Treo 650 and 755p.

In subsequent posts, all address applications and accessories that I have found and use.

-Remember, technology is your friend!
John (aka “Founding Geek”)

FOODSAVER V3800 SERIES

It’s difficult to store food in the refrigerator, freezer, or pantry for any length of time. In the freezer things stored get frosty and mostly unrecognizable over time. In the pantry, It hard to keep some pantry items fresh – mostly because we don’t use them quickly.

The FoodSaver V3800 was a Christmas purchase this year. I’ve only used it a couple weeks but here are my thoughts.

* I like the standup design – it takes less space on the counter.

*It’s simple to use. You can use it without reading the directions – but read them.

*You do have to get use to the bag sensor; sometimes it doesn’t responsd. The directions ask that you slide one side of the bag and then position. This works.

*The marinating canister does a great job making faster work out of the process.

*I have ordered some larger canisters to store flour and fresh fruits. I’ll let you know how that goes.

Some reviews complain that the auto bag sensor uses too much plastic (about 1”).
Do you have a FoodSaver V3800 series? If so, please comment.

-Remember, technology is your friend!
John (aka “Founding Geek”)