Casio Exilim EX-H20G Review

At the 2011 CES, I saw the Casio EX-H20G camera, and really liked it. I've already got a few digital point-and-shoot cameras (three), and really don't need a new one. That being said, this one offered something that the others don't - GPS.  It also is a 14-megapixel shooter that does 720p video. :)

It offers 10x optical zoom, whereas many other digital cameras will do 2x or 3x optical zoom and then "cheat" by using digital zoom for anything over that.  It also has a 24mm wide-angle lens, so you can fit more into a shot without backing up - think group shots at restaurants.

I've been spoiled by the geotagging that automatically occurs when I take pictures with my iPhone.  I like knowing precisely where a photo was taken, not having to put that information in when I upload the files to Flickr, or trying to remember that information later.

About 2 weeks ago, I got one as a birthday gift.  Of course, I started playing with it almost immediately after the battery was fully charged - which was just a few short hours.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with it.  It supports very high-capacity SDHC & SDXC cards, and I received a 32GB SDHC card with the gift.  That means tons upon tons of pictures, and many hours of high-def video with just one card - great when traveling.  I had read some reviews on Amazon that complained about the battery door popping open or feeling weak.  I have no such complaints.  It's actually better than two of my other cameras.  Their battery doors are single tension - slide it on and it locks, but if you bump the door in just the right way, it will pop open accidentally.  The battery door on the EX-H20G actually has a second sliding lock that keeps the battery/card access door locked in place.  I suppose if I dropped the camera it might break, but under normal use it feels very solid.

In addition to the automatic geotagging, the camera offers a number of other cool features.  First on my list is "Premium Auto".  This takes longer between shots to process the picture, but produces quite good pictures for virtually any setting.  Day or night, moving or still, macro or far, inanimate objects or even multiple face detection - "Premium Auto" will intelligently manage the settings for you.  I'm lazy, so I like stuff like that.  I don't know enough about ISOs, f-stops, white balance, etc to worry about those settings.  This camera deals with it for me.

Although Windows Live Photo Gallery will automatically stitch together panoramas, it can also be convenient to be able to do it in-camera.  The EX-H20G has a panorama mode that is surprisingly good.  Once you've set it to panorama mode, all you have to do is hold the shutter down and rotate your body.  You'll hear a satisfying rapid-fire clicking sound until you release the button.  After just a few seconds of processing, you'll have a very nice panorama shot.  Witness this shot of a friend's backyard, taken about on my first day with the EX-H20G:

More than 180° from left-to-right.  Click to see full size.

About the panorama shots - the resolution of panoramas created with the EX-H20G are not as high-quality as those made with Windows Live Photo Gallery, but they're pre-cropped and each panel is color-balanced to the others, so there's no weird color variations in the same panorama.

Overall I'm very happy with this camera, and plan to either sell or give away at least two of my other three point-and-shoot cameras.  I'd recommend it highly to anyone who wants a nice, flexible and easy to use point-and-shoot. 

EDIT: looks like Engadget agrees with me. :)

My Review - FLYNN'S ARCADE T-Shirt

Originally submitted at 80sTees.com

Cool shirt - GLOWS IN THE DARK!

By badtzmartin from Burbank, CA on 11/21/2010

5out of 5

Fit: Feels true to size
Length: Feels true to length
Pros: Stylish
Describe Yourself: Casual

I've seen knockoffs of this design. This is NOT a knockoff. It's officially licensed and great!

(legalese)

iTunes Ping - Review

Apple recently released a new music-centric social networking service called "Ping".  At the moment, it looks half-baked at best, useless at worst.

Here's some of the things I think are wrong or missing as of now:
1. Another "walled garden" that's separate from other social networks, especially facebook.  I think this is the biggest failing - searching for friends who participate in the service by their names or email addresses one-by-one SUCKS.  Period.
2. The artists that are participating are relatively sparse at this point, and I suspect Apple recruited those who are there.  Also, independent artists can't setup an "Artist" profile on their own - currently they've got to setup a personal account profile.
3. The "following" of specific artists isn't integrated properly with their iTunes store listing.  If a particular artist is for sale on the iTunes, you should be able to follow them from there, regardless of whether they have setup an artist profile in Ping.

When Steve Jobs demoed the new iTunes "Ping" social networking service, it had Facebook friend finding.  Apparently the feature was pulled last minute because Apple used a Facebook API without approval.  Even if that feature was still there, it's not enough.  The status updates, etc. should be fully integrated into Facebook.  If iTunes Ping remains a separate social network, it will fail.

Pandigital Novel - Quick Review

Just picked up a Pandigital Novel last night, partly to use as a cheap ($170) e-reader.  Honestly, it was a cheap iPad alternative that I knew other people (smarter than me) had figured out how to install Android applications on.  The stock "reader" app (which still works after the hack) can buy books from Barnes & Noble, just like the Nook.  After hacking, I was also able to install Kindle for Android, which effectively makes this a "multi-platform" e-reader.  Again, for this price it's hard to resist.

Here's what it looks like "stock".  Not bad.

The real fun began when I followed a series of (relatively simple) steps I found online, and hacked it to run "regular" Android, complete with access to the "Android Market".  I can even justify this as a business expense, since it's the first Android device I've spent more than 2 minutes using, and knowing my way around Android will help when a client asks me to help them setup an Android phone.

The screen is RESISTIVE, which means it requires pressure, such as the tip of your finger or a stylus.  This is not a deal breaker, especially on a cheap device like this.  It's actually pretty sensitive and responsive - I wish my GPS had a screen this responsive.

The iPad (and iPhone) uses a CAPACITIVE screen, which requires that a conductive "pointer" (such as your bare finger) be used.  While a capacitive screen "feels" better, this screen feels good for what it is.

It has 1GB of on-board storage, but will accept SD/SDHC cards up to 32GB. 

Anyway, I'm pretty pleased with it.  If you don't already have an iPad, and don't want to spend $500, go to Bed Bath & Beyond right away and buy one of these.

OtterBox "Defender" case for iPhone 4 - Review

Just got my OtterBox Defender case for the iPhone 4.

The Good:
- The clear screen guard is 100x better than the prior one. No "oil slick", and it appears to have a slightly matte finish inside, which just seems to improve visibility.
- The inner shell snaps together as before, except now the actual latches that make it work are integrated into how the holster works. And because of this, the holster is more secure.
- The opening for the dock connector isn't as small as before, so chargers seem to fit more easily. The prior model for the 3G/3GS had an oval opening that required modification of my car charger in order to fit.

The Not-So-Good:
- The silione outer layer isn't as "meaty" as the prior version. I know some people may consider this a benefit, but I personally like the thicker outer layer.
- The holster's release for the phone is now side-mounted. So if you're wearing the holster vertically, you've got to rotate the phone to unclip it.

Overall - this is a very well-designed, high-quality rugged case for the iPhone 4. The previous complaint about the fragility of Ballistic's offering make the OtterBox the clear winner for me.

Samsung Omnia II "Review"

A client of mine just got the Samsung Omnia II. It's clearly being marketed as an "iPhone competitor.". In reality It's not at all competitive. The touchscreen appeared to be resistive, which means you have to physically push down on it. It had a sort of "skinned interface", but underneath it runs Windows Mobile, which was a decent competitor to the old Palm OS on PDAs several years ago, but it doesn't hold up very well today. Bottom line, it's a very dumb "smartphone".

PowerSupport - PRODUCT REVIEWS

PowerSupport USA (http://www.powersupportusa.com) makes two very interesting products for MacBooks.

First is the TrackPad Film for MacBook, which solves a common problem.  I've had my MacBook for over two years, and over that time, the trackpad surface has become unevenly glossy.  This makes using it inconsistent and even a little frustrating.  This simple solution is essentially a little sticker that you lay over the track pad, and like magic, it feels like new again.  Other than a little difficulty getting it lined up and bubble-free, I couldn't be happier.

The second item is the Anti-Glare Film for MacBook.  It is a matte-finish overlay for the MacBook screen.  Again, apart from the typical difficulties in lining it up and getting all bubbles out, it's a real winner.  No glossy screen anymore for me!

Between these two simple upgrades, plus previous upgrades to Snow Leopard, increased RAM and the (recently upgraded) Hard Disk, my MacBook is even better today than it was when it was new!

The one (minor) negative is that the instructions were entirely in Japanese.  Thankfully I've used similar products before and was able to "wing it".  I assume that others are able to do the same, but I never underestimate the ability of people to do something wrong...

Even better for me is that rather than ordering it and having to wait, they have a retail store within a mile of my home:

 

Google Maps' shot of the PowerSupport Retail Store in Burbank, CA

They also sell various iPod & iPhone cases and accessories, as well as miscellaneous items from Japan.  If you're nearby, you should really check it out.

http://www.powersupportusa.com/product/show/track-pad-film-for-macbook-13-black

http://www.powersupportusa.com/product/show/antiglare-film-for-macbook-white-or-black-13

AVATAR: Film Review

I watched Avatar a few days after Christmas. I was spellbound. The story was interesting, but what I was more impressed with was the visuals. They were outstanding. One frequent complaint about CGI anthropomorphic characters is that they don't really look lifelike. This was absolutely not the case here. Apparently they did motion capture for the actors and matched the movements (including eyes, expressions, and mouth movements) to the actors. The result was amazing. I had read reviews that said that Cameron "raised the bar" with this film, and figured it was just hyperbole. It wasn't. The emotion shown on screen with these characters is remarkable. As lines are delivered, it really looked like the CGI character delivered the line. It's been said that this was the most expensive film of all time. Every dime was on the screen. Go see this film in a theater. Don't wait for a retail release.

Fantastic GPS mount

Since getting the "new" car, I've been using a "bean bag" type mount for the GPS. I didn't like it, but like the suction-cup-on-the-windshield mount even less. Also, the bean bag mount put the GPS in such a position that it would reflect off the windshield at night, which made for a constant annoyance if I needed to use it after dark.

I found an alternative that worked wonderfully. In this new position, the GPS screen doesn't reflect off the windshield, but it's at a perfect viewing position, and easily within my reach. I bought a custom-made mounting bracket (basically a small, bent and drilled piece of sheet metal with a ball on the end) from the geniuses at Pro.Fit International. They even sell a simple plastic tool to allow me to pop the console off without scratching it. It required minor drilling (but the two small holes are hidden under the console if the mount is removed) but the results are outstanding. Witness the new mount below:Now I just have to find a way to secure/conceal the cord a little better...