My Review of the Western Digital My Book Studio 1 TB FireWire 400/800 Drive
February 23, 2010 by admin · Comments
I am a member of the Amazon Vine program. Each month Amazon.com sends me products to review for their site. This month I received the Western Digital My Book Studio 1 TB FireWire 800/400, USB 2.0 External Hard Drive
Let me echo the thoughts of some of the other Amazon reviewers: The addition of the ’smartware’ in such an intrusive way is not Mac-like and completely unnecessary. I did see the mandatory virtual CD disappear after I installed the smartware software on my Mac, but having to install anything to use an external hard drive is completely inexcusable. Western Digital loses two stars on this ‘feature’ alone.
Once installed, the included smartware software adds an equally unnecessary menu bar icon that does nothing but take up system resources. I was able to remove it from loading by going into user settings under system preferences and removing it from my startup items.
Features & Operation
Beyond the major software flaw, this is a good external storage device. There are few first party firewire 800 drives directed at Mac users, so this drive might be attractive for those looking for an easy solution to adding a high-speed time machine backup drive to their system. It is also compatible with Firewire 400 and USB 2.0… Read the rest of my review at Amazon.com (affiliate link).
Review of the Western Digital My Book Studio 1 Terabyte Drive
December 28, 2009 by admin · Comments
I am a member of the Amazon Vine program. Each month Amazon sends me items to review on their site. This month I received the Western Digital My Book Studio 1 TB External Hard Drive.
Western Digital’s My Book Studio is a Mac formatted external hard disk that includes a high speed firewire 800 interface. While the product is good, Western Digital’s foolish decision to make their ‘Smartware’ an intrusive part of this product is not Mac-like and completely unnecessary. The Smartware software will present itself as a ‘virtual CD-ROM’ that will not go away unless it is installed.
Once installed, the included smartware software adds an equally unnecessary menu bar icon that does nothing but take up system resources. I was able to remove it from loading by going into user settings under system preferences and removing it from my startup items.
Read more of my review at Amazon.com.
My Review of the Western Digital My Passport Essential External Hard Drive
December 27, 2009 by admin · Comments
I am a member of the Amazon Vine program. Each month Amazon sends me items to review on their site. This month I received the Western Digital My Passport Essential 320 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive
I have long been a fan of Western Digital’s bus powered external drives and own a bunch of them for my online video news startup. Their drives are workhorses and have withstood a ton of abuse my reporters have inflicted upon them. What I liked most was the drives’ simplicity – plug it in, format, and get to work.
Unfortunately Western Digital has made a mess of their newest generation of bus powered hard drives by forcing users to install unnecessary drivers and the addition of a persistent `virtual cd` that can only be removed through a lengthy process hidden on their support site.
Read my full review at Amazon.com to hear my experiences using this drive on both Windows and Mac.
Lowepro Magnum DV 6500 AW Shoulder Bag Review
December 9, 2009 by admin · Comments
I am a member of the Amazon Vine Program. Each month Amazon sends me products to review on their site. This month I received the Lowepro Magnum DV 6500 AW Shoulder Bag.
The Magnum DV 6500 AW is a very serious bag for serious content creators. It makes efficient use of space while offering adequate protection for expensive gear. Lowepro makes every inch of the main compartment configurable with a number of extra padded “walls” included to provide extra protection as needed.
This bag is perfect for a pro with multiple cameras and lenses. I was able to fit my SLR, two lenses, and a small “angel” tripod in the bag with some room to spare for additional accessories.
My only disappointment was that I couldn’t quite fit my unibody 15″ Macbook Pro in the bag comfortably. I could zipper the bag closed, but the computer was just too close to the zipper for my taste, leaving a portion without padded protection. A smaller 13″ plastic Macbook fit perfectly.
Beyond that gripe this is a great bag that can carry a lot of expensive stuff safely and comfortably.
See my video review, which includes the Macbook Pro difficulty, on Amazon’s site.
My Review of the Philips SWW1800/27 Wireless HDTV Link
November 30, 2009 by admin · Comments
I am a member of the Amazon Vine program. Each month Amazon sends me products to review on their site free of charge. This month I received Philips SWW1800/27 Wireless HDTV Link
The Philips SWW1800/27 Wireless HDTV Link actually works as advertised, transmitting the output of up to four high definition devices across a room without wires. It is simple to install and requires absolutely zero configuration. Plug it in and it works.
/>Philips gets bonus points for including an HDMI cable. This the first high definition device I’ve used that actually comes with one. I hope other manufacturers follow their lead.
I tested the device in my home, transmitting the output of a high definition camcorder and a few other devices approximately thirty feet across my living room to a plasma television.
See my full review at Amazon.com.
Apple Finally “Gets it” With New Magic Mouse
November 5, 2009 by admin · Comments
The Bottom Line:
If you’re a Mac owner and are looking to upgrade the lousy mouse that came with your system you will be very satisfied with the Apple Magic Mouse Those looking for more buttons and macro functionality should look at similarly priced products from Logitech and others.
Review:
Apple is known for elegantly designed products, but unfortunately its input devices have fallen short over the last decade or so. That all changes today. The Magic Mouse is the first Apple mouse in probably twenty years that lives up to the elegance of the products it will be connected to.
The entire mouse is touch sensitive, and surprisingly it actually works without many ‘false’ reads. The Magic Mouse is smart enough to detect finger movement for scrolling even when my palm is resting on the device.
A ‘momentum’ setting in the software driver gives your Mac the same type of scrolling behavior as the iPhone. Fast flicks of the finger scroll faster, while slower movements give finer control. It gets a little flaky when a scrollable form is embedded on a webpage, but these are things that can get worked out with future driver releases. Best of all most of the mouse behavior works in virtual environments like VMWare and Parallels.
Magic Mouse also has a very satisfying mechanical clicking system. Like the trackpad on the new Macbooks, it just feels right. Right clicking is available, but it must be configured first in the control panel.
I am puzzled that while Apple prides itself on designing non-replaceable rechargeable batteries into its products, the Magic Mouse runs on AA’s. Batteries are included, but they are not rechargeable. You’ll need to get your own charger and batteries if you wish to use rechargeables. Battery life is decent, and after three full work days I’m still at 90%.
PROs
Beautiful design with an innovative touch sensitive surface
Satisfying clicking mechanism
Seamless bluetooth connectivity
CONs
Only has two possible button combinations (click and right click)
Apple software update required before the mouse is fully functional (as of 11-3-09)
Right clicking needs to be configured in the control panel first
You’ll need a seperate battery charger if you wish to use rechargeables
Windows users won’t get the same functionality as Mac owners at this time
Review of the Epson Workforce 1100 Wide Format Printer
October 20, 2009 by admin · Comments
I am a member of the Amazon Vine Program. Each month Amazon.com sends me products to review on their site. This month I received the Epson Workforce 1100 Color Inkjet Wide Format Printer
I am a very happy owner of an Epson Workforce 600, so I was excited to receive this wide format printer for review. Like other Epson Workforce series printers, the 1100 has a fast printing mechanism and quality that rivals laser output (depending on the paper stock).
Read my full review at Amazon.com.
“Rolling Shutter” Plagues Nikon’s D300s Video
August 31, 2009 by admin · Comments
Nikon’s brand new D300s is hitting store shelves this week. It’s an incremental upgrade on the legendary D300. It adds a few new features but the big one for me was video.
Unfortunately, a problem that plagued Nikon’s first SLR video feature in the D90 continues with the D300s – rolling shutter. Basically fast moving objects or camera pans can result in some distortion due to how the camera’s sensor reads and outputs data. While not a deal breaker for me, it is disappointing that a problem that existed in a Nikon product from last year is still going unfixed on their latest mid-level flagship product.
You can see the problem first hand in the video above.
Read more about the problem (and a fix) at Chase Jarvis’ excellent blog.
Here’s some footage I shot during a recent vacation to Hawaii. It works much better when the camera is locked down:
Here are some additional videos I shot with the D300s earlier, mostly handheld:
REVIEW: Canon Vixia HV40 HDV High Definition Camcorder
June 25, 2009 by admin · Comments
I am a member of the Amazon Vine Program. Each month Amazon.com sends me products to review on their site. This month I received the Canon VIXIA HV40 HD HDV Camcorder.
Over ten years ago I bought Sony’s legendary TRV-900. It was a consumer camera so good and so 
ahead of its time that it remained on the market for four years – an eternity in the consumer electronics industry.
Canon has a similar product in their HV series HDV camcorders. They released such an outstanding product two years ago with the HV20 that the two new models since (the HV30 and now the HV40) are really just small refinements of a mature product
NEW FEATURES
So let’s get one thing out of the way up front: There really isn’t much of a difference between this camera and last year’s HV30 (which was a small upgrade on the superb HV20). As an HV20 owner, I felt right at home when this arrived and I powered it up. Video quality is about the same, they look pretty much the same, and overall performance is the same too.
What is different is the addition of true 24P recording which offers a more film-like frame rate over the standard 30 frames per second. It should be noted that prior versions of this camera (as well as Canon’s AVCHD models) also shoot 24P but that mode requires additional software to get to “true” 24P video when editing. You’ll want to check to ensure that your editing software supports true 24P footage as it’s not a configuration that is on many consumer cameras.
AVCHD OR HDV?
If you’re reading this it’s likely that you’re in the market for a new camcorder. It’s also likely that you’re confused over the multitude of different formats currently available: hard disk, flash memory, tape, etc. etc.
Despite the many recording mediums, the current crop of consumer cameras can be delineated into two camps: AVCHD (the hard disk and flash based cameras) and HDV (tape based).
HDV cameras have two advantages over their AVCHD counterparts. The first, while not as compelling a reason as a year ago, is compatibility. HDV was the first consumer HD format and is almost universally supported by just about every video editing software package released over the last three to four years. In addition the HV40 can also shoot in the older standard definition DV format, a format so old that even software and hardware from ten years ago can work with the footage.
Another factor to consider is the firewire port. Want to record directly to your PC or Mac? Or perhaps do a live broadcast to UStream or Stickam? HDV cameras like the HV40 stream compressed video in realtime over Firewire, something the AVCHD cameras don’t do.
Still, Canon’s AVCHD cameras are now recording at a higher bitrate and with a more advanced video compression algorithm that makes for better image quality. Canon’s flash based cameras, like the outstanding VIXIA HFS100, are mostly solid state and lack the complex (and delicate) machinery of a tape-based camcorder like the HV40.
CONCLUSION
Canon’s HV20 was a very mature product right at launch and that maturity continues in this iteration. Still, there’s nothing so compelling in the HV40 that makes it a necessary upgrade for HV30 or HV20 owners. For first time buyers, if you’re able to pick up an older model at a lower price you won’t be making much of a sacrifice in terms of features. It’s a great camera, just not any greater than the prior versions!
For most consumers HDV cameras are old technology. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if the HV40 is the last tape-based camcorder Canon releases to market. AVCHD has matured to the point that I am now recommending that to friends over HDV based cameras. AVCHD’s lack of moving parts combined with the very low cost of flash memory makes it tough to recommend the bulkier mechanical alternatives like the HV40.
If, however, you’re using an older computer or need to stream video live the HV40 is one of the best (if not the best) HDV consumer cameras on the market.
iPhone 3GS Video Sample – YouTube Upload
June 19, 2009 by admin · Comments
I just moments ago picked up an iPhone 3GS. It looks and feels just like the 3G, but has a new screen coating that seems to not get as greasy as the old one did.
But the real improvement here is the camera. Check out a short video I just shot on the way to the office. The phone compresses it pretty heavily, but the fact I could shoot, edit (I suppose trim might be the better word), and post this over the 3G cell network in less than 5 minutes is a major game changer:
Stuff I find interesting- Apple approaches $200 billion March 7, 2010
- Obama Gives Cheney a Call February 26, 2010
- Plants vs. Zombies breaks records on the iPhone February 26, 2010
- ‘Find My iPhone’ Rescues Two Stolen Phones at Busch Gardens February 25, 2010
- Poll: Republicans more partisan February 24, 2010
