Kodak Zi8

I’ve been reading previews and reviews of the new “pocket” cameras from Flip and Kodak, etc. for the past few months. Luckily, there’s something called the Mother/Father-in-law gift fund, so I took the plunge with the Kodak Zi8.

At the current pace of HD cameras, I just couldn’t justify the $1,000 price for a great personal video camera when it will be obsolete in a year and when the Kodak is just . . . wait for it – $150 at Amazon! Full 1080p resolution and image stability – nice additions in my opinion.

I’ll keep this brief (and might post some sample footage later). This is a teat little camera. It performs better than any other camera I’ve had (Sony Hi8 and Sony HDD camera). I use 720p mode and it does great. I especially love the 60 frames per second mode for super clean slow motion. I can’t wait for soccer season with this little guy.

Low light performance is especially good (compared to others I’ve had). I haven’t tried 1080p resolution since I don’t have a TV supporting it, bit it plays back fine from the player.

I’d there is a draw back, it’s that my current computer (Core 2 Duo with decent graphics mind you) won’t play the files smoothly. Theylre quite a chore to decode. I’m betting on future machines to handle this easily (I hope!).

All in all, the portability of this camera along with it’s above par perfoance for the price is a great deal!

iPod Car Integration

If you’re like me, then you like cars. At the same time, you like the tech that goes into cars (go to cars.cnet.com for a good lesson). For years, I have been looking for a good way to integrate my iPod/iPhone with our minivan (2002 Mazda). I looked at FM modulators, but they just plain stink at getting the sound through. I looked at changing the head unit of the stereo, but it would look horrible . . . so, I was sunk.

Until this Christmas. I finally found what I was looking for. The website I used, icarkits.com, has the Neo brand iPod car kit. No FM modulator at all . . . it overrides your car’s CD changer controls to give a direct connection to the audio system. And, it’s as good as that sounds . . .

I installed the system myself (seriously). All I had to do was pop off the dash cover, unscrew the CD player, plug in the wiring harness (they supply the correct one) and I was ready to go.

It sounds . . . well, perfect. And, to add to that, I can control the next/prev track and search my iPod just like a cd . . . from the controls of my car, not the actual iPod! Also, the docking connector charges your iPod. And, yes, it works with my iPhone 3G and my wife’s 3GS.  Also, we can still use the 6-disc changer that is in the dash.

I just wanted to share the joy . . . this is a great little device for getting your iPod linked into your system. And, they make devices for many different models of cars.  Hopefully this post will save someone alot of hassle with FM modulators and searching.

Grocery IQ

OK, so I bout this iPhone App about one year ago and use it every trip to Wal-Mart. I know, it seems extra geeky to use your phone for a grocery list, but if you used it, you’d see what I’m talking about. I can organize the isles of the store allowing me to simply make a “loop” around the store . . . it’s great not to have to spend all my time going back and forth looking for items on a list (yes, I am a man after all). I can also save favorites to a list to allow me to go through common items to add to my next list – very convenient.

Then, enter the 2.0 version . . . take all the great stuff about the first version, then add the next three unbelievably useful features:

• List sync – I now can share my list (or vice versa) with my wife. Now, you could just stop there and realize how cool that is (phones sync up with a server and keep the lists in sync), but realize that you now don’t have to discuss what’s needed at the store. When you think of it, just enter it and the other person will see it. So, no matter who goes to shop, your item you need is always in their list.
• Coupons – there are ads (small) in this version, but you do get coupons that you can print or email. I don’t use this (yet) because I’m not accustomed to coupons, but it’s nice to have the feature nonetheless
• Bar Code Scan – and, yes, this works surprisingly well. You just hold an item up to your phone (camera), then it scans it in and adds to your list . . . product name, details, etc. are all included. This is more of a novelty for me (I type in my items like I want them named), but for things you see in the store and want to add, it’s pretty slick.

So, in conclusion, buy this app. It’s just .99 and worth much more than that.

WordPress 2.0 App

Looks like WordPress has released their 2.0 App for the iPhone. I’m using it now. Looks pretty solid – and free! Will post back with any gripes.

Logitech Performance Mouse MX

Update: Still lovin’ this mouse. Leaving the USB receiver in the slot has proven to be quite handy since I take my laptop several different locations per week. Tracking is spot on . . . even took my laptop to work before sleep and it tracked great on my mattress. Battery has been adequate. I’ve charged it maybe once a week just in case via the USB cable (again, a great convenience to work while it charges). I think I could get easily 3 weeks of heavy use though.

OK, so I bit the bullet and bought the Logitech Performance Mouse MX. My old mouse’s “feet” have gone horribly awry, so I used that as an excuse for a new, fancy mouse (there, I said it). I knew I loved Logitech (old one was such), so when the new Performance Mouse MX came out a couple weeks back, I thought I’d give it a whirl. This is an initial 2 day review, so take it with a grain of salt. I’ll just list a few pros and cons here, then post more later if needed. Overall – love it.

Why It’s Great So Far . . .

1. Feels really good. My old one did too, but the thumb insert is a great feel. I have big hands too, so smaller handed people, I think, will like it as much.
2. More buttons than I thought – my old Logitech had three programmable buttons that I used. I pretty much had copy, paste, then a “minimize all” so I could quickly clear the desktop. The Performance MX has all that (almost) and more. Not only are there 2 buttons for my copy/past (or forward/back, etc.), but there’s a zoom button (handy for photoshop). The scroll will tilts left and right for two more buttons. AAAAnd, my new favorite, a hidden thumb button switches tasks. But, not a simple Alt-Tab function – this brings up a Mac like cascade of all open applications shown on the screen, then you click what you want. I can see this saving much time throughout the day switching between tasks.
3. Tracking – bulletproof so far. Haven’t tried glass, but all other reviews say yes, so I don’t see why not. The pads on the bottom glide nicely over various surfaces (have tried Corian, plastic table . . . pants leg – they’re all equally trackable).
4. Wireless – I’ve always stood back when it came to wireless mice. Don’t want to take changes in glitchy performance. This one is rock solid. Great after boot up, after sleeping, overnight, etc. I like that there’s a switch for packing and traveling too. Will post back here if I notice some battery issues.
5. Pluggable USB – if your batteries do run down, there is a USB cable (micro USB?) that plugs right into the front and charges as needed so you don’t have any downtime -sweet. PLUS, the USB receiver is so small (seriously, it’s crazy small), you can leave it in your computer – no more USB stick style receivers.

What you might not like . . .

1. Cha-ching – $100 . . . ouch. You might find it for $96 on Amazon . . . if I didn’t use this piece of equipment so much in my daily routine, I’d most likely go with a lower model.
2. Buttons . . . they are very clicky. Some might find them to be a “cheap feel”, but I rather like the feedback
3. No Lefty (yet) – this is a right handed only mouse (for now at least)

Overall, with a day or two of light use, this is a worthy mouse. For a heavy Photoshop user and web programming (copy/paste) with the addition of the very nice task switching button, I’m sold. The $100 price tag is a bit steep though . . . for those who read this a year from now, you should be in a much better situation!

Rolando

So, there was this game called Rolando for the Songy PSP a few years back. I thought it looked pretty cool. Well, now it’s for the iphone and they have a lite version (free). Jake can’t get enough. I enjoyed the time I played, but he always spots it and takes it! Really inventive and fun. Worth the free download and the full version is $7 I think. Enjoy

How to clean a laptop screen . . . serious this time.

I’ve worked on laptops for about 8 years now . . . I also use Photoshop extensively and you can’t imagine the times I’ve tried to retouch a spot in an image that wasn’t a spot at all! Let’s face it, LCD screens are better than ever, but they still get dirty and smudged.

Through the years, I’ve looked for all sorts of things to try and get ‘em clean. Solvents, kits, special applicators . . . well, today I’m working in the kitchen (Jake’s sick) and the glare from the window by the kitchen table amplifies the grime on my screen ten fold. Of course, most of this grime is from the classic “gotta touch the screen or it won’t work” effect from the kids!

Lacking judgement at the time, I lightly sprayed a folded paper towel with Windex (I know, someone just cringed). It, of course, just smeared the gunk across the screen for even worse visibility. Then, I went for broke and simply applied a generous amount of water to another folded paper towel – not dripping, just enough. And, ya know what?! I’m looking at a screen that matches when it was fresh from the factory.

So, there you go . . . I had to put this post out there (I know, boring!) because I’ve looked for a good solution for so long. And, hey, maybe I got lucky, but the fact is – it worked!

Good, Cheap Emailing List with YMLP

If you’ve been on the web for any amount of time these days, chances are you’ve subscribed to several emailing lists. Fortunately, there are MANY great services to get you set up and emailing clients, fans, etc. quickly and efficiently. And I do mean MANY – Constant Contact would be the heavy hitter, but few know about a company I’ve been using for years now. They’re called YMLP (yourmailinglistprovider.com). I started using them way back when for one reason – dirt cheap – to the tune of $3.75/month cheap to start out.

But, they’ve always managed to keep up with all the other big names in email marketing. They have the tracking services, the automated handling of bogus emails, user managed accounts, etc. But they still have that competitive pricing.

I’m not sure why I haven’t mentioned them before, but here ya go! If you need a good, reliable email list host, give them a try. Since I’m a subscriber, I can give you a code to get 15% off your usage fees . . . for as long as you use the service. Just sharing some savings! You can quit the service at any time too – no long contracts.

Click here to get the discounted rate. Enter the promo code FX141J to get 15% off of your order with YMLP.com.

My Life With Roku

Back in November, I wrote about Netflix streaming and the new (at that time) Roku box. Well, Alison took my hints and I recieved my shine (tiny) Roku box for Christmas this past December. Yeah, it’s all I wanted it to be.

After 8 months with the device, I can say (IMHO) that it’s all it’s cracked up to be. Netflix is adding more and more movies to their streaming service all the time. My kids say “Can I watch Roku” instead of “can I watch TV” now. The great thing is, and I hope they keep this up, is that several shows allow you to stream new episodes very soon after their air date. Heroes (NBC) lets you watch the new episode from the Roku player the day after the new showing. Maggie gets to watch Sonny With a Chance and other Disney programs in the same manner.

Aaaaand, many shows are now in HD quality. I never thought it’d get there, but 720p resolution on my 32 inch widescreen looks close to spectacular. I’d like to test it out on a larger Hi-Def tv . . . gotta wait on that though!

Oh, and did I mention that it’s wireless? It used 802.11G wireless, so it’s plenty fast to pull in shows rather quickly and with good quality.

All in all, a great piece of hardware. You can pick them up for $100 at several places. You will need a minimum Netflix package of $8.95/month (that gets you one disc in the mail at a time too). If they keep up the trend, cable might be a thing of the past soon. Oh, and iPhone and Wii are rumored to get Netflix streaming too . . . that’s just too cool.

Animal Apps of All Things!

I know what you’re thinking. Gimme a break, he’s talking about animal apps. I would say the same thing . . . if I wasn’t a father of three! The two apps below are all but a guaranteed hit with the kiddies. (under 3 anyway)

Zoo Box
Straightforward with high quality pics, this app simply makes an animal sound when you tilt the phone over a certain animal. Simple, but even my one-year-old has it down (yeah, she’s an iPhone junkie!). I think it’s a paid app now (I got it when it was free). It’s worth a dollar though for the smiles! And, they update it (not often) with new pics and sounds.

I See Ewe
Similar to Zoo Box, but instead of pics, you get clipart animations (cartoons). They’re well done, and Lizzie (1) loves ‘em. A simple click to see what sound the animal makes. Simple, but effective.