Fun with magnets

This cube of magnets is just amazing. See for yourself. Beware not to put any storage device nearby. It can destroy any data with ease.

Sony vs Olympus & Panasonic ?

Since the mirrorless M4/3 camp stirred the market with the Olympus E-P1 and then the Girl Friend #1 (GF1) from Panasonic, manufacturers suddenly woke up, learning that consumers actually want a camera that is easy-to-carry, can change lens, has a cool-looking, comes in favors like candies and priced reasonably. Wait a minute, it is not a DSLR. And so, E-P1 seems to open up another market for competition.

We always knew Sony wants it all. Here is comes with an answer. The Alpha series was just announced in PMA 2010. Here you go.



Now wonder our money always went somewhere but our bank.

Canon 550D

Sometimes I wonder why money is spent so quickly. Besides the reason of inflation (well, thanks to the burst of the US banking system, we who live in Asia are having our food much more expensive ever), cool stuff and toys churns out at warp speed. Features just stacked up against each other. Sometimes like the OS in your computer, lots of powerful 'features', only 5-10% are those you will ever use. Now it is time to burn your red-pockets.

Back to this cool little 'entry-level' camera. It was dubbed the mini-7D due to the borrowing of features from the highend 7D. Now the entry barrier is pushed further down but the features are pushed higher up. And it is officially released in Hong Kong now. The packages are quite affordable.

Body only for HK$ 6,480 (~US$830)
Body + EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS for HK$ 7,280 (~US$933)
Body + EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS for HK$ 8,980 (~US$1,151)


If you can read Chinese, more information here.

Nintendo DSi

Nintendo ruled the handheld gaming market. Before the iPhone era, I often saw people swipping a pen on a handheld device, seemingly doing something intense, while on the go. Later I learned that it is a device called NDS. The NDS was king for a while, until its slimmer, lighter cousin, the NDS Lite hit the market. (Yeah, we do not like stodgy stuff, whether it is human being or not). Some friends told me they like to play games like Cooking Mama because it is a whole different gaming experience. (Well, in the subways, fathers, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunties all cook.) It is no simple point-and-shoot kinda stuff.

I personally like long-lasting puzzle games (you know, buy less games to save some bucks. Of course, the best way to save some buck is --- ta da, don't play at all). I saw lots of people trucking loads of red-pockets clamoring for a Wii (sigh... me inclusive. Any one got a part time job?) or NDS or something similar.

Now the NDSi not just let you play all the existing games, but also add in social-gaming experience. With a camera, user can play with images on the fly. Gaming with sound is a new feature. It connects with WiFi to play online as well. An SDHC card slot allows user to play music, store photos and saved games. Here is a peek at the device.



More about NDSi here.

Rocket launcher for your office (USB and ... wireless!)

When you are bored in your office, ever wonder killing one or two colleagues just for fun?

Oh oh.... don't get me wrong. I am not telling you to 'kill' them in reality. You can 'kill' one or two by blasting some rockets from your desktop to their cubes, when they trespass along your corridor, or when they invade the tasty tiramisu during afternoon tea. Now it comes a wireless version as well. Pretty cool.





Amazingly, Amazon got one.

AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR

For me, owning a full-frame camera is never high on my wish list. But it would be very cool to own one.

Now this specially built lens for full-frame, FX format censor camera looks pretty cool. The range is good, with VR II as well. It is near Chinese new year. This cool little lens is good for capturing fireworks. Before capturing any fireworks, it would be necessary to collect enough red-pockets to buy a full-frame camera with this little bazooka.

Here are the features:

• Maximum aperture of f/4 through the full 16mm to 35mm range of focal lengths
• Built-in vibration reduction (VR II) of approximately four stops
• Nano Crystal Coat reduces ghost and flare
• Silent Wave Motor (SWM) for extremely quiet autofocusing
• Aberration compensation
• M/A (autofocus with manual override) and M (manual)

Chromium tablet

The iPad scored just enough for graduation. With competitors everywhere, from the past and from the future. A 'Shanzai' factory in China already claims Apple infringing their copyrights, although that device is an Atom powered not-so-slim tablet PC.

Acer said that Chrome OS powered netbooks will sold millions in the upcoming years. A designer dreamed up with a tablet powered by Chrome OS. Quite an interesting illustration. Looks like Apple has to pump up production capacity to capture the cream of the crop before arrival of any Chrome stuff.

You can find it the Chromium tablet illustration here.

iPad: an expensive photo frame

Now we all know the existence of iPad and its look. Wired said it is quite cheap, in terms of production cost. Well, Apple is a company, making money is its objective and is no evil (whether you thinking they are making TOO MUCH is another issue).

One of my friends said, 'I am just scratching my head regarding what sort of photo frames to buy, now this one looks perfect!'

Steve, surfing the Internet is cool. Surfing the Internet on the palm of your hands is cooler. Surfing the Internet on the palm of your hands when your wife is away is coolest. But don't surf the Internet when your wife is doing housework or in the kitchen busy with the meals. Or your iPad will end up hanging on the wall, becoming an expensive photo frame.

Canon EOS 550D / Rebel T2i

Ever wonder why camera companies churns out new cameras at a pace you just can't keep up with? In my opinion, I think it is perfectly normal from a return-on-equity standpoint if I am a shareholder.

Therefore, Canon gives you some insight on the naming of these new cameras, the Rebel T1i (500D), T2i (550D), XSi (450D). You can guess from their names what it means. When you shell out your bucks, you close one eye (1i), you close two eyes (2i), or you semi-close your eyes (XSi). It roughly tells you how much you are paying. (Just kidding...)

Well, I was initially very impressed, see the spec below:

■18 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
■DIGIC 4 processor with ISO 100-6400 (Expansion to 12800)
■Continuous shooting at 3.7fps
■Full HD movie recording with manual control and selectable frame rates
■7.7cm (3.0”) 3:2 Clear View LCD with 1,040k dots
■iFCL metering System with 63-zone Dual-layer Metering Sensor
■Quick Control screen to change shooting settings
■Exposure compensation +/-5 stops (although viewfinder scale is still +/-2 stops)
■Select maximum value for Auto ISO
■External Microphone socket
■Movie crop function
■Eye-Fi connected functions compatibility

As a Nikon camper, I think these specs are not bad at all, given the body is only priced at US$799. Add US$100 you'll get a 18-55 kit lens. The price is reasonable as an entry-level DSLR, but you got more than what you paid for.

Of course, it is not the price alone that determine whether a camera is worth buying. Here is a preview.

Nikon Coolpix P100 | Digital Camera Resource Page News

Sometimes I wonder whether there is a digital camera that have the best of many worlds: as manipulable as a DSLR, light weight, can shoot HD movies, lens range from 24 to 300mm, ISO from 100 to 6400, built-in VR, and beyond...

Well well, I know that I am greedy. But this cool little piece caught me by surprise.

Here is the spec in brief:
- 10.3-megapixels
- In-Camera High Dynamic Range (HDR)
- Night Landscape Mode
- 3.0-inch 460,000-dot Color Display
- 5-Way Vibration Reduction (VR) Image Stabilization System
- Optical VR Image Stabilization
- Hybrid VR Image Stabilization
- Motion Detection
- High ISO up to 3200
- Automatically takes up to 10 shots
- Sport Continuous Scene Mode
- Subject Tracking
- Face-Priority AF
- Skin Softening
- Smile Mode
- Blink Warning

Sounds like it targets family users squarely. The problem of in-house parties with low lighting conditions, naughty kids running here and there, and mothers driven mad can now be captured with ease. Looks like I need to save some money for one.

Nikon Coolpix P100 Digital Camera Resource Page News

Tablet PC or iPad?

Now the iPad is not available until March. The hype is over. My expectation is somewhat higher than what was revealed.

I want to have a device that is more powerful than the Kindle, not as restrictive as the iPad, and do a bit of work while on the go. Seems that a netbook is a choice.

But as Steve put it, netbook is just cheap PC, not powerful PC. He is right to some extent. There are users who follow him anyhow. He is the Moses of technology. He waves his staff, the sea divided, and the iPad rose.

There are other users who know a bit about their own needs. I have been researching for a device that can offer me the above 3 functions without draining my blood. Looks like that some manufacturers are answering this minute voice amid the uproaring of iPad.

Lenovo and Asus have 2 affordable devices, S10-3t and T91MT. Both are multi-touch, have swivelable screens, small in form-factor and come bundled with decent software. While I am not a big fan of MS, reality is that many apps runs on it. With cost around US$500 to $600, it is squarely a target for iPad. But it does serve my needs. Choosing a tablet netbook over iPad means you give up certain degree of coolness.

E-PL1 + 14-150mm = freedom

I had been looking for a second camera to supplement my D70 for some time. I like Nikon except the summation of all the weight of the equipments. Now it seems that there is an answer.

The all conditions 14-150mm lens from Panasonic caught my eyes. Combining with the E-PL1, which weight only 334g, looks like a perfect travel companion. One lens is good enough for all travelling. No need for lots of accessories. Well, although the eye-piece is still not there yet.

The lens cost more than double than that of the body... hm... seems like that I need to buy a lottery ticket before I can buy one.

E-PL1, a camera worth waiting for?

These days, things are progressing in retro styles.

First, the deflated US dollar. Things are more expensive then before. Salary did not adjust. And most of us become poorer except the greedy bankers.

Second, protectionism seems coming back. The invisible hand defunct. A visible hand comes to stage.

Then, the E-P1. I am not a big fan, or even a fan, of Olympus. I live in a die-hard Nikon camp. Loved my loyal but aged D70. The E-P1 caught my attention simply because it reminds me of camera design when I was a kid. This is the first time I want to have a camera other than Nikon.

Later, the Panasonic GF-1 (Girl Friend #1?). Well, well, it is not exactly retro. But it is elegant to have such a DC. It keeps you afloat on top of those snap-shot DCs. But it won't propel you up to the DSLR level.

Now the E-PL1. This is a camera striking a good balance. It can do point-and-shoot, do movies, change lens, priced reasonably well, got a bunch of filters, can see effect on-the-fly, ... and the list goes on. The operation

Hands-on preview here:


Amazon Japan is accepting orders. Wonder how many die-hard olympus fans will take the plunge...