Monday, September 29, 2008

Buying a Digital Camera - Work the Controls Before Buying

Comparing digital cameras to buy? Familiarize yourself with the controls before making a decision. Read More

Pentax K200D First Look and Sample Images

We have had the opportunity to take a closer look at the recently announced Pentax K200D, a replacement to the Pentax K100D entry level digital SLR. The K200D is designed for users who may be unfamiliar with DSLR cameras but want a camera that will allow them to grow as they learn about photography. With 10.2 megapixels and a 2.7 inch wide view LCD, the Pentax K200D features an easy-to-use interface housed in a compact (now weather protected) body. See full story... Read More

Google Chrome - View Browsing History

View the list of websites recently browsed with Google Chrome.

Want to view the most recently-viewed websites browsed with Google Chrome? Pull up the History and see where you have been on the Internet. Each History item is hyperlinked so you can go back to sites with one click. Plus, you can search through your History items to find a particular site.

To view the History, either:...

Read more at MalekTips. Read More

Fujifilm: EXR-equipped camera coming in Q1 2009

Fujifilm: EXR-equipped camera coming in Q1 2009
Fuji's new Super CCD EXR technology has only been public for a day, but this potentially revolutionary technology may soon be coming to a FinePix near you.

Bluetooth-Headset and USB stick combo

Bluetooth-Headset and USB stick combo
Some two-in-one gadgets just don't gel (the microwave TV springs to mind) but others like the Bluetrek “Bizz” Bluetooth-Headset make perfect sense. The device is a headset for making hands-free phone calls that also integrates a USB stick for storing data as well as removing the need for a separate charger...

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Canon Announces 10MP PowerShot SD890 IS, SD790 IS and SD770 IS

Canon Announces 10MP PowerShot SD890 IS, SD790 IS and SD770 IS
Canon has announced three new 10 megapixel compact PowerShot digital cameras, the SD890 IS, the PowerShot SD790 IS and the SD770 IS. The Canon PowerShot SD890 IS features a rounded curve design incorporating a 5x image stabilized lens, optical viewfinder, and a 2.5 inch LCD. The more square PowerShot SD790 IS trades the optical viewfinder away to make room for a larger 3.0 inch LCD monitor, and features a 3x optical zoom with IS. The PowerShot SD770 IS offers a 3x optical zoom with stabilizer, an optical viewfinder and a 2.5 inch PureColor LCD II screen.. See full story...

ePHOTOzine member launches second book

After the praise received for The Dream Enclosure, Victor Habbick releases La Femme, a book all about the female form. Read More

Canon EOS 1000D / Rebel XS - full review and video tour

Canon EOS 1000D / Rebel XS - full review and video tour
Canon's EOS 1000D, or Rebel XS as it's known in North America, is the company's latest entry-level DSLR, and successor to the best-selling EOS 400D / Rebel XTi. The new 1000D / XS shares the same 10 Megapixel CMOS sensor as its predecessor and also the same sized 2.5in screen, but now adds Live View and comes bundled with an Image Stabilised kit lens. Interestingly some specifications have actually been downgraded a little: the AF system now has 7-points to the 400D / XTi's 9-points, and the 3fps continuous shooting rate now only applies to JPEG files. But the core specification of 10 Megapixels, Live View and a lens with anti-shake at an affordable price will greatly appeal to anyone in the market for a budget DSLR. Find out how Canon's latest DSLR compares against others in the range and key rivals in our EOS 1000D / XS review, and as always you can see the highlights in our EOS 1000D / XS video tour.

Suzuki unveils new GSX-R1000 superbike and Gladius 650 naked in Paris

Suzuki unveils new GSX-R1000 superbike and Gladius 650 naked in Paris
Suzuki has given us our first glimpse at a completely redesigned GSX-R1000 for 2009. With very similar looks to last year's model, it's a completely new bike with a new, more powerful shorter-stroke 1000cc engine that's nearly 6cm more compact than last year's from front to back. Thanks to the new engine, the bike's overall wheelbase has been reduced by 1cm and the swingarm has been lengthened for better suspension performance. The Japanese motorcycle giant also unveiled a brand new nakedbike featuring a revised SV650 v-twin engine. Suzuki hasn't announced whether the Gladius will replace the SV650 or whether the 2 v-twin middleweight nakeds will sell side by side...

Related Articles:


Sony Kdl 46X3500 Tv

Sony Kdl 46X3500 Tv
The Sony KDL46X3500 Full HD LCD TV is one of Sonys latest releases of High Definition glory. With 1080p,

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Linkification v5

Linkification v5
Wow, nothing Apple this week..

News / Web Happenings:

Dropbox has gone public - this popular service no longer requires an invite.
"Porn Mode" coming to Firefox - the FF team following suit on one of Chrome's popular features.
Spore and the great DRM Backlash - nevermind the DRM.. what a dissapointing game :(.
Integrated circuit turns 50, now isn't that nifty?
Smartphone sales up in Q2 '08, BlackBerry leapfrogs Windows Mobile
VLC 0.9.2 released: New interface, better codec support
BMW Vehicles gaining Google Maps
Google shows of Android powered phone - Video of the very 'iPhone' looking OS in action.
Google Maps Mobile Adds Street View, Walking Directions
SQL DB? No firewall? Weak admin password? That is a trojan coming your way alright
Joost Now Offers Online TV with Only a Browser - Seriously, is anyone actually watching any more?
Vista Group analyzes the new Auckland A
Sergey Brin launches a personal blog

General Interest:

20 Best Countries for startups - New Zealand listed as #2!
GPS guided UAVs used to ferry medicines in rural areas
Chevy Volt Uses GPS to Maximize Electric Engine Use

Development:

7 open source version control systems reviewed - SVN + Tortoise SVN + Visual SVN = WIN!
jQuery and JavaScript Coding: Examples and Best Practices
75 (Really) Useful JavaScript Techniques
Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 - Free e-book

Fail of the week:

Car security FAIL

Samsung Yp T10 4GB yp T10JAB

The Samsung YP-T10 is a super slim and sexy MP3 player which although is looking a little like the Samsung Read More

New Olympus E-520 - preview compared to rivals

New Olympus E-520 - preview compared to rivals
Today Olympus announced its latest DSLR, the E-520. Successor to the E-510, the new E-520 builds on what was already a feature-packed DSLR. The core specifications of a 10 Megapixel sensor with built-in stabilisation, Live View and effective anti-dust features remain, but the E-520 now features a slightly bigger 2.7in screen, quicker 3.5fps continuous shooting, a new IS mode and the addition of contrast-based AF facilities complete with Face Detection. Also announced is the new Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm 1:4.0-5.6 lens which delivers extreme wide angle coverage equivalent from 18-36mm. The Olympus E-520 will be available from June 2008, costing 479 GBP body alone, 529 GBP with the 14-42mm or 629 GBP with both the 14-42mm and 40-150mm kit lenses. The Zuiko Digital 9-18mm will go on sale in September 2008, but no pricing is available yet. Check out our Olympus E-520 preview to see how it measures-up against its rivals.

Disabled Photographers photo comp

Disabled Photographers photo comp
Gowrings Mobility & Disabled Photographers� Society launch national photography competition.

British Professional Photography Awards

The date for the British Professional Photography Awards has been announced. Read More

Dell Home: Inspiron 1525 laptop T2390 15.4in 3GB 250GB DVD+-RW $599 + free Sennheiser Headphones

Dell Home: Inspiron 1525 laptop T2390 15.4in 3GB 250GB DVD+-RW $599 + free Sennheiser Headphones

Vodafone - do you want my business?

Vodafone - do you want my business?
Customer retention is something every business needs to be good at. If your customer don't come back then you'll very quickly find yourself going out of business.

Visit your local coffee shop these days and you're bound to get a loyalty card. Buy 10 coffee's and get 1 free. Visit Subway and you'll get credit that goes towards buying a sandwich. Fly with an Airline and you'll get frequent flyer points. Buy your groceries at New World or buy your petrol at Shell and you'll get Fly Buys points. I don't need to list any more - I'm sure you get my drift.

Most of these companies all exist in competive marketplaces where customers have many choices when it comes to spending their hear earned money. These companies realise that keeping their customers happy is not just something you pay sparse attention to, it's part of your core business.

Now lets look at the mobile market in NZ. Stastistics tell is that 100% of NZers own a mobile phone so I'll ask a question that everybody should be able to answer. Exactly what are Vodafone or Telecom doing for you to keep you as a happy loyal customer? Do you feel that your mobile carrier really wants your business or are you simply treated as a number? Do you think they really care if you moved away to another carrier?

This poses the question - do these companies care about customer loyalty? Both feature business models based around locking you into long into term contracts and giving you small discounts off overpriced handsets. Imagine if you wanted to buy petrol but could only do this if you entered into a 24 month exclusive contract with the fuel outlet of your choice, a contract that you couldn't break without paying a penalty. In return they would sell you a 1.5l bottle of Coke dicscounted to $3.00 - more than you would pay for this product if you shopped at a supermarket. Would you feel like you were a happy, content loyal customer or would you feel like you were just a number?

New Zealand now has a greater choice when it comes to mobile with TelstraClear launching a virtual mobile network using Telecom's CDMA network and Black+White are about to launch a similair virtual network using Vodafone's network. B+W won't be offering term contracts and instead believe they can compete by offering a package that makes their customers feel like they are receiving value for money which in turn will drive customer loyalty.

So I'll now ask the question - having been a Bellsouth & now Vodafone customer for 13 years do you really value my business? What have you done recently that should make me feel happy about being a customer of yours? How have you rewarded me for my loyalty over the years? You give me significantly less airtime for my $ spend than virtually any other Vodafone Group network. You've put up roaming rates so I now have to pay more to make calls when I visit Australia 3-4 times per year and also charge all incoming roam forward calls by the minute rather than per second. This annoyed me greatly. What else have you done? Nothing. What would I like you to do? Offer me a plan that feels like I'm receiving value for money. Don't lock me into a term contract. Don't make me laugh me by offering me $50 off a $1000 handset that's selling for $200 more than it's true market value. Quite simply don't insult me. I'm happy to pay good money each month for a plan that meets my needs.

            
      Do you really value my business or not? If you do what are you going to do for me?

Microsoft SQL Server Data Services (SSDS) takes SQL to the web

Microsoft SQL Server Data Services (SSDS) takes SQL to the web
Microsoft are progressing with their cloud based database service - SQL Server Data Services (SSDS) - designed to provide a scalable, on-demand data storage and query processing utility service. Certainly the service could be a boon for organisations... (more in the full post)

The autonomous vehicle that thinks like an ant

We've seen numerous examples of science mimicking nature in the developing fields of robotic automation and artificial intelligence in recent times, from robotic fish to leaping micro-bots and mechanical rodents. Now a team of engineers from the University of La Laguna (ULL) in the Canary Islands have applied this thinking to self-steering vehicles using a system based on the way ants navigate between home-base and their food source...

Related Articles:

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Canon IXUS 960 IS Digital Camera

Canon IXUS 960 IS Digital Camera
The Canon Ixus 850is and 950is impressed us so much we though that Canon might struggle to improve upon

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX35 - full review and video tour

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX35 - full review and video tour
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX35 is a slim 10.1 Megapixel compact with a 4x optical zoom lens. It's the successor to the Lumix FX33 which was announced only six months ago - so what's new? Panasonic has extended the 3.6x optical range to 4x, but rather than make it longer, it's actually wider. So instead of 28-100mm, the FX35 boasts a 25-100mm range, giving it unusually wide angle coverage for a compact. Like the Lumix TZ5 reviewed last week, there's also 720p HD video recording, a component output for an optional HD cable, and the latest version of Panasonic's Intelligent Auto mode. Find out if it's the ideal slim compact in our Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX35 review and as always, check out our FX35 video tour for a demo. Note, the FX35 is known as the FX36 in Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Sony DSC-T70 Digital Camera

The Sony Cybershot T70 digital camera has a unique innovative feature that makes us want to shout out Read More

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H50 with 15x Optical Zoom and 3.0-inch LCD

Sony Canada today announced the latest addition to its high-zoom camera line, the 9.1-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-H50 digital camera. This new model (which is a successor to the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9) incorporates a 15x optical zoom lens with Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization to capture action at a distance. The Sony DSC-H50 also features extensive manual controls, including an exposure bracketing mode that newly includes settings for white balance and color modes. See full story... Read More

Buying a Digital Camera - Work the Controls Before Buying

Buying a Digital Camera - Work the Controls Before Buying
Comparing digital cameras to buy? Familiarize yourself with the controls before making a decision.

Sigma SD15 DSLR

14 megapixel (2,652�1,768�3 layers) Digital SLR camera. Read More

NewEgg: SAMSUNG HD103UI 1TB 5400 RPM Hard Drive $120 shipped

NewEgg: SAMSUNG HD103UI 1TB 5400 RPM Hard Drive $120 shipped

PowerPoint 2003 Menus - Toolbars - Status Bar - Enable or Disable Shortcut Keys When Hovering Over Toolbars

PowerPoint 2003 Menus - Toolbars - Status Bar - Enable or Disable Shortcut Keys When Hovering Over Toolbars
Toggle whether or not shortcut keys should display when you hover your mouse pointer over icons in PowerPoint 2003 toolbars.

Depending on your configuration, when you hover over icons in Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 toolbars, keystroke shortcuts may appear along with the description of the button. For example, hovering over the disk icon may display "Save (Ctrl+S)", hovering over the folder open icon may display "Open (Ctrl+O)", and hovering over the ABC and checkmark icon may display "Spelling (F7)".

If you frequently use keyboard shortcuts, you may find these hints useful - when you later need to access a toolbar function, you may remember the keystrokes instead. However, if you rarely use such shortcuts or already have the keystrokes memorized, you can disable this feature....

Read more at MalekTips.

Leica S2 professional Digital SLR

LEICA S2 professional Digital SLR features a custom 37.5-megapixel, 30 x 45 mm sensor integrated in a 35mm-sized body Read More

Wigram NOTAM

Wigram NOTAM
Just noticed that the following NOTAM was published start of this month. It appears therefore to restrict operations at Wigram to specific prior approval effective back on the 1st of September (the AIP will be updated 20 Nov, but the changes read to be in effect 1 Sep).  I guess that's what Ngai Tahu meant by "closed to traffic from September". 
A1272/08 FROM: 31 AUG 2008 12:00 TO: 19 NOV 2008 11:00
AIP PAGE NZWG AD 2-52.1, WIGRAM OPR DATA DATED 15 FEB 07
REFERS.
DELETE ALL SUPPLEMENTARY DATA WITH EXCEPTION OF OPR DETAILS.
ADD NZWG AD UNAVAILABLE FOR GENERAL USE WITHOUT PRIOR APV OF OPR.
AIP WILL BE AMENDED 20 NOV 08.
Of course, one has to ask, "what are they gonna do about it" if somebody should decide to pay a visit without prior approval, lets just hope they don't go do a "Daley".

Also NOTAM'd at the moment is the following, I guess they are surveying for the pending slice and dice.

A1763/08   FROM: 14 SEP 2008 19:00  TO: 19 SEP 2008 05:00    
DAILY 1900 TO 0500
ENGINEERS ON FOOT AND WITH QUAD BIKE EQUIPPED WITH FLASHING
LIGHT OPR ON AD

A1811/08 FROM: 17 SEP 2008 19:00 TO: 19 SEP 2008 05:00
GRASS AREA IN FRONT OF NR 4 HANGAR AND NR 5 HANGAR CLSD DUE
WIP


AVA Direct Gaming PC Workstation

AVA Direct Gaming PC Workstation

AVA Direct builds custom gaming systems to order, and our review sample turned out to be the computer equivalent of a 22-ounce filet mignon paired with a $500 bottle of merlot. Not surprisingly, the $6,200 amalgamation of high-end hardware blew nearly every game we could throw at it out of the water, with build quality and attention to detail from this manufacturer to match. This specific system build doubles as both a workstation and a gaming PC which explains why Xeon processors were used.

Read | Permalink | User Reviews | Linking Blogs

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Friday, September 19, 2008

For everything but cameras and lenses

For everything but cameras and lenses
Lakeland Photo Supplies is your stop for photographic accessories.

Wellington Workgroup Solutions Team

P1000002 P1000004
James Hippolite, Senior .NET DeveloperMartin Harris, Web Developer
P1000005 Gary Saunders
Megha Barpande, Web DeveloperGary Saunders, Lead Developer
Read More