Tech news, gadget reviews and how-tos on just about anything and everything.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Sony HDR-FX1000


I thought Sony is phasing out the HDV tape. Well, it looks like they're far from it. With the introduction of the Sony HDR-FX1000, an HDV video cam for the video enthusiasts, Sony is making sure that HDV is far from being phased out. The Sony HDR-FX1000 features Sony's G Lens with 29.5mm wide angle and 20x optical zoom and will be available this October.

Sony HDR-FX1000 Specifications:

  • HDV 1080i recording with new 25p progressive scan mode
  • Exclusive Sony high-performance G Lens with 29.5mm wide angle and 20x optical zoom offers superb clarity and sharpness
  • 1/3 inch 3 ClearVid CMOS sensor with Exmor derived technology for excellent low-light sensitivity
  • Photo-realistic 3.2-type Xtra Fine LCD for detailed, high contrast framing and shot review
  • CinemaTone Gamma and CinemaTone Colour for rich, filmic tones
  • Optical SteadyShot for clearer handheld shooting
  • Advanced manual features with triple focus, zoom & iris rings

Friday, September 19, 2008

A way to vent the network admin's frustrations

Here’s an interesting online competition game for network admins, PSTPanic. PSTPanic is an online competition designed for those who work with PCs, networks, servers, etc. In short, it’s for us, geeks. The website is not an online multiplayer game as what I first thought but it’s more of a social network/competition site. Network administrators will get a chance to vent their frustrations and at the same time, get a chance to win prizes. Hey, who says frustration doesn’t have its rewards?

The game works this way, network admins will just have to submit a picture of themselves capturing their expression when their PC or server suddenly crashes. Before you trash your servers, hand someone a digital camera so that they can capture you in action and who knows, even if you have lost your job, you may still be able to win some prizes given by PSTpanic. So what’s the prize? The photo which is highly rated by other users will get $250 Amazon gift vouchers, 2nd place gets $150 Amazon voucher, and 3rd palce gets $100 Amazon gift voucher. And since PSTPanic is a new site, they’re giving away $10 Amazon gift vouchers for the first 50 photo submissions.

At the end of the competition, PSTPanic will award 5 random participants a free copy of GFI MailArchiver.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Sony VAIO AW Series


Don't you just miss the days when laptops are supposed to be for your lap and companies were racing for the most ultraportable notebook? Well, that doesn't seem to be the trend nowadays as laptops now have screen sizes going from 17 and even 20 inches.

The Sony VAIO AW series is one of these new breed of laptops. Having a screen size of 18.4 inch and full HD resolution with a 3LED backlighting system, the Sony VAIO AW series is the must have notebook of HD enthusiasts and photo/video editors.

Aside from its full HD capability, the Sony VAIO AW series features Dolby Home Theatre audio and 2.1 channel speakers, HDMI port, Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 processor, NVIDIA 512MB GeForce 9600M GT graphics card, and a 500GB SATA drive.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Software for extracting audio files from video

I used to be hooked on Spongebob episodes. I know that I'm a grown woman but there's just something about Spongebob that transcends generations. Anyways, going back to my topic, I was so hooked that I bought a DVD to watch previous Spongebob episodes. Now I'm also hooked on mobile phones and I've already put Spongebob's wallpaper as the theme on my mobile phone but I also wanted to get ringtones. I wanted Spongebob's song "ripped my pants" to be my ringtone so I wanted to go about extracting the audio file on my DVD so that I can make it as a ringtone.

After a lot of Googling, I found out that Blaze Media Pro Software, a DVD software, can do this for me. I usually don't buy random software especially if I just wanted to rip some audio file but I thought I what the hey, I can probably make use of Blaze Media's video encoder to convert my various DVD collection into a more mobile friendly format so I can watch it on my windows mobile device. I also had a bunch of Quicktime videos so I guess I could make use of Blaze's MOV converter too.

Anyways, I'm actually pretty happy with Blaze's interface. It's userfriendly plus their file conversion is fast. It usually takes me a long time to rip a CD on windows media player but Blaze can do that in a minute. Anyways, Blaze Media is definitely one of the better investments I've made.

Friday, September 5, 2008

One stop shop for your security system needs

Whether you own a store or you just want to keep your precious gadgets safe, keeping your premises safe and secure can be a daunting task. It's a good thing that technology has made it easier. Securing your home or store the high tech way is really easy. There are a lot of gadgets out there that could help you do it. From sophisticated alarms or security camera systems, to novelty items such as a LED light that can fool burglars into thinking there's someone at home, there are a lot of options to choose from.

ITPlanet.com is not your ordinary gadget website. More than offering gadgets, they cater more to businessmen and entrepreneurs who wants high tech solutions for their business needs. The site claims they offer the lowest price guarantee but I gues you have to check out their site to find out.

The Honda Insight


At the 2008 Paris International Auto Show, Honda will unveil the Honda Insight, a concept version of its new small hybrid vehicle. The Honda Insight borrowed the design of the Honda FCX Clarity.

Honda expects the insight to be the most affordable hybrid vehicle when it will go on sale next Spring. Contributing to the affordability of the Honda Insight is Honda's cost reduction in their Integrated Motor Assist components. This technology includes a function which can assist the driver in developing more fuel efficient driving habits.

The production Honda Insight will be a available as a four-door, five passenger hatchback.

Port Numbers for Peer to Peer sharing

Now just because this post talks about peer to peer sharing doesn't mean that I encourage software piracy. A lot of people uses peer to peer network for different reasons. There are a lot of non-copyrighted files that are shared in peer to peer networks. Anyways, if you're using peer to peer a lot, you may notice that you're not getting the usual high speed that your ISP should be providing you. This is because some ISPs block the port numbers that are usually associated with peer to peer networks. If you're using Azureus or other bittorrent clients, it is best to use port numbers in the range of 49152 and 65535. This is because some port numbers are already registered and used by other applications.

If you head on over to PC Library, a website that has a huge database of port numbers and error codes, you can view which port number are already in use by some applications. If you've been using proxy sites or proxy software, you'll notice that most proxy address uses the port number 8080. This is because port 8080 is the most commonly used port number by proxy servers. Anyways, if you're curious about which application uses which port number, head on over to PC Library and research all you want.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

The Sony BDP-S350 Blu-ray Player

The Sony BDP-S350 has been available since last July. The Sony BDP-S350 is Sony's next generation blu-ray player which features Bonus View (a picture in picture feature), BD Live and the much awaited Ethernet Port. Sony's first generation of Blu-ray players doesn't feature an Ethernet port, something which its former competitor, the HD DVD has over the other. Consumers had to update the firmware by downloading the files in the internet, burning it onto a disc and then inserting the DVD on the Blu-ray player.

During the initial release of the Sony BDP-S350, it retails at around $400. Now, you can buy the Sony BDP-S350 and other cheaper blu-ray players at buyblurayplayers.com. You can buy blu-ray player at a starting price of $324.99.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Epson Artisan 800


Epson has recently introduced a new line of all-in-one printers. The Epson Artisan 800 has almost every features that can be fitted into an all-in-one printer. The Epson Artisan 800 has WiFi fax, automatic document feeder, 7.8" smart touch panel, 3.5" LCD, and capable of printing ultra HI-Definition photos. If you have kids in your home, the Epson Artisan 800 has a feature that can make your kids busy: it can turn photos into personalized coloring book pages.

The Epson Artisan 800 will be available this September and has an estimated retail price of $299.99.izes to match users’ printing needs.