There's a FreeAgent among us

With a consistent increase in downloading and uploading, ripping and .rar'ing everyone around me is running out of that precious hard drive space. Gigs are being consumed and there seems to be no end in sight. Sure, you can delete some of that precious content to make room for even more goodies, but for those of us who wish to encapsulate their online/offline digi-life and treasure it for years to come, this is not an option.

What option is there? Investment.
Invest in an external hard drive. Especially now. With flash drives becoming more prominent, hard drive disks are becoming cheaper to make and are dropping in price.

What I'd like to bring your attention to is the Seagate FreeAgent Pro (500GB) for only $169.99. This, my space-enslaved kiddies is a gorgeous piece of storage hardware that will make any machine jump +10 points in sexiness.

Apart from its good looks, it performs exceptionally well. My house-mate had recently purchased one over at CanadaComputers.com and has been dragging and dropping files all night. Very easy to connect and easy to use. It even includes a cheeky instructional, which I won't ruin for the ones that are committed to the purchase. You can opt out for the firewire version which will run you $224.99, but he was satisfied with the USB 2.0 model.

The features, apart from the good looks is what makes this a pleasure to use. Rollback software, 24/7 access and sharing, 500MB free online storage for 6 months, amongst a few others that are benefits. Also, included is a 5-year warranty. Security and sexiness. Yummy.

Oh, and that orange outline...glows. Tits.

-- Think I'm gonna go grab another cup.

So thanks to Alex over at Chez Lyons, with all his bickering about the lack of comments and postings, made me realize that I have responsibilities towards a single reader. My heart felt apologies for leaving you stranded with these menotenous posts. Await patiently as I ponder.

iPod Touch Revelation/Revolution

Now, let me start off by informing you that I am not a big iPod fan. In fact, when it came down to design, features and functionality, I was not impressed at all --the click wheel never did it for me. Especially considering that they weren't the only audio players out there (as many had thought, or were at least convinced by Apple's genius marketing). What the competition had been producing in regards to digital audio players far outweighed that of what the iPods were bringing to the table.

Many of you I'm sure, have already become aware of the iPod Touch that was presented in Jobs' keynote this past week. And keeping in mind my earlier sentiments about the iPod, I welcome a new era in the digital media player age. I am going to have to start off by saying how impressed I am by the direction that Apple is taking with the next generation of music/video players (iPod Classic and nano excluded). Incorporating Wi-Fi into a media player that small, let alone producing a gorgeous and intuitive interface is a milestone in how we will interact with our mobile devices.

Many directly looked at the 8GB and 16GB(flash based) capacity and were disappointed. While it might be a drawback for some users that wish to archive all their music on the device, for me and I'm sure many others, it is appropriate enough. Songs will be downloadable directly to the Touch off of a wireless connection, and ready to automatically upload them to your computer upon connection. Apple has also partnered up with Starbucks to offer you free Wi-Fi from within the shops. So when you hear that song playing over the speakers while sipping on a Grande Caramel Macchiato, reach for the Touch and simply hit the Starbucks logo icon and that particular song is available for download, including countless others. Unfortunately Apple has only announced this for within the U.S and so far I've heard no word of it coming to Canada. Starting Oct 2 in New York and gradually progressing through the months into Seattle, San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and eventually reaching Chicago in March of 2008, I wouldn't hold your breathe for any signs pointing to Toronto or Vancouver in the upcoming six months, regrettably probably even longer.

With that said, I believe the Touch is no longer confined to a string of terms that would describe it as a portable media device. With Mac OS X on the Touch, I would hope that all those beautiful and useful third party apps that have been steadily releasing for the iPhone will be available on the Touch as well; truly harnessing its Wi-Fi capabilities. I might be jumping the gun here, but if true, you would have an 8mm thick Pocket PC that natively handles movies and music, and on top of that allows for access to most of your web needs. For me this is a significant factor since I operate mostly through the internet(Gmail, RSS, etc) and see this as massive added value to my purchase. At a CA$329 price point for an 8GB portable media/internet device, this seems like a very competitive product.

Slowly moving on...it seems that with the advent of the iPod Touch, Jobs expresses his distaste for mobile carrier tyrants. The Touch is essentially an iPhone sans the phone part. What does this mean for all those poor souls who wanted the iPhone but weren't able to due to price, or worse yet having to switch from their current carrier to AT&T? That's right, retribution, and Steve's with you. Let's admit, the phone part of the iPhone isn't all that great to begin with. But the interface, and the svelte design is absolutely stunning. So now, everyone is able (or at least has a chance) to enjoy this sexiness. And by Apple making the Touch available before the iPhone in Europe and Canada, carriers are left scrambling to find a better way to please us. Let's hope they listen.

Shipping later this month, the iPod Touch ushers in a new era of design and mobile experience.

Cheque please.

Mmm...Design

The ones who know me, know that I'm a sucker for all things "pretty". I'm not a shallow person --at least I don't think of myself that way. I just really appreciate when people put their creativity and time into something that reflects great and appropriate design.

With that in mind, there are many things to drool over at this years CEDIA EXPO in Denver, Colorado. For those of you unfamiliar with the Custom Electronic & Design Installation Association, it brings together many industry giants to present what new concepts in design await us. So for any of you out there dreaming of getting started on that home theater or the likes, you may want to keep an eye out.


A delicious and steaming cup of what's being shown:
The Beo5 Bang and Olufson Remote - Has a unique design approach to say the least, but such has been consistent with the company. Fully customizable touch interface allows for synchronization with any devices out there (such is the claim).

Another biscotti bite:
Vutec's Artscreen is as if something from the office's of Thomas Crown. The art frame houses an LCD that reveals itself from behind a motorized screen.


With all these demonstrators paving the way of modern design, I can't wait for a refill.

iPod Everywhere!

Well, the Apple fanboys(/girls) are out there in the streets screaming, waving their iPod flags professing their love for The Steve. Since there is so much coverage regarding the new iPod line, I'm simply going to ignore it. Quench your thirst for the iPod "Touch" and the rest at
cnet.com

The Zen of Creative-ity

I know you Apple fanboys are out there and get furious when anyone doubts your god(s). But while you sit, bobbing to your tunes, absorbed within your iPod bubble, Creative would like to stroll on by and brandish their weapon of choice, the Zen.

One of my first DAPs was the Creative Zen from a few years back. The soap'ish looking thing with a blue glowing touch interface, if you can remember. Me, being the kind of person I am and taking pleasure in not following the iPod herd that runs rampant through the streets was overly impressed with the functionality, personality and performance of the Creative line. Now we move on to the next generation...

I'm going to start off by stating the obvious, this piece of hardware is just damn SEXY. From the glossy black finish to the 2.5" display, oh and did I mention it's 11.3 mm thick? That's right. The size is comparable to your credit card, and knocks the iPod out with it's features. From MPEG-4, WMV9, MJPG and DivX, any movie is a pleasure to watch on the 16.7 million colour TFT display, that is if you find pleasure in watching flicks on the go.

That ladies and gentlemen just scratches the surface. Don't forget it does play music. The Zen supports WAV, WMA, MP3, Audible 2,3,4 and AAC file types. Anyone out there with an iTunes subscription? Don't worry, your songs are transferable to the Zen so you can enjoy all your downloaded favorites, including podcasts without the DRM hassle. Included also is an FM tuner which Creative and many other companies have been steadily implementing into their products, it's not like it's that hard right Apple? On top of all these audio features, the Zen hides a microphone which I have found great for on the go memos and boring lectures.

The Zen is Creative's flagship in phasing out the hard drive based systems and moving solely towards flash-based players and with such, they offer up healthy potions of 4GB/8GB/16GB players. But the fun doesn't stop there. If you have photos or movies, even music you want to easily transfer over, just use the storage slot. The Zen has a compartment for accepting SD, MicroSD and SDHC cards, so that you can pop them right from your computer or camera straight to your ZEN. So don't fear if you feel that 16GB isn't enough for you.

The user interface is a pleasure to use, and although it has a basic tactile button setup, it makes the player simple to navigate through allowing for easy access to all that media you're going to feed it. With a 25 hour battery life for music and 5 hours of video, you're going to be enjoying the simplicity of it when you just want access to your goodies.

Availability is unknown specifically for Canada yet, but it will be available in Singapore mid-September. Canadian prices will be $149.99 for the 4GB and $199 for the 8GB (16GB not available at present time).

N-Gage is back

I realize I’ve been on this whole Nokia kick, but for good reason. There is a lot to be excited about. Using the IFA as a vessel to promote their newly designed N Gage gaming service, that’s right, “service” not that wanna-be hand held gaming device they released way back when. Nokia seems to be approaching the mobile phone in a more social interactive manner. With the release of their multimedia N-series phones, Nokia seems to be evolving into a new breed of cell phone producer, shifting to connectivity between your mobile and the web. With the majority of their phones now supporting integrated WiFi, the Canadian consumer won’t have to fear streaming over-priced megabytes over their 3G networks, allowing users to participate in what Nokia has in store for us.

IFA Berlin is here!

Since its conception in 1926 this international radio exhibition has expanded to consume all forms of electronics, and is one of the largest and most popular European Consumer Electronic trade fairs to date. We kick off today with a 6 hour time zone lag.

With over 1,212 exhibitors gracing us with their presence there is no shortage of choice or innovation.

The majority of the products being presented won't be seeing any Canadian winters immediately, but it's always nice to see what the producers have in store for the upcoming year, and where these technologies are leading us.

Nokia N95 - A Multimedia Powerhouse.

Introducing what I consider the most powerful cellphone to date. Nokia actually classifies it as a portable computer due to the vast features that are offered.

This sliders form factor is on the chubby side but that's not necessarily a bad thing. With all these RAZRs and Katanas on the market, I feel we've been exposed to sleek sheik long enough. Sure, they're stylish and concealable but they lack the power some multimedia fans crave. Enter the N95. At 99 x 53 x 21 mm and 120g all that functionality and feature can't be packed into a sliver of a phone (pardon the pun). This especially rings true if you like to drop your phone now and again.

So lets get down to it. The N95 boasts a 5.0 megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss lens. Records video at DVD-like quality (640x280 at 30fps). Has integrated GPS mapping functionality that allows for a very intuitive user interface and also incorporates POI. A gorgeous 2.6" QVGA
(240 x 320 pixels) display. A micro SD slot that supports up to 2GB. An integrated video player (MPEG-4 , H.264/AVC , H.263/3GPP, RealVideo 8/9/10) along with music support (MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA) and FM radio openly welcome their dedicated keys that are hidden on the opposite slide position. Staying in concert with many of their recent models, WiFi (802.11b/g) is a must these days and the N95 is no exception. Unfortunately, I believe that is why Nokia and other WiFi enabled phones are not being adopted as eagerly by Canadian carriers.


Talk time is slated at 4.0hrs and 215hrs standby. So if you see yourself as a power user, be sure to keep that charger on you. And of course if you're going to be fiddling with all the features (How could you not) make sure to keep that charger handy, for you're going to want to give it some juice every 1.5 days.

The operating system is the new Symbian S60 that Nokia favours so much. Being open source, you can find just about any application you would ever need to make your life as easy or as difficult with the N95.

Here's where we get a glimpse of the genius that is Nokia. A video-out jack is located on the left side of the phone, enabling you to view your phone's screen onto a TV or projector. This becomes especially useful when you want to show off all those movies and pictures to family or friends, play your S60 games in a hotel, or even mystify colleagues with your .ppt presentations. With such heavy focus on multimedia, it is admirable to see the dedication that Nokia has put into their product.

Regarding Canadian availability, the N95 is available on the North American market, but it does not have any carriers backing it, so you will be paying a premium price of roughly $700. None the less I stick by my opening statement and look forward to more users who transition to devices that incorporate the many aspects of their day to day lives.

Back In Action

I'd like to start off by apologizing for my tardiness. Had a slow start, but I think I'm ready to get this machine going.

With the fall season approaching, school commencing, and all you fine tech-heads out there needing their "new gadget" fix, do not fret. There is much to be excited about in the coming season, and I plan on keeping you informed. So stop by from time to time and let's quench this thirst for all things new, shiny and electronic.

Welcome

Honestly I can't really tell where this whole thing is going to go, but I do welcome interested viewers and thanks for joining me in exploring new and up and coming tech products.

The NYC Experience

At 6:30 August 4th the trek began. Armed with an HP hw6515 with its formidable GPS feature, two laptops (Compaq R4000, Dell 640m), Nikon D80, Sony NWA-808 Walkman, along with the Sony Ericsson W810i. My father and sister will be joining me on this tech infested discovery of New York City.

The big lights, big city, big hustle is what awaits us. Now the challenge of making the 8-hour drive from Guelph, Ontario was going to take its toll on my fatigued body. The past couple days I have been prepping my self and my gear for a 5 day adventure in New York City (there will be a lot of walking). From the list provided you can assume how my lust for electronics has consumed me.

The HP hw6515 isn’t the newest GPS toy on the market, but that could be a plus for the frugal techie. This specific model was loaded with the iGO application which has a very pleasant navigational voice, along with easy to use routing options. The unit provided what I found to be incredibly accurate directions and I much more prefer it than the TOM TOM application available for the HP which had issues with accuracy, something that is of obvious importance. Unfortunately the screen is very glare-prone and is incredibly hard to be viewed in direct sunlight. We’re highly relying on this device to keep us on track and so far, it’s doing the job. Without XM or Sirius, our music selection is very limited in regards to radio. Infamous southern-country-rock bands are constantly being streamed through the airwaves. From Lynard Skynard to Journey, it gets a little much. I get the message America! I’m here, quit reminding me. That’s where the laptop comes in. My personal Dell 640m is perfect for a long road trip due to its extended battery life and 14.5” screen, making this a portable powerhouse, pushing around 6-7 hours without the use of Wi-Fi. Not only am I able to listen to my entire music collection, it’s incredibly easy to make play lists on the fly with an ample user-interface as compared to your standard MP3 player. My sister, sitting in the back, is watching the OC on the 17” Compaq R4000. Although on the bulkier side when compared to my 640m, it does provide plenty of viewing space. Battery life will obviously not last the 8-hour trip, so we made sure to bring a 75W DC power converter. That will keep her quiet for a while, enough at least for my dad to give me a history lesson and do a little bonding.

Finally, the tiresome journey had come to an end and entering the Jersey Turnpike I couldn’t help but feel a bit like Tony Soprano with Tom Waits playing in the background. So, we made it all in one piece and without the hassle of maps or any sort of bygone method of navigation. Now to decide what to do with all this technology. Do I leave them on me to get robbed? Do I leave them in the hotel room to get stolen? Or do I leave them in the car to get jacked? Just a little over-exaggeration…

Arriving in NYC was overwhelming to say the least. One always has a vague image of locations they’ve seen in movies, TV-shows or images. But there is something to be said about viewing a geographic local, and physically being immersed in it. Granted I felt Times Square to be smaller than my mental comparison, but after spending some time commanding my way through hundreds if not thousands of people I couldn’t help but immediately feel like a New Yorker. Be it a good thing or a bad thing, it felt powerful. I can imagine very few places could make you feel this way.

We had decided, once we had all unpacked to make our way down to Times Square. Since it was about a 40-minute walk from the hotel we were staying at we decided to make the trek. After all, we were cooped up in a car for the past 8 hours or so. We began heading towards Central Park, where we started abusing the spectacular functionality and clarity of the Nikon D80. After discovering many a-homeless men, we kept heading for Times Square. Upon arrival amidst the chaos and glory of it all, I had made a point to stop at the Virgin Records Mega-Store to absorb the atmosphere of Sir Richard Branson’s brain child. And absorb I did. From vinyl to CD to direct downloads via Zune’s marketplace, audio temptation was surrounding me. I approached the Zune station as if it were a shrine (you see the Zune is not available in Canada). Pre-loaded with a modest amount of music and video the Zune really demonstrated its capabilities. I was expecting a larger form factor, but was pleasantly surprised to see that it was a comfortable size, granted a bit larger than the IPod in comparison. Functionality, screen size and general user interface was absolutely gorgeous. For a second I thought, “Finally! Microsoft has done something right and is able to kick Apple’s ass!” But there’s always that important yet commonly over-looked DRM factor. Apart from that the Zune is a gorgeous piece of portable music/movie storage that delivers excellent audio quality, with some added features (radio for starters).

So after exploring a bit more of Times Square, I couldn’t help but notice all these cheap electronic stores selling everything from iPODs to PSPs.

Buyer beware: These stores tend to sell refurbished products. It seems very enticing but these products tend to have a shorter life span.

Shortly after that, we had decided to take your standard double-decker bus guided tour. I won’t bore you with the basic touristy details, but it was well worth the money for a first timer in NYC.

After making our way back to the hotel, we relaxed with a couple beers and enjoyed the spectacular view from our hotel upon the Queensboro Bridge. And thus ends the day.