Web cams aren’t usually known for their astonishing clarity, great frame rates, or their high definition images. They tend to be muddy, sub-par imaging devices used to transmit a reasonably low-bandwidth intensive image to the net. When you find a web cam that boasts 90 frames per second, two megapixel video and six megapixel still images, you tend to take notice. This is the case for the Philips 1300NC. This web cam advertises all of the previously mentioned features and comes with a hefty price tag of around eighty US dollars.

I decided to purchase one for the purpose of using it on Matt Ryan TV as well as another tech video podcast we have been working on. My initial reaction was pleasant, finding the web cam could live up to all the promise given on the packaging. It was fast, responsive, and the software wasn’t half bad.

To my disappointment, however, I discovered a half dozen “hot pixels” strewn across the image. Blue dots lit up like stars, screaming for attention. This is a rather unpleasant setback, considering how many features on the camera were so well implemented.

I took the camera back and got a replacement, hoping that the original was a fluke. Sadly, the replacement had the same unfortunate problem. Hot pixels all across the image that would not go away even with a switch of systems.

Overall the web cam was acceptable, having more features and better frame rates than others in its price range. However, the problems with the sensor dampens the wow factor considerably. It would work fine for most users, however you may be better served by a less costly Logitech or Microsoft product.

The DOJ announced that after investigating the joining of Sirius and XM, they would take no action to stop the merger.

Official statement:

“After a careful and thorough review of the proposed transaction, the Division concluded that the evidence does not demonstrate that the proposed merger of XM and Sirius is likely to substantially lessen competition, and that the transaction therefore is not likely to harm consumers. The Division reached this conclusion because the evidence did not show that the merger would enable the parties to profitably increase prices to satellite radio customers for several reasons, including: a lack of competition between the parties in important segments even without the merger; the competitive alternative services available to consumers; technological change that is expected to make those alternatives increasingly attractive over time; and efficiencies likely to flow from the transaction that could benefit consumers.

“The Division’s investigation indicated that the parties are not likely to compete with respect to many segments of the satellite radio business even in the absence of the merger. Because customers must acquire equipment that is specialized to the satellite radio service to which they subscribe, and which cannot receive the other provider’s signal, there has never been significant competition for customers who have already subscribed to one or the other service. For potential new subscribers, past competition has resulted in XM and Sirius entering long-term, sole-source contracts that provide incentives to all of the major auto manufacturers to install their radios in new vehicles. The car manufacturer channel accounts for a large and growing share of all satellite radio sales; yet, as a result of these contracts, there is not likely to be significant further competition between the parties for satellite radio equipment and service sold through this channel for many years. In the retail channel, where the parties likely would continue to compete to attract new subscribers absent the merger, the Division found that the evidence did not support defining a market limited to the two satellite radio firms that would exclude various alternative sources for audio entertainment, and similarly did not establish that the combined firm could profitably sustain an increased price to satellite radio consumers. Substantial cost savings likely to flow from the transaction also undermined any inference of competitive harm. Finally, the likely evolution of technology in the future, including the expected introduction in the next several years of mobile broadband Internet devices, made it even more unlikely that the transaction would harm consumers in the longer term. Accordingly, the Division has closed its investigation of the proposed merger.”

Matt Ryan

If you’ve been anywhere around a social network over the past year, you’ve likely heard of Twitter. Twitter has started working its way into the backbone of many social networks as an integrated tool. Bloggers use Twitter to promote their latest post, community leaders use it to make announcements to their members, news organizations post their latest stories, and so much more. The opportunity for this micro-blog to grow is seemingly endless.

Most of all Twitter is an excellent promotional tool. You may find it as a fast and easy way to get your content out there to more eyes as the scroll of tweets flies by the screens of anyone that may either be following you or looking for someone interesting to follow. Currently, the top Twitter position is held by a politician with everything to gain from having such a large audience of followers on this growing social network.

If you haven’t checked out Twitter yet, I recommend you at least get your name registered while you can. This is a network that is growing fast and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down any time soon.

~Matt Ryan of The Daily PWN~

1: Reduce echo and background noise by lowering the volume of your microphone and amplifying it later while editing. This can greatly improve the overall track and comes with an interesting side effect of making for a deeper more radio-like vocal presence. If you are using a hyper-sensitive microphone, background noises can often drown out even the most projective of speakers.

2: Find an audio editor that allows for noise cancellation and normalizing. When editing your podcast, make sure that you are using a program that has a noise cancellation filter. When using this filter, make sure to record 10-15 seconds without speaking or making any sounds so that your ambient noise may be reduced used in this filter. Normalizing can give you a consistent volume throughout your entire podcast and helps especially when you’re using a stationary microphone as you tend to move closer and further away during the recording.

3: Chose a microphone that suits your voice and needs. Not every podcaster out there really needs an expensive professional microphone. At the same time, you should avoid using a cheap mic as well. Desktop microphones that plug directly into your computer’s audio port, or built in microphones that are found on your webcam or laptop are best avoided. These microphones tend to pick up a lot of background noise and create a lot of static that can ruin an otherwise good recording. A good USB headset or USB condenser microphone can sound as good as much of the more expensive professional equipment on the market. A good example would be the Samson C01U which I and I believe Chris Pirillo uses to record with.

4: Be aware of your breathing. Professional broadcasters tend to speak with their mouths aimed slightly away from the microphone for a very good reason. This keeps their breathing out of the audio track and improves their volume levels. This can also reduce the pop sound that people make when they pronounce the letter “P”. A pop filter is also a good idea if you decide to go with a stationary microphone.

5: Add an audio track under your speech to hide breathing and unfiltered static. If you edit your podcast and apply all of the recommended filters, but still notice not only your breathing but a hint of static, a good idea would be to use a podsafe instrumental track at very low amplification under your speech. This has been shown, through several studies, to have dramatic effects on someone’s attention levels to your content. Somewhere in the human mind, if there’s music that is just out of the range of clear perception, a person will concentrate on the presentation more subconsciously in an attempt to take in and understand every part of what they are hearing. This is a method that many teachers are starting to use in classrooms by playing a very low volume radio while they give lessons.

Today we’re talking about Mahalo. Mahalo is a human-powered search site headed up by Jason Calacanis that is designed to reduce spam and increase user experience. They do this by having a member of Mahalo view every site that the search engine picks up for specific keywords for integrity, topic eligibility, and whether or not the site is genuine. Once a site has been cleared it goes into the Mahalo search for eager surfers to partake.

More recently, a new feature called “My Mahalo” has been implemented that allows users to post reviews available to anyone within their social network in addition to being part of an overall average rating for whatever the topic may be. Underneath results for your search you will find user-recommended links related to the topic and user reviews from other Mahalo users.

This brings the social network aspect to a search engine in a new and interesting way. If you use the Mahalo tool bar, these reviews can be viewed in relation to other major search engines such as Google, Microsoft Live, and Yahoo.

The website where you can check this search engine out is mahalo.com.

If you purchased an HD DVD player from Best Buy prior to February 23, 2008, you can pick up a complimentary $50.00 gift card for each player you purchased from them.

From Best Buy Website:

An Important Message from
Best Buy for HD DVD Player Owners

For months, there has been much debate surrounding the two competing high-definition video formats: Toshiba’sHD DVD and Sony’s Blu-ray Disc. Recently, Toshiba announced that they will no longer produce HD DVD players, and movie studios have decided not to release new titles in the HD DVD format.

Exciting news if you bought your HD DVD player from Best Buy
As the owner of an HD DVD player, you may have concerns about these developments. At Best Buy, we are dedicated to making sure you always have the right technology for you. That’s why we’re offering you a complimentary $50 Best Buy gift card for each HD DVD player you purchased from Best Buy before February 23, 2008. (See details and qualifying models.) Use the gift card to treat yourself to anything you want in our stores or online. Most qualifying customers will automatically receive their complimentary gift card by mail in the coming weeks. If you qualify and haven’t received yours by May 1, 2008, please call us at 1-888-BEST-BUY to verify your eligibility (have your receipt handy, if possible).

Good news (even if you didn’t buy from us)
Be assured that your HD DVD player will continue to play existing HD DVD titles (and upconvert standard DVDs to near-HD quality) as it always has. If you purchased a Best Buy service plan with your HD DVD player, we will continue to honor it for the life of the plan. If, however, you wish to trade in your HD DVD player and HD DVDs, we offer a convenient way to do so via our Best Buy Trade-In Center. Beginning March 21, visit BestBuyTradeIn.com to get an instant estimate of the value of your HD DVD player and movies. See below for further information, along with additional resources that we hope you’ll find helpful as you examine your options.

Hulu has been released into the wild this week, and the buzz is certainly making its rounds. I have been using Hulu as part of my almost-daily activity since October, and must say that they have certainly improved by leaps and bounds over the past few weeks before launch. So what is Hulu?

Hulu is a website that you can visit to see tv shows, movies, and clips from a vast array of content from NBC, Universal, and other major content creators. Hulu is ad supported and this can either be a small fifteen second clip a couple times during the presentation, or a half dozen. It would appear that advertising is either less than expected or more than is tolerable, with no happy middle ground. The advertisements are repetitive yet not completely unreasonable.

Quality is quite acceptable for the speed and ease of  download. Everything is supported through the site, much like you’d find on YouTube. Some of the content is available in 480p which looks great on a 15.4″ widescreen laptop.

Speed is dependent on their load. More often than not the content picks right up and load flawlessly. Occasionally, when they have a heavy load, the content is very choppy and seems to buffer every few seconds. This makes for a terrible viewing experience, though the problem isn’t as common as to deter use altogether.

Shows are uploaded to Hulu fairly quickly. Sometimes you can find the latest tonight show a few hours after it airs, and though I haven’t seen them go up simultaneously, I have heard reports of it doing so.  It would be safe to say that if your favorite show comes out on Monday, checking Hulu for it on Tuesday would be a safe bet.

In summery, I enjoy the Hulu experience. The site offers great content with reasonable support. The service is improving and the pool of content Hulu offers is certainly growing with its popularity.

~Matt~