Digital Camera For Cats?
Gnomie Donna writes:
Hi, Chris!
I am writing to you for help! I have been searching the Internet for months and months, looking at a million different reviews, trying to compare, and trying to understand something I don’t really understand that well at all.
Can you help me?
I am desperately trying to find the best digital camera for taking pictures of my cats. I know all the tips about how to take their picture, I just can’t seem to figure out which digital camera to use because there are just too many and it’s so confusing.
I just end up frustrated with a migraine.
All I want is a camera that I can point and shoot. I would prefer if it didn’t have a million different settings — that’s too confusing for me — I don’t totally understand ISO settings and megapixels and all the rest of it. I just want to take a really good picture of my cat.
I would love to take one of those pictures where you zoom right in on the cat’s face and see every little detail — every hair — like you can almost literally feel the softness of it.
Price is sort of an issue — but if I can get one that really gives me the pictures I want, I wouldn’t mind saving up for it. Also, I imagine the pictures I want may require a more expensive camera.
I LOVE taking pictures of my cats — but the cameras I have tried in the past very often do not want to cooperate with me. Of course there’s the ever present ‘red/cat’ eye problem. I know about not having them look straight at you and all that… it’s just sometimes I do want them looking straight at me. And the flash — well, I just love outdoor pictures, but most of the times the pictures I want are indoors. My cats don’t really go outside, and so I need the flash.
Over the years I’ve taken some really great shots of animals, and gotten quite good at it — in fact I think I may have missed my calling — I should have been a pet photographer…
I just need help with the camera.
I know they have the image stabilizer thing now which would help a lot, and they also have cameras that have settings that are supposed to be for ‘pets,’ but most of the reviews I’ve read seem to say that setting is not all that great? I remember reading one person say that the ‘pet eye fix’ made his cat’s eyes black when they are supposed to be green.
Thank you so much for your time!
8 Games You Need to Know About and Why
“This holiday season, gaming consoles and games are red hot items on everybody’s most wanted to give and receive lists, according to the latest CEA research.
Gamers are ripe for high-end A/V systems and games are getting more advanced, with high-definition graphics and surround sound audio.
So with all this attention on gaming, what are the games that integrators should know about and recommend to their clients?
Here are eight games you should know about and why.”
Read the rest of the article here
Cable vs Satellite vs FiOS
“Choosing a home’s television service provider gets a little more difficult each year. Emerging technologies, changing rates and packages, and access limitations all factor into this battle royal between old – and new - enemies. There are some basics you can expect from everyone, like DVRs, HD channels, and bundled internet service. But take a closer look and you’ll see some differences that may push one of them over the top and into your home.”
Read the rest of the article here
HD-DVD Preferred Among New High-Def Buyers
According to this article on CEPro, HD-DVD is apparently preferred over Blu-Ray among new High-Definition buyers:
“Nearly one-third of non-HDTV households intend to purchase an HDTV in the next six months, and those who intend to buy are looking more “mainstream,” according to research from The Diffusion Group.
“HDTV intenders” who are also likely to purchase a high-def DVD player in the next six months say that they prefer HD DVD to Blu-ray, 43 percent to 27 percent. The other 30 percent are undecided. “
Read the rest of the article here
Curing HDMI Confusion
Hard to Distinguish Multiple Interfaces, or HDMI for short, is quite possibly one of the most difficult to understand standards in the High Defenition era. Ok, ok so HDMI doesn’t stand for “Hard to Distinguish Multiple Interfaces” but it’s still confusing. Thankfully the smart folks at CEPro have put together an article explaining just what the hell is up with HDMI:
“The High-Definition Multimedia Interface is one of the more confusing and misunderstood features of HDTVs. HDMI is the highest quality connection available for audio and video products, and it can support features, such as “Full HD” 1080p resolution and Dolby TrueHD, that other connectors cannot.
Moreover, HDMI is a single-cable digital connector that sends audio and video signals, replacing eight or more audio and video cables.
The problem? HDMI comes in various versions—1.1, 1.2 and 1.3a—and you’re not guaranteed compatibility even within the same version. (All versions of HDMI, however, do support 1080p resolution.)”
Read the rest of the article here
Why Your Electronics Suck Energy
Here’s an interesting article on why our electronic components suck up so much energy, and why it’s causing some power plants to work overtime just to supply the energy needed to power a television that’s off:
“Your DVD player is wasting energy. Chances are, so are your TV, audio/video receiver, video game console, desktop or notebook computer, printer, scanner, fax machine, cell phone charger, cordless phone system, microwave oven and more.
How can that be? As long as they’re plugged in, most of these electronics are still using electricity when they’re turned off. That’s right, as in OFF, which is supposed to mean OFF—except in this day and age, when apparently OFF means something can still draw power. And that costs us money, wastes energy and contributes to our global warming problem. (More than 40 percent of all global emissions of carbon dioxide, a leading greenhouse gas, is caused by electrical power plants.) “
Read the rest of the article here
Video Game Sales Depress DVD Sales
It seems that the video game industry is really capitalizing on Hollywood’s downward spiral of doom: video game sales have far outpaced DVD sales this season:
“Lead by titles such as Halo 3, Guitar Hero III, and Rock Band, video games sales have already exceeded 2005 sales as of October, according to analysts at NPD. Video games have been up the last several years according to 2006 Entertainment Software Association data. DVD sales growth, on the other hand, has been flagging for several years as indicated by a 2006 MPAA market report. While several other high profile titles are not out yet, the last of the $300 million grossing movies of 2007 has hit stores shelves with the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: at World’s End, all the big guns have been rolled out likely indicating that DVD sales have peaked for the year.”
Read the rest of the article here
Top 10 Electronic Gifts for Christmas 2007
Christmas is right around the corner, and if you’re still running around trying to figure out what gifts to get the geek in your life, fear not, for here are the top 10 gifts for the loved one who has everything:
“What do you buy for that loved one who has everything? If your spouse or significant other is a consumer electronics, gadget, or home theater buff then hunker down and check out our list of the top 10 “best-of” Christmas gift items that will satisfy any enthusiast at any price range. This list spans the entire price range from pauper to golden-pockets, so everyone is bound to find something that is the absolute best item of the season. Now, you may think that this is a subjective list (and you’d be right.) In our minds, however, you simply can’t go wrong and you can trust us to know what’s best for your loved one this Christmas season (yeah, that won’t come back to haunt us later!) Without further ado, here are the top 10 Christmas gifts you can give this holiday season.”
Read the rest of the article here
Toshiba REGZA 46LX177 LCD Review
For just under $3000 you can own a top of the line 1080p LCD television. Of course, now that everyone and their grandparents has 1080p, what features can television sets compete with? How about speed: 120Hz refresh reate, as opposed to the 60Hz of other televisions.
“Now that everyone is doing 1080p these days it seems the next big advance has to do with display “speed”. The new Toshiba REGZA LCD TVs sport 120Hz ClearFrame technology. This means that images are displayed twice as fast on the screen and flicker and display-induced motion blur is reduced. Toshiba is not the only game in town that has this technology but it is definitely promoting it well and introducing consumers to the ideas and concepts behind these faster displays.”
Read the rest of the article here
Which Gaming Console is Right for You?
Xbox 360, Playstation 3, or the Wii - which one should you get? This is, of course, assuming you can even find a Nintendo Wii this Christmas (and with Nintendo pulling Wii ads during the Christmas holiday because of supply issues, there’s a good chance you’re not going to find one).
Electronic House is carrying this article comparing the pros and cos of each system (barring being unable to actually find a Nintendo Wii in any store).
“Congratulations: After months of painstaking research, you finally sprang for the perfect HDTV, surround sound receiver and enough high-end speakers to deafen Motley Crue. There’s just one core home theater component left to add – a next-generation videogame console, most of which can also satisfy that HD DVD or Blu-ray jones. But with so much ado over online distribution and graphic violence recently, which should you cop? Relax… The following guide will soon have you playing with power:”
Read the rest of the article here
How to Control Your Remote
Let’s face it: remote controls are becoming increasingly complicated, and they don’t show any signs of getting simplified anytime soon (maybe Apple should create a remote control?) - so in order to gain control of your remote, here are the top 4 tips for controlling the remote control:
“Flipping through product manuals can be boring and a strain on your eyes. Getting ahold of customer service can make you swear at automated voices. From basic to complex A/V, we want to help. That’s why we’re tapping into manufacturers and installers to give you some Pro Tips each month. First off: the universal remote control. Troubleshooting tip number one: Throwing it on the floor doesn’t help. Here, Universal Remote Control’s (URC’s) national manager of technical support, Joseph Salvatore, guides us through some remote control FAQs.”
Read the rest of the article here
Sharp’s New 1080p Gaming TV?
Sharp has a new AQUOS television out there, and it’s built with gamers in mind - high refresh rates and full 1080p support:
“The 32-inch (LC-32GP3U) AQUOS LCD is designed specifically with gamers in mind—geeky ones that want the full high-def 1080p experience. The company says that this new unit handles every frame rate under the sun, means you should be able to feel the crowd cheer, that blow to the head, or the rumble of any racecar.”
Read the rest of the article here
Black Friday Disappoints, but Media is Big Winner
According to the NPD Groups report on the week of Black Friday - the Friday after Thanksgiving that ‘officially’ ushers in the holiday shopping season - retailers really don’t have a lot to be happy about.
“NPD claims that this year’s consumer technology retail sales grew by just 6 percent over 2006, less than one-half of last year’s growth rate. That’s the first time in the six years (tracked by NPD) that sales growth has dipped below the 10 percent mark.”
The winners? Media. LCD TVs were the big winners, pushing unit sales up 45% and revenues up 80%, mostly due to the massive amount of product change that has happened in the past year. Other big winners included notebook computers, digital cameras, and GPS devices.
Read the rest of the article here.
Top 10 Reasons to Avoid the Format War
CEPro has a great article on why you should skip the format war between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray video formats. According to them, the main reasons to skip the format war include:
- The end of DRM
- HD Downloads are here, skip buying a player
- More HD channels are coming, especially from DirecTV
- Physical media is going the way of the dinosaurs
- The studios supporting the formats really aren’t split in their support.
Read the entire article here
TiVo Announces Photo-Sharing Service
Its been a big third quarter for TiVo.
Your TiVo can now tap into your family memories. TiVo has announced that users will be able to browse photo collections from Photobucket and Picasa Also, if you’ve got a Series 3 TiVo you’ll be able to browse everything in High-Defenition. We’ll bet grandma never looked so wrinkly before.
If you have access to other usernames you’ll be able to view their photos as well, so your family may only need to share a username and password with you in order to access your your photos in Hi-Def.
This announcement comes on the heels of another TiVo feature that will allow users for a $13/month subscription, full access to Real’s Rhapsody’s music collection..
Why I’m a Hi-Def Hold Out
People are often surprised to learn that I don’t have a high-definition television system at home. Am I just not an avid TV watcher? On the contrary, I have two networked DVRs plus a Media Center TV PC. Oh, plus a portable media player. Oh, and a Slingbox. If anything, I push the limits of how much TV programming a human can watch. But there are several key reasons why I’m in no hurry to make the move to hi-def.
- DRM: I’m really concerned that Fair Use is going to get fly-swatted. From everything I’ve read, a lot of high-def programming will get DRM’ed to death. I’m talking about the sinister broadcast flag. If this becomes a reality, Hollywood will have the ability to lock down what, when and how you record HD programming. Why should I not have the ability to take what I’ve recorded on my DVR, download it to my PC or portable media player. I can do that today, and I always want that capability. Is it about guarding against piracy, or is it about creating multiple revenue streams? Imagine recording something, but needing to purchase it again should you want to put it on your portable media player. There’s already some amount of “time-bombing” out there in TIVO-land whereby a program can contain an instruction to self-delete after a period of time.
- Recording and playback: Options are still very, very limited (and expensive) for recording and playing back in Hi-Def. My two networked ReplayTVs can’t handle a high-def signal. Tivo Series 3, which I saw at CES last January, is rumored to be coming out any day now. It will be HD capable, but I refer you to #1. There are a handful of Media Center PC models out there that can do HD recording, too. Like anything, prices will be high at first, but will settle down as adoption rates increase. Blu-Ray and HD DVD will offer some interesting options, but again, equipment will be very expensive at first, and disc based recording is always a bit of a hassle.
- Cost: The entertainment system at my home is very modest. But it serves my needs perfectly and s is the epitome of flexibility. Introducing Hi-Def would force me to retool my entire system and a very high cost.
I’m sure, at some point, I will make the change. The “invisible hand” of the market will eventually force me to. I have to admit, I am in awe of the picture quality that HD programming gives you on HD equipment. I just hope that Hollywood has to give some ground on DRM.
Is That Marvelous Sound Coming From Your Walls?!
In-wall speakers. Everyone has heard about them and many can easily identify them by the hundreds of little holes in the grill on the wall or ceiling. Flush they are, but hidden they aren’t. But it’s better than having a huge box hanging off your wall or standing from the floor, right? No.
Now with the help of NXT technology, you will no longer have to sacrifice the beauty of your wall or ceiling with an eye sore of a speaker grill. Amina Tech today announced SoundUnseen Plaster-In-Wall Speakers that it will be showing at the CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association) Expo in Denver, Colorado starting September 13th. Like the name implies, these babies can’t be seen as you mount them flush into your wall or ceiling and slap some plaster, paint, or wallpaper over them. Gone. Hidden. Out of sight. But walk over to your stereo system and crank on the tunes and be amazed by the sound that literally comes from your walls!
The high-power vibrational elements in the flat speakers produce sound in the same way, “as natural musical instruments, as with the acoustic guitar, violin or piano,” do by vibration. Amina Tech told SvenOnTech that, “This diffuse source creates a high-definition sound over a very wide area, ensuring that a surround sound or stereophonic sound field can be heard regardless of room size, shape or listening position.”
With speakers ranging from 20 watts (8 ohms), to 60 watts (4 ohms), or as high as 80 watts (8 ohms) in output, with a maximum SPL of 95db 1m/20w, 99db 1m/40w, or 105db 1m/80w (respectfully), and a frequency range of 100-20kHz, all tied up via butt splice crimp or 2-part polarized connector, these in-wall sound emitting devices sound pretty interesting. SvenOnTech already jumped on the offer to put these into someones home, and if we get a set to try out, we’ll be sure to have the big spread on this with full dets on how they sound. Heck, we may regret our decision to put it into our brother in-laws house and not ours if they are as good as we think they’ll be!
Tags: speakers, nxt, soundunseen, in-wall
Wiffleball World Series
Benny was a really bad sport. Benny had a front porch that smelled of onions that his mother was storing for some inexplicable purpose. And his father toyed with taxidermy on the side and always had decaying animal parts in the garage. Nice place to visit, huh? Oh, and if you felt hot in the summertime and wanted to take a dip in the pool, you would be joined by a family of frogs that swam better than you did.
Benny’s backyard was a legendary Wiffleball field. Armed with handwritten lineups consisting of ballplayers of the day, Jimmy would occasionally challenge Benny to a game or two of Wiffleball. Wiffleball was always an inexact science, and the rules really depended on who and where you were playing. The standard Wiffleball rules were really no fun, i.e. “you have to hit the ball ‘X’ number of feet for a single, double, triple, etc.” Click to Read the Full Post »
Hollywoodism
The Live 8 and Post Katrina phenomenons were wonderful displays of Hollywoodism. Take Brad Pitt, for example. This ageless wonder stands on a stage and tells us why it would be a good idea to donate our money to a cause. Why don’t he and his Beverly Hills pals donate their next movie paycheck entirely to a cause, instead? Why doesn’t Madonna donate a year’s worth of profits to something worthwhile? Why don’t professional athletes donate a season to charity? Are they really going to miss their salary from 2006 when it’s part of a colossal ten-year contract plus signing bonus? Did the “Friends” do charity shows when they were each pulling in $1 million per episode?
We think not. Click to Read the Full Post »
Kickball And Bunting
Every damned gym class circa 6th grade played kickball at some point. And every damned gym class had the kid who refused to give the ball a real kick and instead half stepped up to the ball and bunted.
The bunt was really a tap with the side of the foot and the ball would putter away from home plate by generally less than five feet. Since most kickball games didn’t have catchers, or had inept ones at that, the bunt was a pretty solid strategy for one who wished to get an automatic hit. However, most circles recognize the bunter as an idiot who thinks he’s really fast and doesn’t care about self-denigration in front of future hottie girls by looking like a wimp and refusing to really kick the ball. Click to Read the Full Post »
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