Finally...a Digital Camera That I Like

It's about time Canon took the lid off their newest additions to their digital camera offerings.  Set to be available at your local retailed by October, Canon is updating their Amateur, better than just the normal point and shoot, G10 and both point and shoot SD990 IS and SD890.  Both cameras offer Canon's new DIGIC 4 image processor and shoot a high 14.7 megapixel. 

The G10 is more focused towards the guy who doesn't want to lug around a Digital SLR but wants a little more features than the P&S cameras.  The 990 varies from the 890 with the inclusion of a view finder but thus sacrificing the given space for a smaller LCD, which we all know doesn't matter.  The view finder is definitely more important than and extra half inch of screenage. 

 

I'm still tinkering with the idea of replacing my 4.0MP Sony P9 that I bought in 2002 for $600 or so dollars, which by the way still performs and captures what I need it to do, but I have to admit that after borrowing a few of my friends newer cameras, it just puts mine to shame.  My flash takes forever to recharge, the LCD is tiny the battery life is shot and the storage capacity of the older Sony Memory Sticks require me to dump my photos very often.  

I just can't quite decide which camera I want though.  I'm all for having a digital SLR, but again, I don't want to lug it around with me to a club, where as the SD 990 would be a perfect substitute for that.  Having an DSLR and a P&S would be ideal, but currently, I'm all for just having one piece of good hardware for now.  So, which will it be --  A P&S or a mid range sub-compact?  Straight from SizeEasy, here is a cut out of the dimensions side by side in 3D.  Obviously, the yellow image is the larger Canon G10 while the purple displays the SD990 IS. 

With the downturn in the economy, the rumor of a new Macbook Pro from Apple and the salary that I get, looks like I'll be working extra hard in the next few months to finance the new toys.  :-)  Oh yeah, Christmas is coming too...

Below are Gizmodo's two blogs on the cameras. 

Gizmodo: Canon PowerShot G10 14.7MP Flagship Sub-DSLR Goes Wide-Angle

Gizmodo: Canon PowerShots SD990 and SD880 Offer Image Stablization, Shininess

Review: Contour Showcase for the iPhone 3G

It's about time that I'm able to finally review the Contour Showcase for the iPhone 3G.  I've been flying around the Eastern Seaboard without a case on mi iPhone blanco for the last month and half ever since Contour replied to my inquiry that they were in fact releasing a better case.  So, without further adieu, I bring you some photos.  Staying true to all other Contour products, the packaging remains the same except for name of the product on the lower left hand corner of the box.  It's definitely a little confusing when actually trying to find the right case in the Apple store when all the Contour cases are hanging in a vertical configuration with all the same black boxes.

The case comes with a side clip for those tools like me that like to have their pockets free from clutter.  You can clip the device to the holster either face in or face out, your choice.  If I did carry the phone in my pocket, I would have a lot of scratches on the device, so it definitely adds to the longevity of the device.  You can configure the clip at any angle, whether you like it horizontal along your hip, perpendicular or prefer some type of cowboy angle.  The releasing from the hip clip is a little more tricky and sometimes it feels like you need to use two hands to release it but you get the hang of it after a while.  It's just a little tight when you first start using it.

The case itself opens from the top with ease but shuts securely around the device.  The iPhone drops in from the top and fits snugly into the bottom fourth of the case leaving the bottom open to allow syncing with a cable.  Since I don't have the newest dock, I'm not sure if it will allow for dock usage, but I'll update this soon when I try it at the store.  The case itself allow access to all the side buttons and headset jack without any obstruction while the top sleep button is covered but easy to trigger.  You won't even know that it is covered as the response is great compared to other cases.

The front of the Showcase protects the top quarter of the iPhone 3G leaving an opening for the speaker while the bottom quarter protects the area around the Home button.  The Showcase has a clear back shouting out to the public the version of device that you own.

Conclusion: The Contour Showcase is the must have case for the iPhone 3G due to the premium construction of the molding.  "Starting with a base chassis of light weight (dual injected) polycarbonate, each Showcase is then bordered in a supple rubber finish."  This provides for a good shock absorber for those clumsy moments and trust me, you'll want the extra insurance.  It was a long time waiting and after going through 4 different cases, I'm glad that I was finally able to get my hands on one while having an overnight in Stamford, Connecticut.

Pick one up online at Contour's Website or at your local Apple Retail Store.  The stores haven't been able to keep a steady stock on these cases, so I'd call in advance.  Enjoy! rating: Perfect 10

The last picture below just show how much of a tool I am with the hip clip situate horizontally along my waist.

Power Support anti-glare film + Contour Design iSee (product review)

Due to the tremendous demand for both Power Support's "anti-glare / matte film" and Contour Design's iSee 3G Clear Hardcase, it took two weeks until I was finally able to pick up a set.  So, I headed down to the Apple Store tonight at one of San Diego's finest shopping malls, Fashion Valley: A Simon Mall and with luck, I quickly snatched up both products. It was going to be a quick return of the Agent 18, and after much consideration and one letter to Contour asking when the next iteration of their Showcase for the iPhone 3G would come out, I knew that I needed to settle with something that could offer me protection right away.  The glossy screen protector that came packaged with other case solutions offered a clear plastic static cling piece but it's major flaw was that it attracted too many fingerprints and my oily face didn't help the problem.  I was plagued, since day one, with a screen that I had to perpetually wipe off every time I put the phone to my ear or played games further oil smudges with my fingerprints.

Both screen protectors offer the benefit of covering the entire face of the iPhone 3G with the exception of the Home button, that are made of a static cling plastic that adheres with ease, stays put and offers an easy, no sticky residue allowing you to remove, cleanr and reapplt at your leisure.  The biggest difference between the two can be easily compared to having a glossy LCD screen vs. a matte LCD screen. (e.g. shipped on the original Apple Powerbook LCD)

You can clearly see that the screen on the left with the protector that came prepackaged with a previous case wasn't doing so much in the department of cleanliness.  This is not a direct comparison with Power Support's Crystal film set but it still is indicative of what you will get in terms of overall result.  Over the to the right, you have the Power Support anti-glare film that was newly applied and fondled with finger streaks and face rubs.  Without a doubt, I truly believe that the anti-glare / matte screen protector is the way to go.  It helps the screen in every way possible deflecting scratches, fingerprints, and glare.  I was using the previous protector for 2 weeks now, and I'm more than happy with what I got with Power Support's product.  It is ridiculous though that 2 pieces of film cost $14.95.  It seems as if everything for these Apple products are being priced way too high!  rating: 9/10

The iSee is self explanatory.  The installation is easy and the clear plastic is beautiful.  I applied the iSee case with no problem but the biggest gripe that I have are that the two soft keys (not pictured) that come packaged and are used to protect the hold key and volume buttons.  Simple put, they are just too hard to press and are frustrating!  I rather almost not have them on at all.  I still love the fit and like the fact that it protects the metal edge of the iPhone 3G well.  Coupled with the anti-glare screen from Power Support, you have one heck of a solution for protection.

For another $10, a holster and clip are made available for the iSee, but if you wait for Contour Design's Showcase, it comes all prepackaged including a shock absorbing rubber that borders the inside of the clear protective case.  Looks like I'll be doing a more extensive review of that case at a later date, but for now, I recommend the iSee.  rating: 8/10

update - of course, when I finally settle for a solution, Contour Design's website shows that the Showcase for the iPhone 3G is set to ship out on the 15th of August.  You can send one over to my address any time and I'll do a review.  Thanks guys!

August Schedule / Apps

My new updated schedule for the month of August is up and over to the right -->

I've been twittering a lot lately with the Twinkle by Tapulous application and have found it to be quite fun.  It shows you who is nearby as well as the people that you follow on twitter.  The program is just a tad buggy as it ends up resetting my device once a day or so, but either than that and some other random programs, I'm on it the most.  Riding the bus to an from the parking lot is quite boring and this keeps me occupied. 

It's about 25 minutes till my birthday and I think I'll call it a night.  I had a great weekend which included a little birthday gathering at the house with some of my friends friends and I'm off again for another 4 day trip followed by a quick trip to San Diego (<36 hours) then by a nap then a 4 day trip.  Check it out on my August Schedule. 

***Update*** as always, because of the awesomeness that ASA lets up swap around our trips and schedules with an open time pot, I was able to trade my nap this weekend for something else a lot later in the month.  Looks like I'll be in San Diego for most of the upcoming weekend.  Check out the updated schedule.  See you on the beach!

The Beginning

Well, here I am again trying out, not only a new service, but a new device that my friends and I are planning to develop for. So far, in the last 72 hours, I have crashed the new phone multiple times thus not allowing me to accurately time the battery life using the built-in "usage" calculator. It's frustrating alright and sometimes the phone is just a little too slow. One gripe with using the contact sync feature with Apple's buggy-shoulda-been-beta mobileMe software package is the 5 seconds that I have to wait while trying to pull up one of my buddies. I can't say that I'm sold on it the "Exchange for everyone else" and will probably cancel it after the free 60 day trial. It's nice to have a calendar and photo library sync up but I can't justify the $100/yr just yet. I'm flying again quite a bit and with the initial award for August, it looks like I'll be able to keep up the commute or head out for another out of country adventure. I need I save some money up for the holiday season but who am I kidding anyways? Life is on another upswing and as long as I can keep up the positivity, it'll be smooth sailing.

I'm going to be Twitter-ing more often and even uploading some mobile photos that can be found on my facebook profile. Facebook released a handy little native app so depending on whether I keep it up will determine the continuation of trelijah. The name is probably going to change again...introducing eliPhone...maybe. :)

The Jawbone by Aliph (part 2)

I sent out my dilapidated Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth Headset last Saturday from a San Diego post office with hopes for a quick return.  To date, it has been about one year since the original purchase from their online store and I reviewed it as less than stellar.  Almost immediately following my 3rd or 4th inquiry to Jawbone, I received an RMA and took care of it. 

By the time I came back to Atlanta from my four day trip, I had a UPS package from Aliph with a brand new headset!  I'm not sure how many different revisions there have been in software or chipset, but this headset is blowing away my previous experience.  I'm really happy with the performance as well as the distance of the headset.  Maybe it's also because I have the Treo 755p instead of the Treo 650, but nonetheless, it's nice to be hands-free again. 

Aliph kept their promise in expediting a replacement and I cannot be more thankful.  As we all know there are more states that are following suit regarding cell phone usage while driving (California Law regarding this issue comes into effect July 1st, 2008) and I'm going to be compliant.  Cheers to Aliph. 

Skype Offers Beta Software for Mobile Phones

Further enhancing their Internet communication presence, Skype released a beta version of their mobile "thin" client targeted toward Java-enabled devices.  Skype Mobile is available for download on varying handsets from Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson with more to follow in the coming months.  There are two ways to install the client: over the air directly to your phone or download to your computer subsequently transferring it to your device.  Further instructions are available at www.skype.com/go/mobiledownload. 

If your phone is part of the other manufactures column, then check out iSkoot.  Their FREE mobile software delivers all that Skype has to offer on your mobile handset.  I've been using it for sometime now and I have to admit that it does have some quirks, but if you need to have Skype now, then this is the right software for you. 

Features of the beta set include chat, group chat, presence as well as receiving calls from Skype users and calls made with SkypeIn.  Other features that have yet to be available here in the United States are Skype-to-Skype and SkypeOut calls from mobile handsets.  If you are lucky and live in the initial seven supported countries of Brazil, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom, then these features are open for you to take advantage of. 

Press Release

Opera Mini 4.1b & JVM for Treo 650/700p/750/755 (part 2)

Due to the overwhelming flood of requests, I have posted a direct download for the Java Virtual Machine PRC file on my webserver.  Now you will be able to download the install file directly to your mobile Palm device enabling instant satisfaction.  You'll also be able to enjoy a more complete mobile HTML browsing experience with Opera Mini. 

J9JavaVMMidp20.prc

I've been using Opera Mini 4.1 beta for a little while now and all the little upgrades that they did over 4.0 are definitely worth the trial.  Get it now at www.operamini.com/beta

Below is an excerpt directly from their website.  Happy Mobile Browsing!

New in Opera Mini 4.1 beta

Now even faster

Prior to this release, we upgraded our servers and Opera Mini now receives your requested Web pages up to 50% faster. So you can now access sites like Facebook, BBC, and any of your other favorite Web sites even faster, with Desktop-like speeds.

Find things faster

Even though scrolling to your Web content is already easy with Opera Mini, the new Opera Mini 4.1 beta lets you search for text within a Web page so you can get to the information you need even quicker than before.

Get to your Web sites faster

Now you can stop wasting time typing in full Web addresses more than once while browsing. When typing Web addresses, Opera Mini 4.1 beta will recognize and suggest completions for you based on your Bookmarks and browsing history, making address input faster, easier and much more intuitive.

Surefire's G2 LED Flashlight

Well, here it is. I'm not just finally able to accomplish my walk arounds, but I'm equipped with one of the best flashlights I have ever used. I leveled up a notch but definitely haven't maxed out. For a low price, and I say low only because it is one of the cheapest that Surefire has to offer (A2 Aviator sells for $195.00), it's truly the best out there. The Surefire G2 sells for $65.00 and it is worth every penny as long as I can keep on my person and not misplace it.

I had a Mag-lite mini that I modded with a Luxeon LED which was great but that was taken from me in the beginning of my career here at ASA and never returned. I replaced it shortly with a what I thought would be a good flashlight, the Coast 3-LED, but that was a big let down. Not much to say there, but I'll give the G2 my personal recommendation until I test out the G3 or the A2. This flashlight is almost overkill really, but it's just nice to carry a light saber in the cold dark mornings.

More pictures after the jump alongside the Coast 3-LED Flashlight with night and day pictures.

The Surefire G2 LED Flashlight is touted as one of the most compact, high-intensity LED flashlights that are great for tactical, outdoor and general use. I chose to use it for aviation specifically but that's just me. The beam is advertised to put out 4x the light of a larger two-D-cell flashlight attacking Maglite directly as they are still the leader in this business. I haven't tried it out yet, but Surefire also says that it is bright enough to temporarily blind and disorient a person by impairing his night-adapted vision. It's detailed specifications include a max output of 80 lumens, a runtime of 12 hours, measures 5.14" and weighs in at 4.10 ounces. "Constructed of lightweight, corrosion-proof Nitrolon® polymer and rugged aerospace-grade aluminum," this flashlight should last the test of my lifetime. The batteries are the only draw to the flashlight as they use two 123A lithium batteries would could add up in cost. ($1.75 each x 2 = $3.50 per 12 hours) My walk arounds don't take that long, but I'll post the first time I have to replace the battery.

Taking a look at these pictures, you cannot even see the beam that the Coast 3-LED light is shinning! I'm telling you that it's on as you can see on my fingertips. The Surefire G2 is a little larger but the spot light is brighter than the sun in the darkness.

There two pictures only differ in exposure, but in the normal shot to the left, you can see the faint light that the Coast 3-LED is shinning. Now, I'm not going to jump all over and say that Coast's Flashlight are inadequate, especially if one of my good friends uses them. They are cheaper, and I'm sure that his might shine a lot brighter than the one that I own because of his 1-LED fixture, but this comparison is over! Surefire wins outright. I'll update this post with another comparison between the Coast 1-LED and the Surefire G2 at a later date when I cross roads with that aforementioned flashlight.

Update: Apparently, I was naive in posting that the brand that I had compared.  Instead of Coastal, the proper name should be Coast Flashlights.  More specifically, the Coast LED Lenser V2 (3-LED) Flashlight is the one that I compare to the Surefire G2.   Thanks for the correction =)

Joey Roth's Sorapot Unboxing

It's finally here; The Simple, Modern Sorapot by Joey Roth.   Mr. Roth sold out the first 300 and with the 2nd batch, he included a pack of some of his favorite tea from The Simple Leaf; a sample 1 oz pack of Honeybee Nepal Oolong.  That to me was more than worth the wait.  He had the kindness to notify me and ask if I could wait, and I agreed.  What else could you do as a customer but accept his reward for not minding to wait?  That's customer service right from the top.  Now, for the details.  I arrived home after a long 4 day trip not expecting anything except my Surefire G2 LED Replacement Flashlight and low and behold, something else was awaiting my unwrapping! 

The first picture is of the Mr. Roth Seal on top of the outer packaging.  Not much to say here except that the package weighed in at 5 lbs.  Next, compensation for the long wait was a 1 oz. bag of tea and a coupon for my next order at The Simple Leaf which was perfect because I haven't found a great place in Atlanta to buy some fresh leaves just yet.  I faintly remember that there was a place in the Lenox Square Mall, but it's just too far to go check out.   Here's are two more pictures before you have to click on more to keep on reading.  Check out the string and the innards! 

 

Intricate but simple.  I know that's an oxymoron, but that word alone sums up the amount of detail that I believe had to of transpired in the overall package design.  Untying the box was such a joy but opening the egg crate box to reveal what was inside was that much better.  The directions wrapped around the glass pot, that was awesome.  Forget about the little small pamphlets that no one looks at!  Unrolling this paper was just too good.  Creative!

The lighted picture is the best that I could offer being that I'm still stuck using my measly 4.0 MP Sony DSC-P9.  The first picture shows the final product sitting on top of the box ready to get dismantled and injected with some tea leaves!  The final product couldn't have looked any better.  The construction is flawless, but I have to say that the spout is a little harsh in that it isn't smooth like the rest of the steel.  Doesn't seem like the finish was thorough, but either than that, nothing else was short of perfect.  More than a conversational piece, it's just an awesome pot.  The second picture shows the steel casing unscrewed and the glass taken out.  Conveniently coupled with my Zojirushi Water Boiler, I just have to put some leaves in, reassemble the device and then pour the hot water in and wait.  It was meant to be! 

There next two pictures show the Sorapot before the water ready to go with leaves inside, and the next with the tea brewing away!  The tea was a little dry and I have yet to perfect the master brew, but being my first try, I was more than happy to get going and drink away. 

This piece will definitely stay with me throughout the my travels and will always sit alongside my favorite items.  It's not just art...it's simple but wonderful at the same time.  Fulfilling if you want to call it.  I just think that everyone should get one already and help out Joey Roth because he is the man. 

If you want high quality, detailed pictures, as mine do not give the Sorapot it's well deserved recognition, head over to the official site: Sorapot - a Simple, Modern Teapot

Now if he every produces his teacups, count me in to complete my coffee table set. 

Qumana - Free Offline Blog Editor for Mac OSX or Windows

I've been using Windows Live Writer for quite a while now and have been completely satisfied.  I'm able to write when I'm traveling back and forth from San Diego but I wasn't really into bringing along my Powerbook until now.  Of course, that posed one problem. Being only available for Windows, I had to find a Free Offline Blog Editor for Mac and stumbled onto Qumana.  It's quite basic, and offers all the necessities for WYSIWYG editing.  It's GUI is simple and its just as easy as using Windows Live Writer.  The only draw back that I've found annoying is how slow the spell check runs, but so far, with writing 2 simply posts, I haven't had an issue.  Check it out!!!

It also has an "Insert Ad" button which I'm going to play around with.  Seems fun.  There it is down below.  It's cool, but I don't think that I'm going to really use it that much.

Powered by Qumana

edit: renamed qumana.com link to reflect the .htm to .php // thanks Mr. Christian Biggins

Opera Mini and IBM WebSphere Link

Well, as you now, I recently just inherited my sister's not so new hand me down Sprint Treo 755p and tried to find a link for IBMs WebSphere Everyplace Micro Environment v5.7.1.  To my surprise, the direct distribution link that was provided by Palm Inc. was disabled on January 12, 2008 as Palm is not allowed to distribute the package for some unknown reason. I need this application to run Opera's Mini Web Browser for Moblie Phones and all other Java enabled applications for the Palm OS. I used it before on the Treo 650 and and wanted to see how much better it would be with the new EVDO data speeds. So, I tracked down a place where you can d/l the Java Environment Program and thought that you might need it. Here it is! Also, the only file that you need in the entire package to sync with your Palm device is located in the WEME571JVM/JVM/ARM4T folder named J9JavaVMMidp20.prc. You could read the enclosed PDF for more details.

Download v5.7.1 at Softonic

After you download it, then click the banner below to download Opera Mini! It's awesome because you can actually view webpages in all their glory and best of all, it's free! Check out all the features.

Flying...Payday....Treo 755p....DVDs...USS Midway

Like I posted previously, I'm flying 10 out of 11 days.  Today is day 5 and I've been bogged down without having the pleasure of being connected to the outside world.  It's definitely boring with the Internet these days, but I guess that I should be reading and studying for my recurrent training scheduled in the next few weeks.  It's definitely not by choice either believe me.  The Internet at the Hilton charges $9.95 for 24 hours of connectivity pleasure and that's just not really in the budget.  Not sure if you caught wind either but my loan payments are in full swing at $1100.00 a month for the next 20 years.  Really...it's that much.  It's more than my 2nd paycheck here at ASA's 2nd year rate too.  I'll try not to let it depress me, but hey, like I've always flown by, I've got the best office view there is.  Maybe not the FL410, but it doesn't matter because I'm not comparing myself to the other pilots out there.  It's isn't the largest cabin either, but that doesn't matter, because like I've said, it's all about fun and doing what you love. 

Am I going to work out today?  I just might, but I'm forced to run indoors again because of the forecasted 6-9 inches of snow falling in Peoria, Illinois.  We have a 6:15AM duty in too but I'm a little weary on the fact that we might not be leaving that early.  Who will be cleaning the runways? 

I've upgraded to my sister's hand me down Palm Treo 755p.   Do I like it?  It's definitely got more pep to it and the Internet is quicker using EVDO rev. 0, but it's still not the BlackBerry 8830.  It does have a camera, but I'm not too sure if that's a concern anymore.  Maybe I'll just bring my camera with me everywhere instead.  What do you think? 

I'm going to post all my DVDs online on Amazon so that I could begin converting them to Blu-ray editions.  Of course, I'll be a little smarter in my purchases limiting them to not every new Tuesday release, but to the ones that I think I'm going to watch more than just once.  Shoot, maybe I just won't buy any more movies.  I'm talking like I could afford them!  :-) 

Here's a picture to enjoy of Adelle and I touring the USS Midway Museum in San Diego.  We went spur of the moment right after she picked me up so I was pretty beat but it's always fun hanging out with buddy!  You have to check it out but be sure to have 3-5 hours for the entire trip.  We had but 1 hour to roam around and we only got through 20% of it and we rushed too.  When we going again babe?