argus digital camera

Exclusive Nikon D300 Test and Sample Images Just Posted

2008-10-07T18:44:00.019-07:00

We have had the opportunity to test out a final production Nikon D300 digital SLR, and have just posted an image gallery with links to full resolution sample images from this exciting new camera. Some of the images were taken with the AF 50mm F1.8 Nikkor, and the original 45mm f2.8P manual focus lens. Check out the results... Read More

PowerPoint 2003 - Misc - Stop Capitalizing the First Word

2008-10-07T18:44:00.017-07:00

Prevent PowerPoint 2003 from automatically capitalizing the first word in a sentence.

When entering words in slides, Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 assumes you are always typing sentences. To "help" prevent you from making mistakes, if it notices the first word in a phrase does not start with a capital letter, it will change this for you.

While many people appreciate this feature, others often may type bullet points or other text in a presentation that they don't want automatically capitalized. Thus, this feature can be toggled:...

Read more at MalekTips. Read More

Canon Lowers Price on EOS 5D, Rebel XTi PowerShot S5 IS, SX100 IS, SD950 IS, SD870 IS, A650 IS and A720 IS

2008-10-07T18:44:00.015-07:00

Canon Canada Inc. has today announced a number of price reductions on a range of their digital camera models, including a $200 price drop on the 12.8MP higher end Canon EOS 5D digital SLR. Other Canon cameras that have been reduced in price include the family oriented 10.1MP Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi digital SLR, the Canon PowerShot S5 IS with 12x optical zoom, and the compact PowerShot SD870 IS with wide angle zoom. See full story... Read More

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Digital Camera

2008-10-07T18:44:00.013-07:00

The Panasonic TZ3 is an 8.5 mega pixel digital camera with a 10x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom and a Read More

Sakar are expanding their footprint in the camera business

2008-10-07T18:44:00.011-07:00

Sakar plan to expand their own camera line with the help of Vivitar branded products. Read More

Logitech Illuminated Keyboard

2008-10-07T18:44:00.009-07:00

Logitech Illuminated Keyboard

If Art Lebedev’s Optimus Maximus keyboard has your wallet crying uncle and Saitek’s Cyborg is a little loud for your tastes, Logitech’s new, ultra-slim Illuminated Keyboard might be just the ticket to bring some flavor to your desk. We found it to tasteful, comfortable to type on, and well built, making it one of the best style-minded keyboards to float through our offices.

Read | Permalink | User Reviews | Linking Blogs

Dell Biz: Canon FS100 37X Zoom Flash Card Camcorder $290 shipped

2008-10-07T18:44:00.007-07:00

Amazon: Panasonic ES8078S Vortex HyrdraClean Wet/Dry Shaving System $85 shipped

2008-10-07T18:44:00.005-07:00

Google's vision for a greener planet

2008-10-07T18:44:00.003-07:00

While the current Wall Street financial crisis has many on edge in regard to the short term future of the economy, Google has displayed some far-sighted corporate leadership in releasing its plan for how to reduce fossil fuel use by 2030. "Clean Energy 2030" is designed to stimulate debate on a range of energy consumption issues and includes proposals to slash vehicle oil consumption and CO2 emissions by 38% and reduce US reliance on fossil fuel-based electricity generation by 88% through a significant boost to solar, wind and geothermal output. Importantly, the report also focusses on the "win-win" potential for this aggressive attack on climate change, citing a figure of $1.0 trillion net savings over the 22-year life of the plan...

Tags: Battery Electric Vehicles, Climate Change, Electric, Emissions Control, Global Warming, Google, Solar

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NewEgg: POWERCOLOR Radeon HD 3870 512MB GDDR3 PCIE 2.0 x16 Video Card $79 shipped AR

2008-10-07T18:44:00.001-07:00

Update on a Crowd Sourcing experiment

2008-10-02T21:14:00.019-07:00

During the early hours of Saturday morning I initiated an experiment in Crowd Sourcing at crowdSpring.com. Read my previous blog entry for the details.

I am pleased to report that in less than five days I have received 96 entries. I'm stagge... (more in the full post)

Kiwicon Friday Drinks

2008-10-02T21:14:00.017-07:00

You lucky lucky people going to Kiwicon. Sold Out event - awesome

Don't be late for the Friday night drinks as there is a bunch of free Epic Pale Ale. (Thank Mike Forbes for hooking that up, but you might want to get there before Mike as he has a big thirst when it comes to Epic Pale Ale)

http://www.kiwicon.org/

http://www.epicbeer.com

Twitter @epicbeer

Fast and Furious - New Movie coming `09.

2008-10-02T21:14:00.015-07:00

Fast and Furious - New Movie coming `09.
This looks like they have gone back to the basic formula and blown it all up, hopefully they haven't worried too much about the story line, and mainly focused on the action, but I think this should be a pretty good watch especially considering the budget they likely have. looking forward to it.

Canon EOS 1000D / Rebel XS compared to rivals

2008-10-02T21:14:00.013-07:00

Canon EOS 1000D / Rebel XS compared to rivals
Today Canon announced its latest DSLR, the EOS 1000D / Rebel XS. This new model replaces the EOS 400D / XTi as the entry-level model in Canon's range and sports the same 10.1 Megapixel resolution, 3fps continuous shooting rate and 2.5in screen. The big new feature over the 400D / XTi is of course Live View, although the 1000D / XS is also Canon's lightest DSLR to date at just 450g. To help you decide if it's the new DSLR for you, we've compared the features of the new EOS 1000D / Rebel XS against its predecessor and several other key rivals. So to find out all the details about Canon's latest DSLR and how it measures-up, check out our Canon EOS 1000D / Rebel XS feature comparison

Nikon D90 SLR High ISO Full Size Image Samples Test

2008-10-02T21:14:00.011-07:00

Nikon D90 SLR High ISO Full Size Image Samples Test
We have just posted a small image gallery from the 12.3MP Nikon D90 with the Nikkor AF-S DX 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR zoom lens. The images are taken at ISO settings from 1600-6400 ISO. Original unedited images are available for download (JPEG FINE). Please note as of today Capture NX2 has not been updated to read the Nikon D90 digital SLR EXIF data properly. To see the correct EXIF data it seems that Apple Aperture and Adobe Bridge version CS3 will display the correct EXIF data. See our Nikon D90 image samples...

LifeVillage modular housing solution for remote communities

2008-10-02T21:14:00.009-07:00

LifeVillage modular housing solution for remote communities
Designed to address the problem of access to critical utilities in remote areas and developing nations that lack the necessary infrastructure, Envision Solar's modular self-contained LifeVillage integrates clean power and water treatment into buildings and communities, no matter what the location...

Tags: Housing, Medical, Modular, Solar, Utilities

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Safari for Windows - Temporarily Disable Pop-up Window Blocking

2008-10-02T21:14:00.007-07:00

Safari for Windows - Temporarily Disable Pop-up Window Blocking
Prevent Safari from blocking pop-up windows when websites need them to operate.

By default, Safari for Windows attempts to block web pages from displaying popup windows, a popular method of displaying advertisements. However, some web pages including online banking and other applications have legitimate needs to open a second window.

You can temporarily turn off Safari's popup window blocking and then turn it back on after performing tasks requiring a second window to be opened....

Read more at MalekTips.

Dell Home: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX07 7.2 MP 3.6X Zoom Digital Camera $80 shipped

2008-10-02T21:14:00.005-07:00

Samsung Le 40F86B Tv

2008-10-02T21:14:00.003-07:00

The Samsung LE40F86B 40 1080p HD Ready LCD TV is one of the latest additions to Samsungs range of Read More

Tigerdirect: Toshiba Regza 37RV530 37in Full HD LCD TV $780

2008-10-02T21:14:00.001-07:00

Tigerdirect: Toshiba Regza 37RV530 37in Full HD LCD TV $780

Nikon D700 DSLR Preview and D300 vs D3 Comparison

2008-09-29T21:49:00.007-07:00

Nikon D700 DSLR Preview and D300 vs D3 Comparison
Nikon has today announced the 12.1MP Nikon D700 FX format full frame digital SLR, the baby brother to the flagship Nikon D3 featuring the same sensor, and similar in size to the Nikon D300. The major advancements in performance and design that were first introduced with the Nikon D3 and D300 have been incorporated in the D700 along with a few differentiating features and functionality. See our first look preview and Nikon D700 vs D300 vs D3 side by side comparison......

Nikon D60 Digital SLR Test and Sample Images

2008-09-29T21:49:00.005-07:00

Nikon D60 Digital SLR Test and Sample Images
Having had the opportunity to test the Nikon D60 with the new AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G Vibration Reduction (VR) kit lens, we have published a few sample images taken with a Nikon D60 (Firmware A 1:00, B 1:00) under a range of ISO sensitivity settings and exploring some of the available options on the camera. See full story...

Canon PowerShot S5 IS full review and video tour

2008-09-29T21:49:00.003-07:00

Canon's PowerShot S5 IS is an 8 megapixel super-zoom camera with a 12x optically-stabilised zoom, flip-out screen and a great movie mode. The large number of cameras released by Canon during 2007 forced us to bypass the S5 IS when first released, but it's since become one of the most popular super-zooms on the market and remains a current model in the latest 2008 range. So by popular demand, we're pleased to present our Canon PowerShot S5 IS review, as always accompanied by a demonstration in our video tour. Read More

Camera Labs Assignment: vote for your favourite!

2008-09-29T21:49:00.001-07:00

Camera Labs Assignment: vote for your favourite!
It's the first day of a new month which means a new Assignment in the Camera Labs forums. The theme as suggested by the winner of June's Assignment, richcaw, is 'Trees'. To enter, visit the August Assignment Submissions page. This also means submissions for last month's Assignment are now closed so you can vote for your favourite entry of Georgie2H's 'Minimalism' theme. So to vote, register or sign-into our forums and head on over to our July Assignment Submissions thread.

NewEgg: Seagate FreeAgent Go 120GB 2.5in External Hard Drive $61 shipped

2008-09-29T21:48:00.009-07:00

NewEgg: Seagate FreeAgent Go 120GB 2.5in External Hard Drive $61 shipped

File Extensions - CPL File Format

2008-09-29T21:48:00.007-07:00

File Extensions - CPL File Format
Some details about .CPL files, Windows Control Panel applets.

Files with the CPL file extension are normally Windows Control Panel applets, found by clicking on "Start" - "Control Panel". Each .CPL file represents a tool to perform different types of configuration, including:

* Accessibility Options...

Read more at MalekTips.

Sigma DP2, SD15 out in the open

2008-09-29T21:48:00.005-07:00

Sigma showed off a pair of forthcoming models at Photokina today, highlighting improvements and upgrades in their two camera series. Read More

Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 full review and video tour

2008-09-29T21:48:00.003-07:00

Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 full review and video tour
The Alpha A200 is Sony's new entry-level DSLR and the successor to its debut model, the best-selling Alpha A100. It features the same 10.2 Megapixel CCD sensor as its predecessor, but squeezes it into a smaller and lighter body; there's still room though for the built-in stabilisation to counteract camera shake. Sony's also increased the sensitivity to 3200 ISO, accelerated the AF by 1.7 times, enlarged the screen to 2.7in and employed an InfoLithium battery for accurate feedback. Today though the entry-level DSLR market has never been tougher, so to see how the latest Alpha compares against its predecessor and the current crop of rivals, check out our Sony A200 review, and for a demo of its features, see our Sony A200 video tour.

HE DID IT!! Fusionman completes successful English Channel Crossing

2008-09-29T21:48:00.001-07:00

He made it! Earlier this week we reported on the incredible challenge undertaken by Fusionman Yves Rossy in attempting to fly solo across the English Channel using his home-made jet-powered wing, a feat he successfully completed on Thursday at 1:19 BST when he parachuted into Dover less than 15 minutes after leaving the skies above France. Great picture gallery of the event. ..

Tags: Fusionman, Rossy

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Sites to Browse - iPop Your Baby

2008-09-29T21:47:00.001-07:00

Sites to Browse - iPop Your Baby
This unique clothing line allows your baby to sport the unique iPod interface.

Nikon D60 Digital SLR Test and Sample Images

2008-09-25T19:41:00.007-07:00

Having had the opportunity to test the Nikon D60 with the new AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G Vibration Reduction (VR) kit lens, we have published a few sample images taken with a Nikon D60 (Firmware A 1:00, B 1:00) under a range of ISO sensitivity settings and exploring some of the available options on the camera. See full story... Read More

Fujifilm: EXR-equipped camera coming in Q1 2009

2008-09-25T19:41:00.005-07:00

Fujifilm: EXR-equipped camera coming in Q1 2009
Fuji's new Super CCD EXR technology has only been public for a day, but this potentially revolutionary technology may soon be coming to a FinePix near you.

Vodafone Music Store goes DRM Free & adds Subscription music.

2008-09-25T19:41:00.003-07:00

Vodafone Music Store goes DRM Free & adds Subscription music.

So Stuff.co.nz is reporting that as of today/tomorrow Vodafones Music store is about to loose it's DRM laden WMA's for 256k MP3's and not only that but off NZ's first true subscription service (still heavly DRM'd).

Apparently the costs will be the same at $1.99 a track and they don't say wether previous purchases will be able to redownloaded DRM free. I do like the fact they are quoted as saying "...at 256 kilobits per second, which makes them "significantly higher quality'' than those sold by many music download services, including Apples' iTunes" although if you buy an iTunes Plus (AAC DRM free) track you get a 256k Unprotected AAC which is better compression at the same bitrate. Also from what I can tell iTunes is actually cheaper still - $1.79 for a DRM Free track.

For subscription you're looking at $10p.month which certainly offers a sweet spot on pricing but sucks big time by only being available on VMUSIC compatible phones. If it is indeed only available to your phone and only your phone the advantage of subscription seems to go out the window and kids (VMUSICs main market) will just steal music as usual.
Of course theres no mention of iPhone compatibilty for the subscription side of things, but its safe to say it won't work.

No matter what, actually having an option other than iTunes and Amplifier for DRM free music in NZ can only be a good thing.

Fast and Furious - New Movie coming `09.

2008-09-25T19:41:00.001-07:00

This looks like they have gone back to the basic formula and blown it all up, hopefully they haven't worried too much about the story line, and mainly focused on the action, but I think this should be a pretty good watch especially considering the budget they likely have. looking forward to it.

Sony KDL-32S3000 32 in. LCD Television

2008-09-25T19:40:00.011-07:00

Sony released a great range of entry-level HD Ready LCD TVs earlier this year which are the cheapest Read More

Crumpler camera bags - full review

2008-09-25T19:40:00.009-07:00

A good bag is an essential accessory for every photographer. You can of course carry your camera in any bag, but one designed with photographers in mind should accommodate your specific equipment and accessories, along with giving you quick and easy access to them. In this review we'll be taking a look at two camera rucksacks by Australian bag giant Crumpler: the Keystone, a dedicated (but convertible) camera bag, and the Sinking Barge, a hybrid day-pack. See our Crumpler camera bag review for the full story. Read More

6ave.com: Aliph JAWBONE 2 Bluetooth Headset - Goldy Lips GOLD $100 shipped

2008-09-25T19:40:00.007-07:00

6ave.com: Aliph JAWBONE 2 Bluetooth Headset - Goldy Lips GOLD $100 shipped

Nikon D700 DSLR Preview and D300 vs D3 Comparison

2008-09-25T19:40:00.005-07:00

Nikon has today announced the 12.1MP Nikon D700 FX format full frame digital SLR, the baby brother to the flagship Nikon D3 featuring the same sensor, and similar in size to the Nikon D300. The major advancements in performance and design that were first introduced with the Nikon D3 and D300 have been incorporated in the D700 along with a few differentiating features and functionality. See our first look preview and Nikon D700 vs D300 vs D3 side by side comparison...... Read More

Olympus unveils rangefinder inspired Micro Four Thirds concept

2008-09-25T19:40:00.003-07:00

Olympus unveils rangefinder inspired Micro Four Thirds concept
At a press briefing this morning, Olympus unveiled its Micro Four Thirds concept camera. Fans of retro-rangefinder styling will be pleased with the results.

Sony BRAVIA KDL-40W3000 Television

2008-09-25T19:40:00.001-07:00

Introducing the Sony Bravia KDL40W3000 from the KDL-W3000 series. As the LCD TV range has failed to Read More

Is Fleet Management an invasion of employee privacy?

2008-09-24T03:40:00.019-07:00

An interesting story originating from the Sydney Morning Herald last week, and doing the rounds in New Zealand, says that ‘Privacy Experts’ and Unions are saying that vehicle tracking systems used by companies are an invasion of staff privacy.

It goes on to talk about a former Telstra employee who committed suicide shortly after having a vehicle tracking system attached to his company vehicle. The employee was being treated for depression and the story infers that his suicide was in part a consequence of Fleet Management equipment being installed in his vehicle.

Over the last decade I have been in various ways involved with Vehicle and Personal Tracking technology and only once have I come accross a company that wanted it to be able to check up on the honesty of their staff.

There is no question that some companies have found a sudden increase in profitability and decrease in vehicle costs since they put FM systems in place, but monitoring staff integrity was not the reason the system went in. This particular company wanted to know which vehicles were close to clients that needed urgent service so that they could allocate the nearest vehicle to provide a quality reponsive service.

A few years ago I met the CEO of a rapid response plumbing firm. They guaranteed a minimum response time for people who needed a plumber in an emergancy. He was able to manage this as a consequence of using Navman Wireless technology to locate the nearest vehicle to the job.

They also wanted to compare time based service contracts to the actual time the vehicle was parked at the client site. They wanted to know if they had under or overquoted because there was sometimes a gap between the sales person’s enthusiasm to win a contract and the reality of the job being done.

What did happen was that a number of staff people whom they had suspected of taking liberties with the vehicle on the job and after hours, left the company within a month or so of their own volition. They were under no pressure, in fact their employer said to them "We don't care what happened in the past, this is not a big brother situation, however we do expect a fair day's work for a fair day's pay". In fact the CIO of this company absolutely hates and deplores the concept of big brother and would fight tooth and nail to stop the system being used to monitor the staff to see if they were skyving off. It was never about that. They did know that a couple of the people were abusing their employer's trust, but nothing was ever said to them about it and basically what happened was that those people knew they couldn't continue in the way they were used to and resigned.

I am against (and it may well be illegal) tracking people and their vehicles without their knowledge. The only people able to do that should be the Police and even then, only with a legal warrant produced through the courts.

On the other hand there are many potential benefits. In the courier and freight industry, Fleet Management means that people can easily apply track and trace to good being picked up and delivered without needing additional staff to place calls to drivers.

In the security industry it means that security guards on patrol can confirm the safety and location of their staff and also provide clear evidence to clients that their premises have been visited when they said they were. It can also mean that these people can be backed up in an emergancy. This technology is used internationally to track and protect the safety of VIP’s such as politicians in government vehicles.

Another area that is becoming popular is using this technology to keep track of a personal vehicle’s location. For example, when Dad lends the car to his son or daughter who is just popping down to the shops or a mate’s place, who could be boy racers. There have been a number of occassions where a stolen vehicle has been recovered with the thief still inside, such as the case earlier this year. Sometimes a car is irreplacable such as a classic, or sports car. Insurance money can’t always allow someone to recover the time spent in restoring or bulding a vehicle. This technology can also be used to secure trailer water craft and motorcycles which are often easy targets for criminals.

Another area which is becoming very popular and which I have written about a number of times before is tracking elderly people. With the Baby Boomers living longer and being more mobile, there is a growing population of elderly people, some of whom are sprightly of mind, but less of body and at risk of breaking hips or other body parts, while others are sound in body but suffering onset of Alzheimers Disease or other forms of dementia and likely to wander off and not remember where they live. Whether it is the Retirement Village or Rest Home, or their children, this common problem becomes much easier to manage if you can send a text message to the device they are carrying and receive one back with the nearest street address to their current location.

I think tracking is a great thing for unions to use to help them shore up membership and totally endorse them helping people out when it comes to unethical practice on behalf of the company they work for. However, in most cases FM (Fleet Management) is about providing better service to a company’s clients, being able to stay competitive in a time of heavy traffic, high cost of petrol and consumers who expect cheaper prices.

Vivitar in administration

2008-09-24T03:40:00.017-07:00

Vivitar in administration
Administrators are called to Vivitar who owe creditors four million pounds.

Forefront Threat Management Gateway (TMG) 2008 RTMs in initial form

2008-09-24T03:40:00.015-07:00

Microsoft have finished of the first version of the new Forefront Threat Management Gateway (TMG) which replaces the current ISA Server 2006 product.

This initial version is titled 'Forefront Threat Management Gateway Small Business Edition'... (more in the full post)

[MODIFIED] Mozilla Firefox - Security and Privacy - Stop Remembering Passwords

2008-09-24T03:40:00.013-07:00

Increase your privacy by preventing Mozilla Firefox from remembering website passwords.

By default, Mozilla Firefox is setup to ask you to remember passwords when it recognizes you entering them in websites. This way, you do not need to remember and reenter passwords when you revisit those sites. However, if you find this a privacy or security risk (especially if you share your computer with others or are on a public workstation) you can configure Firefox to turn off this feature.

1. Click "Tools" - "Options"....

Read more at MalekTips. Read More

Canon EOS 450D / Digital Rebel XSi - full review and video tour

2008-09-24T03:40:00.011-07:00

Canon's EOS 450D - or Digital Rebel XSi as it's known in North America - is the company's latest DSLR and the successor to the hugely popular EOS 400D / Rebel XTi. It features a raft of improvements including higher 12.2 Megapixel resolution, a stabilised kit lens, a bigger 3in screen, Live View with the choice of two different AF systems, a bigger viewfinder, quicker continuous shooting, a number of processing features from the higher-end EOS 40D, and PC remote control software. That's an impressive list but does Canon have another best-seller on its hands? Find out in our Canon EOS 450D / Rebel XSi review where we'll compare it against its predecessor and key rivals including Sony's Alpha A350. And as always, for a demonstration of its highlights, check out our Canon EOS 450D / Rebel XSi video tour. Read More

Wigram, perhaps the final chapter.

2008-09-24T03:40:00.009-07:00

On Sunday coming, the Canterbury Recreational Aircraft Club (of which I am a member) had planned to have a flyin to Wigram, permission was sought and thought to be obtained from Ngai Tahu, and it had also been discussed with airfield inhabitants who were supportive and looking forward to us all visiting etc. Today, the member of our club who was organising this received a call from Ngai Tahu revoking the permission.

In short, Jan Higgens, the current person in charge of Wigram Aerodrome Ltd was uncompromising and said that all 'non resident' Wigram aircraft were forbidden to land as of the 1st of September 2008 because "a lot of development is going on; restricting the landing areas".

The NOTAM I blogged about a few days ago merely indicated that permission needed to be sought, it is now clear that you can ask, but you won't get said permission. I guess they figured the media would attend the Canterbury Aero Club flyin last Sunday and so elected to let it proceed rather than get bad press.

I understand that yesterday the plan change became effective. No doubt this is not coincidental.

I can't embed this here for some reason, but it's fitting at this point: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSJamm327gE

As perhaps a final followup to the attempts to get some common sense drummed into the council, Denis Hampton, on behalf largely of Steve Campbell at the Chch Flying School had made a submission a little while ago to the Office of the Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman, for those who are not familiar with the term, is the independant office intended to provide oversight and investigation into the decisions of government, local and central.

The submission called on the Ombudsman to review the report which the council had based it's decision on and if they found as we believe the report to be fundamentally flawed in it's portrayal of Wigram as a dead airfield (the reasons for which this belief was held have been previously written in this blog, and were of course included in said submission) that they should recommend a course of action to the council which would see the whole process reviewed.

Today Denis received a reply from the Ombudsman's assistant to inform that the matter would not be investigated further as it appears the Ombudsman does not have the power to do so when the "full council" has made a decision, it can only investigate sub committees, individual members, officers and employees.

One wonders who can provide oversight to the full council when they make terrible uninformed decisions.

Canon IXUS 960 IS Digital Camera

2008-09-24T03:40:00.007-07:00

Canon IXUS 960 IS Digital Camera
The Canon Ixus 850is and 950is impressed us so much we though that Canon might struggle to improve upon

Leica S2 professional Digital SLR

2008-09-24T03:40:00.005-07:00

LEICA S2 professional Digital SLR features a custom 37.5-megapixel, 30 x 45 mm sensor integrated in a 35mm-sized body Read More

Canon Digital Rebel XSi 450D SLR

2008-09-24T03:40:00.003-07:00

Canon Digital Rebel XSi 450D SLR
Canon has now officially announced the 12.2 Megapixel Canon Digital Rebel XSi 450D SLR camera. Incorporating a number of advanced functions and technology found in Canon professional SLR models, the EOS Rebel XSi boasts an improved autofocus sensor, enhanced 14 bit AD conversion, a large 3.0 inch LCD monitor with an advanced Live View function. The Canon Digital Rebel XSi will be available in both black and silver finishes, and sold as body only or in kit form. Read more...

Nikon Announces Coolpix P80 with 18x Optical Zoom

2008-09-24T03:40:00.001-07:00

Nikon Announces Coolpix P80 with 18x Optical Zoom
Nikon has today announced their first entry into the super zoom point and shoot market with the Nikon Coolpix P80, a 10MP compact camera featuring an 18x optical wide angle zoom, in camera CCD shift image stabilization, an electronic viewfinder as well as a large 2.7-inch high resolution 230K LCD rear monitor with wide viewing angle. See full story...

HTC S740 smartphone

2008-09-19T18:16:00.019-07:00

HTC S740 smartphone
HTC's latest edition to its "S" range of smartphones takes a conventional 12-key candybar phone design, slots in the company's speciality - a sliding QWERTY keyboard - and adds 3.8 inch wide-screen, 3.2 megapixel and mobile broadband download speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps (if your carrier can handle it). ..

Tags: Bluetooth, Camera, HTC, Mobile Phone, Touch Screen

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Mr Hetfield, grow a pair!

2008-09-19T18:16:00.017-07:00

Seriously, either get some nuts or give up singing!
Bob Rock has gone, now you need to get Lars to stop doing you in the bum!

Great album until you sing! (and who wrote the pathetic lyrics? you're not 20 anymore, tosser)

Death Magnetic... Don't get it now!

Album review.?: waste-of-money out of 5

PowerPoint 2003 Menus - Toolbars - Status Bar - Enable or Disable Shortcut Keys When Hovering Over Toolbars

2008-09-19T18:16:00.015-07:00

Toggle whether or not shortcut keys should display when you hover your mouse pointer over icons in PowerPoint 2003 toolbars. Read More

NewEgg: Western Digital My Book Essential 640GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive $125 shipped

2008-09-19T18:16:00.013-07:00

More on Orcon

2008-09-19T18:16:00.011-07:00

More on Orcon
I tried to add this as a comment to my previous post, but for some reason I couldn't, so:

So today I got my new Sky City Movies 2 for 1 pass from Orcon as promised. I was pleasantly surprised, given the previous experiences, I didn't think I'd hear from them again.

As to the service I've had 8 days in the last 3 weeks where it didn't break down at all. Last night however the wireless router was playing up and killed me off in the poker tournament I had worked so hard to qualify for. One hand I had pocket Kings and bet 2/3 of my chips, by the time the modem reconnected instead of doubling or trebling up they were gone. $300 I won't be seeing.

I did have 2 bad days last week, one with 79 disconnections and the other with 362 and I still don't have Caller ID, otherwise I would have to say it was pretty good.

Lenovo ThinkPad SL400

2008-09-19T18:16:00.009-07:00

Lenovo ThinkPad SL400

With the introduction of the SL Series notebooks, Lenovo continues its trend of pushing the ThinkPad name out of its lofty perch and into more affordable territory. The 14.1-inch version bulks up a bit for the sake of keeping price low, but retains Lenovo’s signature ThinkPad durability and feel, along with competent performance for a business machine. But some minor issues still need to be ironed out. Our Lenovo SL400 came with the following hardware:� 14.1-inch WXGA VibrantView Display Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 2.4GHz CPU 2GB PC-5300 DDR2 RAM 250GB Hard Drive (5400 RPM) Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS Video Card DVD-RW 8x Max Dual-Layer Drive Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 5100 9-Cell Battery

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DSLR Tips! A new website from Camera Labs

2008-09-19T18:16:00.007-07:00

DSLR Tips! A new website from Camera Labs
Today sees the launch of DSLR Tips, a new photography site from the founders of Camera Labs! DSLR Tips is aimed at anyone who's just got their first DSLR or wants to take their photography beyond automatic. Our video tutorials will show you how to achieve a number of effects and styles, while the lens guide will help you decide which optics are best for your style of photography. So if you'd like to learn more about your DSLR, or know someone who does, then head over to DSLR Tips!

Buyers Guide updated with latest models

2008-09-19T18:16:00.005-07:00

Buyers Guide updated with latest models
Following a run of excellent cameras, we've updated our Buyers Guide to include the Canon EOS 450D / XSi, Sony Alpha A350 and Panasonic's Lumix TZ5 and FX35 compacts. So whether you're in the market for a new compact, super-zoom, budget DSLR or semi-pro DSLR, check out the Camera Labs Buyers Guide to find out the best models around right now! As always, every model recommended in our Buyers Guide has been fully tested.

Jobo photoGPS

2008-09-19T18:16:00.003-07:00

New capture and process technology provides a lightweight and easy-to-use GPS unit that significantly changes the way photographers track a photograph�s exact location. Read More

Toshiba XD-E500

2008-09-19T18:16:00.001-07:00

Toshiba XD-E500

Just when I thought that I would probably never review a DVD player gain, Toshiba introduced their new XD-E500 1080p up conversion DVD player. Toshiba, who was one of the co-inventor’s DVD technology, and also the creator of the now defunct high-definition HD DVD optical disc, is coming back to the DVD marketplace with a new upconverting DVD player. Why? While still licking its wounds from the loss of its high-definition optical disc format, Toshiba has unveiled a new video processing technology called ‘XDE,’ which stands for ‘Extended Detail.’ According to Toshiba, XDE offers enhanced picture performance from standard definition DVDs. Toshiba has also realized the folks are not quite ready to give up their DVD players just yet in favor of Blu-ray players either, and are still quite fond of their DVDs. So, the idea of XDE was born in hopes of breathing renewed life into the DVD format. The new model XD-E500, which is housed in a sleek and very slender black cabinet, is priced at $149.95 retail. I expect it to be $99 by the Holidays.

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Mobile Me - Or is it?

2008-09-15T09:01:00.001-07:00

Mobile Me - Or is it?
Mobile Me - good in practice, not so sure about the execution.

My wife has been without email for 3 days now, missing out on business-critical communications. No useful explanation has been provided by Apple, Support is virtually impossible to contact and to claim that only 1% of users are affected seems disingenuous given the vast numbers of irate posts on Apple Support!

The theory is great but a better tagline might be "Exchange For (Some Of) The Rest of Us"!

Apple may well become a victim of their own success, I think.

Photomart's Autumn Show

2008-09-15T09:00:00.015-07:00

Photomart will be holding their annual Autumn Show on Wednesday October 15th. Read More

I've had it up to there with Orcon

2008-09-15T09:00:00.013-07:00

You can read the rest of my story on my WordPress blog, but the service these guys have given me is unbelievable, BAD that is.

This is my status for today for the rest follow my link below.

So if you read my previous blog you will know that our phone line died yesterday. So This afternoon I rang Orcon to find ut what is happening. I rang the 0800 number and selected landlines and waited for a response which came pretty quickly and I got a very polite response from Jamie who advised me that she had to pass me on to a different department because the other department was responsible for the port change. She also explained that the port change affected the landline and the broadband connection.

So off to another department and another woman who advised me that they were still waiting for a technician to advise the date when someone would do a port change!

I said “Are you telling me that I have no phone and that you can’t even tell me when someone will advise when they will look at it?” Correct, it might be this afternoon, they do work on Saturdays so someone might turn up then or, well they just don’t know because it is another department.

I asked if they would forward incoming phones to a mobile and they have agreed to do that, but why couldn’t they suggest that in the first place? Basically this now means that people can contact us without having to know our mobile numbers and without having to pay for the toll call, but it does also mean that we have to pay mobile call rates for the outgoing local calls, but at least we have communications.

But we have no idea when our home phone line wll be reconnected.

Since last night I have had 2 people come to me saying that they had been planning to move to Orcon and now won’t. Would you like to be in on a sweepstake as to when I will have a home phone line? Or perhaps hw many times my internet will disconnect today? Yes, funny isn’t it, I still have a Broadband connection at home even if I don’t have the phone. I just checked, so far my broadband has disconnected 18 times today.

Price Decrease on Nikon D200, D80, D40 and Select Nikkor Lenses

2008-09-15T09:00:00.011-07:00

Price Decrease on Nikon D200, D80, D40 and Select Nikkor Lenses
Nikon Canada Inc. has today announced new lower manufacturer's recommended retail pricing (MSRP) on a number of their digital SLR cameras, including the family photography oriented 6.1 MP Nikon D40 and the Nikon D80 digital SLR for the advanced amateur. The Nikon D200 (for the serious hobbyist and professional geared photographer) has been reduced in price by $100 to a new MSRP of $1399 CAN, while the Nikkor AF 80-400mm F/4-5.6 VR zoom lens has been reduced in price by $120 to a new retail of $1579 Canadian. Nikon Canada has also confirmed pricing for their latest new lenses, including the Nikon AF-S DX 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II zoom, the AF-S 60mm f/2.8G ED Macro, and the PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5D ED tilt/shift lens. See full story...

Creative Zen X-Fi 8GB

2008-09-15T09:00:00.009-07:00

Creative has been hawking its X-Fi sound enhancement technology hard in the last couple of years, putting it in everything from sound cards to headphones -- and now in a portable AV player. Aside from the usual voice recorder, FM radio, expandable storage, and audio/video playback, the Zen X-Fi is the first player from Creative to offer built-in WiFi. Like Microsoft's Zune, the X-Fi lacks a Web browser, which is a major stumbling block for a WiFi device, but it also lacks the Zune's wireless sync. It does, however, offer limited chat capabilities and AV streaming via LAN.

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Sites to Browse - iPop Your Baby

2008-09-15T09:00:00.007-07:00

Sites to Browse - iPop Your Baby
This unique clothing line allows your baby to sport the unique iPod interface.

Nikon D300 Image Samples Available

2008-09-15T09:00:00.005-07:00

Nikon D300 Image Samples Available
Nikon Corporation has now provided another four image samples from the soon to be released Nikon D300 digital SLR. The full size images include a couple of portraits, one landscape/scenery and one action shot. The images are taken at 200 ISO, except for one of the portraits captured at 400 ISO. The Nikkor lenses used for these Nikon D300 sample image tests include the Nikon AF-S DX VR Zoom Nikkor ED 18-200mm F3.5-5.6G, the prime AF Nikkor 50mm F1.4D and the AF-S VR Nikkor ED 300mm F2.8 IF telephoto lens. Read Full story...

Pet photography course

2008-09-15T09:00:00.003-07:00

Pet photography course
There�s more to great animal portraits than a bit of bribery with a pocket full of Bonios. So the team at Contemporary Photographic Training (CPT) has launched a brand new course to help you take stunning images of Man�s Best Friend.

Toshiba's 100-gram LED projector

2008-09-15T09:00:00.001-07:00

Expected on shelves sometime next year, Toshiba's mobile phone-sized LED projector lays claim to the current title of the world's lightest, weighing in at just 100 grams including battery. Toshiba hopes that the 45mm x 17mm x 100mm device will give it share of the emerging market for devices that can shift mobile phone media to new levels...

Tags: IFA 2008, LED, Mobile Phone, Projectors, Toshiba

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Very slack proof reading at Vodafone

2008-09-15T08:59:00.001-07:00

... and by poor proof reading:

- from the Vodafone website.

It's been up there for a few days since they changed their little advertisement blocks into images...

Windows XP and Explorer - Change the Folder Type

2008-09-13T16:34:00.019-07:00

Windows XP and Explorer - Change the Folder Type
Configure Windows XP to provide special functions for folders containing pictures, music, video, or general documents. ...

Canon Rebel XSi and Powershot price drops

2008-09-13T16:34:00.017-07:00

Canon Canada Inc. has today announced a significant price reduction on the 12MP Canon Rebel XSi camera body, and on the available Canon Rebel XSi kit configurations, including the standard EOS Rebel XSi kit with EF-S 18-55mm IS zoom lens. Canon has also reduced the price on the sleek and pocketable 10 megapixel Canon Powershot SD890 IS, SD790 IS and the Powershot SD770 IS digital cameras by up to $50. See full story... Read More

Camera Labs Assignment: vote for your favourite!

2008-09-13T16:34:00.015-07:00

Lenovo ThinkPad SL400

2008-09-13T16:34:00.013-07:00

Read | Permalink | User Reviews | Linking Blogs

Windows Mobile Roadmap session at Tech Ed New Zealand 2008

2008-09-13T16:34:00.011-07:00

Windows Mobile Roadmap session at Tech Ed New Zealand 2008
I have just received the confirmation I will be running the Windows Mobile Roadmap session (UNC117) at Tech Ed New Zealand 2008.

At this stage I don't know the exact date/time but it's all go.

See you there!

... (more in the full post)

Price Decrease on Nikon D200, D80, D40 and Select Nikkor Lenses

2008-09-13T16:34:00.009-07:00

Apple iPod nano green (8 GB) MP3 Player

2008-09-13T16:34:00.007-07:00

Apple iPod nano green (8 GB) MP3 Player
Without changing the name, Apple has upgraded the iPod Nano by changing its size and colour options

Liebherr's ZKes 453 cigar storage unit

2008-09-13T16:34:00.005-07:00

Liebherr's ZKes 453 cigar storage unit
Storing and maturing cigars successfully relies heavily on the regulation of air temperature and humidity, and the new ZKes 453 humidor from Liebherr achieves this using a stainless steel housing lined with Spanish cedar wood that incorporates sensitive electronic control system in conjunction with temperature and humidity sensors, all operated via an electronic SoftTouch panel. ..

Tags: Humidity, Smoking, Storage

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Geekzone Jobs: search and forums

2008-09-13T16:34:00.003-07:00

A few months ago I created a Jobs forum on Geekzone to allow for some of our readers to exchange job information, post requests for specific skills, etc.

Of course it's no competition for the big job sites around, but it seems to be working ok for our community. We do have some of the job agencies posting some ads there - and why wouldn't they, it's free!

Anyway, after talking to the guys at JobX, New Zealand's newest site for job search, we decided to add a Job Search to Geekzone.

One of the first joint initiatives was their sponsorship at the Geekzone Pizza evening in Christchurch - by chance we selected a pizza place just next to their offices, so that helped too.

The Jobs forum is still active and I expect it to get busier every day, but I think the Job Search will bring an even bigger selection for you.

Good luck!

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX35 with 4x Wide-Angle 25mm Zoom

2008-09-13T16:34:00.001-07:00

Panasonic has today introduced the 10.1-megapixel Lumix DMC-FX35 with an impressive 25mm ultra-wide-angle LEICA DC lens and 4x optical zoom (equivalent to 25mm to 100 mm on a 35mm film camera). Panasonic's Intelligent Auto mode, which includes various shooting-assist functions, has been enhanced in the DMC-FX35 by adding an Intelligent Exposure feature and Digital Red-eye Correction. See full story... Read More

State insurance being dodgy? Or just clever?

2008-09-13T04:01:00.019-07:00

State insurance being dodgy? Or just clever?
Should State insurance offer 'market value' payouts on a set amount policy?

My parents car was recently involved in an accident where their car received significant damage after a truck hit the car. No one was hurt but we got the details, went to the police and got the stuff rolling.
The car is sitting in my driveway, not safe for road use.

Anyway, the insurance policy was insured for a set value rather than market value. The assessor for state insurance (IAG?) has basically offered approximately $5600 for repairs or replacement. This is below the set amount that was insuranced and the assessor only viewing the exterior of the car and not assessing potential damage to the car. The understanding is that anything above ~$5600 would be out of pocket.

When we contacted the assessor for further comment, he advised that this was because the car was only worth a certain amount, a market value and that we are lucky that we got offered that amount. That would be ok if it wasn't insured for a set value.

Clearly state insurance can't have their cake and eat it too? To me it sounds like a scam.

Whats your thoughts?

Windows Vista - Mouse - Toggle Pointer Trails

2008-09-13T04:01:00.017-07:00

Toggle whether the mouse pointer should display trails, which may make the mouse pointer easier to see. ... Read More

Sharp's solar LED street lights incorporate seismic detection

2008-09-13T04:01:00.015-07:00

Sharp's solar LED street lights incorporate seismic detection
The argument for switching to solar-powered street lighting seems very clear cut: they run on sunlight, emit no CO2 emissions, provide an off-the grid source of lighting during in an emergency situation and use efficient LED-based light which tends not to attract insects. Sharp Corporation has announced plans to roll-out two new models of solar-powered LED street lights in the Japanese market and these have the added bonus of in-built Seismic Motion Sensors which detect earthquakes of five or greater on the Japanese seismic scale and respond by switching to full illumination for two nights...

Tags: LED, Lighting, Security, Sharp, Solar

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Nikon D700 - compared to D3, D300 and EOS 5D

2008-09-13T04:01:00.013-07:00

Nikon D700 - compared to D3, D300 and EOS 5D
Nikon's D700 is the company's second full-frame DSLR, and comes in at a much more affordable price point than the flagship D3. The new D700 takes the D3's 12.1 Megapixel FX format sensor, 3in VGA monitor, 51 point AF system and Live View, but squeezes it into a smaller and lighter D300-sized body equipped with a popup flash and anti-dust features. In our D700 preview article we'll detail the features of the new model and compare the differences between it and the D3 and D300, along with Canon's EOS 5D. See our Nikon D700 preview to find out if Nikon's found the perfect balance of price and features.

Checking your mobile data usage online is not easy: a Telecom New Zealand tale

2008-09-13T04:01:00.011-07:00

Checking your mobile data usage online is not easy: a Telecom New Zealand tale
Yesterday I posted about Telecom New Zealand's lack of a "meter" for their mobile data. Here is something that I thought would illustrate the issue well...

Let's say you rent a car on a monthly basis, for work. You agree to pay $49.95 a month if you drive up to 1,000 km per billing cycle, and $1 per km after this.

You decided on 1,000 km because you thought this could cover your average daily usage multiplied by the number of days in the month.

You get the car and notice there is no meter in it, but the rental agency tells you it's ok, they are monitoring it within their system, remotely.

You drive away. During 30 days you have no exact idea of how many kms you've done. You have to keep calling the company to find out how many kms you have driven so far, and calculate to see if you are still within the expected average.

Then you receive the monthly bill. You look through five pages for something that says "kms driven this month", but instead you find "times you started the car this month". And a charge for the rental.

Does it make sense?

No. Neither does Telecom New Zealand's "data sessions" line in the bill. They don't tell us how many megabytes or gigabytes we used during the month, only how many times we used it during the period.

Telecom, are you going to fix your systems?

Sony BRAVIA KDL-40W3000 Television

2008-09-13T04:01:00.009-07:00

Introducing the Sony Bravia KDL40W3000 from the KDL-W3000 series. As the LCD TV range has failed to Read More

Digital Foci Image Moments 6

2008-09-13T04:01:00.007-07:00

Digital Foci Image Moments 6
Share & relive your treasured memories, instantly in sharp, vibrant colours

NewEgg: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400 2.8GHz CPU + Antec Sonata III 500 Mid Tower Case $102 shipped

2008-09-13T04:01:00.005-07:00

Buying a Digital Camera - Work the Controls Before Buying

2008-09-13T04:01:00.003-07:00

Comparing digital cameras to buy? Familiarize yourself with the controls before making a decision. Read More

Windows Media Player 11 - Cannot Play DRM (Digital Rights Management) Protected Content

2008-09-13T04:01:00.001-07:00

Windows Media Player 11 - Cannot Play DRM (Digital Rights Management) Protected Content
The following articles may assist if you are having difficulty playing protected DRM content in Windows Media Player 11. ...

QuickTime for Windows - Change File Types Opened by QuickTime

2008-09-13T03:55:00.001-07:00

QuickTime for Windows - Change File Types Opened by QuickTime
Change the list of file types that will cause QuickTime for Windows to be opened automatically. ...

Bestbuy: Canon Waterproof Case for Canon A60 and A70 Digital Cameras $50

2008-09-13T03:54:00.017-07:00

Bestbuy: Canon Waterproof Case for Canon A60 and A70 Digital Cameras $50

NewEgg: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400 2.8GHz CPU + Antec Sonata III 500 Mid Tower Case $102 shipped

2008-09-13T03:54:00.015-07:00

NewEgg: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400 2.8GHz CPU + Antec Sonata III 500 Mid Tower Case $102 shipped

Windows Vista - Mouse - Toggle Hiding the Mouse Pointer When Typing

2008-09-13T03:54:00.013-07:00

Configure Windows Vista to hide the mouse pointer as you type, or disable this behavior. ... Read More

OneCall: Weekend Sale

2008-09-13T03:54:00.011-07:00

OneCall: Weekend Sale

NewEgg: LACIE Design by Neil Poulton 301304U 1TB USB 2.0 Hard Drive $150 shipped

2008-09-13T03:54:00.009-07:00

New Panasonic compacts include TZ5 superzoom with HD

2008-09-13T03:54:00.007-07:00

New Panasonic compacts include TZ5 superzoom with HD
Today Panasonic unveiled a raft of new compacts including the successor to the Lumix TZ3, one of our favourite compacts of last year. The new TZ5 features the same excellent 28-280mm stabilised zoom lens in a compact case, but upgrades both the sensor and 3in screen resolutions to 9.1 Megapixels and 460k pixels respectively. The big new feature is HD movie recording at 720p / 30fps, and HDTV connectivity with an optional component cable; this also featured on the new Lumix FX55 slim compact. The TZ5 rounds this off with an improved Intelligent Auto mode. For full details of all the new models, check our Panasonic compact camera page.

Windows Vista - Start Menu - Taskbar - Toolbars - Stop Hiding Inactive Icons

2008-09-13T03:54:00.005-07:00

Keep Windows Vista from hiding icons in the Taskbar notification area. Read More

Nikon D700 DSLR Preview and D300 vs D3 Comparison

2008-09-13T03:54:00.003-07:00

Canon Rebel XS, EOS 1000D Entry Level Digital SLR

2008-09-13T03:54:00.001-07:00

Canon Rebel XS, EOS 1000D Entry Level Digital SLR
Canon has today introduced the Canon Digital Rebel XS digital SLR. In some countries (Europe) the camera will be known as the Canon EOS 1000D. The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS / 1000D features an APS-C size 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor and Canon's DIGIC III image processor, and joins the ranks in the Canon lineup as the entry level digital SLR model under the recently announced 12.2 MP Canon Rebel XSi / 450D. See full story...