I know that people are usually looking for a media player to play their shows on and something that plays different kinds of media and something simple. Other then building your own media PC this is the best and simplest player I have seen around, 1080p without a hitch, doesn’t matter if its an External HD which is Mac formatted or PC formatted but this is your best bet and very simple to operate. Just attached the external drive with all the shows and movie, choose what you want and enjoy.

• Thumbnail and list views – Browse your content by filename or by thumbnails of photos, album covers and movie cover art.
• Media Library – This unique feature lets you view all your media by media type in one menu regardless of its location in folders or drives. You can view content by categories such as genre, album, artist and date. / Search – Search by genre, title, artist, filename and partial filename
• Create custom slide shows with a variety of transitions and background music
• Movie viewing – Fast forward, rewind, pause, zoom, and pan; View subtitles – Search by filename, partial filename, most recently viewed and date
• Music – Fast forward, rewind, pause, shuffle, repeat; Supported USB Device file systems: FAT-32, NTFS, HFS+ (no journaling)

File Formats Supported

• Music – MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV/PCM/LPCM, AAC, FLAC, Dolby Digital, AIF/AIFF, MKA
• Graphics – JPEG, GIF, TIF/TIFF, BMP, PNG
• Video -MPEG1/2/4, WMV9, AVI (MPEG4, Xvid, AVC), H.264, MKV, MOV (MPEG4, H.264)
• Playlist – PLS, M3U, WPL Subtitle -SRT (UTF-8)

Note:

• MPEG2/4, H.264, and WMV9 supports up to 1920x1080p 24fps, 1920x1080i 30fps, 1280x720p 60fps resolution.
• An audio receiver is required for surround sound output.
• AAC/Dolby Digital decodes in 2 channel output only.
• JPEG does not support CMYK or lossless.
• BMP supports uncompressed format only.
• TIF/TIFF supports single layer only.

Price: $110
Link: Amazon

I picked up this list from the Maximum PC April 2009 issue, there are some publications which are still worth buying in print and this is one of them. PC Geeks over the years have developed certain skill sets, some are through education, some through knowledge, and the majority of it is through breaking stuff. Well this is a list of things that I can relate with and I know a few people that can as well, there are people with a lot more skills and I’m one always willing to learn.

• Knowing the difference between the board connectors; PCI Express, DDR Memory, Dual Channel Rimm
• Benchmarking a PC
• Know basic HTML tags
• Bypass the Government content filter
• Run all your essential Apps on a USB stick
• Getting through to the real technicians of customer service
• Use photoshop to doctor a photo
• Wire your home with your know Ethernet and know how to crimp it
• Say NO to extended warranty
• Mooch Wi-Fi pretty much anywhere
• Use a DSLR in full manual mode
• Install a Hard Drive in a Laptop (Laptop broke down in the first month, damn annoying)
• Protect your Wi-Fi
• Take apart a damage external hard drive and extract the data
• Pull off an elaborate prank
• Set up a RAID configuration
• Securely Erase your data (They don’t know how to do that at Lockheed Martin)
• Solder like your life depended on it (I used to do that when I worked on my R/C Cars, would probably do some damage to a mother board)
• Rip CDs to FLAC
• Stream your movies, Music, Photos, and anything else to any location in your house
• Dual-Boot your PC
• How to hack a Windows Computer or Router
• Watch TV Shows on the Internet (Legally)
• Installing and configuring a Virtual Machine
• Protecting your tracks on the PC
• Run multiple monitors
• Know the important Linux Commands
• Avoid DRM at all costs
• Use Remote Desktop
• Rip a DVD to H.264
• Find everything you need to know Online
• Install Third-party firmware on your router
• Be an addict to Star Wars or Star Trek
• Be able to use the command prompt like a pro
• Be able to change your own tire
• Connecting to the ECU of your vehicle to tweak, or flash, clear codes
• Play Halo1/2/3 and still don’t want to sleep
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I got my Flip MinoHD a while back now but I didn’t have a chance to really use it except a little recently. The box is nice and compact, comes with a few wires, a pouch, and the manual. The camera is smaller then I expected, its smaller then my Blackberry 8900, fits very nicely in my hand. Switched it on and it has some very simple settings, and you pretty much point and record right away. It records at 720p video which you can connect to your computer through USB, the USB connector is built into the Flip MinoHD, its at the top and flips out, then you connect it to your computer to either take the videos or charge it, to charge the Flip you also connect it to the USB.

It has very simple operations when recording, you just have one big red button to record and point in the direction that you want. There is a simple built-in software which I used to create the test video below. The sound recorded quality is excellent and so it the video quality, if you are looking for a simple point and shoot video camera for under $200 then this is the perfect camera. I was looking to use a camera to mount to my bikes while riding and mount it to the car while driving to make some fun videos, and it really did the job. You can do edit the video insert any effects but that must be done in something like Adobe Premiere.

• Holds 60 minutes of HD-quality video (1280 x 720 resolution at 30 frames per second; 16:9 widescreen) on 4 GB of built-in memory
• Weighs only 3.3 ounces, sleek design, fits into your pocket or purse
• Features one-touch recording and digital zoom
• Flip-out USB arm plugs directly into your computer to launch built-in FlipShare software
• FlipShare software lets you save and organize your videos, simple editing, make movie, email, or upload online

I honestly think they did a great job with this camera targeting a specific usage for it. I do think there is room for improvement but I gave it high marks because of the video quality I kept getting and sound capture, and overall extreme ease of use. Now you can the Flip UltraHD which does a little bit more for the same price, so I would go for this one at this point.

Price: $199
Link: Amazon
Rated:

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I have been looking forward to a real review of the Dell Adamo, and Gizmodo is the only one that really took a bite at it. Overall I was very dissapointed by the reviews, the graphics of the machine is lacking because they opted to go with the Intel GPU instead of the iNvidia GPU. I didn’t mind that it was slightly heavier but the battery life was very low for a laptop of its class, only going to about 2:40 hr:mins instead of the rated 5+ hours.

Take a look at the Gizmodo link for detailed comparisons with other laptops in its class such as the Lenovo Thinkpag X301 and Apple Mac Book Air. For an expensive laptop it just doesn’t deliver, and I had high hopes for it, especially since the name of it is close to General Adama from Battlestar Galactica

Pros:

• Unique, stylish design
• Very thin
• Nice selection of ports and extras

Cons:

• It’s the heaviest system in its class by a pound
• Mediocre battery life
• Weak GPU

Link: Gizmodo

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I knew there was a USB missile launcher that you can control from your PC, but now they developed an iPhone application which you can control from anywhere on your netwok. Its $30 for the USB Missile Launcher and $3 for the application, but I think its pretty damn cool you can control from anywhere on the network.

Link: Gizmodo

After taking a look at my music selection and music options, I thought about changing my audio hardware setup. I usually have music playing in the background in my room. Thankfully you can listen to Satellite radio on the net for a small subscription but its really worth it. I haven’t really used by normal stereo for at least a year or so at this point, after thinking about I’m going to dismantle it and make use of that space. Now that I have the Logic Valve 80 I thought it would be the perfect setup, but there is a little hitch. Its a little bigger then I expected, turned up in a very big box. I thought it would be the size of the Bose Sound Dock, but turns out its much bigger and heavier, and I liked the quality of the build and the weight, I just have to figure out the placement. It is an iPod Dock with a built-in amplifier and hybrid vacuum valve which gives the music a richer sound based on all the reviews.

Now there are a few steps to be tackled before installing the item. I have to figure out a design for the dock, Sonos, and the speakers and get rid of the sound system or just the sound system speakers. Interestingly enough the Valve 80 has two Auxiliary inputs which I could use for the Sonos and the sound system, that would help get rid of the speakers which are taking up a large amount of space. At this point I will go into a complete reorganization of the equipment and items, to rewire everything as neatly as possible, and make more space for the new set of books that I have.

I kept the stock Logic Valve 80 speakers in the box because I’m planning on using the Sonos speakers. I place my Anime Mecha Models on top of the speakers, and the Valve 80 Speakers aren’t flat. I just need some banana plug to sort it out the wiring between the Speakers and the Valve 80. The best part is that all the RCA cables needed to connect to the Valve 80 Auxiliary inputs are included in the box which is a nice touch, also two different types of power cables (2 & 3 Pin Plugs), so they provided all the necessary and optional cables for you.

Then I have to get rid of a few unnecessary things on the shelf. I have about 10 PS3 games sitting on the shelf that I have played and enjoyed, maybe a few I didn’t even open yet. My PS2 burnt out over two and half years ago now, and it isn’t worth fixing, for some reason I still keep those games. As I need the space these days, I’m not sure what to do with the games, I don’t want to throw them away, and I’m not sure if its about the sentimental value but maybe it is. I remember the days when I used to play video games nonstop for hours on end but that isn’t the case anymore. I’m lucky if I get to even finish a game which is rare, or even get a few hours a week if thats even possible. So I need to take care of that to make full use of the shelves, and do a lot of network rewiring behind the shelves.

I have been thinking about switching my current ADSL modem to something simpler. I had a problem with the ADSL Linksys modem from Zaijil, it kept disconnecting, so I upgraded it to a Cisco ADSL Modem, and used the D-Link Router as the DHCP and main connection of that network.

The one problem I am facing is that I am unable to pass through the public IP Address from the Cisco Modem to the D-Link Modem. I want to access the servers through the DYDNS website, and haven’t been able to due to this hiccup.

I have recently gotten my hands on a Belkin ADSL Modem, with decent reviews. So I am planning on using it as the main connection and DHCP modem for the network, and I can use DYDNS with this modem to access my network. The one thing about the Cisco modem is that it hasn’t had any problem what so ever since installing it, the only problem I have with it is that you have to have a Cisco Certificate to even think of configuring the damn thing.

After plugging the telephone cable in the Belkin ADSL modem, I called KEMS to get the information, turns out they login through PPoA and not PPoE, and I got the VPI/VI numbers needed. As soon as that was done, the router restarted and within a minute it was connected to the internet. Of course during configuration it was wired to the laptop. After that I disconnected the D-Link Router which is performed perfectly, finally removed the Netgear Dual Wan Router which has operated as a heat sink for me and nothing else, then I disconnected the Cisco ADSL modem. One thing for sure is that the Cisco modem is extremely dependable, but difficult to manage for a layman such as myself. I was having a few problems connecting the wireless but after restarting it, the laptop connected fine. I was hoping that I didn’t need to restart the machines, but I knew I would. So I restarted the WHS servers, but first I shut them down, cleaned them out with a dust blow which turned into its out little mini dust storm in the room, connected the main WHS server to the UPS and powered it back up correctly. After going through this whole process which took about two hours to make sure everything is connected, I was satisfied with the results.

Who remembers that hover-board from Back to the Future, I don’t think there isn’t any person who didn’t want one. The Scarpar is probably the closest your going to get it. You can use it on sand, snow, and off-road, I have feeling that it would take a person with extreme balancing skills to handle a machine such as this. I do enjoy snow boarding but I am pretty bad at it, so I would have a few falls riding this machine.

Link: Gizmodo

Drobo is Network Attached Storage Unit with its proprietary software for storage expandability and hardware/software fail-over. You can choose any size hard drive and mix them up in the storage to create larger volumes. With 8-Bay storage you can use the 2TB drives to get 16 TB worth of storage.

It can only connect using iSCSI, Firewire 800, and USB 2.0. What I would want is dual ethernet connection, that would be fantastic with the enterprise level hardware. The best part is that this new storage is rackmountable with fans. Its a separate option but a very smart option in the design.

The price of the Drobo Pro is $1300 doesn’t include any disks. Its nice to have a ridiculous amount of storage.

Link: Gizmodo

After having my Blackberry for a couple of weeks at this point, this is a simple evaluation of the Blackberry service and my phone the Blackberry 8900 Javelin. Overall I am happy that I made the switch at this point, I have got an excellent phone and majority of my friends already have it so its simple enough to ask a questions. I have a few essential applications but I’m not planning to install too many.

The Great Part

• Bandwidth Optimization – You get connected very quickly and easily, this is without using the 3G network only EDGE for now
• Overall Cost Reduction – Less calls just BBMs
• Smooth Operating System – The system of the 8900 Javelin is stable and smooth, much better then the Bold which hangs often with people
• Great Web Browsing
• Synced with email – Gmail or otherwise, if you read it in your Blackberry then its read in your Inbox when you open the browser. Connection through IMAP which is setup manually rather then the automated setup which goes through POP
• Instant and easy connectivity – Everything is updated without a headache, Weather, Google Latitude, Emails, and other things
• The Battery is decent, compared to the Bold its a lot better. From what I’ve seen with friends the Bold doesn’t always last the whole day sometimes half way through you need to charge it. After about a full 12 hours of usage the Javelin is at about 25% – 30% of its power. This includes messaging all day, on the phone, web surfing, and taking pictures which isn’t too bad. The only thing is that you have to charge it through Mirco-USB

The Other Side

• One things is that if you are trying to transmit too much data it doesn’t receive information right away such as sending multiple pictures through BBM, there are a few minutes there when you don’t receive anything but suddenly you get lots of BBMs which were pending
• BBM – It is one reason to switch to Blackberry if you know enough people who have Blackberry’s and to my surprise I know more people then I thought who have BBs. But the bad part is that if you are used to the instant gratification of this communication system you really get annoyed when the system goes down. It happened once and I was surprised how annoyed I got at the damn phone, SMS just doesn’t cut it anymore