Author: Randy Stewart

It’s Official – Nikon D200

Post author By Randy Stewart
Post date November 1, 2005

After making the rounds on various rumor sites, Nikon has announced their successor to the very popular D100. This camera packs a 10.2 megapixel sensor, a 2.5″ LCD and combines many of the advanced features of the more expensive D2x with the size and weight of the D100.

The D200 is aimed squarely in the middle of Nikon’s SLR range of cameras and spec-wise very close to the D2x. At $1700 clams for the camera body, this baby ain’t for everyone, but prosumer photogs everywhere will be lining up for this one.

Nikon D200
DPReview Preview

Home Entertainment

Logitech wireless speaker review

Post author By Randy Stewart
Post date October 27, 2005

Our friends over at ExtremeTech have just dropped a review on the Logitech Z-5450 Digital 5.1 Speaker System. I’ve always liked the idea of wireless speakers if for no other reason than to trim back the rat’s nest of wires that is crawling out of my computer. But I’ve always felt that they just don’t sound very good.

ExtremeTech feels differently and depending on the size of the room that you have and the depth of your pocketbook, this system may be for you.

Bottom Line – Expensive, but good.

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Digital Cameras

Faulty digital camera chip widespread

Post author By Randy Stewart
Post date October 27, 2005
4 Comments on Faulty digital camera chip widespread

The Wall Street Journal reports this morning that digital camera manufacturers are quietly offering to repair over 80 models of digital cameras from brands such as Sony, Canon, Nikon, and Olympus due to a malfunction in the CCD image sensor. The CCD used in these cameras has been found to fail in hot and humid conditions. Cameras affected by this problem will show “black images or distorted colors in the viewfinder or LCD display and in any print or digital output.” No recall has been issued, but customers with the problem can get their cameras repaired free of charge.

Imaging Resource had this story a few weeks back.

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Ask Stewtopia Features

Ask Stewtopia – Plasma vs LCD

Post author By Randy Stewart
Post date October 26, 2005
1 Comment on Ask Stewtopia – Plasma vs LCD

Marco writes,

“Does plasma pixelate fast moving objects? I’m just wondering because I saw a few plasmas that were doing that at frys and didn’t know if it was the dvd player that may have been messing up, or if it was just the plasma. I also noticed that LCDs go up to 1080 pixels yet they aren’t as bright as a plasma screen. Would you ever go back to LCD, or is the plasma just too pretty?”

Recently, I had to replace the lovely 32″ Sharp Aquos LCD I purchased last year because it was damaged during our move from San Francisco to Seattle. As we had moved into a larger house (dang those SF prices), I was thinking that it also might be time to upgrade the size of display.

Digital Cameras

Canon PowerShot SD430 Wireless

Post author By Randy Stewart
Post date October 25, 2005

Canon threw their hat into the WiFi camp today with their introduction of the SD430. This camera has virtually the same specs as the recently introduced SD450 but it is a half inch wider presumably due to the inclusion of WiFi.

Much like the Kodak EasyShare-one, this camera can connect to computers and printers wirelessly. Phil Askey of DPReview says that Wi-Fi in digital cameras is “a solution looking for a problem” and that when “when WiFi is enabled the small batteries in these compact cameras are likely to be sucked dry pretty quickly.”

Not sure that I feel that strongly, but currently, WiFi is an interesting curiosity at best.

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Home Entertainment Media Servers and Streamers

SqueezeBox III – Third times the charm?

Post author By Randy Stewart
Post date October 25, 2005

I always thought that Slim Devices Squeezebox was cool. They were the first network MP3 player that had a digital output, their own server software that didn’t suck and it worked with iTunes. It was difficult to get past its looks, however. The first two versions had wonderful personality and were great dancers, but you didn’t want your friends to meet them.
Squeeze
Slim Devices fixed that by offering their Silicon Valley neighbors, Roku, the most sincere form of flattery.

The new Squeezebox has a little something for everyone. It plays a laundry list of audio formats(AAC, WMA, MP3, FLAC, Ogg), although no encrypted formats (sorry, binge iTMS users) For audio nerds, the 24-bit Burr-Brown DAC and digital outputs should float your boat. It’s both wired and wireless and you can keep several units in sync to play tunes all over your house/office/underground bunker.

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