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When Kodak announced the release of its Zi8 pocket video camera, the features alone created excitement in the pocket cam community. For so long, a Flip cam was eponymous with pocket camcorders. Kodak set out to change the minds of consumers by offering a superior product.
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Kodak was kind enough to send me a Zi8 to tinker with. While I prefer black or silver — simple colors — my review unit was an impressive aqua blue. Regardless of anyone’s color preferences, the Zi8 isn’t ugly. But at first glance, it isn’t as striking as its Flip competitor. But it’s certainly an improvement over the Zi6. The Zi8’s big personality is what sets it apart.
It’s easy to differentiate the Zi8 from its competition based on its features alone: it films in 1080p at 30 frames per second (fps) and at 720p at 60 fps, electronic image stabilization eliminates fidgety filming, it shoots 5.0 megapixel stills, and it provides support for both Facebook and YouTube. There are a handful of other important features including help with low-light filming, face tracking, and compatibility with both Mac & PC operating systems.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Digital distribution of movies is becoming more than just a convenience. Video on demand (VOD) technology is becoming the status quo. As video formats have evolved, so has the method of delivery. Reel-to-reel. BetaMax and VCRs. DVD players. High-definition Blu-Ray. And now delivery of videos goes beyond format. There are an increasing number of utensils to feed your video appetite. In fact, there is a large list of video on demand services. If you have a broadband Internet connection, then you’re ready to explore the world of VOD.
So, how do you choose?
I’m a DIRECTV customer as well as a Blockbuster.com user. I’m contemplating a VOD service as an alternative to my Blockbuster service. So, I decided to take a look at Blockbuster’s VOD service and compare it to Netflix. Pretty smart, eh? Yeah…I thought so too.
BLOCKBUSTER. I’m already partial to Blockbuster over Netflix, so naturally Blockbuster.com was the first place I went to get some details. According to Blockbuster’s current offer, when you rent 25 movies in advance — which costs $99 — Blockbuster will send you one of its 2wire MediaPoint digital media players. The box includes composite, HDMI and component outputs.
Unfortunately the information available on Blockbuster.com is routine at best — an electronic brochure of the service actually. So, I contacted BlockBuster with a slew of questions.
This blogger shares his pros and cons of the Blockbuster service and related hardware.
With the lack of information available on the Blockbuster site, I decided to email them for some answers:
Dear Derrich,
Roughly 2,000 titles are currently available. The library changes frequently.
The device upscales up to 1080i resolution if used with an HDMI connection, cable not included. Some of the titles, such as the IMAX titles, are compressed with high definition, but not all titles will be in such high quality. The device also only offers stereo only for the audio.
The prices range from $1.99 to a max of $3.99.
There is no long-term storage available. Rentals are only made available for a maximum of 30 days after download. Once you actually start to watch the movie, however, there is only a 24 hour license issued to play the movie as many times as you wish. The files are auto-deleted either when the 30 day period or 24 hour watch period expires.
There are no other fees or membership requirements to use the OnDemand service. Once you have the device and use the 25 prepaid rentals, if you never rent again..you’ll never be billed.
Please let us know if there’s any other questions we can help with.
NETFLIX. The Netflix website on the other hand was refreshingly informative about its offering. Heck, it even points you in the direction of the manufacturer, Roku, for a more in-depth resume of abilities.
Right off the bat, this thing is the epitome of ’straight foward’. Box is $99 (MSRP). Buy it, keep it. If you already have a Netflix unlimited plan (from $8.99/month), then you’re all set. The terms and conditions isn’t a bunch of legal jargon — it consists of six bullet points. Your existing Netflix plan doesn’t change. The number of movies available on demand is limited to a little over 3,500. One blogger even went so far as to compile a list of Netflix On Demand movies. Netflix claims 12,000 selections; we can assume the other 8,500 or so are TV shows. More importantly, watching movies or TV shows instantly does not affect the number of DVDs you get.
In addition to the Roku player, you can use the Netflix service with a number of other devices such as the Xbox 360
In addition to those devices, today LG announced the first broadband-enabled HDTVs with Netflix streaming software embedded directly in the TV, eliminating the need for one of the above boxes.
THE WINNER IS…. It looks like Netflix has found a way to marginalize Blockbuster. I’m tempted to take advantage of the 30-day free trial to see if I like the ‘DVD by mail’ service as much or better than Blockbuster. If so, why wouldn’t I make the switch to the company with a better On Demand product?
The bottom line is that Netflix rules the VOD battle.
While I test drive the two services, there are still some other VOD services out there for me to research such as Amazon Video On Demand
Popularity: 45% [?]
Phone geeks beware — you’ll hate my review if you even call it that. This is meant for those of us who don’t spend all day on HowardForums or BGR…both of which I enjoy visiting. On to the comparo…
It’s been awhile since two mobile phones have simultaneously captured my attention like the BlackBerry Bold and the Nokia E71. Like two prized heavyweight fighters…or MMA fighters depending on your disposition, these two devices come to the table with a number of strengths.
It’s hard to compare two evenly matched phones. Both don the QWERTY. Both wear the proverbial camera. Speed comes 3G. Both boast improved stamina with impressive battery life. And both operating systems still show great agility, but can definitely use a refresher.
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Round 1: LOOKS. As the title might suggest, the E71 wins this round handily. The Bold is no sloutch. For the sake of comparison, imagine Jennifer Aniston (Bold) and Jessica Biel (E71). Both are women are beautiful, but one of them is likely to piss off your wife or girlfriend more than the other. When comparing pictures of the two [phones] online, I was misled in both instances.
The Nokia looked larger than it actually is, and the Bold smaller. The E71 is sleek with it’s stainless steel finish and neatly placed buttons. And it’s as heavy as it looks adding a sense of quality. The Bold is lighter than past QWERTY BlackBerrys, and is finished off nicely with a chrome bezel and a leather battery cover. The screens are virtually the same size…the Bold a tad wider by virtue of its physique.
Round 2: PHYSIQUE. Typing is pretty easy on both; but if you’re used to the somewhat staggered QWERTY on the BlackBerry, you might find the perfect grid created by the E71’s keyboard frustrating at first. But it’s definitely something you’ll get used to. The Bold is thick. You would think it is more substantial than the Nokia. But you’d be wrong. The E71 is heavy…in an impressive manner: one that suggests great quality. It’s definitely in line with my previous Nokias. I’m ending my nearly two-year relationship with a BlackBerry Pearl (don’t drop this phone), so the Bold and the E71 are much more impressive to me. Go ahead and toss these around.
Round 3: STAMINA. With all of the apps and functions (WiFi, 3G, antenna) on both phones, comparing battery life was nearly impossible to measure accurately (or I’m too lazy to do a proper comparison). BlackBerrys in my experience have always had remarkable battery life. Unfortunately all I remember about my Nokia N70 is how often I had it plugged into the wall. Not so with the E71. It takes alot to knock the E71 down. That said, the Bold battery was right on. The winner of this round is decided with a coin flip.
Round 4: COMMUNICATION. More specifically email. The BlackBerry needs no introduction. So far, my only issue with email on the Bold (using my Hotmail account) is that email reconciliation doesn’t work from both sides. While a deleted email on the Bold removes it from the device and my Inbox, a deleted email from the Inbox does not remove it from the device. A minor (and temporary) glitch, I’m sure. Meanwhile, the E71 was simply frustrating. Most freeemail geeks blame my issue on Hotmail. The only way I could get this email to my phone is to use a push service like Izymail to get my Hotmail on my Gmail, which is ridiculous. Even the latest Nokia Email service won’t spar with Hotmail. Booooo! This one goes to the BlackBerry.
Round 5: PAYOUTS. It’ll cost about the same for either. I bought the E71 unlocked through Dell for $349…and I picked up the Bold from Best Buy with a new 2-year commitment to AT&T for $350.
A proper conclusion to a comparison would be to declare a winner…but I digress. I’m hooked on BlackBerrys. Let’s get that proclamation out of the way. I love having instant access to my email. That’s the most important feature to me, which may be different for you. The E71 is handsome and will cause plenty of double takes, and it is very capable. And while there are many features I may have missed (GPS, radio, music, photo quality), those features I did discuss were at the top of my list. Ok. Fine. I’ll do it. My winner by decision is the BlackBerry Bold…by a tight margin.
Hey, Nokia. Get a better email service…and you win this one.
Popularity: 25% [?]
If you’re looking for a straight forward, no nonsense TV…this is it. I’m an “open box” junkie. So when I noticed the price on this TV, I thought for sure it was included in that category. But the Toshiba 37AV500U
Toshiba 37AV500U: not just a pretty face
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Before purchasing a TV, I like to see them in action…side by side…mano a mano. I compared this one to a 37″ Regza and a 37″ LG (both also new). The Regza was about $100 more and the only difference I could find was an extra HDMI slot. The LG was also impressive, but it was almost $300 more.
Aside from being aesthetically pleasing with its glossy black thin bezel, the Toshiba’s picture is sharp…crisp. Black screens are black instead of gray. And you’d never know it was only 720p without reading it on the specs first. But given that it’s only 37 inches, the resolution is sufficient. So far, I’ve watched everything from CNBC (moving tickers) to movies to San Antonio Spurs games…all in HD. Videophiles worried about response times and lag commonly associated with LCDs will be pleased (I’m using the HDMI connection). And the SD channels actually come through really nice compared to other HDTVs. Finally, the SoundStrip speakers actually provide clear and rich sound up to a certain volume. I expected it to sound like an alarm clock. But for a home theater setup, you’ll want to add speakers.
I’d rate this TV is a solid 8.0 out of 10.0. What the 37AV500U does lack in features, it definitely makes up for in picture quality and overall value! Like I said…this TV is easy to use, easy to hook up, and easy on the eyes!
Popularity: 76% [?]
I’m not gonna lie…I’m not a huge reader. As Mike Birbiglia would point out, I’m more “magazine smart” than book smart. But every now and then, I enjoy perusing the pages of a book usually on the recommendation of a select group of friends…all of whom I consider to be more intelligent than yours truly. Predictably Irrational is one of those books.
I had the opportunity to sample Predictably Irrational before its release date, which is today I might add. The book, which was written by Dr. Dan Ariely provides a refreshingly entertaining look at how we are fooled by irrational behavior, and how we can make better choices about our day-to-day decisions with simple strategies. Despite his big-ass experience (i.e. “Russell & Tate“), his approach certainly isn’t academic, but rather easy to interpret.
Chapter Three entitled “The Cost of Zero Cost” examines the way “free” items are “incredibly appealing” even though what we really want costs very little to begin with. For instance, standing in line for a couple of hours for a free meal at a new restaurant (I’m ashamed to admit that I did this when Chipotle opened its first franchise in San Antonio a few years ago), or falling victim to the buy two get one free gimmick when all you need is one. I remember while in college the credit card companies used to exploit our penchant for free t-shirts to lure students into applying for credit. These are only a few of the everyday experiences Dan Ariely discusses in the book.
I highly recommend this read. Of course, I got it for free. But that shouldn’t matter as you will find out in Predictably Irrational.
About Dan Ariely
Dr. Dan Ariely is the Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Behavorial Economics at MIT, where he holds a joint appointment between MIT’s Program in Media Arts and Sciences and the Sloan School of Management. He is also a researcher at the Boston Federal Reserve Bank and a visiting professor at Duke University. Dr. Ariely wrote Predictably Irrational while he was a fellow at the Institute for Advance Study at Princeton.
Popularity: 12% [?]
According to comScore, online spending was up considerably this year…19% over 2006 sales. While I didn’t partake in any online shopping or fall victim to the long lines around Best Buy and Circuit City, I was definitely front & center for the action on “Black Friday” night.
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I’ve been in the market for a number of things this year. But because I curbed my spending after opening RETOX, my hands were tied…credit cards locked away. After reading an article my friend, Danielle, wrote about how Canon is the unofficial bloggers choice for cameras, I couldn’t help but conform to the masses. Circuit City was running a Black Friday special on the Canon PowerShot SD1000
Since I’ve relied heavily on my mobile phone camera for snapshots, I’ve missed the convenience and quality of a digi. Since I purchased the SD1000, I’ve used it frequently. The picture quality is great — relatively speaking, of course (you get what you pay for). Camera geeks can still appreciate this camera despite its lack of manual controls. And although it weighs 4.4 ounces, you definitely notice the weighty high build quality. Best of all, it’s small. It’s portability makes it perfect for capturing those “Kodak moments” like this one, which was taken with my BlackBerry camera.
Here’s a shot from my SD1000 of RETOX. I used this photo in a recent ad.
Photo taken w/no flash — RETOX BAR SAN ANTONIO
I’ve only experimented with the video feature once, and after uploading it to my laptop, I was satisfied…impressed actually. I’m convinced that this is one of the best — if not THE best — bang for the buck digis. Now all I need is a Canon PIXMA MX700
Popularity: 13% [?]
In today’s age of viral marketing, musicians all over have taken advantage of online networking venues such as MySpace and YouTube as a means of music marketing. But these aren’t the only resources for aspiring musicians to take advantage of. Artistshousemusic.org is a non-profit organization funded by the Herb Alpert Foundation that is charged with being an expert resource for musicians, students, industry professionals, and people interested in getting into the music business. Part of its guidance includes information on copyrights, grants, and music education associations. The organization provides access to a wealth of practical resources on professional development and research in music education as well as information on teaching music with the tools of technology.
Popularity: 13% [?]
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