Timing could not be better, nor worse, today the new Apple tablet came out the iPad. So I’ve been meaning to write, update and catch up everything on this blog clean up some things and various other things.
So on to matters, first off, the iPad. I think it is a start but for right now, it’s just a kindle with more functions. There are lacking features and then there are some ground breaking ones. Let’s start with the good go to the bad and then move on.
The good:
The iPad’s user interaction with the device allows the use of already stock apps available from the iPhone and iPod Touch line and now there are more with the new sdk and larger screen. The large high resolution screen is very nice and the update to connect the device to use for presentations is going to make it a breeze to use. I’m not so sure what else to say to that though.
The bad:
Like the first iPhone there is not GPS so where is the next generation use of location? We are in an era of mobile computing and this is supposed to be our next step? Why can we have a simple GPS chip in the computer? Where is the use of apps that rely on location? As our esteemed professors @academicdave and @therefore are always pushing the limits on and asking the question of location. This is the perfect device right? It really doesn’t feel as such that I would want this.
Also where are USB ports or various other ports I don’t want to use a dock connector to be able to access the device especially if I am needing to do various other things. I don’t want to have to go through the mystery app store process for simple interface things and then be rejected etc. I’m not so sure what to take on only having a wireless gimped bluetooth and no real hard ports.
I don’t agree with everything entirely being up to one manufacturer. We have run into many problems before with Apple and their problems this is one of their many products we are starting to see have an effect with consumer funding the second and third generation of products. Looking at where the iPad sits now I can see in a year a GPS chip being added, a couple of external ports or adaptor ports being added just like what was done with the iPhone becoming the iPhone 3G and 3Gs.
As much as I love Apple I don’t think we should have to deal with everything they put out as great. Much greater dissension is coming from loyal followers (of which I am one) and I feel the curse of Microsoft coming. I sometimes look at a Windows feature and wonder why; and then I wonder if Apple had taken that idea and added their polish to it wouldn’t it be great. Why can’t the iPad have handwriting input? I know there is a cool brushes app, and I’m sure some developer is going to come along and make something cool; but why can’t I get it out of the box as that?
Finally, I would have liked the tablet really to have run multiple applications at once. I don’t like having to work in JUST Pages or JUST Numbers I would rather switch between the two; especially if this is going to replace my laptop. I would still rather get a small netbook and give up screen size for a keyboard ports and various other things than a glorified large iPod Touch.
This is not the device that is going to change everything really but only be the pixel to point what is next. I think we are going to see the rise in Android and HTC’s devices next and see Apple grasping its breath to catch up in the mobile device market. At least that is what I can see from glimpses of CES and HTC’s misdirection campaign going awry.
Let’s see what time hold and we’ll see what happens next.
On to other stuff:
I’m also in the process of building a robot for fun and we’ll see what it does if you have any suggestions of what it should do we’ll take a look and see if it is something worth us doing. It is a project I’ve been needing to get around for a very long time and well let’s see how it goes. I hope you like what we’ve got so far. I’ll have more pictures
up as we go and thanks also to help from @johntron who is helping very much in teaching and learning with me.
Finally the big project of the year and I hope to continue wit
h. We have high hopes to take this big prize at the first North Dallas Hooptie event for the 24 Hours of LeMons race. We are team Grassy Knoll Society. More information about the team the event and everything else is available on that blog. I will say that we are looking for sponsors and are willing to entertain almost anything at this moment.
I hope that catches you up and later days.
To Catch You Up:
So itʼs been a while and a friend of mine Craig Fisher said yʼknow what you need to write what youʼre doing on your blog. Yea, itʼs been a while and he was dissapointed. Yes, Student Media asked if I could come in one day and be an adviser for a day. I had a blast and would like to thank them again for letting me come and talk. At the end of this I have some stuff for them and anyone else that would like to read and learn.
So the last month and a half Iʼve been trying to write this white paper as I stated in my last blog post but well itʼs been put on the back burner. Two major reasons,
1) David Parry or better known as academicdave; his class requires lots of attention.For that attention though the rewards are great and you learn a lot as well.
2) Iʼm overwhelmed by different cameras out on the market right now. I plan to make
this a focus of mine for next semester and hope to have some definitive reviews and
some samples posted somewhere.
My Current Involvements:
I must also speak about a few other things as well, Spark Club and Sustainable Preservation Initiative.
Spark Club is a great organization and I hope to see it grow. Spark Clubʼs mission is to get the non-profits and those interested in a space together to collaborate and create something good, something amazing. Their next event is December 3rd and I hope to see you there. I know I met some amazing people there like the guys from soap hope and the womenʼs foundation.
Sustainable Preservation Initiative [SPI] is something Iʼm really behind; Iʼve seen them in action and I really agree with what they do. Itʼs the best way to serve the old proverb of,
” Give a Man a fish and feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and feed him for life”
SPI saves and preserves the world herritage as well as saves the community around it.More information can be found on their site.” – Unknown
Larry Coben is a great guy and has a lot to say that makes sense about changing the world in small ways that create big impacts.
Finally as I promised the stuff for my Student Media people:
The NY Times Article about Hybrid Books
The Qik and Ustream websites. (examples of good new media videos from Ben Smithson and Colleen Lin. I liked their videos because theyʼre not done with what youwould think to do with a broadcasting background but more of what you can do with new media to tell a story. Benʼs video is one of the first stories he created; and itʼs a great story this is what is capable of someone who has never messed with video before.
My lab mates Kyle Kondas and Mona Kasra both put together a video on how YouTube and online video is changing how we take our news and how we live. Their curated video and blog Click:Play is a great read and study. It was screened at VideoFest in Dallas November 9th at the Angelika Theater.
To the editor of the web section who specifically asked me how do you make it educational that people will watch? I answer you this, the TED lectures. We all watch them all the way through and the visuals are just the people are that interesting. These people are well refined but you do learn a lot from them.
My favorite daily readings that explore new media:
New Tee Vee (great reports analytics and whatʼs going on)
Mashable (general news and breaking and changing things)
FlowTV (yes I know itʼs from UT but at some point we are all in the same boat together)
Finally Adademia:
David Parryʼs blog there are so many things to be learned from the things he postsabout new media
Michael Wesch a professor at Kansas State who is studying the anthropology of the web and has great insights in the use of new media and what the web does and where it is heading. There are more answers there than I could provide.
Later Days…
This is not a definitive list as I told everyone there that day; merely a place to start.Please leave comments and start a discussion. I must get going as the coffee is finally getting to me and I need to get work done and the night is creeping in.
I’m working on the first draft of an update of a white paper I wrote years ago. I will be crowdsourcing the edits on it. As soon as the first draft is up it will be posted here for download.
Also I am working on another special project that is alluded to in the tags section of this blog. Stay tuned and hopefully I’ll have pictures and other things here. I would love help with that as well once it’s up and running as to ideas to improve it all.
As some of you may know I spent the last two months in Peru; this explains the lack of posting. I wish I could justify as this being an excuse but it really isn’t a good one.
The time I spent there was, of course, amazing and one that will continue to challenge what I do and how I think. There are a couple of things that came about from me being where I was and having the time to meditate in some of the most amazing places in the world.
1. Time – it is relative. Not at all in the scientific sense of Einstein but more in the sense of how you carry your self through your life. At times things seem desperate and things seem to not be going well or the right way; there is always something new on the horizon. You have the power and the ability to make your own decisions to get to that new whateveritmaybe. I came back and now wonder what is going to happen next and well I know there is something waiting for me but I don’t know what. I am okay with this only because I know I have the choice to set a long term goal and aim for it and see what comes along. I also know that this goal will continuously evolve as I learn new things and see and experience something different that challenges this goal.
2. People – There are some relationships that are never meant to be and there are some that are going to continue to grow and thrive no matter what happens. The relationships you keep will help you grow and those you don’t it’s okay, life will go on and you can always have the choice to make new friends. Always be willing to open up a little bit; you’d be surprised on who you find sitting next to you and how your lives may be connected. This is always great with what we have now; social networks are the greatest things we can become a part of. There are things that they create that are bad; but the best part is it allows us to connect disaplines that we never thought nor never would have had the opportunity to connect before. Always explore who is around you and always keep your friends close they will get you through those tough times and in the good make the times great.
3. Experience – You will be traveling for some one else or working for some one else but really the some one else is going to push you as well and some times you’re there for you as well. This doesn’t mean don’t be a team player this only means that you have to keep any eye out for yourself as well. There will be times where the relationships for the team are going to be strained but at the same time remember take some time for you on your own. This time will allow you to clear your head and allow you to think clearly for the team every once in a while. It’s just like any other relationship; time apart makes you realize what you have for each other it is the guy’s/ girl’s night out or that shopping trip or that bike ride the climb whatever it may be that clears the head. Take time for your self and you will be stronger for everyone else.
I know those things aren’t new or something you’ve not heard before but take some time and meditate on your own in a clear space you’d be surprised how much better you’ll feel on your outlook especially if you’re feeling trapped in a box of life right now. Just remember there are long term goals out there and it might be time to look at another path to get there.
Sorry I don’t have any cool stories from Peru, I do have them but they are better for a cup of coffee if you find me. I will share some pictures though…
Scott Dee our amazing photographer took pictures which can be found here. You can also copy and paste this link:http://flickr.com/Scott_Dee into a new browser window.
Later Days,
Lately I’ve not posted anything because I’ve not had much to say. I’ve had a lot of things happening right now I’m sure they’re out on Twitter and various other places.
I will say this though, since the last post there has been some major shift changes. I will keep those who read this posted but i would say for sure check soon I’ll have more posted
So some old friends were in town and made a video. I thought I’d share it.
can also be found here Cabeeb Sparky
Later Days,
###
So again I need more than 140 charecters and well this is the best place for it. After lots of thought of what exactly needs to be said it’s just one thing, keep life simple.
It’s been about 3 years since my car was stolen (it will be exactly 3 years in May). In that time I’ve managed to do some pretty impressive things on paper that does not mean that I am by any stretch of the imagination in a position where I am completely on my own. At this point I should be where some of my friends are. Is that path the same I should have taken, I really don’t think so.
As unhappy as I am and as bitter as I can taste I still am very happy too. With the way things are shaping up for some of my friends and the country around me I am very happy for the things I have. I remember everyday that there is more to life than just having that truck or having that perfect life. The things I am the happiest for are the things I have around me; a great family and an amazing set of friends. I am reminded every day of them being there for me and I am so grateful.
So the trip; it’s been two weeks of staggered spring break so to speak and neither one of them am I able to actually take a break from. The one that was my work’s spring break my academic life went into high gear; the week of my academic spring break I ahve so many projects I’m not even able to breathe. I WANT OUT! In the situation I’m in right now I should be allowed at least one day, one weekday, off and hit the road and travel to some remote part of the state and just relax clear my head and see Texas. I love this state and always will return in the end but for now it’s feeling like a prison. I am tired of Dallas, I need to get out for a couple of days and feel fresh air and sun. I need to get out. Ideally there are a couple of people separately I’d like to take with me and\or go see but that will be for another time and another day.
Best thing to take out of life right now in what seems to be the toughest times, be thankful for what you have. Be extremely good to your friends and family, those are the things that matter most in life and will be there longer than anything else for you. Finally be simple, there is no point in being put in a place only to compromise your self to unhappiness.
Climb on and be your self.
Later Days,
###
At the time of this post the semester is about to start for UTD and the first time for a graduate video class in ATEC.
It seems by popular request a camera review for small cameras is needed.
Well it seems there is a new category of cameras flooding the market; small pocket ones all started by CVS pharmacy.
CVS, really? Yes, really. CVS had a disposable camcorder just like a disposable still camera you turn it back in and get a DVD back. It turns out that the little sticker was just hiding a standard Palm IIIe connector. When connected the camera would mount as a drive and you could see the .AVI files. clear the memory and you’re good to go again.
So what is available in the market now? A lot of different devices and to cover them all I’m not so sure if I know of all. In that case I’ll get what I know of in the max price range of $300 or so and try and stay in the same form factor.
So the list I cover in this post.
Flip Minio SD and HD flavors
Creative Vado SD and HD
Kodak Zi6
DXG 579V
Sanyo Xacti
The Flip
This form factor and style of camcorder may look and sound familiar. The new Flip Minio camcorders are the same cameras as the ones I mention in my little story of CVS. These cameras have good quality and good audio for what they are. The software is pretty bug free and seems to be a good standard video device before moving to something larger than pocket size.
Since it’s one of the originals it’s picked up a good following and quite a fan base. The other big thing that the flip seems to have hit is the perfect price point to make it a good camera as a stop gap between the cellphone and a standard camcorder. Something to allow those spur of the moment videos for youtube.
Pros:
The quality is good for what it is and has great audio for what it is. The functions are easy to use and very simple.
Cons:
Personally I think the price is TOO high for what it offers. I would rather this camera come down in price since it is a repackaged disposable camera.
The memory is limited to on-board storage so once you run out there are limited options.
Final Thoughts:
It’s a good camera and deserves some of the praise it gets; however, there are better cameras out in the market right now.
Creative Vado
This one is the same as the Flip just Creative Lab’s take on the camera. The software on it is different and no harder or easier to use than the Flip. The files the Vado produces are not natively compatible with a Mac.
A camera should be natively compatible with the two consumer friendly operating systems. More and more people are using Macs this should be normal for a large manufacturer to support Apple. Linux or Unix I don’t expect only because people tend to write their own drivers and it’s not an O\S that is used for cases in which this camera would normally be used.
Pros:
As with the Flip it’s a good easy to use small camera that has simple features and is robust.
The outputs include HDMI which of the three is the only one.
Cons:
Not OS friendly only seems to work natively on a PC. Not easily useable on Mac or iLife (specifically iMovie ’08)
The memory is limited as with the Flip and only comes in 8GB.
The highest price tag of the three but of the bunch in the middle.
Final Thoughts:
If you’re exclusively on a PC or want an hard to use a camera with a high price tag then this is a good bet. I’d pick the Flip over the Vado. This is not my favorite pick but it is a good camera.
Kodak Zi6
The cookie cutter is starting to get dull at this point. This writer is also getting to the end of his thesaurus to describe the same camera again. The only different thing again is the software and how the camera records.
The Zi6 breaks from the mold in that it records in .MOV format natively which is easily handled by Mac and PC. The other big mold breaker is the Zi6 records to SD cards and only has 128MB of on board memory.
That’s all I have to say on this camera the rest is the same as the Flip and the Vado for the most part.
Pros:
It takes SD card instead of having limited memory. Records in .mov format easy to use on both OS world.
Cons:
A bit pricey and as mentioned with the other two limited functionality.
DXG 579V
So is a completely different camera from the Flip style cookie cutter.
Main thing is these both have a different form factor and have a nicer bigger LCD panel to see what is being recorded.
The DXG also has a lot off different features and recording formats available to it. Allowing you to record in 60,30 and 24 fps and in progressive or interlaced format.
The still camera functionality is also decent.
Quality wise the DXG is impressive also it has other features besides video it has a voice record function to allow you to use the camera as a simple voice recorder just for audio.
The biggest other option is that this offers an optical zoom (2x). The Flip style cameras don’t seem to offer great zoom functions at all. You even have lots of add options to add zoom lenses and such.
Pros:
It takes all SD cards including SDHC which are the 8GB and higher cards.
There is a zoom feature to zoom in and out allowing for dynamic shots.
Cons:
Needs better battery life but it is a standard AAA battery so its not a complete loss.
Needs better documentation though the camera is straight forward to use.
Sanyo Xacti
Finally my favorite next to the DXG. This camera line has it all and can do it all. The form factor is the same as the DXG camera though it is more ergonomically friendly. The Xacti comes with hi speed frame rate possibilities at up to 60 fps progressive.
The optical zoom on this thing is pretty good it’s up to 10x and has the ability for a digital zoom as well.
This is also a full featured camcorder offering the same functions as the Canon Vixia in that it does full 1080p HD and it can output HDMI, audio through headphones and record to SDHC card of up to 32GB.
Pros:
Full featured it has everything; including zoom feature interchangeable memory cards and rechargeable battery.
Cons:
Price is a bit high; but for the quality you are getting it is well justified. It could use a microphone line in though.
Final thoughts:
Of all the cameras this one is my favorite next to the DXG. The price is a bit steep for this kind of camera but it is feature packed and has won many experts over and rightfully so.
So you’ve gotten my full review of all the cameras; again I write this as an educated opinion on interactions with the cameras. This is only here to help make a decision of all of the cameras that all look and feel the same on the market right now.
I have included a little more in depth explanation of what a sensor does and how it works in the link below of a .pdf file you can download.
This Post as a .pdf file (may be easier to read)
Later Days,
###
So this will be a 2 part post since I’ve been mostly on twitter I’ve been more active on there and now I’m at the point again where I have more to say than 140 charecters.
New Media and The Chicken and the Egg.
The first part is no big thing except for a question I’m positive has been asked I just haven’t cared to find out and I though I’d just ask it here and see if anyone else has cared to look.
Recently (not so much near recent so much as the recent we see in history lets say 1998 to now) media has become easier and easier to create. This creation has allowed a glut of new media content. We also have a ton of new places to show media and need lots of content. We have thousands of TV channels, the Internet and various other distribution channels now. My question is which came first easy to create media or the multitude of distribution points?
They need each other and they are mutually beneficial the best example would be YouTube. Every one knows it and loves it and it’s the simplest thing in the world to create content and view content on. So which came first the chicken or the egg; easy to create media or easy distribution?
Second Part Check the Next Post…
