The Tech Zone Live

33 RPM

Sun, 27 May 2012 20:44:00 -0400

Music by: Mr. Oizo

Grace Digital Mondo Video Review

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:59:45 -0400

In this video review I’ll be going through the features and performance of the Mondo by Grace Digital Audio.

The Mondo is a small and portable Internet connected media player that can stream content from online radio networks, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Sirius XM and local files over your network/removable media. During my testing period I was able to stream quite a bit of content over the Internet and I can say that the experience was very smooth with very little buffering when changing sources due to the speedy 802.11n wireless chipset. Even some of the large files on my media server took at most 4-5 seconds to buffer on this media player.

Even though the Mondo uses a low resolution display, menus are still easy to navigate and text is readable for the most part. The Mondo is capable of displaying full colour images including Album art and icons for navigation. Speaking of navigation, the Mondo is primarily controlled with a control dial located below the display which is very easy to use for scrolling around menus, but makes it difficult to input text when using the search feature or connecting to a secured wireless network.

In terms of audio fidelity, the Mondo provides a decent listening experience for most home users, but if you plan on turning up the volume over 75% you’ll be in for a rattling surprise (literally) when you hear the cheap plastic parts vibrating and creating unruly distortion.

One feature I really enjoyed while using the Mondo was the mobile integration. If iOS or Android device, you can download a remote app to control this device without the IR remote that is included. This makes it much easier to navigate compared to the control wheel, and if you happen to lose the remote, you might already have the device to replace it. Unfortunately there is no support for audio over AirPlay, so the only way to get your music to it is via the Aux input, removable media, or a UPnP server.

Pros:

Streams content over the Internet
Large amount of content available
Fast wireless chipset
Great source for external speakers
iOS/Android apps

Cons:

Audio distorts at higher volumes
Glossy finish (although you may like that)
Cheap build quality

Overall the Mondo by Grace Digital Audio is a fairly decent device for the home user and it provides a great source for higher end speakers since it has a stereo RCA output on the back. If you are in the market for a portable Internet radio, the Mondo is a great option coming in at around $170 on Amazon.

Thanks to Grace Digital for providing the review unit.

4K Resolution Timelapse in Montreal

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:02:06 -0500

This was my second timelapse done with Magic Lantern. Earlier in the day I tried out bulb ramping to get the sunset, but it didn’t work out so great. In total this timelapse used 2531 frames and spans over about 2 hours at 3 second intervals with 2.5 s second exposures.

Music:

“cloudcycle/stratus.spherical” (cloudcycle) / CC BY 3.0

iOS 5: How To Enable Wifi Sync

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:51:50 -0400

iOS 5: How To Enable Wifi Sync

iOS 5 Notification System

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:39:43 -0400

iOS 5 Notification System

"Stay hungry, stay foolish"

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:51:00 -0400

“Stay hungry, stay foolish”

- Steve Jobs

My Thoughts On The Kindle Fire

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:56:00 -0400

Over the last two years, the iPad has been dominating the tablet market. Until now, I’ve regarded all other tablets at the same price point useless hunks of silicon. Today Amazon announced their new Kindle Fire. The tablet features a plethora of great specs and only costs $200. That’s right, it’s the first viable tablet competition to the iPad that has a competitive price point!

Now on to my thoughts… The Kindle Fire looks good, really good. For $200 it destroys every other Android tablet on the market with ease. As far as the interface goes, I’m really impressed with the design. It’s one of the fist tablets with an interface that looks completely different to the interface iOS and Honeycomb uses (single pages with icons). As you can see in the image above, Amazon chose to feature an elegant cover flow style content browser that allows you to see recently used apps, movies, books and more. Other apps are available in a side-scrolling browser on the bottom.

Specs are pretty decent, so lets make a direct comparison to the $500 Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1:

Kindle Fire $200:

Display: 7’ Multi-Touch IPS - 1024x600
Processor: Dual Core - Unknown Clock Speed
Storage: 8 GB Internal + Amazon Cloud Storage
Camera: None
Battery: 8 Hours

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 $500:

Display: 10.1” - 1280x800
Processor: Dual Core Tegra 2, 1GB RAM
Storage: 16 GB Internal
Camera: 3MP + Front Facing
Battery: 9 Hours

For $200, the Kindle Fire is pretty similar and is definitely a great choice if you are looking for an inexpensive alternative. Plus, since it’s from Amazon, it’s connected to your Amazon account which means purchasing apps, books, music, and movies is extremely easy.

More at Amazon.com

Fractal Design Core 3000 Review

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:44:49 -0400

Fractal Design Core 3000 Review

Merlin Video Rail Slider Video Review

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:27:00 -0400

In this video review, I take a look at the Merlin Video Rail Slider Camera Dolly.

Features:

Dolly features 8 wheels for smooth tracking
4 of the bottom wheels can be removed for tabletop use
3/8’ and 1/4’ mounting options
Included rails are 3 feet long
Height and angle of rails can be fully adjusted
Rails can mount on 2 tripods

After testing this rail system for a few weeks, I definitely say I’m impressed. The included wheels are extremely smooth, and just the fact that keeping the DIY community in mind while designing this product makes it the best system I’ve seen so far. Other systems on the market typically include a proprietary set of rails that can only be upgraded if you purchase a new set from the manufacturer. With the Merlin Dolly, you can easily use a plank of wood or your own rails to accommodate any length you need.

Overall, this is the perfect choice for anyone looking for a dolly system that can easily be customised to fit your needs. With it’s fantastic build quality and extremely smooth wheels, this is simply an amazing product.

Be sure to check out the demo below:

Windows 8 Video Demo

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 20:17:00 -0400

Windows 8 Video Demo

CamCaddie Scorpion Review

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:28:00 -0400

After testing the CamCaddie Scorpion for a few weeks now, I can definitely say I’m impressed. The Scorpion was designed to provide a low cost solution to stabilising video and mounting more accessories to your camera. Regardless of how simple it’s design may seem, surprisingly it can stabilise video quite nicely. I tested this rig with a Canon 550D and will be uploading my results in the coming days.

As for accessories, CamCaddie offers an Accessory Shoe, Accessory Wing & 1/4-20 Converter in a kit for $49. With these 3 accessories, you can mount virtually any camera accessory to the Scorpion with ease. I tested these accessories with a considerable amount of heavy accessories and it proved to hold up without any problems. This kit seems like the best solution if you plan on mounting external monitors, microphones and lights.

Note: A full list of accessories available at the CamCaddie store.

This camera mount can be configured in numerous positions as well.

Example: If you are looking for low angle shots, you can mount the camera facing forward and hold the Scorpion from the top to keep the camera close to the ground. For a two hand grip configuration, turn the camera on it’s side, use your right hand to secure the camera and your left to hold the Scorpion.

Overall, as a low cost mounting system for your camera, I really think this is the perfect choice for anyone looking to stabilise video and add numerous accessories to your camera at once. If you would like to pick one up, head over to CamCaddie.com and be sure to check back in a few days for the a full video demo of this product.

Editors Note: I am having issues uploading the video at the moment, so hopefully I can get that sorted before the end of the week. If not, I’ll upload it on Vimeo.

Skype installing EasyBits Go Crapware on your PC without asking - How to remove it

Sun, 29 May 2011 13:55:08 -0400

Skype installing EasyBits Go Crapware on your PC without asking - How to remove it

Noctua NH-D14 Review

Fri, 27 May 2011 03:42:00 -0400

Noctua NH-D14 Review

Intel 320 Series SSD Review

Wed, 18 May 2011 23:26:00 -0400

Watch on YouTube: Intel 320 Series SSD Review

Intel’s latest addition to the SSD market has proven to be an fairly good performer for the price. In fact, this is actually the lowest price/GB SSD available from Intel at the moment. The drive features 25nm NAND flash storage, and is compatible with SATA II 3 GB/s interfaces.

As far as mounting goes, the Intel 320 Series SSD features a removable spacer that can be used to lower the drive’s hight from 9.5mm to 7mm. This is to allow easy installation in systems that require slim profile drives. If you would like to install this in a desktop system, be sure to have a 2.5’ to 3.5’ adapter on hand as this SSD does not include one.

The drive is available in various storage capacities. These include 40 GB, 80 GB, 120 GB, 300 GB and 600 GB. Please note that the read/write times will vary depending on the storage capacity. A CrystalDiskMark benchmark of the 300 GB version can be viewed below.

Overall, this is a pretty good drive for users looking for a low cost SSD. While it’s not the top performer at the moment, Intel has also released their new 510 Series SSD which is perfect for higher end builds.

HRT iStreamer Review

Mon, 16 May 2011 15:46:00 -0400

In this episode, I review the iStreamer by HRT. If you have been looking a DAC solution for your iDevice, HRT has finally produced the solution you’ve been waiting for, at a low price of $199.

The device is powered off of a Mini-USB port on the front and the iDevice is connected via the sync cable. As you would expect, the audio is converted from the iDevice’s digital signal into a high quality analog output you can use with high end audio equipment.

Overall a pretty fantastic product for the enthusiast looking for the best audio quality from their iDevice. Seems like the perfect choice for a permanent home setup.

Specifications:

Full Scale Output: 2.25 Volts RMS
Frequency Response: (20 Hz / 20 kHz) 0dB/-.4dB
Noise Floor: (DC -> 30 kHz) 28 uV
S/N Ratio: (DC -> 30 kHz) 98 dB
THD+N (1 kHz FS 44.1 kS/s): .002%
Data Rate: 32k, 44k1 or 48k
Sample Depth: 16 bit
Transfer Protocol: Host Mode (master)
Charge output: up to 2.1 Amp
Dimensions: 4.6” x 2.3” x .875”

Xone DX Video Review

Mon, 09 May 2011 17:40:00 -0400

I’ve been testing the Xone DX for the last few weeks and I cannot even begin to explain how amazing the experience is. The controller was built with pro users in mind and I definitely appreciate the build quality Allen & Heath put into this product. While this controller was designed to work with Serato ITCH, you can download the Traktor mappings from the Allen & Heath website which make this a controller that can fit into just about anyone’s work flow.

This controller features a 4 channel mixer with a 3 band EQ for each channel. If you’d like, you can assign one of the rear inputs to one of the channels. This way you can still make use of turntables and CDJs while mixing. This can prove to be very useful for turntablists since the jog wheels are not touch sensitive. The crossfader can be adjusted in the software interface so you can fine tune the curve/slope to fit your needs.

As for effects, there are 2 banks above the deck sections. All the built in effects in ITCH are pretty nice, but if you asked me to pick a favorite, I would choose the high/low pass filter and tremolo. These effects can be activated through the effect send buttons above each channel, and each channel can use both effects banks at the same time. A set of dials are available for fine tuning effects on the controller.

Sound options on the Xone DX are nearly endless. With it’s 20 channel sound card, you will not be left without the right input or output for your event.

Outputs:

2 Balanced
1 Master
1 Booth
1 Auxiliary
1 Cue Digital

Inputs:

4 Channels (Line or Turntable)
MIDI
USB
Microphone (XLR)
Headphone cue ( ¼” & ⅜”)

Overall this is a pretty fantastic controller. If you are looking for the best comparability in software, other audio equipment, and a controller with superb build quality, this is perfect for you.

Available at: Allen & Heath

Xone DX Overview

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 22:47:00 -0400

Part 2 and the full review of this controller will be featured on Thursday April 28.

Fonera 2.0n Review

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 22:57:52 -0400

Over the last few weeks I’ve been evaluating the Fonera 2.0n, and I can seriously say that this may be the most innovative router in the world.

While the Fonera provides access to the internet just like many other routers on the market, what really sets it apart is the ability to share alike in a community of other users. If you are willing to share your internet access (for free or paid), you will be granted access to every other Fon’s internet access worldwide. This can prove to be a fantastic feature to have if you are a frequent traveler. To take it a step further, you can view a map of the location you are visiting beforehand to make sure there are other Foneras around you.

Another feature I really found useful was the USB port on the front. Unlike other routers, you can plug in a USB hub and connect hard drives, printers, webcams and USB 3G modems! This means you can instantly convert a 3G signal into WiFi which can be used across multiple devices at the same time. I would also like to note that not all webcams are supported, and you might want to look at the compatibility list if that is something you are interested in using.

I have yet to see any other company include some of these fantastic features with their routers, and is definitely something I think makes the Fonera 2.0n one of the best consumer routers on the market.

Overall rating 8/10 due to some build quality issues.

Available at: Fon.com

karenabad: Leica i9 for iPhone 4 The Leica i9 Concept is a...

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:25:52 -0400

karenabad:

Leica i9 for iPhone 4

The Leica i9 Concept is a dream project that addresses a desire to combine two great products, while considering both the consumer’s and company’s needs. It’s common practice to combine a smart phone with a digital camera, but how do you combine a great smart phone with a great digital camera when your brands may speak to very different categories? - Black Design Associates, LLC.

(click photo for more concept specs.)

Electric-Avenues PA2V2 Review

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 18:27:00 -0400

In today’s episode, I’ll be featuring the Electric-Avenues PA2V2. After about a week’s use, I’ve been very pleased with the audio quality this pocket amplifier can produce.

The PA2V2 is short for Pocket Amplifier 2 Version 2 and is hand made here in Canada. This amp has a full ABS plastic enclosure and uses a ruby red translucent faceplate to hold the components on the front. The faceplate also allows you to see some of the components on the inside and the bright LED that illuminates when the power switch is on.

Battery life is pretty fantastic. I’ve been able to get the full 100 hours advertised on the Electric-Avenues website and charging is very quick with the included 3 Volt transformer. This amp also features a built in charging circuit, so you can use rechargeable AA batteries until their recharge cycles have been exhausted. This means that you can go for about 4 years without changing the rechargeable batteries. Of course if you aren’t able to recharge the batteries, you can always use 2 regular AA batteries with this amp.

The recommended setting for using this amp is to set the audio source’s volume to about 60%, and then setting the volume to whatever you like on the PA2V2. This seems to be very optimal, and produced very high fidelity audio. Bass, mids, and highs sounded very good, however, I think there should be controls for setting bass and treble. I would imagine this was not featured in this amp to keep the size relatively small.

Overall this amp gets a 10/10 for it’s fantastic size, audio, and build quality. I really haven’t found anything else on the market that can truly rival the quality of the PA2V2, so I definitely recommend it.

Special thanks to Gary from Electric-Avenues.com